Norfolk Pictures

[erdogs]

I keep getting red x's.............................................................just kidding!

[burt]

Gosscj, NorfolkerAtHeart and tekk2k, thanks for the superb photos and aerials.

[NorfolkerAtHeart]

All the talk of new development on Norfolk's last remaining parking lots makes me realize that Norfolk really did wholesale brain surgery during the urban renewal area. I mean, there was so much urban fabric that was just leveled in the name of slum clearance. I mean, I'm a fan of the great development that is gracing the city now, but I'm also a bigger fan of the quirky urban grain of cities with a tight and dense collection of old buildings juxtaposed with new ones. Just look at these shots of OLD norfolk, pre-Urban Renewal.

My point is that I lament that Norfolk leaders of the early 20th century felt that they needed to conduct what was essentially a complete heart transplant on Norfolk when a lot of that fabric today could be interesting "pre-war" loft apartments, spaces for interesting small businesses, nooks and crannies for jazz clubs, and the like of which you see in NYC's East Village, Philly's South Street and other similar places. But I realize that I say that with the benefit of my hindsight living now in 2006.

All of these photos are from the Sargeant Memorial Room Historical Photos Webpage of the Norfolk Public Library Website, a great online resource for historic Norfolk photos. http://www.npl.lib.va.us/absoluteig/gallery.asp?categoryid=1

Main Street looking west to the present day site of the Norfolk World Trade Center and Nauticus.

Main Street looking west, from approximately Commercial Place.

Main Street looking east at Commercial Place, with current City Jail at Civic Center in background.

Aerial view of East Main Street area, current Civic Center site, with Urban Renewal in action. Note how much demolition has taken place. Norfolk Union Station is the tall slender building in the far background, upper right of photo.

Aerial view of Norfolk Union Station, which was located at the intersection of East Main Street and Water Street, across from the main entrance of present-day Harbor Park.

Granby Street looking south at intersection of City Hall Avenue. Tall building is the old Royster Building, now HQ for Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Site to the bottom left is the old Monticello Hotel site, now Federal Building. Black building in the center left is the site of the new Trader Square building.

Granby Street looking north from the same vicinity. You can see the Norfolk Federal Courthouse in the far distance.

Bank Street looking north from Main Street, ca. 1934. The area in the center of the photo is now the site of MacArthur Center. City Hall, now MacArthur Memorial, is in the center right.

Bank Street and Baxter Street, in the area of what is now the center court where Santa sits in MacArthur Center. Freemason Street Baptist Church of Norfolk in the background.

Bank Street looking north from Plume Street, ca. 1960. The area in the center of the photo is now the site of MacArthur Center. City Hall, now MacArthur Memorial, is in the center right.

Bank Street looking north from Plume Street, ca. 1968. The area in the center of the photo is now the site of MacArthur Center. City Hall, now MacArthur Memorial, is in the center right.

[rusthebuss]

Imagine if they saved all of that and built the high rises on the other side of Granby! It looks like a real city in the old photos

[vdogg]

Norfolk looks like Hiroshima in this pic. I can't believe they tore all that down.

[gosscj]

Imagine the old downtown extending past present-day 264 to the site of Harbor Park. Geez, it's hard to believe we lost so much!

[Merrittk92]

Granby Street looking north from the same vicinity. You can see the Norfolk Federal Courthouse in the far distance.

Bank Street and Baxter Street, in the area of what is now the center court where Santa sits in MacArthur Center. Freemason Street Baptist Church of Norfolk in the background.

I really like these two shots. Makes one wonder what might have been? Enough "Waxing Nostalgic" time for me to get back to work on that Time Machine!

[spiker3]

Any requests for pics in downtown? I'm on vacation this week so i got plenty of time. Let me know, thanks.

[vdogg]

Any requests for pics in downtown? I'm on vacation this week so i got plenty of time. Let me know, thanks.

Take a very detailed pic of the Granby Tower site, including the workers so we can make sure that they aren't cardboard cutouts (j/k ). In particular I want to see that trench where they were laying conduit. We have some pics from a few weeks ago of that same trench and I want to compare them to see if anything has changed. Thanks.

[gosscj]

It's always nice to have a new collection of photos taken with an eye for aesthetics as well as documentation. My request is to just try to get a few good shots of downtown that we haven't seen before - something that might make someone like me, who only gets home to Norfolk once or twice a year, smile.

Edited January 9, 2007 by gosscj

[okinawatyphoon]

It's always nice to have a new collection of photos taken with an eye for aesthetics as well as documentation. My request is to just try to get a few good shots of downtown that we haven't seen before - something that might make someone like me, who only gets home to Norfolk once or twice a year, smile.

Yes, fresh angles of downtown are always nice. I wouldn't mind a couple pics of the Cruise Ship Terminal if you wander over that way...

[vdogg]

Only in Norfolk: Mid-January, 75 degrees, and people are ice skating in shorts and t-shirts

[WDD]

Has anyone ever seen or done a rendering of what DT Norfolk will look ten years from now? Could someone ultra talented photo shop or draw a rendering of what things will look like after Granby, Wachovia, the Hilton... are up?

[vdogg]

Has anyone ever seen or done a rendering of what DT Norfolk will look ten years from now? Could someone ultra talented photo shop or draw a rendering of what things will look like after Granby, Wachovia, the Hilton... are up?

Welcome to the forum. There are actually some crude photoshops floating around the forum that do this, though none of them have Wachovia in them. Perhaps the ones who made the original photoshops could do and update for us.

[okinawatyphoon]

Neat shots vdogg! Good to see you taking more pics! The DE/Royster comparision/contrast is cool.

[andyfried]

I really like that shot of the Hague tower,good job.

[urbanvb]

Great job. And I love this one bc it shows off Norfolk's density DT.

[vdogg]

Great job. And I love this one bc it shows off Norfolk's density DT.

I took this shot the way I did was so I could 1) Get the Hague and Harbors edge fully in the same shot, 2) To have a photoshopable shot for Ghent South Towers and Harbors Edge 2 if that ever comes to fruition and 3) The way the colors of the buildings and the different styles of architecture play off eachother. I used to go to the top of the Boush street garage but I really couldn't fit all of Freemason in the way I wanted to from there and still have the Hague fully in the pic. It was a nice day for a little urban exploring, so I decided to see if I could find some different vantage points today.

[source]

A few pictures from my last visit to Norfolk.

[burt]

Neat pix, source. I noticed these and a number of Newport News shots in your Flickr album.

[urbanlife]

I love those lion heads on the Royster. Best view of them is on top of the parking garage next door.

[okinawatyphoon]

I love those shots, source. They're crisp and unique.

[tekk2k]

[tekk2k]

[okinawatyphoon]

Are the DE signs up yet on the DE building?