VFYW: Area Boy Buggers Turtle

A somewhat NSFW #373.

(For the View From Your Window contest, the results below exceed the content limit for Substack’s email service, so to ensure that you see the full results, click the headline above.)

A quick update from last week’s submitter:

I just wanted to say I really enjoyed reading all the stories and guesses about my photo in last week’s VFYW. I apologize for writing “Honiara Hotel” in my little blurb — that was, of course, the King Solomon, as 18 readers deduced. My confusion stemmed from the fact I usually stay at the Honiara Hotel, as it’s a really oddball place with 1950s charm in the form of large, kitschy outdoor statues of fish, mermaids, fruit, etc., and also a funicular, though it hasn’t worked in ages.

Just because I can, I have attached a photo of the place I’m currently staying at, since I’m away on duty travel again. This time to Pape'ete, Tahiti, French Polynesia:

Another bonus view from our super-sleuth in Chattanooga:

I’m not adjusting to the Wednesday deadlines well (but not really an excuse, since I couldn’t get my act together for Friday either). I’d left last week’s puzzle behind somewhere around Tahiti before hitting these slopes in Winter Park, CO — a week after most of the mountain had shut down for the season:

On to this week’s view, a sleuth writes:

I’m 100% sure of the USA. I’m 99% sure it’s the Midwest — between the brick buildings with the circular towers, the trees, and the peek of the granite building in the back leads me to the heartland. I’ve been here before — problem is, this could be one of dozens of revitalized warehouse districts anywhere in the US. White license plate, no front plate. That leaves MI, IN, PA and a bunch of Southern states + PA. I’m 99.9% sure this isn’t PA, but I’m probably wrong.

Cars are wrong for the Midwest — WAY too many imports and only one domestic.  Totally wrong for Michigan. No rust, so probably not MI or PA. Almost thought CO due to the number of SUVs and Subarus.

I’m going back to Indianapolis — though I doubt you would return after just being there a few weeks ago. Tough one this week. Most of the sleuths who get this, aside from Chini, will have been here before. 

Chini serves up a clue alongside his bird’s-eye view:

As a kid growing up, there may have been no cooler building than our local armory. Built like a brick castle, complete with an M-60 main battle tank out front, it was the source of countless childhood daydreams. So when this week’s view cropped up, that wee little turret at left was a dead giveaway that we were looking at a similar one.

But where precisely? Turns out the answer was easy; all you needed was a fine appreciation for Bodenner’s artistry ...

Not as easy for this sleuth in Chicago:

There are enough clues in this one that someone might think it’s rather solvable. The red brick building sports Old Glory, designating a US location — unless it’s an embassy. That’s unlikely, although the mounted cameras all over indicate a need for heightened security. Is it a prison? 

Also, it appears that one truck’s front-end (partially obscured by a tree branch) does not have a front license plate. So, find a list of states that don’t require front-end plates. Next, conduct a search for bus-stop signs from cities large enough to support bus service in those states. Well, I couldn’t find an exact match, but Minneapolis’ bus stop signs are pretty darned close.

The conical roof is another clue. My memory indicates (and Google supports) that Mary Richard’s apartment house (from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) had such a roof on its corner:

A search for conical roofs on red-brick buildings in Minneapolis found several examples. But I could not find this particular building. Although I doubt that I’m correct, I’m going to stick with Minneapolis, in hopes that I’m at least close.

About 1,350 miles away. But first, more greetings from the Twin Cities:

Hi all! I’m on vacation so I’m not going to do research, but this photo looks so much like the Minneapolis Mill District ... all of those arched windows and brick! Thanks for letting me submit a lazy guess. Greetings from the beautiful New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia!

The “mediocre super-sleuth” gets to the right region:

Even without the Emcor Services truck, I immediately knew we are somewhere in New England. I have a feeling we are within 100 miles of where I grew up outside of Boston. Seemingly every New England town has either an old brick armory or mill. But I just couldn’t find it this one. It was fun looking.

Another entry is simply “Middletown, Connecticut, USA.” Some other quick hits:

• New London, CT, in front of the Amtrak train station

• Hartford, Connecticut

• Manchester, NH, USA

A more detailed Manchester entry:

Well, I decided to make a quick guess, just to try to keep my numbers up. Looking at the picture, it feels like the Northeast in the US. I looked up Emcor Services, which looks like a large company. They have offices in the Northeast, so I took a swag and am guessing Manchester, NH. Have a great week!

A less ebullient entry:

No joy this week. I have no clue but the old (19th century or earlier) bricks — so redolent of the mid-Atlantic states or possibly New England — and the architectural hints of “armory” or “mill.” I’m opting for Ballston Spa, NY, the county seat of Saratoga County, which has similar-feeling buildings. I’m guessing the actual view is not too far away, maybe the Southern Tier of New York or the Hudson Valley.

Another state from this sleuth:

I figured I would enter even though I don’t have time to find this one. The orange fiberglass stake in the ground says snow-plow marker, so it’s for sure in the north. Gut reaction is New England. So many brick mills to choose from. One truck doesn’t have a front license plate, so I’m going with Maine. From there I would need a brute-force search.

Our longtime sleuth in Bend names the right state: