of all the time capsules in the world, metro’s was the best. i spotted this place on my way to pick my brother up from college a few years ago. it stuck with me in a way that many places haven’t. i wasn’t familiar with the area or the name but immediately upon entering and seeing such a specific ambient glow at the door, i knew i was in the right place. metros was founded in 1950 by Mary and Metro Sanyshyn on route 96 just outside the village of owego. it remained family owned for the next 7 decades. when i went inside, the staff showed me photos of it from its glory days. not much had changed. in all honesty it was hard to believe a place like this still existed. so many places closed over the pandemic - and worse yet so many places have been renovated to fit a number of modern, bleak standards. it’s almost as if time literally stopped sometime in the 1960s but this place kept up at its normal pace. it didn’t have a website, just a phone number and *i think* a facebook page. the whole scene inside and out was surreal. the facade, interior, and sign were straight out of a dream. in 1993 they added a mini golf course complete with a pink elephant next door. it was perfect. unfortunately metro’s abruptly closed earlier this year and, with the property going up for sale a few weeks ago, it seems like it has finally sung its swan song. i’m very sad to see this one go, and i think it deserves a moment of celebration in the same way many other landmarks do. i just love that metros was authentically itself. it wasn’t rebranded, wasn’t overly kitschy, it was simply as real as you can get. built for a different era. i’m happy to have seen this place with people that I know appreciated it in the same way, too. may the next person that buys this place show it the same love that it was shown for over 70 years. and may we continue to preserve and appreciate what we can, while we can. color and history continue to fade before our eyes every day. i’m not sure if i have anything profound to bring to the table beyond that but just know that it was a truly special place. ❤️

kansas and missouri.

midwest + northeast apparitions 1. sky-vu drive in, russell KS 2. london’s varsity shop facade, kingston NY 3. ashover motel, cresco PA 4. sky-vu reprise

Audience views 🎭 Kutsher’s Country Club, Monticello NY Homowack Lodge, Spring Glen NY Brown’s Hotel, Loch Sheldrake NY

blue motels panorama motel, breezewood pa, 2025 timberline motel, hale eddy ny, 2026 town and country motel, mount pocono pa, 2025

The Chalet @veraleewestwood wearing @topshelfjewelry Lighting / Photo by @isaacjeffreys Assisted by @residentevyl

Sno-tel

Alone in love @veraleewestwood in the Pompeii Pool Lighting/photo by @isaacjeffreys Assisted by @residentevyl

Roto-Sphere No. 160, built in 1964 Of roughly 234 Roto-Spheres ever made, only about 20 survive and four still spin. This one hovered above the Catalina Motel in Lexington KY, and is now preserved in Indiana. ⚛️

Mini Golf.

Divatown Headquarters Starring @veraleewestwood Lighting / Photo by @isaacjeffreys Assisted by @residentevyl & @bootleggerbungalow

The Chanteuse Starring @veraleewestwood Photographed by @isaacjeffreys Assisted by @residentevyl and @bootleggerbungalow

Mosquito Bites with @tyevansofficial A magical August evening I’ll never forget, shot in the long-neglected Rosemond Hotel pool in Woodridge NY Assisted by @daramanzi & @jconstantinx Photo + Lighting by @isaacjeffreys

Vera at The Chateau Bleu Starring: @veraleewestwood Vintage: @topshelfjewelry Lighting / Photography: @isaacjeffreys

Celeste, Mirrors, & Chandeliers | 2025 - Starring: @dadspecialfriend Dress: @collinastrada Heels: @amiss.online Fashion: @emceestudios MGMT: @suprememgmt - Creative direction by @isaacjeffreys and @dadspecialfriend

Pocono Palace A last look inside The Applause Nightclub, mere days before the resort’s demolition, featuring @theangelnati

The Champagne Palace

Champagne

Moments from 2024… I: Facing the audience at The Stevensville Hotel’s Starlite Room, Swan Lake NY, May ‘24 II: Nati at Pocono Gardens Lodge, Cresco PA, July ‘24 III: The Unisphere, Queens NY, August ‘24 IV: Vera Lee Westwood & Amanda Lepore, Manhattan NY, April ‘24 V: The Holiday Motel sign, Howes Cave NY, March ‘24 VI: Love Bailey at The Saga, Pasadena CA, June ‘24 VII: Jordon backstage at The Villa Roma, Callicoon NY, October ‘24 VIII: The Pines Hotel post-fire, South Fallsburg NY, October ‘24 IX: Scarlett Strauss, May Happs, & Mackenzie, Provincetown MA, June ‘24 X: Barkev & The Cotillion, Wichita KS, May ‘24 I’m always grateful for the ability to create images that are inspired by so many different, yet similar things—history, architecture, pop culture, people, music, to name a few…It’s felt transformative bringing people into my photographs even more this past year (all who deserve a huge thank you for bearing with my ideas)! I love illustrious, fabulous places, and as long as they exist, I will be photographing them—and people in them! More to come in 2025…and yes, a photo-book is still in the works! 💜

Love at The Starlite Drive In, 2024 Shortly after we shot these photos this sign was leveled and will be replaced with a replica. The original sign dates back to 1950s 💫 Love’s ensemble comes from her massive collection of vintage showgirl costumes from Las Vegas & Hollywood’s golden ages - the stars in particular were tdesigned by Bob Mackie. Starring: @loveisbailey Hair: @fantasies.only Styling: @garrett.blatt Lighting Assist: @barkev