3/15/08

Back to Granite City

Granite city is both depressing and exciting.

It's a small town where the only career choice appears to be cashier. Gas is twenty cents higher than in St. Louis. Dollar stores at every corner.

Some of the older buildings have been demolished including an old hotel that was no longer being used. The only new construction I've seen there in a decades is the landfill and subsidized housing. The city's main drag is a six block long strip mall.

Closed YMCA:


Sponge brick:

Large pebble mortar brick.


Decorative terra cotta surrounding doorway.

Bet you a hundred clams that this mosaic tile facade isn't original to the building. I cringe to think it may have been vitrolite.


Lisa's Diner. Hell no, I didn't go in.


Killer storefront with deep red vitrolite (and reflected clouds)

Shredded awnings on the abandoned building:


Love this brickwork that looks as if it's a perforated line:
Dusty two family


There's a layer of dusty film over everything in Granite City due to the steel mill. The whole city is a smudge like walking through an ash tray.
Facade of the Granite City library:

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