Great thread idea. I have very strong feelings on this topic
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Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin
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Excellent post. We have very similar taste. When it comes to canyons, it's all about proportions. The street has to be long and straight, which rules out most Asian and South American canyons. The buildings have to be tall, otherwise the canyon effect is stunted--which rules out Europe. Canyons are best experienced from within, looking up rather than looking down, which rules out the drop-dead gorgeous California St vista in San Francisco posted above. Terminating buildings give a super cool box canyon effect, but they don't quite epitomize what I love about urban valleys. This rules out top contenders like Lasalle, Park, Wall and Chambers. What I love about skyscraper canyons is the sense that the city is both embracing you and opening itself up to you. It's massive, but it won't suffocate you. This is why the grid is so important to the beauty of New York and Chicago.
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Originally Posted by Stay Stoked Brah
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A damn good contender. Bonus points for good architecture. But architecture counts for only 5% of your grade. Again, it's all about the proportions. Also, Monroe st and others are penalized for marring the view with an elevated train/street/skybridge. 42 street and just about all Chicago streets are disqualified for this same reason. No, the sky really has to come down and kiss the street, preferably at a great distance.
So it has to be New York. My favorite?
Third Avenue
Maybe the most massive skyscraper canyon in the world. It goes on for miles. There is no terminus. Just huge buildings going on forever, creating a vanishing point to the horizon. It creates the illusion that you can just keep going, all the way around the world, without leaving the comforts of its greatest city.