The "Revitalized" Downtown
While Laramie's downtown has not been scraped, it has been "revitalized". Many of the buildings in the business district show signs of an effort to create a specific atmosphere. The varied pastel colors with contrasting trims and ornamentation, and the wrought iron stoplights and benches, give the district an aura of old-fashioned gentility. Upon closer inspection however, the buildings show remarkable variations. In the image taken from the corner of 1st Street and Grand Avenue the buildings display many layers of history.
The first building’s red brick with white trim doesn’t show any overt signs of remodeling, but the first story now houses Lovejoy’s bar and grill, and has large windows with metallic colored reflective blinds that appear rather at odds with the building as a whole. Many of the storefronts in the historic buildings in this row, have similar large tinted windows that express sophistication and modernity. Perhaps the best example of this juxtaposition of old brick with very modern, glass facades, is the third building in the row, which houses Burkes Jewelry. This building has been completely transformed with its aqua-colored glass front.
