Comcast Center

[stinkweed]

comcast center

[PghUSA]

stink is this what you were referring to:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...wtopic=7875&hl=

the link you provided is dead

[PghUSA]

By the way SW, welcome to the forums!

[stinkweed]

Yes, sorry I'm not really sure how to post pics. So, how is pittsburgh anyway? I'm planning a trip around Pennsylvania this year. I'd like to head north through allentown to scranton. after that we're going camping at the grand canyon of pa, then to erie. Finally to pittsburgh and back to philly. I've been all around the country but oddly enough not to much in my own state. I think we have a lack of PA pride in this state. Maybe because the state gov is run by a bunch of hicks :-) But anyway my girlfriend is trying to talk me out of the erie and Pittsburg part. Her brother went to CMU and she spent some time there and said its a bit slow? From all the pics I've seen, I find that hard to believe. Have you been to philly? how do they compare?

[PghUSA]

Grand Canyon of the east huh NICE. Maybe you can take some shots of that and we could get a thread going just for that . . . many don't realize that Pa. has something that wonderous!

As far as the Eire and Pgh thing go, hmm I wonder what kind of things your GF is into . . . Pittsburgh is no southbeach or LA or even Times Square/Boston/Philly/DCish. If you can step out of the MTV, the OC box for a few though Pittsburgh does have loads to offer. Let me know what your into history? fun? museums? architecture? shopping? One thing with Pittsburgh is that a lot of the really great stuff is just below the surface . . . since "big steel" collapsed in the mid 1980s the metroplex lost a whole generation of young people that today would be having their own teenagers to the sunbelt. I am sure Philly has a much deeper and broader party scene plus NYC and the Inner Harbour are only a few hours and CDs away.

Just to cover the basics though I wouldn't miss the inclines up Mt. Washington just south of downtown (when you are downtown you can't miss them) especially the antique Duquesne (dookane, it's French), great vistas of the city from up there. Another great vista where many wedding pictures are taken nowadays is the mountain just west of Mt. Washington, ask a cop or a local for directions but as you get closer they'll be signs, the West End overlook is what you want, much quieter then busy Mt. Washington and much more spectacular views. In downtown: Point State Park is fantastic--historical (where the west was truly won and where the largest and most state of the art fort of the British Empire was built), beautiful, water all around you etc. Downtown the Wood Street Gallery (Wood & Liberty), Market Square, PPG Plaza and the PPG Winter Garden are must sees, take a walk down Grant Street--the Park Avenue of the mid-west!--visit the old Penn Station and right off Grant Mellon Square and the one-of-a-kind-gargoyles of the Park Tower with Saks Fifth Avenue nextdoor . . . if you keep stepping right off from Mellon Square ull get to Trinity Cathedral and Trinity Cemetery--a very very unique experience (Gerenamos dad is buried there as well as many revolutionary war leaders), not only very historic but very very goth/romantic setting you wouldn't expect downtown. Feel free to take the subway downtown its free within the triangle. Northshore I'd stop in at the worlds largest artist gallery at the Warhol (its like a ride at Six flags but with art!) and the Matress Factory (don't worry u'll get thank me). East of downtown you can party along the boardwalk and strip district up Liberty Avenue and then the University District (Oakland) where Pittsburgh, CMU, Carlow, Chatham kids party out, Schenely Park is right there--very gorgeous, might want to stop in at the Dirty O (don't worry it is G rated) in Oakland too. The Southshore and Stationsquare is great for partying with the Hardrock cafe lots of clubs, a megaplex movie theater and Cheesecake Factory. East of town there is arguably the best Rollercoaster Park in the world. On your way back to Philly get off over at Swissvale (about 5-7 miles from Downtown) and follow the signs to Kennywood. Everything from 1920 Wooden masterpieces that still get them screaming to steel ones built just in the last 5 years and ranked among the best in the world. Many summers I've met coaster fans there from California, Maryland, Florida, Canada, Europe etc. that just couldn't die happy without a visit to the 'wood.

Been about 4 years since I've been in Philly but really enjoyed it, as you can tell Im much more about history/architecture/fun with learning then clubbing or concerts or nightlife. If your the latter the Strip District, Oakland (by the Universities) and the southshore with station square and the southside works are the places for you. Still would want to get the Mrs. up to Mt. Washington, into Point State Park or PPG Plaza and up the West End Overlook though--she will definetly thank you. If you have some time in the 'burgh be sure and take the Swissvale exit (i believe its that one but there are signs on 376 to guide you to Kennywood) to the RC capital of the world--say some at least

[stinkweed]

Wow, that's a lot. I'm not to much into the party scene anymore. I think I've kinda grown out of that now. But my girlfriend is still young enough to force me to go every once in a while.

We'll most likely stop by falling water on the way to the burg. My girlfriend is an architect, in fact we both work at the same firm here in center city. I'll take the info along with me thanks.

[PghUSA]

This is kind of getting away from comcast so I started a thread on SW PA architecture to help you out some Fallingwater isn't the only Frank Lloyd Wright addition to MetroPittsburgh be sure to check out Kentuck Knob too! http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8921

Also another great piece of architecture in the city:http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=6651

[stinkweed]

This is a new residential tower with a new theater for the philadelphia theater company on the first floor. They just anounced that they will break ground in the new few months.

[stinkweed]

sorry NEXT few months

[*Sweetkisses*]

Philly rocks!!

[PghUSA]

Philly rocks!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Drew Carey moved to Philly?

[Everest]

I'm on the fence with this project. Not crazy about the renderings as this behemoth seems to throw the nice balance of the Philly skyline out of place, although I expect the finished project in person will blend in much nicer.

[stinkweed]

I agree, it's a bit monolithic for me. I've seen another rendering of the building in an earlier design which looked better. It had much more detail than this veresion seems to have. As you said, we'll have to see how it turns out.

[PghUSA]

im amazed that the whole state has yet to get a 1,000 footer . . . even the comcast center won't go there. This state is still in the 1970s

[urbanophile]

im amazed that the whole state has yet to get a 1,000 footer . . . even the comcast center won't go there.  This state is still in the 1970s

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I don't know why the Comcast Building stops short. It is like building a 99 story building but not adding the extra floor. Then again, internationally buildings are measured in meters so the fact that it just stops short of 1,000 feet doesn't really amount to much outside the US.

As for 1,000 footers, it seems the only city in the US where such a big building is really justified is New York. In all other US cities that have 1,000 footers (and there are only a handful), the buildings are contrived since those cities have more than enough space to accomodate the tenants of one really tall building in several buildings. Basically, one 1,000 footer takes the place of two 500 footers (or one can argue 700 footers since it costs much more to build a really tall building). I think the Key Corp Tower in Cleveland is 1,000 feet or more and it has basically doomed that city's chances at getting any new skyscraper construction (not that their chances were all that great to begin with anyway).

[stinkweed]

im amazed that the whole state has yet to get a 1,000 footer . . . even the comcast center won't go there.  This state is still in the 1970s

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, I personally think the 1000 footer isn't really important. I'd take two million sq. ft. of mid to low rise space over a single skyscraper any day. Many great cities don't even have a 700 foot tower.

By the way, whats the situation on the casino front in the burgh? I've been paying some attention to the philly proposals and they're horrible. A couple proposals are for 8th and market and 12th and market streets. That would put a cheap slot parlor within a 3 minute walk of city hall. They already have a hard enough time figuring out how to get things done! Not to mention it would put a casino across the street from the convention center.

[Everest]

I agree, it's a bit monolithic for me.

[stinkweed]

These were some of the very early renderings of the new Comcast Center. I love this design,  perfect height and color for this skyscraper cluster. Actually,  one more tapered addition to the top and this tower would be off the friggin charts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just as a side note my company did the building shown to the left, Bell Atlantic Tower.

[Jonzo]

  I think the Key Corp Tower in Cleveland is 1,000 feet or more and it has basically doomed that city's chances at getting any new skyscraper construction (not that their chances were all that great to begin with anyway).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, the Key Corp Tower also stops just short of 1000 ft. (I believe it's about 950 ft.)

I think the only U.S. cities that have dared to go 1000 or over are New York, Chicago, Los Angelos, Atlanta, and Houston. There might be a few more but not many. I am very surprised that Philly does not have one, a city of it's size really deserves one (much more than Atlanta). Although did Philly fall victim to the end of the industrial age? Because some people would say that it is a rust belt city and others would not. That is why cities like Detroit don't have any 1000 footers.

[stinkweed]

First, I much prefer the look of the stone clad Key corp tower vs liberty one's glass anyday.

Regarding the height issue, if comcast split the tower into two buildings (say 30 stories each) and moved it a few blocks say toward 23 and market I'd be much more excited about this project. The block is currently a bunch of surface parking lots, a few abandoned buildings and some porno theaters, it would have a much more profound effect on downtown than this monolith will ever have. 1000 ft or not, to my knowledge this builing is still only half full, the builder hasn't signed any other tenants. After this thing is completed center city will have something like 4 million sq ft of empty office space. Say goodbye to any new ofice building for a good two decades. This is what Urbanophile was saying.

Rust belt city? I'd imagine Philly was as struck as any city by the loss of manufacturing. Since 1950 I think the numbers are something like 650,000 and 250,000 jobs. I'll check my numbers but I think I'm close. Philly however was a little more diverse than say pgh and detroit who were a bit more focused on automotive, mining, steel etc. We've bounced back a bit faster than them but not nearly as fast as Boston and NYC.

PghUSA may have some better insights on this.

By the way, about the 1000 footer, as I mentioned somewhere before, my firm did the bell atlantic tower (now Verizon tower, I think) it's the stepped brown building to the left of the proposed comcast center. A couple years ago we proposed a 75 story tower for comcast that would have been I think 321 m. If you look on emporis.com it's listed under philly in the visionary category, I think. The whole thing went to crap though. It was proposed for the site of the old meridian one tower that burned down (also by our firm). There are two owners of the site and they really don't get along and blew the whole thing. They have both proposed instead to built seperate condo towers, one 57 stories and one 50. I show a rendering of one of the buildings called 1441 chestnut st in this thread somewhere.

My opinion is that neither of these building will ever get built as the site is far to small and the condo boom will be over before these two guys can agree on anything.