Over the last few years my family has made trips to Astoria, Oregon to visit my wife's father. What has always struck me about Astoria is it's rugged dignity. Astoria, as I see it, has not succumbed to the generification of mass consumer culture and commercialism. The town radiates historical authenticity. Queene Anne and Victorian architecture abound. Mom-and-pop businesses line the streets of the downtown. If you look hard enough you can find other signs of the past. One civic building bears a symbol of the cold war era; a nuclear fallout shelter placard.
On my recent visit, I noticed that town had been touched by the economic recession. I saw vacant storefronts, out-of-business signs, and homes for sale.
These photographs show how the character, the beauty, and the grit of Astoria spoke to me.