The Giving Tree

Sometimes pictures will speak for itself.  I had planned to draft several lines of expressions about this tree, but I will simply leave this for your imagination.  This is what I call the "Giving Tree", because when I first met this wonder of nature I could feel and sense its presence - the tree spoke to me and instantly gave me a sense of hope, healing and happiness.  And you may wonder where was I at when I found this tree.  Well, that will remain a secret....but it's located in a serene area that I visit from time to time - a place that's not too far, but also not too close.

Finally.....Philadelphia!

 On today, I hopped an Amtrak train to the city of Brotherly Love: Philadelphia!  I come to Philly at least once a year or every other, simply to explore and to take part of the urban experience.  However, this is the first time I have posted a feature on Philadelphia, so....finally, here's Philly!  

I love the variation of the hi-rise architecture of Center City (downtown) and the waterfront trail along the Schuylkill River.  The last two times (including today) I visited, I had breakfast at this spendid Center City eatery name the Green Eggs.  Both times I orderd the french toast and sausage - the first time was amazing, but today wasn't as great (but still good).  

I spent most of the day walking the trail along the Schuylkill.  I had walked a portion of this trail several years ago, but today, I walked it all the way to where it (currently) terminates just south of South Street.  There were many walkers, runner and bicyclists on the trail.  Also, there was a group of folks performing yoga on a grassy area near the river.  

Philly is such a cool city and being that it's only a 2 hour drive or rail ride, it makes for a fun and close day trip!

The Wharf

A lot of major cities seek ways to redefine itself - whether it is through architecture, events, arts, culture or tourism, there is always something to set each city apart from the next.  In Washington, D.C., a developer has transformed a portion of the city's southwest waterfront into a spectacular destination called the District Wharf.  I had heard about this project several years ago when online media outlets broke the news about a waterfront redevelopment planned for southwest D.C.  I was rather intrigued by what was being planned at this location.  I recall coming to this area in 2000 to a night club and, again, several years later.  On today, I decided to head into the District and experience this new outdoor spot and see what it is all about.  Phase 1 of this project is now up and running and I do believe that the signature venue here is a concert hall name the Anthem.  Phase 2 is scheduled to be completed in 2022.  The Wharf features a lot of restaurants and bars, with a few specialty stores and boutiques, offices, hotels and I believe apartments/condos.  What's charming and elegant are the Wharf's design elements, which includes some sophisticated architecture that "fits" lovely for a waterfront setting.  The buildings are well balanced and proportional with the plazas and open space areas for walking, gathering, and sitting, with a few piers that extend out into the river for stunning views of the Wharf community.

A Mid-America College

In the summer of 2017, I had a chance to tour a small public university in Missouri.  The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is located in a small city name Warrensburg.  Warrensburg is about 1 hour southeast of Kansas City and is about 5 hours east of Lebanon, Kansas (Lebanon is situated in the center of the United States).   UCM is a public state university with an enrollment of approximately 14,000 students.  The school was founded in 1871 and got its start as a teachers college.  Today, the school offers 150 majors and minors and 37 graduate programs.  I was quite impressed by its campus scene and facilities.  I had a chance to walk inside the Elliott Student Center, where modern lounges, meeting rooms, eateries, a large lovely ball room, a bookstore and a bowling alley are located.  I visited the Maastricht Friendship Tower (a symbol of friendship and of a welcoming environment) and next to it was the football stadium and a new student housing complex that featured a second bookstore. Also, I noticed an interesting piece of outdoor artwork named the "Equiponderation", a welded steel sculpture located along the northern edge of campus.  It symbolizes the balance of life.

Maastricht Friendship Tower

Walton Stadium

Equiponderation

Wish Upon A Star

This past spring, I spent a few days in Roanoke, VA.  Roanoke is a major city of the New River Valley region in southwestern Virginia.  It serves as a regional center for commerce, transportation and medicine.  Roanoke is also home to a good friend of mines and his wife and while visiting, I was able to spend some time with them and explore parts of the city.  One of my favorite visits was to Mill Mountain - a 1,700 ft. tall mountain that features a beautiful tree shaded park, a zoo and trails overlooking downtown Roanoke.  The best feature on the mountain was the "star".  The star is a 88-foot tall steel structure that has been illuminating (at night) from the top of the mountain since 1949 and it remains as the world's largest man-made freestanding star.

Downtown Roanoke (taken from atop Mill Mountain)

Port City

On July 17, 2016, I spent the day in charming downtown Wilmington NC.  I had seen a feature about the city on one of the cable networks a year prior and I wanted to visit and experience it for myself.  And I am glad that I did!  Wilmington is a "port" city, located on the coast of of southeastern North Carolina (about an hour or so southeast of Raleigh).  Without knowing much about the town, I was eager to walk through its historic downtown and meet and mingle with the locals and to take in the scenes.  While there, I was delighted to find out that there is a riverwalk attraction - a wooden boardwalk that stretches about 1-mile along the Cape Fear River.  From the downtown river front, there are magnificent, stunning views of the open water and the docked USS North Carolina Battleship.  Also, I included a photo of the historic New Hanover County Courthouse, which is located at the corner of Market and 3rd Street.  The building has a majestic presence as you walk along Market Street and I wanted to include it in this blog/journal.  And, finally, I had lunch at Elijah's - an upscale restaurant located in a historic house next to the Riverwalk.  I had the Mixed Grill seafood dish and it was absolutely amazing - salmon, mahi, shrimp all char-grilled to perfection!

Riverwalk along Cape Fear River

Historic New Hanover County Courthouse

mixed grille from Elijah's Restuarant

Finding Ferguson

On July 5, 2016, I made a detour into the city of Ferguson, MO.  It was a hot day (brutally hot) as I embarked on my journey back to the east coast from the small town of LaMont, MO (about 3 hours west of St. Louis).  Once I had reached the St. Louis metropolitan area (around mid day), I took the quick detour off of I-70 and into the city of Ferguson.   Ferguson is a small city, located in St. Louis County, MO, and abuts the northern edge of the city of St. Louis.

I wanted to see, experience where the tragic events occurred during the summer of 2014 when an 18-year old black man name Michael Brown was shot dead by a Ferguson police officer.  This event lead to protests and acts of vandalism in Ferguson, mainly, along W. Florissant Avenue - a major roadway that runs east and west between downtown St Louis and the suburbs in the County.

I noticed that there are two sides of Ferguson - a charming, historic 'downtown' area with green lawns, coffee shops, boutiques and eateries and then there is the side where Michael Brown resided - an economically depressed side of town aligned with numerous liquor stores, pockets of debris along the streets and many closed, boarded up businesses.  That was the common scene along W. Florissant Ave. where the rioting occurred in August of 2014.  It was there I saw the store (Ferguson Market and Liquor) where Brown had stolen some cigarillos (according to reports/video surveillance) and the location, Canfield Drive, where Brown was shot dead.  Along Canfield Drive, there is a bronze plaque embedded into the sidewalk in memory of Michael Brown.  I wouldn't had noticed this plaque (from sitting in my car) if two people hadn't stopped and looked down at the pavement.

May Brown rest in peace.

W. Florissant Ave. 

Brown's Memorial on Canfield Dr.

Hello, Metro Centre!

Okay, this place is gradually becoming the face of Owings Mills, Maryland.  This is the Metro Centre - a mixed use project that has apartments, stores, a library, college, offices and restaurants.  It is situated adjacent to the Baltimore metro rail station next to I-795.

I think the Metro Centre will eventually become the 'downtown' for Owings Mills over the next 10 years or so.  This was once a massive paved parking lot for commuters who lived in this area who rode the subway trains into Baltimore.  However, over the last several years, an 8-story parking garage structure was built, followed by the 6-story library/community college building and a second 8-story parking garage was constructed thereafter, in conjunction with the 4 story apartment/retail building along the newly 'boulevard' that cuts through the property name Grand Central Avenue.

In these photos are views taken from Grand Central Avenue of the library/community college building, the parking garage and an office building that is currently under construction.

On weekends, I walk/jog along the Avenue and each week, it appears more and more people around the area are discovering the Metro Centre.  I think it's going to help redefine Owings Mills and give the area a much needed identity.

 

Downtown Mall (Charlottesville, Va.)

I just love this town.  I was in Charlottesville, Va.on New Year's Day (weekend) and took a late afternoon stroll through its downtown mall.  The downtown mall is a historic 'urban park' pedestrian-only mall and serves as the centerpiece of tourist and local attractions in Charlottesville.  The mall was once a downtown street (Main Street) and today it serves as a pedestrian plaza featuring a vibrant mix of shops, offices and restaurants.  At one end of the mall is the NTelos Wireless Pavilion - an outdoor amphitheater where live entertainment takes place.

Downtown Mall

Silver Spring

On today, I made the 50-mile drive down to Silver Spring, Maryland to catch the subway into Washington D.C.  The subway station is located in the heart of Silver Spring and is about a 30 min. train ride into D.C.  The weather was quite deceiving on this mid-December afternoon - mild temperatures, near sunny skies and no jacket/sweater required.  I'd guess the temps. got up to the high 60s - which is absolutely okay with a warm-minded person as myself.

Silver Spring is, perhaps, one of the three urban centers of Montgomery County, Maryland (Bethesda and Rockville being the other two). Silver Spring is what we urban planners would label as an 'edge city'.  Edge cities are urban communities located at or near the 'edge' of city boundaries and have a high concentration of businesses, residence and entertainment.  Silver Spring is a perfect example of such.

Below are several photos of 'downtown' Silver Spring, that includes scenes from the weekend farmer's market and a cool artsty Christmas tree situated in the downtown plaza area near Ellsworth Street.

End Of Summer

My summer ended with a weekend trip to Ocean City, Maryland.  Ocean City is a beach resort that rests at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.  It was a warm, sunny September weekend and my trip so happened to coincide with the annual Bike Fest weekend.  I didn't go to Ocean City for that event; I went for the scenery, sand and the sun.

Discover History

In the fall of 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will open its doors at the National Mall in Washington DC.  This awakening will occur after 13 years of planning and design.  The Museum (according to the Smithsonian Institution website) will be "devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, art, history, and culture".  I recently had the opportunity to visit the site where the Museum is nearing completion.  The site is on the National Mall, at 15th Street, just across the street from the Washington Monument.  Not only will the Museum have exhibits, it will also host ceremonies and performances.

National Museum of African American History and Culture - Washington DC

the UCLA game (my trip to L.A.)

The University of Virginia football team opened the 2015 season with an away game vs. UCLA.  I felt that this would be an opportune time for me to experience the west coast and to see my team play a very good football team.

I took the 5-hour airplane ride from Dulles Airport (in Loudoun County, Va.) to Los Angeles, California a day before the game.  Having never traveled that far before, I was ecstatic about the prospects of what the west coast would be all about (if it was for only 3 days).  I arrived at LAX airport around 10:30 am Pacific time, early enough to hop the shuttle bus to the 'aviation' transit-rail stop.  This train would take me into downtown L.A.  Once in downtown, I made a transfer to the 'gold' line which took me to my final destination: Pasadena, California.  Pasadena is a lovely 'edge city' - most of its downtown architecture is of a 'brownish tan' color, with palm trees aligning the clean, festive streets.  The game that I would attend would be in Pasadena at the famous Rose Bowl and we (Virginia) did lose: 34-16 - not a surprise.

Below are photos of downtown Pasadena, the Rose Bowl and a beautiful church I saw in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles.  * Please check back in the weeks to come, as I will include more commentary and photos about my visit to Los Angeles and Pasadena.

Pasadena, Calif.

Pasadena, Calif.

Rose Bowl

a church in Koreatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Remember the Alamo

The Alamo

Last summer, I had an opportunity to visit San Antonio, TX and I took the above photo of the Alamo.  The Alamo is famously known as the "Shrine of Texas Liberty" - the Battle of the Alamo became an enduring symbol of a heroic resistance to oppression and a struggle for independence from Mexico.  The Alamo was a Franciscan mission where in 1835 a group of Texan volunteer soldiers occupied the mission to resist Mexican invaders.  The Texas forces eventually prevailed and the Alamo became the symbol of Texas freedom from Mexico.

Awakening

For those of you whom have visited the National Harbor "town center" in Prince George's County, MD, you most likely have experienced "The Awakening".  The Awakening is an aluminum sculptured statue of a 'giant' buried in the sand along the shore of the Potomac River.  It's a must-see at the Harbor and has become a iconic symbol of (I believe) the renaissance that has taken place along the county's shoreline.  If you have yet to visit the National Harbor, do make it a place to see whenever you are in the Washington DC area.  It's easily located off of I-95/495 and there's shopping, dining, entertainment and a soon-to-be casino and live entertainment venue that's slated to open next year.

A Stroll Through Glyndon

This month of August has produced some beautiful late summer days here in Central Maryland.  I love being outside - whether I am bicycling, walking or just sitting in my Jeep at the park listening to the radio.  A few days ago, I decided to take a walk through the nearby historic community of Glyndon MD.  It was a lovely late afternoon and the weather was just perfect for a stroll.  Glyndon was founded 100 years before I was born and, I wonder, what the little town was like (back then).  There is an old train station there (that now functions as a post office) and a neat little grocery store (family owned) that I browsed through.  Glyndon's a neat little community; close to where I reside and it's very walkable (which I love!).

The New Gotham City

Many years ago, I worked with a guy who told me he was moving to Nashville, Tennessee.  I asked him, "why Nashville?" and he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "why not?".  If I do recall correctly, he then explained he was going there to be with someone and start a family.  I thought that was cool.  At the time, I didnt know anything about Nashville (other than that the Houston Oilers were going to move their football team there in 1997).  Then I learned that Nashville has a vibrant music scene and it's where a lot of rising musicians go to be discovered.  It's a lovely city and is the state capital of the Volunteer State.  I recall a guy name Hank Aiken who explained to me that Nashville is the 'principle city' of Tennessee.  He was a native Tennessean and explained how people who weren't from Tennessee thinks/believe that Memphis is the primary city of Tennessee.  Hank explained, "Memphis is a branch city; Nashville is the state's primary city".  I had an opportunity to explore Nashville this summer.  I had a great time.  Prior to my visit, I had went on line to view some photos of its downtown skyline and the city's most signature building: the AT&T building (also known as the Batman building).  And then there's Broadway (the main thoroughfare in downtown) where all of the bars, restaurants, the sports arena, museums, and tourist attractions are.  As I was perusing along Broadway, I thought about this set up and I wondered why such  cities (in my home state) as Richmond or Norfolk, Va. never had an electricfying entertainment scene like the one on Broadway in Nash...oh well.


AT&T Bldg. (aka the Batman Bldg.)



the music scene on Broadway

Your Happy Space

Earlier this year, I read about a redevelopment project in the Bethesda MD area where a few city blocks were transformed into a nice, lively activity center that includes a residential tower, retail stores, restaurants and a plaza for social gatherings and outdoor festivals/concerts.  This is the new trend, today, for many suburban areas - tearing down old, underutilized buildings, parking lots and transforming them into flashy, new, vibrant communities anchored with new apartments/condos, grocery stores, etc.  This captioned community is called the North Bethesda Marketplace.  It's situated on a couple of city blocks, anchored by a very tall residential apartment building and a grocery store.  Parking?  Well, all of the parking is inside of a multi-level parking deck (you gotta' pay to use it) with some on-street parallel parking.  I wanted to experience this center and see what was all there.  I thought it was a great use of the given space available - everything is all situated on about 2 city blocks.  There are nicely landscaped sidewalks, with much street activity and the opportunity for social engagement in an open-air plaza that is surrounded by retail, dining and a nice fitness center.  A few blocks to the west is another new redevelopment project called Pike and Rose.  I will feature that dynamic new community in a later post. 

Keeping It Simple?

The captioned photo is that of the Iager Farm (pronounced 'eye-ger').  The Iager Farm is located in southern Howard County, Maryland, about 3 miles west of I-95; southwest of Baltimore.  What may appear as a pristine, simplistic beautiful piece of farmland shall be no more.  This farm is subject to future development.  The owner plans to develop half of this farm's land into 176 new homes, with a pool and community center and pathways.  Earlier this year, I was assigned this farm as one of my land planning projects.  I had to determine if the owner's plan for development conformed to the standards set forth by the Howard County Zoning Board.  I took my finding before the Howard County Planning Board in June and, what me and my plan review team felt was a good land design and a relatively simple plan to review, turned out to be quite complicated.  Well, to make a very long story much shorter, let's just say that after some resistance from a group that was vehemently opposed to this plan, the Planning Board voted to unanimously approve the plan after two Planning Board public hearings.  Now, the owner can proceed through the planning process to reach the final plan stage so that the proposed residential lots (where the future houses will sit) can be officially established.

Welcome

On today, Aug. 12, 2015, I was encouraged by a good friend of mines to start a blog.  I said to him that I didn't know how to create one.  Well, I took the plunge and (hopefully) birthed a blog page that's designed the way I like and for the purposes I want.  My blog is about things happening near and around me and the places I have visited.  I love to 'go' and 'see'.  I typically do day trips several times each month to places I have been before and places I have yet to explore.  I normally take pictures of these places I visit and share such with family and friends.  Now, I want to share these experiences with you.  I welcome you to my blog "Scenemaker".   *Note:  although I am wearing an Atlanta Falcon shirt in the photo, I am not an Atlanta or Georgia native/resident or a fan of the team - just a fan of their team's logo.