Blog
Marty joins WBEZ’s Podcast Reset By: Michael McDonough
Eye On Main Street’s own Martin Treu, recently joined Sasha-Ann Simons from WBEZ’s daily talk show Reset to discuss a new Chicago ordinance which creates protections for some of the city’s most iconic and historic signs… Read On…
Grace’s Furniture By: Martin Treu
Old neon signs often serve as important urban landmarks. They help to visually identify key locations in a city, marking it with distinct visual icons. They contribute significantly to what urban designers, architects, and city lovers call… Read On…
Electra, Texas By: Martin Treu
During a recent trip to north-central Texas, I discovered the small town of Electra. It cast a spell on me, and in the course of twenty-four hours of driving around the region, I returned to it again… Read On…
Pandemics, Protests, and Public Space By: Martin Treu
From the air, these days, I travel the United States, studying Main Streets. My vantage point, lofty and analytical, is supplied by Google Earth and other digital tools. This is my means for traveling… Read On…
Main Street Moves On By: Martin Treu
Main Street is currently suffering an unthinkable setback due to the lock-down and subsequent social distancing mandated by the worldwide COVID-19 crisis. The government-mandated freeze… Read On…
The View from the Farmhouse Kitchen By: Martie Samuel
I am in my early 60s and have led a wonderful life. My two children are adults and have their own lives, and I am fortunate to be included in their worlds. I grew up in the Midwest… Read On…
Mind on Main Street By: Martin Treu
In my mind, I am driving along an old highway, entering a small American town that I’ve never seen before. It is late in the day, and the sun is low. I am nearing the center of town… Read On…
Carlisle Lockdown By: Michael McDonough
It is late April in the year 2020 AD. Stay-at-Home Order prevails across much of the US. As in towns across the country, the historic commercial core of Carlisle… Read On…
Sketches on Main Street By: Martin Treu
Today the Main Streets of Ohio, Iowa, New York City, and the world unite in a quest for survival and rebirth. During Spring of 2020 many of us are sequestered in our homes… Read On…
On Main Street with Martin Treu By: Michael McDonough
No place was a more nurturing incubator for the classic American Main Street than Ohio in the 19th century. For a newly-expanding nation, Ohio provided valuable natural resources… Read On…
Midwestern
Still Life
By: Michael McDonough
From the air Ottawa, Ohio looks like it would be a vibrant community. All the major local roads lead to this carefully planned and densely built up county seat. It appears to be… Read On…
Pennsylvania’s First Main Street By: Michael McDonough
If you want to get an idea what William Penn’s original utopian vision for Philadelphia looked like, you can visit a re-creation of his country home: Pennsbury Manor… Read On…
