Crossroads of the World - Hollywood, California

6671 Sunset Boulevard - The Crossroads of the World was built in 1936 and designed by Robert V. Derrah. The central building is the most recognizable with its globe topped spire and nautical streamline moderne building. The rest of the development (which unfortunately I did not take the time to see) contains structures in a variety of architectural styles from around the world. The iconic tower was reproduced in 1989 at the Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios) in Orlando. Check it out on my other blog at http://disneyvacationkingdom.blogspot.com/2009/10/crossroads-of-world.html.

In this shot you can catch a glimpse of the rest of the central building which resembles an ocean liner.

While the original has "Crossroads of the World" in neon surronding the globe, the reproduction in Florida is topped with a statue of Mickey Mouse.

Dundee Passenger Depot - Dundee, Florida

102 Main Street - Not much to say about this railroad depot that isn't covered in the sign below. It's a cute little station. There is a museum in the depot but I did not visit it when I took these pictures back in May. Find more information at http://www.townofdundee.com/depot%20museum.htm.

The sidewalk in front of the depot was made to look like railroad tracks.

Belvoir - Louisville, Kentucky

2229 Cherokee Parkway - The Belvoir condominiums were designed by architect J.J. Gaffney and are located in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood of Louisville. I couldn't find a date when the building was constructed but based on his work in the Louisville area I would say sometime in the first quarter of the 20th century. The pictured portion of the building is by far the most interesting. This is not to say that the rest of the building is ugly, it's just rather ordinary. The area here around the door has lots of interesting detail. This picture is from August 1999.

Deen House - Lakeland, Florida

417 McDonald Street - This beautiful Prairie Style home is located near Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The house was built between 1912 and 1917 (sources varied) for Columbus William Deen. I love the triangle detail on the porch columns. I also like the taller columns that stop short of the roof and are topped off by urns.

Liz's Antique Hardware - Los Angeles, California

453 South La Brea Avenue - Driving down the street I was drawn to the vertical portion of the building. I always like these kind of things that were either signs or had signage on them. I was intriqued enough to park and visit this establishment and I'm so glad I did. They have the most incredible variety of antique hardware for doors, cabinets, windows, bathrooms and lighting. Unlike in a regular antique store where you might find one cool sconce or a great escutcheon plate for a door, here there might be dozens of the same object. It was a fascinating store. Visit their website here http://www.lahardware.com/newsite/

Time Square - Winter Haven, Florida

326 West Central Avenue - Winter Haven has done a lot of work to restore its downtown over the past several years. As a result, downtown is much cleaner and nicer than for many years prior. The downside to this is that the area has also been made very generic. Many of the buildings' details have been dulled or eradicated. On this particular building for most of its life there was a great four-sided clock which stuck out from the corner of the building. I know this clock hadn't worked for many years and I suppose that's why it was removed. building doesn't look bad, it's just that in the larger context downtown seems kind of homogenized these days.

I do like this awning.

Old Orlando Railroad Depot - Orlando, Florida

78 West Church Street - This great station is adjacent to the Church Street Station entertainment district in downtown Orlando. I've always loved the kind of story book look of this station. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The station was built between 1889 and 1890.