Wednesday, April 30, 2008

First Parish

In response to yesterday's question and some google image searaching, I am going to say that it does indeed look to be a cherry tree in the picture in front of city hall. Good answers!

From just a bit down the road, another tree is in bloom...

I waited about 5 minutes for some people to walk by, but didn't catch anyone. This is usually a pretty busy sidewalk and in general, most of my photos just happen to make it look like no one lives in Portland. I aim to take more 'people shots' in the future.

The church in the picutre is the First Parish Church, and is Portland's oldest place of worship.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Spring Tree


A look up at city hall from behind a pretty colored tree. Any guesses on what type of tree this is? There seems to be quite a few of them in the area and I think they are quite nice.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Portland Freedom Trail



The Portland Freedom Trail was established in 2007, and marks important sites relating to the underground railroad and the abolitionist movement. According to the site, there are no less than 75 underground railroad sites in the state of Maine.

A readable (click to enlarge) close up of the marker pictured above, 1 of 16 in Portland:

Friday, April 25, 2008

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Fire Escape

Most of these external emergency exits don't look too safe, but I think I would trust this one. Well done.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Casco Bay Lines

Waiting for a boat or just watching the ferries come in and out? A good day for either option.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Friday, April 18, 2008

Night light

View from Cumberland Avenue, towards (a portion of) the night skyline.

Thanks for all the recent comments and returning visits! Have a nice Friday everyone.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Eastern Promenade


The good weather of late lures folks outside, as evident in this image.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Portland Pottery

A sort of aerial shot of Portland Pottery and a convenience store on Washington Ave. Beyond that, the sun sets on Back Cove.

Spring weather continues this week, creating more opportunities for me to get out and get some new shots.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Portland Square

A shot from last summer, of a couple office buildings (One and Two Portland Square) downtown. I liked being able to capture the rugged islands in the background and making them appear to be a stone's throw away despite being miles away. (click for larger version!)

Monday, April 14, 2008

Twin Peaks

A telephoto shot of the Observatory in the far distance and the spire (?) of city hall in the foreground. Expect temperates in the 50's-60's this week. Hurrah.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Crossing State

A biker makes his way across State Street, via Cumberland Avenue. Maine Medical Center is the complex dominating the view in the distance.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Hamblen Block


Hamblen Block, Dating back to 1835 and located at 188-194 Danforth Street in the West End. I wish every block looked more like this.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Project: Paint Tanks


The Maine Center for Creativity is holding a competition for designs to be painted/applied to 16 of the 35 Oil Tanks in the area pictured above, in South Portland near I-295. The designs will be seen by land, sea, and air. I say they might as well dress these up a bit, and doing something artistic is even better.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Before and After #2


The Morse-Libby House, also known as the Victoria Mansion, is a national historic landmark, as pictured circa 1900 and Today. Built in 1860 and located at 109 Danforth Street.

From Victoriamansion.org...

Victoria Mansion, also known as the Morse-Libby House, is the finest example of residential design from the pre-Civil War era in America. With superb architecture and well-preserved original interiors that were among the most lavish and sophisticated in their day, it is an unparalleled document of America’s highest aspirations in architecture, interior design, and the decorative arts.

From Wikipedia....

This stately brownstone Italiante villa was completed in 1860 as a summer home for hotelier Ruggles Sylvester Morse. Morse had left Maine to make his fortune with hotels in New York, Boston, and New Orleans. The house was designed by the New Haven architect Henry Austin. Its distinctive asymmetric form includes a four-story tower, overhanging eaves, verandas, and ornate windows. Frescoes and trompe l'oeil wall decorations were created by the artist and decorator Giovanni Guidirini.



Sunday, April 6, 2008

Yellow Yellow

I could have actually stopped and framed this picture, but I think this gets the point across too. Taken on Danforth St. today.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Cove in Fog

A steeple can be seen looking across back cove in the fog yesterday evening.

Friday, April 4, 2008

High Tide

Taken from Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, just south of Portland.

Weekly reminder that most all pictures posted can be viewed at a large size by clicking on them.

Have a nice Friday!

Thursday, April 3, 2008

City Hall

From the Great Portland Landmarks Site...

Carrere and Hastings of New York, one of the nation's leading architectural firms at the turn of the century, designed Portland's City Hall. Two previous buildings stood on this site. The first fell victim to the great fire in 1866; the rebuilt hall burned in 1908. Carrere and Hastings are perhaps best known for their design of the New York Public Library, but Carrere is said to have been especially pleased with his design here. The elaborate structure is based loosely on a French Renaissance Hotel de Ville. The building gracefully conceals its actual size through its relation to the courtyard in front of the entrance. The tower stands almost 200 feet high, and the building houses a 3,000 seat auditorium. The granite for the building came from North Jay, Maine.


Fascinating!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

April 2nd


The backside of a building in Monument Square. I believe most (if not all) of what is in this view is office space.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April Theme Day: Water

From last summer, the CAT Ferry sets 'sail' for Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (Canada).

Theme day participants (I'm working on this code, it doesn't seem long enough for some reason)

theme day id=14
American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix - Bostonscapes, Busan, Korea South by iamnbinb, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, London, UK by Ham, Melbourne, Australia by John, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Toulouse, France by Julia, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine,