motel sign | The USA: Landscapes and Urban Spaces

We walked to Main Street and turned toward Bozeman’s city centre. There were many people walking around, very few vacant lots, only a handful of empty business premises and plenty of tempting bars, cafes and restaurants. Inevitably, some of the most impressive structures were old banks, a theatre and some large one-time hotels, most of the latter now apartment blocks, but we decided to examine them another time. We were hungry.

Bozeman, Montana

We got to the part of Main Street where the east end of downtown ran out and saw the Montana Ale Works, a large bar and restaurant occupying what had once been a Northern Pacific Railroad freight house (just behind the ale house was a railroad track that had made it easy for goods to be brought directly to the freight house doors. Another track led beside some very photogenic silos and elevators). We went inside and were warned that we had about 30 minutes to wait until a table was free. We were not in the least worried. The menu looked very good; there were about 30 beers and lagers from which to chose (the beers and lagers had been made in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho); the place was very popular; some pool tables were busy with competitive individuals digesting their food after a good meal; and I suddenly had the spare time to take photos of the nearby silos and elevators in excellent early evening visibility (the sun had declined low enough to ensure that no shadows marred the photos, but there was enough light to shoot without a flash).

Bozeman, Montana

It was about 9.15pm when we left Montana Ale Works, but downtown Bozeman was still very busy. Although quite a lot of people were drinking, the atmosphere was very relaxed. We popped into the lobby of an old hotel, now mostly converted into apartments, because it led to a bar and restaurant popular with some of Bozeman’s wealthiest citizens. Although smaller than Billings, Missoula and Great Falls (Bozeman had an official population of about 40,000), we already knew that Bozeman had more up-market shops and businesses than any of the larger Montana cities just listed. We were great fans of Bozeman by the end of our stay, so much so that we could imagine that life there would be an awful lot better than in many other places around the world. Partly because it was home to Montana State University, Bozeman was a civilised sort of place, but big enough to be socio-economically diverse. However, in common with most other settlements in Montana, the city was overwhelmingly white. Almost 94% of the population defined themselves as white. About 20% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Bozeman, Montana

I had a walk around downtown. Among the delightful buildings that caught my eye were Gallatin County Courthouse, Blackmore Apartments, Carnegie Library, Emerson Centre, First Baptist Church, Willson School, Hamill Apartments, Holy Rosary Church Rectory, Baxter Hotel and Bozeman Hotel. Main Street had very few structures that were not attractive or interesting, and many had ghosts signs, painted adverts and metal signs overhanging the sidewalks. Some downtown buildings had art moderne characteristics, and new structures had been conceived on a scale in sympathy with their neighbours. Quite correctly, some of the older buildings were on the National Register of Historic Places. Bozeman looked even better that morning than the night before.

Willson School, Bozeman, Montana

Bozeman, Montana

Gallatin County Courthouse, Bozeman, Montana

It was about 5.00pm when we arrived at the southern edge of Livingston, so we drove to downtown to look around. I am glad we did so because we encountered a few blocks of remarkably interesting buildings (the best buildings included old hotels, the Empire Theatre with its stunning 1950s or 1960s façade, an old department store, other shops of more modest scale, and a silo and elevator beside the railroad), lots of ghost signs and painted adverts, and perhaps the best railroad station of the trip, a stunning stone and brick structure dating from 1902 with columns and a covered walkway to the now-unused platform. Moreover, in a siding not far from the station, an immaculately clean Montana Rail Link (MRL) diesel had pulled up with six stainless steel carriages behind it. Two of the six carriages had seats arranged on raised floors beneath raised roofs pierced with many panes of glass. After making their way to the seats via stairs leading from the compartments below, passengers could enjoy panoramic views while the carriages were in motion.

A security guard came out of his motor vehicle when we stopped to take photos of the train. I had assumed that the train was a special that might run only at weekends to take rail enthusiasts along a portion of the railroad that now no longer had passenger services. After being told that we were not allowed to get close to the train, the security guard said that it belonged to the man who owned MRL. Apparently, the owner spent most of his time living aboard the train.

Livingston, Montana

Empire Theatre, Livingston, Montana

Livingston, Montana

Railroad station, Livingston, Montana

Montana Rail Link owner’s train, Livingston, Montana

Because of its importance to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City is bound to have an appearance and character that mark it out as somewhat different from other US cities of comparable size (some of Salt Lake City’s distinctiveness is predicated on the widespread influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it is also shaped by its situation beside a vast saline lake, the mountains that enclose it to the north and east, and its overwhelmingly white Anglo-Saxon population). Although Salt Lake City, in common with all contemporary US cities, spreads somewhat untidily for miles, especially to the north and south, it has a surprisingly small population of about 200,000. It is an urban destination well worth spending some time in because of its distinctive appearance and character; the dramatic scenery that encloses it; the unusually good visibility that prevails for most of the year; the ease with which it can be negotiated, partly because of an excellent light rail system that is the envy of many European cities; and the lack of danger no matter where you walk (there were only a few short streets in downtown where, for the briefest of moments, I felt that some caution might be required, but then in all likelihood only after dark).

I found Salt Lake City a very attractive destination from the visual point of view (it is also good for food and drink). Although this post contains a ridiculous number of photos, it was hard to limit the selection to the 20 or so that follow. Moreover, the photos concentrate on only a few parts of the city (other parts of the city reveal attractions just as good as the ones below).

The first group of photos examines South Salt Lake City, a predominantly secure (from the economic point of view) working class area that is probably the city’s most ethnically diverse. We stayed in an airbnb in the area and loved every minute, not least because of the time spent in a Mexican supermarket, a Mexican panaderia and a Bosnian-run cafe and restaurant.

South Salt Lake City, Utah

Motel sign, South Salt Lake City, Utah

Old Bridge Cafe, South Salt Lake City, Utah

Millcreek Station, South Salt Lake City, Utah

Mural near the ball park of the Salt Lake City Bees baseball team, Salt Lake City, Utah

The next two photos are on the way to and in Sugarhouse, an area popular with young people and families with disposable incomes. Leafy, prosperous and cared for in an enviable manner, Sugarhouse is a good destination for eating and drinking.

Beside the light rail line to Sugarhouse, Salt Lake City, Utah

Sugarhouse, Salt Lake City, Utah

The next group of photos examines aspects of downtown, but excludes shots about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (more about the Church later).