Bloomsbury Estates

[foodpainter]

Well, it looks like there are officially seven units listed online for Bloomsbury Estates that are still available. But that's pretty darn close to a sellout.

[yoga]

Wow! Maybe this will be a message to archtects: design something good and it will sell. Meanwhile the Dawson and the Hudson still have units available, right?

"Something good" is subjective. I'd have a hard time spending any kind of money on a residence that looks like the Addams family's pretentious ornate haunt.

I would much rather spend money (and time) in a well thought out, efficient design like 630 North Street. It amazes me that use of space is so overlooked in green, "earth friendly" design. We can easily live as comfortably in less space if the storage and use is designed well.

*plink plink*

[dmccall]

"Something good" is subjective.

Of course it is. However this city has been overrun with forgetable, beige boxes. It boggles my mind that other cities nearby get such better looking office buildings, shopping areas, and condo buildings than we do in Raleigh.

Case in point: the BTI's renovation of the Cameron Brown building (across from N. Hills). We take a cube of sugar down to its bare steel and what do we do? Smoked glass and marble with almost no relief. This encarnation accenuates the building's cubic shape. All of that money and we got something forgettable. What do you think the message is to children? How do we expect creativity and excellence if we don't show any examples of it ourselves?

How about Carter-Finley Stadium and the RBC Center. The RBC is functionally excellent, but both projects are just pitiful on their exteriors. (Carter Finley isn't even functional with the NCSU team having to build two locker rooms-one for halftime because of poor design). How about that office building at Lead Mine and Glenwood (across from the gas station). What about every office building and shopping center on Glenwood Ave. (except for the farm bureau). How about every office building out Wake Forest and Falls of Neuse? There's really no reason these buildings couldn't have been as charming as several that surround South Park in Charlotte. I can name at least a dozen buildings around Lenox Square in Atlanta that would qualify as Raleigh's most beautiful if they had been built here.

So, my point is that maybe architects will realize that we are tired of bland, beige boxes with flat roofs in Raleigh. You may not like Bloomsbury, but the first time I saw the rendering was, "WOW! Something different!"

[yoga]

^ I do hear you. I think cheap may be the operable word in the beige box approach.

[Jones_]

I think the location of the buildings is having a big part in sales too.....generally speaking, folks with money don't seem to want to be in the center of city whether its at the Hudson or Dawson. I think Bloomsbury, while very formal with the architecture, is getting many sales due to its near downtown, yet quiet location. There are no eighteen wheelers rumbling down West Hargett or Boylan streets.

[PAVANC]

Dana,

Please get your facts straight. The Murphy Center is fully functional and was not a poor design. It was never intended to be used at halftime. For the locker room to be used at halftime, the entire building would have had to been lowered 2 stories resulting in a very short and unimpressive building. Yes a lot of people think the current building is unimpressive, but not everyone. The final design allowed the weight room, dining room, players lounge, and coach's offices to face the field which in my opinion is a good design not a poor design. I think if you would ask the players what they prefer, I know they would choose the current situation. NC State is not the only team that has 2 locker rooms, a little football school named Virginia Tech has 2 and they seem to be doing well.

Yes, I am an NC State grad and fan, but I'm also tired of people slamming something that they either don't understand or is not a problem to begin with. If you are on the football team and you don't like it you have the right to complain, if not, leave it alone.

Sorry to deviate from the topic, but I couldn't leave that slam alone.

[sax184]

Of course it is. However this city has been overrun with forgetable, beige boxes. It boggles my mind that other cities nearby get such better looking office buildings, shopping areas, and condo buildings than we do in Raleigh.

Look, if we don't build boring beige boxes or old-timey things, we'll upset the senior citizens of Smithfield!

Since not upsetting Knightdale and Smithfield residents is one of the organizing principles of Raleigh City government, yes, when we don't build something OLD-TIMEY, we should have a lot of beige boxes.

What we really need to do is figure out why the Bloomsbury Estates architects hate America, and of course, why they hate Raleigh, to build such a thing.

[DanRNC]

I had the misfortune of having to go to Smithfield last week. What a hole. If thats who everyone is trying to appease.....geez.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

If someone doesn't like the Bloomsbury project try to remember you are still getting your very boring "Boylan Flats". Please remember, (and I know it's hard), not everyone is into these Ultra Modern buildings,(really!, and I am referring to people who live IN Raleigh). At least be happy that Raleigh is building them both. Can't we just appreciate the fact that those choosing to live in the center of Raleigh have the option of enjoying both styles?

[dmccall]

Dana,

Please get your facts straight. The Murphy Center is fully functional and was not a poor design. It was never intended to be used at halftime. For the locker room to be used at halftime, the entire building would have had to been lowered 2 stories resulting in a very short and unimpressive building. Yes a lot of people think the current building is unimpressive, but not everyone. The final design allowed the weight room, dining room, players lounge, and coach's offices to face the field which in my opinion is a good design not a poor design.

The Murphy Center should have been built in the North End. That way it could have accomodated all of the team's needs. Even thought the loss of the Finley Fieldhouse for maybe evena season would have caused problems, placement of the Murphy Center in the north end absolutely could have been orchestrated.

[CliffyB]

If someone doesn't like the Bloomsbury project try to remember you are still getting your very boring "Boylan Flats". Please remember, (and I know it's hard), not everyone is into these Ultra Modern buildings,(really!, and I am referring to people who live IN Raleigh). At least be happy that Raleigh is building them both. Can't we just appreciate the fact that those choosing to live in the center of Raleigh have the option of enjoying both styles?

Seriously.

Both buildings are interesting; Boylan Flats has a beach-like feel to it whereas Bloomsbury has an older, more stodgy style to it.

I'm a fan of both. If you can easily make fun of something and call it "adams family" or whatever that's probably a good sign of a design that's interesting. You could say the thing about the Second Empire restaurant, BTW. Anything interesting is easy to make fun of for a person that wants to be a critic or overthink things.

What I don't want to see is generic. And that's what the Dawson turned out to be. It looks like a hotel in San Jose.

[yoga]

Seriously.

Both buildings are interesting; Boylan Flats has a beach-like feel to it whereas Bloomsbury has an older, more stodgy style to it.

I'm a fan of both. If you can easily make fun of something and call it "adams family" or whatever that's probably a good sign of a design that's interesting. You could say the thing about the Second Empire restaurant, BTW. Anything interesting is easy to make fun of for a person that wants to be a critic or overthink things.

What I don't want to see is generic. And that's what the Dawson turned out to be. It looks like a hotel in San Jose.

Anything one didn't make is easy to make fun of, too. I'm not sure if Addams Family or "stodgy" is a more insulting description.

[ncwebguy]

The Bloomsbury Estates website shows six stories. From the real estate site, it looks like all addresses will be on "Independence Place." The cheapest one left is $363,990 2 bedrooms, 1261 sq ft., approx. $288/sq ft. For being on the edge of downtown, it is disappointing that a lot of land will be taken by surface parking lots. It is a larger cousin to the "Addams Family house" on Blount just east of the Board of Education complex.

Assuming the Sidetrack building isn't torn down, the skyline view in those places will be amazing, a feature not available in the Hudson or Dawson. The U shape and "cornered" elevator bank of the Hudson translates into a long walk for anyone in the north half of that building. The Dawson at Morgan's elevators aren't as bad, but the floor plans I saw during the downtown home tour were not too inspiring. 510 Glenwood's street-level use makes me forget/care less about its curved corner, etc. I hope 222 Glenwood follows that pattern.

Also, are there no other alternatives than the Hudson's "depressing, hard concrete I-want-to-kill-myself insane asylum" hallways and the Dawson's "Livin' in LaQuinta" carpet and color selections?

The NC State football facilities used to be on campus on either side of the track. There already was a second set of locker rooms used for halftime. Eventually the stands will fully encompass Carter-Finley. Putting the Murphy Center in the north end zone as a super-sized Finley field house would remove any chance of that happening.

The RBC Center is not Dorton Arena -- an engineering marvel with little usable space inside. It is a modern day Reynolds/Cameron Indoor that reflects the practical, efficient, arena design #103B, and bland period of time that produced it. They could add gargoyles, a coat of paint or Soldier Field/Roman Coliseum columns on the outside, but few people tailgating outside would notice after the initial curiousity wore off.

[ChiefJoJo]

It's 7 stories now. The original plan was for 94 units, 6 stories. They resubmitted a plan with 7 stories and 111 units, and it was approved.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

It's 7 stories now. The original plan was for 94 units, 6 stories. They resubmitted a plan with 7 stories and 111 units, and it was approved.

For some reason, they don't think it's important to udate there website. Just like Highwoods and RBC. They keep showing the same old original picture and # of floors. Not sure why, maybe it's not as important to them or it may cost them more to update the site?

[Justin6882]

Also, are there no other alternatives than the Hudson's "depressing, hard concrete I-want-to-kill-myself insane asylum" hallways and the Dawson's "Livin' in LaQuinta" carpet and color selections?

Hahahaha, I was wondering where I'd seen those hallways before

...the Dawson's, not the Hudson's...

[ncwebguy]

Where is the extra floor being added? Is everyone moving "up" a floor, or do people who thought they were on top on the 6th floor now have units above them? Would they add a new second or third floor? Or do they pick a floor (say ground) and everyone who wants to stay on their floor can, others can move to the "new" floor, and they then sell the units left over?

I would like to make a side business of updating websites like this.... If it was my site, the seventh floor would be ready to go before council approval, and swapped in right after approval. But usually design and hosting is locked up with the initial contract, and then they are slow to respond, if ever. Or they will respond for a fee.

[ChiefJoJo]

I think the floor was added above the third or fourth, I can't remember which. In any case it was a mid-level floor.

[CliffyB]

Also, are there no other alternatives than the Hudson's "depressing, hard concrete I-want-to-kill-myself insane asylum" hallways and the Dawson's "Livin' in LaQuinta" carpet and color selections?

Wow, that's the greatest quote I've yet seen on here.

[yoga]

^ ^ The floor added was the dungeon, I believe.

[reed]

Hahahaha, I was wondering where I'd seen those hallways before

...the Dawson's, not the Hudson's...

So, where do you cool guys live? Must be somewhere really swanky for you to ridicule all of these buildings downtown.

[ncwebguy]

I live in a two story house just east of downtown on one of the longer east/west roads through downtown. It is suburban in form, but five years ago it was my only option to buying something close to downtown.

My only "hallway" is the second floor connector to the bathroom, two bedrooms, and the washer/dryer closet. It also has a window with a "winter view" (no leaves in the trees) of downtown. Downstairs is an open floorplan, with only three interior doors -- the coat closet, the bathroom, and my bedroom.

Park Dev. has a slightly better hallway, but is still hotel-esque. The ends of the Dawson at Morgan are neat, with the angled entrances, though that is kinda "livin la vida LaQuinta" as well. I like Founders Row's outside breezeway overlooking the parking lot and patios looking toward City Market, but I know that isn't for everyone. Person Point has a similar setup. I have not been in the Cotton Mill, 510 Glenwood, the Quorum, or the Paramount, but would like to eventually.

(addition)

I am not ridiculing, but wondering why so little attention is paid to the hallways of the condo buildings. Although they are used less than the units themselves, they are used daily by everyone and set your mood coming home or going out. With the cost per square foot of these places, the hallways deserve better treatment.

[Justin6882]

I too live downtown in Person Pointe - also no hallways.

[bsutton1]

I drove by there last night. I saw alot of construction guys out there working on it. Great to see. I can't wait til it gets done.

[JTsaysToYou]

I drove by there last night. I saw alot of construction guys out there working on it. Great to see. I can't wait til it gets done.

I wish I shared your enthusiasm, but quite frankly, while it is architecturely nice, and it is housing, it doesnt add anything to downtown. It has a parking lot for pete's sake. Not to mention, no ground level retail or resturants. For what it does for downtown, I give it a little more respect than a fancy house.

Although.......

I would still take a unit there anyday......