Sometimes, Gas Stations Are Beautiful
Arne Jacobsen’s Skovshoved gas station, Copenhagen, Denmark. ALASTAIR PHILIP WIPER/GESTALTEN
From Atlas Obscura: Gas stations like this one are a testament to the concept that even the most functional places can be beautiful. While service stations can often be regarded as a soulless necessity—a place to refuel the car and grab a fast meal on the way to somewhere better—Gestalten’s new book It’s a Gas!: The Allure of the Gas Station reveals that these seemingly mundane structures can also be landmarks and architectural icons.
Historic Cincinnati Hotel Used as Model for Empire State Building Scores $70M Refi
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. PHOTO: Meridian Capital Group
From the Commercial Observer: Meridian Capital Group has arranged $70 million in financing to refinance the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio, a 561-key French Art Deco hotel that was used as a model for the design of the Empire State Building.
THE MOTHER ROAD’S YOUNGEST TELL ITS STORY
Morgan Vickers at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Photo by David Kafer.
From Landscape Architecture Magazine: Route 66, the nation’s first all-paved national highway connecting the Midwest to California, is best read as the first draft of contemporary America. Its establishment in 1926 definitively ended any notions of an untamed Western frontier, and it signaled the beginning of America’s total transition to a nation defined by settlement, landscape, and automobile obsession.
A.C. Boardwalk offers cyclists more sights, riding time
Bicyclists ride the boardwalk early morning in Atlantic City. Aug. 1, 2018 (Craig Matthews / Staff Photographer)
From Atlantic City: In May, a reconstructed stretch of the Boardwalk opened beyond the towering Ocean Resort, welcoming more foot and bike traffic to the Inlet section.
There’s no clear count of how many people ride the century-old wooden way each day, but riding hours were extended in 2016 to allow bicyclists to stay on the Boardwalk until noon.
Overlooked U.S. Routes That Make for Incredible Road Trips
Tupelo, Mississippi can be accessed via the Natchez Trace Parkway. MYTUPELO
From Forbes: The great American road trip has been a vacation idea for ages. Of course, Route 66 is an iconic choice; the Pacific Coast Highway and Blue Ridge Parkway are up there too. Yet there are many highways, routes, and byways across the United States that can also make this journey equally memorable. Here are a few U.S. driving routes that might not come to mind at first, but still provide inspiring roadside views and stops.
At the historic downtown L.A. Tower Theatre, Apple plans a store and event space unlike any other
A rendering shows the historic Tower Theater at 800 S. Broadway after a renovation by Apple. The tech company will turn it into a flagship Apple store that will host classes, performances and other events. (Apple)
From the Los Angeles Times: The Tower Theatre was the place in 1927 where Angelenos first heard the wonder of “talkie” movies when it hosted the premiere of “The Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolson.
Now, the aging former movie palace in the Broadway Theater District will host a more modern wonder — an Apple store the tech giant says will be one of the world’s most prominent.