Virginia Beach off-topic

[vdogg]

I'm just curious about the last time when I was at the Oceanfront, down by the amusement park, there was a tower crane working on something...I want to say it was where the Dunes Hotel used to be, but I'm not completely sure. Is there some development along the boardwalk I might be getting this confused with?

You're not thinking of this development are you?

[TBurban]

You're not thinking of this development are you?

I don't think that's it...my friends actually bought a condo at the Ocean Beach Club I think the one I had seen was just foundation this past summer, I think in relation to the Ocean Beach Club, this was at the opposite end of it. It's near...The Colony Condominiums tower.

[metalman]

You are thinking of the Spring Hill Suite Marriot. It's about a 15 story bread box. It was supposed to be a really cool wavy glass full tilt Marriot, but that got shot down.

[vdogg]

You are thinking of the Spring Hill Suite Marriot. It's about a 15 story bread box. It was supposed to be a really cool wavy glass full tilt Marriot, but that got shot down.

Ok, yeah you're right. Why'd they cancel the wavy glass one in favor of this again?

[rusthebuss]

Ok, yeah you're right. Why'd they cancel the wavy glass one in favor of this again?

I think it had to do with the cost of steel at that time.

[TBurban]

That's it! Thanks!

[vdogg]

That's it! Thanks!

I went down to the oceanfront today to view what your talking about. That project is actually called 321 oceans and it's a condo tower.

[TBurban]

I went down to the oceanfront today to view what your talking about. That project is actually called 321 oceans and it's a condo tower.

Oh, well hey, thanks for the confirmation!

[vdogg]

Good Lord. 22 guests in the Va. Beach forum at 7:30 on a Sunday? Something is definately going on. Our guests counts have been exceptionally high this past week in both forums.

In the time it took me to post that we've jumped to 34.

[vdogg]

Ah, I found the culprits. 14 guests in the Studio 56 progress thread and another 10 in the Midtown at CityView thread. Looks like your pics drummed up a bit of interest guy.

[urbanvb]

Ah, I found the culprits. 14 guests in the Studio 56 progress thread and another 10 in the Midtown at CityView thread. Looks like your pics drummed up a bit of interest guy.

great! hope we get some new members.

[vtfan18]

A little FYI...Va Beach made the list at number 10 for most walkable cities.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/08/walkable....s.ap/index.html

[vdogg]

A little FYI...Va Beach made the list at number 10 for most walkable cities.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/08/walkable....s.ap/index.html

Haha. Two years in a row. I still don't understand it. There is nothing walkable about this city. Oh well, good publicity I guess.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Well... what do you expect from CNN...

Good publicity though.

[burt]

Haha. Two years in a row. I still don't understand it. There is nothing walkable about this city. Oh well, good publicity I guess.

You don't think the Boardwalk is walkable?

[vdogg]

You don't think the Boardwalk is walkable?

Sure it is but I am referring to the city as a whole. It is very suburban and spaced out and crossing many streets around here is practically taking your life into your hands. Definately not top 10 material in my book.

[rusthebuss]

What ever happened with the vabeach sports training facility? We haven't heard anything in months about that.

[metalman]

If anybody is looking for some great live music to see, my band Frameshift, and the Jay Rakes Band are playing on April 19th at Steppin' Out on First Colonial Rd near Laskin Rd, next to the Kmart. It used to be a country venue, but it is turning to rock now. We're starting at 8:00pm, Jay Rakes will be going on at about 9:30.

Both of us are instrumental progressive rock/metal bands in the vein of Dream Theater, Rush, Yes, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Symphony X, etc, etc. Usually my band has had a singer, but we've been without one for a while. So, we are doing this gig instrumentally and retooling our songs slightly to work without words.

This gig will be a change from the typical cover band and radio rock scene. It would be cool to see you guys out there!

Metalman

[vdogg]

Nimbyism is on the rise in Va. Beach

"It's the standard NIMBY thing," he said, quoting the acronym for "Not In My Backyard." "We're going to make sure this... doesn't outweigh the desires and the wishes of the whole neighborhood."

Johnson and Brittingham, cousins born and raised in Shadowlawn, say that kind of talk inspired them to splinter off and form new groups.

"We believe the sidewalks would turn this into an urban landscape like New York City," Brittingham said. "It's the paving of America."

When we have this type of uproar over sidewalks, I shudder to think what our future holds.

[erdogs]

Sidewalks contribute to crime?

[Padman]

Sure! Sidewalks have cracks and we've all heard of crack cocaine. Also, the name of the neighborhood is Shadowlawn. The furtive shadows on the lawns will now appear on the sidewalks. They'll be more visible there and that will decrease property values. It's good marketing to keep those evil shadows on the lawns.

[urbanvb]

An article from yesterday's Pilot states the new farmer's market at TC will open on Main Street on June 30th. It will open from 8am until noon every Saturday through the end of October. I was hoping it would be open additional days but hopefully it will be successful.

[vdogg]

Beach visitor spending hits record, but city still profits less from tourism

Virginia Beach

[vdogg]

State/Beach protest offshore drilling

With the Oceanfront as a scenic environmental stage, a quartet of state and local officials announced opposition Friday to a federal plan that would expand offshore oil and gas drilling. The four held a news conference at the 31st Street park to protest a Department of the Interior plan that could open 3 million acres of ocean floor off Virginia to exploration. The proposal, which includes a ban on drilling within 50 miles of Virginia's coast, will be before Congress later this year.

[Padman]

A different idea: whenever I see the old Mayflower apartment building, I think of high-rise housing projects in the Bronx or in Brooklyn. It's been there since 1952, and for better or for worse, an iconic symbol of the developed oceanfront. With the new time-shares and other projects nearby, some of the views from the Mayflower have been blocked, albeit not entirely. It could still be a good place to live, but it needs a facelift. I see some real potential when I see the illustrations for the Centennial Towers (one tower really) project in Richmond. That's a handsome building that shares some basic features of the Mayflower. I wonder if the old girl could be upgraded along the lines of Centennial Towers, or if it would be worth the effort, given the lost view-shed. Any thoughts?