West End Whiteout

Here are a few more photos taken in the West End during the snowstorm a couple weekends ago. 

Former school on corner of Pine and West Streets. I think it's Butler School, can someone confirm that?

Nearby, a brick rowhouse on Pine Street.

Reader Photos - January 2012

I received some great photo submissions this past month so I will combine them into one post. If people continue to submit photos, I could see this becoming a regular monthly feature! You can check out some previous reader-submitted photos here and also by visiting my Flickr group. Here are the most recent submissions, in no particular order.

These first two are by David T., who visits the blog from Omaha, Nebraska. He got these two photos from a trip on the Casco Bay Lines mailboat run, which is a great cruise for locals and visitors alike. These photos make me look forward to warmer weather (and I don't mind the rain)!

Curvature by David T.

Yellow Boat and Cottage by David T.

This next one comes from Flickr user Sheldoyle and was taken after our last snowfall. You can check out her photostream here!

Friday by Sheldoyle

These two photos from the Old Port are from JaneinMaine1 on Flickr. You can view her photos here. 

Segway Tours, Portland, Maine by JaneInMaine1

Old Port, Portland, Maine by JaneInMaine1

And here are two winter-themed submissions from Tom Whitney. Check out his Flickr stream here and his photography website here. 

Ribbons by Tom 

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Tom Whitney

Thanks for sharing David, Shel, Jane, and Tom! If you would like to share some photos with the readers of this blog, feel free to add them to my Flickr group or send them to me via email. I'm happy to help promote other local photographers and link back their work. 

Newbury Street Ice Rink

My suggestion a few years ago concerning a Bayside ice skating rink still hasn't moved forward, so I have found an alternative location for a new urban skating rink in Portland. This empty lot on Newbury Street would be a great spot for some pick-up hockey or figure skating practice. Another few inches of ice would really fill out this area and I wouldn't be surprised if I actually did see someone skating here.

Alternate view:

Street of Gold

Looking down Gold Street through the fencing around the Custom House.

Deering Street Diptych

Deering Street skyline.

Skywalks of Portland

I recently embarked on a journey to photograph all of Portland's skywalks. This was a quick journey,because there are only three (that I am aware of) and they are not too far away from each other. 

The newest of Portland's skywalks, the Alumni Skywalk at the University of Southern Maine. This skywalk goes over Bedford street, connecting the Abramson Center the academic buildings on the other side of the street.

This skywalk over Cumberland Avenue connects the (former) Public Market House, now home to private company PowerPay, with the Public Market House Parking Garage. 

And lastly, this skywalk high above Congress Street connects the several Maine Medical Center buildings and corresponding parking garages. There is some temporary scaffolding in place in this picture.

Edit - Based on a comment to this post (thanks!), I will also throw in a picture of one of the skywalks at the Portland Company Marine Complex off of Fore Street. There are a couple of industrial-style skywalks down here that connect the complex.

Occupy Maine: Open

A good amount Occupy Maine members remain in Lincoln Park, pictured below. I believe they are being allowed to stay at least until the current litigation is settled. The Bangor Daily News, which always has surprisingly good coverage of Portland news, has some details from the courtroom proceedings held earlier today here. Portland's own Munjoy Hill News also has great coverage here.

State Street Sidewalk

A wintery sidewalk along State Street in the West End. 

Sledding

The Eastern Promenade is a prime spot for sledding this time of year:

It's also a good spot to do some cross country skiing:

Neal Street

An exceptionally charming section of Neal Street in the West End. This is a great neighborhood to wander around any time of the year, but especially during the winter I think. 

Snapshots: Snow

Here are a few impromptu cellphone photos taken this morning on my way to work, nothing fancy. Even people who dislike snow in general must admit that it looks pretty when it's freshly fallen.

Congress Street Fence

In front of the Longfellow House

Eastland Hotel/Congres Square Plaza

Middle of the Night

Looking down Temple Street during the holidays. 

Bill's Pizza, 177 Commercial Street.

Flashback: January 2011

Here some photos that I posted a year ago this month. You can always check out rest of the January 2011 archives here.

Looking down onto Fore Street in the Old Port.

Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Congress and Oak Streets.

Icicles

The Eastland Hotel rising above the snow.

Ms. Portland

Exterior of the Miss Portland Diner, at 140 Marginal Way in the Bayside neighborhood. 

And a photo of the Bayside Glacier as it currently stands (pretty short!). This is where much of the snow that is removed from downtown streets and sidewalks is dumped. With the exciting plans for redevelopment of this lot and a few other nearby lots, this may be the last year we have the glacier. I wonder where the snow will be stored in the future. 

Cold and Scenic

A wider view from the same spot as yesterday's photo. It's convenient that the Back Cove Trail is always cleared off for running and walking in the winter. 

Two Tallest

Portland's tallest viewed from across the Back Cove. On the left is the tallest structure, The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, which has a steeple reaching 204 feet. And on the right we have Franklin Towers, the tallest building at 16 stories. Franklin Towers was completed in 1969, is managed by the Portland Housing Authority, and is the tallest building in the state (and one of the uglier ones, in my opinion).

Back Cove Winter

A wintry scene off of Dartmouth Street in the Back Cove Neighborhood. Ricker Park is in the background. 

Blue Morning

An early morning's blue sky from Monument Square. 

Lower Exchange

Exchange Street, early winter morning.

And I should include a photo regarding today's snowfall. I didn't have a snow-day so the best I could manage was a photo before work and a photo after work stitched together. I hope it snows on a weekend soon.

Sunrise on the Water

A recent sunrise from Custom House Wharf. I find that my best photos from this spot are taken when it's amazingly cold outside. Here's one from last winter. 

Portland Without People

I was recently inspired by this set of photos featured on the (official) Flickr blog. The set is comprised of photos taken in central London and is extraordinary because they are completely absent of people. As the photographer noted on his website, "London is never silent, not even at 3am, but on Xmas morning, it is almost silent." It's much easier to take photos of Portland, Maine (compared to Lodon at least) that make it look like a modern ghost town, so here are a few recent photos that fit the theme:

Congress Street, 6:40 AM.

Free Street, Foggy Morning.

Spring Street

Mariner's Church

The Mariner's Church building on the corner of Fore and Moulton Streets in the Old Port. The building is now home to the Mariner's Church Banquet Center, as well as the Old Port Tavern, Old Port Tavern Billiards, and a few retail shops along Fore Street. According to the banquet center's informational website:

The Mariner’s Church Building was constructed in 1828. It was a building reared for the moral and religious instruction of a much neglected but valuable and interesting class of the community. After “The Great Fire of Portland” in 1866 which damaged much of the building, the Mariner’s Church was saved from demolition in 1969 when the entire block was purchased by C.H. Robinson. In 1973 the Old Port Tavern opened as a restaurant and bar proving that Portland was not just another nine to five town. That same year the Mariner’s Church was declared a National Landmark by the Smithsonian Institute. Our upscale billiards hall opened in 1986 and is available for open or private parties upon customer’s request. 

Good Morning Sun

The sun rising behind Union Wharf this morning (colors only slightly enhanced for your viewing pleasure). The large vessel seen in silhouette is the Maine Responder, an oil spill clean-up boat operated by the MSRC. The Maine Responder spent several months in the Gulf during last year's oil spill situation, per this article. 

And seen not too far away, on Long Wharf, the above sign on a wooden barricade. I like how "Do Not" and "Move" were printed on separate pieces of paper. It's likely because it wouldn't all fit on one page at that font size, but I prefer to think that it's actually because they plan to reuse the sign in the future (Do Not: Smoke, Do Not: Post Bills, for example).

Bridged

Work continues on the Veterans Memorial Bridge replacement connecting Portland's West End to South Portland. You can stay up to date with the project via this MaineDOT site. 

The northern side of the new bridge, looking east.

Looking in the same direction from south of the bridge, with the old bridge in the foreground. 

I will kind of miss the tasteful fencing along the old bridge.