Cities whose skylines make you cry - Page 9

Steely Dan · #**161** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj3000

right... and now tier 3, 4, 5...

tier 3: all other north american skylines.

and that's right about where i start to lose interest.

pj3000 · #**162** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

tier 3: all other north american skylines.

and that's right about where i start to lose interest.

But that's a lazy citydata cop out

Steely Dan · #**163** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj3000

But that's a lazy citydata cop out

ok.

38 Geary · #**164** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:10 PM**

I think what he is saying is that it becomes more subjective at that point beyond NYC and Chicago. At least with NYC and Chicago there's a way to objectively tier them. Beyond that, objectivity is more obscure. There are some cities with taller buildings but they may not have prettier skylines, which then becomes a more subjective interpretation.

bilbao58 · #**165** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebucket

Never seen the Pennzoil building before but just took a look and it looks quite nice.

Actually, you have, you just didn't know it. Look at the skyline logo at the top left of this page. Pennzoil is the 6th building from the left.

pj3000 · #**166** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebucket

I think what he is saying is that it becomes more subjective at that point beyond NYC and Chicago. At least with NYC and Chicago there's a way to objectively tier them. Beyond that, objectivity is more obscure. There are some cities with taller buildings but they may not have prettier skylines, which then becomes a more subjective interpretation.

I was just saying define the tiers, so you can be objective beyond NYC and Chicago. Because if not, there's just senseless arguing and tons of subjective opinions come into it.

38 Geary · #**167** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

You also neglected to include two buildings (which, coincidentally have the same name) that could be considered the most distinct of all Tier 2 skyline buildings - Bank of America Plaza in Dallas (a.k.a. "the green building") and Bank of America Plaza in Atlanta.

I don't know if any of those BofAs in Dallas or Atlanta are more distinct than the Library Tower or Transamerica Pyramid. Would be interested to hear other people's opinions.

That being said, the BofA Tower in NYC is my favorite BofA, followed by either Charlotte's or Atlanta's.

iheartthed · #**168** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:20 PM**

This is definitely the correct and only answer:

1. NYC

:::really big gap:::

2. Chicago (and Toronto if we include Canada)

:::humongous gap:::

3. Everybody else.

The biggest skyline in the top 20 largest cities, minus those 2/3 named above, could realistically be matched by a building boom in any other top 20 city... D.C. removed due to its structural issues harming its own competitiveness.

JAYNYC · #**169** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

This. Houston's skyline is looking, dare I say it..dated where as it once was the poster child of modern skylines along with Dallas and a handful of other cities.

No, go ahead, you can say it - it's true.

Houston's two main skylines (downtown and uptown/Galleria) 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 exploded between 1980 and 1990. I'd say uptown has grown more and grown better since then, but in general, the growth is nowhere on par with the oil industry boom growth of the 80's.

It's sad because to your point, back then, Houston's downtown skyline was described by many as the by far the most modern big city skyline in the country. Now, it just looks like what it is - a city with a bunch of tall 1980's looking buildings with a few shorter modern, uninteresting boxes peppered in around the east end / Toyota Center side of downtown.

Maldive · #**170** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

the parameter is that it's "so much 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 bigger than any other north american skyline".

LOL... that says it.

The Chicago vs NYC debate is fun to read, and "what I like" preferences are to be respected, but anyone who has ended up in Manhattan (and ended up with a sore neck looking up) knows that nyc is so very far ahead of every city in N. America.

There are lots of good shots of Chicago's skyline. And there are good shots of "pieces" of Manhattan. The widest angle camera tech cannot capture the breadth of this megalopolis properly... camera has to be too far away.

The usual suspects that challenge NYC... in world's best whatever, like Dubai and a few hundred Chinese cities... do offer wow skyline shots.

But I'd argue few of those new mega skylines are anchored in a huge, almost wall to wall, midrise built form base (old and new) and the kind of street animation that (never?) rests at street level.

(maybe Tokyo is in the mix)

pj3000 · #**171** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

ok.

I'm not trying to be a 🞵🞵🞵🞵, so sorry if I'm coming across that way. I'm seriously interested in what comes after the 2 (3, if Toronto enters the picture) big boys. It's just that there are significant differences between say, Dallas and Minneapolis or Denver and Cleveland or wherever. Obviously, the differences between NYC and everywhere else and then Chicago (Toronto) and everywhere else are huge. But maybe the skyline difference between Houston and Buffalo is just as big... I don't know, maybe I should get into CTBUH and waste some time...

JAYNYC · #**172** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebucket

I don't know if any of those BofAs in Dallas or Atlanta are more distinct than the Library Tower or Transamerica Pyramid. Would be interested to hear other people's opinions.

That being said, the BofA Tower in NYC is my favorite BofA, followed by either Charlotte's or Atlanta's.

Did you see the part of my comment that said could be considered?

IMO, Library Tower and Transamerica have always been included in that category, but I obviously didn't mention them because you already listed them.

pj3000 · #**173** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartthed

This is definitely the correct and only answer:

1. NYC

:::really big gap:::

2. Chicago (and Toronto if we include Canada)

:::humongous gap:::

3. Everybody else.

This perfectly illustrates my previous point...

"definitely correct and only answer"

Yet the above is an opinion backed by zero actual data. The "Everybody else" part is foolish.

Steely Dan · #**174** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebucket

That being said, the BofA Tower in NYC is my favorite BofA, followed by either Charlotte's or Atlanta's.

Houston's BofA is a phillip johnson po-mo neo-gothic masterpiece.

it's much better than the BofA's in atlanta or dallas.

charlotte's Pelli BofA is also quite nice.

JAYNYC · #**175** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartthed

This is definitely the correct and only answer:

1. NYC

:::really big gap:::

2. Chicago (and Toronto if we include Canada)

:::humongous gap:::

3. Everybody else.

The biggest skyline in the top 20 largest cities, minus those 2/3 named above, could realistically be matched by a building boom in any other top 20 city... D.C. removed due to its structural issues harming its own competitiveness.

Right. So the skylines of Houston, L.A., Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Miami and Seattle look EXACTLY LIKE the skylines of Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Jose, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, Sacramento and San Antonio.

iheartthed · #**176** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj3000

This perfectly illustrates my previous point...

"definitely correct and only answer"

Yet the above is an opinion backed by zero actual data. The "Everybody else" part is foolish.

I know, and I understand your point. But I tried to add some objective measure to my answer as well. NYC and Chicago are so much more developed than any other skyline that it would take decades of consistent development for either to be matched. Likewise, it would take a massive boom in Chicago for it to ever match NYC.

iheartthed · #**177** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Right. So the skylines of Houston, L.A., Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Seattle look EXACTLY LIKE the skylines of Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Jose, Orlando, Salt Lake City and San Antonio.

That's not what I said. I said that there isn't a substantial enough difference in quantity, among the top 20 metro area skylines ( minus the two mega skylines), to make any of them significantly out of competitive reach from one another. Also, I mean top 20 by metro area, so OKC, Orlando, SLC, and San Antonio wouldn't make it. And San Jose is a satellite city of San Francisco, so I'm not sure that it counts, either.

pj3000 · #**178** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I know, and I understand your point. But I tried to add some objective measure to my answer as well. NYC and Chicago are so much more developed than any other skyline that it would take decades of consistent development for either to be matched. Likewise, it would take a massive boom in Chicago for it to ever match NYC.

And I totally get what you mean. There's no doubt NYC is on another level, and then Chicago is on another level. For another US city to get to Chicago's level it would take Toronto-type development, I guess... and then multiply that by who knows how many times to get to NYC's level. I don't debate that at all.

I guess I'm just more interested in defining the tiers so we can really see where all the other cities shake out. And I understand that the tiers would have to be made proportional in some way to correct for NYC and Chicago (Toronto), because they obviously would screw it up.

bilbao58 · #**179** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Houston's BofA is a phillip johnson po-mo neo-gothic masterpiece.

it's much better than the BofA's in atlanta or dallas.

charlotte's Pelli BofA is also quite nice.

BOA Reflected Pennzoil Place by bill barfield, on Flickr

Bank of America Center by bill barfield, on Flickr

BOA Center has lost its main tenant, BOA. Wondering what it'll be called now?

ETA: It was originally called RepublicBank Center. I think Republic Tower would be a good name...but it'll never happen.

edale · #**180** Posted **Aug 13, 2019, 4:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj3000

right... and now tier 3, 4, 5...

and that's where it gets iffy, because now you have to totally change criteria of how a tier is defined, so much so that they are no longer tiers. And you get all the goofballs on here arguing about stupid 🞵🞵🞵🞵 on where their city's skyline fits or how this one's better than that one, etc, and it becomes a total joke.

It's a subjective exercise. There is no formula one can create for something that is inherently subjective.

Some people prefer really tall buildings over everything else. Some prefer density of buildings. Other people really like spires and interesting roofs punctuating skylines, while still others prefer a mix of architectural styles and eras represented in the skyline. There's no real rhyme or reason to it, and it mostly comes down to personal preference.

I think most people agree with Steely's categorizations of 1) NYC because it's huge and has so many great buildings, density, height...has it all. 2) Chicago more or less has many of the same qualities that NY has, just less so. Then there's the rest. Not saying someone couldn't prefer.... Honolulu (to pick somewhere random) to Chicago, but I think there is a general consensus among people who care about this stuff that NYC and Chicago are the top two skylines in the country/continent.