Day 293 of 365

No matter how hard I try to get away the love I have for this city somehow finds me. Below these words are some selects from only a single roll of film I shot in downtown Waterbury, Connecticut. I met some really nice people, and I met some really not nice people. Luckily everyone in these photos were the nice ones. Beautiful people just looking to have a good day, get to work, fill their bellies, spend time with loved ones.

The heartbreaking part for me is the disparity in part because of the economic collapse of the industrial brass industry after WWII. The fact that the city still hasn’t found a way to bounce back after all these years blows my mind. I know little on the matter but from my memories growing up, Waterbury has had a slew of corrupt politicians. Not only that but we have not taken the time to invest in our schools, specifically at the high school and collegiate level. No 18 year old wants to go to a school that doesn’t have a massive sports facility, great job opportunities, and passionate alumni.

In the future, I’d like to see Waterbury rebuild itself. I’d like to see the beautiful, shops, law firms, bars, and restaurants filled with the immigrants that made this city all that it once was. I’d like to see successful people leaving a college town, and not the current state of which it sits. Getting stuck and dying from overdoses in the parking garage of the Waterbury mall is hardly what this city should have turned out to be, but that seems to be the reality here now.

More photos of this will be coming soon.