Cool Stuff in Other Cities

[spenser1058]

Old folks alert: Back in the days before AT&T broke up, two of the first upstarts to challenge their long-distance monopoly were MCI and Sprint. They had quite the competition going on between them to allow you to save money by punching in this 30-digit or something code in addition to the phone number and save money bypassing AT&T.

Anyway, I always thought it was funny MCI is the KCMO airport code while Sprint ended up headquartered in Overland Park, just across the line from KCMO in Kansas.

 

[prahaboheme]

49 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Mayor Bill wants to know, “Where are the fountains?”

And more importantly a glaring absence of teal.

[spenser1058]

Just now, prahaboheme said:

And more importantly a glaring absence of teal.

Amen!

[AmIReal]

For our Ohioans...

One of the Fastest-Growing Big American Cities Is Often Overlooked

https://www.thedailybeast.com/columbus-one-of-the-fastest-growing-big-american-cities-is-often-overlooked?ref=home?ref=home

[spenser1058]

They’re still growing slower than Orlando but that’s probably because @HankStrong and @AndyPok1left town with a pocketful of buckeyes and moved to The City Beautiful!

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

I wish the 2022 numbers would come out - we’re likely to have a nice jump. It won’t be too many years before we leave Baltimore and St. Louis behind.

Now, once @jrs2 gets Volusia added to our MSA, we’re on rocket fuel!

Edited September 26, 2022 by spenser1058

[prahaboheme]

Baker Barrios has just designed their best tower in decades (complete with a visor) — for St. Pete:

https://stpeterising.com/home/2022/9/21/local-developers-propose-33-story-mixed-use-apartment-building-in-downtown-st-petersburg

[spenser1058]

Ybor City's historic chickens are being kept safe from Hurricane Ian


(Via Tampa Bay Times)
http://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/09/28/ybor-citys-historic-chickens-are-being-kept-safe-hurricane-ian/
 

[JFW657]

Leonard Cohen mural, Montreal.

 

[spenser1058]

Falls Church wants a movie theater. Is it a public good?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/10/10/falls-church-movie-theater-incentive/

From The Washington Post 
 

[jrs2]

On 10/8/2022 at 7:40 PM, JFW657 said:

Leonard Cohen mural, Montreal.

 

now this is the type of thing that gives a place "identity."

[orange87]

On 9/25/2022 at 2:24 AM, prahaboheme said:

Baker Barrios has just designed their best tower in decades (complete with a visor) — for St. Pete:

https://stpeterising.com/home/2022/9/21/local-developers-propose-33-story-mixed-use-apartment-building-in-downtown-st-petersburg

That's not saying much. Still looks like an Orlando-esque building.

[spenser1058]

9 minutes ago, orange87 said:

That's not saying much. Still looks like an Orlando-esque building.

You know you love those visors!

[JFW657]

5 hours ago, orange87 said:

That's not saying much. Still looks like an Orlando-esque building.

Looks like The Vue. 

Maybe they'll call it The Vue 2. 

Or maybe The Vue Too. 

[spenser1058]

The New York Times takes a look at ways ten American cities are looking to make a comeback after COVID and the persistence of working at home:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/26/us/us-cities-downtown-chicago-seattle.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

First up is @orange87’s favorite, Hartford, and then on to @jrs2’s big spot, Chicago (that toddlin’ town)…
 

[JFW657]

Abraj Kudai Hotel, Saudi Arabia....

 

This would be perfect for the Eola South neighborhood.   

[HankStrong]

On 11/6/2022 at 10:01 PM, JFW657 said:

Abraj Kudai Hotel, Saudi Arabia....

 

This would be perfect for the Eola South neighborhood.   

I get how funny this is, but I was reading an article many months ago about how they think extremely dense buildings like this will one day be the best way to save resources, especially in places NOT AT ALL like Saudi Arabia, but in cool climates.

Basically, the comments were that it would keep cooler in the hot months and save a ton in the cold months by being self-regulating in temp.  I'm not scientist, but if that's true it would be extremely interesting.  They were mentioning things like centralized trash disposal and decreasing vehicles because your building would have everything you needed in it like schools, grocery stores, shops, hospitals, doctors, fire, police, USPS, restaurants, movies, etc.  It would cater to people working from home, have offices in it, or it could be located near work towers where thousands of people could walk to using connected mass transit, walking tunnels, street-level sidewalks, and elevated bridges.  Not to mention all the people required to work in the building itself to keep it running.

They were saying (a very quick Googling seems to confirm) that many apartment buildings in NYC only have several hundred apartments and a few have 1,000 apartments or so.  These mega-building might have upwards of 15,000 apartments or more.   Some could have 20,000 apartments and maybe even 50,000 residents with more staying in hotel rooms.

 

They mentioned that building in Whittier, AK where 99% of the town is in one building, but doing this is in a populated location and doing it in a much nicer fashion.  NYC, Toronto, larger cities across the Midwest, etc.

[JFW657]

32 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

I get how funny this is, but I was reading an article many months ago about how they think extremely dense buildings like this will one day be the best way to save resources, especially in places NOT AT ALL like Saudi Arabia, but in cool climates.

Basically, the comments were that it would keep cooler in the hot months and save a ton in the cold months by being self-regulating in temp.  I'm not scientist, but if that's true it would be extremely interesting.  They were mentioning things like centralized trash disposal and decreasing vehicles because your building would have everything you needed in it like schools, grocery stores, shops, hospitals, doctors, fire, police, USPS, restaurants, movies, etc.  It would cater to people working from home, have offices in it, or it could be located near work towers where thousands of people could walk to using connected mass transit, walking tunnels, street-level sidewalks, and elevated bridges.  Not to mention all the people required to work in the building itself to keep it running.

They were saying (a very quick Googling seems to confirm) that many apartment buildings in NYC only have several hundred apartments and a few have 1,000 apartments or so.  These mega-building might have upwards of 15,000 apartments or more.   Some could have 20,000 apartments and maybe even 50,000 residents with more staying in hotel rooms.

 

They mentioned that building in Whittier, AK where 99% of the town is in one building, but doing this is in a populated location and doing it in a much nicer fashion.  NYC, Toronto, larger cities across the Midwest, etc.

One can easily imagine a futuristic world where cities are all enclosed in these ultra massive, self contained mega structures. 

Even dwarfing the Saudi building in the picture. 

There would probably have to be adjacent industrial complex mega buildings of comparable size where manufacturing would occur. 

And agriculture would occur in self contained mega farms, hundreds of stories tall, designed to make use of sunlight and precipitation. 

All connected to one another in city-clusters. 

Meanwhile, outside these self contained urban structures, nature could be allowed to flourish undisturbed by highways and sprawl. 

I think it will come to pass one day, if we don't destroy ourselves first.

Probably be a world closer to The Jetsons than one would be comfortable suggesting.

Flying cars (which already exist) and sky taxis/busses in which one can travel between city-building clusters. 

Now I'm hoping reincarnation is a thing and that I get to come back and be part of it!!!!  

[orange87]

Downtown Hartford's Google Maps 3D satellite view was updated today. Hopefully DTO's gets updated soon too. It's been a while.

Edited November 12, 2022 by orange87

[spenser1058]

@dcluley98will no doubt be thrilled to know Bradenton has its first Del Taco just up the street from The Bell:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2022/11/24/fast-food-sign-war-after-bradentons-first-del-taco-opens-taco-bell-fires-back/

From The Tampa Bay Times 

The Bell’s reaction: “She’s a 10 but eats Del Taco”. Del Taco doesn’t have a marquee yet to respond..
 

Edited November 25, 2022 by spenser1058

[orange87]

A supertall skyscraper is coming to Austin, Texas

Article: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/supertall-skyscraper-austin-texas-wilson-tower/index.html

[spenser1058]

12 minutes ago, orange87 said:

A supertall skyscraper is coming to Austin, Texas

Article: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/supertall-skyscraper-austin-texas-wilson-tower/index.html

I know this will be popular with the folks that think height matters more than anything else but it sort of sticks out like a sore thumb. Sense of place and all that. It would be fine in Houston more so than Austin. But hey, it’s Texas.

[JFW657]

Skylines that have one skyscraper that towers far above all the rest just look odd.

I think Indianapolis was like that for awhile in the 70's....

As was Tampa, I seem to recall.

I recall seeing Indy in the opening credits to One Day At A Time.....

And yes, TV pictures were almost that bad back then.  

[spenser1058]

OK, @JFW657, did you have a crush on Valerie Bertinelli back then?

[JFW657]

Who didn't????

No, not really.

She didn't seem like my type. 

[AmIReal]

Interesting take in NYC- New York City Will Hospitalize More Mentally Ill People Involuntarily

“The common misunderstanding persists that we cannot provide involuntary assistance unless the person is violent,” Mr. Adams said. “This myth must be put to rest. Going forward, we will make every effort to assist those who are suffering from mental illness and whose illness is endangering them by preventing them from meeting their basic human needs.”

https://dnyuz.com/2022/11/29/new-york-city-will-hospitalize-more-mentally-ill-people-involuntarily/