Back in September, shortly after the spontaneous photostroll in Asheville, I spent a day wandering around the valley city of Roanoke, Virginia. I’d been there many times before, but only with a camera once (in 2018) — and said, at the time, that I’d like to plan to spend a minute documenting this interesting Southern city.
I finally had the chance.
It took longer than hoped. But I’m really pleased with the results.
Unlike Asheville, with its Art Deco vibes, Roanoke is more a mix of older, more traditional brick and ’70s/80s concrete and glass — with some more modern, exciting architecture on display.
Downtown is also surprisingly vertical. While there’s really only one skyscraper — the Wells Fargo tower — there’s a several-block radius that really says, “city.”
Which makes sense; by nature of its location, Roanoke benefits from being the largest metropolitan area in quite a little circumference, and is the only actual city in southwestern Virginia. And given its history, it’s heartening to see that there’s still a major railroading presence in the city.
I’m glad to have spent this warm and beautiful day photographing Roanoke. Enjoy this preview, and please check back for part two — and the link to the full gallery of ninety selected photographs — on Thursday.