Check out some of these great Midwest-related stories I read online during this past month:
Mapping the Motor City with Google Map Maker-Lori's post at Google's Official Blog tells the story of Todd Scott, Detroit's Greenways Coordinator, and his project to create a comprehensive guide to Detroit's biking paths and trails using Google's free mapping tool.
Bicycling action at Detroit's Campus Martius John Pratt Mosaic House, Midland, Michigan-I already knew about architectural gems in this mid-Michigan city like the Alden Dow House (which is already on my Midwest bucket list of things to see) and Midland's many Dow- and Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired homes, but I discovered something else at the Eyeflare blog that I need to check out next time I'm in the Midland area.
Replay: The Columbus, Indiana Values Proposition-Aaron files this rather lengthy report at the Urbanophile blog about this Indiana city, its collection of significant mid-century architecture and the interplay of people and architecture that gives Columbus its unique identity.
Macy's on State-Marshall Field & Co. Building-Just as Macy's is still "Hudson's" in the minds of many people here in metro Detroit, the Macy's at State and Washington in downtown Chicago will always be "Marshall Field's" in the minds of many folks in Chicago. Check out this post at the designslinger blog about this Chicago landmark, its history and beautiful architecture.
Marshall Field's, Chicago, 2005 Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge-Chicago-I remember seeing this bridge and wondering about it when we took an architectural boat tour in Chicago. The intrepid "Gordon Bombay" saw the bridge and managed to get a closer look at it, filing this report at the Queen City Discovery blog.
American Sign Museum in Cincinnati-The team at the Visualingual checks out this unique museum's new location in Cincinnati. Cool neon signs, vintage commercial statues and all sorts of other commercial signage are putting this place on my Midwest bucket list as well!
Blues Brothers Return?-Carl from Chicago asks this rhetorical question at the Life in the Great Midwest blog as he spots a few scenes around the city that appear as it they came straight from one of my favorite movies!
Indianapolis Collected: The Devil in the Circle City-I vividly remember reading The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson when it first came out in 2004. That non-fiction book about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and a serial killer operating in the city at the same time was a lurid tale. Libby files the equally lurid and fascinating sequel to the White City story about the "Devil" once he moved his base of operation from Chicago to Indianapolis in 1895. Check it out at the Historic Indianapolis blog.
12 Lessons Detroit and Paris Can Teach Each Other-There was always a lot more to Detroit's turn-of-the-century image as the Paris of the Midwest that a few French-inspired street names. Tim explores the things that the City of Light and the Motor City have in common, and the things they can learn from each other, at The Great Lakes Guru blog.
The Thinker in front of the Detroit Institute of Arts
...and here's a little break from this month's heavy menu of urban link offerings...
Hike to the Au Sable Lighthouse-I hiked back to this lighthouse on Lake Superior in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore during my pre-blogging days. We must have been there in 1996 as I remember the guide telling us we were the first group to see the Fresnel lens after its return to the light tower, and he noted the occasion by putting a star by our names in the guest book we signed during our visit there. I loved virtually revisiting this remote spot with Jesse in his Things to do in the U.P. blog.
© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved
The American Sign Museum looks pretty cool...I was just in Cincy and missed it, but I think I'll add it (and walking to Covington) on my list of things to do on the next visit.
Posted by: Adam Sommer | September 13, 2012 at 07:50 AM