Urban Vignettes

I really enjoy coming upon charming little urban vignettes like this. It makes exploring neighborhoods a lot of fun. This one is in Downtown Fullerton, California on a Saturday morning last Summer. 

An Alley in Fullerton

This is an alley made hospitable to pedestrians (customers!). It connects to parking lots behind these building and provides rear entrances as well as patios for several pubs and restaurants that wouldn't fit in the front along the street. There doesn't seem to be physically much required for this very simple transformation. Paving and lighting, bollards at the far end to prevent cars near the patios. There may have been electrical utility lines that were placed underground. That would be very costly, but is not absolutely necessary. What's the saying? Never let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Use what you've got to make a gradual transformation happen.

  

 

Blending Old With New

The top photo is the older original strip of commercial buildings and the more recent construction across the street is below. Besides the difference in height they did a decent job integrating the new construction into the neighborhood. It's built to the sidewalk and there are first floor commercial uses as with the older buildings.  There was  also a somewhat halfhearted attempt to break up the large, singular building by modulating the facade and painting the different sections a variety of colors.

 

No Trespassing in the Public Right of Way

Welcome to downtown.