Travel observations and new developments of other cities and countries

[bnacincy]

1 hour ago, nashvylle said:

Cincinnati is one of my favorite cities for architecture and city urban design. 

Cincinnati has a lot of older built environment that Nashville does not have-the best examples are part of Over The Rhine, the Carew Tower and Netherlands Plaza Hotel. At the moment I'd give Cincinnati the edge on impressive views of Downtown over Nashville's Downtown.

But Nashville is catching up. It has pretty much caught up with Cincy in terms of metropolitan area population.

[markhollin]

JDL Development Reveals Plans For North Union Complex In The Near North Side of Chicago.

More at YIMBY Chicago here:

https://chicagoyimby.com/2020/11/jdl-development-reveals-plans-for-north-union-complex-in-the-near-north-side.html

 

[rolly]

Aaargh you got me. Thought this was Nashville for a second. 

[e-dub]

On 11/11/2020 at 6:34 PM, bnacincy said:

Cincinnati has a lot of older built environment that Nashville does not have-the best examples are part of Over The Rhine, the Carew Tower and Netherlands Plaza Hotel. At the moment I'd give Cincinnati the edge on impressive views of Downtown over Nashville's Downtown.

But Nashville is catching up. It has pretty much caught up with Cincy in terms of metropolitan area population.

I absolutely love the bridges in Cinci, as well. 

[MLBrumby]

It's quite difficult to beat the view of Cincy's skyline as you come down the hill in Covington heading north on I-75 toward the river. Just the right mix of height all rising to the center of the tight cluster of downtown buildings. 

[Auntie Yock]

^And then you hear the WKRP theme song start playing in your head.

[bnacincy]

5 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

It's quite difficult to beat the view of Cincy's skyline as you come down the hill in Covington heading north on I-75 toward the river. Just the right mix of height all rising to the center of the tight cluster of downtown buildings. 

Up here they call that spot "cut in the hill". It reminds me of 65 southbound in Nashville where it merges with 24 just before the Trinity lane exit and the city skyline view opens up.

Yeah cut in the hill is still the better view but we should revisit this comparison in about 5 years if not earlier.  Nashville is booming and Cincinnati isn't.

[MLBrumby]

We call our cut on I-24 just east of downtown the "Ridge Cut"... if you're local you know what the guys on the radio mean. If not, you're s.o.l.  Come to think of it, you're s.o.l. regardless because there's no way around Chattanooga. Just sucks... and always bumper to bumper both ways. 

[bnacincy]

37 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

We call our cut on I-24 just east of downtown the "Ridge Cut"... if you're local you know what the guys on the radio mean. If not, you're s.o.l.  Come to think of it, you're s.o.l. regardless because there's no way around Chattanooga. Just sucks... and always bumper to bumper both ways. 

Cincinnati and Chattanooga have this strange connection to each other. They are both in Hamilton county, they both have an area called Red Bank, both have an Eastgate and Northgate mall. Baron Erlanger started the Cincinnati Southern railway which began in Cincy and its terminus was Chattanooga-the Erlanger family  built Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. Erlanger Kentucky was named after the Baron and is located not far from cut in the hill.

My grandparents lived in East Brainerd so I'm very familiar with the  ridge cut!

 

[MLBrumby]

That's a pretty fun game around here. Didn't know of a couple of those (Erlanger and the Eastgate/Northgate). I'll throw in a few more obvious ones... 

Both Start with C and have the same number of syllables

Both are bisected by I-75

Both are on the southern borders of their respective states, and the hubs of their respective "Tri-State" regions

Both on tributaries to the Mississippi River, each one named for their respective states

Both have cities/towns named Dayton just to their north

Both have their old main train stations still standing and converted to another use (I love that museum at the Cincy Union Station). Although, IIRC there is still passenger service at Cincy's (Am I right?). 

Used to have universities named for their cities. But since 1969 University of Chattanooga has been known as UTC

6 hours ago, bnacincy said:

Cincinnati and Chattanooga have this strange connection to each other. They are both in Hamilton county, they both have an area called Red Bank, both have an Eastgate and Northgate mall. Baron Erlanger started the Cincinnati Southern railway which began in Cincy and its terminus was Chattanooga-the Erlanger family  built Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. Erlanger Kentucky was named after the Baron and is located not far from cut in the hill.

My grandparents lived in East Brainerd so I'm very familiar with the  ridge cut!

 

 

[MidTenn1]

7 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

We call our cut on I-24 just east of downtown the "Ridge Cut"... if you're local you know what the guys on the radio mean. If not, you're s.o.l.  Come to think of it, you're s.o.l. regardless because there's no way around Chattanooga. Just sucks... and always bumper to bumper both ways. 

Welcome to Chattalanta! The City needs to push TDOT to schedule a 'Smart Corridor' project similar to what's being installed on I-24 between Murfreesboro and Nashville. It will coordinate traffic movement over a 'parallel' 4-lane roadway to optimize traffic flow on the I-24/I-75 corridor (Nashville and Virginia to Atlanta traffic). It would remove some of that traffic from the 'Ridge Cut' and 24/75 interchange when feasible and necessary.

[MLBrumby]

That's great!! Is that official?  Where did you come up with that map? Two state d.o.t.'s would complicate getting support for this, but it would benefit GA at least as much as TN, possibly more so. 

[MidTenn1]

3 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

That's great!! Is that official?  Where did you come up with that map? Two state d.o.t.'s would complicate getting support for this, but it would benefit GA at least as much as TN, possibly more so. 

Before I retired from TDOT I was involved in preparing a 10 year budget for the Intelligent Transportation Systems program for the State Legislature. This smart corridor concept, along with the above mentioned I-24 project was included in the budget. 

State DOT's work together frequently on ITS projects. I've worked with Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas and Virginia. You need iron-clad contracts and competent support from the Federal Highway Administration.

This is a new way of looking at not just building a road and walking away, but actually operating the road to provide smart tools for motorists to use to have safe and efficient travels. The I-24 project underway.....

There had been preliminary discussions with the city to incorporate EPB's vast internet network along the Interstates to provide better monitoring of traffic and provision of real-time information to the motorist. We even discussed incorporating the Volkswagen company in our plans with regard to the possibility of  incorporating smart technology in the autos that would  connect to the internet and help make good decisions. Alas,  it never went beyond initial discussions. Maybe someday.

PS: I have two daughters and 3 grandchildren living in Chattanooga, so I go there a lot.

Edited November 17, 2020 by PHofKS

[MLBrumby]

I really hope that idea is revived, even with the expanded lanes on I-24 which are about to be added from Belvoir to the I-75 junction and the lanes from downtown to the GA border west. I just don't see how the ridge cut can ever accommodate the expanded traffic because lanes cannot be added. I believe an exit is included in the lanes added west of downtown that will go to Broadway at the US Foundry site. The plan above would work better with that exit and then connecting to Rossville Blvd. There are already several streets there that can connect to an ITS (Smart Corridor). Now would be the time to do it. 

[LA_TN]

18 hours ago, PHofKS said:

Welcome to Chattalanta! The City needs to push TDOT to schedule a 'Smart Corridor' project similar to what's being installed on I-24 between Murfreesboro and Nashville. It will coordinate traffic movement over a 'parallel' 4-lane roadway to optimize traffic flow on the I-24/I-75 corridor (Nashville and Virginia to Atlanta traffic). It would remove some of that traffic from the 'Ridge Cut' and 24/75 interchange when feasible and necessary.

I cut through East Ridge/41 just so I can drive through the tunnel 

[markhollin]

The latest super tall Commodore Tower being proposed for Manhattan's Midtown East district at 1,646 ft. 

More at YIMBY New York:

https://newyorkyimby.com/2020/11/1646-foot-tall-project-commodore-revealed-new-york-citys-possible-new-tallest-building-by-roof-height-in-midtown-east.html

 

[markhollin]

Oakland, CA will have a large, cool new mixed-use project called Mandela Station built around an existing BART (Bay Area Transit) train station.

More at YIMBY San Francisco here:

https://sfyimby.com/2020/11/west-oakland-station-transit-development-approved-by-city-planning-commission.html

 

[BnaBreaker]

Oakland is such an underrated city.  

[MLBrumby]

OK... I realize this isn't a travel to another city post (so if it's not allowed, then I'll remove).  But I stumbled across this advert for a 1961 Vette and couldn't help wondering what the city is. Anyone familiar with those buildings? I first thought Rockefeller Center and Chrysler, but I'm not aware of any area from that vantage point that even ever had a gas station. I think a clue may lie in that curved building at bottom right. BTW: This one made me chuckle a little... as it's obviously aimed at a male buyer. However, in this photo where did he go? The bathroom?  And how well do you think that flaming red hat held up in the rushing wind as the car sped down the highway? Oh, the fantasy of advertising!

Edited November 25, 2020 by MLBrumby

[Auntie Yock]

3 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

OK... I realize this isn't a travel to another city post (so if it's not allowed, then I'll remove).  But I stumbled across this advert for a 1961 Vette and couldn't help wondering what the city is. Anyone familiar with those buildings? I first thought Rockefeller Center and Chrysler, but I'm not aware of any area from that vantage point that even ever had a gas station. I think a clue may lie in that curved building at bottom right. BTW: This one made me chuckle a little... as it's obviously aimed at a male buyer. However, in this photo where did he go? The bathroom?  And how well do you think that flaming red hat held up in the rushing wind as the car sped down the highway? Oh, the fantasy of advertising!

This is Manhattan. That is the Chrysler Building and the other building (in the Rockefeller Center-style) to the right is the Daily News Building ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_News_Building ). The photo is taken from the vicinity of East 38th/37th near FDR Dr/1st Ave, though because so many buildings have gone up in this area in 6 decades, it's almost impossible to see this view today. The closest I was able to find was about 2009 in this (albeit awkward and not quite the right angle) at 38th & 1st.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7457598,-73.9704316,3a,15y,328.86h,105.94t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVtTyaqDMef-2Mner8s-OsQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[MLBrumby]

Thank you!! I knew I could count on the folks here. You put me in the general area, and I found the location (NW corner of 1st Avenue and East 37th Street). That curved building was the Eastside Airline Terminal (1954-1984) which was a launch point for airline passengers from Manhattan. It was replaced in the mid 1980s by The Corinthian, largest apartment tower in NYC at the time. Gas station was at the site of the present day Manhattan Place (built 1985) at 630 1st Avenue. 

 

[markhollin]

Courtesy of Bay Area YIMBY: Construction is well underway for the Brooklyn Basin development, one of the largest in the city of Oakland with thousands of units and two planned skyscrapers.  Located adjacent to the gentrifying Jack London District, it is a new mixed-use district with 3,100 new units, 200,00 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, a few marinas, and thirty acres of public parks.

 

[markhollin]

Rendering of Raleigh's massive 160 acre Downtown South development, including their proposed soccer stadium:

[carolina1792]

2 hours ago, markhollin said:

Rendering of Raleigh's massive 160 acre Downtown South development, including their proposed soccer stadium:

New renders out this month.  Of course, a lightening rod for NIMBYs' outcry. 

 

 

[smeagolsfree]

Here is the St Louis MLs Stadium project.

http://enews.archpaper.com/q/NltT-qYUAmsv0XwDsKYnvKdW5kfETej2NLAHZcOJc21lYWdvbHNmcmVlNzdAeWFob28uY29tw4gHINHr6xvdJC4eVOCzdXjmRuAQQ