Just Wow

[Ivanhoe]

55 minutes ago, I am Reality said:

I would agree the Best Places rankings (the 2 stars) count for little (if anything).  As I said, the commenters seemed waaaay too harsh on the people in Orlando.  I have NEVER - in 35 years living here off and on - experienced rude people.  I have certainly never experienced "sociopathic" people.  That is just crazy talk.  I see the people here as a huge advantage.  

I still see many valuable posts on it though (people-bashing, aside). 

Also, I noticed quite a few very postive commenters who didn't give Orlando any stars.  That is clearly a mistake that likely skewed the ranking.

I had not seen the Best Places ratings for the other cities mentioned.  That is kind of funny.  It renders the whole ranking system worthless.  

I think that the City Data comments are pretty spot-on.  They are mostly positive with a fair-share of healthy criticism.  

I value a debate on these issues.  It really bothers me that some people (not nearly all) have lost perspective or objectively.  I see posting anonymous cheerleading as no different than anonymous criticizing.  

(P.S I also welcome Uncommon.  I am glad you started posting.)

I’m another long time lurker on this forum and others. This one is by far the most informational and knowledgeable about the Orlando metro area. I wouldn’t want it to devolve into that nonsense at City Data.

[spenser1058]

Will downtown Tampa be less tacky without the Channelside HOOTERS? The Tampa Bay Times wants to know:

https://www.tbo.com/news/business/Carlton-Has-downtown-Tampa-outgrown-tackiness-and-Hooters-too-_170581828

[I am Reality]

In a first-ever Just Wow/Ideal Transportation crossover post . . .

The trackless train.

Planned already in China 

 

[jrs2]

^^

what is that, a bus with hidden wheels?

[I am Reality]

14 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

^^

what is that, a bus with hidden wheels?

Pretty clever, right?

It reminds me of the kiddie choo-choo rides.

Think it would work?  

Wouldn't it be hilarious if cities had to spend billions for actual rail systems, and this thing catches on??

 

 

[spenser1058]

Thought for the day from Rudy Giuliani on yesterday's Meet the Press: "Truth isn't truth."

[spenser1058]

Scott Maxwell points out the latest case of elected officials in jobs paying six figures which should just be technical staff positions:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-joel-greenberg-muslims-tax-collector-scott-maxwell-20180821-story.html

It's way past time to phase out these cushy welfare-for-politicians jobs. Sadly, Tallahassee is doubling down and trying to prevent counties with charter governments from phasing the positions out (which isn't a surprise given former legislators like Fran Carlton, Rich Crotty and Scott Randolph often run for these jobs after leaving the House and Senate.)

From the Sentinel

[AmIReal]

I thought these graphics of US land use was pretty cool.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-us-land-use/

[orlandouprise]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 8:56 PM, I am Reality said:

Pretty clever, right?

It reminds me of the kiddie choo-choo rides.

Think it would work?  

Wouldn't it be hilarious if cities had to spend billions for actual rail systems, and this thing catches on??

 

 

I believe this is what Ft Lauderdale is looking at doing in their DT core

[spenser1058]

Just curious if any of our UP'ers have shopped at our remaining Sears stores lately (our last Kmart in Clermont disappeared in April, supposedly.)

If you did, are the stores still in good shapes? Are the shelves full?

[spenser1058]

Ever wonder how big Central Florida is? We all know about the Orlando MSA (#23 with a bullet! as Casey Kasem would have said), but there's an even larger designation, the CSA (Combined Statistical Area.)

The Orlando CSA picks up three additional counties (Sumter, Volusia and Flagler.) We're ranked even higher on that list (#17.)

Oddly, we don't pick up Brevard County, which is contiguous to Orange (which Volusia isn't.)

That could change. At one point, Orlando had gotten ahead of Charlotte on the MSA list but then the Census Bureau gave them some extra counties and they pulled back ahead.

If we ever add Brevard (and with roadways being expanded to better link Orange and Brevard and with lots of new STEM folks at the Cape likely to form closer ties with UCF, it seems possible,) we'd add more than a half-million folks overnight.

The folks in the Polk portion of Four Corners also mostly work in the attractions area but are not currently part of our total. We continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_statistical_area

From Wiki/US Census Bureau

[IAmFloridaBorn]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Ever wonder how big Central Florida is? We all know about the Orlando MSA (#23 with a bullet! as Casey Kasem would have said), but there's an even larger designation, the CSA (Combined Statistical Area.)

The Orlando CSA picks up three additional counties (Sumter, Volusia and Flagler.) We're ranked even higher on that list (#17.)

Oddly, we don't pick up Brevard County, which is contiguous to Orange (which Volusia isn't.)

That could change. At one point, Orlando had gotten ahead of Charlotte on the MSA list but then the Census Bureau gave them some extra counties and they pulled back ahead.

If we ever add Brevard (and with roadways being expanded to better link Orange and Brevard and with lots of new STEM folks at the Cape likely to form closer ties with UCF, it seems possible,) we'd add more than a half-million folks overnight.

The folks in the Polk portion of Four Corners also mostly work in the attractions area but are not currently part of our total. We continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_statistical_area

From Wiki/US Census Bureau

Awesome. I Always wondered why Orange and Brevard werent more connected.

[Jernigan]

Polk should be part of our MSA before Sumter 

[spenser1058]

Robert Venturi, one of the first celebrity architects to move past modernism, died this week. 

The local work he will be remembered for is the Celebration bank:

https://www.thoughtco.com/celebration-florida-disneys-ideal-community-178231

From Thoughtco

More on his career:

Robert Venturi, Architect Who Rejected Modernism, Dies at 93  
https://nyti.ms/2NqmrjA?smid=nytcore-ios-share

From the New York Times

 

[spenser1058]

So we've had Arby's and Buffalo Wild Wings either downtown or nearby - could there be a Sonic in our future?

The owners of Arby's and BWW announced today they're buying Sonic. Come on, guys, bring us a Sonic!

https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/25/news/companies/sonic-bought-inspire-brands-arbys-buffalo-wild-wings/index.html

From CNN

[HankStrong]

They own Wendy's, too? Am I remembering that correctly?

[spenser1058]

10 hours ago, HankStrong said:

They own Wendy's, too? Am I remembering that correctly?

Wendy's and Arby's apparently parted ways in 2011:

https://money.cnn.com/2011/06/13/news/companies/wendys_sells_arbys/index.htm

From CNnCNN

[spenser1058]

Scott J usually just reviews restaurants and such but this time he gives it up for Southeast Steel. Someone recently asked if SES should abandon their, ummmm, well-weathered location downtown in favor of something a tad more trendy. Like most of their longtime customers (and especially after losing all those Kenmores at the Fashion Square Sears so recently), I replied with a heartfelt "NO."

Well, it seems Scott feels the same way, which is hardly a surprise.This goes under the REAL conservative mantra, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I should also note I once ran into the same gas conundrum at a new house a couple of blocks east of Princeton Elementary in College Park.

https://www.scottjosephorlando.com/news/4474-feeling-really-gassed-with-my-new-cooktop

[spenser1058]

In the beginning, malls had grocery stores, drug stores, camera stores, head shops (remember Infinite Mushroom?)

Heck, even Lenox Square, the sine qua non of Buckhead mall shopping, had a Colonial grocery store.

Of course, if you had a Sears, you had tools, paint, tires... Sears' initial success in brick and mortar came in no small part because the guys were happy to go with mom 'cuz of all the guy stuff.

Then in the '70's, the bean counters arrived, hired teenagers and sold mostly soft goods because the margins were better.

Before you knew it, JFW wanted nothing to do with the mall and if you weren't a Class A mall, you were in trouble.

Now, to save what's left, developers are bringing back the stuff they once threw out of the mall:

https://amp.businessinsider.com/whats-replacing-macys-sears-and-jcpenney-stores-2018-10

From Business Insider

 

 

 

[spenser1058]

Meanwhile,  Visit Florida reminds us we ain't all theme parks (and our sorta-tall buildings, too!)

 

[JFW657]

On 10/1/2018 at 5:41 PM, spenser1058 said:

In the beginning, malls had grocery stores, drug stores, camera stores, head shops (remember Infinite Mushroom?)

Heck, even Lenox Square, the sine qua non of Buckhead mall shopping, had a Colonial grocery store.

Of course, if you had a Sears, you had tools, paint, tires... Sears' initial success in brick and mortar came in no small part because the guys were happy to go with mom 'cuz of all the guy stuff.

Then in the '70's, the bean counters arrived, hired teenagers and sold mostly soft goods because the margins were better.

Before you knew it, JFW wanted nothing to do with the mall and if you weren't a Class A mall, you were in trouble.

Now, to save what's left, developers are bringing back the stuff they once threw out of the mall:

https://amp.businessinsider.com/whats-replacing-macys-sears-and-jcpenney-stores-2018-10

From Business Insider

Gyms, hipster fad grocery stores, yuppie furniture stores and movie theaters.

So, malls are actually becoming even MORE boring than they've already become over the last decade??? 

And of course the women's fashion boutique stores will remain.

Now I'll have even fewer reasons to visit them.

[spenser1058]

Block after block of empty storefronts and rapidly dwindling retail despite rapidly growing occupancy rates and folks moving in... Downtown Orlando? Nope... Manhattan:

https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/572911/

From the Atlantic

[codypet]

On 8/25/2018 at 12:22 PM, spenser1058 said:

Just curious if any of our UP'ers have shopped at our remaining Sears stores lately (our last Kmart in Clermont disappeared in April, supposedly.)

If you did, are the stores still in good shapes? Are the shelves full?

I just read this.   I have lifetime shocks and struts parts and labor on my car from Sears when I bought them in 2000 so while they replaced them yet again I walked through the Florida Mall.   I've also been through Oviedo, and Altamonte Springs Sears as well.   All three had pretty much picked clean Craftsman sections.  The whole tool area is pretty barren.   The softlines are full of merchandise, but if you look closely most of their pricetags say Kmart.   So basically as the stores close, they're just moving merchandise to other still operating stores.  I've been steadily updating my wardrobe with each closing Sears.

[spenser1058]

I noticed today going by the new O.U.R. Mission facility across from Parkwood Plaza that the sign is a non-neon but much larger version of the iconic cross atop the W. Central building.

[codypet]

Looks ok in contrast to what was there.