What is the best small skyline in the west?

[ABQist]

Pick one city...
and post your proof pics here.

[desertpunk]

El Paso TX

image hosted on flickr

Downtown El Paso - Panorama by Brian Wancho, on Flickr

Small, tight and well-proportioned.

[ABQist]

Well, I like Albuquerque for a number of reasons...
It has the tallest building of all the cities listed except for Sacramento.
It actually has 3 or 4 skylines (including downtown, uptown, Journal center and San Mateo/Central.)
It has many mid-rise buildings scattered throughout the city.
Downtown is set down and allows spectacular views from both I-25 and I-40.
Downtown is framed with other buildings to the east and west.
Most buildings are lit up at night.
Great backdrop with the Sandia and Manzano Mountains.

(I'll add some pics later.)

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

[pistola916]

SACRAMENTO

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72834761@N05/6605220105/

[ABQist]

Originally Posted by pistola916

SACRAMENTO

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72834761@N05/6605220105/

Sacramento looks really nice. I've been there several times. I remember they were going to build some 50-story towers not too long ago. What happened, was it the recession? Albuquerque had 3 or 4 400+ ft buildings wiped out by the recession.

[desertpunk]

Originally Posted by ABQist

Well, I like Albuquerque for a number of reasons...
It has the tallest building of all the cities listed except for Sacramento.
It actually has 3 or 4 skylines (including downtown, uptown, Journal center and San Mateo/Central.)
It has many mid-rise buildings scattered throughout the city.
Downtown is set down and allows spectacular views from both I-25 and I-40.
Downtown is framed with other buildings to the east and west.
Most buildings are lit up at night.
Great backdrop with the Sandia and Manzano Mountains.

(I'll add some pics later.)

IMG]http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6234/6999143887_d2fdb42492_h.jpg[/IMG]

Great shots! Were they taken by you?

I like ABQ's skyline but it's too stretched out with gaps and low-rises. Too many large parcels like the Post Office lot along Lomas and the lot just north of Civic Plaza sit empty giving the skyline an unfinished look. There's some nice density coming in along the southern flank, but north of Roma? Oy veh!

[ABQist]

Originally Posted by desertpunk

Great shots! Were they taken by you?

I like ABQ's skyline but it's too stretched out with gaps and low-rises. Too many large parcels like the Post Office lot along Lomas and the lot just north of Civic Plaza sit empty giving the skyline an unfinished look. There's some nice density coming in along the southern flank, but north of Roma? Oy veh!

The only pic I took was the last one. Hopefully some of those empty parcels and parking lots will get filled in with some prominent structures. I'm not holding my breath though.

[desertpunk]

Originally Posted by ABQist

The only pic I took was the last one. Hopefully some of those empty parcels and parking lots will get filled in with some prominent structures. I'm not holding my breath though.

Ok but please credit every Flickr photo you post. I've had contact with an excellent ABQ photographer in the past who was concerned about copyright violation. There are rules posted at the top of each forum page for proper crediting.

Personally, I don't see any major tower developments downtown until the geographies return the old downtown to the center of the city. SW mesa and NW mesa will have to build up so that firms that shifted first to Uptown and later to Journal Center rediscover the convenience and advantages of relocating downtown. Maybe a resi tower or two will go up when we get a condo market that can sustain a $400-500k per unit price point.

[kub86]

How come you don't have Bellevue, WA on that list? :p
from wiki:

from wiki:

city-data;

[ABQist]

Originally Posted by kub86

How come you don't have Bellevue, WA on that list? :p

My bad, I'm a dope. When I was planning the poll, I was thinking about which cities to include and Bellevue was one of them. Somehow, when I actually made the poll, I had some issues, like it told me I waited too long to post. The next attempt made a post with no poll. Somewhat flustered, I forgot Bellevue and misspelled Sacramento. I wanted to edit it but there is no way, it won't let me.

I sincerely apologize because Bellevue has an awesome skyline. Very nice pics you posted there too. Thanks.

BTW, There is no SLC, Phoenix, Oakland, San Diego, Honolulu or Portland because I would consider those comparitively midsize or larger skylines. After looking at Bellevue, maybe I can justify my booboo by saying Bellevue qualifies as midsize as well.

[pistola916]

Sacramento could be considered midsize as well. Sacto's metro population is 2.2 million. and its skyline is about the same as Oakland and San Jose.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27601260@N03/2802866461/

[Black Box]

Sacramento should not be on this list, as it is similar in size to Portland, practically even. Bellevue, yes. Based on your list, I voted for Sacramento, but if Bellevue were on this list, then Bellevue would have received my vote.

[lfcsr11]

Sacramento is too big for this poll, there is way more, way taller buildings there than in Fresno. Its not fair to the other cities. Anyway from the rest Albuquerque is cool, Fresno is also ok.

[vrsprng]

I voted for Tacoma.

[-Corey-]

I voted for Anchorage.

[ABQist]

Originally Posted by pistola916

Sacramento could be considered midsize as well. Sacto's metro population is 2.2 million. and its skyline is about the same as Oakland and San Jose.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27601260@N03/2802866461/

I would say Sacramento is a step or two above San Jose, but not really in the same league with Oakland. But I get your point. If I could do the poll over I would leave out Sacramento and add Bellevue plus maybe Colorado Springs. In the new poll I would say Bellevue wins hands down with Albuquerque second. Keep in mind that Albuq. has a taller building than any of these cities except Bellevue and Sacramento.

[mgs11]

Originally Posted by ABQist

I would say Sacramento is a step or two above San Jose, but not really in the same league with Oakland. But I get your point. If I could do the poll over I would leave out Sacramento and add Bellevue plus maybe Colorado Springs. In the new poll I would say Bellevue wins hands down with Albuquerque second. Keep in mind that Albuq. has a taller building than any of these cities except Bellevue and Sacramento.

Wouldn't Bellevue be considered part of the Seattle MSA? I don't know.

[ABQist]

Originally Posted by mgs11

Wouldn't Bellevue be considered part of the Seattle MSA? I don't know.

Yes, I think so but it still has it's own municipality and skyline, so I think it can be included in the poll. Oakland is part of the SF metro, but it definitely is its own city with its own impressive skyline.

[mgs11]

Originally Posted by ABQist

Yes, I think so but it still has it's own municipality and skyline, so I think it can be included in the poll. Oakland is part of the SF metro, but it definitely is its own city with its own impressive skyline.

True dat. Thanks!