Front Street

On the map it's labeled Shore Avenue, but everyone here calls the street that runs along the sound Front Street. There's even a big book called Front Street Kotzebue that sells for $50 in our bookstore that's full of black and white photographs of the street in different seasons over the years. (I would really like the book, but the only two page spread in the whole thing is a picture of the dump. What kind of statement is that?)

I wish I had taken some pictures along the street myself when I first got here or even early this last summer before the construction began. Right now the street's about halfway through a facelift. I believe the reconstruction project is scheduled to be completed next summer.




This is looking southwest down the street. Over the years, Front Street had eroded, and what was the functional (dirt) road was creeping into the yards of the houses and businesses along it. The project includes widening it and building a seawall to avoid further erosion.



This picture is looking northeast. Earlier this summer there would have been no street where you see the trucks. The project also includes some pull-out observation spots (since this is such a heavily traveled & toured spot?!) The lights are of course new. I'm not sure what else will be done.


Here you can see the seawall. Where I'm standing there used to be a dirt ramp down to the ice that people used to get to the snow machine trails and that I used to get out on the ice to ski. I'm hoping they still leave a spot because you can see there's a big drop from the wall to the water.

Speaking of the water, can you see the ice in it? This time of year is called freeze-up. Here's a little video I put together (in about 5 minutes so don't expect much) about it.

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