A Private Conversation: We're Off to See the Skidders

Assured by the Tuesday noon siren that all was well in The City today, I ventured out of doors to see for myself the much-discussed-of-late Hugo Hotel, a former tenement building which, in the roughly 20 years it has been sitting vacant has become a site-specific art installation (called Defenestration) featuring "seemingly animated" furniture escaping out through windows, heading for the fire escapes, and clinging to the side of the building. Though the owners have been reluctant to sell, a jury this week decided that enough was enough and awarded the city eminent domain. The hotel is slated to be demolished and replaced with a mixed use facility to include "affordable" housing.

Now... had I done that much research before going out into the world, I might have thought twice about trekking my way out to 6th and Howard Streets, where the "site specific art installation" doesn't leap out at you quite as much as the appropriateness of the word "tenement." There is no doubt on this corner that you are, indeed, on skid row. Which is somewhat unfortunate because it's a very interesting building and, in another part of town, it might have been saved as a tourist attraction. As it is -- where it is -- it won't be.

Though I did take my camera along for the visitation, this was a part of town where even if you could find a shaded shot out of the noonday sun you wouldn't necessarily want to display valuables. (I took the shot above and quickly pocketed my camera). I decided to share better pictures taken by braver souls instead.

There are very decent ones HERE.

But since I was out, I decided to take advantage of other photographic opportunities.

You see, although it's been far too long since Frank Sinatrat made an appearance on these pages, he is back on the prowl. After a long, unplanned stay in Nashville, Frankie came home with a friend -- Lion L. Messi -- who Frankie is showing around. There's a long backstory here, playing out on Facebook, but by the time of these pictures it had become obvious to Messi's owner that while Frankie had pants, Messi did not. These are the first of a series of shots in which Messi will only venture out fully covered... and, well, his options were limited.