Favorite skylines

[toggie]

you must hate post modern

[Twin Cities]

Best North American Skylines -- My Top 20

New York

Chicago

Toronto

Houston

Philadelphia

Seattle

San Francisco

Boston

Los Angeles

Atlanta

Vancouver

Miami

Dallas

Calgary

Pittsburgh

Minneapolis

Denver

Montreal

Edmonton

Detroit

[Twin Cities]

Phillydog,

How can you be disappointed in this:

[Ivory Tower]

That was one I forgot to put on my list.

Though the individual architecture dosen't 100 % please me, the mass and form of the skyline as a whole looks good.

I'll add that to my honorable mentions list.

[Neo]

I would love to have that sucker for my skyline!! That's a great shot too!

[KCghettoboi]

My top 10:

1. L.A.

2. Chicago

3. Kansas City

4. Pittsburgh

5. Minneapolis

6. Miami

7. Philly

8. Atlanta

9. Houston

10. NYC

: Density does not automatically make a skyline great, but it does help!...

[DBR96]

My top 10 (that I've seen in person):

1) Pittsburgh

2) New York

3) Philadelphia

4) Atlanta

5) Los Angeles

6) San Francisco

7) Las Vegas

8) St. Louis

9) Nashville

10) New Orleans

My disappointing 8:

1) Kansas City

2) Baltimore

3) Phoenix

4) Washington, D.C.

5) Charlotte

6) Orlando

7) Jacksonville

8) Tampa

[Neo]

My disappointing 8:

5) Charlotte

Any specific reasons?

[KCghettoboi]

Why KC? KC's skyline is visible from up to 20 miles away. When ever I go to STL, all I see from a distance in STL's skyline is the ARCH(plus that is the only unique structure). Most of the structures in DT KC are unique. And Charlotte? How is that a disappointment? Like I said before, a good shyline is not just about density, it's about uniqueness(P.S. I do like STL's skyline), that's why NYC's skyline isn't that great right now, I think L.A.'s is much better.

[KCghettoboi]

I also don't think D.C. has a disappointing shkline either. Just because it's skyline isn't cramed with tall dense skyscrapers doesn't make it bad. It gives it more of a european city skyline, which makes it unique in America...

[KCghettoboi]

This is disappointing? KC: KC SKYLINE by kcgridlock

[DBR96]

Kansas City's skyline is OK, but to me, it just seemed too "short" for a city its size, much the way Philadelphia's seemed too short for its size until they lifted the height restrictions in 1989.

[Urbanrailfan]

Houston DOES have the most extensive skyline of any city in the south. Mostly because the city has no zoning restrictions, which is why there are other skyline clusters in other parts of Houston. I got photos off of www.stockyard.com of Downtown, the Galleria and the Texas Medical Center.

This Downtown view from a freeway is probably one of the best views of a city.

This is the Galleria area. It is home to Williams Tower (formerly Transco), the tallest building not to be located in any Central Business District.

Texas Medical Center, with Downtown in the far background.

[Evergrey]

1. Pittsburgh

2. Philadelphia

3. Detroit

4. Seattle

5. New York City

6. Chicago

7. Minneapolis

8. Kansas City

9. Cincinnati

10. Buffalo

[Urbanrailfan]

I believe the Detroit skyline is disappointing. All I see is the Renaissance Center and the GM headquarters (the tallest). Everything else is short and old. Their slow renovation should also include more tall buildings.

Look at the GM headquarters and the Renaissance Center on the right. Now look to your left at these other older shorter buildings. What do you really think about Detroit skyline after all?

[Evergrey]

I believe the Detroit skyline is disappointing. All I see is the Renaissance Center and the GM headquarters (the tallest). Everything else is short and old. Their slow renovation should also include more tall buildings.

Look at the GM headquarters and the Renaissance Center on the right. Now look to your left at these other older shorter buildings. What do you really think about Detroit skyline after all?

The RenCen complex is the one major thing I don't like about the Detroit skyline. The round glass tower itself is okay... but those 4 bland hulking masses surrounding it are hideous and create an imbalanced skyline. I much prefer the "older and shorter" skyscrapers on the left side of your picture. I am a fan of historic skyscrapers... early 20th century classical and art-deco scrapers. The artistry of these skyscrapers, however short they may be, far outstrip the blank facades and rehashed ideas of the recent modern and postmodern travesties that populate such skylines as Charlotte, Atlanta and Houston. Detroit's dearth of new skyscrapers may be a statement about the dire straits the city has found itself in, but it has no reason to be ashamed of its unparalelled collection of early 20th century skyscrapers.

[Cotuit]

I think Detroit has a great skyline, Ren Cen aside.

[dredebbs313]

My Top 10 North American Skylines (No Paticular Order)

1. Chicago

2. Toronto

3. Baltimore

4. Seattle

5. NYC

6. San Fransico

7. St. Louis

8. Houston

9. Pittsburgh

10. Minneapolis

[Allan]

I believe the Detroit skyline is disappointing. All I see is the Renaissance Center and the GM headquarters (the tallest). Everything else is short and old. Their slow renovation should also include more tall buildings.

Look at the GM headquarters and the Renaissance Center on the right. Now look to your left at these other older shorter buildings. What do you really think about Detroit skyline after all?

The view of the skyline from Windsor is actually the worst skyline view. I could hardly call this disappointing.

[pwright1]

I do like Houston.

[Jonzo]

The view of the skyline from Windsor is actually the worst skyline view.  I could hardly call this disappointing. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Allan! I've havn't seen such a great photo of detroit's skyline. I'm from Ann Arbor and come in to Detroit a lot to see Tigers games, shows at the State etc. but whenever I am coming in I stare in awe at the incredible skyline. I don't like how whenever you see pictures, the buildings look so wimpy. The Ren Cen is only about 20 ft. shorter then Minneapolis's tallest building and yet it looks like it's 200 ft. shorter. Weird. Well anyway, I appreciate this forums Detroit loving, and am looking forward to the city's great revival which is already underway!

[Fruit Cove]

1)Charlotte*

2)Baltimore*

3)Jacksonville*

4)Miami

5)Minneapolis

6)Seattle

7)Atlanta*

8)Winston-Salem*

9)Savannah*

10)Houston*

11)Nashville*

12)San Antonio*

13)Orlando*

14)Indianapolis*

15)Pittsburgh

My top 15. *indicates cities ive vistited and/or lived

[Spartan]

1- Charlotte

2 -Columbia (fantastic for a smaller town, also hometown bias)

3- Atlanta

4- Minneapolis

5- Seattle

6 -Chicago

7- Indianapolis

8- Nashville

9- New York (the loss of the WTC has moved this one down a few for me)

10- Philadelphia

Honorable Mention: Jacksonville- I think it as a great skyline, but it lacks a very strong signature tower.

[M. Brown]

1. St Louis

2. Boston

3. Houston.

4. Seattle

5. Kansas City

6. Toronto

7. Chicago

8. Charlotte

9. Miami

10 Los Angeles

11. San Francisco

12. Dallas

13. Cincinnatti

14. Louisville

15. Hartford

[Allan]

Thanks Allan!  I've havn't seen such a great photo of detroit's skyline.  I'm from Ann Arbor and come in to Detroit a lot to see Tigers games, shows at the State etc. but whenever I am coming in I stare in awe at the incredible skyline.  I don't like how whenever you see pictures, the buildings look so wimpy.  The Ren Cen is only about 20 ft. shorter then Minneapolis's tallest building and yet it looks like it's 200 ft. shorter.  Weird.  Well anyway, I appreciate this forums Detroit loving, and am looking forward to the city's great revival which is already underway!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks! I try my best to rep my adopted hometown (I am originally from Flint). Believe it or not, before this February, I had not set foot inside the Detroit city limits since Tiger Stadium closed five years ago! How sad is that?! Now I know so much about the city that I may be giving Preservation Wayne walking tours next year!

I am still trying to pinpoint the exact location this was taken from. I'm assuming that it's from the roof of an apartment building that I don't have access to, but it's worth a shot! I am not nearly as familiar with midtown as I am with downtown, but I'm getting there....