This is our second visit to Livingston. If you recall from last week, it wasn't particularly interesting. The ol' Stark Contrast set up. Well, Ladies and gentlemen, I think we’re in for a good one.

LOOK AT THIS THING.

Cities used to be this swank, all over the country.

Well, surely they can’t keep up that level of old-style cool -

Gil’s Goods.

The spirit of Perry Mason is strong with this one.

HELL NO YOU CAN’T SEE WHAT GOES ON IN HERE

You can see it doesn’t really have a lot of respect for the block, but what a brute.

Things like this make me happy. Signs from a lost world.

And the neon looks as if it still works!

This stretch just keeps giving.

You can imagine coming out at night, seeing the stars - twice as many as usual, because you were out on the frontier. Well, four times as many as usual, because you’d been to the bar.

No need to set off the staircase, if you ask me. Looks a bit clunky.

It also has the effect of making the building on the right look as if it’s getting the cold shoulder.

Annnnnd right here I just said “I’ve done this one before.” You’d think I’d check. But if you didn’t remember, then no harm.

Ghosts galore. (Which sounds like a 40s movie with a famous comedy team.)

Solid citizens from a prosperous time.

I think there was gold, or some other useful substance, in them thar hills.

Interesting how the pattern repeats itself.

Also interesting that no one put windows in the walls.

“What do you mean, you can tell we put in new brick on the facade?”

Imagine going down with dad to HIS BUILDING.

Imagine going down with dad to HIS BUILDING and being vaguely embarrassed.

Something from this century: a bona fide OUMB, with that awful bleached-elephant-man stone.

A reminder that before there was a phase in American commercial architecture that eschewed all decorations whatsoever, there was a phase in American commercial architecture that eschewed all decorations whatsoever.

A mess and a bit cramped, but I’ll take it.

Opened as the State; original marquee and facade, here.

Finally:

A by-God American place, that.