a.k.a. V.J.

I had the opportunity to attend an opening-night sponsor event for Syracuse Jazz Fest the other night. It was held at the historic Niagara Mohawk Building, which is probably my favorite piece of architecture in Central New York. The building (originally known as the Niagara Hudson Building) is widely considered to be a classic example of Art Deco architecture. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and was recently cited by The National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of 7 Dazzling Art Deco Buildings for Architecture Admirers.

I don’t know a lot about architecture, but I do love Art Deco. I always appreciate seeing the chrome on this building gleaming in the sun or, better still, when it’s lit up at night. Just seeing the Niagara Mohawk building evokes an era when the streets were filled with Model A Fords, movies cost a quarter, and radios across the land were tuned to the Jack Benny Program.

Here are a couple photos I got at the night of the event and one that I pulled from my social-media archives: