The size and scope of Hurricane Katrina sent New Orleans residents across the country, and many still want to return. But without a house, it's not an easy task.
With Squandered Heritage, Karen Gadbois, Laureen Lentz, and Sarah Elise Lewis banded together to track lists upon lists of demolitions for the community—sometimes being the first to tell homeowners that their homes were on the chopping block. They've spend countless hours at citywide meetings, scanning through documents, photographing homes, and helping their neighbors rescue the unique heritage of the Crescent City.
In the midst of all their work, the trio still had time to share what inspires them and what they love about New Orleans.
What made you decide to start Squandered Heritage?
Karen: To capture our city as it was Post Katrina. Then tell the story of demolitions and the impact of loss.
Laureen: I met Karen at a small soirée last August. Architecture has been a lifelong passion since my teenage years in Chicago, and one reason I love New Orleans. Our streetscapes provide an enchanting background for the mundane routine of daily life and work. I was beginning to become concerned about the impact of the demolitions on our historic districts, and was already taking photos of hand demolitions done before Karen and I met. So the partnership was a perfect match. Read the full profile...
Filed under: New Orleans, Architecture, Hurricane Katrina, Urban Exploration, Yahoo! Picks Profiles
Does grocery shopping feel like just another chore? Maybe that's because today's big-box retailers and discounts stores have lost the kitschy charm of 1950s architecture and sleek 1960s modern styling.
If you miss the pre-prefab Safeways or perhaps you're lucky enough to have a vintage Luckys down the block, you may want to join David Gwynn and the legion of "groceteria" fans who swap photos and stories about charming Winn-Dixies and A&P markets.
Gwynn's site combines well-researched history with a dash of nostalgia, a small dose of irony, and a lot of love for the days before cookie-cutter strip malls overtook America. We caught up with David in between shopping trips to see what's new in the land of old stores.
When we reviewed your site way back in 2001, you were living in San Francisco and hunting down the few '60s-'70s era Safeways left in Yahoo!'s neck of the woods. Now you're in North Carolina. How does the grocery landscape compare?
Everything is a lot cheaper. And the lines are a lot shorter. And here, we have liver pudding and Cheerwine freely available in all stores.
But as far as history—which is my primary focus—goes, there are a lot fewer old stores here. In California, land is so expensive that it's often more economical to work with the same old space you're already in rather than try to build a new store. That's not the case here, though. Thus, it's really hard to find vintage stores still in operation here. But you still run across one here and there. Read the full profile...
Filed under: Food and Drink, Shopping, Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Exploration, Yahoo! Picks Profiles
Filed under: Architecture, U.S. History, Photography Exhibits
Every other year, World Monuments Watch makes a list of the 100 most endangered sites in the world. In compiling the roster, experts consider the significance of each site, the urgency of the threat to it, and the viability of a solution. Many of these places have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but that doesn't protect them from erosion, abandonment, development, weather damage, or from being loved too much—by tourists. Spin the globe and learn about our endangered cultural heritage. Start with these seven wonders and the causes that threaten to wipe them from our map.
Filed under: Architecture, Archaeology, Yahoo! Picks for Good
Filed under: Architecture, Street Photography, Flickr
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