Brownsville, Texas
Northside Transfer Station, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4, ISO200, 3sec
In the extreme south of Texas there exists a region known as the Rio Grande Valley. This is a generalized term for a collection of smaller towns all aligned on the border of Mexico and who for the large part, have border driven economies. My work sent me to one of the larger (but certainley not the largest) communities this past week. I stayed in Brownsville, TX on the American side, and travelled across to Matamoros, MX every morning and back in the evening.
I would be remiss to not have brought my camera so you KNOW that I started researching even before I got there. What I found, was a thriving transit system operating in Brownsville, a town of 140,000 and a metro area (for lack of better description) of over 300,000 people. They havent crossed that barrier that puts them on the light rail transit side of the stick, but they do have a robust bus system in place.
Bike Rack @ the Northside Transfer Station
Known locally as B.U.S. (Brownsville Urban System) it is a system consisting of 15 routes, and 3 major hubs. I made a visit to two of the hubs while I was there. The one on the northside, aptly named the Northside Transfer Station, was not far from my hotel. I found in my research that this place was funded by a $10 million government grant. When I got there, I was impressed to find a multi slotted bus depot, decorated with many pieces of local art. The artowk itself was quite unique in that it looked like they inlisted the school system of the area to draw on ceramic tiles that were then finished off and placed at the station. The depot itself was in good condition and was visually a pretty modern structure. You can see from my photos that it was raining the night I stopped there, but I did my best to keep the lens dry (umbrella) and represent the place as good as I could.
Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4, ISO200, 5 sec exp
According to the wikipedia page, and the only real place I could find good numbers, "in 2002, BUS served 1,631,349 passengers in its fixed-route bus service." Not bad for a smaller south Texas town.
When I visited the downtown station, located in old Brownsville, I found a much sleepier looking, but having of character, depot. It looked like a MUCH MUCH older structure that had been converted for use. It was late in the evening, so there were not many people around. However, the area was dark and for an outsider such as myself being so close to the border, I didnt stick around long to find out who hides in the shadows. This was in stark contrast to the northside station which was well let, and located in a much more "modern" and travelled part of town.
While I was there, I found an old issue of "The Business Times of the Rio Grande Valley". I aligned this as the RGV versoin of the IBJ. The issue was dated from July 2008 but it was the cover that caught my eye. "Valley Transportation-Year 2020". Inside was a long article describing privatley funded toll ways crossing the abyss between San Antonio and the RGV. Also, it was written that a State Representative in 2007 passed legislation opening the door for light rail in 13 border counties. It appears that this is just a step in the direction but when you look at all the small towns along the border of this area, there is a lot of people moving back and forth. The larger town of McAllen (and Reynosa, MX) about 30 miles up the border should be leading the push in this area as time moves on.
Market Street Station, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
For now though, it is nice to see that even down on the border where there are much larger issues with drug trafficing and immigration issues that the metro areas still lend some thought to public transportation. Enjoy the photos, I had a lot of fun taking them.
Public Appearance Notice: If you have read this far down, then you care enough to know that I will be on hand at the Crowne Plaza @ Union Station, Illinois Street Ballroom on Wednesday this week @ 10am. Those of you who know the significance of this day and time, know what is up! 
Highlighting Urban Space: Chatham Tap
Chatham Tap, Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 28-70 f2.8 ISO400, 0.5 exposure
So Im sitting in the south of Texas and rehashing some old photos and thought that I would highlight a neat one that I took this past year. The establishment in question would be Chatham Tap located on Mass Ave in downtown Indianapolis.
My wife and I were invited out to this place a couple of times this past year. One night, my wife had to go to the restroom so I snatched the camera and took this photo. I had never been to this place until this past year and have made it a point to go out of my way to go there. The fish and chips are awesome. The ambiance alone is worth the trip there. Its an English themed pub with soccer on all the televisions. I recommend the fish and chips with a Boddingtons on tap.
The patio out back is awesome. Its all brick facade and as you can see from the photo, has a ton of character.
Lower Mass Ave
Lower Mass Ave, Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 28-70 f2.8, ISO 200
A recent Sunday found me downtown with my wife helping her out to hang an art show. We took a respite from the task at hand and wandered down to Macniven's and had some delicious beef stew (and a Chimay Blue for me 
)
I was sitting at the table looking out at our good looking downtown. The small three story building in between Front Page and Stout's really caught my attention and I had to grab the wife's camera and go out and cature a couple of shots. There were a few good ones, but the one in this post is the only one I decided to post from the day.
Hope you are enjoying the week. Its cold and I hear snow is on the way...
Travelling… to Mexico
A notice to my readers, all 7 of you now, I will be out of town for the next week to Mexico on work business. So don't expect a blitz of posts like I have been doing. There will be some photos when I get back, I assure you. In the meantime, I leave you with a few portraits Ive taken over the last week, (or at least as much of a portrait a wide angle lens will take) to show that I DO shoot more than just buildings and construction sites. 
Have a good week!
My wife Casey Jo, teaching painting (check out her website Figaros Studio in the link to the right)
Jay, from my wife's photo class
George, from my wife's photo class
Indiana largely bypassed on HSR awards
Yesterday, the $8 billion in stimulus awards were announced. The winners were largely worthy of their share. California gets a down payment on their long pined for San Fran to LA high speed rail line. Chicago to St Louis, and Chicago to Madison (by way of Milwaukee), and the Florida high speed from Tampa to Orlando all were the largest recipients.
Indiana, as part of the Midwest HSR network, had submitted a bid for a Chicago to Cleveland by way of Fort Wayne route for $2.2 billion. This was not approved. However, Indiana's share does include $71 million to upgrade the area in the extrme northwest area to improve the delays that currently exist.
While this is a good use of funds, transit advocates in the area will likely bemone being passed over ONCE AGAIN for passenger rail projects as a whole. The Chicago to Cincinnati by way of Indy wasnt even on the list of proposals when the chips were on the table so that pipe dream died a few months ago.
However, locally we can pin our hopes on a new announcement. Mayor Greg Ballard put together a private sector task force over a year ago to study a regional transit plan that engaged private business owners of all the surrounding counties. Not much information has leaked on this; there isnt even a website listing the consultants helping to complete the study. However, they appear to be set to announce their findings based upon some obscure reading around the web, in early February. Let's hope that their findings include a firm PLAN instead of just more bullet points. Lord knows we have been waiting long enough to find out.
For a full list of the projects funded by the Federal Stimulus Awards, click here. For a map outlineing the regions and their awards, click here.
East End of Mass Ave
I attended my wife's photo class last night. She gathered her students together at the Mass Ave Wine Shoppe on the "east end" of Mass Ave aka the 800 block. The Cultural Trail is being constructed through this area. It has brought many complaints about how long the road has been torn up, and the east end being blocked off. However, I will admit that we were at the wine shoppe for over two hours, and it was full the entire time. That is a good sign I think. Hopefully, they get this construction moving swiftly once the warmer weather returns. Here are a couple of photos I snapped last night on the avenue.
Nikon D90, Tokina 12-24 f4, ISO 200, f7.1, 2 seconds
Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4 ISO 200, F7.1, 2 seconds
Glick Eye Institute
I wasn't going to hop the fence to get any photos of this place as early (relatively speaking) as I was to be around here taking photos. But there is a large hole in the ground right now. For more information on this place, click the press release here.
Glick Eye Insitute Construction, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4 ISO 200, f7.1, 2 seconds
465/69 Northeast Major Moves… moves forward
From south side of 465, Nikon D90 w/ Tokina 12-24 f4
Recently, the local news media announced the closure of a couple of bridges across 465 on the north side of Indianapolis. Thus, the 465-69 Northeast Improvement project has dug a shovel in. It has taken no time for the demo crews to attack the bridges that have been closed.
I stopped by this morning at the North River Road overpass to see what it looked like, with camera in hand. Luckily, there were no workers on site to shoo me away so I was able to snap some photos of the destruction taking place.
I got back on the freeway to head to work and was headed east on 465 towards I-69 and there is a large fleet of construction vehicles along the shoulder of both directions working to build up the shoulder for the additional lanes.
I can tell ya one thing, it was cold out there! I ended up running back to my Jeep to escape the frigid temperatures. I can't even imagine what the workers out there must be doing to combat these cold temperatures.
This project is slated to take place over the next 5 years, so I intend to have many posts on this topic.
Walking the grounds: Fall Creek YMCA
Fall Creek YMCA, Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 28-70 f2.8
This weekend was a crumby weekend for weather. It was grey, albeit a tad bit warmer outside. But still grey. I felt that this was a fitting way to chronical the twilight days of the Fall Creek YMCA on the west side of downtown Indianapolis. Scheduled to be redeveloped by Buckingham Cos (link to IBJ Property Lines). this building while not very impressive visually, represents an historical presence in the African American community of Indianapolis. That history, Buckingham claims, will be incorporated into the design of the new structure set to take its place.
Visiting this site was quite an eye opening experience. It has deteriorated greatly from what was likely a pretty stately appearance. The neighboring apartment complex Campus View Apartments doesnt look much better. The owners of that complex, Van Rooy, had submitted a bid that would have redeveloped that site, and this one but was ultimately overlooked. Lets hope in the future, that they still focus on making the campus view apartments something to be proud of again, because now they are not!
Without re-writing what has been sufficiently covered about this property, I will let the photos do the talking. My wife lent me her Nikon D700 with a nice 28-70 f2.8 lens affixed to it for all of the following photos. This time, I shall not ramble on with a whole bunch of drivel. Enjoy a documentation of what will soon leave the Indianapolis downtown westside landscape.
For more detailed photos of the ground, I have a flickr set with many more photos. Click here for the page
Backside of the building
Decay running wild
Construction Date
Even the flagpoles need some help
People Mover seen in the background
Good Morning Mama’s Cafe
Good Morning Mama's Cafe, Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 28-70 f2.8
The purveyors of fine Italian cooking "Mama Carollas Old Italian" have opened up a new source of dining excellence. Or so they hope to achieve that lofty title. My wife and I finally made a stop this recent Saturday morning to have breakfast there. Normally, we can be found on a Saturday or Sunday morning taking up space at the Keystone Deli a very "blue collar" for lack of better description, restaurant. We live in the area and have become quite fond of the biscuits n gravy that can be had cheaply at the "Deli", aptly named because of the sign over top of the store front. The Deli is located in an older box store area at the intersection of Keystone and 52nd street. By contrast, the new "Good Morning Mama's Cafe" is located further west on 54th street not far from College Ave. To say that the two places look different is an understatement! The Deli shows years of service in the stained drop ceiling tattered rug and old wall dressing. However, this doesnt keep people away as it is normally packed of a weekend. What we found at Good Morning Mama's wasn't much different at least when counting the density of people packing the establishment. However, the atmosphere of Mama's is much more desirable. From its lofty ceilings to near fluorescent paint scheme, its a much more inviting store front to the passer by. What was once a Phillips 66 filling station turned service station now finds itself aligned in a much tastier retail reincarnation. The photos I took that day dont do justice to just how "loud" the place looks. Its also loud inside in that the past life of a garage has past on one trait, the echo, to this new place. To that end, its tough to carry a quiet conversation.
Entryway of Mama's, Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 20-35 f2.8
However, I digress. I would be remiss to not have ordered "Boomers" aka biscuits n gravy. What showed up were 4 smaller than I expected biscuits with sausage gravy over top. When I dug in though, a smile creased my face and I kept on eating. I cannot say that there is a competition brewing here between the deli's version and mama's version. Mama's has some sort of added ingredient. But it's tasty no doubt. The french toast my wife had was also quite tasty.
That said, the cost of the meal, was near double what we normally pay for breakfast for two at the Deli. A byproduct no doubt, of the reputation that Mama's has established next door at their fine Italian dinner destination.
If news spreads, and it should of this place, I foresee a new fixture in the Broad Ripple breakfast/lunch scene. However, be prepared to pay somewhere between the Keystone Deli, and Petite Chou price for a good meal!