Getting closer

As of today I have photographed 1,400 vacant lots. That means I am about 1/3 of the way done.

The others

The experience of walking through these neighborhoods is often surreal and and sometimes sublime. I have gotten to see and photograph many scenes that most residents of the city would never see. 

The Fruit Belt

It was a very fruitful day in the fruit belt. I shot 136 sites thanks to my newly acquired help. Although there are many vacant lots in the neighborhood there also quite a few new houses. I can see this area making a come back and it probably has a lot to do with its close proximity to the ever expanding Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. 

My new Assistant Mariah. I work much faster and longer with her.

A very fresh vacant lot at 181 Grape

Another newly vacant lot at 167 Orange. The city's new zoning code will prevent any new structures from being built on this site... at least until there is another on next to it. 

196 Rose

71 Rose

The sidewalk was torn up in front of several continuous vacant lots and never replaced

Fillmore-Leroy

This week I finished photographing the Fillmore-Leroy Neighborhood. These are a few of the images. 

Map of Vacant Lots

134 Dewey

2172 North Fillmore

266 Rodney

74 Sanford

118 Victoria

The Others

While I'm out shooting I spot other images. Little moments to break up the monotony of taking (almost) the same photo over and over again. Here are few of my favorites from last week.

Frederick Place

The street sign is still on the pole but the house are all long gone. Frederick Place is a short little dead end street off of Kehr in the Humbolt Park Neighborhood. This was the street I have photographed in which every house had been torn down. Eight houses once stood where weeds now thrive. I could not even be sure where the driveways once where. 

A woman who talked to me a few houses away told me that the street was full of beautiful houses when she moved into the neighborhood fifty years ago.  She could not pinpoint for me when they all disappeared. I haven't found any information online about this street, perhaps the downtown library will. On the next rainy day I would like to dig deeper in the mystery of Frederick Place.  

The weeds are filling in Frederick Place

1 Frederick Place

6 Frederick Place

Caring for City-owned Property

I spent a few minutes the other day talking with the man who lives next to these two lots. He told me that he has maintained  the lots for 35 years. He did try to buy them but was told the city wanted to sell to someone who was going to build housing on the lots. 

This man and several others I have talked to, seem like the perfect candidates to start a vacant lot homesteading program with. 

Humboldt Park

For the Past two day I have been photographing vacant lots in the Humboldt Park Neighborhood. Some people think I am a city inspector, than are either disappointed or relieved to find out that I am not. Several residents in this area asked me if they were going to build houses on the properties. I always answer with I don't know. The city is demolishing a house every day in this neighborhood and ones like it.

These are some of the lots I shot today.

283 Winslow

289 Winslow

344 Winslow

82 Weoppel

860 Woodlawn