Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Memento Braindeadliae

This is the entrance to Dieter and Rog’s place at “The Palms” on the oceanside of Route A1A.

Entrance to The Palms

As I’ve established in dustier posts, one of the most satisfying aspects of Fort Lauderdale is the constant visible collision between the old and new cities. For instance, directly across the road from “The Palms”, you can check into this place where the in-room movies are probably unspiced.

Praise the Lord Apartments

Or, walking over the bridge from our place to the fashionable Galleria Mall, we find this alluring display of a menacing hi-tech toilet contraption.

Galleria Mall

And yet, if we walk a stone’s throw in the opposite direction, toward the beach, we pass this moment of vintage beauty. Every time we do this, I want to try that latch. Want to press that painted-over doorbell. Want to see everyone who has ever passed through those doors. Want to know their stories. Where they are today. How they ended up. Wanna say to them, “Hey. Ever spend a night with anyone at the “Praise the Lord Apartments? Really? Whadja do?”

old fll

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heh, I laughed out loud when I saw that display at the Galleria -- I'm glad that you had the presence of mind to remember your camera. I think the mall's exterior reflects the same collision of new and old that you were talking about, too. It's a wonder that they didn't just renovate the whole damn thing rather than doing it piecemeal.

mr. v said...

did you ever read susan orlean's 'the orchid thief' - among many things, it's a book about how weird florida is and why it got that way. it's one of my favorite books ever and i keep re-reading it.

Anonymous said...

I laughed out loud when I saw "The Palms."

Blobby said...

the toilet display is sooooo Logan's Run