Staunton - A Google SketchUp City

[Dac150]

I'd say an elevated rail would look good if it were something still in use, but not like the HighLine in New York (it would essentially look like the same thing). Maybe the elevated rail is an attribute you can take from Chicago?

[toyota74]

an elevated rail like in liberty city g.t.a....ya and some tall ships would look cool docked beside the skyline,....would llok cool but am not demanding
bar the aerial...besides we have the same first name pa...

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by toyota74

plus can we have another
aerial shot cos i still have the last aerial as my wallpaper and i would like a new one

How flattering! Don't worry, I will have one SOON. I just don't have a very well developed area yet, as I don't like showing undeveloped areas.

Originally Posted by Aleks

Yeah. I never realized it, but an old elevated rail will look pretty tight in Staunton. Not in the Financial Center but more back towards lower density, hospitals, apartment buildings, etc...

You should add some ships too. Do you have anything planned for those empty piers?

We'll see about an Elevated Rail System, I can see one between Uptown and Downtown. Jefferson sounds perfect for an elevated rail system. I'm thinking something similar to the El-train in Chicago's loop.

And yes those piers will be filled with warehouses and such, I could put in some ships but I don't know if there are any photo-textured ships on the warehouse.

Originally Posted by flamesrule

Could we have some shots of Jefferson?Anyway like Toyota74 said a elevated rail would look awsome!

Jefferson technically doesn't exist yet. I still gotta model it out.

---

A look down United American Avenue.

Starkton Ferry Terminal
The Starkton Island Ferry has been with Staunton since the 1800's. It operates several ferrys from the eastern-most point of mainland Staunton to Starkton Island, a large island across the harbor, also part of the City of Staunton but neighbors Ganton. The Ferry Terminal was completely redone in 2004 after a fatal ferry crash. The now all glass terminal was doubled in size and added "WELCOME TO STAUNTON", a big sign greeting ferry passengers coming from the island.

Staunton Port Authority Building
Completed in 1981, the Staunton Port Authority moved its offices from Three Galcorp Plaza to a shiny new modern building built right over the Starkton Island Ferry Terminal. The Building, shaped like a rectangle with slanted sides, terminates United American Avenue and can virtually be seen from the end of the city. It is the eastern-most skyscraper in the city as Starkton Island is fairly suburban.

Marlon Hotel, Fort Staunton
Criticized to this day for demolishing a block of pre-war highrises for this luxury hotel in 1986. The construction of this building led to the preservationists war of saving whats left of Fort Staunton, or known to locals as the East End. It and the Port Authority Building Stand as the only skyscrapers east of Benjamin Avenue.

[Flamesrule]

Wow Marlon Hotel looks great!Love the sunset photo!

[Wrightguy0]

B-E-A-Utiful d{^_^}b

[Skyscraper100]

looks like a diff software, what software did you used?

[Flamesrule]

Hey Patrick did you make a airport yet?

[sketchup_fan]

Staunton city... hm... let me think....... oh yeah huge and beautiful. Your
city is like an exact copy of new york, keep up the good work!

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Skyscraper100

looks like a diff software, what software did you used?

Kerkythea, I've never had a successful run with Kerkythea, but I don't know what I did this time, maybe a different setting, but now it is producing gorgeous renders, all I have to do is adjust the colors and add a sky in photoshop!

Originally Posted by flamesrule

Hey Patrick did you make a airport yet?

Not yet, unfortunately that won't be for a while, I'll still need to make downtown Jefferson and Ganton. I won't see an airport for maybe a year at this pace i'm going

Originally Posted by sketchup_fan

Staunton city... hm... let me think....... oh yeah huge and beautiful. Your
city is like an exact copy of new york, keep up the good work!

Thank you!!! Well I guess, but I'm trying to make Staunton look less and less like New York. Anyone remember "Cannery Park" AKA "Battery Park" haha.

---

Early morning in Fort Staunton, looking at the Staunton Museum of Art.



Later that Day.

[Skyscraper100]

i thought its a diif software, nice style on rendering

i love the material you used on the arts museum, can you share it to me? thanks!

[Flamesrule]

Nice renders! Annyway the art museum looks great! I love the dome on the top!

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Skyscraper100

i love the material you used on the arts museum, can you share it to me? thanks!

Okay I'll send it to you soon!

---

So after like a day and a half of full on sketchup, I finally modeled the Ganton Bridge.



I also re-added Westly Gardens, (L-R) Nimbos, completed 2002, Stratus, completed 2001, Altos South completed 1999, Altos North, completed 2003. The five condo buildings range from middle-class condos to luxury residences.

The funky white building is the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Center for the Preforming Arts (known to locals as the Jackie O. Center, Jackie Kennedy Center, dented white building). Completed in 1979, it was constructed as plan to revive The south end along Westly Avenue along with the Galcorp Center and Westly Shoppingtown.

The building's design wasn't very popular to begin with, even Jackie Onassis wasn't very fond of it, citing that it looked very cold and unwelcoming. But the Preforming Arts center was a success, originally surrounded by the marshlands south of Westly Avenue until the 1980's when the the Staunton Financial Center was built next door, the surrounding blocks where just meadowlands throughout the 90's until Westly Gardens was constructed between 1999 and 2003.

It's not home the Staunton Opera, the Opera House will be located uptown.

[Skyscraper100]

wow... looks like a real city, im too lazy to detail the city like that, vcool work

[Flamesrule]

Wow the bridge looks great!Too much detail for me!

So you started Ganton or are you just doing the bridge for now?
Also the building on the very right is nice but I'm just don't like the brown texture on the bottom part..Just not feeling it.

[Vellu]

Perfect updates again! I love the realism of both the buildings and the stories behind them. The bridge looks beautiful and the style is perfect for Staunton.

As Staunton is absolutely one of the greatest cities here, I dare to criticize it a bit. The model is perfectly realistic looking and very beatiful, but the city itself has a tad boring skyline... well, boring is not the right word but indistinguishable. I'd like to see one or two buildings that really stand out - like the Empire State Building - from that sea of other great buildings. I think Staunton has the same problem as NY: a building has to be extraordinary to stand out. I think these few landmark buildings would make Staunton the greatest of the great.

[treras93]

Bridge is amazing! as everything you post is. Ganton is the borough on the opposite side of the river right? Also, did you ever decide whether to make Staunton an island or did you leave it as a peninsula?

[Dac150]

Reminds me of a cross between the 59th Street Bridge and the Gothels Bridge. Well done!

[toyota74]

god that bridge is monster of a bridge !!!huge,ugly,heavy but perfect..


10/10

[Aleks]

Woah! Your city gets amazing more and more with every update! I love the JKOCPA [that's really long!] and how simple it is. And I love that your buildings are starting to look less and less like NY but still have that NE style.

That Ganton Bridge render looms amazing! I bet that if you tried hard enough, you could make it look almost like a real picture!

The Staunton Museum of Art looks good. I would've liked Staunton Art Museum [SAM] more but the Seattle Art Museum [also SAM] already took it.

[Patrick]

Thank you everyone for the positive feedback!

Originally Posted by flamesrule

So you started Ganton or are you just doing the bridge for now?

No not yet, I want to finish Downtown then move across the rivers to Jefferson and Ganton.

Originally Posted by Vellu

but the city itself has a tad boring skyline... well, boring is not the right word but indistinguishable. I'd like to see one or two buildings that really stand out

Vellu I especially love your feedback! I get exactly what you mean, but that's what I'm aiming for, Staunton isn't supposed to be a great city, its supposed to resemble Detroit rather than New York City. So the skyline isn't supposed to be very exciting, notice over the years Staunton's skyline has gotten boringer and boringer, but I feel its becoming much more realistic. Do you know what I mean?

Originally Posted by treras93

Ganton is the borough on the opposite side of the river right? Also, did you ever decide whether to make Staunton an island or did you leave it as a peninsula?

Yeah Ganton will be South of Staunton, Jefferson being North of Staunton. And Staunton is no longer an Island, its a peninsula, heres a better map for you:



---

So lately I've been spending time on filling in downtown block by block, I'd like to get working on Jefferson or Ganton soon. These are mostly filler buildings, the only major building I need to do is the Staunton Courthouse, the only empty block in immediate downtown.

(L-R)

Atlantic Securities Bank Complex, annex completed in 1981, larger main black building completed in 1973. Located across the street from Galcorp Plaza. Several bank robberies have taken place here, known for having a Fort Knox like security system, both very private buildings also home to government offices.

Stevenson Insurance, been with Staunton since the beginning. Completed in 1931, a plain and ignored office building, tall, but surrounded by taller skyscrapers, thus rarely appearing in skyline shots.
The Bogart, completed in 1928, a downtown hotel. Originally run down for several decades, think of a "film noir" type hotel, recently refurbished in 2005, now a luxury hotel.
1128 Graham Street, a very old office building completed in 1929, has two large "CALLAHAN" signs on both sides of the building. All three are landmark status.

XYZ Systems, completed in 1970, the front is actually much more interesting, we are seeing the side-back. A typical B-Office Class office building.
995 Grant Street, two buildings fused into one. On the right being the 4-star Monroe Hotel, left being the Matterson Bank office building, completed in 1991. I'm very proud of this one

The last block, I'll leave unnamed, these buildings are straight out copies of their real-life counterparts, thus I never intended them to be unique, still they are one of my favorites.