Beautiful Fall River
Some might think I am nuts, but I really love Fall River.
I love the cool summers, the nature all around the city, the woodsy areas that still remain. I love the Highlands and walking the hills around town. I love the Portuguese cuisine (especially Kale soup, Top Dogs, and Highland Pizza with double chourico and mushrooms). I also love that Fall River isn’t anything like Orlando.
But I guess I love the people of Fall River most of all.
Notice I didn’t mention the city government, which I find incredibly self-serving instead of interested in the welfare of the city and its former grandeur. Just look at the way the city is being destroyed by bad planning and the granting of variances that allow residents to build houses on postage stamp sized lots. Or how they demolish old stately Victorians or older government buildings to erect ugly medical complexes. Or how they stupidly try to fix ugly City Hall (and spending way too much money to do so) instead of putting City Hall in an already refurbished mill. How about it, Fall River—put the City Hall in the old Quaker Fabrics mill on the water? How kewl would that be!
A wise man once opined that what Fall River needs to do with that space in front of 92 Second Street is to make a park out of it instead of erecting a court house that has yet to plan for parking! Yes, indeed, the government of Fall River does everything backwards.
Yet, there are magnificent locations around the city worthy of great photographic art. One site I found has more than 500 images of Fall River that make me long to visit once again. Many of the photos were taken in the winter, with snow all around. Ahhhhh. Enjoy!
Images of beautiful Fall River.
September 3, 2007 at 3:15 am
I love this post! And I love Fall River!
The history, ethnic culture, food, it’s a city with so much to offer and most don’t realize it.
Maybe that’s good, more for us.
I agree that a lax zoning board, lack of a suitable master plan or active and engaged historical commission has cost us some lovely architecture. Yet realize not all of it can be blamed on our city leaders. The courthouse for instance is a state project and although the city played a role in the site selection the state had multiple sites to choose from, the opposition was well known. Government Center? I’ve thought for years that the Quaker Mill on Davol Street would be a great location for Fall River’s City Hall, but the costs of purchasing and renovating and raising the old cite (can’t leave it run down and sitting there!) would many times more than what the city is spending on repairing the current building. It just doesn’t make fiscal sense. Plus I like Government Center!
Anyway,
I love the photos. I’ve been familiar with the site you found them from for a long time now and they are really some of the most spectacular Fall River photos I’ve seen. (My personal favorite has got to be the shot of Borden Light with St. Anne’s in the background)
Again great post!