Wall Beyond Pulaski Circle

Downtown Hartford jumps into view like a cliff of buildings, connected to the riverside interstate (at least for now) by a tunnel beneath Hartford Public Library (still lit with orange sodium vapor lamps, see right.) Traveling through that tunnel and out into the city proper always feels a little like Batman emerging from the Batcave, if I’m honest.

Wall Beyond Pulaski Circle

Stegosaurus and City Hall

A bird’s eye view can shrink the impact of many human-made objects, but Calder’s “Stegosaurus” (1973) jumps from the foreground not only not only for its color, but also for the way in which it breaks the symmetry of the square in front of Hartford’s City Hall.

Stegosaurus and City Hall

Pristine Soccer Field

Summer efforts brought a beautifully pristine soccer field to life at Trinity. From above, I appreciate even more the gentle slope of the hills that arranges the rest of campus in the background. The little chimneys of Northam peak up on the left side of the image in a way I find particularly appealing.

Pristine Soccer Field

Concrete Jungle Upgrades

This dense assemblage of dormitories at Trinity College was long referred to as the “concrete jungle”, but it’s now getting a major upgrade and the majority of the concrete for which it was named is missing. Will it return? I’ll be curious to find out!

Concrete Jungle Upgrades

Netherlands Island

The Netherlands’ relationship with water and land is such a long and complicated one. This site, Ommermars Natuurspeeltuin (which I believe translates to “nature playground”—Dutch speakers, get in the comments!), feels like it might be prepared to cast some sort of deep, ancient magic to influence that relationship.

Netherlands Island

Bridge in Utopia

As an American enamored with the idea of walkable towns and cities, I was curious on visiting the Netherlands whether it could stand up to its reputation. I was surprised to find a country that resembled nothing more than the vision of utopia as it is typically presented in American science fiction. Now, I know the Netherlands is a real place with real challenges and limitations, but the infrastructure alone paints a very different vision of priorities. Consider this bridge in Ommen over the Vecht river: Less than 50% of the width of the bridge is allotted for motorized vehicle traffic. The majority is covered by bike lanes and pedestrian areas, including benches and art.

Bridge in Utopia