Monthly Theme Day - Façades

On the first of the month, the City Daily Photo blogging community take a theme, interpret that theme and post the results.  Please visit the portal and see the amazing photographs based on the theme of Façades.

This is the front of City Hall, on Jay Street.  Technically, it's not a façade; it's just part of the front.  But this part is a historical marker of sorts, and is unique to Schenectady so I felt justified posting this.  It reads:

Schenectady
Founded in the wilderness beyond feudal control inherits the spirit of liberty and progress.
Here our forefathers established a college free from sectarianism.
They helped to develop the steam railroad and inland water transportation that carry through her gates the commerce of our nation.
In places of business in workshop and laboratory her citizens still labor to promote the advancement of civilization.

Lens	Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4
F Number	8
Focal Length	50 mm
Exposure Time	1/200
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Greenmarket from afar

I don't often get to the far end of Jay Street, but we were driving downtown and I found myself looking at the Greenmarket from the other side.  Snapped this one through the windshield.  I was the passenger, so it was quite safe!

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/800
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	160
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

This is the clock tower of City Hall on a day when the sky had many interesting clouds.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

City Hall

This is the back side of City Hall. Repairs were recently completed to the tower and dome - it looks great. It's on the national Register of Historic Places. I bet the Mayor who authorised it wouldn't have believed that - people during the Depression called it Fagel's Folly because it was so expensive.

City Hall in winter

About six months ago I took a photo from about the same spot. This is the Schenectady City Hall, dressed in her coating of winter snow. The view is a little different - in the summer I was able to walk up the hill and get a better view of the horizon. Now, in winter, I can't climb that hill without my snow shoes, which I didn't think to bring with me. So this is taken from Nott Terrace instead.

City Hall

This was taken at the same location as the Great Northern #229 photo, looking down the hill (West North-West) from Nott Terrace.

In the middle distance is Schenectady's City Hall, in silhouette against a hazy July sky. Built in 1931, the clock tower gradually fell into disrepair until repaired in 1977. Further repairs to it's columns were made in 2006. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in October 1978.

In the distance, the Helderberg Mountains form the southern wall of the Mohawk River valley. Well, I think they're still the Helderbergs that far north! The river itself passes to the right of the frame.