A NEW VIEW

BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER, I HAVE ACCESS TO SOME UNIQUE POINTS OF VIEW IN THE COMMUNITY.

Assignment: Gateway Plaza

The Location:

Broadway and Providence M y first visit to downtown Columbia was underwhelming. I was at the stoplight at Broadway and Providence looking at a series of rundown buildings that were the home to the likes of Streetside Records and 905 Liquors.

It was 1982 and, while I would eventually spend a lot of time in those two places, it was not an inviting scene. This intersection should draw you up the street to the District.

Downtown has a lot to offer and I am happy with the direction the Gateway Plaza is taking to lure visitors up Broadway.

Using art to promote the District can be a bumpy road. Each individual interprets art differently and there is no way to please an entire community with artistic representation.

The diverse art that exists in our community gives Columbia its character and charm.

The Gateway Plaza is a good start for this spot to become more aesthetically pleasing. Now, if we could do something with that ugly parking lot on the northeast corner of that intersection.

L.G. Patterson