Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Filling Station (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)


In keeping with the last photo's theme, I thought this shot of the old filling station in Rancho Cucamonga along Route 66 would be a logical next choice. This station - although still standing - sits vacant near the northwest corner of Foothill Boulevard and Archibald Avenue. Directly across the street is "The Deli," which is a pretty awesome sandwich joint. On its walls are photos of the area that date back at least 60 years.

Rancho Cucamonga itself is a city that I have a love-hate relationship with in terms of Route 66. I love this station and "The Deli." I love the older-feeling western end of town. But the development and box housing that have sprung up along Foothill Boulevard near I-15 are almost enough to send me into convulsions. Don't get me wrong. I understand that preservation here was not really an option. After all, there wasn't much to preserve. And at least RC did decide that they wanted to recognize Route 66's importance to the area. But it's still hard on MY eyes. (I really couldn't find anything online regarding Rancho Cucamonga's Master Plan and their development of the Foothill Boulevard corridor. Apparently, since it is complete, all mention of it has been removed from even the city's own website!)

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