Mystery Device

OK, dear readers. I am going to let you in on something special and personal. I am going to show you photos from my very own apartment (there are pictures elsewhere on the web, but *I'm* not telling [you where they are]...).

So anyways, there is this mystery device on one of the beams on the ceiling in my living room above - or actually just directly in front - of the fireplace. Nobody seems to know quite what it is, does or was for. Anyway, last weekend I had the power off to do some rewiring because I am so big and butch (I actually did pull new wire, but it was mainly to take down a fixture to prep the ceiling for painting). So while I had the power off in that part of the house (well, ok, apartment) I decided to take this "thing" down to see what it was. Well, lo and behold, there was absolutely NO wiring, only two anchors for the screws in the beam. I'll try and get some better photos, since the picture doesn't show the label, which is "B&L Inc" if I remember correctly.



Here's another view (as I said, I'll try and get more shot), albeit a very blurry photo. The picture doesn't show the label or hole where something attached to the knob might have mounted.



My initial thought was that it was either a heat sensor or smoke detector for the fireplace, or else some sort of thermostat for the central heating system to turn it down/off when there was a fire, but since the convectors aren't individually controlled that seems off. I was (not so secretly) hoping that it WOULD (have been an old light fixture or spot light I guess) be something with conduit so I could install a spot focusing on the chimneypiece and mantel.

Any ideas as to what it was or could have been? I'm going to leave it up for the time being, since I don't want to fill and patch the holes and restain the beam.

Two Holsman High Rises

So my regular readers probably know of my Henry K. Holsman obsession. So here are two for you. The taller (the brown building with stepped roof), 1321 E. 56th Street, of the two was meant to be the western twin of two buildings which the depression stopped. The units are spacious full floor units. Across the street is a more modest building - the red brick building which contains more modest units. Immediately to the left of 1321 you may notice a church, behind which lurks another Holsman complex. And to the far left, there is a small Harry Weese house (which I swear is blond brick except that every time I see it its, quite obviously, not).

So, finally, an update.....

About six months (too) late!(?)

We'll, I've been busy with my own place and a too hot for me summer. But I thought I'd throw out a new posting for you, my loyal reader. This entry focuses on a rather fun little building, a stretched six-flat with a lot of floors added to make it a rather taller building. I suspect that the units are also quite small but designed to give the facade a grander look with the sunrooms at the front.

Another Apology

Sorry to be vacant from the blogosphere of late. It's just that I've been, well... buying an apartment for myself. So that means lots of time. Which means lots of stress. But maybe I should do my other dream blog.... called, entitled, titled, whatever - "This Old Co-Op"...



No, nope, sorry, NOT the view from my new pad. My new place isn't that high up, but still is higher than the surrounding buildings.

Guilford, CT

Yes, it's multi-family housing, seriously! It's an apartment complex in Guilford, Conn (condos, but, really, that is just the ownership form of apartments). It was recently featured in the Times and when I had the chance to take a quick look at it, I did!



The most interesting thing to me about these is that they are really a lead brick in (mostly) colonial Guilford. They were designed by Wilfred Armster and built in 1984. It reminds me a lot of the work (architecture, that is) of Bart Prince (protege of Bruce Goff) in many ways, but with a more rugged aspect and slightly more refined construction type and detailing - much more solid appearing.

Here's the link, just for fun.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/garden/13who.html?scp=1&sq=guilford&st=cse

Dry Spell

Sorry for the dry spell; my computers have crashed and I lost of lot of photographs, however, I have been uploading the photo's which I was able to save to Flickr and have some new (and exciting) ones for you, to upload and post about....

So to get us started off, my flickr link;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30052777@N07/sets/

Chicago or Vancouver?

One could almost be forgiven for thinking that this view might be the West End of Vancouver, except for the semi-decrepit Lake Shore Drive bridge and viaduct and the detritus of the Spire site.

You have, from right, the DeStefano tower along the river, Jeanne Gang's Aqua nestled into the shadow of the Standard Oil Building (unfortunately, reclad in boring white granite, not happy red anodized aluminum), the various New East Side buildings of the New East Side, mostly by SCB (Solomon Cordwell Buenz), the BCBS building by Lohan Associates et al, a peak of 340 on the park (the best of the newer bunch) and the older buildings, most fun of the lot being Outer Drive East, with it's spa and holidome. Harbor Point is furthest to the left, which is also a SCB design of the early 70's (from 1975 in fact) with a gaggle of 80's high rises around it.