Almost every big North American city has a part of their downtown where tall, frequently imposing, and well-known brand name hotels are located.
Sometimes these structures are built beside each other or sprinkled among the equally massive office towers, apartments, and condos.
Occasionally they are integrated into a central business district where a variety of retail stores and businesses operate and where people may work or live.
Catering to business travelers, tourists, and conference goers, these hotels are often close to shopping malls, food courts, transportation hubs (e.g., train or subway stations), convention centers, and entertainment venues.
Built out of tons of concrete, steel and glass, the hotels may be connected by skywalks or skybridges or underground tunnels. This often means that guests do not need to go beyond a small square two-three block radius to get their business done before departing the city.
In some cities, guests who use these hotels, may not need to set foot on to the mean city streets if they want to get their business done.
If patrons are so daring as to venture outside the protective enclosure, it’s easy to get turned around going from one building to another, as the structures and the topography often look the same. Try this during the winter, and the winds rip between the buildings and hits you like a slap on the face and you curse your fate.
Good things about these parts of the city?
These structures and areas present a number of benefits to the owners, the people who work and visit there.
If you are staying at one of these hotels you may be afforded a great view of the city, which has its own intrinsic benefits.
Moreover there’s not much need for the architects and contractors to be creative. The buildings are no Corbusier’s, they pretty much look the same, mundane in appearance, even boring.
For the tourist or business traveler these buildings and locations are incredibly convenient. Visitors can meet their clients at the hotel, eat nearby, and then go their merry way.
Drawbacks to the concentration of hotels in the same downtown areas of cities
Indeed there are drawbacks and they are relative to your needs, wants, and desires.
One would be foolhardy to assume that you have experienced the soul of the city by visiting this area. Quite the opposite. These areas in physical features are just about as interchangeable as any other city.
Drop me into downtown New York City, Chicago, and Atlanta, and there is a sameness and predictability. That’s okay if you want this kind of experience.
But the sameness is boring, demonstrates a lack of creativity and over time has a soul crushing effect.
In a small subtle way, akin to the living and working in the suburbs, or vacationing at east coast beach towns, highway service areas, and resorts, it contributes to the alienation that is rampant in American society.
Make no mistake, it’s not a neighborhood, in the typical sense of the term. And nobody promised it would be.
Some solutions
One way to address this monotony is for the building owners to do something more engaging with their exteriors. How about commissioning some murals to combat the drabness? This process could start by identifying which surfaces would benefit the most from murals, and then there could be some sort of a design competition judged by experts.
Urban dwellers could also encourage city planners to only give building permits to hotel developers if they are willing to locate them in mixed use parts of the city. This plan could be accompanied economic incentives like tax breaks to encourage other types of structures etc. in the area.
Another suggestion might be the issuing permits to street vendors and/or food trucks.
It does not have to be every day, but on a semi regular basis.
There are ways to enhance what is typically a boring experience. It just takes the willingness to experiment, be a little more creative and the resources to enable these small changes are minimal.
Photo Credit
Photographer: fklv (Obsolete hipster)
Title Atlanta (Hilton)
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/13186977764_f008de4465_o-scaled.jpg18692560Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2022-11-20 16:58:282022-11-20 16:58:28Softening the brutalism of big downtown hotels and areas where they are located
In addition to ticket counters, bag storage rooms, waiting areas, restrooms, newsstand stores, and platforms, almost every big city train station in the United States has one or more bars.
With big screen televisions playing live sports games, the murmur of peoples conversation, the occasional sound of glasses clinking, and ranging in size and shabbiness, besides providing rent to the station, their major purpose is to make a profit for their owners.
But train station bars also offer more than a return on investment, a place where someone can buy a drink, and a source of employment for the people who work there.
One of the less acknowledged positive aspects of train station bars is that they can also provide a welcoming nonthreatening venue for informal social interaction, regardless how superficial it is.
How so? People who live nearby or passing through (i.e., commuters), may find train station bars to be a temporary refuge from the demands of their job, homelife, and other pressing obligations. These places provide opportunities for patrons to talk with and interact with strangers (from street people to lawyers, to tourists, students), someone different from themselves, their coworkers, bosses, etc.
For some, train station bars help to dull the pain of loneliness that’s so prevalent in American society these days, a situation that has been exacerbated by the COVID crisis when many people were forced or chose to physically isolate themselves for long periods of time.
These venues can enable customers the chance to decompress and to share or hear a story, or an opinion sometimes different then their own, one which is offered by a fellow patron in a face-to-face setting before they embark or continue their commute, trip, vacation, or journey home or on to the next obligation. These types of interactions may also serve as a reality check, a method to ground people who may be lost in their own thoughts.
Unlike neighborhood and corner bars, the clientele of train station bars is typically transient in nature. Although some of the customers are regulars, many of the people who frequent the bar will never visit it again, or not for a long time.
Although the goal is not to make long term friends, like a conversation that you may have with a fellow passenger on a bus or plane, the relationship forged at the bar exists in the here and now. And the interaction may be satisfying for both people.
The bar may be a place to kill time before a train arrives or departs. In addition to catching a drink and engaging in conversation, patrons may be checking their smart phones or watching a live feed to see what time it is and when their train is arriving or departing. Instead of kicking themselves for coming too early or pissed that they need to wait around because a train is delayed, the bar often seems like a better option, a temporary distraction and an opportunity to make a connection with another human being.
More opportunities for interaction with different people is a good thing. It forces us out of our shell and helps to combat loneliness. And if train station bars can serve in this capacity then they are a good and welcome venue in our often crowded and confusing urban environment.
Photo Credit
Photographer: Andrew Sutcliffe
Title: Late train from Hoboken
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/4955134339_096db72c68_o.jpg6571000Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2022-11-13 18:28:102022-11-13 20:32:31Train station bars and social connections
This week American voters will participate in a critical midterm election. If the pollsters and pundits are correct, the Democratic Party is going to lose seats both in the Senate and in Congress. Meanwhile many of the states that were led by Democratic and moderate Republican legislatures and Governors are going to flip to Republicans, some of whom are election deniers.
If this happens, the political situation in the United States is going to shift from hopeful to bleak.
Although I recently wrote about this upcoming election in a post Crystal balls and midterm elections, over the past few years I have also written a handful of pieces relevant to the current political situation that may be useful to read and reflect on.
Some of the posts have examined the manner by which we elect candidates. Our majority wins/winner takes all political system that dominates the way we chose elected officials is an antiquated. It typically leaves one half of the polity happy and the other side completely disgruntled. It unnecessarily leads to political polarization and apathy. My post, Forget tweaks to our political system, it’s time to implement proportional representation, outlines the difficulties with the way we chose people for political office and despite its shortcomings, on the whole proportional representation is better.
In a somewhat similar vein, I have argued that we must not lose hope and become apathetic about our current political situation. And given that we don’t have any other viable method to elect candidates at this current time we can’t stay home, thus we need to vote. These ideas are encapsulated in my post, If you’re thinking about sitting this election out, it’s your last chance to reconsider.
One of my more general posts on the current political situation is The unravelling of American Democracy. It analyzes how we got here and what needs to be done to bring stability into the current political discourse.
Another topic worth exploring are the questionable actions of political leaders (mostly Republicans) whose principal goals seem to be bashing the Democrats and staying in power. It seems as if the more they keep talking the greater the opportunity for them to say silly things to people who are willing to listen or don’t know any better. In order to expand on this idea, my post Just because you have access to a megaphone, doesn’t mean you need to use it expands on these ideas.
If you have not voted already, it’s still not too late. If you have time try to educate yourself on the critical issues that are on the table that are going to be affected by this midterm election. Determine which issues are most important to you and your loved ones. Consult reliable sources. If pressed for time, speak to people whose opinions you trust. Contact them via social media, phone, etc. In the next 24 hours find out where the nearest polling places are located, what sorts of identification you need, and vote on election day. Don’t leave things to fate.
Photo credit
Frans Vandewalle
Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, detail 5
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/23834018852_dc4ec857b2_o.jpg6591024Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2022-11-06 15:25:462024-09-22 12:21:33American elections, political parties, and leaders in critical times
Softening the brutalism of big downtown hotels and areas where they are located
/by Jeffrey Ian RossAlmost every big North American city has a part of their downtown where tall, frequently imposing, and well-known brand name hotels are located.
Sometimes these structures are built beside each other or sprinkled among the equally massive office towers, apartments, and condos.
Occasionally they are integrated into a central business district where a variety of retail stores and businesses operate and where people may work or live.
Catering to business travelers, tourists, and conference goers, these hotels are often close to shopping malls, food courts, transportation hubs (e.g., train or subway stations), convention centers, and entertainment venues.
Built out of tons of concrete, steel and glass, the hotels may be connected by skywalks or skybridges or underground tunnels. This often means that guests do not need to go beyond a small square two-three block radius to get their business done before departing the city.
In some cities, guests who use these hotels, may not need to set foot on to the mean city streets if they want to get their business done.
If patrons are so daring as to venture outside the protective enclosure, it’s easy to get turned around going from one building to another, as the structures and the topography often look the same. Try this during the winter, and the winds rip between the buildings and hits you like a slap on the face and you curse your fate.
Good things about these parts of the city?
These structures and areas present a number of benefits to the owners, the people who work and visit there.
If you are staying at one of these hotels you may be afforded a great view of the city, which has its own intrinsic benefits.
Moreover there’s not much need for the architects and contractors to be creative. The buildings are no Corbusier’s, they pretty much look the same, mundane in appearance, even boring.
For the tourist or business traveler these buildings and locations are incredibly convenient. Visitors can meet their clients at the hotel, eat nearby, and then go their merry way.
Drawbacks to the concentration of hotels in the same downtown areas of cities
Indeed there are drawbacks and they are relative to your needs, wants, and desires.
One would be foolhardy to assume that you have experienced the soul of the city by visiting this area. Quite the opposite. These areas in physical features are just about as interchangeable as any other city.
Drop me into downtown New York City, Chicago, and Atlanta, and there is a sameness and predictability. That’s okay if you want this kind of experience.
But the sameness is boring, demonstrates a lack of creativity and over time has a soul crushing effect.
In a small subtle way, akin to the living and working in the suburbs, or vacationing at east coast beach towns, highway service areas, and resorts, it contributes to the alienation that is rampant in American society.
Make no mistake, it’s not a neighborhood, in the typical sense of the term. And nobody promised it would be.
Some solutions
One way to address this monotony is for the building owners to do something more engaging with their exteriors. How about commissioning some murals to combat the drabness? This process could start by identifying which surfaces would benefit the most from murals, and then there could be some sort of a design competition judged by experts.
Urban dwellers could also encourage city planners to only give building permits to hotel developers if they are willing to locate them in mixed use parts of the city. This plan could be accompanied economic incentives like tax breaks to encourage other types of structures etc. in the area.
Another suggestion might be the issuing permits to street vendors and/or food trucks.
It does not have to be every day, but on a semi regular basis.
Like New York City, every weekend avenues are blocked off and vendors set up kiosks where they sell food, clothing etc. In this way public spaces are being energized.
There are ways to enhance what is typically a boring experience. It just takes the willingness to experiment, be a little more creative and the resources to enable these small changes are minimal.
Photo Credit
Photographer: fklv (Obsolete hipster)
Title Atlanta (Hilton)
Train station bars and social connections
/by Jeffrey Ian RossIn addition to ticket counters, bag storage rooms, waiting areas, restrooms, newsstand stores, and platforms, almost every big city train station in the United States has one or more bars.
With big screen televisions playing live sports games, the murmur of peoples conversation, the occasional sound of glasses clinking, and ranging in size and shabbiness, besides providing rent to the station, their major purpose is to make a profit for their owners.
But train station bars also offer more than a return on investment, a place where someone can buy a drink, and a source of employment for the people who work there.
One of the less acknowledged positive aspects of train station bars is that they can also provide a welcoming nonthreatening venue for informal social interaction, regardless how superficial it is.
How so? People who live nearby or passing through (i.e., commuters), may find train station bars to be a temporary refuge from the demands of their job, homelife, and other pressing obligations. These places provide opportunities for patrons to talk with and interact with strangers (from street people to lawyers, to tourists, students), someone different from themselves, their coworkers, bosses, etc.
For some, train station bars help to dull the pain of loneliness that’s so prevalent in American society these days, a situation that has been exacerbated by the COVID crisis when many people were forced or chose to physically isolate themselves for long periods of time.
These venues can enable customers the chance to decompress and to share or hear a story, or an opinion sometimes different then their own, one which is offered by a fellow patron in a face-to-face setting before they embark or continue their commute, trip, vacation, or journey home or on to the next obligation. These types of interactions may also serve as a reality check, a method to ground people who may be lost in their own thoughts.
Unlike neighborhood and corner bars, the clientele of train station bars is typically transient in nature. Although some of the customers are regulars, many of the people who frequent the bar will never visit it again, or not for a long time.
Although the goal is not to make long term friends, like a conversation that you may have with a fellow passenger on a bus or plane, the relationship forged at the bar exists in the here and now. And the interaction may be satisfying for both people.
The bar may be a place to kill time before a train arrives or departs. In addition to catching a drink and engaging in conversation, patrons may be checking their smart phones or watching a live feed to see what time it is and when their train is arriving or departing. Instead of kicking themselves for coming too early or pissed that they need to wait around because a train is delayed, the bar often seems like a better option, a temporary distraction and an opportunity to make a connection with another human being.
More opportunities for interaction with different people is a good thing. It forces us out of our shell and helps to combat loneliness. And if train station bars can serve in this capacity then they are a good and welcome venue in our often crowded and confusing urban environment.
Photo Credit
Photographer: Andrew Sutcliffe
Title: Late train from Hoboken
American elections, political parties, and leaders in critical times
/by Jeffrey Ian RossThis week American voters will participate in a critical midterm election. If the pollsters and pundits are correct, the Democratic Party is going to lose seats both in the Senate and in Congress. Meanwhile many of the states that were led by Democratic and moderate Republican legislatures and Governors are going to flip to Republicans, some of whom are election deniers.
If this happens, the political situation in the United States is going to shift from hopeful to bleak.
Although I recently wrote about this upcoming election in a post Crystal balls and midterm elections, over the past few years I have also written a handful of pieces relevant to the current political situation that may be useful to read and reflect on.
Some of the posts have examined the manner by which we elect candidates. Our majority wins/winner takes all political system that dominates the way we chose elected officials is an antiquated. It typically leaves one half of the polity happy and the other side completely disgruntled. It unnecessarily leads to political polarization and apathy. My post, Forget tweaks to our political system, it’s time to implement proportional representation, outlines the difficulties with the way we chose people for political office and despite its shortcomings, on the whole proportional representation is better.
In a somewhat similar vein, I have argued that we must not lose hope and become apathetic about our current political situation. And given that we don’t have any other viable method to elect candidates at this current time we can’t stay home, thus we need to vote. These ideas are encapsulated in my post, If you’re thinking about sitting this election out, it’s your last chance to reconsider.
One of my more general posts on the current political situation is The unravelling of American Democracy . It analyzes how we got here and what needs to be done to bring stability into the current political discourse.
Another topic worth exploring are the questionable actions of political leaders (mostly Republicans) whose principal goals seem to be bashing the Democrats and staying in power. It seems as if the more they keep talking the greater the opportunity for them to say silly things to people who are willing to listen or don’t know any better. In order to expand on this idea, my post Just because you have access to a megaphone, doesn’t mean you need to use it expands on these ideas.
In a similar vein, the Republican Party appears to have lost a sense of morals and obscures the truth and with the exception of abortion, remains silent in the face of significant moral and ethical issues that members of its party have engaged in. My post Bring on the enablers: Why are so many Republicans still making illogical arguments against the impeachment of Trump by the Senate? speaks to this issue. These ideas are expanded upon in If almost all you do is criticize the opposition, then it doesn’t make you a good leader.
Other posts have concerned Republican election deniers. I have attempted to identify who they are. My post, Democracy blindness: On being misinformed about democracy or ignoring its principles when the outcome does not go your way, is an attempt in this direction. Another post is how to best respond to election deniers and insurrectionists Grappling with the Trump supporters who think that their vote was stolen. In a similar
Both before and during the Biden presidency the Democratic Party has tried to assert control and implement its policies. Sometimes, however it appears as if they have dropped the ball. My post, Now that Congress has impeached Trump for a second time, what else can we do to improve the current political situation in the United States discusses this state of affairs.
Meanwhile, over the past two years the White House and Democratic Party have attempted to improve the United States and make good on its promises designed to help not only Democratic supporters but many issues that are of concern to Republicans voters like jobs, the COVID crisis, education debt relief, etc. These were outlined in my post Taming the devil you know: The White House’s ambitious agenda to make good on their promises to the left and bring Trump supporters into the fold.
If you have not voted already, it’s still not too late. If you have time try to educate yourself on the critical issues that are on the table that are going to be affected by this midterm election. Determine which issues are most important to you and your loved ones. Consult reliable sources. If pressed for time, speak to people whose opinions you trust. Contact them via social media, phone, etc. In the next 24 hours find out where the nearest polling places are located, what sorts of identification you need, and vote on election day. Don’t leave things to fate.
Photo credit
Frans Vandewalle
Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, detail 5