Roanoke Pictures

[electricmonk]

Had to change a htaccess file so hopefully these will show up. I have lots more but I want to make sure this works first.

Well the preview works.

Sunrise January 15, 2005

Snowstorm Feb 27, 2005

[StevenRocks]

They're working!

I love the sunrise pic of the SunTrust and Norfolk Southern Towers an the snowstorm on is pretty sweet as well.

[rusthebuss]

That's nice, why don't you get some more pics of dt roanoke for us.

[electricmonk]

Thanks. Yeah I'll be getting some more recent ones to post hopefully as soon as this weekend. I have a few on my hard drive now but I'll wait until I take some new ones and see which ones are the best then start a Roanoke in photos thread. After I do that the mods can delete this on if they want or let it sink on it's own.

[rusthebuss]

Man I'm still waiting on those photos.

[electricmonk]

I know, I'm slacking. It's this crappy weather, haven't even been able to see the mountains lately it's been so humid and hazy and I like to include them in when possible. Here's an older one in the meantime.

And 3 new ones I took tonight after work. There was a thunderstorm going on and I was hoping I could get some lightning bolts in the sky but no luck.

The two large buildings on the right are both Wachovia Bank buildings

Another view of the Wachovia Tower, tallest building in town at 320ft.

Just a parking garage

[vdogg]

Very nice pics. I really like that last one of the Wachovia tower.

[rusthebuss]

That is nice. I haven't been to Roanoke in a long time. Get some more with the entire skyline if possible.

[rusthebuss]

Any more towers planned for the area?

[electricmonk]

Any more towers planned for the area?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish. Roanoke Memorial Hospital is adding 6 stories to an existing wing which will bring it up to 12-14 stories, not sure exactly how tall it is. I'll definitely grab a shot of that this weekend.

I don't really see any towers being built here for quite awhile. The largest company headquarted here that could afford one is Advance Auto but they've pretty much taken over the old Crossroads Mall and are using it as offices. Maybe some day but I would bet they would build a campus type office in the suburbs if they ever decide on a new facility.

On the plus side the downtown vacancy rate has been dropping and for class A space is at 5% so there is an outside chance that someone could put up a nice building downtown to fill that need.

The Social Security Administration is planning a new building downtown but the drawings I've seen of it are 3-4 stories. Here's one from the architects site. Last I read though they haven't decided on a site so if they change locations this design will probably change. I hope they stick to this site. Right now it's occupied by a flea-bag hotel.

[StevenRocks]

^ What, no window shutters? No vinbyl siding? That Social Security building will never pass muster in Roanoke.

[rusthebuss]

Can't wait to see some more photos of dt roanoke. Hopefully something will explode for you guys there!

[electricmonk]

Finally got around to taking some new photos of downtown Roanoke. I'll get more later from the north end of downtown. These are mostly from the west and from the top of the Church Ave parking garage.

Upper floors of this building are being converted to condos.

2nd Street Bridge

BB&T Building

Church Ave looking west with City Hall and the City Courthouse

Construction crane at Roanoke Memorial Hospital visible from downtown

Wachovia Tower

Wachovia Tower

St Andrews Catholic Church

The two Wachovia buildings. I don't know why the one on the right is still Wachovia. Carillion Hospital's administration occupies something like 80% of it.

Hotel Roanoke

Poff Federal Building and Verizon building

Community Hospital background, Professional Arts Building foreground

Norfolk Southern Building

Mill Mountain Star overlooking the city.

Old industrial site just past city center.

Roanoke Memorial Hospital south pavillion addition.

Another view

And another

New art museum will be going in the center right behind and around the building with the white cornice.

Taller buildings left to right: Suntrust, Anthem, Patrick Henry Hotel, Professional Arts Building, American Electric Power building.

Victory Stadium. There's been debate going on for over 10 years whether to renovate or tear down the stadium. The city got as far as to start construction on a new one only to have a new city council elected and they stopped construction. And now the debate continues.

More photos here. 50 in all.

Edit. I forgot I had a panorama too. It's too wide to post here, 2390 pixels, so here's the link to it. Panorama

[StevenRocks]

Nice pictures, monk. That's actually the First Street bridge though.

[monsoon]

Roanoke is a great city that we don't hear much about but really deserves a lot of praise for its walkability and urban character. Thanks for the photos.

[rusthebuss]

I agree with that notion. Feel free to show more. Give us a feel for the downtown restaurants and bars and such.

[vdogg]

And another

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm counting about 15 floors on this. Is that accurate? How tall is it supposed to be?

[rusthebuss]

I really hope that Roanoke grows alot more.

[StevenRocks]

I really hope that Roanoke grows alot more.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you, but half of Roanoke is fighting to put a wall around it so nothing else can grow.

[rusthebuss]

I agree with you, but half of Roanoke is fighting to put a wall around it so nothing else can grow. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would they do that. It could possibly make the quality of life better for them. Lets hope they don't win.

[StevenRocks]

There are a lot of people in Roanoke (particlurally the City of Roanoke) these days that are caught up in the way things used to be back when the city had the railroad as the backbone industry and lots of manufacturing plants.

Just about all the plants are gone and the railroad has seruiously reduced their presence. A lot of the good-paying jobs went with these changes, so there's a noticibly smaller middle-class than there was before, replaced with a large under-educated working class population employed by the service industries and a small but influential upper class that does well finacially regardless of the economy because they have lucartive govenment jobs or own large blocks of rental property.

Unfortunately the upper class establishment rules the city and sees no reason to change (because they're always doing well) and the working class is too polite or jaded to disagree with them. The middle-class has abdicated the city, running to Botetourt County or the edges of Roanoke County, taking their tax base and influence with them.

Instead of moving towards regional cooperation and stregthening the tax base and quality of life (which could upset their own economic and status apple carts by removing redundant leading job positions from local govenment and cleaning up slums that these same people lord over and profit from), the city leaders distract the working class with pithy arguments about beer sales at the Civic Center and the Victory Stadium saga so they don't pay attention to the real economic and quality of life issues that are Roanoke's liability.

[rusthebuss]

There are a lot of people in Roanoke (particlurally the City of Roanoke) these days that are caught up in the way things used to be back when the city had the railroad as the backbone industry and lots of manufacturing plants. 

Just about all the plants are gone and the railroad has seruiously reduced their presence.  A lot of the good-paying jobs went with these changes, so there's a noticibly smaller middle-class than there was before, replaced with a large under-educated working class population employed by the service industries and a small but influential upper class that does well finacially regardless of the economy because they have lucartive govenment jobs or own large blocks of rental property. 

Unfortunately the upper class establishment rules the city and sees no reason to change (because they're always doing well) and the working class is too polite or jaded to disagree with them.  The middle-class has abdicated the city, running to Botetourt County or the edges of Roanoke County, taking their tax base and influence with them.

Instead of moving towards regional cooperation and stregthening the tax base and quality of life (which could upset their own economic and status apple carts by removing redundant leading job positions from local govenment and cleaning up slums that these same people lord over and profit from), the city leaders distract the working class with pithy arguments about beer sales at the Civic Center and the Victory Stadium saga so they don't pay attention to the real economic and quality of life issues that are Roanoke's liability.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry to hear that. I think that it would be cool for the city to build more high rises surrounded by those mountains. Good luck on trying to get more jobs there

[StevenRocks]

^ We're working on it, but people get so distracted by stupid stuff like what the art museum will look like that its hard to stay focused.

[rusthebuss]

^ We're working on it, but people get so distracted by stupid stuff like what the art museum will look like that its hard to stay focused.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

what is the metro area population for Roanoke?

[StevenRocks]

what is the metro area population for Roanoke?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

275,000 at last count. That includes the cities of Roanoke and Salem, and the counties of Roanoke, Botetourt, Craig and Franklin (where I am).

The real number is closer to 300,000, when you consider the edges of counties served by metro Roanoke as primary trading and employemnt city, but Bedford County is part of the Lynchburg MSA and Mongtomery and Floyd Counties are part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg MSA.