When I travel, be it near or far, I typically wind up comparing the place to Rahway in some way.

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Not so much which is better but what’s similar? What’s different? What’s working? What lessons can be learned? What can be adapted elsewhere?

It doesn’t even matter how big or small, it could be a neighborhood in New York City or some other metro area, a tiny downtown in rural New Jersey, or podunk Main Street elsewhere. Like most anyone else on social media, I share some interesting photos of public art or something that strikes me.

Check out the RahwayRising Instagram to see some things I’ve posted in the past, filed under #PublicArt Highlights:

• Random public art on a side street in Yonkers, N.Y.
• “Welcome” murals in Hickory, N.C. and Peachtree City, Geo., and,
• Some neat art on the side of buildings in Sarasota, Fla., among others.

Sometimes my travels have inspired a full-blown post about other downtowns and what can be learned from them. For instance, there’s this post from way back in 2008 after visits to Cape May and Denver.

I’m always intrigued by what draws people to downtowns, what can be learned about them, and what sorts of things can be applied elsewhere. Downtowns can look quite different but at the same time share similarities. In the end, they share a lot of the same themes and have similar ultimate goals of attracting people there for whatever reason. Maybe it’s a performing arts center and a focus on artsy shops and galleries, unique or high-end shopping, or a slew of restaurants and bars.

As a change of pace, I thought I’d try something new and, when time permits, post about some of the visits and experiences outside of Rahway, exclusive for Patreon supporters of Rahway Rising:  While I’m working on a few upcoming posts, here’s a look at a recent visit to Rosendale, N.Y.

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