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

Whether they stand stoic as a memorial, or lend a touch of European flair to our Mediterranean climate, fountains characterize much of the streetscapes and parkland of Los Angeles.

After all, were practically always dreaming of water here.

And even if youre a little more inland than youd like to be, you can enjoy the spouts and water shows in Echo Park Lake and MacArthur Park Lake, at the San Pedro Waterfront, and even The Grove and The Americana at Brand.

For some, fountains are beacons; for others, a meeting place where they can come together and pass some time.

We dont always know the stories behind them or whats literally buried beneath them.

Here are eight of the best watery wonders in the L.A. region, where you can stop and feel the mist on your face, take in some artand pay tribute to those who have come and gone before us.

Cascades Park, 1930 | Photo: Courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library

Just six miles as the crow flies from Downtown L.A., Midwick View Estates was the brainchild of Peter N. Snyder, who meant for the Spanish-style development to be another affluent, whites-only enclave like Bel Air or Beverly Hills only, east of L.A., in the City of Monterey Park (incorporated 1916). Construction began in 1928,but in the advent of the 1929 stock market crash and the Depression that followed, it was never completed. The 356-acre development is now marked only by its original sales office (dreamily named El Encanto, which now houses The Greater Chamber of Commerce of Monterey Park) and Cascades Park, a manmade, terraced waterfall at the other end of the grand esplanade of El Portal Place.

Also known as Heritage Falls since 1991, the water feature still bears the coat of arms of the original development. Spanish tiles run along the cascading levels of the waterfall all the way up to a fountain at the top, which bears a statue meant to depict the Greek goddess Athena, a nod to Snyders Greek heritage. The original was stolen decades ago, so the one that stands today is a replica installed by the Monterey Park Historical Society in 2005. You can walk along staircases on either side of the waterfall to get to the top but the entire landscape provides a popular backdrop for photos, both in daylight and at night, with its colored lighting scheme.

Use 700 S. Atlantic Boulevard, 91754 as your destination address and park along De La Fuente Street.

Cascades Park |Sandi Hemmerlein

Cascades Park|Sandi Hemmerlein

Some might say that the series of eight water fountains and the floodlighting that illuminates them is essential for the headquarters of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to convey both water and power. And boy, does that 1.2-million-gallon reflecting pool make a statement! And not just because it circulates 20,000 gallons per minute or that it protects the A.C. Martin-designed buildings perimeter with a kind of glassy, lit-up moat (anchored by the large, wing-shaped sculpture "Colpo d'ala" by Arnaldo Pomodoro, a gift from Italy in 1988 in gratitude for the U.S. financing the restoration of Italys WWII-ravaged economy).

The water feature is actually a high-tech solution for the buildings heating and cooling system part of the HVAC system and instead of a boiler. Its the ultimate in making themonumental, International Style John FerraroBuilding known as the General Office Building of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power until 2000 self-contained and self-sufficient. Completed in 1965 and constructed at the same time as The Music Center, the LADWP headquarters became the first high-rise on the top of the newly flattened Bunker Hill.

The John Ferraro Building is open weekdays except Fridays and is closed weekends and major holidays. Enter on foot from Hope Street and take the pedestrian bridge across the water to the plaza. Free public parking spaces provided in Lot 6 during meetings of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, held monthly on the first and third Tuesday.

LADWP Headquarters|Sandi Hemmerlein

LADWP Headquarters|Sandi Hemmerlein

At the corner of Riverside Drive and Los Feliz Boulevard in Los Feliz, spitting distance from the Los Angeles River, youll find a shrine to the Father of L.A.s water system, William Mulholland built approximately on the site where Mulholland once lived in a cabin, worked as a water laborer (technically a ditch-tender)and taught himself to be a civil engineer. Designed by Walter S. Claberg, the William Mulholland Memorial Fountain was originally dedicated in 1940, five years after the former water supervisors death, thanks largely to contributions and donations from local schoolchildren. After occasional forced periods of dormancy (either because of oil rationing or droughts), the electrified fountain eventually fell into disrepair but its mechanisms were reconstructed and the fountain was rededicated in 1996. It now lights up gloriously and colorfully at night.

The park that surrounds the fountain, the Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial Garden, was built by LADWP crews in conjunction with the centennial celebration of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 2013. A walking path recreates the aqueducts 340-mile journey from the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains to L.A.s San Fernando Valley, terminating at a replica of The Cascades. The commemorative garden also features a section of the original aqueduct pipe, 10 feet in diameter, water-wise landscapingand a bronze bas-relief portrait of Mulhollandby Grace Banks Eldridge that was added in 1959.

Park across Riverside Drive in one of the lots dedicated to Griffith Park facilities.

William Mulholland Memorial Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

William Mulholland Memorial Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

The L.A. areas first electrified water fountain in fact, the first in the nation to feature underwater lighting is the Electric Fountain in Beverly Hills. After a $1.5-million facelift, it was rededicated in 2016 but it was originally gifted to the city in 1931 by silent-screen star Harold Lloyds mother, Sarah Elizabeth (Fraser) Lloyd. TheWomens Club of Beverly Hills paid for it to be installed on land donated by the Rodeo Land and Water Company. Then known as the Electric Color Fountain, it provided a repeating, rainbow-colored water spectacle whose programmed lighting system dazzled spectators with an eight-minute water show with jets timed to colored lights. A total of 60 different combinations of spray were possible and at the time, the sight was so spectacular that reportedly thousands stopped their cars to ogle it.

Thirty feet in diameter and edged with ceramic tile, the fountain is the work of architect Ralph Carlin Flewelling. But at the 3-foot high circular base, a bas-relief designed by (Robert) Merrell Gage shows Californias Mission Period, and the Los Angeles Pobladores who settled here. At one time the president of the California Art Club, Gage was also responsible for sculpting the faade of the Los Angeles Times building in Downtown L.A. He also contributed a six-foot figure of a kneeling member of the Tongva tribe, the original inhabitants of the area who called Beverly Hills the gathering of the waters (translated in Spanish to El Rodeo de las Aguas).

Find it on the corner of Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards, at the western terminus of Beverly Gardens Park. The park is bookended at the citys eastern gateway by the Doheny Fountain, also circa 1931, designed by the first official resident architect of Beverly Hills, W. Asa Hudson. Park on Walden Drive or any of the residential side streets that intersect with Beverly Gardens Park north of Santa Monica Boulevard. Walk the rest of the way along the path.

Electric Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Known for his Prometheus sculpture at Rockefeller Center in New York City, Paul Manship contributed the design for the bronze sculpture in a large fountain at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood, The Flight of Europa. It depicts the famous scene in Greek mythology when Zeus transforms into a strapping bull to seduce Europa, a Phoenician maiden (and namesake of Europe). She perhaps unwittingly rides his back as he abducts her to Crete. All the while, Cupid whispers in her ear.

Although the sculpture was reportedly intended for a swimming pool with water symbolizing the Mediterranean it now graces the front entrance of the former Home Savings and Loan, circa 1968, which was built on the site where parts of Hollywood's first full-length motion picture, "The Squaw Man," were filmed in 1913. Formerly known as a Washington Mutual branch and now rebranded Chase Bank, its known for its Millard Sheets-designed mosaic mural of Hollywoods biggest stars in their star-making roles.

Plenty of metered street parking on both Sunset and Vine, or park in the surface lot in the back if youre going to do some banking at Chase. Its also a short walk from the Metro Red Line station at Hollywood / Vine.

The Flight of Europa Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

The Flight of Europa Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

One of the USC campuss staggering 30 fountains count em all! is Youth Triumphant by Bavarian sculptor Frederick William Schweigardt. Topped by a bronze dancing figure, this Neoclassical style is actually a replica of Schweigardts fountain The Four Cornerstones of American Democracy, both featuring four cast concrete figures representing Home, Community, Churchand, of course, School. The original fountain is still in the Hall of Youth in the grand foyer of the former Palace of Education (now the Balboa Park Club building) at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, for which Schweigardt was the official sculptor.Donated in 1935 by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carman-Ryles in memory of their son, Edward L. Prentiss, a former USC student who died in 1933, the replica became henceforth known as the Prentiss Memorial Fountain. It was renovated in 1979 and 2002.

Its located at Alumni Park by the front entrance of Doheny Memorial Library a four-story, Italian Romanesque-style landmark that was created in 1930 as a memorial to Edward L. Ned Doheny Jr., a USC trustee and alumnus who was tragically murdered at Greystone Mansion the year prior. Designed by Ralph Adams Cram of the Cram and Ferguson, it became the universitys first freestanding library.

Enter the campus via the private USC McCarthy Way. Parking is available for a fee in a nearby structure by McCarthy Quad.

"Youth Triumphant" Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

"Youth Triumphant" Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

"Youth Triumphant" Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Besides its City Hall, one of the most recognizable icons of Pasadena may be the monumental, electrical power-generating Glenarm Power Plant, located at the northern terminus of the 110 Freeway and the southern end of town. The Municipal Light and Power Department first powered the City of Pasadena on July 4, 1907 and its now known Pasadena Water and Power, a not-for-profit utility thats owned and operated by the City of Pasadena. And although its an actively working power plant thats understandably fenced off and closely guarded, you can stand outside the landmark Glenarm Steam Plant Building by Pasadenas own Bennett & Haskell Architects (also the team behind the citys Civic Auditorium) built in 1928 and 1932 in the Moderne architectural style as an addition to the now-demolished original power plant and admire its adjoining electric fountain.

Together, the Art Deco fountain (circa 1938) and the intact steam turbine building comprise a city-designated historic monument. The fountain is actually an integral part of the plant, having replaced an original cooling tower (circa 1906) that cooled steam turbine #8 and the building itself.The electric fountain, the third and final example of such fountains in the L.A. region, retains its original cast-stone walls, tiled circular basin (featuring images of the Pasadena logo with lightning bolts coming out of it)and translucent glass paneled tower. Its underground mechanical, plumbing, and structural components were replaced in 2012. And its water is still flowing.

The fountain is located at the southeast corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and E. Glenarm Street at the west elevation of the power plant site. To get a closer look on foot, park on Fair Oaks north of State Street or on South Raymond Street north of Glenarm.

Electric Fountain, Glenarm Power Plant|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain, Glenarm Power Plant|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain, Glenarm Power Plant|Sandi Hemmerlein

A. M. Parsons, founder of the Naples Co., was to Long Beachs Naples Island in 1903 what Abbott Kinney was to Venice in 1905. At the center of the island, Parsons designed a circular park, surrounded by the Rivo Alto Canal, before any roads reached it. Its ornate lampposts had to be carried in by barge. Decades after Parsons sold his Naples development, the Belmont Shore Development Company donated Circle Park to the City of Long Beach in 1933. The following year, Long Beachs Park Commission renamed it Bella Flora Park.

In 1971, a three-tiered circular fountain was added to the park, which was rechristened La Bella Fontana di Napoli (The Beautiful Fountain of Naples), part of The Colonnade park. This Neapolitan-type fountain, which was brought in from the East Coast, has now become synonymous with the charmingbeachside enclave and is tended to by the non-profit Naples Islands Garden Club, which has focused on maintenance and beautification of the fountain and park for much of its history, with as many as eight official cleanups a year.

Access the park and fountain by crossing over the Rivo Alto Canal via East The Toledo or Ravenna Drive. Limited parking is available on surrounding streets.

La Bella Fontana di Napoli|Sandi Hemmerlein

La Bella Fontana di Napoli|Sandi Hemmerlein

Bonus: "Topographic Map of Water Sources in County of Los Angeles," Hall of Records, Downtown L.A.

One of the civic artworks contributed by mosaicist Joseph L. Young just two blocks from his Triforium sculpture is a 1962 bas-relief mural and fountain made of Italian glass mosaic tile, polished and rough granite, and copper tubing known as "Topographic Map of Water Sources in County of Los Angeles." At 20 feet high by 80 feet wide, it provides a large-scale, abstract geologic view of Los Angeles County and its water resources.

Water hasnt always flowed through the mural it ran dry for 20 years until a 2007-8 refurbishment, just after Youngs death. And although the streams arent running down across the black mountains, brown valleys, and green and blue ocean as long as conservation efforts are underway, the large reflecting pool at the walls base is still filled.

Find it in Downtown L.A.s Civic Center, located on the northern face of the Richard Neutra-designed Los Angeles County Hall of Records, integrated into the exterior wall of the auditorium, along Temple Street between N. Hill Street and North Broadway.

Continued here:
Where to Find LA's Most Fascinating Fountains - KCET

Greater Manchester is a great place.

But sometimes, a trip to a beautifully quaint village, well away from the stresses of city life, is just what the doctor ordered.

And you don't need to go far to encounter the quiet life.

On the very outskirts of Greater Manchester are some unbelievably stunning villages.

These little gems, nestled in the sprawling green valleys and hillsides, are a short commute from the city, but a world apart from the urban bustle.

With gorgeous homes and an abundance of community spirit, it's hard not to be tempted to escape to one of these beautiful villages.

45 minutes from Manchester

Nestled in the scenic Hope Valley, the tiny village of Edale is the start - and end - of the UK's first and most famous long distance walking path - the Pennine Way.

As a gateway to the stunning Peak District, its surrounded by some of the best walking country in the UK, which includes a series of striking hills contoured by the waters of the River Noe.

The village itself is overlooked by the imposing peak of Kinder Scout and is comprised of picturesque stone houses and buildings, with two pubs, a caf, a local shop and two camp sites - all of which make up a truly beautiful place.

It's also easily accessible by train, with a frequent service in and out of the local station, which takes in some of the phenomenal views seen along the Sheffield line.

A little piece of paradise.

25 minutes from Manchester

Situated in the heart of a conservation area in a small valley, the village of Padfield is surrounded by greenbelt countryside.

Perched on the edge of the Peak District National Park, it's been designated for its special architectural and historical interest.

As well as a rich and diverse landscape and a wealth of local wildlife to discover, the village lies close to the stunning Longendale Trail and Valley.

The long-distance walking trail follows the former Woodhead Railway Line which once connected Manchester and Sheffield, which has since been reclaimed by nature.

Set against the backdrop of the green fells of the valley and a chain of six reservoirs, it's a beautiful spot to get back to nature.

The village itself is a close-knit community with streets lined with rows of quaint stone houses and leafy green spaces, with a pub, a chapel, an art gallery and a primary school.

You wouldn't believe it was so close to a major city.

40 minutes from Manchester

The small hamlet of Pott Shrigley is located in a beautiful corner of Cheshire, and a gorgeous example of modern rural life in the UK.

The buildings that make up the village are huddled together under the shadow of the traditional church spire, close to two stunning valleys and overlooked by woodland on the high ground.

A visit in spring will boast a wonderful display of bluebells along the road up to the Victorian manor house Shrigley Hall, but whatever the time of year there will be phenomenal views in all directions of the surrounding hillside.

With around 300 residents, the village is home to a small school, a church, a pub and a cricket ground and a babbling stream runs through the centre of this idyllic slice of country living.

A beautiful place, whatever the weather.

45 minutes from Manchester

You'll find Marsden in the picturesque Colne Valley on the doorstep of a National Trust estate and a landscape steeped in history.

Surrounded on three sides by moorland, the brooding landscape is a contrast to the idyllic image of the village.

With peaks, canals, valleys and reservoirs there's a whole host of outdoor delights to see - and it's also home to the highest and deepest tunnel in Britain.

And, for real ale fans, Marsden is a haven for craft beer with the Riverhead Brewery Tap, The Sair Inn, Golcar Lily or Rose and Crown to name a few.

It's also a popular spot for TV and film - many will recognise the village from ITV''s Where the Heart Is, Jericho, BBC's Last of the Summer Wine and the blockbuster A Monster Calls.

A thriving village that embraces its industrial heritage while retaining its rural charm.

40 minutes from Manchester

Just a few miles out of Chorley you'll find the rural village of Rivington, nestled in miles of farmland, moors and several hill summits.

Dubbed 'The Little Lake District', the village attracted large numbers of visitors in the Victorian times - from the working class escaping the gloomy mills, to middle classes arriving on the newly build railway.

Its spectacular landscape has been the muse for many an artist, and its rolling hillside and gorgeous peaks play host to the Rivington Pike Fell Race, drawing scores of walkers, hikers and cyclists.

The tiny village has a thriving tourist industry thanks to its picturesque surroundings, sparkling reservoirs, the stunning Lever Park, along with the historic Rivington Pike, that sits atop a hill, and its nearby adventure centre.

Surrounded by gorgeous natural scenery, this sleepy village is perfect for those wanting to escape from the hustle and bustle of busy modern life.

35 minutes from Manchester

Perched on the very edge of the Pennines in the ancient royal hunting ground of the Rossendale valley is the small village of Crawshawbooth.

Surrounded by farm land and open green moors, it welcomes scores of walkers who come to visit the picturesque village and its surrounding hillside.

Home to a number of heritage properties, Crawshawbooth is also history-lovers dream.

Guests will find Crawshaw Hall, a Grade II* listed mansion which has since been transformed into a nursing home, and the Quaker Meeting house is the oldest in the world - dating back to 1716.

It also has its own art gallery, the See Gallery, which houses regular exhibitions from both national and international renowned artists.

The town also used to be the home of formerEnglandandManchester UnitedfootballerPhil Neville.

45 minutes from Manchester

The ancient village of Mytholmroyd has existed since the 13th century - and has the remains of human settlement dating back to the prehistoric times.

There's a Bronze Age urnfield on the moor top, complete with cremation urns dating between the 16th and 11th centuries BC - plus evidence of prehistoric farming.

A roman coin hoard has been found to the south of the village.

Today the village sits in a designated conservation area with over 21 listed buildings in the centre alone.

Regular markets and a high street boasting boutique shops and restaurants attract visitors all year round.

This idyllic location is the perfect place for unwinding after a busy day.

30 minutes from Manchester

The scenic Derbyshire village of Tintwistle is lucky enough to share its border with the stunning Peak District National Park and a designated conservation area, encompassing the beautiful countryside along the Longendale valley.

Some of the buildings in the old part of Tintwistle are said to date back as far as the 16th century, including the Bull's Head pub.

The historic Christ Church in the village is grade II listed.

The newer part is made up of buildings from the Victorian era onwards.

Head down in June and experience the annual village well dressing ceremony, a Derbyshire tradition where the local holy well is decorated with hand-crafted decorations.

30 minutes from Manchester

Situated on the banks of the Bridgewater Canal, the township of Lymm dates back as far as medieval times, and is even mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Today, the town is a designated conservation area, owing to its natural features and historical buildings and landmarks.

The Lymm dam is an area of great beauty and serenity, and the surrounding woodlands and meadow offer not only a stunning backdrop, but boast a wealth of nature and wildlife.

The canal is used as a leisure facility, by fishermen, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Narrow boats can be seen sailing idly along the waters.

A dedicated walking route, the Lymm Heritage Trail, is a self-guided route which features the best of the natural heritage of the village and is a great way to explore the sleepy Cheshire town.

30 minutes from Manchester

Surrounded by green-belt land in the Cheshire countryside, Pickmere, near Knutsford, sits on the banks of a mere, which has proven a popular attraction for day trippers over the years.

The lake's crystal clear waters have become a well-known spot for water sports, and around the water there are plenty of nature trails, all with breathtaking views of the lake, the countryside, and the local wildlife.

The village is also home to two Grade II listed buildings - both historic farm houses.

And if you want a breath of fresh air, there are plenty of walking routes to make the most of the great outdoors.

45 minutes from Manchester

An attractive old farming village, Goostrey occupies a particularly beautiful part of south Cheshire, close to the world-famous Jodrell Bank Observatory and the iconic Lovell Telescope.

Originally a dispersed farming community, Goostrey is now a mixture of both traditional and newer developments all located in miles of open countryside.

It contains 24 listed heritage assets as well as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (a bowl barrow near to Jodrell Bank Farm), and the observatory is one of a very limited number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites - listed alongside the likes of the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon.

But it's not all rural countryside and heritage - the village was one of the first in the UK to have a social media profile - on Myspace back in 2006.

Read the rest here:
The gorgeous villages on the outskirts of Manchester that will make you yearn for the quiet life - Manchester Evening News