THE Orlando Photo Thread

[spenser1058]

22 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

You're right it doesn't look terribly different, but I can think of at least 10 apartments/condos that have gone up since 2004. In any other major city  that number would be insignificant, but considering downtown Orlando is a completely different animal I think we've come a long way (not saying that I'm satisfied).

The main point of my initial post is that some people are quite comfortable nixing Zoi House over over a tree, but where was this energy when trees were destroyed to build The Vue, Skyhouse, and some of the other apts/condos in S Eola?? If you go back even further and look at historic photos of the area surrounding Lake Eola - there was nothing but trees and wooden houses. Most likely the very ground we stand on and all the modern buildings surrounding Lake Eola that we live in required the removal of a tree at some point. So why are we suddenly drawing a line against redevelopment now??   It boggles my mind how some people can be so resistant to changes that go along with urban redevelopment of vacant lots in city center. As we've seen time and time again, we just don't have the per capita income for developers to justify design outside of the box, so why are we looking a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to Zoi House which is above par when compared to other buildings? Sure we should try to save whatever trees we can but the reality is that we can't save them all, otherwise we wouldn't have anything today lol.

Google satellite:

Let me start by saying I’m aghast at what has become of South Eola and have said so several times over the years. The forested area along Mariposa Street was a particular heartbreaker to lose, as were the well-treed lots just north of Constitution Green.

This is the second time you have decided once there is a precedent to do something many deem unwise, we can never revisit it.

In fact, in South Eola, we did, with Constitution Green. Also, a popular revolt saved Eola Park’s South Lawn from becoming a high rise (some of us wanted to save at least 3 of the Eola Five, but as we always have to point out to the Bernie Bros, compromise is how things work in a democracy). Also keep in mind that we are working with an administration that, oddly in a heavily Democratic city, never met anyone with deep pockets they did not like and, whether it’s Lincoln or the DeVos family, when they say “jump”, all Buddy does is say “how high”? Meanwhile, some of the most connected folks in town have banded together to try and expand Eola Park further.

Sometimes, it takes a while to achieve critical mass to fight back. New York City’s preservation efforts didn’t begin until a major loss, the destruction of Penn Station. It was big enough that everyone in town said, “no more”.

Humans have the ability to learn from our mistakes and one hopes we do so as much as possible.

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

22 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

1) The main point of my initial post is that some people are quite comfortable nixing Zoi House over over a tree,

2)but where was this energy when trees were destroyed to build The Vue, Skyhouse, and some of the other apts/condos in S Eola??

3)If you go back even further and look at historic photos of the area surrounding Lake Eola - there was nothing but trees and wooden houses. Most likely the very ground we stand on and all the modern buildings surrounding Lake Eola that we live in required the removal of a tree at some point. So why are we suddenly drawing a line against redevelopment now??  

4) It boggles my mind how some people can be so resistant to changes that go along with urban redevelopment of vacant lots in city center. As we've seen time and time again, we just don't have the per capita income for developers to justify design outside of the box, so why are we looking a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to Zoi House which is above par when compared to other buildings?

5) Sure we should try to save whatever trees we can but the reality is that we can't save them all, otherwise we wouldn't have anything today lol.

Too many things to address without numbering them and addressing them individually.

1) It was me who first brought up the issue of the tree on the ZH parcel. I have never suggested that the city should step in and block construction in order to save the tree in question. All I ever said was that I HOPE the project dies of it's own accord. Not just because of the tree, but because of the neighboring building as well. Plus, I think the overall scale of the building as designed is too massive for that location. I would love to see someone design a smaller tower around the tree. Someone else suggested possibly moving it. If that could be done, I'd love that, too. But I am not so much of a dreamer that I think the cavalry will come to the rescue in the form of official decree or public outcry.

2) As far as I know, no significant, large old trees were removed in order to build The Vue, which replaced an old gas station, or SkyHouse which was pretty much an empty lot. The two ugly shoeboxes on Church St took down a few old trees but they weren't very big and were mostly kind of beat looking anyway. The old oak on the ZH lot is full, robust and beautiful.  It would be a crying shame to lose it.

3) It would be pretty pointless to complain about things that were done before any of us were born, don't you think? But, just because things were done in the past is no justification for doing them now. And btw back in the days you're talking about, most of the trees around Eola were pine trees. They were the native species for Central Florida scrub pine lands which is what Orlando was 100 + years ago. The big oaks weren't planted until the 1930's which is how long most of the big ones have been growing there.

4) I am not resistant to change, you've just misinterpreted my position. See point #1.

5) Again, nobody suggested saving them all, but it would be nice if the big older ones could be voluntarily saved by those who are designing the buildings if at all possible.  Nobody, least of all me, ever suggested that the city should block all development that requires tree removal. 

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Let me start by saying I’m aghast at what has become of South Eola and have said so several times over the years. The forested area along Mariposa Street was a particular heartbreaker to lose, as were the well-treed lots just north of Constitution Green.

This is the second time you have decided once there is a precedent to do something many deem unwise, we can never revisit it.

In fact, in South Eola, we did, with Constitution Green. Also, a popular revolt saved Eola Park’s South Lawn from becoming a high rise (some of us wanted to save at least 3 of the Eola Five, but as we always have to point out to the Bernie Bros, compromise is how things work in a democracy). Also keep in mind that we are working with an administration that, oddly in a heavily Democratic city, never met anyone with deep pockets they did not like and, whether it’s Lincoln or the DeVos family, when they say “jump”, all Buddy does is say “how high”? Meanwhile, some of the most connected folks in town have banded together to try and expand Eola Park further.

Sometimes, it takes a while to achieve critical mass to fight back. New York City’s preservation efforts didn’t begin until a major loss, the destruction of Penn Station. It was big enough that everyone in town said, “no more”.

Humans have the ability to learn from our mistakes and one hopes we do so as much as possible.

I agree that South Eola has lost a lot of the charm it had when I lived around there, but I can't say how many big old oaks were taken down. Probably not that many. I think that mainly it's the old houses and buildings having been replaced by cold, bare concrete towers that were designed to look more like they belong in Miami than Orlando that have taken away the old town feel of the neighborhood. 

[nite owℓ]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Let me start by saying I’m aghast at what has become of South Eola and have said so several times over the years. The forested area along Mariposa Street was a particular heartbreaker to lose, as were the well-treed lots just north of Constitution Green.

This is the second time you have decided once there is precedence to do something many deem unwise, you can never revisit it.

In fact, in South Eola, we did, with Constitution Green. Also, a popular revolt saved Eola Park’s South Lawn from becoming a high rise (some of us wanted to save at least 3 of the Eola Five, but as we always have to point out to the Bernie Bros, compromise is how things work in a democracy. Also keep in mind that we are working with an administration that, oddly in a heavily Democratic city, never met anyone with deep pockets they did not like and, whether it’s Lincoln or the DeVos family, when they say “jump”, all Buddy does is say “how high”? Meanwhile, some of the most connected folks in town have banded together to try and expand Eola Park further.

Meanwhile, sometimes it takes a while to achieve critical mass to fight back. New York City’s preservation efforts didn’t begin until a major loss, the destruction of Penn Station. It was big enough that everyone in town said, “no more”.

Humans have the ability to learn from our mistakes and one hopes we do so as much as possible.

 

Aghast at what has become of S Eola?? I'm not touching that one.

I don't consider saving the trees at Constitution Green as the same argument because the land was leased as a park by the city for decades. Curious, did you mourn the old warehouse on that lot too? Still, I can see the merit in arguing the change of land use from a public park to residential. Interesting how you often dismiss Patty's position as a doormat, yet she was very instrumental in securing funding and the property swap w/that family. She certainly has the will and the power if she so chooses.

The lone tree on Zoi House property is in the Central Business District and it's a private lot that deserves to built up to it's highest and best use. The planning board obviously agrees. Yes, once a precedent has been set we need to be clear about where the line begins and ends, otherwise it comes off a bit hypocritical to suddenly start advocating to stop future development after we have personally benefited (as we comfortably sit from our perch overlooking Lake Eola). Talk about having your cake and eating it too. The Vue and Skyhouse required the removal of several trees, but now the removal of one tree for Zoi House is suddenly unacceptable?? LOL If the tree were located in Lake Eola Heights then I could understand that kind of thinking, but we're talking about the CBD here. Hell, I'd fire up the bulldozer myself for a midnight demolition if it means we get to have Zoi House.

Sure we should try to save whatever trees we can but the reality is that we can't save them all, otherwise we wouldn't have anything today lol. The sad thing is that we still don't have very much and yet people are still fighting progress/growth. There will always be people who rail against growth and I'm sure the generation before you didn't appreciate all of the new buildings going up in the 50's & 60's. Sometimes I feel like you wish Downtown Orlando would return to this:

(Orlando Weekly)

Ok that was a bit tongue in cheek, but I only say that to point out the irony of what advocating for predates even you!

 

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by nite owℓ

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, nite owℓ said:

Aghast at what has become of S Eola?? I'm not touching that one.

I don't consider saving the trees at Constitution Green as the same argument because the land was leased as a park by the city for decades. Curious, did you mourn the old warehouse on that lot too? Still, I can see the merit in arguing the change of land use from a public park to residential. Interesting how you often dismiss Patty's position as a doormat, yet she was very instrumental in securing funding and the property swap w/that family. She certainly has the will and the power if she so chooses.

The lone tree on Zoi House property is in the Central Business District and it's a private lot that deserves to built up to it's highest and best use. The planning board obviously agrees. Yes, once a precedent has been set we need to be clear about where the line begins and ends, otherwise it comes off a bit hypocritical to suddenly start advocating to stop future development after we have personally benefited (as we comfortably sit from our perch overlooking Lake Eola). Talk about having your cake and eating it too. The Vue and Skyhouse required the removal of several trees, but now the removal of one tree for Zoi House is suddenly unacceptable?? LOL If the tree were located in Lake Eola Heights then I could understand that kind of thinking, but we're talking about the CBD here. Hell, I'd fire up the bulldozer myself for a midnight demolition if it means we get to have Zoi House.

Sure we should try to save whatever trees we can but the reality is that we can't save them all, otherwise we wouldn't have anything today lol. The sad thing is that we still don't have very much and yet people are still fighting progress/growth. There will always be people who rail against growth and I'm sure the generation before you didn't appreciate all of the new buildings going up in the 50's & 60's. Sometimes I feel like you wish Downtown Orlando would return to this:

(Orlando Weekly)

Ok that was a bit tongue in cheek, but I only say that to point out the irony of what advocating for predates even you!

 

 

Constitution Green was originally scheduled to be a Winn-Dixie, did you know that? Zoning is what City Hall wants it to be (just like tree ordinances). Anyway, one of the most amazing trees in the area was, quite literally, on the chopping block. Actually, as to had the power, you should heard the discussions I had during that time with my landlords about it (they owned Constitution Green).There were lots of folks involved, including Patty. (How often, btw, has Patty actually delivered a vote actually stopping Buddy on anything? Answer -never. What is your obsession with her?  Our gay commissioner also caved on giving money for an arena to one of the most homophobic families in Florida- see Amendment 2).

As for The VUE, it was the site off Hank’s Chevron. I bought gas there for years (Hank only did full service, oddly enough) and I’m sure  I would have noticed any major trees. I never did. As for Skyhouse, I don’t know.

As I’ve mentioned before, when there are no empty parking lots downtown available to build on, come back and talk. For now, genuflecting to any developer that throws out a plan like we always do is ridiculous. Quality of life (not to mention reducing air pollution and saving energy) are perfectly valid reasons to negotiate a better future. Thank goodness, we’ve begun to find our voice on that. Drive down any major road in this town (OBT, Colonial East or West, 436) and you see what you get when development has little control over it . We can do better.

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by spenser1058

[nite owℓ]

23 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

2) As far as I know, no significant, large old trees were removed in order to build The Vue, which replaced an old gas station, or SkyHouse which was pretty much an empty lot. The two ugly shoeboxes on Church St took down a few old trees but they weren't very big and were mostly kind of beat looking anyway. The old oak on the ZH lot is full, robust and beautiful.  It would be a crying shame to lose it.

3 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

As for The VUE, it was the site off Hank’s Chevron. I bought gas there for years (Hank only did full service, oddly enough) and I’m sure  I would have noticed any major trees. I never did. As for Skyhouse, I don’t know.

C'mon man Palmetto had large oak trees on both sides of Robinson, see the 2004 aerial photo I posted above. So now those trees weren't full or robust enough to save? Sounds like a moving target to me. What's wrong with replanting oak trees in suitable areas after redevelopment?

 

46 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

3) It would be pretty pointless to complain about things that were done before any of us were born, don't you think? But, just because things were done in the past is no justification for doing them now. And btw back in the days you're talking about, most of the trees around Eola were pine trees. They were the native species for Central Florida scrub pine lands which is what Orlando was 100 + years ago. The big oaks weren't planted until the 1930's which is how long most of the big ones have been growing there.

Seems a bit hypocritical to move the hard line against development to the period after one was born or to whatever nostalgic era one is personally comfortable with, IMO. Zoi House is a nice building, the decision has already gone up the chain and it was vetted. Goes back to my point about Solaire = BAD, but Seaside Plaza & Citrus Center = *crickets*. Solaire is nowhere near as horrible as either of those buildings at street level but somehow Solaire is the devil?? I'm just asking to keep things in perspective and stop looking a gift horse in the mouth when we actually get something nice.

 

11 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

(How often, btw, has Patty actually delivered a vote actually stopping Buddy on anything? Answer -never. What is your obsession with her?  Our gay commissioner also caved on giving money for an arena to one of the most homophobic families in Florida- see Amendment 2).

I'm not obsessed with her. I only bring her up because you repeatedly refuse to hold her accountable for anything even though she is the commissioner of our district. You bypass the hierarchy skip right to blaming Buddy lol. I guess I should ask what is your obsession with him?

 

15 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

As I’ve mentioned before, when there are no empty parking lots downtown available to build on, come back and talk.

We still have an empty lot in the CBD which is why we're even talking about Zoi House to begin with. Yes, redevelop the lot even if that means tearing down Fratelli's (granted, it's one of the nicer facades on the block). It's a necessary evil, or would you prefer to have another lot sitting for decades that no one can do anything with like the property across from Tanqueray's? It's clear Zoi's podium looks the way that it does because future development may wipe out the neighboring buildings fronting Orange. The entire strip from Livingston to Robinson would benefit from a midnight backhoe spree (including beloved Labelle furs) and I'd happily support it so long as the owners are fairly compensated. Not every old ramshackle, barely-historic, questionably-contributing structure is worth saving. Unless they start talking about demolishing gems like Kress or First National Bank, etc. then I'll actually give a rat's behind.

It's unlikely that we will ever come to an understanding on this, so we'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that.

[JFW657]

7 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

C'mon man Palmetto had large oak trees on both sides of Robinson, see the 2004 aerial photo I posted above. So now those trees weren't full or robust enough to save? Sounds like a moving target to me. What's wrong with replanting oak trees in suitable areas after redevelopment?

Unless you can show me a picture of those trees on Palmetto from a street level view as opposed to an aerial picture taken from far off in the distance, then there's no real way to know exactly what condition the trees that were taken down were in.  If they were in good shape, I'm sorry they're gone.

But just because I didn't bring up the issue and post about it during construction of The Vue, doesn't constitute hypocrisy or "a moving target" as you claim. All I'm doing here is expressing opinions. Just because I didn't voice a similar opinion on a different project over a dozen years ago does not mean that my opinion has changed. Certainly in hindsight, I'd like for the developers of The Vue to have worked around those trees, assuming they were savable, but I'm not going to harp on ancient history.

One thing I do know, is that the biggest, oldest and most significant tree on Palmetto was saved.

Here's an Orlando Sentinel article about it from October of last year:

 

Quote

Majestic witnesses to history provide breaths of fresh air

Just as Central Floridians continue to miss the Senator, the ancient bald cypress destroyed by fire in 2012, we’re grateful that even in the center of Orlando, remarkable trees still survive as silent sentinels to our history.

Reader George A. Rodon recently sent an email about one such tree. “My daughter who works in downtown Orlando impressed me last week by taking me by an oak tree in the middle of tall buildings far younger than this beautiful specimen,” he wrote about the hidden treasure tucked at Palmetto Avenue and East Jefferson Street between structures.

“Immediately I wondered,” Rodon wrote, “what if this tree could talk? How many stories could it tell us?”

Survivors in the city

The survival of the tree Rodon wrote about was not always certain. It became the center of controversy in 1996 when a planned office expansion included its demise; after a grassroots coalition of folks objected, the city of Orlando declared it a “historic specimen” and it remains with us.

Early photos of Orlando often show scrub and sand rather than shady streets, and it’s a good bet that we have much of our tree canopy because someone took the trouble to plant these beauties. In 1889, for example, the city awarded a contract to Albert G. Branham & Co. for 400 trees to kick off a campaign for shade.

Other great oaks have volunteered to join our landscape, sprouting where an acorn dropped or wandered, some of them centuries ago. The Southern live oak at cozy Big Tree Park, 930 N. Thornton Ave., is considered the city’s oldest, at 350 to 400 years.

Full article:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-fe-joy-wallace-dickinson-20191013-i5hm4z4hgnd77cgozuqnyrslai-story.html

 

 

As for replacing them with new saplings, that's not much of a trade off. By the time they're old enough to provide the beauty and shade of the ones that were sawed down, we'll all be long gone. 

Let them truck in full sized adult trees. That would be a decent trade off. 

7 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

Seems a bit hypocritical to move the hard line against development to the period after one was born or to whatever nostalgic era one is personally comfortable with, IMO. Zoi House is a nice building, the decision has already gone up the chain and it was vetted. Goes back to my point about Solaire = BAD, but Seaside Plaza & Citrus Center = *crickets*. Solaire is nowhere near as horrible as either of those buildings at street level but somehow Solaire is the devil?? 

There is no hypocrisy and I am not moving any line. Your suggestion that I am is ridiculous.

You're talking about things that might have happened when my grandfather was born. Attitudes were different then. Nobody paid attention to things like saving trees.

If any big old oaks were felled as Orlando grew during the early to mid 20th century, there is likely not even any record of them. You'd have to provide evidence in the form of before and after photographs before it can even become a legitimate argument. 

Actually, your entire premise is based on assumption and conjecture. 

7 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

I'm just asking to keep things in perspective and stop looking a gift horse in the mouth when we actually get something nice.

No, what you're really asking is for people to stop expressing opinions you don't approve of.

And the answer is "No".

I will continue to express my hope that Zoi House never happens as designed and that the beautiful old oak tree on the lot remains there alive and well for decades to come. And the neighboring building, too.

You'll just have to live with it.

[jgardnerucf]

 

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

You'll just have to live with it.

...and breathe it's oxygen!

[nite owℓ]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

Unless you can show me a picture of those trees on Palmetto from a street level view as opposed to an aerial picture taken from far off in the distance, then there's no real way to know exactly what condition the trees that were taken down were in.  If they were in good shape, I'm sorry they're gone.

But just because I didn't bring up the issue and post about it during construction of The Vue, doesn't constitute hypocrisy or "a moving target" as you claim. All I'm doing here is expressing opinions. Just because I didn't voice a similar opinion on a different project over a dozen years ago does not mean that my opinion has changed. Certainly in hindsight, I'd like for the developers of The Vue to have worked around those trees, assuming they were savable, but I'm not going to harp on ancient history.

One thing I do know, is that the biggest, oldest and most significant tree on Palmetto was saved.

Here's an Orlando Sentinel article about it from October of last year:

As for replacing them with new saplings, that's not much of a trade off. By the time they're old enough to provide the beauty and shade of the ones that were sawed down, we'll all be long gone. 

Let them truck in full sized adult trees. That would be a decent trade off. 

There is no hypocrisy and I am not moving any line. Your suggestion that I am is ridiculous.

You're talking about things that might have happened when my grandfather was born. Attitudes were different then. Nobody paid attention to things like saving trees.

If any big old oaks were felled as Orlando grew during the early to mid 20th century, there is likely not even any record of them. You'd have to provide evidence in the form of before and after photographs before it can even become a legitimate argument. 

Actually, your entire premise is based on assumption and conjecture. 

No, what you're really asking is for people to stop expressing opinions you don't approve of.

And the answer is "No".

I will continue to express my hope that Zoi House never happens as designed and that the beautiful old oak tree on the lot remains there alive and well for decades to come. And the neighboring building, too.

You'll just have to live with it.

That Jefferson/Palmetto tree is not located on a vacant lot though. Its location is better suited close to the ROW which lessens its need for removal and future development around the tree may still be possible if parcels are combined. Trees are clearly visible in the aerial view of the 2004 photo - as is the one on Jefferson/Palmetto for comparison in size.

*My opinion* is that we should try to keep things in perspective, especially given the prominent location of Zoi House. If the property is located within the CBD: I will almost always choose projects like The Vue, Skyhouse, Zoi and any above-par development over what actually existed before - even if it means destroying trees. But again, that's just my opinion.

You offered a rebuttal to my post & asked a question, so I responded and gave you an answer. You'll have to live with that as well No one is attempting to stop you from expressing your opinion on the site. This is UrbanPlanet, we all vent, debate and express our perspectives. It's not that serious.

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by nite owℓ

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, nite owℓ said:

That Jefferson/Palmetto tree is not located on a vacant lot though. Its location is better suited close to the ROW which lessens its need for removal and future development around the tree may still be possible if parcels are combined. Trees are clearly visible in the aerial view of the 2004 photo - as is the one on Jefferson/Palmetto for comparison in size.

*My opinion* is that we should try to keep things in perspective, especially given the prominent location of Zoi House. If the property is located within the CBD: I will almost always choose projects like The Vue, Skyhouse, Zoi and any above-par development over what actually existed before - even if it means destroying trees. But again, that's just my opinion.

You offered a rebuttal to my post & asked a question, so I responded and gave you an answer. You'll have to live with that as well No one is attempting to stop you from expressing your opinion on the site. This is UrbanPlanet, we all vent, debate and express our perspectives. It's not that serious.

• Re: the 2004 photo, it doesn't show the trunks and limbs from a vantage point that allows one to assess their overall condition. They may have been kind of scraggly and in need of removal anyway. Therefore the picture not adequate for the purposes of insinuating that I'm guilty of hypocrisy on the subject for not having mentioned them twelve years ago when The Vue was in development. And honestly, even if there is a close up picture of the former trees that shows them to be in good shape, it still doesn't make me guilty of a double standard because there could be any number of reasons why I didn't make an issue of them back then. The most likely one being because it just didn't occur to me. That doesn't make me a hypocrite. 

• Re: your opinion, you are welcome to have and express your opinion regarding anything that has to do with any subject being discussed. I might disagree with it, but I won't give you a hard time simply for expressing it.

• Re: the last paragraph, I will have no problem whatsoever living with your response and answer. I will say that you seem to have been annoyed and irritated by my opinion re: the Zoi tree to the point that you suggested I stop expressing it. That's OK, I'm not complaining, I just want you to understand that my thoughts on the tree will not change and I may very well express them again. 

As for your final comment... that's exactly what I've been saying to begin with.  

[spenser1058]

What’s interesting is that only in Developer World is the idea of saving trees considered a negative.

In Eola Park, for example, there’s a plaque honoring Mayor Marks (yep, the street up by LHPS is named for him) for spearheading the major push to plant trees in the city.

[spenser1058]

You didn’t think it could be done, but here it is: A COMPLETELY DRAMA-FREE POST!

How is this possible, you say? Because at UP Orlando, it’s just the way we roll (at least every second Tuesday during a supermoon- today’s just a bonus.

Let the magic take you...

[dcluley98]

 

That's not a photo, Spenser. 

 

[spenser1058]

3 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

 

That's not a photo, Spenser. 

 

Was it supposed to be?

[JFW657]

Let's all be, as one of our more famous local heroes used to say....

 

[JFW657]

Back on topic.....

Here's an old pic of the East West Expressway aka The 408 under construction in the early 70's....

Looks to be right around Summerlin....

[spenser1058]

9 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Back on topic.....

Here's an old pic of the East West Expressway aka The 408 under construction in the early 70's....

Looks to be right around Summerlin....

Three cheers for Spessard L. Holland! It’s interesting to ponder that the double trumpet connector between the E-W and I-4 is about to be history after being the bane of Orlando drivers since 1973 (actually, for the first couple of decades the E-W was so sparsely used it was rarely a problem: “WHAT? Pay 40c to go across town!?!”)

Edited May 19, 2020 by spenser1058

[jack]

17 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

What’s interesting is that only in Developer World is the idea of saving trees considered a negative.

In Eola Park, for example, there’s a plaque honoring Mayor Marks (yep, the street up by LHPS is named for him) for spearheading the major push to plant trees in the city.

Only if it impacts cost or the design of the project. Plenty of developers build around trees when the parcel is large enough. It is tougher to do downtown because you want and need to build to the street. 

You see it more in master planned communities where they will design it in a way to maximize keeping the nicer trees. But those communities are always high-end.  

[JFW657]

Don't know if this is exactly the right thread for this, but I can't find a more appropriate one.

Besides, I'm making sure to include some pics of downtown Orlando... and they're from a famous TV show, too!!!! 

I'll explain....

Recently, I started watching old reruns of an A&E reality show called Shipping Wars. The reruns are currently on an OTA broadcast channel called Quest. They run a lot of old A&E and History Channel shows from like 5 - 10 -15 years ago. If you're not familiar with Shipping Wars, it's a "reality" show where a group of independent haulers (geeks and weirdos) bid online for shipping assignments all over the country. Of course, the objects they haul are always weird, awkward, difficult and valuable stuff, fraught with the peril of breakage, spoilage etc for dramatic effect.

Anyway, I was watching it Tuesday night when good ol' downtown Orlando made an appearance.  

One of the haulers named Jennifer, an airhead Texas cowgirl/diva type....

....got the winning bid to haul the animatronic animal robot band formerly of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza, from their storage site in that old run down garage on W. Jefferson St., to Atlanta for some kind of anniversary celebration.

I always wondered just how much "reality" was involved in these shows and how much was scripted. During this particular Orlando segment, I noticed something funny. So after it was over, I found the episode on YouTube and replayed that part.

Took some screenshots to help explain, but mainly to show pics of the familiar downtown sites that were featured.

So first, she arrives downtown, introduces herself to the guy who owns and originally designed and built them.

They begin loading everything into her trailer….

Ooops…. little accident. And of course you recognize the buildings in the background….

They finish loading and she hits the road.

Her truck and trailer are shown out on the open road as she says "I've been making good time since I left Orlando"

Notice on the screen it says 5 HRS UNTIL DEADLINE. Given that Atlanta is a good 8 hr drive from Orlando, she must three hours away from downtown Orlando where she started from.

In the next scene, she's shown on a surface street when suddenly there's a thump and a jolt.

She exclaims she's had a flat tire then pulls off the road, turns a corner and….

She's suddenly back in downtown Orlando again, going underneath I-4 on W. Robinson St.!!!! 

She pulls to the curb, on State Ln, one block north of where she started out at THREE HOURS AGO!!!!

So she calls roadside assistance, gets the tire changed and hits the road again.

No sooner than she gets back on I-4….

She's crossing the Florida Georgia state line!!!! 

I really don't think they should be screwing around with our geography like that….  

The full episode....

 

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Don't know if this is exactly the right thread for this, but I can't find a more appropriate one.

Besides, I'm making sure to include some pics of downtown Orlando... and they're from a famous TV show, too!!!! 

I'll explain....

Recently, I started watching old reruns of an A&E reality show called Shipping Wars. The reruns are currently on an OTA broadcast channel called Quest. They run a lot of old A&E and History Channel shows from like 5 - 10 -15 years ago. If you're not familiar with Shipping Wars, it's a "reality" show where a group of independent haulers (geeks and weirdos) bid online for shipping assignments all over the country. Of course, the objects they haul are always weird, awkward, difficult and valuable stuff, fraught with the peril of breakage, spoilage etc for dramatic effect.

Anyway, I was watching it Tuesday night when good ol' downtown Orlando made an appearance.  

One of the haulers named Jennifer, an airhead Texas cowgirl/diva type....

....got the winning bid to haul the animatronic animal robot band formerly of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza, from their storage site in that old run down garage on W. Jefferson St., to Atlanta for some kind of anniversary celebration.

I always wondered just how much "reality" was involved in these shows and how much was scripted. During this particular Orlando segment, I noticed something funny. So after it was over, I found the episode on YouTube and replayed that part.

Took some screenshots to help explain, but mainly to show pics of the familiar downtown sites that were featured.

So first, she arrives downtown, introduces herself to the guy who owns and originally designed and built them.

They begin loading everything into her trailer….

Ooops…. little accident. And of course you recognize the buildings in the background….

They finish loading and she hits the road.

Her truck and trailer are shown out on the open road as she says "I've been making good time since I left Orlando"

Notice on the screen it says 5 HRS UNTIL DEADLINE. Given that Atlanta is a good 8 hr drive from Orlando, she must three hours away from downtown Orlando where she started from.

In the next scene, she's shown on a surface street when suddenly there's a thump and a jolt.

She exclaims she's had a flat tire then pulls off the road, turns a corner and….

She's suddenly back in downtown Orlando again, going underneath I-4 on W. Robinson St.!!!! 

She pulls to the curb, on State Ln, one block north of where she started out at THREE HOURS AGO!!!!

So she calls roadside assistance, gets the tire changed and hits the road again.

No sooner than she gets back on I-4….

She's crossing the Florida Georgia state line!!!! 

I really don't think they should be screwing around with our geography like that….  

The full episode....

 

Dunno how real the show is but a guy, his name was Aaron Fechter, went to Edgewater and USF, had a warehouse downtown that blew up a few years back so at least part of it was real.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Fechter

This was a few years back so that show must be an oldie but goodie

It says it was Showbiz Pizza Place but close enough.

And, for total six degrees of separation, his mother taught at Lake Silver when I was there and his dad had an office at Parkwood Plaza, my hangout as a youngster.

[JFW657]

11 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Dunno how real the show is but a guy, his name was Aaron Fechter, went to Edgewater and USF, had a warehouse downtown that blew up a few years back so at least part of it was real.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Fechter

This was a few years back so that show must be an oldie but goodie

It says it was Showbiz Pizza Place but close enough.

And, for total six degrees of separation, his mother taught at Lake Silver when I was there and his dad had an office at Parkwood Plaza, my hangout as a youngster.

I know some of it is loosely based in reality, but it's highly scripted.

I also knew that building is/was the home of those robot characters because I read about or saw it somewhere a few years ago.

[spenser1058]

14 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

I know some of it is loosely based in reality, but it's highly scripted.

I also knew that building is/was the home of those robot characters because I read about or saw it somewhere a few years ago.

Yep, when it blew up a few years ago with some of his stuff it shut downtown completely during rush hour. I remember that day well.

The film biz has no shame. Driving Miss Daisy about the Werthan family - they were from Nashville but moved them in the film to Atlanta to get the much better Georgia tax credits for making it there.

Edited May 20, 2020 by spenser1058

[codypet]

6 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Don't know if this is exactly the right thread for this, but I can't find a more appropriate one.

Besides, I'm making sure to include some pics of downtown Orlando... and they're from a famous TV show, too!!!! 

I'll explain....

Recently, I started watching old reruns of an A&E reality show called Shipping Wars. The reruns are currently on an OTA broadcast channel called Quest. They run a lot of old A&E and History Channel shows from like 5 - 10 -15 years ago. If you're not familiar with Shipping Wars, it's a "reality" show where a group of independent haulers (geeks and weirdos) bid online for shipping assignments all over the country. Of course, the objects they haul are always weird, awkward, difficult and valuable stuff, fraught with the peril of breakage, spoilage etc for dramatic effect.

Anyway, I was watching it Tuesday night when good ol' downtown Orlando made an appearance.  

One of the haulers named Jennifer, an airhead Texas cowgirl/diva type....

....got the winning bid to haul the animatronic animal robot band formerly of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza, from their storage site in that old run down garage on W. Jefferson St., to Atlanta for some kind of anniversary celebration.

I always wondered just how much "reality" was involved in these shows and how much was scripted. During this particular Orlando segment, I noticed something funny. So after it was over, I found the episode on YouTube and replayed that part.

Took some screenshots to help explain, but mainly to show pics of the familiar downtown sites that were featured.

So first, she arrives downtown, introduces herself to the guy who owns and originally designed and built them.

They begin loading everything into her trailer….

Ooops…. little accident. And of course you recognize the buildings in the background….

They finish loading and she hits the road.

Her truck and trailer are shown out on the open road as she says "I've been making good time since I left Orlando"

Notice on the screen it says 5 HRS UNTIL DEADLINE. Given that Atlanta is a good 8 hr drive from Orlando, she must three hours away from downtown Orlando where she started from.

In the next scene, she's shown on a surface street when suddenly there's a thump and a jolt.

She exclaims she's had a flat tire then pulls off the road, turns a corner and….

She's suddenly back in downtown Orlando again, going underneath I-4 on W. Robinson St.!!!! 

She pulls to the curb, on State Ln, one block north of where she started out at THREE HOURS AGO!!!!

So she calls roadside assistance, gets the tire changed and hits the road again.

No sooner than she gets back on I-4….

She's crossing the Florida Georgia state line!!!! 

I really don't think they should be screwing around with our geography like that….  

The full episode....

 

I'll take the space time continuum stuff, but who calls roadside assistance and gets them to show up and get back on the road in 30 mins?!?!?!  If I'm in my car I've owned for 20 years, have an empty parking lot best I can do is 15min.  I know whenever I've called roadside assistance, its usually 1-4 hours just for them to show up.

[spenser1058]

42 minutes ago, codypet said:

I'll take the space time continuum stuff, but who calls roadside assistance and gets them to show up and get back on the road in 30 mins?!?!?!  If I'm in my car I've owned for 20 years, have an empty parking lot best I can do is 15min.  I know whenever I've called roadside assistance, its usually 1-4 hours just for them to show up.

And to think here we are the headquarters of AAA...

[smileguy]

2 hours ago, codypet said:

I'll take the space time continuum stuff, but who calls roadside assistance and gets them to show up and get back on the road in 30 mins?!?!?!  If I'm in my car I've owned for 20 years, have an empty parking lot best I can do is 15min.  I know whenever I've called roadside assistance, its usually 1-4 hours just for them to show up.

My biggest thing is that they have all the same buildings in the shot.  At LEAST move to a different part of DTO!