Subject: East Van Buren St.
In 1979 my parents moved me from a small town in Michigan to Phoenix. They sold everything and moved here without jobs or a house. We stayed in the Desert Inn Motel on 4oth St. and Van Buren for about two months while we looked for a house to buy. Back then, there were a lot of old nastey motels that ran up and down Van Buren probably renting by the hour. Why we stayed in that motel is beyond my comprehension but it sure was quite an experience. Since that time, I've graduated High School and College here in Arizona and lived in Los Angeles for 13 years. Now I feel I've come full circle since I live less than a mile from that motel (yes, it's still there) and take Van Buren to work every day for the past seven years. Although most of the old seedy motels have long since given way to corporate buildings and airport hotels, Van Buren still offers a lot of inner city character and stories. I hope to capture these in my photographs.
