It’s time for another look at Alviso, a historic San Francisco Bay Area town. It’s a small community of about 2000 residents and has a mix of time-worn and well-kept vintage homes, authentic Mexican restaurants, decaying abandoned factories, and long-gone businesses. Silicon Valley development goes on around the town but not much in it. Despite its worn appearance, the unchanged character of Alviso draws me back time after time.
Earlier this year, I posted a story about the Bayside Canning Company you can read about here. In that post, Bayside Canning Company Blues, I had focused on the street-front wooden structure of the cannery. On this visit, I explored the exterior of the dilapidated warehouse and backside of the cannery from a safe distance behind a chainlink fence.
Time has taken a toll on the cannery which closed its doors in 1936. What’s left today is the shell of the warehouse, missing and broken doors, a collapsed roof on the wooden structure, and signs that nature has taken root in the empty spaces. Yet, I see beauty in the soft golden colors that cover the cement structure, in the geometric shapes that take center stage in the hollow space, and in the soft brown patina of the wood siding. Wouldn’t you agree? Or, do you scratch your head and wonder, what’s up with beauty in decay?
Just down the street from the cannery sits an abandoned houseboat rooted to dry land. While still intact, the boat is showing signs of stress with cracking, peeling, and yellow discoloration of the wood siding and railings. The soft orange-colored door with the stained glass feature, on the other hand, seems to be still holding up. With Alviso located about 13 feet below sea level, it wouldn’t take much flooding during the winter rainy season for this houseboat to be back in the water and I’m not sure it would still float.
I’ll be back to Alviso in the near future to explore more of this historic town in the South Bay.
Inspiration: Thursday Doors.
Capturing Moments 
I am very much on your page with regard to the beauty of decaying structures!!
Hi Sue, I’m glad I’m not alone. 🙂
Far from it!
🙂
Interesting – I’ve never been to Alviso although I do live in the bay area – nice shots.
Thank you, JT. The Alviso County Park is a nice place to walk and bike. You pass through the historic town on the way to the park. Alviso is one of only a few places in the South Bay that hasn’t been “developed” and still has its original character.
Great set of images, I much prefer old decaying buildings.
Thanks! I’ll be very sad if they ever tear down
these decaying historic buildings.
Oh, yes, marvellous, especially the last three images.
Thanks, Manja.
Some beautiful colours and textures. ‘Uneasy beauty’ just about sums up the attraction.
Indeed. As much as I love the colors and textures of the decaying buildings, I wish they could be restored and repurposed.