South's Best Skyline?

[goodbye]

Atlanta's is nice and wide, but I really like Charlotte's high-rise architecture better. This city has a great future, if the growth of the CBD continues at its current rate. Someday, maybe Greenville will be as nice! HaHa!

[ElGobernador]

Houston, hands down.

There's also the Westchase skyline.

2000-01 pics of Westchase from TexasFreeway.com

2003-04 pics from HoustonFreeways.com

Greenway Plaza is in the background

2003 Uptown Houston

2003. This photo shows Uptown Houston on th left, downtown Houston in the left-center (kinda hazy), and Greenway Plaza on the right.

[Spades]

I also pick Houston. Miami is my second favorite in the south.

[goodbye]

Wow! Those pics of Houston are impressive. I especially like the one of "2003 Uptown Houston."

Both the nice skyline, and the fabulous architecture are why I like Charlotte.

[Claws]

Well, my favorite skyline is Nashville, but that's a biased opinion (since Nashville's my favorite city). The best skyline in the South would have to be Houston. (Or maybe Atlanta, I don't know. But I don't like the way Atlanta's is spread out.)

[DHall]

Thanks guys. I am going to revert the poll to format it for middle sized cities. Any advice on how to?

[DHall]

The western end of Westchase is also sometimes called Park Ten. I don't know why. I know there is a big old HOV loading site and parking garage in the area...

[FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER]

I disagree with the Atlanta choices; Atlanta has some wide open spaces and pot holes in its skyline. However, to me, denseness and proportionateness is what makes a skyline look good. All the tall buildings packed in one area with some type symmetry in them.

Houston and or Dallas would be my picks; with Atlanta third.

[benjamin]

I still think it is Atlanta

View from Buckhead

Also from buckhead, but closeup

From Centennial Olympic Park

[Spartan]

Thanks guys. I am going to revert the poll to format it for middle sized cities. Any advice on how to?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At this point its best to just leave it like it is. Too many people have voted, plus this is a pretty good thread by itself

Nice Atlanta pics!

[DHall]

Let's leave it at this, although I don't know how we could end such a wonderful thread! This turned out awesome! I hope people keep voting, and particularly for Houston, lol. Even though I don't get how it and Miami have better skylines, I am not going to fight against the power of hometowns, lol.

David.

[streetscaper]

Miami

Miami Beach

Ft. Lauderdale

[streetscaper]

Bonus 2 of Miami

Scroll---->

[DHall]

The Miami skyline is sooo stretched along the ocean that it looks bigger than it really is. None the less, I never knew it could make itself look so big! Right now OU fans aren't so fond of Miami....

[streetscaper]

These were posted by Unforgiven in the Florida forum

This is in the Brickell District of dowtown

Looking over the many expensive islands that dot Biscayne Bay

This shot (looking South) is from Miami Beach about 40 blocks north of the core of South Beach, this narrow strip of land widens as you go south and as you go north of here!!

[streetscaper]

Looking North at Brickell District

Looking South at the CBD

and two bonus night shots...

[monsoon]

Streetscaper, those are some great photos of Miami. I think they prove it has not only the best looking skyline in the South, but one of the best in North America. And unlike the other cities in question, it as great density outside its CBD.

[DHall]

Houston, hands down.

There's also the Westchase skyline.

My, yes. In that first pic, is that Westhemier and you see the overpass with the Beltway, right? Houston is litterally amazing... the deal is that it has a plethera of skylines, and I'm beginning to think the Galleria is even bigger than Downtown now...

2000-01 pics of Westchase from TexasFreeway.com

2003-04 pics from HoustonFreeways.com

Greenway Plaza is in the background

2003 Uptown Houston

2003.  This photo shows Uptown Houston on th left, downtown Houston in the left-center (kinda hazy), and Greenway Plaza on the right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's by Eldridge, right? I heard they had plans to widen the Katy Freeway to somewhere around 20 lanes. In 2002 it ranked as America's 2nd busiest highway.

[ElGobernador]

Those pics were taken where the new Westpark Tollway intersects with US 59. I don't know if Eldridge is near there or not.

As far as the Katy Freeway goes, it will be a very large project, but I think it's getting a little too much hype with the idea of twnety lanes, when it won't be that way. I think when most people around the country hear "twenty lane freeway", they're thinking that it's 10 lanes going one way and 10 going the other way, a la Atlanta-style, but it's not.

-8 mainlanes (4 in each direction)

-4 toll lanes placed in the center (2 in each direction)

-6 feeder lanes (3 in each direction)

That adds up to 18. Add in some short exit-only lanes and that's where people get the whole "20+ lanes" idea, when really, it's at best a 12-lane facility (not unheard of) with 6 lanes of feeder roads--and those feeders aren't continuous. Lanes start and end periodically. Or you can think of it as an 8 lane freeway with a 4 lane tollway in its median, which is what it really is.

Here's a diagram of one side of the freeway at its widest:

[ElGobernador]

Just wanted to add this tidbit about Katy Freeway,

Charlotte has I-277, which at its widest is about 8 mainlanes, including exit lanes but not including C/D lanes. On the Brookshire side, that has at best 2 continuous feeder lanes to go along with about 8 mainlanes (counting exit lanes), would any of the Charlotte forumers call the Brookshire a 12 lane freeway at that point? Or maybe I-85 that 4 service lanes and 10 lanes (counting exit lanes)--is it a 14 lane freeway? No, but it's different because the city is responsible for the feeder and service roads. In Texas, the feeders fall within the state's ROW, thus they are counted as part of the freeway, and businesses along the freeway have that addres, e.g. 10200 Katy Freeway or 1450 Northwest Freeway.

In Charlotte, some places are, in fact, xxx I-85 Service Road, but the city is in the process of changing the names of I-85 Service Road to regular street names, just as one-way 11th street downtown is basically feeder lanes to the Brookshire.

[bobliocatt]

Those Miami pics are great. There's a reason that city and its suburbs are denser than any city in the South. With all the new tall towers under construction in the CBD, its only going to get bigger, denser, and better.

[monsoon]

Those Miami pics are great.  There's a reason that city and its suburbs are denser than any city in the South.  With all the new tall towers under construction in the CBD, its only going to get bigger, denser, and better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Another key component to density is mass transit. Of the cities listed only Miami is one of the few with a real heavy rail passenger system. (DC & Atlanta are the others)

[Brickell]

Interestingly enough, Miami has not taken advantage of that rail line until very recently.

[Chachi]

I live in Atlanta, but I voted for Houston. I love the fact that there's no zoning laws (or few) in Houston. It gives the city a real wildness and sense of freedom that is clamped down in too many cities. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to vote for Atlanta and feel good about it.

[paulblackgsx]

Although Miami's rail system is actually the smallest of the three heavy rail systems in the south, their plans for expansion are impressive, and will likely lead them past Atlanta pretty quickly (which currently has no real plans to expand). It's very impressive the support that has been there in the Miami area for expanding not only the miles/stations, but hours of operations for their system.