11th Street Bridge Project Is Underway

Stop Your Whining

I live on the southside, so if anyone could complain about a lack of city services it could be me.  But not this time, not after this storm.  If you recall, the entire city is covered in 20" of snow or more.  So those of you blowing up the MPD 7D listserv about lack of snow removal "across the river", you need to sit down, shut up, and be patient.

DDOT is not your enemy and they have not forgotten about SE--so please stop your whining. 

How do I know DDOT hasn't forgotten about us?  Because the roadways in the rest of the city are just as bad as they are in SE.  This afternoon, I left Barry Farm to go see just how "good" the other side had it, and I hate to burst the listserv's bubble, but NW, NE, SW--they're all in the same boat as east of the river--the roads are horrible.  There are just as many mounds of snow and uneven roadways in NW as there are in SE.  The entire city isn't functioning--which is probably why the Feds were out of business today (Monday) and are closed again tomorrow.  

What I do suggest, is if you have to leave the house, take your shovel if you're gonna drive, because you're gonna get stuck, no matter where you are.  It's not a class thing.  Or a race thing.  It's a snow thing.

Streetcar Mania

Being loaded onto a truck in Ostrava, Czech Republic, 11/13/09

1 of 3 cars loaded on a cargo skid, Czech Republic, 11/13/09

Being transferred from truck to cargo skid at Port Hamburg, Germany, 11/17/09

Arrival at Port of Baltimore, 12/15/09

Cars 902 and 903, Port of Baltimore, 12/15/09

Passengers can open doors w/ the push of a button, 12/15/09

Close-up shot of car 901, 12/15/09

On the rails at Metro's Greenbelt Yard 12/23/09

An inside peek, 12/23/09

The pantograph, to power the vehicle from overhead wires, was stored inside during shipping, 12/23/09

12/23/09

As you can see from the photos above (courtesy of DDOT), the streetcars have made their long awaited journey to the states.  DDOT is planning a public event for early this year to debut the vehicles....but I didn't think you should have to wait that long.  To see more photos of the streetcars, visit DDOT's facebook page.  Or if you're as much as a transit geek as me, watch the video below, of the streetcars being unloaded at Port of Baltimore.

Around My Way: Winter 2010 Edition

Barry Farm Rec Center

In case you were wondering, that's knee deep snow (20"+)

Martin Luther King Avenue SE

Sumner Road SE

Suitland Parkway SE

Suitland Overpass (thats me in the distance)

The making of...

....a Barry Farm Angel....

Rather picturesque, minus the fact that the tree is creating a path over a fence as opposed to the sidewalk...

Look at that view!

Thanks to my neighbor Kelley for the pictures.

Around My Way

Awhile ago I posted pictures of my neighborhood.  While doing a search on youtube tonight, I stumbled across this video of Barry Farm, posted January of this year....it depicts parts of my neighborhood that were not captured in my photographic commentary of my neighborhood. 

(be wary, the music on this video does have some explicit lyrics...so if you're at work or in the public library...turn down the volume.)

"Broken Promises"

Brought to you by AU Student Films in 2008.

Architecture Scholarships Available

UPDATE: Apparently this is no longer (or never was) valid.

Syracuse University has 10 full rides for African American men and women interested in studying architecture.  Mark Robbins, Dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture is currently seeking young men and women interested in pursuing a five year professional degree in Architecture.  He says he is deeply committed to bringing diversity to his field and has scholarship money set aside to fully cover education costs for 10 students.  Syracuse University School of Architecture has a great reputation and this seems like a terrific opportunity, so please pass this on to everyone you know.

Contact: Mark Robbins, Dean, School of Architecture
robbinsm@syr.edu
(315) 443-2256
Syracuse University
201 Slocum Hall
Syracuse, NY 13244-1250

Syracuse's Architecture program is the fourth oldest program in the nation and is consistently rated among the top schools in the country.  The B. Arch program is ranked second in the nation by DesignIntelligence 2010.  Admission to their undergraduate program is competitive.  Applicants must be strong academic performers and possess creative design skills. 

I, myself, went to Georgia Institute of Technology, so I'm not familiar with Syracuse's admissions process, but would be happy to speak with anyone interested in applying.  There are a plethora of local professionals that could also offer a helping hand when it comes to prepping portfolios, etc--so email me if you'd like some help.