I love the signs in my neighborhood. They’re cool, retro, you always know where you are and isn’t that considerate? Oh, and they light up neon at night.
A few of them ……
See the red umbrellas on the left? That’s Lestat’s, a cool independent coffeehouse, serving the coffee of The Beanhouse and Boheme — delicious Diedrich’s. I inherited some of those red umbrellas myself for little Boheme. (Little Boheme ….. sighhhh …) Of course, kitty-corner to that — basically right where this photo was taken — there’s a Starbucks. Oh, and the marquee? Not a theater anymore, but a huge eclectic discount fabric store. Always makes me wish I could sew when I go in there. I buy fabrics just because they’re purdy and then stash them neatly in the closet. Then, whenever I open said closet, I try not to look at them because I feel guilty that they aren’t living up to their fabric potential. I should give them up for adoption, take them to the Fabric Shelter. I mean, clearly, I can’t care for them. Shhh. Don’t talk about it, okay? Shhhh …. hh …..shhh. Oh, and Normal Heights is one of the least normal places you could possibly live, believe you me. The name has nothing to do with normal/abnormal. Long ago, there was a school or something with that name in the area. Although, also not so good: “I go to the Normal School; uhm, where do YOU go?”
Yes! Declare it! Testify! You are “the B O U L E V A R D”! Indeed!
Why the trolley motif, you ask? Well, because years ago, there was a trolley line that ran in and around my quirky little neighborhood. Notice the ostriches on top of those blue poles? Apparently, in the early 1900s, there was a fellow who had a huge ostrich farm and garden. For a small fee, people could visit his farm and ride the ostriches. Anyone who didn’t want to ride could stroll the gardens or watch handlers race the ostriches. Ostrich races, pippa. Ostrich races.
I tell you true: I was born too late.
Hey! Let’s add that to The Sudden Yurt Commune, okay?
Ostrich races!
My ostrich shall be named Jasper Whitlock Hale Cullen. Jazz for short.
My ostrich shall have pink-and-green dyed tail feathers.
Your photography is awesome. . . and I wish we had that beautiful weather!
Ostriches!? Wow. And, uh, good thing that didn’t catch on around here–there was a local pig farm that closed shortly after my family moved to town. It’s a golf course now.
For whatever reason, Normal School was a teacher training school. People went there after high school for a couple years, then got their teaching certificates. Here in Michigan it seems there was one per county, called County Normal, of course.
I went to Normal Community High School in Normal, IL. There is a story behind the name “normal.” And, yes, I’ve heard all of the jokes!
“Normal” schools were schools that trained teachers.
/random fact wonk
There are a lot of cool old signs here in the Memphis area. There’s one in particular (more of the whole building scene though) that I want to photograph. It’s an old carwash that’s behind a newer carwash. It’s got an old 25-cent sign on it and it’s just a cool-looking area.
Lisa beat me to it.
My parents live in a town where an old “Normal” school used to be. (Same town where Kathi is from…) And the place I teach now was a “Normal” school eons and eons ago.
But yeah, you get all kinds of weird reactions when you talk about “normal” schools and “Normal, Illinois.”
I just love San Diego (though it’s been years since I’ve been there) but I don’t believe I’ve ever been to the area where you must be. Those are great shots and makes me want to come there right now!
Ricki – It’s not that often that you hear someone is from Normal, IL!
That Boulevard sign is making my day. Love it!
LOVING the signs. Awesome. There’s a lot of character in my little southern college town but I don’t think we have such awesome signage. The old signs around here are the painted wooden type. All the same, this makes me want to go tool around town and see what I can capture on film!
I am so in love with old signs like that. They are rapidly disappearing from the NYC landscape and I try to capture them whenever I see them.
Beautiful, Tracey!
Not far past the Boulevard sign, on the right, is a beautiful old hotel built in the 1940’s. The swimming pool was designed by Tarzan’s Johnny Weissmuller. Our family enjoyed a vacation there while in San Diego for our son’s graduation from USMC boot camp.
MamaTod — I know! I live 2 blocks from there. It’s called The LaFayette. You can swim there for the price of a Coke. Awesome.