RoanokeFound

I should have said which street is the camera on? If you look way in the background, you can make out buildings... should give an clue as to which way its facing.

Good show! Bonus round - which direction is the camera facing?

5 points and a chance at the bonus round to the first contestant who can tell me what streets we are seeing at that intersection... and.. GO

thanks - took a while to line it up properly

I hate that guy, always mowing his lawn and trimming his hedges at all hours, and for that they give him a Movie? Hard at work on the next site update - so forgive the lack of photos...

warehouse row - aka. e-town

Todays photo - since Im off:

theres this thing called salt... and something called sand mix them together you have a 1-2 punch that destroys snow and ice.

nope, you can bike - walk - skateboard -whatever up and down that road all day and night.. come to think of it - thats the only way up to the star after they close the gates at 11pm

Thats because County spends next to nothing on services, whereas the city provides services the county never would. Like public transit, frequent garbage collection, curbside recycling. All the things that contribute to the quality of life. County just gets to sit back and do nothing, and spend the money on laptops and the like for the school kids. Imbalance? Absolutely, but understandable once you know the reasons why. Plus - City has more rental properties, which should be no excuse, but people tend to care less about things when they are living in someone elses place. I could tell you stories, but I'll save them for another thread, eventually.

SOL? You want to really test these kids and stress the system - switch to the NY Regents program. Arcane, outmoded, and ultimately useless - basically its like giving a double-final at the end of the year. One for what you learned in class, and one for everything you have learned on that topic your whole life. The only reason I ever did well on them was because a. I could write, and b. I am an avid reader. Standardized testing is no real indication, and in some cases, more of a detriment to the school system. Then again, yall have this image problem as it is - advertising on tv and radio about how half the state doesn't have a high school diploma. Yeah, thats gonna get businesses to move here. How about ads offering the GED program, and making it look attractive, like something thats worthwhile? Too easy I guess. Sorry, I've got a brain for PR and Advertising. I always get to know my target market, its like a sickness.

Queens-Nassau Border - mere inches from the wheels of planes landing at JFK airport. And whats wrong with the city schools? Im hearing alot of the same arguements and complaints about the schools, but no one is suggesting a fix. And remember, Im a product of the worst school system imagineable, so it takes alot for me to consider them bad.

not early, just well. I like to see road - and after the ice storm we had back the beginning of winter, the dividing line under the 220 overpass was pathetically noticeable. City roads were clear, crystal clear - while county was a wreck waiting to happen. Sorry - Im from NY, I know its not that hard to clear a road, or at least make the driving conditions acceptable.

Slate Hill lol.. I don't want to live in the county anymore. I like my roads at least somewhat plowed in a snowstorm.

Actually the wife and I are taking advantage of a little known program the city offers to first time homebuyers so long as they buy in the city. Were getting close to our first home, but not just yet.

This is the switchback road, which now doubles as the driveway for the house. It's called Prospect Rd.

Well.. we have dogs - and they so need a yard. They have never been outside without a leash on. Poor things.. my poor arms is more like it.

Well, I guess if you like a massive, 88-foot star perched just above your roofline.. lol It has to be stunning though.. but how you get to it is another matter.. Ever hear of the Switchback road?

The only house on Mill Mountain - with panoramic views of the entire Roanoke Valley. A bit gaudy for my taste, but hey - whats $1.4 mil between friends? http://gis.roanokegov.com you can find anything you want this way

Across from the main Police Dept. building downtown on Campbell they are converting one of the older buildings into lofts. It's not an area I've had much opportunity to explore or photograph so I have no pics of it - but its on my list. The Vision 2020 plan has allready reshaped the future of Roanoke. The first massive change that came about was rezoning the entire city. Because of it, more duplexes in residential areas are up for sale, and if you buy a duplex in the city and convert it back to single family - you get 10 years tax breaks. Add another 10 for each level of multi-family you convert back to single. I saw a Quadplex - no kidding, just a house - carved up. That would have been 40 years of tax breaks. And easily $40,000 worth of work to refurbish it. Biggest problem right now is the "flipped" homes. Im currently looking for a home in the target price range of a few flips - and I can attest to people getting sick of doing the work and just wanting to sell. A 3/4ths flip is still a 3/4ths flip - not fully done. Yet they expect to get full price for it. Spec real estate is a dangerous game, and flipping is no different. Eventually, the market will be flooded with half-flipped houses. This has to be played extremely carefully or we will wind up with illegal rentals under the new zoning.

Rockledge... or.. my next home.

Information as to date on Slate Hill: zero. As I said - I think its going to be all retail, and one major hotel. Personally, Motel 6 is as ritzy as I need, so it's obviously not geared towards me.

Atlanta bread is going directly across from Prominade where the big Finks is now. Atl B Co. 5 Brothers Burgers, and a couple of others - John Norman I think is one.. A hospital on Slate Hill? Sounds like a bad movie starring Vincent Price to me... lol First Ive heard about that though, but no - no such public benefit will come of Slate Hill.

The Slate Hill project is alleged to be a "high-end, upscale retail area" with the promise of stores, a hotel, restaurants.. the whole 9. All they are constructing are the access points, roads, and the concrete pads for the nonexistant lease-holders. It's called Spec Building. It's dangerous, it backfires all too easily, but if it works - the payoff is huge. The Sleep Zone is the building right behind Red China and the movie theatre. Tucked wayyy in the back, but right next to 220. What really kills me is the back wall of the food court, that used to be outlets - and you can still see where the counters were - but they tried to cover it with frescos.