Eiffel Tower through the gates. Paris

Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant. -Honore' de Balzac
This picture is telling me something.  I need to pass through this gate in 2010.
-R

The Gates Project for Central Park.

  

Gateways symbolize a sense of passing from one state to another, from one world to another, from the known to the unknown, from light to darkness. Gates open upon the mysterious, but they have a dynamic psychological quality for they not only indicate a threshold but invite us to cross it. It is an invitation to a voyage into the beyond.

The passage to which they invite us is more often than not, in the symbolic sense of the term, a passage from the realm of the profane to that of the sacred.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s public art project, "The Gates", opened in New York City's Central Park on February 12, 2005. With 7,500 16-foot-high gates draped in orange fabric along 23 miles of footpaths, the public art installation was a "visual golden river." 

May you pass through many gates in 2010.
Anne and Rebecca

Gates of Devon, PA

Back to Devon and the gates of Main Line Philadelphia.  This place is a treasure trove for landscape architects.

Why are all these gates closed?
-R

Gates of Decatur Island, Wa

Driftwood, driftwood, and a little iron. All of these gates were designed and built by homeowners. Something about Decatur Island makes grown-ups want to play with driftwood and other found objects.
-R

Gates of Seattle, WA

2010 is coming.  Let's all pass through a new door, or in my case gate, and welcome the new year with high hopes.  This week I want to look at all kinds of gates.  I'll start in my own backyard and move around to other destinations near and far.

All of the examples above are from NE Seattle.  The styles on display are indicative of this place:  Asian inspired, funky recycled, artistic glass and metal, and the 3 foot high, painted, open board fence/combo.  I think they are good examples of the design aesthetic in this area and define the sense of place.
-R

The Philadelphia Story. Devon,PA.

Main Line Philadelphia. I lived there from age 8 until age 17.  I can't stand the new "I made a ton of money in the market" development, but the old homes and neighborhoods still take my breath away.  I'm talking field stone, and stucco, and hedges, and split-rail fences. They are beautifully crafted and timeless.  Well Done Old Money.

Gail's Wonderful Garden. Decatur, Is. WA

The magic continues in Gail's yard. She told Anne and me that she didn't have any time to work in her garden this year. Well, she could have fooled us. The garden was full of color and texture and clever details.

Note the gate, which was once an interior door, and the brick that Gail's homesteading relatives brought
to Washington from Nebraska. Another Well Done project by Gail.