Photographs in Search of a Blog

View from 11 Cafe, 100 Block, Knoxville

 Here are a few scenes that caught my attention recently. The photograph of the 100 Block is from the window of 11 Cafe. I love the little bar along the window facing the street. Sitting there reminds me of a similar bar looking out onto the street of Haight Ashbury and anything that reminds me of San Francisco in any respect is worth noting.

Couple reads James Agee inscription on Market Square, Knoxville

I love the couple standing in Market Square reading the words of James Agee. I'm always amazed at how many people read those inscriptions or the ones on the various monuments and statues around the city. I can't ever resist taking a picture of Harley the Magician. I think he's very camera-friendly. And the Whittle Building, well, I think it's pretty and I really liked the clouds that day.

Harley, Market Square, Knoxville

Whittle Building with clouds, Knoxville

Blogless Photographs, November 2011

Bride and Groom on Gay Street, Knoxville

Here's another set in my ongoing series of photographs that seemed too good to toss, but not sufficient for a blog unto themselves. So, I try to group them for you viewing pleasure. This month's installation seems to have settled on trees, trains and brides, along with a building I don't think I've ever included.


Bride and Groom, Gay Street at Tennessee Theater, Knoxville

 It seems every month I run into a bride and groom somewhere in the city. At some point I may have to make a special "brides" photo album among the other pictures of the city on the Stuck Inside of Knoxville facebook page. Last month I spotted a bride and groom in front of Church Street United Methodist Church, but I've seen them more than once on the World's Fair Park, in the Old City and in Krutch Park. This couple stood in front of the Tennessee Theater on Gay Street. May they always be as happy as that day.

Autumn trees on Regas Square, Knoxville, November 2011

Trees in the city are always pretty to me, but especially so in the fall. I recently spotted two beautiful trees in Regas Square. The sunlight hit them just right and made them appear to be luminous. The camera didn't capture the entire effect, but I thought it was pretty none-the-less. The other tree appears to be growing from the back of a building in the alley behind Market Square - from the second story! You should check it out the next time you pass.


A Tree Grows in Knoxville - From a Building

 

Shaft and Son-of-Shaft Check out the Urban Tree

Vehicles are a recurring theme in this recurring post and this time it's a train that captures the spotlight. I found this one sitting on the tracks in the Old City, spewing its global warming particulates into the autumn sky and looking as picturesque as possible.

Retro Train, Knoxville, November 2011

 

Vintage Locomotive, Knoxville, November 2011

 Finally, there is a building on Clinch Avenue, between Gay Street and Walnut that is different than most other buildings in our downtown. Sitting beside Le Parigo, it isn't as imposing as some and doesn't sit on the most traveled section of road, but with its stone facade (sandstone, marble?) presents a pretty face to that street which has lost buildings in the past - witness the large parking lot across the street. At least a portion of the building is for sale. Just don't mention it to St. John's Episcopal Church.

If you like these sorts of pictures of Knoxville, I'd encourage you to go to the Stuck Inside of Knoxville Facebook Page, "Like" it and enjoy the nearly 1000 pictures of the city and the people in it that are stored there.


Stone Building on Clinch Avenue, Knoxville



Photographs in Search of a Blog, October 2011

World's Fair Park Pavilion, Knoxville, October 2011

I hope you all got to enjoy that great Autumn rain on Friday, the nice weather on Saturday and the first touch of winter on Sunday. It was a great weekend in the city. I read all day Friday, which included "The Letters of Sylvia Beech," loaned to me by Flossie at Union Avenue Books (thanks Flossie, it will be back soon). I tried 31 Bistro Saturday with great friends Shaft and Deda and got in a little trick-or-treat action with Urban Toddler on Sunday. Pretty nice.


Cool Motorcycle in front of Hotel Oliver, Knoxville, October 2011



Tending the garden, fifth floor behind Mast General, Knoxville, October 2011



Singer, Market Square, Knoxville, October 2011

I considered doing something spooky for Halloween, but I'm  not much of a Halloweeny sort of guy so, instead, I'll end the month as I have a number of times before with images from the city I truly liked, but just never found the blog they deserved. Rather than have them disappear into pixel land, I'll throw them out for your pleasure.

Beauty in the City, Knoxville, October 2011

  

Hippie VW Microbus, Summit Hill, Knoxville, October 2011

 

Ballet, World's Fair Park Pavilion, Knoxville, October 2011

 

Spanish Language Radio in Knoxville!

So many things that I photograph are things that I stumble onto in the city. The unexpected sightings of wedding parties, a cool reflection on a building, college kids being, well, college kids, are the kinds of things that make life interesting downtown. When I lived in the suburbs and I went to the grocery store I expected to buy groceries and drive back into my garage. Now, when I buy groceries it involves a walk and I never know what interesting person or sight I might find. Life is too short for dull.

Shadow of the Sunsphere, Knoxville, October 2011

 

Volt at Electric Car Show, Market Square, Knoxville, October 2011

 

Bride and Groom, Church Street UMC, Knoxville, October 2011

If you'd like to see more pictures like these, I have nearly a thousand at the Stuck Inside of Knoxville Facebook Page and I'd love you to go there and hit the "like" button as you look around. Tell your friends about it. I'll be adding labels to pictures and tagging people (you might look for people you know - or yourself - and tag them for me!). Also, I'd love to have you as a friend at the Knoxville Urban Guy Facebook Page.

Cool Ride, Gay Street, Knoxville, October 2011



Dog-powered Bike, Central Street, Knoxville, October 2011

 

Beauty in the City, Too, Knoxville, October 2011

Changes to Stuck Inside of Knoxville

I think the blog grows up a little bit this month. The first night I decided I was going to take the plunge I had little idea of what a blog was and I had no idea what this journey would be like. 410 posts and about 82,000 page-views later, I have a better idea of what I'm doing and where I want this to go. I'm sure there are also twists and turns ahead that I can't imagine.

So, what is different? For starters, some of you may have noticed the "TN Tunage" link at the top of the page has replaced the "Soundtrack" link. The soundtrack idea was a bad one. About ten minutes after I started it I realized I'd created a monster. The idea was to have a link to every song referenced on this blog so that you could listen to it or purchase it. An absolutely black hole of time-sucking loss if I had maintained it since I reference songs about every other word. So, I've replaced it with lists of songs and musicians related to Knoxville and songs related to Tennessee. It's arbitrary, I know. I'd love to hear your suggestions for additions. I'm da guy, though, so I'll decide.


Dale Mackey making Urban Guy Facebook Functional

Also, you may have noticed that the slide show on the top of the blog had not been updated since May and has now completely disappeared. I've always hated the fact that as the posts get buried, there are interesting pictures which are never seen again. I've fixed this problem and so the slide show is no longer necessary. Which leads to the next announcement: There is now a Stuck Inside of Knoxville Facebook page! Thanks to Dale Mackey (check out her her marvelous blog) who helped me set it up, you can go to that page, "Like It," and view nearly 1000 photographs related to Knoxville. I have various albums devoted to such things as "People Watching," "Knoxville Musicians," "Businesses," "Scenes from the City" and more. Tell your friends, call your grandmother and get the word out. Think of it as a gathering spot for the Urban Nation. I'll add new photographs routinely. Remember to "Like" that bad boy because I'm working hard here and it makes me feel good.

Dale Mackey adding the "Social" to the Network

Also on the Facebook front, Knoxville Urban Guy has a personal page which Ms. Mackey also helped me set up. I post updates there regarding the blog and what I'm doing in the city. It's probably as close to tweeting as this twit will ever get. It's also a place you can leave comments about the blog or send me a little message along the way. Friend me. I'll accept you in a heartbeat, I promise.

Is your head just spinning from all these changes? Mine, too. I thought I'd have one more change to point out: my first sponsor. I had a national hotel chain contact me about posting a link on the blog. Somehow along the way that fell apart, but if your business would like to sponsor a link on a site that has had over 80,000 page-views of people looking for information about downtown Knoxville, well . . .

So what to do? Any of the following that you haven't already done:

• Subscribe to this blog (it's on the right-hand side). You'll get an e-mail every time there is a new post. After you do this you must confirm through an e-mail to start receiving the updates.
• Become a Follower (it's also on the right-hand side). I know there are hundreds of you who read the site, why not become an official member of the Urban Nation? Sixty-nine is an awkward number to be stuck on, so help me out. Beyond the simple joy of seeing your icon on the page, this enables you to read the blog on Google Reader.
• Friend me on Facebook
• Like my Stuck Inside of Knoxville Community Page and start looking through those great photographs.
• Check out the TN Tunage page at the top of the blog and e-mail me your suggestions

So, everyone has their weekend assignments. I'll be checking on your progress and I'll look forward to connecting on Facebook!