When Grubb Properties of Charlotte gained the approval from the Chapel Hill Town Council to begin the development of Glen Lennox, Clay Grubb hired Dan McMains, owner of JD Tree Pros, a company that was already working to preserve and maintain the landscape of the iconic, 50-year-old community.

What do I think of growth? McMains said recently. What did I think when they were building those houses beside our farm in Apex? What did I see? I saw my woods turned into a housing development. Did I have a problem with it?

At first I did. And then when my daughter grew up and moved out of my home, she moved into one of those houses and I thought to myself, well, she loves Apex. She wants to be here. Anybody that lived in Glen Lennox, for any part of their life, I bet you today would say, yeah, that place really does need to come down and be rebuilt.

I mean there has to be a lifespan of all things, but when someone says something to me about growth or changes, I ask how small of a footprint will we make with how big of an impact on the way we change it.

McMains already knew the Grubb Properties goals when he agreed to take on the task of removing, reclaiming and saving the hundreds of trees on the property.

Weve worked for Grubb over the years because theres been scenarios where Grubb Properties really wanted to know is this doable? Is it salvageable? McMains said. Can we really make something happen? Because you can put so much money into saving the tree when you are better off to remove it and come back with species and specimens that you know are going to be able to adapt to what youre doing.

First of all, is it safe enough for pedestrians and people who are going to be around old trees. Think about how inviting that area is now to walk around. You dont see certain specimens where theres such foot traffic. But they were so real with how they approached a job that if it was doable, lets do it. And they trusted me and I trusted them that they would do it that way.

McMains has worked on many projects where the owners insisted certain trees remain, with little long-range benefit.

The prime example was that great huge, beautiful tree over at Carey Towne Center, McMains said It was up on this big hill and they basically rerouted the parking lot. And the way they put the food courts and all those things in there to save this one tree, they put a huge 30-foot retaining wall to get a road around it. Two years later, it got struck by lightning. A few years later it got struck by lightning again.

So, the reality of it is good in theory, but realistically youre talking about a tree that was at the end of its lifespan. Why not take it down and preserve the area and make it a green space that we can really enjoy plant specimens that are going to be long term and teachable and, by God, use something that will give back, like the American chestnuts that are giving you food that you can eat from this tree thats coming up out of the ground. So thats just where Im at with it.

McMains knew there would be a lot of tree work at Glen Lennox with many options and opportunities.

I was working with the same home-owners association there and was familiar with what was taking place on the property, he said. I knew a lot of the trees. And then when Grubb reached out and said, Hey, were doing this in multiple phases. I was like, Thats great. Whats your plan?

It was the way they wanted to approach it. They were looking for ways of recycling or re-using this wood and thats where Carolina Urban Recycling in Charlotte came in. They were ready to drop these trees in certain places that can jeopardize fracturing the wood and breaking it to when you do go to mill it, the wood would just fall apart because the canopies were all taken off before they were cut down.

I liked how they were picking out pieces that they knew would hold the carbon inside for decades or good grade wood. And when they were talking about what they were doing with rest of it, how willing they were to work with UNC and recycling every bit of it.

I was like, okay, so were taking something that before could have potentially been upwards of 60 to 70 percent going into a landfill to now recycling all these boards. All this wood has been incorporated back into recycling, plus all the by-product from the root systems and the brush and all.

McMains reviewed their original plan and suggested what could be done and what would not benefit the neighborhood in the long run.

Some of the trees they wanted to keep with all the utilities, all the things that were going to happen in that area. And Im like, this is not gonna work. Youre gonna end up stressing and killing these trees.

And then when you do, theyre going to be harvested in a way that its beyond potentially re-using the wood because of worms or whatever the case may be, like fungal.

So, lets look at the differences of doing that now, knowing that its going to happen, and lets be real with it. And thats when we went to the church next door and talked to them specifically about saving these large oaks that were right there. And then a couple other items where they were willing to spend a little more money on doing it.

McMains said he pushed back on the original grading contract to clear and bulldoze trees so the cranes could come in to build the parking deck.

I said, absolutely not! Not if youre keeping that tree and this tree and youre removing this one here for unknown reasons, maybe for sidewalks or whatever the purpose may be; utilities were majority of it. You cant just push that up and tear up all that ground and tear these root systems out.

So they put a hold on that part of the work until we figured out a better way of doing it. Those were the things I love that they didnt just say, that sounds good but were not doing that because its going to cost a little more. Its going to take a little more time. Clay Grubb was more interested in preserving it the best way possible. And they did it.

The way he wanted it done, with our cranes, and the way we can remove trees, were not going to be damaging other trees or even infrastructures of the tree because, you know, a lot of people just see the tree. They dont realize whats underground. Its just as important if not more important.

We talked about the layers of mulch to put over all the trees that were being preserved. They went thick enough on it that we werent compacting all that soil. So thats one of the reasons were moving our company closer to Chapel Hill because I like the way people want to save trees and the ones that need to be removed. Were doing it without destroying the rest of environment. Thats pretty significant to me.

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There are about 9 million of us living here, and we all cant be delusional.

Apart from those who live here primarily because of job or family, most New Jerseyans live here because they like it here! New York City is a quick PATH or train ride away why live there?

The Shore, the Pine Barrens, beautiful countryside, diners, beaches, the nations most diverse city, small towns, great scenic highways does any state pack as much variety into one compact package as New Jersey? Nope.

Here are the 50 best reasons to live in New Jersey, from someone who was born here (Trenton) and has travelled endlessly to every part of the state. This list could have easily included 100 or more items.

What are your favorite reasons to live here? Let us know in the comments section. The list is not ranked.

Forget that store-bought, grown-in-California, -Mexico, -Peru or wherever produce. Nothing beats a tomato, peach or other fruit or vegetable from a Jersey roadside stand. Scores of family-run stands dot the landscape, and there are an additional 144 community farmers markets in towns across the state. N.J. ranks third nationally in cranberry production, fourth in tomatoes, bell peppers, peaches and cucumbers (cukes? who knew?) and sixth in blueberries. Were not called the Garden State for nothing.

Allentown (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

New Jersey may be the nations most densely populated state, but its small towns are underpublicized, underappreciated treasures. Of our 565 municipalities, 397 have populations under 15,000 and 190 have populations under 5,000, according to census figures. Those numbers dont even include the towns and hamlets that are part of municipalities: the Chatsworths, Mauricetowns and West Trentons of the world. Unlike, say, the Shore, small towns make for great year-round exploration. Heres my list of the states top 33 small towns, ranked.

Summit Diner

Diners didnt start in New Jersey they had their origins in Providence, R.I. but today the Garden State is the diner capital of the world, with 600 or so of the shiny stainless steel gems. They come in small and super-sized, vintage and brand new, limited hours or open all-night, with menus ranging from one page to telephone book-sized. The Broad Street Diner in Keyport won our N.J.'s best diner showdown, but your favorite diner is always the best. Heres my list of the best diner in each of N.J.'s 21 counties.

Nearly 70,000 acres of woods, mountains and valleys. One hundred miles of hiking trails. Thirty miles of biking trails. Spectacular waterfalls. Twenty-seven miles of the vaunted Appalachian Trail. Historic villages. Abundant wildlife. Maybe no other part of the state packs as much outdoor adventure in one place as the Delaware Water Gap. The Old Mine Road is one of the states great scenic highways, and spring is a perfect time to take a hike on one of those trails.

At low tide, students walk their sea kayaks across a sand bar in Barnegat Bay near the Natural Resource Education Center on Sedge Island.SL

What would we possibly do without the Shore? Its New Jerseys greatest asset and its best calling card, even if it gets overrun in the summer. With 130 miles of beaches, plus small towns, boardwalks, restaurants, parks and maybe even a few secret spots, the Shore beckons us every summer. Its in our DNA. Just try to ignore those unavoidable traffic jams on the Parkway. Ive lived the past 15 years down the Shore. I cant imagine living anywhere else.

Beer flight, Glasstown Brewing, Millville (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Fifty wineries and 100-plus craft breweries and brew pubs: New Jersey may have a way to go to match California in vino and Colorado in brew, but its certainly no slouch. The Garden State Wine Growers Association publishes handy guides in print and online, covering wineries from Alba to Working Dog. And craft beer lovers like me never have to travel far to find a super sour or prize-worthy porter. A flight from Glasstown Brewing in Millville is shown in the photo.

Nicoletta Pizza, Bernardsville (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Its accepted as truth (by New Yorkers, naturally) that the Big Apple makes the best pizza. Well, as the person who has eaten at more pizzerias on both sides of the river than anyone (1,200-plus places and counting), Ill call it a dead heat. (That screaming you hear is from outraged New Yorkers.) My advice to them: Cross the Hudson once in a while. Heck, even the New York Times own reviewer called Razza in Jersey the best pizza in NYC. Here are the 10 finalists in our N.J.'s best pizzeria showdown last summer.

most and least diverse states in the U.S.

New Jersey is the fourth most ethnically diverse state (more diverse than New York), and Jersey City is the most ethnically diverse city in the U.S. (NYC is No. 3). North Jersey especially is a United Nations of dining; no need to schlep into the big city for ethnic eats, no matter how little known.

Pork roll egg and cheese, Gronsky's House, High Bridge (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

A Taylor ham (or pork roll), egg and cheese is New Jerseys unofficial state sandwich, and since we have an official state reptile, state bug even a state dinosaur youd think some New Jersey governor would come along and proclaim Taylor ham, egg and cheese the official state sandwich. The textbook definition a lightly smoked and cured pork product, with spices, salt, and preservatives doesnt do it justice. When the bread, egg, cheese and Taylor ham/pork roll are just right, you have something pretty close to a breakfast epiphany. Heres a video by Thrillist in which several experts (one youll recognize) explain why Taylor ham (or pork roll) rules New Jersey. And heres my list of N.J.'s 33 best Taylor ham/pork roll sandwiches.

A time lapse image of the Somerville circleSL

Many people hate traffic circles. (These are usually people who have no clue how to navigate them.) I love traffic circles and will cry like a baby when the last one bites the dust. Circles have tormented and terrified Jersey drivers since 1925, when the Airport Circle opened in Pennsauken. I love circles so much I even hold the unofficial worlds record for most trips around a circle (55) without stopping. And lets not forget that World War I officially ended at what is now the Somerville Circle. Really. On July 12, 1921, President Warren Harding signed a joint congressional resolution declaring an end to the war against Germany and Austria. On that historic day, the president found time to play two rounds of golf; in between, he signed the resolution at the country estate of former state Sen. Joseph Frelinghuysen. Theres a marker in front of the PC Richard commemorating the occasion.

Its an island, and a world, away. Long Beach Island 18 miles long, although you can easily walk from one side to the other has always seemed to be the anti-Jersey Shore: less noise, congestion, neon and traffic, although you dont want to be on Route 72 heading to LBI on a summer weekend. (Theres no other way in unless you have a boat.) Beach Haven, Surf City and Ship Bottom are the main municipalities, although my favorite town is Barnegat Light, at the northern tip, home to Mustache Bills Diner, Viking Village and Barnegat Lighthouse aka Old Barney.

Snack stand, Storybook Land (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Somehow, in a world of Great Adventure, video games and other distractions, New Jerseys old-school amusement parks survive if not thrive. The Land of Make Believe, in Hope, has been open since 1954. Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, built around nursery rhyme characters, opened one year later. Wild West City, the western heritage theme park, opened in 1957. Its not an amusement park, but Space Farms in Beemerville does have 500-plus live animals, nine museum buildings and antique cars and firearms. All four attractions are proof that you dont need high-tech to create hijinks for kids of all ages.

Texas Weiners, Plainfield (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

If you love hot dogs, dont move, because New Jersey is the center of the hot dog universe. There are probably more hot dog trucks, carts and storefronts crammed into Passaic, Essex, Bergen and Union counties than any comparably-sized area in the country. New Jersey is not just the center of the hot dog universe, its the cradle of hot dog civilization. Birthplace of the Italian hot dog? Newark, Jimmy Buffs, 1932. Birthplace of the chili dog or Texas weiner? Paterson or Plainfield, take your pick; both cities claim the honor. Sabrett, found at hot dog carts and trucks across the country, is headquartered in Englewood. Best Provision, a major supplier of hot dogs to supermarkets, is headquartered in Newark. Heres my behind-the-scenes profile of this low-profile company.

New York City? Nathans, the most iconic hot dog stand in the world, is there, but otherwise its pretty much a million street carts selling the same bland hot dog. Whoopee.

Wildwood boardwalk (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

There is something about the soft comforting plunk of shoe or sandal on the boards. Around you are the sights, sounds and smells of summer wheel operators barking; kids screaming gleefully on the rides; the welcoming whiff of funnel cake, ice cream, pizza and sausage sandwiches. I walked every boardwalk from Sea Bright to Cape May for the ultimate NJ boardwalk guide. But I didnt need to make that journey to know the best boardwalk in NJ: Wildwood. Not just because it was the boardwalk of my youth, but because it packs more food, fun, variety, piers and neon than any other, including Seaside. It boasts Jerseys only boardwalk sundial and its only boardwalk chapel. And dont forget to watch the tram car, please. Heres my list of the states 40 best boardwalk foods.

Roosevelt Park, Edison

County parks are one of Jerseys underrated treasures, tree-shaded havens perfect for picnics, games and cookouts. I worked in Middlesex County for many years, and that countys parks were second homes to me Johnson Park in Highland Park and Piscataway; Roosevelt Park in Edison; and Donaldson Park in Highland Park. One of the most beautiful county parks is Mantoloking Bridge County Park in Brick, with a 70-foot-long pier, boardwalk, picnic area and gazebo.

DiCosmo's Italian Ice, Elizabeth (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Its little more than a shack, and one of the states food legends. DiCosmos Italian Ice in Elizabeth has been a Peterstown fixture since 1915, when Katerina and Giovanni DiCosmo started making Italian ice at the corner of Fourth and High. Only three or four flavors are available at any one time. One stop, and youll never go to that chain water ice store again.

The Pinelands 1.1 million acres takes up a major chunk of the state, but Im guessing a slim minority of New Jerseyans have actually spent time exploring it. (Driving through it on the way to somewhere else doesnt count.) Its paradise to hikers, canoeists, fishermen and folks who just want to escape the outside world. Stop at the Pinelands Adventures office in Shamong to pick up a Pinelands Exploration Map and learn about their tours and trips.

Belford Co-Op, Belford (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Fish doesnt get any fresher than at one of New Jerseys seafood co-ops, where fishermen offload just-caught fish and shellfish, which are then sold in the co-ops market. Co-ops include Belford (in photo), Viking Village in Barnegat Light and Point Pleasant Beach.

Kohr's custard and ice cream stand on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights.SL

No Jersey Shore visit is complete without a cool, creamy cone or cup from Kohrs or Kohr Bros., two sides of the family business that started with a stand by five Kohr brothers on the Coney Island boardwalk in 1919. There are Kohrs or Kohr Bros. locations in Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Heights, Wildwood and Cape May, among other places.

Barbecue, Ironbound festival (Ed Murray I The Star-Ledger)

The states greatest food neighborhood, Newarks Ironbound is home to some 200 restaurants, cafes, markets and specialty food stores. It was "destroyed'' in the 2005 "War of the Worlds'' remake with Tom Cruise, but this is one neighborhood that seems destined to last forever. There are Portuguese, Spanish and Brazilian restaurants and markets for sure, but also Italian, Ecuadorian, Mexican and many others. Its a culinary wonderland, steps from Newark Penn Station.

The road to Pakim Pond (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

North Jerseyans seem to take special delight in putting down South Jersey, but South Jerseyans want no part of "up north,'' and for good reason. Less people, less traffic, more peace and quiet, more open space the Pine Barrens in particular. Probably less aggravation and agita, too. There may be less to "do'' in South Jersey, and thats just the point. Here are 11 reasons why South Jersey may be better than either North or Central Jersey.

The view atop High Point State Park (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Its the states highest point, at 1,803 feet, but have you actually been to the top? Didnt think so. High Point State Park was dedicated in 1923. The landscaping was done by the Olmsted Brothers of Boston, sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park. Follow the road to the top (there is, improbably, a beach along the way) and take in the breathtaking views from the top of New Jersey.

Fork in the Road food truck (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Ten years ago, the states food truck scene was relegated to a handful of trucks. In 2013, the Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival at Monmouth Park was the first large-scale food truck festival. Now, nearly 200 food trucks roam the Jersey landscape, fixtures at fairs, festivals, office parks and waterfronts. Check out the Ultimate N.J. Food Truck Guide, broken down into All-American fare, ethnic and seafood, and desserts and beverages. And heres my list of the states 40 best food trucks.

Cant ignore this one. NYC and Philly are an hour or so away from much of New Jersey, promising bright lights, big city, nightlife and restaurants. The Philly food scene is underrated, and New York well, we all know (New Yorkers keep telling us) that the Big Apple makes the best pizza, bagels and just about every other food on earth. Maybe they should be reminded that New Jersey is the center of the food universe.

Fiore's Deli, Hoboken (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

If I had to take one sandwich to my desert island, or the great hereafter, it would probably be the roast beef and homemade mozzarella sub at legendary Fiores. The deli is an old-school deli movie set tin ceiling; fluorescent lighting; a display case filled with olives, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and other specialties. A photo of Mother Teresa is wedged between sardine tins. Theres no website or official Facebook page no surprise there. Theres no printed sandwich menu either just tell whomevers behind the counter what you want, and be sure to ask about the specials. First-timer? Go on Thursday or Saturday, the only days you can get that heavenly roast beef and mozzarella sandwich.

The largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere is in New Jersey where else did you think it would be? That would be the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theater at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. A lighting system capable of producing nearly 300 trillion colors and speakers that can blast 30,000 watts of digital sound add up to a mind-blowing celestial experience.

Rotisserie chicken, Amish Market at Mullica Hill (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The Amish Market at Mullica Hill is one of my two or three favorite specialty food stores in the entire state. Theres a bakery (good bread and sticky buns); a deli; meat and seafood vendors; and ice cream, candy and cheese counters. My favorite thing: the barbecue chickens at Yoders, in the back. Just thinking of them makes me want to jump in my car right now.

Other Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch markets include Dutch Country Farmers Market in Raritan Township (next to Flemington); the Greater Bridgeton Amish Market and the Williamstown Farmers Market.

Jonah Norman, 3, gets wet in the spray of The Great Falls, which look more like Niagara Falls as the floodwaters of the Passaic River flow through Paterson. His father Max Norman brought him down to look at the falls while visiting from Los Angeles (John Munson I The Star-Ledger)SL

Yeah, yeah, everyones heard of the Great Falls, but have you actually been there? Not seen it from a distance, but from the bridge overlooking the states greatest natural wonder? Visit it in floodwater stage, as seen in the photo above, for maximum magnificent effect. While youre there, have a chili dog at hot dog landmark Libbys Lunch, right across the street. Im going to keep writing about the Great Falls until every last New Jerseyan visits it. That may take a while Im continually astonished how many people have never been there. Go. Now. Or Im going to pester you until the end of time.

Sandip Patel, owner of Chowpatty, Oak Tree Road, Iselin (Jerry McCrea I The Star-Ledger)SL

The state is packed with great ethnic food neighborhoods Newarks Ironbound, the Middle Eastern restaurant/markets on Main Street in South Paterson, Little Korea in Palisades Park and Bergenline Avenue in Union City among them but none are more atmospheric than Little India, in Woodbridges Iselin section. Scores of restaurants, sweets shops, food markets, jewelry and clothing stores are crammed along Oak Tree Road. Skirts give way to saris, and free copies of Desi Talk and News India Times are available in newspaper boxes.

Victorian jewel. Impossibly romantic. Lively dining scene. Excellent beach. And a grace period on your parking meter! Cape May does the Jersey Shore experience like no other town. But its not stuffy, encompassing everything from fanciful B&Bs to the hole-in-the-wall Hot Dog Tommys. Speaking of food, Cape May was named one of the nations top 20 food cities by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

Grill, Donkey's Place, Camden (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

What does South Jersey do better than North or Central Jersey? Cheesesteaks, and its not even debatable. No less an authority than the late Anthony Bourdain proclaimed the best Philly cheesesteak can actually be found in New Jersey, at Donkeys Place in Camden (grill shown in photo). Donkeys also made my list of the states 20 best cheesesteaks.

Pastoral view on one of NJ's scenic highways (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

New Jersey may not be Colorado or even Vermont, but there are some damn scenic roads and countryside here. From the rolling hills of Sussex and Warren counties, clear down to the open, empty spaces of Gloucester and Cumberland, our state and county highways provide front-row seats to a New Jersey you may have forgotten existed. Here are my 20 favorite scenic roads for that perfect drive. Time to get your motor running and head out on the highway.

Mama Chicken, Palisades Park (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Korean fried chicken was once largely a Bergen County thing, but restaurants offering this uber-crunchy twist on Southern fried chicken are starting to spread southward into Edison, New Brunswick and elsewhere. Korean fried chicken is twice-fried, which accounts for the colossal crispiness, and its always made to order, which means a wait of about 15-20 minutes. That wait is so worth it. My two favorite places: Peck Peck in Teaneck and Mama Chicken in Palisades Park (in photo).

Ahh, the county fair. Neon-lit midways, rides spinning into the warm summer night and enough deep-fried food to put a smile on your face and stop your heart at the same time. The county fair is one of Americas great summer traditions. Among the best: the Middlesex County Fair in August, the Warren County Farmers Fair (late July/early August) and the Somerset County 4-H Fair in August.

Pastry selection in one Middle Eastern bakery in Paterson (Brian Donahue I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The Ironbound in Newark and Little India in Iselin are probably the states best-known ethnic food neighborhoods. Less heralded is the cornucopia of Middle Eastern shops, markets, bakeries and restaurants along Main Street in South Paterson. Fattals Syrian Bakery and Nouri Brothers are legendary. For Turkish food, try Toros (theres another location in Clifton); for desserts, Nayef Sweets, just off Main. And on the next blinding hot summer day (I know; itll be a while), try the mint lemonade at Al Basha bracing and refreshing.

A shady, often-overlooked oasis in the midst of the megalopolis, Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park, 70 miles long, is paradise for walkers, hikers, fishermen, canoeists and folks who just want to lose themselves for a while. Beside the paths, there are tender houses, wooden bridges and remnants of locks, a reminder of an age when freight moved by mule teams or steam tugboats. Scenic spots include Washington Crossing, Bulls Island and Griggstown.

Serene Custard, VinelandNOAH ADDIS

There are only a few food-related items in this list, so you know this one is special. Serene Custard, on the other side of the railroad tracks in the states largest city by size, opened in 1959; current owner Ed Rone took over in 1984. His wife, Linda, makes the ice cream (32 flavors of hard, three soft-serve). Rone uses what he calls the Rolls-Royce of mixes, from Crowleys, which costs $9 per gallon. Other mixes, he adds, contain a lot of soy and stabilizers. Serene was named the best ice cream in South Jersey in an Inside Jersey ice cream competition, and the soft-serve here remains among the states best rich, creamy and colder than any other soft-serve Ive tried.

South Branch, Raritan River, Clinton (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Hunterdon County is not on this list because I lived there on two different occasions (Clinton town, Alexandria), but because its the prettiest and most picturesque of N.J.'s 21 counties. (Sorry, Warren, Sussex, etc.) Charming small towns, beautiful countryside, winding back roads, farms Hunterdon is a great place for day trips or weekend-long stays. Three of the top 14 towns in my ranking of N.J.'s best small towns are in Hunterdon, including No. 1. The photo shows the Red Mill Museum and the south branch of the Raritan River in Clinton.

Cowtown Rodeo, Pilesgrove (Joe Proudman I The Star-Ledger)

The nations longest-running weekly professional rodeo is in ... New Jersey? Cowtown Rodeo in Pilesgrove, held every Saturday night from late May to late September, features bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback riding, steer wrestling and barrel racing. Sit in the stands: Youll feel as if youre in Montana, or at least somewhere far from Jersey. Pilesgrove is also home to the Corner Bar, the winner of our N.J.'s best bar showdown.

Hackensack River (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Bruce sang about them, of course, but the swamps of North Jersey have come a long way since the 1970s, when parts of the Hackensack River and its tributaries were an environmental nightmare due to pollution. Today, thanks to the Hackensack Riverkeeper and other organizations, the swamps of North Jersey make for prime nature excursions just off the Turnpike. Sign up for one of the Hackensack Riverkeepers eco-cruises; theyre highly recommended.

How many states besides New Jersey have a six story-high, 137-year-old elephant on the National Register of Historic Places? That would be none. Lucy the Elephant, built in 1881 out of a million pieces of timber and 12,000 square feet of tin, is a magnificent must-see. Shes a she, although those tusks of hers are found only on male elephants. You walk up one of Lucys legs to reach the informative museum.

There are a handful of Wawas scattered around North Jersey, but folks up there need to visit South Jersey to see how deeply Wawa is ingrained into South Jersey life and culture. To say they are everywhere in South Jersey is an understatement: There are 127 Wawas within 20 miles of Mount Holly. Wawa may have been hatched in Pennsylvania the first store opened in Folsom, Pa., on April 16, 1964 but the chain is more Garden State than Keystone State. There are 228 Wawas in Pennsylvania and 248 in Jersey and counting. Thats a lot of geese in flight. Wawa is not only a Lenni Lenape term, it also appears in Longfellows The Song of Hiawatha: And in flocks/The wild goose Wawa.

For the ultimate Wawa story, check out this one about a reporters attempt to visit 50 Wawas all over the state in one day.

''The states largest museum" barely does the Newark Museum justice. Its a world-class museum: collections include Arts of Global Africa, American Art and Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean. The museum actually started at the Newark Public Library in 1909, opening in its current space in 1926. The first floor of the 1885 Ballantine House was saved and restored for the Bicentennial as a showcase for the decorative arts. The Dalai Lama attended the consecration of the museums Tibetan Buddhist altar in 1990. The museum also hosts the Newark Black Film Festival, the nations longest-running black film festival. Schoolkids around the state can speak of the celestial wonder of the Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Full-Dome Planetarium. The last time I visited the museum was to judge a best wing competition, which reminds me I need to re-visit this fabulous space again sometime soon.

Mike Laffey feeds two giraffes at the Cape May County Zoo (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Cape May County Zoo opened in 1978 with an African lion, spider monkeys, some Jersey wildlife and farm animals. It is now home to 550 animals parrots, macaws, kookaburras, bongos, ostriches, ring-tailed lemurs, giraffes, bison, Burmese python, elk, a red panda, black bear, lions and the worlds largest rodent, not to mention flamingos from Michael Jacksons Neverland Ranch. And the 87-acre zoo, amazingly, is free. As in no admission fee. The zoo is New Jerseys own wild kingdom, near the end of its busiest highway.

White Manna in Hackensack (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The White Manna in Hackensack (not to be confused with the equally iconic White Mana in Jersey City) is the Fenway Park of diners a red-trimmed, glass-block jewel with 20 seats and the irresistible smell of meat and onions emanating from the tiny grill. Get a double cheeseburger with onions; its not a big fancy designer burger, but youll dream about it the day after.

Camden is home to the nations most decorated battleship, the BB&T Pavilion, Phillys best cheesesteak, the Walt Whitman House and Adventure Aquarium, where you can find everything from African cichlids and American lobsters to stingrays and waxy monkey frogs. And sharks zebra sharks, silky sharks and sand tiger sharks. Dont forget to say hello to Button and Genny, African hippos that weigh in at a colossal 3,000 pounds each. For the ultimate underwater experience, put on a wetsuit and go nose-to-nose with the sharks.

One of the states grand visual spectacles, the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning packs mass ascensions of huge, colorful balloons, concerts, food and fireworks in one action-packed summer weekend. The launch site is Solberg Airport in Readington, but youll often see the balloons drifting magnificently across Route 202 or 22. The 2020 dates are July 24-26.

Youd think with shiny new convenience stores marching relentlessly across the Jersey landscape, general stores would die and quickly. Think again. At the big, new QuickCheks and Wawas, you can buy breakfast, lunch and dinner, fill up the car and use the ATM just about around the clock. Yet the general store soldiers on, all squeaky floors and sagging ceilings and limited stock. In dozens of towns and hamlets across the state, particularly in Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties, the general store is the main business and the best place to catch up on local news and gossip. In several towns, it serves as the local post office. The most atmospheric general stores include Rambos Country Store in Califon and the Allenwood General Store in Wall, an antiques/second-hand wonderland that happens to serve one of the states best Taylor ham/pork roll, egg and cheese sandwiches.

The Great Swamp Natural Wildlife Refuge 7,768 acres of woods, grassland and swamp is a prime bird-watching spot, and youll also see deer, fox, turtles, muskrat and other wildlife along the eight miles of designated hiking trails and the two mile-long auto tour route on Pleasant Plains Road. Despite the name, its striking terrain, and a reminder New Jersey packs a lot of beauty in its overdeveloped self. And to think a major airport was almost built here in the 70s.

The waitresses of the Colonial Diner, Woodbury (Avi Steinhardt)

New Jersey is the most mocked, maligned and misunderstood state. It takes chutzpah and a certain je ne sais quoi to live here. Were forever suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous insults from New Yorkers and other folks who dont know any better. But we somehow rise above it, displaying manners (most of the time, anyway) and a sense of humor, with a bit of attitude thrown in for good measure. Are we perfect? No. But I dont think residents of any other state are more fiercely proud of who they are than the typical Jerseyan.

downtown Spring Lake (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

There are hundreds (thousands?) of reasons why New Jersey is a great place to live. What are your top 10 or 20? Let us know in the comments section.

Ocean Drive, Strathmere (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

N.J.'s 33 best small towns, ranked

N.J.'s 20 most scenic roads

The 25 best Jersey Shore towns, ranked

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The 50 best reasons to live in New Jersey - NJ.com

It would be insulting to say that the Corrze dpartement of south-west France was undiscovered. The county has produced not one but two recent French presidents, fields a top-flight rugby team, has world-class strawberries and Limousin beef, great rivers and as much history as it can handle. If youve never heard of it, thats no fault of the locals. Theyve been doing their best for a millennium or two.

And, in places, its worked. The almost unbearably pretty village of Collonges-la-Rouge is discovered by hundreds every day. Canoe-jams on the rivers can turn them into wetter versions of the M25. Plus, next July 9, the Tour de France rolls through the Mondires hills to stop in Jacques Chiracs home village of Sarran. So, no, not really undiscovered but less densely discovered than, say, the next-door Dordogne, with which it shares two rivers, an accent and a taste for duck.

These are rustic surrounds in which, off the few main roads, the lady in the GPS shrugs her shoulders, cattle outnumber people, birds of prey perch on fence-posts and farmers emerge from barns to stare at passing cars. Theyre working, but were on release from quotidian lunacy. We breathe easy and eat well. The landscape both smacks the senses and stiffens the thighs: theres activity here to knock out a marine. And we might bump into Franois Hollande. You need more?

As youll know, the Plus Beaux Villages de France (PBVF) tag is awarded to Frances prettiest villages. Corrze has five way over its fair share of the 159 nationwide and not solely because the PBVF idea originated here, though that doubtless helped. Lovely villages punctuate the landscape, untouched because no-ones built factories or bombed them. Thus, picturesque past prosperity persists in the townscapes, notably from when the viscountcy of Turenne was a semi-independent fiefdom. It had its own money, troops and the wherewithal to dignify villages like the hilltopping Turenne itself, but also Curemonte and Collonges-le-Rouge with castles, town houses and nobility. Collonges also gains from being ruddy of complexion the local stone is reddish and tenaciously preserved. Naturally, it was named the first PBVF in 1982.

The viscountcy lost its footing in the 18th century, when a wastrel scion gambled away the family fortune. The region reverted to the crown. Collonges and the others slumbered, so theyre now in terrific historic nick, well able to supply you with soaps, scarves, novelty mustards and other items which much-visited beauty spots consider vital. In Collonges, the Halle Fermire des Gariotes has formidable regional beer.

Swinging east, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne and, upriver, Argentat, recall a time when the Dordogne seethed with trade, flat-bottomed gabares taking wood, cheese and leather down to Bordeaux. Now the gabares take out those tourists not already out in canoes and kayaks and everyones as happy as the sunlit stone surroundings require. The greatest stonework? Stand before the extraordinary Last Judgement tympanum of Beaulieus Abbey Church of St Pierre and consider whether its worth continuing to sin. Then go for a drink on a riverside caf terrace, contemplate the river, the forested hills, the flowers and the folk having fun and stop worrying. Theres time yet for repentance.

Further north, the granite town of Meymac steep slate roofs, narrow streets round the abbey heralds the upland Plateau-de-Millevaches so its a surprise to find a gallery of contemporary art in a wing of the old abbey. Its been there 40 years, and re-opens this year on March 28, with a show of Dutch artists (cacmeymac.fr). Curving west, Treignac and Uzerche rise above the Vzre river. Returning Hundred Years War veterans would still find their way round the vaulted passageways, chapels, towers and fortification walls. Down below, the river meanders into gorges and the traveller arrives in Brive which, though the countys biggest town (pop 46,000) isnt its capital, which rankles locally.

Its a cracking place, with a country market town buzz and, out at the Stade Amede Domenech, first division rugby in the company of CA Brive-Corrze-Limousin. Presently managed by ex-Ireland international, Jeremy Davidson, theyre having a middling time this season, but Brive retains the rolling gait of a proper rugby town. Meanwhile, the Muse Edmond Michelet (centremichelet.brive.fr; free) covers the local French resistance, including Michelets own exploits. Later, youll eat well chez Nicolas Eche at En Cuisine (encuisine.net) or chez Christophe Forget at the Bistro C.Forget by the market.

The you might move up the River Corrze (which gave its name to the county) to Tulle, which though smaller than Brive (pop: 14,000), is county capital. It has also provided France with 50 per cent of its 21st-century presidents. For a place the size of Otley, thats good going. Jacques Chirac was Correzien by birth. Franois Hollande wasnt but, as a young man on the political rise in 1980s Paris, was sent by the Socialist Party to take on Chirac in his, Chiracs, fiefdom. Chirac initially called him Mitterrands Labrador. Over the years, though, Hollande became mayor of Tulle, county council leader and, by general agreement, a Correzien by adoption. He and Chirac ended up on warm terms.

For a start, they frequented the same restaurants. Jean Poumiers Le Central where both held court, though not simultaneously is now gone, as is M.Poumier himself. The Taverne du Sommelier, where both presidents also had their tables about six feet apart, survives and thrives (taverne-du-sommelier.fr). Both men prized conviviality. Hollande celebrated his election with duck pt, beef fillet and potato rissoles. In the Taverne, before illness incapacitated him, Chirac treated a 40th-birthday hen party to kisses all round. Belgians dining nearby were impressed. How clever of them to hire a Chirac lookalike for the occasion, they said.

Elsewhere, Tulle stretches along the river, overseen by hills, a 13th-century cathedral with exceptional cloisters and a medieval quartier which scurries between handsome townhouses. Youll not be long in town before learning that Tulle is the only place in France where they still manufacture accordions (the Nuits de Nacre accordion fest is June 25-28 this year; accordeon.org), used to produce arms and is twinned with Bury. A red telephone box underlines this enviable arrangement. It may take longer to hear that, on June 8, 1944, 99 Tulle men were hung from lamp-posts and balconies by the SS, in reprisal for Resistance activity. A further 149 were deported to Dachau. The memorial, on the former rubbish tip where the bodies were chucked, is on the Brive road out of town.

Back to happiness with a trip up the hill to Gimel-les-Cascades, a fine village whose three waterfalls tumble 500 feet in all, providing beauty and a good walk. Then drive on, but be careful. Not too long ago, Mme Bernadette Chiracs car was in collision, near here, with a deer. She was, thank heavens, unharmed. History doesnt recount what befell the deer. But, if this can happen to her, it can certainly happen to you.

If youre not knackered by nightfall, youre not trying. Corrze is a spot where theres a lot more outdoors than in, and several hundred ways of tackling it, mainly exhausting and often wet. Water is ubiquitous in the rivers and lakes (both natural and man-made), in waterfalls, wetlands, peatbogs and springs all over the place. Overspilling into the north of the county, the 1,300-square-mile Plateau-de-Millevaches has lots of cows but the name refers less to cattle, more to a thousand water sources. These are granite uplands, overseen by the 3,200-feet Mont Bessou (the highest round here), punctuated by the springs, doughty villages and broad-leafed woodland. Theres an extravagance of space on a Mongolian scale, and as much walking, cycling, climbing (in the nearby Mondires hills), hang-gliding and even, Ive heard, archery, as a God-given constitution can handle.

The Vzre and Dordogne rivers supply quite the loveliest of gorges as they flow south, out of the county. Between Treignac and Uzerche, the Vzre goes lively enough for white-water sports. Over east, on the Dordogne between Argentat and Beaulieu, the canoeing, bathing and stand-up paddling are terrific. As is the freshwater fishing throughout a region where, Im guessing, the trout probably assumed they were safe. To the south of Tulle, granite starts to give way to limestone causses, but the roads are no straighter nor the countryside much flatter. You hike, ride or drive up and down and round and round and out of time, and then stop to ask cattle for directions, for theres no-one else about. If you wish to back-pedal into the rest of your life, this is, in short, a fine place to start.

In 1969, Jacques and Bernadette Chirac bought the Chteau de Bity in the tiny village of Sarran (pop 275), north of Tulle. Its persistently claimed that the chteau had provided refuge for Trotsky in the 1930s, when he was on the run from Stalin. He was apparently hosted by a retired British secret services chap, the then chteau owner. Trotsky and Chirac successively in the same castle? Nice story, but untrue: Trotsky was, at the time in question, assigned to residence near Grenoble, before leaving for Norway. You need to know this for, when you pass through these parts, someone will undoubtedly recount this tale. Please stand no nonsense.

So, anyway, Sarran was the Chiracs base which is why it is home to the rather spiffing Jacques Chirac Museum (museepresidentjchirac.fr). On display are hundreds of the gifts Chirac received while president, from cowboy boots from Bill Clinton via a composition of nails and wood-pulp from Gerhard Schrder to native masks perhaps too numerous even for a devoted fan like Chirac. Its fascinating, theres a good little restaurant and its here that stage 12 of the Tour de France will end up on July 9.

Not far away, the ruins of Ventadour chteau, high above the river Luzge gorges, recall Bernart de Ventadour, maybe Frances greatest medieval troubadour. His hit songs of courtly love were favourites of Eleanor of Aquitaine. To the south, the medieval Towers of Merle overlook the Maronne river. There are seven of them, each one belonging to a different seigneur, for reasons too complex to go into. But it remains a hell of a collection to come across in the forested middle of nowhere.

Across the county, at Arnac-Pompadour in deep green countryside apparently shipped in from Ireland, we have the fortress-chteau which Louis XV gave to his mistress. This transformed Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson (or Miss Fish) into the Marquise de Pompadour. Later, the splendid pile became a branch of the French National Stud. It remains (also like Ireland) a hub of horse-driven activities racing through jumping, dressage and equine shows which climax in the Grande Semaine de Pompadour, from September 16-20 this year (pompadour.shf.eu).

To the south, at Varetz, another sulphurous lady, the novelist Colette, is celebrated in gardens dedicated to her memory and to places in which she lived. These included Corrze. She was here first as a young woman in 1911 when she was jolly popular, later in 1940 as war-time refugee, when she was not. Her haughtiness meant people were glad to see the back of her. Her reputation, as the queen of bi-sexuality and a woman who had had affairs with teenagers, certainly caused a stir among the country people. At any event, the gardens are lovely, and contain a great butterfly-shaped maze.

As regards natural landmarks, you need to see the extraordinary Bort organ pipes towering columns of rock, born of a lava flow. They line up over two kilometres. South of Brive, the Gouffre de la Fage is a vast chasm with all the expected cave rock formations, plus 14,000 bats Europes largest colony. It would be good to know how the counting was done.

This is south-west France, so the usual suspects show up on the plate. Foie gras, truffles, nuts, veal, beef lots and lots of Limousin beef lamb and pork, notably from local cul noir (black-bottomed) pigs. Tte-de-veau calf head is also common round here, was allegedly Chiracs favourite dish, but remains a bit squidgy for my taste. Better go with ham with truffles, or freshwater fish, which abound. As, around Beaulieu, do strawberries. Tons of them, all celebrated in the river ports Strawberry Fest on May 10 this year. Last years fest smashed all known strawberry records with an 100-foot-long strawberry cake.

This, the south of the region, is also where the Corrze keeps its vineyards. They arent extensive but the wines are worth seeking, notably those from Branceilles. You might also try the Vin Paill. Grapes are picked and dried (theoretically on straw, or paille) for two months, so the sugars are concentrated. Then they are pressed, fermented and aged, giving wines of a rich sweetness which go jolly well with foie gras.

In Brive, go for the Chteau de Lacan a four star in 17th-century surroundings with lovely grounds (hotelchateaulacan.fr; doubles from 83). North of Tulle, try the Mercure La Seniorie in the village which, like the river and county itself, is called Corrze. Its manor-house stately, with lovely terrace and grounds, a decent restaurant and just beyond, the comely little village. Or try rental accommodation, with tourismecorreze.com/en/rental_properties.html or gites-de-france.com.

Ryanair (ryanair.com) has Wednesday and Saturday flights to Brive from Stansted, from April 1 to October 24, 2020. Or rail it St Pancras to Brive, via Paris, takes around 8h30, with fares from around 158 return (https://en.oui.sncf/en).

Follow this link:
The French region with dramatic landscapes and beautiful villages but hardly any tourists - Telegraph.co.uk

Want to get a jump-start on upcoming deals? Meet the major Houston players at one of our upcoming events!

If you ask the most powerful women in commercial real estate if they ever imagined they would work in such an industry,most say not in their wildest dreams. We know, we asked. Honorees at Bisnows Inaugural Houston Power Women event may not have planned to end up working in real estate, butthey have helped evolve an old school industry into one that is attracting new talent from every walk of life.

Bisnow/Catie Dixon

Transwestern Executive Managing Director Jan Sparks, JLL Senior Managing Director Susan Hill, city of Houston Deputy Director of Economic Development Gwen Tillotson, The Richland Cos. CEO Edna Meyer-Nelson, Veritex Bank Senior Vice President Rhonda Sands, Laughlin Consulting Group CEO Elke Laughlin

It boils down to building a team of individuals that are culturally different in race, gender and age, JLL Senior Managing Director Susan Hill said. Real estate is no longer owned by a high net worth private family. Commercial real estate looks different; your team needs to look different.

That diversity can lead to business success. Commercial Real Estate Womens recent white paper backs up what women in Houston are seeing locally. Companies in the top 25% for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have returns above industry median,according to CREW. Women now occupy 43% of commercial real estate positions industry-wide.

Diversity is more than race or gender, its ideas, its background. You need a team with different ideas and different ways of communicating to make sure youre getting the best from everybody, Veritex BankSenior Vice President Rhonda Sands said.

Bisnow/Catie Dixon

Bisnow Houston Power Women: The Richland Cos.' Edna Meyer-Nelson and JLL's Susan Hill surrounded by the Richland Cos. team Nancy Baugher, Jody Merritt, Clay Steadman, Josephine Duncan, Angie Steadman, Jennifer Theriot and Raven Burleson

In design, financing, investment, construction, management and research, women are making progress as firms continue to diversify, but with that progress comes a new set of challenges.

From the citys perspective, the definition of diversity has evolved, city of Houston Deputy Director of Economic Development Gwen Tillotson said. It used to mean different representations. I think its really important to add inclusion. Everyone needs to feel like they belong. Its one thing to have people who look and sound different, but they have to feel like what they say and do is meaningful.

Bisnow/Catie Dixon

City of Houston Deputy Director of Economic Development Gwen Tillotson, The Richland Cos. CEO Edna Meyer-Nelson, Veritex Bank Senior Vice President Rhonda Sands

Inclusion means taking steps beyond merely talking about diversity into using leadership roles to enact change.

Diversity has to be enacted from the top level, so that people know its not just words and a mission statement, Tillotson said. Its important to talk about these things, but its more important to enact them.

One way each honoree is acting onher commitment to diversity and inclusion is byactively promoting mentorship and serving as mentors themselves. None of the panelists expected to end up in commercial real estate, but with the help of a mentor, each has created a space forherself andher firm.

We all love to expound on our knowledge, give us a call! The Richland Cos. CEO Edna Meyer-Nelson said.

Bisnow/Catie Dixon

Networking at Bisnow's Inaugural Houston Power Women event

Hill said JLL has a robust mentorship and training program, including leadership councils, womens summits, diversity training and advocacy programs. Tranwestern operates a formal national mentorship program of its own, according to Transwestern Executive Managing Director Jan Sparks. Meyer-Nelson takes a more personal approach, hiring an intern from the University of Houstons Bauer School of Real Estate each year.

The avenues for preparing a commercial real estate career these days are so advanced, Sparks said.

Today, for the most part women are playing on the same field as men in Houstons commercial real estate sector. Many women and some ofBisnow's honorees are outearning their male counterparts.As heavy-hitters and C-suite executives, Houstons power women have not only changed the landscape of one of the most male-dominated industries, they are leaving a lasting legacy for the next generation.

Bisnow/Catie Dixon

Bisnow's 2019 Houston Power Women

Congratulations to Bisnow's 2019 Houston Power Women:

Lori Alford, Avanti Senior LivingLaurie Baker, Camden Property TrustLaura Bellows, W.S. Bellows ConstructionLori Bryant, CBREStephanie Burritt, GenslerLynn Davis, Fidelis RealtyDiana Davis, Perkins & WillLilly Golden, Evergreen Commercial RealtySusan Hill, JLLLispah Hogan, Newmark Knight FrankKellie Jenks, TRC Capital PartnersEdna Meyer-Nelson, The Richland Cos.Diane Osan, CannonDesignJane Page, Lionstone InvestmentsSusan Pohl, BarvinLisa Pope Westerman, LUCIDSue Rogers, CRESALauren Rottet, Rottet StudioRhonda Sands, Veritex BankConnie Simmons Taylor, Baker BottsJan Sparks, TranswesternGwen Tillotson, city of HoustonPatricia Will, Belmont Village Senior LivingChrissy Wilson, JLLMichelle Wogan, Transwestern

See the rest here:
How Houston's Power Women Use Diversity And Mentorship To Change The Real Estate Landscape - Bisnow

A marker commemorating the historic neighborhood of Navy Hill. Located on the corner of Fourth and Jackson, the marker was erected in 2010. It notes notable residents of Navy Hill and mentions that Navy Hill was destroyed with the construction of Interstate 95 in the 1960s. Photo by Jimmy O'Keefe.

RICHMOND, Va. Before it was the name of a downtown development plan, Navy Hill was the neighborhood Faithe Norrell called home.

I just remember it as a really warm community, where everyone wanted to know your accomplishments, said Norrell, a retired educator who worked with Richmond Public Schools for 28 years. A very nurturing community.

Situated north of Broad Street between Third and 13th streets, Navy Hill got its name after plans were made to erect a memorial in the area for those who fought in the War of 1812, which was primarily a naval war. At first, Navy Hill was largely populated by German immigrants, but by the turn of the 20th century, it was one of Richmonds most prominent black neighborhoods, along with nearby Jackson Ward and Carver.

Norrell remembers Navy Hill as a neighborhood with a strong sense of community and equality. She recalls going for walks every morning with her auntie and stopping by to see friends.

There were professional people living there and people that were housekeepers, like my sisters it was a financially diverse group of people, but everybody was treated equally, Norrell continued. You were as respectful to a custodian as you were to the doctor. You were raised to do that.

Many of those who owned businesses in Jackson Ward would return home to Navy Hill at night. In fact, Navy Hill was significant in that many leaders of Richmonds black community made their homes in the neighborhood.

Maggie Walker, the first black woman to charter a bank in the U.S., lived in Navy Hill before she relocated to Jackson Ward.

In the era of Jim Crow, Walker helped to foster entrepreneurship in Richmonds black community.

Bill Bojangles Robinson, famous for tap dancing alongside Shirley Temple in four 1930s films, had a home in Navy Hill. A Bojangles statue perches at a busy intersection in nearby Jackson Ward where he is credited with putting up the funds to install a stoplight.

Bill Bojangles Robinson, an actor and tap dancer famous for dancing alongside Shirley Temple in the 1930s, called Navy Hill home. Navy Hill was also home to other notable residents, including Maggie Lena Walker, the first black woman to charter a bank and serve as bank president in the United States. Photo by Jimmy OKeefe.

Norrells grandfather, Albert V. Norrell, was a longtime resident of Navy Hill. His Navy Hill home was located at 1015 N. Seventh St., where her aunts also lived.

Originally born enslaved, Albert V. Norrell taught in Richmond for 66 years, including at Navy Hill School, which for many years was the only school in Richmond with black faculty. A school in Richmonds Northside was renamed Albert V. Norrell School.

One of his direct descendants taught in Richmond Public Schools until I retired in 2017, Faithe Norrell said. For 133 years, he had a direct descendant teaching or administrating in Richmond we say it was our family business.

Though Faithe Norrell left Navy Hill in 1951, her connections to the neighborhood were strong throughout the 1950s and 1960s. She would visit with her aunts, who babysat her.

I just remembered the joy of being there, Faithe Norrell said. My family actually owned about four houses on that street, so we would just go from house to house.

A walk through Navy Hill today reveals a different neighborhood than the one Norrell remembers. In the remaining part of Navy Hill where homes, churches and an elementary school once stood, Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Medical Center and Reynolds Community College campuses now dominate the landscape.

The Richmond Coliseum which was closed in 2018 and the historic Blues Armory stand unused. 1015 N. Seventh St. has been replaced with a small parking lot.

Now defunct, the Blues Armory once housed the Richmond Light Infantry Blues. With the Navy Hill Development Project, the Blues Armory will house a market and a live music venue. Photo by Jimmy OKeefe.

Individual citizens must be inconvenienced for the good of the community.

Construction of Interstates 64 and 95 destroyed Navy Hill in the 1950s and 1960s. An article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch from Aug. 2, 1955, detailed how the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike now a portion of I-95 would help people outside of Richmond make it into the city faster, and those living in the city would benefit from reduced traffic.

But the story also noted that those living in the path of the road would be displaced.

Unfortunately, the demolition of scores of dwellings and business places will create difficult problems for some of the persons involved, the article read. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, when individual citizens must be inconvenienced for the good of the community.

Another Richmond Times-Dispatch article later that month reported 726 buildings, 526 of which were homes, were to be torn down to make way for the interstate.

An October 29 article noted that about 1,000 families in the Navy Hill area would be displaced by the construction of the interstate.

Navy Hill School was demolished in the 1960s.

Because of gradual disappearance of residences in the section, what with the highway construction, there appears to be no other reason for the erection of another school, an article appearing in the September 14, 1965, edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The next week, another story noted that Navy Hill School would be demolished to make way for an interchange of Interstate Rt. 64.

In 1966, Norrells family was displaced from Navy Hill.

She said her family was so rooted in the community that many of them died within a year or two after being forced to move to another part of the city.

You cant kill a whole segment of peoples culture, she said. Im sure when youre planning things you can find a different route or a different way to build without having to destroy a neighborhood.

Development on the horizon

In November 2018, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney proposed a $1.5 billion project to redevelop the Navy Hill neighborhood. A new hotel, a GRTC transit center, and a $325 million, 17,500-seat arena to replace the Coliseum are all part of the Navy Hill Development Project.

According to the Navy Hill website, no taxes will be raised to fund the project. Private investors will pay for the development.

The city will borrow money to pay for an arena to replace the Coliseum, and tax increment financing, called a TIF, will be used to pay back the loans. The city has created an 80-block TIF district where incoming tax revenue would be frozen at current levels and any additional tax revenue go toward paying back the arena loan.

Jim Nolan, press secretary to Mayor Stoney, said in a statement to Capital News Service that the Navy Hill Development Project will rejuvenate the downtown neighborhood while also bringing in a projected $1 billion in surplus revenue that will go toward funding schools, housing, and infrastructure.

We believe the project will greatly benefit the city because it will create thousands of jobs, build hundreds of units of affordable housing and a new transit center, include a goal of $300 million in minority business participation, and produce a new publicly-owned arena to replace the 1970s era Richmond Coliseum, once a public asset, now a public liability, Nolan stated.

Plans to redevelop Navy Hill have been controversial.

Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder wrote on Facebook last month: when I now read of the rehabilitation of Navy Hill, I ask how can you rehabilitate that which has been destroyed?

Justin Griffin, an attorney in Richmond with a background in accounting and economics, said he started the website NoColiseum.com to bring attention to problems he saw with the proposed development.

Its pretty obvious from reading these financial projections theyre just absurd and overstated, Griffin said. If we were having an honest conversation, I think we would have a vast majority say, No, you cant afford that right now, we should put our focus and our money into schools and roads and the other city services that need to be caught up on here in Richmond.

At least two members of the Richmond City Council Kim Gray, 2nd District, and Reva Trammell, 8th District have voiced clear opposition to the project. Councilmember Stephanie Lynch, who won a special election in November to replace Parker Agelasto in the 5th District, said previously that she doesnt support the project in its current form.

Griffin said the new arena and the Navy Hill Development Project are technically two separate projects, but are inextricably linked.

They will not consider anything without an arena. Its the arena which taxpayers are going to pay for, that is going to drive people and dollars into the private developments, Griffin said. The people are going to own the thing that is most likely a liability.

Griffin said that projects like this do not typically work, citing the Kansas City Power and Light District in Kansas City, Missouri.

If you actually look into the Power and Light District, it might appear successful, Griffin said, noting that people do visit the district. But from a standpoint that it actually makes a profit for the city and has benefited the people of Kansas City, it has not.

City financial advisors Davenport and Company state that TIFs have been used across Virginia, including for development of Short Pump Town Center in Henrico County and Stone Bridge in Chesterfield County, a new development in the former Cloverleaf Mall. They say the funding approach has been used several thousand times, which underscores the relative success of this structure.

As part of the arrangement with the city, NH District Corp. developers said the project will include 480 affordable housing units, with projected rents ranging from $1,001 for a studio apartment to $1,717 for a two-bedroom apartment in 2023.

Stoney has called the project the largest economic empowerment project in our history.

Meanwhile, Norrell said she would like to see Navy Hill become a neighborhood again. She also said shed like to see any revenue that comes from a redeveloped Navy Hill be earmarked to improve public schools.

So many people are being displaced in Jackson Ward because of gentrification itd be very rewarding for me to be able to see people move back into Navy Hill and make it a community again, because thats what it was a community of friends and neighbors.

By Jimmy OKeefe with Capital News Service

More:
What happened to Richmonds thriving black community of Navy Hill - WTVR CBS 6 News

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The latest crop of phones like the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, OnePlus 7 Pro or Google Pixel 4 have cameras on board that can snag the sort of beautiful photographs you'd normally expect to see coming from pricey DSLRs. I've already put the iPhone 11 Pro to the test on a road trip around Scotland and was amazed by the results I could get.

In this guide, I'm going to take you through how to take landscape photos with your phone, whether you're heading into the rural countryside or deep into the heart of the mountains. While some of the tips apply to recent handsets with multiple lens options, many are relevant whether your phone is three months or three years old, Apple or Android.

Some shots require some additional hardware; getting a slow shutter shot of a waterfall, for example, required Lee Filters neutral density filters, Moment lenses and a stabilising tripod. You can see the finished picture from the phone a little lower down this article.

While of course you can take great landscape photos with just your phone, there are some extra bits of kit that could help you snag something really special.

Clip-on phone lensesIf your phone doesn't have a built-in wide-angle mode (as you'll find on the iPhone 11 ($699 at Apple) series or Galaxy S10 Plus), you should take a look at Moment's range of clip-on phone lenses, available for all recent iPhones, Galaxy phones, Pixels and OnePlus phones. They're made from high-quality glass, and the wide-angle lens lets you capture an amazing, sweeping vista in a way that's simply not possible with the standard view on your camera.

Filter adapters for your phoneMoment also makes filter adapters for screw-in 62mm filters, such as polarizers, which can help reduce reflections on water or boost the blues in the sky. Filter adapters also let you use professional-quality square Lee Filters, which slide into a holder connected to the adapter via a 62mm adapter ring. They're something I normally use on my Canon 5D Mk4 and can make all the difference in turning an image from a simple snap into a professional-looking work of art. Of particular importance are the graduated neutral density filters, which selectively darken only the top half of the image -- making it perfect for bringing those bright skies under control when you're shooting wide landscapes.

By using a Lee Filters graduated neutral density filter, I was able to darken the sky, emphasising the moody drama of the storm clouds.

Portable phone chargerA portable phone charger is also a great idea if you're going out hiking into the wilderness and plan on shooting all day. I use the Anker PowerCore 20,100, which has enough juice to recharge my phone several times over -- perfect for a weekend in the hills when power points may be scarce.

Outdoor wearFinally, don't underestimate the importance of correct clothing. If you're hiking into the hills for your photographs, sturdy boots are essential to avoid a twisted ankle as you clamber over loose ground. I use the North Face Hedgehog Trek boots (now updated to the Hedgehog FastPack boots), which are sturdy enough to tackle any of the UK's hills and also have the benefit of being waterproof, meaning I don't return home with soaking wet, freezing cold feet. Speaking of which, a good waterproof coat is a must if you want to keep the elements at bay, and a lightweight, packable midlayer -- like the Arc'Teryx Cerium SL down jacket -- is great to keep stuffed in your bag in case the temperature starts to drop.

Your phone is probably capable of taking a cracking landscape photo in its default auto mode, but let's take things a bit further.

If your phone has a "pro" mode that gives you manual control of settings, switch into that. If it doesn't, apps like Moment, Lightroom or MuseCam let you take control of settings like ISO, shutter speed and white balance.

By using the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus's Pro mode, I was able to select a slow shutter speed, blurring the motion of the water as it cascades over the rocks.

Crucially, these apps also let you shoot in raw format. Raw images don't save many of the automatic camera settings that your phone would normally apply to a jpeg image, such as white balance or sharpening. The result is an image that lets you change the white balance, alter colour tones and rescue detail from the highlights and shadows much more easily -- and with less image degradation -- than you can do from a simple JPEG. I'll come back to this more in the editing section below.

In landscapes, altering white balance is often crucial. Being able to tone down some of the highlights from a bright sky or bring up the shadows in the foreground is important, and being able to alter your white balance after you've taken the shot gives you much more flexibility in your editing (particularly those occasions when you want to warm up the tones in a beautiful sunset, for example).

The downside to shooting in raw is that your images will need some work in an editing app like Lightroom or Snapseed before you can share them. Photographing landscapes is often a slower, more methodical process, and spending time in editing is all part of the experience of crafting a beautiful image.

Time of day is everything in landscape photography. By finding my location earlier in the afternoon, I was able to capture this great sunset shot when the time came.

Time of day is everything in landscape photography, because the lighting changes completely as the sun passes overhead. The best time of day for really dramatic light is either at sunrise or at sunset. The sun is low in the sky both times of day, resulting in directional light and long shadows cast over the scene.

Midday is typically the worst time to shoot, as the overhead light doesn't create much in the way of shadow detail, resulting in scenes that can look flat and lifeless.

If you have a particular location in mind, it's worth setting your alarm and getting out early to see what you can capture during the sunrise. If time allows, try and return to shoot the same scene at different times of day to see when it looks best.

Weather plays a huge part in any outdoor photography, but none more so than with landscapes. Different weather conditions will transform your scene, completely altering its mood, lighting and colours. But don't think that bad weather means bad photos.

The rain clouds overhead add a real sense of drama to this scene.

Personally, I love the foreboding, moody atmosphere of a landscape with dark storm clouds billowing above. It's often the light that comes after a storm that can look particularly dramatic. So while the hike to your chosen location might be a miserable slog in pouring rain, keep your spirits up by imagining the beautiful photo you might get at the end.

The worst weather for landscapes is that plain, miserable grey sky where there's no texture to the clouds, no interesting light on the land and no contrast to the scene in front of you.

Keep an eye on your favourite weather app and make the decision based on what's predicted. As long as you've packed the right clothing, then you can brave the worst of the weather, and if it gets too bad then navigate Google Maps to the nearest pub to sit it out with a good drink.

If your phone has a wide-angle mode then now's the time to give it a try. And as mentioned before, if you don't have a wide mode on your phone as standard, you can use additional lenses to get the same effect.

I used the Galaxy S10 Plus's super wide angle lens to capture as much of this scene as possible, but I made sure to use this millstone as foreground interest.

Super-wide landscapes can be particularly dramatic, as they capture so much of a scene in a single image. Mountain tops that would otherwise be out of frame are suddenly captured in all their majesty, while beautiful rivers can now been seen in their entirety, snaking their way into a scene.

But once you've had the excitement of seeing the scene in full, try using the telephoto zoom lenses on your phone to focus in on some of the details within it. Look out for interesting rock formations, patterns in the landscapes or unusual shapes in the scene all things that can suddenly stand out when you zoom in and crop out other distracting elements.

It's easy to think that just using as wide an angle as possible is a guarantee of a cool landscape photo, but that's not the case. In fact, to get the best out of your wide shots you need to think about composition even more.

Foreground interestLook for foreground interest in your scenes. Tree stumps, moss-covered rocks, even some pretty wildflowers can all be used to draw the viewer's eye into a scene. When you're at the top of the hill taking your shot, spend a couple of minutes having a look around for something you can place in your shot to help bring the scene together.

The road is an obvious leading line here, drawing your eye into the image.

Leading linesLeading lines are also great elements to look for for a brilliant landscape composition. Keep your eye out for pathways, nice walls or other long elements that wind their way further into the scene -- it's exactly that winding perspective that allows your viewer's eye to follow along that line and into your image.

Straight horizonsIf your phone shows grid lines or a leveling tool on the screen, use that to make sure your horizon line is straight. Then double-check you're not accidentally chopping the top off your subject, be it a mountain, a building or some trees. Remember, you can do a lot to improve a mediocre image with editing, but you can't do anything to rescue bad composition.

Your image isn't finished once you've hit that shutter button; a few tweaks in an editing app is all it can take to transform a simple snap into a beautiful piece of art.

My favorite editing app is Adobe Lightroom Mobile, but I also get great results from Google's Snapseed, which you can get for free on Android and iOS. I tend to start with tweaking the white balance so the colours look accurate -- or to give a warmth boost to a beautiful sunset. It's here that shooting in raw becomes particularly beneficial.

Taken on the Galaxy S10 Plus, this shot of Solomon's Temple in Buxton, England is a fine snap, but it's uninspiring and the rusted drainpipe on the outside of the tower doesn't look good.

But with some work in Lightroom to adjust the colour balance, darken the sky and foreground and remove the drainpipe, the image has a lot more impact.

I'll tweak the exposure levels, particularly the highlights and shadows in order to bring a bright sky a bit more under control or to boost shadows in the foreground. A bit of additional contrast can help add some punch to the scene as well.

My advice is to make a coffee, sit back and play with the sliders in your chosen app to your heart's content. Try out the different filters, experiment with layering different effects on top of each other by saving and re-importing your image. Remember that there's no right or wrong way to edit an image, so enjoy the fun in playing around -- you can always go back to the original image if you don't like what you've come out with.

Hopefully this gives you some good inspiration to get out there and get shooting. If you're looking for more tips on taking great photos with your phone, check out our macro guide, our guide on how to snag great photos of cars with your phone or get inspiration from our supercar tour of Scotland, shot entirely on the iPhone 11 Pro.

Originally published last month.

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7 landscape photo tips if all you have is an iPhone (or Pixel 4, Galaxy S10 Plus...) - CNET

It's an under-acknowledged fact that American democracy borrowed heavily from the Haundenosaunee's system of government, and that while Haundenosaunee women lived as equals with the men, the US didn't adopt that part of it. When American women began organizing to gain equal rights, Haudenosaunee women provided inspiration and guidance. This week International Coalition of Sites of Conscience will present two events that aim to celebrate the impact of Haudenosaunee women in the landscape of Western New York. A free panel discussion on Thursday, December 12, at 7 p.m. will feature four women scholars, artists, and activists who will consider the absence of Haudenosaunee women in memorials and museums. And on Friday, December 13, a workshop on the same theme will be presented by the coalition's program director, Linda Norris, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Norris will discuss how museums, historical societies, and communities can deepen understanding of Haudenosaunee culture through exhibitions, programs, and public spaces.

Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan, 7000 County Road 41 (Boughton Hill Road), Victor. The discussion on Thursday night is free, and tickets to Friday's workshop are $30 and lunch is included. Register at sitesofconscience.org.

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LECTURE | 'Rethinking the Landscape: Haudenosaunee Women' - Rochester City Newspaper

Each summer, millions of travelers barrel up and down U.S. Highway 101 to marvel at the plunging cliffs that bedeck the Oregon Coast, maxing out the capacity of nearly every campground, motel, and hotel between Brookings and Astoria. Then, as if Labor Day portended some kind of poison fog that might settle across the entire landscape, most of these fair-weather tourists abruptly vanish. The roads clear up, the lodges empty out, and the coast grows blissfully quiet again.

People who live on the Oregon Coast yearn for summers end, because they know its when the winds die down and the colors change; true coasties look forward to winter, too, because its when magnificent storms hit, and books and fireplaces beckon, respite from a steady drumbeat of rain. The hospitality business has historically seen a steep dropoff in off-season visitors, which is why hoteliers with any real ambition have simply avoided building on the coast altogether; there just isnt enough year-round business to make the industry viable. For year-round travelers, that has meant a dearth of boutique or luxury or even interesting options in places to stay and eat.

Finally, this is all beginning to change.

Nibbling at the edges of the strong brand of Oregons largest cityPortlandtourism operators are beginning to tell the story of the 365-day bounty that lies on Oregons shores: hikes and sportfishing trips; winters tucked into blankets and views of magnificent waves blasting rocky headlands; spring kayaking trips along placid waterways lined with blooming azaleas and rhododendrons. As more and more people hear this story and begin to believe it, hotels and restaurateurs are finding the coast a newly smart place to invest.

STAY

The most interesting developments in the travel business on the Oregon Coast are places to sleep. From north to south, highlights include the Cannery Pier Hotel and Spa, which sits on a century-old wharf that once held up the historic Union Fisherman's Cooperative Packing Co., the Astoria fisherman communitys response to price disputes with big cannery owners. The hotel offers sweeping views of the Astoria-Megler Bridge that flies across the Columbia River, rooms with real fireplaces, and, as a nod to Astorias Finnish heritage, an authentic Finnish sauna in the basement.

In nearby Gearhart is a resort from Oregons legendary McMenamins, a hospitality brand known for clever refurbishments of old buildings into hotels, bars, and restaurants throughout the Pacific Northwest. McMenamins Gearhart Hotels main feature is its adjacency to the 18-hole Gearhart Golf Links, but its subterranean Pot Bunker Bar is a fine place to hide out from a cloudburst with a burger and a pint.

In Cannon Beach, the best option is arguably Hallmark Resort and Spa, situated on the beach right smack next to the iconic Haystack Rock. On the road from Portland to the coast is a worthwhile stop at North Fork 53, a few miles inland and a respite from Pacific gusts. The North Coasts best new offering is arguably Pacific City Headlands, a smartly designed hotel overlooking Cape Kiwanda. For history buffs, its the Inn at Arch Cape, which was converted from the former townships post office into a cozy set of rooms with a cabin-like vibe; or the Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, a magical place that is said to sometimes be frequented by a friendly ghost. Between those two is Salishan Resort, a pioneer of luxury accommodations on the Oregon Coast since 1965, with rustic but modern rooms tucked into the woods and just up the hill from a magnificent spa. Coastal hotels are newly worth the trip.

PLAY

Year-round activity has always been the coasts best amenity, be it reading a book by the fireplace or strolling the beach (in a warm jacket, most of the year). For hikers, the epic treks at Saddle Mountain and Neahkahnie Mountain offer strenuous ascents and dramatic ocean views. Other comely spots include the Cape Perpetua National Scenic Area, the highest drivable point on the coast; the Devils Churn, where waves careen off the walls of an ancient cavern and burst into the sky, often drenching visitors whove gotten too close. On windy days, explore the nearest brackish water by kayak, where temperatures are warmer than on the beach and where wildlife from blue herons to bald eagles abounds.

EXPLORE

On a first trip, tourists often gravitate to unspoilt beaches, pristine and accessible thanks to 1950s-era laws that designated the entire coastline as public. When beachwalking gets boring, try hauling in your own catch of the day, either by renting crab traps from a local shop or heading out on a charter fishing boat. For an escape into one of the states best-preserved old growth forests, load a backpacking pack and spend a night or two exploring the Drift Creek Wilderness Area, a peaceful and lightly traveled glen with towering Sitka Spruce around every bend.

These are all fine activities in both winter and spring, though its wise to watch forecasts and dart out during the breaks between torrential downpours. Much of the coast is underlaid with sand, so that water drains quickly and even an hour-long sun break makes trails and beaches traversable again.

For winter-specific fun, the coasts best attribute is those powerful storms, which at multiple capes and coves send surf blasting against ancient volcanic rock and shooting into the sky. Late fall and winter are also excellent charter fishing seasons.

EAT

Thanks to a steady drumbeat of tourist traffic, traps like Mos Seafood and its mediocre clam chowder remain afloat, while independent restaurateurs pray theyll survive long, dark winters. The best ones are having an easier time of it, rightfully so, because they feature creative twists on some of the freshest seafood in the country.

In Astoria, a highlight is the waterfront Bridgewater Bistro, a short walk from the Cannery Pier hotel. Owners Tony and Ann Kischner imagined the place back when it was a neglected boat yard and refurbished it into the now seafood and wine destination eatery. Further south, Cannon Beach Hardware and Public Housefondly known as Screw and Brewis the first hardware store in Oregon (or maybe anywhere?) to serve beer and wine. Plus, its clam chowder is excellent.

In the tiny town of Wheeler is a new restaurant and bar on the banks of Nehalem Bay, the Salmonberry Saloon, where everything from cocktails to entrees are excellent. For breakfast, Fork in Manzanita shouldnt be skipped. On the central coast, the best options are Local Ocean Seafoods in Newport and two grand choices In Yachats: Ona, owned by the proprietors of the Heceta Lighthouse B&B; and the Green Salmon Coffee Company, a coffee shop and bakery just up the road.

DRINK

Screw and Brew in Cannon Beach offers a fine collection of local beers; the Salmonberry Saloon features shockingly refined cocktails and a wraparound porch to enjoy the bay views. McMenamins Gearhart is always a fun place for a drink by the fire.

The author was a guest of Cannery Pier Hotel and Spa and Headlands Coastal Lodge and Spa.

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Great Escapes: The Four-Season Appeal of Oregons Breathtaking Coast - Barron's

Its the latest in a series of waterfront parks that have opened in the Seaport District in recent years as major development has rolled through the neighborhood. And it again raises the question of how to make these truly public spaces, not just front yards for the residents of the expensive condominiums next door.

Its a pier that has never been open before, said Jessica Hughes, managing director of Tishmans Boston office, unless you were eating popovers at Anthonys.

When Tishman bought the pier from another developer in 2014, a year after Anthonys was closed, and began pushing ahead with plans to build on it, the company knew that state environmental law known as Chapter 91 would require devoting half of the site to publicly accessible open space. Thats true for nearly all waterfront development in Boston, part of an effort to improve public access to the harbor. But so far, the result has been a mishmash of parks, piers, and plazas that critics say feel unwelcoming, and often add up to less than the sum of their parts.

Thats the larger problem down there, said Deanna Moran, director of environmental planning at the Conservation Law Foundation, which has challenged several waterfront projects and zoning plans over public access. Developers see Chapter 91 as an obligation, instead of an opportunity. They just fit it to meet their predeveloped plan.

But at Pier 4, Hughes said, Tishman is attempting to do better.

The company reshaped the two buildings that had been approved for the site, making the street-level open space flow more smoothly from the Institute of Contemporary Art next door. They rebuilt the piers sea wall and raised the site by two feet to better withstand storms and rising seas. And it hired landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand to design the park with an eye to drawing people from Seaport Boulevard and Northern Avenue, several blocks off the harbor.

The result is a stretch of boardwalk along the edges of the fingerlike pier, and a swoop of grass on the harbor side. There are stretches that extend out over the water, and down stairs to the harbor itself. At high tide, the bottom steps are submerged.

This is one of the few places in the city where you can actually dip your toes in the water, Hughes said.

On a cloudy, cold morning last week, the park was mostly empty. The dull roar of planes taking off at Logan Airport was punctuated by occasional car horns from Seaport Boulevard and the sound of water lapping against the pier.

The intention was to create a space apart from the bustle of the city, said Eric Kramer, a Reed Hilderbrand principal who helped design the project, and also to make people feel welcome. There are benches and mounted binoculars at a childs height for taking in the views. And unlike some nearby piers, there are no signs stipulating what you cant do there like skateboard, or let your dog on the grass.

Theyve done a really nice job of drawing you out there in terms of design and landscaping, said Alice Brown, director of planning at Boston Harbor Now, which advocates for waterfront access. And they put enough space out there that says, yeah, its worth it to come all the way to the end. Thats something developers of long piers have struggled with.

Still, Moran said, there is room for improvement. There are no signs indicating that this is, in fact, a public park and part of the Harborwalk, a series of public paths and boardwalks ringing the harbor. The benches some made of reclaimed hunks of sea wall are so subtle that a passerby might not even recognize them as a place to sit. And theres little actual grass, she noted, just a modest patch that slopes at a gentle angle.

Kids are not going to want to play at this park. Youre not going to get families, she said. It attracts a certain kind of person, which is what the Seaport has gotten a bad name for.

Hughes believes otherwise. Even during the brief period of pleasant weather this fall, the park drew a wide range of visitors, she said, including families from nearby buildings. The condo buildings first retail tenant the farm-to-table Woods Hill restaurant opened before Thanksgiving, and its aiming to fill ground-floor retail space with tenants that will appeal to a mix of visitors, giving people more reasons to venture beyond the Seaport Districts main thoroughfares and out to the waters edge.

I think people will use the heck out of this park, Hughes said. We want them to make a day of it here.

Kind of like they did at Anthonys in the old days.

Tim Logan can be reached at tim.logan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bytimlogan.

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Trying to dish up a friendlier waterfront park - The Boston Globe

And there are many amateur hackers up and down the country who will empathise with that quote. Maybe attending football matches sometimes spoils a good walk, too.

It was a thought that came to mind when travelling to Brighton & Hove Albions Amex Stadium last Sunday, via the scenic route from Brighton city centre.

A journey to the home of the Seagulls has to be done via Woodingdean before heading across the South Downs. This way the view of the rolling landscape can be truly appreciated before the stadium finally reveals itself over the brow of a hill.

Many Brighton fans park up on the coastal side of the Downs and walk across the hills to the stadium this way. It makes for a fantastic stroll to a football ground.

Attending a match is about so much more than just the hour and a half of football, although as it happened neither set of Wolves or Brighton supporters had their journey spoiled by the action that followed.

The walk to a football ground is, for many, a big part of the day. And there are some great ways to experience this depending on who you support and where you watch your football.

Most Premier League grounds have an urban setting. A personal view is that the city centre locations are the best. Football clubs are a central part of their communities so the stadium location should ideally reflect this. A trip to St James Park by train gives the supporters the opportunity to walk through the city of Newcastle from the station, before arriving at the football ground high up on the hill that leads towards Town Moor. The route is lined with pubs and the sense of occasion builds with each step towards the stadium.

Many new grounds are out of town locations, but there can still be an enjoyable journey to discover them.

When Stoke City moved from the magnificent Victoria Ground they lost a part of their soul. The out-of-town Britannia Stadium became home in 1997 and the loss of the famous Boothen End was particularly mourned.

But the journey to the new ground from the city centre is a fascinating one owing to its proximity to the Trent & Mersey Canal. It is one of two canals running through Stoke. From the railway station there is a great half-hour walk to be had along the Trent & Mersey to the stadium, taking in many of the now-derelict Potteries, which give a real sense of the industry this place was once famous for.

Staying in the Championship, another ground making the most of its waterside location is Craven Cottage. The walk to Fulhams ground from Putney Bridge tube station across Bishops Park alongside the north bank of the Thames is always worth undertaking.

An ambitious redevelopment of the Riverside Stand is under way at the moment and it will be interesting to see how it affects the view of the ground from the river. On the opposite side of the ground is the Grade II listed Stevenage Road Stand, which has changed very little since its construction more than 100 years ago.

Several miles down the Thames on the east side of London, and south of the river is The Den. The walk from South Bermondsey station could not be more contrasting to the leafy stroll to Fulhams ground.

Millwalls ground is surrounded by an incinerator, a couple of garages and a railway line. But there is something unique about this grey and metal environment that makes a trip to The Den memorable.

There are many routes in and out of Londons stadiums. West Ham United fans may disagree, but their move away from Upton Park has at least given visiting fans a more worthwhile matchday walk.

The London Stadium can be accessed via the Olympic Park coming from Stratfords Westfield development, or via the canal route from Victoria Park, Hackney and Clapton on the other side of the stadium.

One route highlights the redevelopment and commercial expansion of the area, the other shows a side a more bohemian regeneration of former warehouses and canal buildings.

Perhaps the most ambitious walk to a football stadium on these shores involves the highest mountain in Britain. It is possible to walk from the summit of Ben Nevis to Claggan Park, home of the Scottish Highland League club Fort William, in about three-and-a-half hours.

The six-mile route also benefits from being entirely downhill, although that perhaps ignores the minor detail of travelling to the summit of Ben Nevis in the first place to begin the journey, but lets not worry about such trivial inconveniences.

Once at Claggan Park, spectators can marvel at some of the best scenery these isles have to offer if the football becomes a hard watch. Fort William have won only one league match in the past two and a half years, so it is good to know there is a nice view to fall back on.

When supporters head to their home ground, wherever that may be, there is always a feeling of pilgrimage while making that journey.

In truth, there is no such thing as a bad walk to a football ground if it is your football ground. Be it the South Downs or South Bermondsey, this is the landscape of the club you love.

Whether it be with family, mates or alone, the walk to the stadium is one of anticipation, apprehension and hope. Even the most mundane fixtures represent a journey into the unknown.

So no matter what result your team comes away with today, enjoy the walk to the match for what it is.

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Sky Sports' Johnny Phillips: Little to match the walk to your football ground - expressandstar.com