Category: links

Cheap Old Houses

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It’s impossible to resist oogling houses on the instagram accounts @cheapoldhouses @circahouses and others, and following #renovationdiaries or some similar hashtag. Or, maybe you’re more the type to dream while watching “Fixer Upper” or a similar HGTV show. (My mixed feelings remain on HGTV, as do my viewing habits.)

As preservationists, we see potential in most every building. And when there’s an affordable (sometimes incredibly cheap) house just waiting for a new owner to uncover its story and restore its beauty, it’s hard not to be tempted to scoop up the house. A few that caught my eye lately:

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4625 Forsyth St, Bagdad, FL — Such a sweet little Florida home! "Incredible opportunity for historic restoration of the Turner House. John B. Turner was physician to more than 3 generations of Bagdad residents and mill workers. Across the street you’ll find the Thompson House, and plenty more of historic old Florida charmers throughout the village of Bagdad. The recently opened Bagdad Mill Site Park is just a bike ride away, and is truly a one-of-a-kind park that sits on the Blackwater River. Great potential to give new life to this craftsman-style bungalow beauty! Be aware, there are renovation loans available for those looking to take advantage of financing!" — link in profile

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Would you ever pick up and move to a new place just for a house? While I fantasize about such things, because I daydream about old buildings, I don’t think I could actually do so. Once upon a time, younger me wanted to live in the middle of nowhere as long as I had land and beautiful old house. Actual grown-up me cannot fathom living in the middle of nowhere. I choose to live in the city, within walking distance to most everything, and not even in an old house. That last part is another story for another day.

What about you? Do you choose location? Do you choose your dwelling? Have your thoughts changed over time? What is more important to you and for what reasons? I choose location for economic, recreation, quality of life, and carbon footprint reasons. Maybe someday the perfect house in the ideal location will find its way to me. For now, I’m happy to gaze and daydream about cheap old houses, just my own preservation fantasies. What’s caught your eye lately?

(If you’re wondering, I love this instagram account, which is why I’m posting about it. Posts on Preservation in Pink are never sponsored. I simply share what I like.)

It’s impossible to resist oogling houses on the instagram accounts @cheapoldhouses @circahouses and others, and following #renovationdiaries or some similar hashtag. Or, maybe you’re more the type to dream while watching “Fixer Upper” or a similar HGTV show. (My mixed feelings remain on HGTV, as do my viewing habits.)

As preservationists, we see potential in most every building. And when there’s an affordable (sometimes incredibly cheap) house just waiting for a new owner to uncover its story and restore its beauty, it’s hard not to be tempted to scoop up the house. A few that caught my eye lately:

View this post on Instagram

4625 Forsyth St, Bagdad, FL — Such a sweet little Florida home! "Incredible opportunity for historic restoration of the Turner House. John B. Turner was physician to more than 3 generations of Bagdad residents and mill workers. Across the street you’ll find the Thompson House, and plenty more of historic old Florida charmers throughout the village of Bagdad. The recently opened Bagdad Mill Site Park is just a bike ride away, and is truly a one-of-a-kind park that sits on the Blackwater River. Great potential to give new life to this craftsman-style bungalow beauty! Be aware, there are renovation loans available for those looking to take advantage of financing!" — link in profile

A post shared by Cheap Old Houses ™ (@cheapoldhouses) on

Would you ever pick up and move to a new place just for a house? While I fantasize about such things, because I daydream about old buildings, I don’t think I could actually do so. Once upon a time, younger me wanted to live in the middle of nowhere as long as I had land and beautiful old house. Actual grown-up me cannot fathom living in the middle of nowhere. I choose to live in the city, within walking distance to most everything, and not even in an old house.

What about you? Do you choose location? Do you choose your dwelling? Have your thoughts changed over time? What is more important to you and for what reasons? I choose location for economic, recreation, quality of life, and carbon footprint reasons. Maybe someday the perfect house in the ideal location will find its way to me. For now, I’m happy to gaze and daydream about cheap old houses. What’s caught your eye lately?

 

With Your Coffee

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Burlington’s Moran Plant in winter. The Community Sailing Center uses the yard for boat storage, as the lake is directly to the west (right in this photo). 

Happy Presidents’ Day, everyone! How are you? I’ve been on a semi-blogging break, I guess you could say. Or at least, a blog-writing break. A few [good!] life events and the general avoidance of screens after working at a computer for most every day of the week contribute to this. Also, I’ve been avoiding many forms of social media since November. I’ve deleted Twitter from my phone, and it seems to help my overall sanity, somewhat. However, I’m feeling the pull of the blog again and missing the preservation conversations. To start off, I’ll jump back to the reading lists, because I continue to enjoy good lists from other blogs. Here are some preservation articles.

Hope you have a lovely day. And I hope today is a holiday for you.

With Your Coffee

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Ongoing rehabilitation is always good to see. South Champlain Street, Burlington, VT.

Happy Monday, friends. Okay, fine, Mondays aren’t as good as Fridays or Saturdays, but a new week is always a good thing. I hope your summers continue to be filled with sunny days, iced coffee, explorations, and your favorite diversions.  Here are a few links from around the web. Read anything good lately? Please share!

Have a lovely week. Anything fun planned? Make the most of the summer daylight! Coffee cheers!

With Your Coffee

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My mom and me at the Lake House in Lake Placid, NY. I love my mom!

My mom and me at the Lake House in the historic Lake Placid, NY. I love my mom!

Happy Sunday Mother’s Day (or Happy Monday, depending on when you read this)! To all the mothers out there, may you have a lovely day and know how much we all love our mothers and mother-figures. Here are a few reads from around the internet talking about history, architecture, design and culture:

How was your weekend? Favorite reads? Favorite activities? Have a great week!

With Your Coffee

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Good weekend morning, everyone! How was your week? It felt like springtime here in Burlington. Sunsets cast a beautiful glow over the city (see that photo – it’s taken at Perkins Pier).  Here are some links to enjoy with your Sunday morning coffee. Have anything good to share? I hope you are having a lovely weekend. What’s going on in your world?

Enjoy! Coffee cheers.

With Your Coffee

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Happy weekend! How are you? This week I escaped the Vermont April weather by heading to Florida for a few days with my family and that sunshine sure felt great to this northerner. While I didn’t see much by way of historic districts or get the sense of urban planning, I did see a fair number of classic concrete block one-story mid century Florida homes. It was such a different environment. The sun, warmth, and palm trees were fabulous, but it’s always nice to come home to Burlington, Vermont. Thank you for the comments on last weekend’s “With Your Coffee.” Here are some good links for your morning coffee this weekend. Comment below if these articles speak to you. I’d love to chat.

Have a lovely weekend. Coffee cheers!

Preservation TV: What to Watch

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Winter remains. I know, I’m a broken record. How about the bright side of a long winter? Ready? Historical documentaries. Who’s with me? A cold night, a bowl of popcorn, a glass of wine and good company make the perfect setting for absorbing history and the perfect antidote to winter. My top three favorites are:

(1) The Dust Bowl by Ken Burns (PBS)

If you’ve read The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan, this film will sound familiar. The story of the Dust Bowl is incredible. With amazing images and interviews, you’ll come to understand the greater context of the Dust Bowl in American society and beyond.

(2) The Men Who Built America – the History Channel

John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and Henry Ford – their stories are weaved together in a way that you’ve never thought of or realized. It’s fascinating.

(3) New York: A Documentary Film by Ric Burns (PBS)

In full disclosure, I’m not yet finished with this eight part series, but I’m completely engrossed. There are so many pieces of history left out of history class. Did you know Wall Street in NYC is called as such because there was originally a wall from Dutch settlements? There were riots led by Irish immigrants. The NYC subway was constructed in only four years. From the beginning of New York (New Amsterdam) to the modern day (pre 9/11/2001, however), this is entirely engaging.

Telling history accurately while captivating the audience is a true art form. I’m grateful to those who do it so well.

What are your favorites? Please give me more to watch and study!

Places I’d Like to Visit: Washington D.C.

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Fitting for Presidents’ Day, it’s a good day to mention how much I’d love to visit Washington D.C. Many preservationists are fortunate to live and work there, and thanks to social media, the rest of us can catch glimpses of life in and around D.C.

From the monuments to the free museums to the rich architecture and significant history, Washington D.C. is a must visit for all. It’s been almost 20 years since I spent time in D.C., so it’s verging on not counting anymore, and really beyond my recollection of places. Here are places in D.C. in my list, three or less in each category to keep it reasonable. How long would these take me to see? Please add your own, too.

The National Building Museum was formerly the U.S. Pension Office. Click for source.

The National Building Museum was formerly the U.S. Pension Office. Click for source. This is the museum on the top of my list.

Museums

Memorials

Preservationists I’d Like to Visit

Have you seen the U.S. Interior photos? This recent one of the Lincoln Memorial is beautiful.

But beyond that, I don’t know much of D.C. Where are the best places to live? Where are the best places to visit? To eat? This is a pretty standard list, probably, but it’s my starting point. What about you, fellow travelers? Let’s talk road trips and adventures!Which places do you know you’d like to visit, despite not knowing exactly what you’d do when you got there?

For the Olympic Lovers: The Olympics and Place

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The Winter Olympics have been near and dear to my heart for a long time, since my sister Annie O’Shea is on the USA Skeleton team. While she is not competing in the Olympics this time around (women’s skeleton had two spots, not three), it’s still exciting to cheer on the athletes whose names and faces are familiar to me. Go Bobsled & Skeleton!

Have you been watching the Olympics yet? Have you noticed the gorgeous scenery in and around Sochi? While you’re watching the Olympics with a preservation eye (let’s face it, we never stop thinking preservation), have you considered how the Olympics alter a place? Suddenly there is an entire village constructed, inhabited and then deserted. Surely this alters its host city. Does it have the benefit of creating beautiful spaces and opportunities for these cities? Or is it just too much to handle all at once?  It seems that cities have varying results, but overwhelmingly there are venues without a purpose.

A list of the summer and winter sports (wow, there are many more winter sports!)

Toboggan runs in Yosemite National Park, 1932.

The Bobsled/Skeleton/Luge track from the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics.

Olympic cities after the Olympics (a positive spin).

Decaying cities follow the Olympics (a negative spin).

And some eerie abandoned post Olympic venues.

Three lessons cities should learn by hosting the Olympics.

Successful changes to Barcelona due to the 1992 Olympics.

The Olympic City Project, a book documenting post Olympic cities, and the NPR interview (with photos).

The 1932 Bobsled and Skeleton track at Lake Placid, NY. The 1980 track remains in use.

What do you think? What should cities take into consideration when bidding on, planning for, and constructing the Olympic venues? And what can we do these monstrous venues following the close of each Olympics? Is there value in preservation? Planners, preservationists, everyone – what do you have to say?