Travel observations and new developments of other cities and countries

[Luvemtall]

donNdonelson2 , thanks for those great pics of your time in NYC! Brings back a lot of memories, I was born and raised in Connecticut, lived there till I was 29 then went to Florida for many years ( still thinking that was a mistake) until we moved here to Tennessee in 2006. NYC was our go to place, and once I was 18 and started my driving career, I was there Monday-Friday. Haven’t been there since 2015 when we went to see Loin King and dinner at Carmine’s , I do get homesick from time to time. There’s just something about the City that stays with you forever! Thanks again 

[donNdonelson2]

3 hours ago, Luvemtall said:

donNdonelson2 , thanks for those great pics of your time in NYC! Brings back a lot of memories, I was born and raised in Connecticut, lived there till I was 29 then went to Florida for many years ( still thinking that was a mistake) until we moved here to Tennessee in 2006. NYC was our go to place, and once I was 18 and started my driving career, I was there Monday-Friday. Haven’t been there since 2015 when we went to see Loin King and dinner at Carmine’s , I do get homesick from time to time. There’s just something about the City that stays with you forever! Thanks again 

Happy to know you enjoyed the photos. It was a treat to visit the city as a tourist, as all of my time in the city in the last couple of decades had been work related. 

[Binbin98]

On 1/13/2023 at 2:36 PM, chc3 said:

Snapped this picture of Bellevue from the northbound 405 Freeway this morning looking NW. The 600’ 555 Tower is topped out. Amazon is the chief tenant.

 

I'm going to tacoma in a month to see my best friend I will try and snap some photos of the seattle and tacoma skylines. I am also going to vancouver as well so there will be many pacific northwest photos coming soon. I avoided going to portland on purpose XD

[markhollin]

New York City's Pier 57 renovation/repurposing is complete with 350,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and an 80,000 sq. ft. rooftop park (courtesy of YIMBY New York):
 

[chc3]

14 hours ago, Binbin98 said:

I'm going to tacoma in a month to see my best friend I will try and snap some photos of the seattle and tacoma skylines. I am also going to vancouver as well so there will be many pacific northwest photos coming soon. I avoided going to portland on purpose XD

I’ll get some Portland shots, although its skyline isn’t that impressive even though it’s larger than Nashville 

[KJHburg]

Downtown Tampa this week.  Currently 4 buildings over 500 feet in downtown. 

Plus lots of construction too.  This tower is underway the Pendry   https://www.pendryresidencestampa.com/

New condo towers along Bayshore Blvd. too like these

https://theresidencestampa.com/

Huge mixed use multi block project called Water Street  where that Greenwise by Publix store is. 

https://waterstreettampa.com/

Edited January 17, 2023 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

and neighboring St. Petersburg has really revitalized their downtown.  Once called "God's waiting room" St Pete has now lots of apartments and young people downtown.  Did not see a single chain restaurant or store all locally based businesses and thriving.  It is really a great downtown with many historical smaller scale buildings saved.  

check out their under construction high rise projects

https://stpeterising.com/under-construction-projects

[nashville born]

On 1/15/2023 at 9:51 AM, chc3 said:

I’ll get some Portland shots, although its skyline isn’t that impressive even though it’s larger than Nashville 

I look forward to them.  I know it's a modest skyline, yet I'm a big fan of it.  Has nice visual variety and some of the shots with Mt. Hood behind the skyline are really cool to me.

[nashville born]

Midtown Manhattan is getting another supertall, Project Commodore.   It will be an 85-story, 1,575' tall mixed used tower and will replace the Hyatt Grand Central (images courtesy NY YIMBY).

 

[Binbin98]

On 1/17/2023 at 7:56 AM, KJHburg said:

and neighboring St. Petersburg has really revitalized their downtown.  Once called "God's waiting room" St Pete has now lots of apartments and young people downtown.  Did not see a single chain restaurant or store all locally based businesses and thriving.  It is really a great downtown with many historical smaller scale buildings saved.  

check out their under construction high rise projects

https://stpeterising.com/under-construction-projects

Come along to Miami and I can show you around! Many developments are happening here

[smeagolsfree]

I wish I knew you were down there or maybe I did but forgot. I could have used a guide. I was overwhelmed by the lack of just knowing where to go when I was there. The city is by no means pedestrian friendly. I did get on the MetroMover, but the employees were not very helpful as far as telling you how to get from point A to point B. I could have saved an hour if I had taken the Mover to the Park West Metromover Station and then taken the S bus to Miami Beach, but I was told to just take the S bus and was stuck in traffic for an hour. I stayed in Ft Lauderdale and the commute was awful to and from on the Tri Rail and then on the Metro rail. The system was as bad if not worse than Atlanta's. I am thinking it was worse. The Metromover was the highlight. The commute from Ft Lauderdale to and from ended up being about 4 hours roundtrip after it was all said and done as I did not want to drive into Miami and figure out parking. I did meet some very nice and friendly people there and for some reason a number of folks that were from Dayton Ohio. That was an oddity. I had some good Cuban food and beer as well!

I saw what I needed to from the Metromover but no offence I have no desire to ever go back. It's just not my cup of tea, as I will leave it to the snowbirds and to the people that love the hell that is Disney.

I did enjoy seeing the skyline, Little Havana, & Miami Beach. I stayed in Ft Lauderdale and took the Water Taxi through the canals which was a unique experience. I also spent half a day in St Augustine and wish I had spent more time there. The skyline was very spread out to say the least.

I am sure if a person likes warm or hot weather year-round it is a great place but give me seasons and mountains. It is a little too crowded for me and I am not a beach person. I am glad I went to see Miami but to go back to Florida is not int he cards. It is sort of like drinking the water in Mexico. You do it once and you will never do it again. This is just me and I am sure millions of other people love it. I love the high desert of the SW and may move there some day. That is a place most people would hate. Different strokes for different folks.

Guys don't give mt too much flack for this as this is a personal opinion and I do respect a person's opinion. I am not slamming Miami as it is a great city. It has flaws like any other city.  It and the state of Florida is not somewhere I would like to live. I like New York city, but would I live there.....Hello no! As for the Disney comment I stand by it. It used to be a great place but since it has opened it has gone downhill and turned into a commercial money grabbing monster.

 

[Bark At The Sun]

Ft Lauderdale is a nice getaway from Nashville this time of year.  Very walkable and the water taxi is a nice way to get around the city ad the harbor area..........we usually Uber from the airport.   Lots of nice hotels with outdoor bars and restaurants along A1A. 

[smeagolsfree]

I did my Taxi tour at night which was pretty cool.

[MontanaGuy]

On 1/18/2023 at 9:59 AM, nashville born said:

Midtown Manhattan is getting another supertall, Project Commodore.   It will be an 85-story, 1,575' tall mixed used tower and will replace the Hyatt Grand Central (images courtesy NY YIMBY).

I sure hope this one happens, it's my favorite of all of the current Manhattan projects.  Very interesting design and I especially like the roof. 

[MLBrumby]

1 hour ago, MontanaGuy said:

I sure hope this one happens, it's my favorite of all of the current Manhattan projects.  Very interesting design and I especially like the roof. 

I used to stay at the HGC about 20 years ago when I had business in NYC.  A "meh" hotel, but a prime location. Fun fact: Project Commodore harkens back to the original name of the hotel (Commodore Hotel), built in 1919.  Donald Trump and Hyatt renovated the hotel in the late 1970s by ripping off the masonry facade and encasing in glass and essentially gutting the building to put in modern rooms. It is a pretty design, but mixed emotions about the Chrysler building being blocked on that side by it. 

[KJHburg]

Here is Miami and Sunny Isles from last week.  Sunny Isles has the tallest buildings right on the ocean than anywhere in the western hemisphere.  Sunny Isles Beach has 9 buildings over 600 feet and more on the way.  all condos of course.  I go to Miami because I have friends in Palm Beach County and with a skyline like Miami's you can't miss it even it means going 70 miles south like I did. 

Miami is nice in the winter to walk around for sure  and see some spectacular buildings.  It is not the most pedestrian friendly as mentioned above however their Metromover is nice way to get around downtown and their riverwalk is nice respite from the sidewalks too.   I am no Miami expert but I know my way around and it is my favorite Latin American city!  And I can honk my horn with the best of them. 

Interior mall is really an open air mall called Brickell City Center.   Nashville (and Charlotte for that matter) needs a big Ferris wheel maybe on the opposite side of the river to view your skyline.  It would be popular with all your tourists.    Last 5 photos from Sunny Isles. 

[Binbin98]

7 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Here is Miami and Sunny Isles from last week.  Sunny Isles has the tallest buildings right on the ocean than anywhere in the western hemisphere.  Sunny Isles Beach has 9 buildings over 600 feet and more on the way.  all condos of course.  I go to Miami because I have friends in Palm Beach County and with a skyline like Miami's you can't miss it even it means going 70 miles south like I did. 

Miami is nice in the winter to walk around for sure  and see some spectacular buildings.  It is not the most pedestrian friendly as mentioned above however their Metromover is nice way to get around downtown and their riverwalk is nice respite from the sidewalks too.   I am no Miami expert but I know my way around and it is my favorite Latin American city!  And I can honk my horn with the best of them. 

Interior mall is really an open air mall called Brickell City Center.   Nashville (and Charlotte for that matter) needs a big Ferris wheel maybe on the opposite side of the river to view your skyline.  It would be popular with all your tourists.    Last 5 photos from Sunny Isles. 

Would you like a tour next time haha

great photos and yeah there needs to be more public transportation here. It’s what Miami is lacking sorely

[markhollin]

Houston's Humble Oil/Exxon tower (45 stories, 1.2 million sq. ft., circh 1962) has been sitting empty for 8 years.  But now CMI Developers is going to convert it into apartments.  Originally designed by Welton Becket & Associates, it is known for its “fins” which protrude from the building’s exterior to provide shade from the sun.

https://realtynewsreport.com/exxon-skyscraper-sold-for-apartment-conversion/?fbclid=IwAR2l3lAmcZ8zZ5ch8xxZWeXesm6pTPKCUyJTUP1ONm50F9Gt7DIo_cVOSBI

 

[markhollin]

In an effort to keep the Bears from moving out to a proposed new stadium/village in Arlington Heights, the City of Chicago and various investors are proposing a remodel of Solider Field (with a roof!) and surrounding area.

 

[chc3]

Downtown Seattle looking south from the Fremont neighborhood with the Fremont Bridge over South Lake Union. Shot October of 2021. I have a lunch meeting downtown on Tuesday and will post more photos.

Edited January 22, 2023 by chc3

[nashville born]

On 1/19/2023 at 2:39 PM, MLBrumby said:

I used to stay at the HGC about 20 years ago when I had business in NYC.  A "meh" hotel, but a prime location. Fun fact: Project Commodore harkens back to the original name of the hotel (Commodore Hotel), built in 1919.  Donald Trump and Hyatt renovated the hotel in the late 1970s by ripping off the masonry facade and encasing in glass and essentially gutting the building to put in modern rooms. It is a pretty design, but mixed emotions about the Chrysler building being blocked on that side by it. 

Someone posted a video on one of these strings (maybe this one, not sure) that talked about the Chrysler being blocked by all the supertalls.

[volsfanwill]

I also recently traveled to NYC, the first week of December.  My trip was also to see The Phantom of the Opera.   But instead of more shows, we went to see the Preds play the Islanders at their new home.   We took the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station but had time to see the new Moynihan Train Hall.  I mostly go to museums when traveling so this trip we hit up the Morgan Library and the Met.  also the Museum of Sex (not pictured).   But the highlight of the trip for me personally was finally visiting the former TWA Terminal at JFK. its now a hotel.  it is connected to the current Jetblue terminal via the original bridges.  Since donNdonelson2 covered a lot of the city, I'll limit my pictures to other items. I also agree that prices in the city have increased since my last visit 4 years ago. I first noticed that my Uber from Laguardia into the city was about $20 more than the last time.   So I learned to take the LIRR to JFK. the 99 cent pizza was surprisingly good!

 

 

 

 

 

[donNdonelson2]

Lots of great adventures to be had when visiting NYC! I enjoyed your photos.

[nashscan]

Trip to Oslo, Norway.  Amazing multi-modal public transportation.   If you are a railfan, you need to come here

[smeagolsfree]

Mutual of Omaha breaks ground on new 677' HQ building.

Mutual of Omaha Breaks Ground on 44-Story Headquarters Building in Downtown Omaha - REBusinessOnline