Posts Tagged ‘Cool cars’
A Day Out in Bridgeville: Classic Cars and Local Vendors
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself have been spending a bit of time during recent months over in the community of Bridgeville, which is fairly close ‘neighbors’ with Dormont, where HQ is found. Both Bridgeville and Dormont are in a region of Pittsburgh called the ‘South Hills.’
As we’ve been transiting through Bridgeville, signage promising a pre July 4th street fair was noticed, and thereby we decided to check out Bridgeville’s ‘Day on the Avenue’ event.
A classic cars club attended and set their polished up vehicles up on display for we lookie loos. Check out that Oldsmobile. Interior shot here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The local Fire Dept. deployed, and were handing out little plastic fireman hats to kids. There were all sorts of vendors, selling largely bland food. We did find somebody selling fantastic Italian style sausages, and Our Lady encountered a vendor selling carnivorous plants, so she bought a predator vegetable. Pitcher Plant, apparently.
Back at home later, I caught her killing a fly and then using chopsticks to pick it up and feed its corpse to her new plant.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Check out that Nash!
The new polarizer filter came in really handy on this particular day, allowing me some control over reflections and specularity.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You could eat off that engine block, it was so clean.
Officially speaking, that’s the most ‘Brooklyn Jewish’ sounding statement that I’ve ever offered here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
All I could think of when looking at these cars was the current price of gasoline. My first car, which was wrecked in less than a year after I got keys to it, was a 1966 Buick Skylark that got something like thirteen to eighteen miles per gallon of gas.
Can’t imagine what it would cost to operate a muscle car like a 70’s Firebird Trans AM or something, or any of the old ‘American Land Yachts,’ under current fuel pricing. My old skylark dropped an eighth of a tank just speeding up after a light turned green. Sheesh. The Toyota Hybrid I’m driving nowadays gets more than forty one miles to the gallon and it’s twice the size of the Skylark.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The ‘Day on the Avenue’ was a pretty standard street fair, but in contrast to the ones back in NYC’s Astoria, most of the vendor tables were local business related and not some traveling band of grease peddlers and bouncy castles that took over the neighborhood for a day, draining money away from the local shops and businesses before moving on to do the same in somebody else’s community the next day.
Back next week with something different.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Squeaky wheel
Thurs
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A few random shots from the end of a satisfying scuttle. I swear, the working guys have no idea how esthetically pleasing I find these sorts of arrangements they leave behind. They’re artists, and don’t even know it.
I was moving through the area surrounding Allegheny Commons Park, which has a trench running through it for the railroads.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Norfolk Southern #1832 came through, heading north/west. It was hauling short blue cargo boxes, of the type which sewer solids are shipped within. Likely heading towards the sewer plant nearby the McKees Rocks Bridge, or Ohio. A lot of things nobody else wants end up in Ohio. I’ve been there, and really – they pretty much sent their best to Washington in Vance.
Stay out of Ohio, you’re not ready for what you might see there.
Regardless, one haughtily scuttled on.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This truck caught my eye. I was intrigued by those Doberman silhouettes silk screened on the thing. Also, that’s one crazy truck, yo.
My steps carried me into the ‘ceremonial center’ section of the Coty of Pittsburgh, where the Stadiums are found, and where there’s coincidental opportunities to board the T light rail service and ‘get out of dodge.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
See that mound on the right side of the shot? Coal mine’s historical entrance, as it turns out.
As I mentioned a few posts ago, this coal thing suddenly brings everything into a place where it makes sense. I’m not ‘smart enough’ to really delve into the topic here yet, but I’ve started reading up on the Pittsburgh Coal Company Trust, and others.
Heck of a story there. Eventually, I’ll know enough of it to point y’all at primary sources on the subject.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T station came into sight, just as one of the light rail units rose out of the tunnel that it travels under downtown within, and climbed up the truss to the terminal stop opposite Acrisure Stadium.
Most of the Yinzers I meet ‘poo-poo’ the T, but I ride it all the time.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My chariot arrived, and as soon as those doors opened, I was ensconced in a seat. This was about a six or seven mile walk, all told. I had a nice time, and nobody threw any rotting fruit at me, for a change.
Back tomorrow with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Cool cars: old fire truck edition
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Apparently, there’s a museum dedicated to baseball player Roberto Clemente in an old firehouse on Penn Avenue, and they park an old fire truck outside of it – which must be a lure to bring in passing lookie loos. Here’s their link, btw.
Caught my attention, I’ll tell’s ya. Love me a cool car.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I grew up idolizing comic book artists and film directors, so the cult surrounding athletes is one I’m not a part of.
Want to talk Jack Kirby? I’m down. Want to discuss an athlete? I get quiet and listen but don’t participate in the conversation as I don’t have anything to offer on the subject. Did Roberto Clemente create the Fantastic Four, or the Avengers? Pfft.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a complete curmudgeon, I’ll go to a baseball or hockey game if you like. Won’t watch one on TV, although I will listen to a baseball game on the radio (the natural broadcast medium for baseball is AM radio) occasionally.
Couldn’t care less about football or basketball, me.
Saying that, sports means the world to a lot of people. Clemente is remembered by Pittsburgh in several conspicuous places. There’s a bridge named for him, as well as a street. A statue of the man greets entrants to PNC Park, where the Pirates compete.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Couldn’t help but pop out a few shots of the thing. My allocation of time for the walk was running down and I needed to keep moving.
Twirling, always twirling towards freedom, that’s me.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Cool Cars – motorcycle edition
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While walking to the T light rail station at Pittsburgh’s First Avenue, this motorcycle caught my eye. It’s a Royal Enfield, which already makes it remarkable, as you mainly see people here riding either Harley Davidson bikes or one of the many offerings from the East Asian manufacturers.
The Enfield was ‘done up’ in a trim that was reminiscent of how their bikes were finished during the Second World War. It looked modern to me despite it, this bike, but I’m no expert.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My British father in law actually is an expert on this sort of thing, but I haven’t been able to petition him about it as of this writing.
Regardless, ‘cool bike.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I wonder if it’s a movie prop or something? Seems to be a legit street bike, with a license plate and everything, so…
Neat!
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Cool Cars, Van edition
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Longtime readers will recall that the ‘cool cars’ designation for a post used to be fairly common here at Newtown Pentacle, but that was in Western Queens. The tag on post signifies that I wandered past an unexpectedly charismatic vehicle, during a walk, and felt compelled to photograph it. Hence…
Check out this crazy van.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The bonnet, as the British born ‘Our Lady of the Pentacle’ might call it, was festooned with skulls. Wouldn’t want to clear snow off of this one.
I’m guessing that the owner must be in a band. The cargo racks on top… gotta be a vehicle which a band tours out of. Metal band, I’ll wager.
It’s also possible that the devil had simply parked in the South Side Flats area and this is its ride.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Front shot of the thing, and then your humble narrator moved on.
It was still too early in the day for a beer, so despite my proximity to the Sly Fox Brewery and it’s non stop parade of CSX trains, your humble narrator instead ‘leaned into it’ and continued on with his scuttle.
I was determined to use mass transit to get back to HQ, but that’s another story for another day. Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 