Everyone seems to build there cities with huge skyscrpers covering the entire grid. I prefer to build more "realisitc" cities, with a dense central core of skyscrapers and other large buildings, surround that with a few dense inner-city neighborhoods, followed by a series of medium to high density lower or middle income neighborhoods, and gradually spread out to a less grid-style street system and more of a sprawlly, suburban layout. The latter area is usually where my wealthy areas are. Does anyone else do this?

I don't plan ahead. I just build things like a madman :D

I do the same thing you do. I usually put my high density buildings on the shoreline, then lower the density going in. Although I'm not a very good Sim City builder, if I there was a place on the forum that I could upload a pic, I'd show my piddly city :)

yeah, i used to build only high density, but when i get really big cities my computor crashes so now i build like what you do with a dense central etc.

you my friend should check out Victoria...I think you will be pleased.