I recently spent five days in our nation’s capital, Washington DC for a conference, and had the interesting experience of staying in nearby Crystal City an “urban village” as it is called on Wikipedia that is located south of Washington DC in Arlington, Virginia.
I had spent some time there at a week-long conference years ago and that trip did not leave me with good impressions of the urban-suburban-feeling place. In fact, I hated it. Fast-forward ten years and I could not believe how much it has changed.
Restaurants, coffee shops and shopping malls have popped up everywhere (yet mostly chains) and it felt more like an actual city than just a strip of hotels. What really surprised me more than anything however was the contrast between art and carts. Every single piece of ugly concrete wall along the highway and underpasses was covered in beautiful, unique artwork. I could hardly believe it. Obviously the city has spent some serious time and money trying to beautify the area and it has worked to some extent.
For me, it was hard to ignore the abandoned shopping carts, one after another, just hanging out along the sidewalks, parking lots and streets. I thought it was such an ironic contrast between the beautiful, refreshing art and the ugly reality of poverty and demise.
I remember the comment I received when I saw my first abandoned shopping cart. I stopped, looked at it in dismay than reached for my camera. It was early morning and the sun was already beating strong. A woman ran by and noticed me taking a picture of an ugly, dirty cart. Her words to me were: “Welcome to DC!“.
I showed my husband these photos and he observantly pointed out that the carts were empty. So who knows who were the users of these shopping carts and why on earth they left them there on the sidewalks of Crystal City?
The Art Wall is tremendous, Nicole – some of the paintings are really fantastic, and it must make such a difference to have all that colour, and movement to enliven the concrete jungle. How long has it been there, do you know? Will it be cared for and cleaned, I wonder?
The shopping carts look ominously like they’ve been abandoned by lazy shoppers, don’t they? I guess, not being a normal suburban centre, the markets aren’t employing cart retrievers. Such a shame – they look like urban litter of the worst type!
I’m not really sure when the art came up. It seems relatively new and there are plaques everywhere describing the artwork but I was always in such a hurry to get to the conference that I never had time to read them, just snap pictures. Yes, strange how odd it is to leave carts like that in the middle of the sidewalk!
WOW! Amazing pictures of art. I do like thase shopping cart series of photos too. I have to visit there some time! Inspiring.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
The street art looks great here. What a good idea.
I am crazy in love with the art! What great stuff, Nicole. The carts? Not so much. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,
Kathy
Yes it does really help to beautify the city!
Lovely art works. Those carts look so desolate. Just left there by people who were too lazy to put them back, I suppose. 🙁
Yes I agree. Why people leave them is beyond me!
Love the wall art. 😉
Thanks! Me too!
The carts look so weird. Can’t believe it.
Yes they were very out of place. I have never seen anytng like it before!
Reblogged this on hoaidan2512.
Thanks foe the reblog! I appreciate it!
I really enjoyed the tour, your descriptive words and the photographs are great! Having spent some time there myself your post is right on the money! Excellent! 🙂
Thank you very much! I still haven’t seen these kinds of carts in any other city before! Glad you enjoyed!
Yes, I really did. 🙂