My highly talented friend Wendy Harris will conduct a talk about Plein Air painting one week from tonight, Monday May 14th, at 7:30 pm at the Marcellus Public Libray, upstairs.

If you want to learn more about this gorgeous method of painting outdoors, or if you would like to take some lessons to try it yourself, this is a must-see event.

I met Wendy by happenstance last year and wrote about her in the Syracuse Post-Standard.   Read my column here.

And to view Wendy’s portfolio, go to her website and enjoy.  She finds beauty in everything, and I love that.

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I recently spent four days visiting my dear friend Valerie in Washington, DC.   It was a great trip with one exception.  A Washington-based twitter friend of mine asked why I brought Syracuse weather to the national’s Capitol.   Brrrr.

Connecticut Avenue

Valerie has a terrific condo in a 1920s-era apartment building.  As readers of this blog are aware,  I believe the 1920s represent the finest in residential and commercial construction.  Everything about the place was the perfect blend of aesthetics and function, and when you add the Paris-born Valerie’s sophisticated flair, I felt like I was living in a magazine spread.

Here are a couple of interesting features about this area of D.C..  Connecticut Avenue cuts through upscale Chevy Chase, Maryland, and ends in downtown Washington and it is lined with six-story apartment buildings like this one.  Many of them on the 4000 block were built around the same time, as builders went farther and farther north to accommodate urban sprawl.

Houses sprout from right behind the apartment buildings

But just behind these apartment houses are tidy tree-lined residential streets with a seemingly endless number of brick colonial homes.  Think of the Strathmore or Bradford Hills neighborhoods of Syracuse and now multiply them by a factor of a thousand.  Shrink the lots a bit, add many more towering trees and azalea bushes, which in full bloom appear like flames at the foundations of the homes, and that’s what you see immediately behind these large apartment houses.  You leave a large building but then walk amongst quiet neighborhoods in an interesting merger of lifestyles.

Another fascinating aspect of Connecticut Avenue is it is a daily game of chicken on the road.  Connecticut Ave. is five lanes wide, and in the morning rush south to downtown, four of those five lanes become southbound traffic, and in the evening rush, it is reversed.  Four lanes head north while only one comes south.  I can imagine oblivious out of town visitors clipping along in the usual two lanes, only to see an onslaught of cars coming from the other direction.  It’s a bold and white-knuckled solution to major city commuter traffic.

See all the southbound cars?  Only the lane with the jeep at far right goes north during the morning rush hour.

So thank you Valerie, for opening up your incredible home to me once again.  I can’t wait to come back.

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With my home situated in the Syracuse University neighborhood, and with a son and two graduate student boarders under my roof, I live the rhythm of the academic year.   It’s difficult to believe that “year” is winding down again so soon.

Jianan, my Master’s Degree candidate in Piano Performance from Dalian, China will receive her degree next month, however the biggest stress is over.  Jianan held her final academic recital yesterday at Setnor Auditorium in Crouse College and knocked it out of the park with five pieces ranging from Bach in the Baroque Period, to the 20th century Prokofiev.  Her selection by Bach was particularly special as she performed it on harpsichord, a true challenge because of a dual, petite keyboard with buttons that are pulled and pushed while playing to change the tone.

Jianan’s proud parents are staying with us for this last exciting month for Jianan.  Jianan will return to China for the summer but she will return to the U.S. to begin a Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois in August.  At this point in her life, she hopes to teach at a Chinese University someday, but you never know.  Life sweeps us up and she may be called to the concert stage.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to share that talent with the world?

Here are some photos of the reception held after Jianan’s performance yesterday.  She was concerned about the heavily Chinese cuisine, prepared in my kitchen by Jianan’s mother Li Na who woke up at 5:00 am to begin the work.  You’ll see in the photo there was no need to worry.  All the authentic home-cooked Chinese food went first.  The only food remaining at the end were the American vegetables and dip and cheese platter.

So, Bravo to Jianan for her outstanding piano performance and props to Li Na and Mr. Yu whose name I cannot even begin to spell phonetically.  Mr. Yu did dish duty all day long.  They were a good team and are a beautiful family.

Celebratory photos and the delightful Mr. Yu

After party at the house

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I’ve been away lately, first in Fredericksburg, Virginia and then in Richmond, 70 miles further south on I-95.

Usually a trip that far south in the month of March brings a rapid transport to spring, with pink and white flowering trees, the yellow forsythia and shades of chartreuse unfurling in the woods.  It’s a welcome shot of color after all those months of gray here at home.

This trip though, was different.  It doesn’t look that much farther along in the seasons in central Virginia than it does in central New York.  The entire east coast enjoyed a mild winter this year, but the swing was more dramatic in the northeast.  So when you heard we had a “Virginia winter” this year, you can follow that up with a Virginia spring too.  I’ll be the first to admit I would love more winters like the one we just had, even if the flip side of that is more bugs and mold such as we are expecting in the coming months.

I visited my Salve Regina College chum, Syracuse native Dee Antil who has lived in Fredericksburg for almost 20 years.  Prior to that, she lived in Charleston, South Carolina and it was that time in her life that prompted my trip to see her.  I was Dee’s guest at the wedding of the daughter of one of her Charleston friends.

It’s funny.  We attend the weddings of friends for what seems like forever, but then suddenly it stops for awhile, and then we start it all up again, going to the weddings of the friend’s children.   Life is spinning.

In the 25 year gap between my last trip to Charleston and this one, I had forgotten how special is this glorious little city.  It has everything I love in abundance; history, weather, palm trees, water, architecture, great restaurants and some shopping.   The cobblestone streets are furiously bumpy and the real estate is out of reach.  It’s great.

I didn’t take a lot of photographs while there, but here are a few.

Fried Okra, a crispy treat at the markets

I love these giant topiaries outside The Doubletree Inn.

Dee and I at the wedding reception, Carolina Yacht Club

How stunning is the back of the wedding dress?

Sparklers in the night to bid farewell to the couple

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The plaza entrance to Excellus

I love this quirky sign. The retail space below is all vacant.

Bill Colucci describes various potential uses for the building

Which building do you think is fully leased, and which is empty?

Some of our beautiful architecture

There are more people in this mini park than in the empty office buildings

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My column this month in the Syracuse Post Standard suggested we tear down the obsolete and empty buildings from the 1960s and 70s in downtown Syracuse, and replace them with open lots and an occasional parking garage.  These sad and sorry concrete boxes are a form of blight, they have virtually no hope of ever being filled by any company large or small,  the cost to convert them into residential living space is exhorbitant, and even then, the buildings are still ugly.

South Warren Street has the bulk of these structures, with an abandoned bank building on every block of our former financial center.  Only one of them, a magnificent stone treasure with soaring corinthian columns, looks like anything one would want to step into or walk beside.

The percentage of constructive, thoughtful comments which agreed with my position was about equal to those that did not; the difference being that the negatives were posted on Syracuse.com and the positives were sent by email to me directly.  A pack mentality dominates the public comments and once a tone is set, few readers will challenge that tone or risk getting personally attacked along with me.  So I have included some excerpts of the emails which conclude it is time to consider a more user-friendly downtown environment.

I totally agree with your concept. I was at The Yates the last night it was open and I still shake mind my head in disgust every time I look at that lot. Why keep non historic ugly out of date buildings when there is no demand for them and no where to park even if you do find an odd use for them. I like the word “odd” here.  It suggests that any future use of these scary buildings will be a real stretch.

I read, with enthusiasm, your article in this morning’s paper. I own a business in Armory Square and am reminded constantly by my customer base that parking is almost nonexistent in the area.  It is the reason soooo many folks do not come downtown to shop.
I tended to disagree with them, always pointing to the fact that there were lots like the Trolley lot behind the MOST, the open lot across from Kitty Hoynes, the Atrium garage, etc.
These days, however, with the Trolley lot out of commission for at least two years because of the construction of the underground sewage storage facility; the Atrium garage full because of all the spots being sold to National Grid and O’Brien and Gere; and the open lot now the site of construction of two Marriott  hotels, I tend to agree with my customers.
Your idea is fantastic!  If I personally had the funds, I would purchase one of those buildings, raze it, and do a parking facility!
I have been told by a few local developers that parking lots or garages are NOT profitable ventures. Maybe this is why there is little parking in an area of downtown that is begging for it, and truly, whose success depends on it!

I agree with you.   When I moved to Syracuse in 1969, I lived downtown (“How can you live downtown?” people asked, appalled).  I walked to Sibley’s, Flah’s, the Addis Company, Dey’s, Wells & Coverly and many other places to shop.  When my family grew, I moved to the east side of town (“How can you live in the city?” people asked, appalled.)  I returned to downtown Syracuse to shop….but now, I had to pay to park!  And even if I made a purchase, I still had to pay to park.  The same stores existed at Shoppingtown, with acres of free parking.  Guess where I went to shop??  And guess what happened to all those downtown stores, where nobody went to shop anymore because who wants to pay a surcharge for parking?  So build those parking garages!  Charge for parking!  But if someone patronizes a downtown merchant, or dines in a downtown restaurant, or attends a downtown arts event – validate their parking ticket and let them park for free or for a discounted rate that increases the more time they spend making downtown Syracuse a vital and vibrant place to live, to work, to eat and to shop

I just had the opportunity to read the above article and I was so happy to see that someone is of the same mind that I have been talking about for over forty years. When I came to Syracuse and married a Northsider and settled in Eastwood, I was always amazed at how the city would tear down the beautiful houses on James Street and build square ugly flat rooftop office buildings that now are mostly unoccupied. Then to make matters even worst the would take parking lots downtown, build a high rise building on the lot, thus eliminating parking availability and wonder why no one goes downtown. I’ve thought for years that they should tear down some of these eyesores and provide parking with green spaces, such as parks with grass and trees. I hope that the people in power to make these choices give it some serious thought. As I previously mentioned, I live in Eastwood and always dread the thought of going downtown because I have no idea where to find available parking. Case in point the new hotel to be built across the road from Katey Hoynes on parking lot that I have used to go to that restaurant. I hope your ideas take root and move the powers to be to consider your proposals.

Maureen I ..agree with you.  Although I would propose more open space and less garages.  We can add the garages to the open lots as necessary.  For now we need to make downtown an appealing place to be.  Open space with restaurants that have patio seating facing gardens and parks is critical. Here, here!   The open lots would handle festival parking, or become a mini-festival in themselves.  They could provide a setting for the many “pop-up restaurants” so popular in other cities right now.  An open, landscaped lot holds many possibilities for downtown.

Interestingly, my primary motivation in tearing down the obsolete buildings is to clear the way for smarter, more useful development in the future.   The parking lots would be temporary, such as what happened in Armory Square.   One former parking lot was taken over for Creekwalk.  Another lot will become the new Marriot Hotel.  Parking has never been more challenging in Armory Square than it is right now, and still, everybody goes.  You won’t find a single obsolete concrete nightmare anywhere near there.  Every building in the district is historic or visually appealing, or both.

I believe open, landscaped lots are more attractive to people than empty buildings, and when developers see the feet on the ground, they will put up a building to make money off those feet.  Few things are worse for an urban center than a building that is too big and too unsightly for what people demand today.  An entire street of them will spell doom for South Warren Street for decades.

One of the emails I received after my column really got my attention, and I’ll write about that next time.

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1. Daylight Saving 2012, Day 1

2.  Bright sunlight reveals the cobwebs I miss in the corners.

3.  58 degrees and Syracuse University students are dressed like August.

5. Laundry on the line with no threat of rain or snow.

6. Can’t keep the bird feeders stocked.

7. Almost tempted to wash the car in the driveway.  Almost.

8. I wonder if the electric start on the outdoor grill still works.

9. Little white Snowdrops are blooming in the grass.

10. Who needs an extra hour of sleep, anyway?

How about you?  What are the signs of spring in your corner of the world?

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I’m in Buffalo for the weekend to explore this once enormous and vibrant city.  At one time Buffalo was the sixth most populous city in America, but population levels, after peaking from 1930 to 1950, are now in 2012 about what they were in 1912.  No other upstate New York city has lost the percentage of population as Buffalo.

In many ways it is like Syracuse only much bigger.  Downtown buildings look the same but are simply larger in scale.  The Elmwood village District is larger than our Armory Square, but it isn’t nearly as attractive and appealing.  And on a warm Friday in March, I drove throughout the business district, the waterfront area and throughout the affluent historic neighborhoods and saw only a handful of people about.  There wasn’t even any traffic on city roads on a weekday.  It was a little unsettling.

I will say Buffalo has the largest assemblage of Victorian era buildings I’ve ever seen.  It appears the whole city went up from 1870 till 1900.  The architecture is gorgeous and much of it remains intact.   It’s a treat to behold.

Gabrielle's Gate

Just as Syracuse has the Dinosaur Barbecue, Buffalo has its chicken wings, but who makes the tastiest wings is subject to debate.  The locals can’t decide if it is the Anchor Bar –inventor of the recipe and concept, Gabrielle’s Gate or Duffs.   I decided to try two.  There is no way I could handle three orders of wings in an afternoon.

I started at Gabrielle’s Gate at 145 Allen Street in the Allentown District, because the concierge at my hotel said it’s where the locals go.  Gabrielle’s is a quirky place in a punked out house on a quiet side street.  The “gate” that gives the place its name is decrepit and damaged.  I couldn’t decide if it was intentional.  Service was just so-so.  It took awhile to get the attention of the small wait staff but when the wings finally arrived,  they proved a good value.

Gabrielle’s Gate wings are larger than usual and very moist, almost mushy.  The sauce is on the thin side.  I got the “medium” hot sauce and it was no problem to handle.  It cost $9.95 for 10.

Gabrielle's wings are huge with a thin sauce

The "Gate" could use some repair

From there I went to the Anchor Bar at 1047 Main Street,  billed as the originator of the chicken wings made all over the country now.

Motorcycles on the ceiling create an eclectic decor

The restaurant has been in business since 1935 but the wings originated in 1964 when the teenage son of owners Frank and Teresa asked for a midnight snack and Teresa’s Buffalo Chicken Wing concoction was born.

Anchor Bar wings have a thicker sauce

Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo Chicken Wing

The locals may prefer the wings at Gabrielle’s but I liked the Anchor Bar.  They were crispier and the sauce was stickier and had more body.  Both had a similar flavor; it was the texture that distinguished the two. 10 wings at Anchor Bar cost $11.95.

Both establishments offered up the formula quite readily.  It’s a combination of Frank’s hot sauce and drawn butter.  I vow to try it at home.

Have you been to Buffalo and given the wings a taste?

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One of the best things about Cape Cod is how it clings to the best of old-fashioned ways.  It’s an early to bed, early to rise kind of place.  The pace is slow, the light is intense and the houses are postcard pretty.  In fact, the “cape cod” house model is still replicated all over the country.

Pilgrim Rd., a street with "breathing room" to the beach

Unfortunately, in my vacation town of Harwich, these charming cottages are getting torn down one by one, in favor of what one can only be described as the over-sized, lot-filling homes that pack every inch of every lot at the Jersey Shore.

It is such a shame.  I’m sure the owners of these homes are spending an absolute fortune on their architects and builders, and to their credit, they use quality building materials that many McMansions sometimes skimp on in order to afford the vast square footage, but everything about these structures is wrong for the Cape.

The beginning of the end of charming Sea Street

At the end of Sea Street for example, someone bought the petite half cape that was right on the beach, tore it down, and put up a thing in its place.  It’s too tall, too big, and too ornate.  In short, it belongs on the Jersey Shore where all the houses look like that. That’s what’s authentic about the Shore, but not here.

What’s worse, last year, someone bought the house right next door and put up something even worse; an over-sized square box filling the entire lot and all the airspace, right up to the 28-foot height limit the town imposes.

This home filling the entire lot on Wah Wah Taysee Rd. is a shame

With these two behemoths walling off the oceanfront, all the right-sized and appropriate homes behind them have lost something about their proximity to the water.  Sure, the distance is the same as before, but aesthetically, the neighbors have been bullied.   In response, some of them are selling out to owners who continue the race to “poor taste supremacy”.

Classic Cape Cod beach houses

The other day I walked Braddock Street near Bank Street Beach in Harwich Port and was saddened to see yet another monster house going up on what for decades had been a modest beach house with scraggly pitch pines and a sandy driveway.  There’s little that’s scraggly at the beach anymore as the McMansions get irrigated and planted down to the last blade of perfect green grass.

As I did a double-take, one of the laborers responded by reading my mind.  ”Big, isn’t it?” he offered.

I told him I could scarely remember what was there a year ago –that’s how jarring it is.  He replied “it’s a lot bigger than I’d want, but…” and his voice trailed off.  Even the people benefiting from building these things seem to know it’s killing something special about Cape Cod at the same time.

I don’t understand why Harwich allows this seemingly unchecked steroidal home building.  Owners are blasting through the original footprint of the house to build within a few feet of their neighbor’s bedroom window. The 28 foot height requirement is far too tall for any home that’s not in the woods someplace.  But south of Main Street, where the best of Cape Cod housing exists, 28 feet is way too tall and it dwarfs everything around it.

Most of the capes that give the region its identity are just a story and a half, perhaps 20 feet at the most at the crown.  And they sit on a lot with breathing space all around.  There is room for the sandy driveway or the one made of white sea shells.  There are hydrangeas and rambling roses, and there is a shower on the back of the house.  Occasionally there’s a small wooden deck or a patio.  It’s part of what keeps vacationers coming back.  You can’t find this old-fashioned charm just about anywhere anymore.

An expanded "old school" oceanfront home

At the expense of sounding like someone who has become too stuck to handle progress, I will say that when done correctly and to scale, at least today’s architecture on Cape Cod and in my full-time home of Syracuse, NY is getting much, much better than what it was in the 1970s and 80′s.  Those two decades represent the worst of home design that I can think of.  At least we’ve gotten beyond that.

Another home right-sized for it's location

Now all we have to do is tone it all down a notch, or as in the case of the seaside neighborhoods of the Cape, a whole bunch of notches.

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