urban ku # 15

Tis the season and I want to wish, just like the snowman does, a "Happy Holidays" to one and all. Don't you just love the "room phones" sign above the phone booth, which appears to be a fully functioning (the light even works) example of another disappearing American icon?

FEATURED COMMENT: Michael Gordon wrote: "I'll do you one better, Mark: there's a motel in the Mojave Desert that I frequently pass that advertises "TELEVISIONS" (hoo-wee, boy). I have yet to photograph it, but I will someday."

publisher's response: Sure, sure, but does it have "Air Condition"?

FEATURED COMMENT: Anonymous (the wife) wrote: "The wife also wishes Happy Holidays to the Bloggeristas. Gravitas is really enjoying his visual verbal salon."

FEATURED COMMENT: Mary Dennis wrote: "I'm really comforted by the fact that these places still exist ...Are these relics effectively protected, sort of like living museum pieces, in the Adirondacks?"

publisher's response: I like these places a lot as well, but, no, they are not protected in any way other than by the fact that they are all mom-and-pop owned. Very few mom-and-pop's have the $$$ resources to undertake any sort of large-scale scorched-earth "renovations". It's hard enough for many of them just to do normal upkeep maintaince, especally in the "fringe" areas of the Adirondacks.

The property on which most of these sit is also usually too small for the big players (the chains and highend developers)) to be interested in. So there they sit. Some are doing quite well (depending on location), some are just getting by, and some are sliding into closure and decline. At this point I would speculate that the Villa caters mainly to workers involved in season-long public/private work projects and the "nooner" crowd. Some of their 3-room off-hwy units are probably used as residences for locals.

One way or another, these places will probably be around for a good while longer.