I: Intro
“My house is… literally under the scaffold.”
The aggregate of old buildings, shambling and squat that collects near the intersection of Fifth Street and Franklin. It is a polygon, marked by the thoroughfare of passage and also the points of destination. Just high enough in altitude to get marooned here, an inlet of the new waterline. Black and white birds pick their vantage perches, waiting squat and patient, cawing and searching.
“Miss, do you– have you got a cigarette?”
Just at the waterline’s edge– inland enough that nothing is particularly reinforced. Biscuits and brickwork, turmeric and sage. The blue of sky, powerlines wrapped like electrical cord on the side of a building. Footsteps curve around bike-locks that double as a backrest for a bundled couple, sprawling and using the prop of their knees for sketchpads.
A nexus of shade, culture, commerce, spice– and water.
The visual imagery of the architecture really helps the post come alive for me. A lot of the buildings downtown seem to be older, yet rich with history, which helps to understand the culture of Olympia.
I really like your use of quotes in your posts. When I read it, the quotes draw me back to thinking about the people who interact with these places.
Thanks Justin and Erin!
I tried to make it as immersive as possible– which is especially interesting for me as an outsider.
Do either of you know of any resources to find out the history of some of the buildings specifically? I’d be interested in building on that for my upcoming “Past” posts.