Oh Dam..Cafe That Is.

To the right of this post, on the side bar, you will find a clickable link to The Dam Cafe. I am placing this on the site because it is a Holyoke based Cafe. Among others, it is one of the city's finest places to grab a coffee, burger and beer, or just meet up for a client meeting, professional meeting, or just a place to grab some time away with a book or your lap top for an afternoon of work. This is the kind of establishment where you are greeted by familiar faces and a friendly smiles from the other side of the counter. It is the kind of place, like the classic hit Cheers, where everyone knows your name. If you walk in and don't see a familiar face, well then, just have a seat and someone you know is bound to walk in. I frequent the cafe for meetings both business and personal. The atmosphere fused with the decor speaks professional, cool, yet even though we mean business, we are relaxed at the same time. This site picks up its fair share of hits world wide. This post is geared towards the out of town-ers passing through or visiting and want a great place for a sandwich or cup of their Dam good coffee. Don't take my word for it though, trust your own judgement and make a trip on in.

The Holyoke Landscape..Plus more

A quick five minute drive from the flats, the heart of the urban landscape of Holyoke, you can arrive at Mt. Tom. Mt. Tom was once home to Mountain Park and a well known ski place. Both have closed and become memories. However, it is this short five minute drive up that completely changes. You go from row houses to rows of tall grass, landscapes, views of the neighboring cities, and vast amounts of nature. Mt. Tom holds a lot of beauty. When the mountain is capped with snow and catches the early morning sun, it glows vividly. When the early morning fog rolls off the side and blankets Holyoke it creates a mood unique to the city. Here are few photos from before the snow came.

Last week I had the pleasure of using the Dam Cafe as a backdrop for a portrait shoot. Local artist Katelyn Richards is releasing an album this month. The Dam Cafe made for a great location to work with her. Just a few samples below.

Holyoke in the snow

So I guess we had a little bit of snow yesterday. It looks rather striking outside now that it really does look like winter.

Bud Part II and then some

Yesterday yielded something interesting. Today, even more so.

I was out of town last week when Holyoke sustained the fires. Normally I would be found on scene. But, being in Boston for the weekend, I was unable to respond. I stopped in passing today. I was driving by the Main St building that had went up. I met a worker installing a new door on the adjacent building. The Fire Department had made their way through the existing door to extinguish the blaze next door. He said there was no fire damage to that building and gave me a tour of interior. It was quite interesting. I made a few photos on scene.

It is a real shame to see more buildings going up. Just another victim of abandonment and memories tarnished and burned to ashes in the flames of destruction.

Ye Old Bud

Today while passing by working on a project the front door was wide open. The lock was cut and the gate has been broken into. The ply wood that was barricading the door has been unscrewed. The Bud, as it appeared, was open for business. I poked my head in and made a few photographs. The Bud was a backdrop back in 2009 for a project I have been working on Yoga In Unusual Spaces. Since then I have heard lose stories and bits of information. Until today, I had never seen the interior space. It was a walk back into time.

There is a certain charm and aesthetic to this building. To my knowledge, this charisma has already been sought out before me. I advise, with strong caution, please do not enter this space. The conditions of this building are very poor. The middle section of the building has folded in on itself, on every level except the ground level. Very shortly the front gate will be relocked.