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  #1  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 6:04 PM
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Cities whose skylines make you cry


https://www.askideas.com/black-man-c...funny-picture/

Which skyline makes you make this face?
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  #2  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 6:16 PM
Chisouthside Chisouthside is offline
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San Jose, California.
And it's not technically a skyline but the officescape of silicon valley from redwood city to milpitas also makes me cry.
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  #3  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 6:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Chisouthside View Post
San Jose, California.
And it's not technically a skyline but the officescape of silicon valley from redwood city to milpitas also makes me cry.
It's heights are limited by its proximity to its airport. That may be changing soon but not substantially.

https://www.spur.org/news/2019-03-27...yline-san-jose
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  #4  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 6:42 PM
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oh yeah I know that, but as a transplant that took a liking to San Jose i hated that it was so puny compared to the SF skyline.
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  #5  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 7:48 PM
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Not a hater by any means but Phoenix, Tucson's and Salt Lake City's skylines -- mainly because it gives the appearance of a much smaller city than they really are when compared to other city skyline's of similar metro or urban area population sizes.
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  #6  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 8:10 PM
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This might be sacrilegious to say around here but... I'm not that obsessed with skylines as a measure of a city. There are a few that are beautiful, but some of my favorite urban experiences in the world barely have any skyscrapers (Istanbul, Berlin). And some cities have large skylines that overcompensate for a subpar urban experience (I won't name them, but you know who you are).
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  #7  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 8:14 PM
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Originally Posted by iheartthed View Post
This might be sacrilegious to say around here but... I'm not that obsessed with skylines as a measure of a city. There are a few that are beautiful, but some of my favorite urban experiences in the world barely have any skyscrapers (Istanbul, Berlin). And some cities have large skylines that overcompensate for a subpar urban experience (I won't name them, but you know who you are).
Cincinatti is an example of an American city with a subpar skyline but on the ground it is an amazingly underrated city. I had no idea what to expect when I went but was shocked at block after block of mid-19th century building stock.
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Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 8:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Handro View Post
Cincinatti is an example of an American city with a subpar skyline but on the ground it is an amazingly underrated city. I had no idea what to expect when I went but was shocked at block after block of mid-19th century building stock.

Is it subpar? Cincinatti's street level is indeed great, but I'd say it's skyline is quite impressive for a city of its size as well. Pretty good collection of towers from different eras, and it's got a nice bit of layering going on with the bridges and hills.



https://www.webermadeusa.com/Cincinn...m#.XUyEaiMrKys
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  #9  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 8:32 PM
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Originally Posted by iheartthed View Post
This might be sacrilegious to say around here but... I'm not that obsessed with skylines as a measure of a city. There are a few that are beautiful, but some of my favorite urban experiences in the world barely have any skyscrapers (Istanbul, Berlin). And some cities have large skylines that overcompensate for a subpar urban experience (I won't name them, but you know who you are).
I think most people on here agree with you to some degree. But damnit, I love me a good skyline. I have never pinned why this is...I think the skyscraper shows what greatness humans can achieve, like a beautiful bridge or something.

However, a perfect urban experience, with or without skyscrapers, is the culmination of human endeavors over time that creates something special.

As an American, I'll take what I can get. I want BOTH though.
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Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 8:43 PM
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Memphis lets me down. They have a solid set of old buildings and a decent trolly system yet it lacks anything new(relatively). If Memphis had Nashville level growth the downtown would be one of the best in the country for its population. Its base is awesome, it just needs some POP.
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  #11  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 8:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin View Post
Is it subpar? Cincinatti's street level is indeed great, but I'd say it's skyline is quite impressive for a city of its size as well. Pretty good collection of towers from different eras, and it's got a nice bit of layering going on with the bridges and hills.



https://www.webermadeusa.com/Cincinn...m#.XUyEaiMrKys
Agreed. Cincinnati is only about ~2 million and the skyline is pretty respectable for a metro that size.
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  #12  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 9:23 PM
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Agreed. Cincinnati is only about ~2 million and the skyline is pretty respectable for a metro that size.
It's nice. But to me it suffers from the same issues I mentioned about Memphis(albeit on a less extreme scale). Imagine if there were some nice newer towers thrown in there. It has the bulk, some new towers of decent height would do wonders for it.
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  #13  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 9:25 PM
JAYNYC JAYNYC is offline
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Sure hope no one I know would "cry" over something as asinine as a skyline.

Most disappointing U.S. skylines (no particular order):

Phoenix
San Jose
Sacramento
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
Milwaukee
Jacksonville
Oklahoma City
Orlando
Cincinnati
Columbus
Memphis
Portland
Boston

Honorable Mention: New Orleans, Indianapolis

Last edited by JAYNYC; Aug 9, 2019 at 2:35 AM.
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  #14  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 9:30 PM
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Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin View Post
Is it subpar? Cincinatti's street level is indeed great, but I'd say it's skyline is quite impressive for a city of its size as well. Pretty good collection of towers from different eras, and it's got a nice bit of layering going on with the bridges and hills.



https://www.webermadeusa.com/Cincinn...m#.XUyEaiMrKys
It definitely looks nicer in that picture then I experienced seeing it in real life. I think it's pretty boring in real life (architecture reminded me of an office park that had been inflated) and doesn't do justice to what's happening below the canopy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JAYNYC View Post
Sure hope no one I know would "cry" over something as asinine as a skyline.

Most disappointing U.S. skylines (no particular order):

...
...
Boston
Yes! The Boston skyline is underwhelming for a city with it's amazing history, density and street level experience. One of my favorite cities in the US.
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  #15  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 9:36 PM
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Yes! The Boston skyline is underwhelming for a city with it's amazing history, density and street level experience. One of my favorite cities in the US.
In addition to its lackluster size and density (relative to its prominence from a business, historical and cultural perspective), it's also easily among the worst from a skyscraper architectural perspective. Aside from John Hancock, most of the city's primary tallest are plain hideous.
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  #16  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 9:38 PM
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Vegas. Hot wind blew dust in my eyes
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  #17  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 9:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin View Post
Is it subpar? Cincinatti's street level is indeed great, but I'd say it's skyline is quite impressive for a city of its size as well. Pretty good collection of towers from different eras, and it's got a nice bit of layering going on with the bridges and hills.
100% agreed on all points.

pittsburgh is another that hits high notes on both the skyline and street level scales as well. hills and bridges too.
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  #18  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 10:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Handro View Post
It definitely looks nicer in that picture then I experienced seeing it in real life. I think it's pretty boring in real life (architecture reminded me of an office park that had been inflated) and doesn't do justice to what's happening below the canopy.
I've never heard of much of a complaint about Cincinnati's skyline. It's not the tallest, but it has a pretty dense skyline and has the bridges and hills and the skyline of Covington, KY to add to it.



What angle were you viewing it from? Pretty odd pick, I think. It has two pre-war 500+ footers and its tallest is from this decade. Healthy balance and again, a nice density.
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  #19  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 10:01 PM
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I opened this thread thinking it meant tears of joy. Which would be weird.

No skylines “make me cry”. Paris would be the most perfectly formed urban landscape in the world without a single building over 8 stories tall (in fact possibly improved for it).

It’s new cities full of cheap painted concrete and autocentric development which, while they don’t make me cry, make me dismayed about the generally low standards that people today have with respect to just about everything. And it’s only going to get worse as humans continue to overbreed.
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  #20  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2019, 10:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Steely Dan View Post
100% agreed on all points.

pittsburgh is another that hits high notes on both the skyline and street level scales as well. hills and bridges too.
Pittsburgh punches way above its weight in the skyline department. It rivaled Philly until last 10-15 years.
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