The Colorado Springs Photo Thread # 1

[Front_Range_Guy]

NOTE: For some reason I can only see the pictures when I'm logged in. I don't know what's up with that? Sorry if you can't see them. Try logging in and tell me if that helps. Does anyone know why this is happening? I've posted photos on several message boards before and have never seen this particular problem.

I'm one of maybe 5 people in Colorado Springs who has any interest in urban issues, and thinks it's worth discussing. Okay that's not true, really it's not... that said... I've amassed quite a collection of photo's from around the city, mostly downtown, over the past 8 months or so and wanted to share some with you guy's. If you spend any time on SSP you'll recognize these photos. If you don't, here are some pictures I've taken from around Colorado Springs (mostly downtown), over the past 8 months. They are posted in order from oldest to most recent, and generally get better as you go.

Lowell Urban Renewal Area, Southeast Downtown, 12/05, construction on-going

South Tower at the Plaza of the Rockies, Central Downtown 12/05

Random Downtown Colorado Springs, 4/06

Pikes Perk, Central Downtown, 4/06, My favorite coffee shop!

Springspree, Central Downtown, 6/06, a few of many photos

More random downtown, 7/06

Cooper Tower on KKTV, 7/06

Cooper tower is a proposed 24-Story mixed use building that, if all goes to plan, will break ground downtown, just south of city hall, in 2007.

Colorado Springs is often criticized for it's conservative politics, and in many instances rightfully so. Still, it's not as bad as many would have you think, there are plenty of good people doing good things to make this city a better place, and life really is what you make of it.

[RestedTraveler]

Great Photos FRG! It's awesome to see some participation from Colorado Springs on here!

It's a limitation of Urban Planet that only members (who are logged in, at that) can see images posted to the forum. I think there's a discussion thread dedicated to this question somewhere here.

Please try to get anyone in Colorado Springs you can involved in discussing Urban Development via Urban Planet. It would be well worth their time and effort, I'm sure. You'll find others come out of the wood work to join you as a result of (among other things) finding topics being discussed via a Google Search. For example, if you post a thread dedicated to the Cooper Tower (renderings, construction timeline, etc.), people will find it and may jump in to discuss. That's the sort of thing that happened here in Greenville, SC at least.

I do have to ask...what is this?:

Is that just an entrance to an underground structure somewhere or was there really a subway there at one time? Or...is that the Super Top Secret Entrance to Chyenne Mountain?

[Front_Range_Guy]

I knew someone would ask about the subway entrance

There was never a subway system in Colorado Springs. It's the entrance to a restaraunt that opened late last year. When the building the restaraunt is located under was converted to residential lofts, they lost their public entrance. The restaraunt that was there at the time closed down. That same restaraunt had a skylight in it in the sidewalk on the south side of the building. Someone realized they could tear out that skylight and make a new entrance to a new restaraunt, called "The Metropolitan". They decided to design it like a subway entrance for ambiance.

[RestedTraveler]

That's pretty darned cool. It looks as if it has been there for ages, aside from the awning over the door. And it appears to still serve as a skylight, too. Nice idea, whomever thought of it!

[Randy@Tacoma]

I thought Colorado Springs was UBER conservative and home to Focus on Family with that creep James Dobson? Im glad to see there's REAL people in Colorado Springs (Your average gay event.... etc.). Thats a harp to my ear!

[Front_Range_Guy]

The headquarters of Focus on the Family is indeed located on the north end of Colorado Springs, and it's true that the population here leans to the right. What people don't seem to realize is that even your average christian-conservative in Colorado Springs views Focus on the Family as an extremist fringe group. Colorado Springs hosts pride every year, and has never had any problems. I go in and out of the cities gay clubs all the time and have never had any problems. There's no denying this town leans right, but it's nowhere near as extreme (on average) as most people would have you believe. I'd also say that most of the christian-conservative population here is concentrated in the cities northern and eastern suburbs and that Downtown Colorado Springs is much more moderate if not left-leaning.

[Randy@Tacoma]

Thats good to hear!

[Altimike]

The city planning is really the most conservative thing about the town. That's why I got bored and left; not enough walkability in the downtown area. However, the population is slated to double in the next 25 years and by then it should be more urban. The street planning is better than here in Orlando where there is limitless dead-end subdivisions.