Signs of Salinas Homage to a fading era

I’ve always loved cool old signs, especially here in the wild west. So for the past couple of years, I’ve been snapping pics on my iPhone of my favorites in Salinas.

I realize planners and such might consider some of these old signs a form of urban blight, but I think they’re beautiful in their faded glory. Of course, there are a few favorites not shown here — Star Market, Fox Theater, Growers Pub and Valley Bowl, among others — but they’re for another series of nighttime neon.

There’s something about seeing these old signs in the glaring light of day that is both sad and lovely to me — reminders that the past, though fading, has yet to be erased.

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Julie Reynolds

About Julie Reynolds

Julie Reynolds is a freelance journalist who has reported for the Center for Investigative Reporting, The Nation, NPR, PBS, The Imprint, The NewsGuild and other outlets. She is a co-founder of Voices of Monterey Bay and associate editor at The Imprint.