I Love New York Travel

I was shocked to see this store when I visited Manhattan. Also, shocked that I remembered it.

I love the old-fashioned, Victorian look of the building. One almost expects to see Victorian ladies with bustles and parasols, and mustached men with striped shirts and paisley mens ties waltzing in and out of the doors.

I was tempted to go in, to see if the store had changed at all…. but I was in a hurry (such is New York) and had to satisfy myself with merely a photo. Maybe next time!

This is another photo of Fountain Elms, in Utica, NY. There is a long, glass hallway from the basement of the historic house to an adjoining museum. The museum is vast– lots of space and very contemporary design. It contains lots of funky contemporary art and sculpture, too, constructed of the weirdest stuff– everything from old spoons to diet pills collages?! I dislike contemporary art, so it’s all a mish-mash to me.

The museum seems like it should have more “stuff” in it, though. And the contemporary design is out of style with the Victorian architecture and artwork in the historic home Fountain Elms. Still, it’s a nice, pleasant little trip. It’s clean and quiet, and sedately festive.

The foundation usually celebrates summer in a nice, old-fashioned way– street displays, patriotic flags hung everywhere, small concerts… it’s like something out of Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

Taken at Shako:wi Cultural Center, in Oneida, NY. I greatly enjoy these history posters on the walls. I wish more was being done to preserve and remember our history. The Mohawk Valley is very rich in history. I never knew about it, as a kid. I didn’t grow up in this area. The Mohawk Valley (in Central New York) was just a vast place to get from Point A (eastern New York) to point B (western New York)– more like a passageway for the long distance moving company to get from here to there. Now, historically, that is indeed what the Mohawk Valley was throughout history: the Gateway to the West. It’s the lowest geographic area of New York State, and, before the railroads and airplanes, was the only passageway west to Ohio. So a lot of pilgrims came through this area (which may explain why it is so clannish to this day).

History is a funny thing. lol. It has twists and turns, like a river, but you do not notice them much as you navigate the course. Only when you are high up and away do you see the serpentine route.

A pretty and cozy colonial hearth reproduction at Fort Stanwix, Rome, NY.

Taken from Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY. The props are done nicely. It is quite the shock to look on shelves and see nothing plastic!