Jump to content

Peninsula off-topic


wrldcoupe4

Recommended Posts


  • Replies 47
  • Created
  • Last Reply

How does the fact that so many cities are clustered so close together impact the local hampton roads area? Is it positive? negative? Would it be better if there was just one center city?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish we wern't all seperate cities. I wish we could be one large city (Hampton Roads) with seperate buroughs (Newport News, norfolk, VaBch....) however I will probably die before that happens. I think seperate cities tend to create competition instead of cooperation. We all should be working together not against. ^_^

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish we wern't all seperate cities.  I wish we could be one large city (Hampton Roads) with seperate buroughs (Newport News, norfolk, VaBch....) however I will probably die before that happens.  I think seperate cities tend to create competition instead of cooperation.  We all should be working together not against. ^_^

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wasn't the original reason all the localities in the areas incorporated into cities was so they would be immune from annexation from Norfolk?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wasn't the original reason all the localities in the areas incorporated into cities was so they would be immune from annexation from Norfolk?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well yes and no. I think Portsmouth was annexing as well on the Western Branch/Churchalnd side so that was another scare. Anyway as a city they would not be prone to being annexed by anyone. The South Norfolk and Norfolk County mereger(into Chesapeake) caught the city of Norfolk by surprise because they had been expecting the Princess Anne County-VA Beach merger for awhile.

I think Norfolk is a nice sized city and most of the area that it would have annexed further is not one of the most desirable in VA Beach anyway so no huge loss...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway as a city they would not be prone to being annexed by anyone.

It was my understanding that under the annexation statutes before a state moratorium was put in place that cities were immune from annexation from othe localities...though you could very well be correct.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was my understanding that under the annexation statutes before a state moratorium was put in place that cities were immune from annexation from othe localities...though you could very well be correct.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah but its was a bad decision for the area as a whole.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Are the "Peninsula's Tallest" those twins by the foot of the James River Bridge?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Emporis lists the River Park Tower in DT NN as the tallest buildings (19 storeys versus 17 for the Winward Towers). It's the rose colored apartment building down there.

Actually DT NN would be cooler if they did the same thing they did in Norfolk. As it stands now, it is like Norfolk circa '91: abandoned and depressing. It is a shame because it was the "big city" on the Peninsula.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Emporis lists the River Park Tower in DT NN as the tallest buildings (19 storeys versus 17 for the Winward Towers).  It's the rose colored apartment building down there.

Actually DT NN would be cooler if they did the same thing they did in Norfolk.  As it stands now, it is like Norfolk circa '91: abandoned and depressing.  It is a shame because it was the "big city" on the Peninsula.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

NNews is still the big city (cough) on the Peninsula... its center just shifted about 9 miles north. DT NN I would say is in worse shape than DT Norfolk was for one reason: Commerce. Norfolk managed to retain business downtown despite innumerable problems, whereas NNews has lost virtually all downtown business. The only things still in operation are the courts, 2 apartment towers and the shipyards. Almost everything else has left... unless you count drug dealing as a business? It's sad, but still capable of a turn-around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NNews is still the big city (cough) on the Peninsula... its center just shifted about 9 miles north.  DT NN I would say is in worse shape than DT Norfolk was for one reason:  Commerce.  Norfolk managed to retain business downtown despite innumerable problems, whereas NNews has lost virtually all downtown business.  The only things still in operation are the courts, 2 apartment towers and the shipyards.  Almost everything else has left... unless you count drug dealing as a business?  It's sad, but still capable of a turn-around.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey man there are parts of Richmond that many people figured were lost hopes about 10 years ago and now those same areas have become THE place to be. Once developers realize they can get a deal, change and good fortune will come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey man there are parts of Richmond that many people figured were lost hopes about 10 years ago and now those same areas have become THE place to be. Once developers realize they can get a deal, change and good fortune will come.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm just wary of two things:

Removal Issues; Trying to get the existing area residents to move or relocate at least temporarily (and thereby remove most of the drugs/crime that have been ongoing in the area for decades) will be a challenge. It would be expensive to buy out the land that 1000's of people live on and try to redevelop it because many of those who live there are rather obstinate and highly resistant to change (ironic because they want "nicer housing, lower taxes, lowered crime" blah blah).

Dispersal: Where are all the "removed" people going to go? The East End provides probably in the neighborhood of 90% of NNews' low-income housing, and suddenly thousands will be homeless and spread around the city. At least in a way it'll lower and decentralize the crime/drug problems, but still I think it'll be detrimental to those who currently live there. I think the approach needs to be slow and thought out... The deleloper's working on the new condos along the waterfront seem to have little interest in low-income housing, and it's upsetting that at some point in the not-too-distant future all those who now live there will be replaced by middle and upper-income families, which isn't fair to them. Low-income housing HAS to be a part of the plan for that area, but the developers that are scouring that area seem to have no interest in them. It's just sad:(

I do get what you mean by a total turnaround, and despite the current state of things, it's very possible. But the city isn't willing (I think that at some point all the existing government offices will be moved uptown) and the people currently there aren't helping things. I see it getting worse before it can get any better. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...(I think that at some point all the existing government offices will be moved uptown) and the people currently there aren't helping things.  I see it getting worse before it can get any better.  :(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are already some government offices up and running in the phase of City Center that's already been built.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NNews is still the big city (cough) on the Peninsula... its center just shifted about 9 miles north.  DT NN I would say is in worse shape than DT Norfolk was for one reason:  Commerce.  Norfolk managed to retain business downtown despite innumerable problems, whereas NNews has lost virtually all downtown business.  The only things still in operation are the courts, 2 apartment towers and the shipyards.  Almost everything else has left... unless you count drug dealing as a business?  It's sad, but still capable of a turn-around.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah I thought the same thing. The NN DT area reminds me a lot of what the Norfolk CBD area wa slike when I moved here in 97. You really can't even call DT NN a CBD because that would imply that there were businesses there.

The thing that really disturbs me about NN is that the DT looks like there was some massive amount of demolition performed there. There are tons of "gaps" where buildings should be and they are surrounded by slums and derilect buildings. What a wasted opportunity.

One more thing, as I was driving through NN a few weeks ago I noticed that Hilton Village is showing some wear and tear. Why can't NN try to get this to become a trendy spot on the Peninsula? It has all the makings of something better. They need to try to lure Starbuck's and some other trendy places in there to spice things up a little. I really love Warwick through that area and off the main street, the neighborhood looks nice.

As for Oyster Point, well I saw that as well and it is more suburban office park than anything else. It's about as exciting as that area that Norfolk is buidling up where there used to be a stadium (next to the airport). They should have put the effort into redoing the DT and saved that land for better development later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I thought the same thing.  The NN DT area reminds me a lot of what the Norfolk CBD area wa slike when I moved here in 97.  You really can't even call DT NN a CBD because that would imply that there were businesses there.

The thing that really disturbs me about NN is that the DT looks like there was some massive amount of demolition performed there.  There are tons of "gaps" where buildings should be and they are surrounded by slums and derilect buildings.  What a wasted opportunity.

One more thing, as I was driving through NN a few weeks ago I noticed that Hilton Village is showing some wear and tear.  Why can't NN try to get this to become a trendy spot on the Peninsula?  It has all the makings of something better.  They need to try to lure Starbuck's and some other trendy places in there to spice things up a little.  I really love Warwick through that area and off the main street, the neighborhood looks nice. 

As for Oyster Point, well I saw that as well and it is more suburban office park than anything else.  It's about as exciting as that area that Norfolk is buidling up where there used to be a stadium (next to the airport).  They should have put the effort into redoing the DT and saved that land for better development later.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hilton Village is still pretty and unique IMO. I like it, but yeah... it needs something within the next few years to bring it back up to where it was/could be again. A new apartment complex within walking distance (and not an ugly-ass *(woops)* 3 story walk-up from suburban hell).

DT NN can and hopefully will come back, but it'll be an uphill battle.

Oyster Point... Yes. It is VERY suburban office park at the moment... It'll take time for the surrounding properties to develop into more than one or two floor office/warehouse combos. I think it will happen and that area will become some sort of Peninsula DT.... but even if it does, something HAS to be done about the old Downtown NNews. *le sigh* We'll see. NNews has been surprising me with some of its developments lately.

-Patrick Henry Marketplace

-NN-Wburg Airport Expansions

-Kohl's shopping center

-Port Warwick

-City Center at Oyster Point

All those in the same general area... it's quite a little building boom in the area and I hope it continues and grows :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Ok, i'm tired and going to bed. I'll finish all of this up sometime tommorrow. Have at it for now, feel free to post in threads with nothing in them (except the projects thread <_< ) and add threads as you guys see fit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lord, these threads are all over the place. :lol: Half the NN develpment thread was Hampton developments and half the Hampton Development thread had NN stuff in it and there are some threads where I just don't know what the hell was going on. This may take me a bit longer than expected because I have to perform surgery on each individual thread to see what should go where. It looks like the off-topic bulldozer neglected this area for quite some time so we're due for a little revamping. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.