Utica, NY is the nearest city to me.   In the late 19th and early and mid 20th century it was booming, but like many US cities, Utica struggles to find new purpose.  There is much good that is happening in Utica ( here, here, and here for example) but I will admit to having a prejudice about going there.  I’m more of a country than city person anyway.  So I rarely choose to go into Utica.
On a very cold, windy day last week, a friend and I planned on a play day with our cameras. Occasionally we will just head out and photograph whatever we are drawn to.  My friend suggested we go into Utica instead of our usual wooded locations.   Immediately I thought of one of my most favorite quotes and knew that Utica was the perfect choice for our excursion.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.   Marcel Proust

I would try to see Utica with new eyes and find the beauty that exists there.
As I said, it was a very cold and windy day, so instead of walking we chose locations where we could be inside and warm.  (We’re such wimps!)  We spent almost 2 hours in the library and were gifted with many beautiful sights, just a few shown in these images.  We had such a good time, that we vowed to go back on a warmer day and walk the neighborhoods finding bits of beauty that are present in that place that I had so frequently dismissed.

How could you “see with new eyes”?