Friday, April 30, 2010

A Black & White Friday

Happy Friday to you. I have so many pictures from April that I haven't even opened and edited yet. Where did April go? Here are some recent black & white shots, with no particular theme other than the colors. I need to get my April photos out before summer is in full swing and they become outdated.




Thursday, April 29, 2010

Better Know a Building - 165 Congress Street


This home at 165 Congress Street (currently on the market) was designed by important Portland related architects Francis Fassett and John Calvin Stevens. It was built in 1875 and is currently split into four units. I always admired the stained glass above the front door and windows.

And the local non-profit organization of the day is Preble Street. Founded in 1975, they offer many programs to help the most vulnerable and needy residents of the city. Visit their website for donation and volunteer information: http://www.preblestreet.org/

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Portland Public Library


Consider this an invitation to visit the main branch of the public library on Congress Street. I checked it out last weekend and it has had a remarkable transformation. I wish they had much longer hours, but that's the only complaint I can think of at this time. It's remarkably clean and modern inside, with new fixtures, lighting, flooring, and the whole works.


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Before & After: Barber Shop

Here's a before from 1952, via mainememory.net, This is on Congress Street, right by Longfellow Square. :


And today, the barber shop still lives on:


Monday, April 26, 2010

The Great Bike Swap of '10

Sunday was the annual Bicycle Coalition of Maine bike swap. Quite a turnout this year. I volunteered to help out by taking photographs, and have a whole bunch to go through and edit. Here's a couple/three:



Sunday, April 25, 2010

John Sinclair

I went to an event at good old Space, at 538 Congress St, last night. It was a showing of the documentary about John Sinclair, 20 to Life. I had only heard about John Sinclair because John Lennon wrote a song about/for him and performed at a "free john sinclair' concert. It was a really interesting movie and you should wikpedia Mr. Sinclair because he's had an interesting life. The added bonus of the free event was that John Sinclair was there for a Q+A session after the movie. He also performed at the North Star Cafe later in the evening. Here's a picture from the Q+A:


Saturday, April 24, 2010

B&M Baked Beans Sign

After posting this in February I was contacted by someone who seems to work for the company's hired PR firm with a press release about the new sign. The new sign was put up in March, so I'm a little late to post a picture of it but it was worth the wait since it looks pretty nice.

From the press release:

B&M, a Portland, Maine institution since 1867, built its landmark facility at its present site on Casco Bay in 1913. The prominent B&M sign was blown down during a wind storm in 2009. The new sign will be illuminated with LED lights, and has been designed to utilize only 25% of the energy that the old sign consumed.

Also, the Great Maine Bike Swap is this Sunday at the USM Sullivan Gym from 10am-2pm. I went last year and it was a swell event. I volunteered to take some pictures of the event this year, so say hi if you see me.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Wednesday Doorway - 12 City Center

I won't do this every Wednesday, but my favorite Boston photo blog, Clueless in Boston, does a Wednesday Doorway post every now and then, so here's a Portland doorway on a Wednesday. This is the entrance to 12 City Center, which is apparently called the Mina Building.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Pat's Pizza Vs. Siano's Pizzeria

Two more pizza places are opening up this Spring in the Old Port. Here's a quick look at both of them.

Siano's Pizzeria at 505 Fore Street, (formerly home of Una wine bar and a former home of Portland Pie before that), will be the company's third location. I've never been inside this building but it looks like they are really sprucing up the inside and it has always looked nice from the outside. I am most looking forward to their breakfast options, which a lot of pizzerias seem to overlook. Beyond breakfast pizzas (which are heavenly when done right) they will offer all the regular eggs and pancakes type of stuff. The rest of the menu looks impressive as well.




Pat's Pizza, with many locations around Maine, is finally coming to Portland. They will be at 30 Market Street, which I think is where Market Street Eats used to be (they moved next door). They will occupy three floors, with apparently separate levels for take out, the bar, and family dining. The menu on their website says 'to be decided,' but it's safe to say they will have pizza and sandwiches like all the other locations. They have good pizza pies and I could see them becoming a pizza fan favorite in the area, especially with families.


Monday, April 19, 2010

Patriots' Day

Today is Patriots' Day, a holiday that is only observed in Maine and Massachusetts. Wikipedia says that public schools in Wisconsin also observe the day for some reason. The day commemorates the Battles of Lexington & Concord which started the American Revolution. These photos are from Monument Square, where there statue commemorates the local patriots who fought in the Civil War. I think of Patriots' Day as a kind of pre-Memorial Day kind of day and I think the flags around town will be up until then.



Sunday, April 18, 2010

A new sign has been put up by the Museum of Art. This is on Spring Street heading West. People tend to think of the museum as the big brick building in Congress Square but it does indeed stretch down to Spring Street and apparently over to this mini park/parking lot (formerly home to the YWCA building). The Children's Museum is also nicely situated next to the art museum. What really drew me to the sign was that 'sign' is written below it.


Today's random feel good interweb site: FreeRice.com. Play some educational games and help fight world hunger. Visit the site if you need more information. I had been here long ago, and it seems they since added other things to do other than vocabulary. I enjoy identifying the maps and the paintings.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Before & After: Seeing Portland 1970-1984

Today's before & after post is also an advertisement for a show currently happening at Zero Station, called "Seeing Portland 1970-1984." Check out the show's site here for more information and read an article about it at the Press Herald. The show runs until May 1st, check it out! I would love for someone to dig up my photos in a few decades and find them as interesting as I find the photos in this show.

This is 181 Bracket Street in 1970, by C.C. Church


And this is 181 Bracket Street in 2010 by C.R. Templeton (me)


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

South Portland Side

I haven't been over the bridge in a while, here's a couple shots from Spring Point.





Contest/Giveaway

Win a free copy of Maine Ahead Magazine, visit the contest page fore more info! This month's copy features one of my pictures:


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Free & Temple

I thought this had a kind of Parisian feel to it.

Which is a good thing.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Spring in the Step

Spring happens every year, but it always catches me off guard when leaves start to bud and cherry blossoms start to blossom.

Cumberland Avenue, Parkside


Cushman Street, West End


Random Portland fact of the day:

There were 105 telephones in Portland in 1880.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Goodbye Jordan's


Here are a few pictures of the old Jordan's Meat Factory. It is currently being demolished, after sitting vacant for a few years, and will be home to this decent new development which will feature a Hampton Inn Hotel, some condos, and the new home of Sebago Brewing.



Friday, April 9, 2010

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Bayside Building

I've always been a big fan of this building in Bayside. It's the HQ of Schlotterbeck & Foss, which is a purveyor of fine food. According to their website:

"Augustus G. Schlotterbeck and Charles S. Foss founded Schlotterbeck & Foss Company in Portland, Maine in 1866. The company began as a prescription apothecary shop, moving to patented medicines and flavoring extracts. From the horse & buggy days to the present, Schlotterbeck & Foss has earned and maintained a reputation for quality products and fair dealings."


Monday, April 5, 2010

Congress Square - April 2010

These two photos were taken a few days apart and coincidentally happen to have been taken from the same spot while looking in opposite directions.

The first shot is a good example of my odd ability to almost always want to photograph something with the sun directly behind it. Maybe I should take more photos earlier in the day.


This is a more traditional 'not looking into the sun' piece.

Friday, April 2, 2010

State Theater - Opening Fall 2010?

Two posts in one day? I haven't done that in a while. Anyways, I haven't seen this elsewhere yet and I enjoy furthering speculation about local business openings/re-openings/re-re-openings. There were several stories a while back about the re-opening of the State Theater, but I also read a lot of comments that dismissed that possibility. FYI, it looks like the owners are submitting their application for the "Class A Lounge and entertainment with dance license" at the upcoming city council meeting and they are projecting a fall 2010 opening date.

Hold Your Head Up



Also, it looks like the comments are up and running again, from this post forward. The older ones are archived on the disqus site but I can't figure out how to get them back here.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Franklin Crossing Trail

Here's a shot of the soon-to-be Franklin Crossing Trail, developed by Portland Trails. Similar in length to the Fort Allen Park trail that was completed last year, the Franklin Trail provides a safe crossing of Franklin Arterial between East and West Federal Streets. Federal Street used to be one continuous road before the construction of the arterial, which also displaced many homes and business when it was constructed. This new trail opens up this exciting patch of land and makes it much easier for non-vehicular traffic to navigate this part of the city.


There are few areas with more natural beauty than the median of Franklin Arterial. I hear it will even be a great place to see urban wildlife such as squirrels, seagulls, and panhandlers. Here's an aerial view of the area. As you can see in the center of this Google satellite view, work has already progressed on the trail.

I look forward to traversing this new scenic urban trail upon completion (Note to readers - it would be dangerous to use the trial before it is completed due to the high-speed traffic on either side of the trail).