Orlando...a big city

[jzquince69]

Lol!

way to go Lakelander... I was thinking the same thing--- that did not look like Ft.L.

some nice shots there, Gregmiami, especially the night shot-- it's the only one I've ever seen of Ft.L.

density-wise, factually, there are more bldgs. in downtown Orlando. not my opinion, just check emporis.

Regarding your point about shots with duplicative buildings, two of your photos showcase the Merrill Lynch Bldg, both skyline shots showcase Riverhouse, and two others include the former Autonation.

If you are going to make a point, at least back it up...

[Hia-leah JDM]

Wow they're actually really similiar, never noticed that I always thought WPB and Orlando both had similiar skylines, the thing is that they are all short, spread out, and dense, and if you dont know alot about cities buildings they all look the same.

[jzquince69]

those were pix of Ft.L.

[kevin22]

fort laurdele looks like atlanta

[Hanshin-Tigress]

gregmiami305 may i ask why the F**** i come to an orlando thread and see tons of pictures of fort lauderdale? Your county already has a forum, maybe post those pictures there.

People are always coming here creating city vs city and talking crap about orlando in orlando threads.

[jzquince69]

Originally Posted by Maki-chan

gregmiami305 may i ask why the F**** i come to an orlando thread and see tons of pictures of fort lauderdale? Your country already has a forum, maybe post those pictures there.

People are always coming here creating city vs city and talking crap about orlando in orlando threads.

ah, try not to be so hard on him...

he disagrees and thinks Ft.L should be considered a bigger city than Orlando b/c of the skyline or whatever.? those photos haven't shown it... they only show that Charlotte has good density...

[SkyDiveJunkee]

Originally Posted by Hia-leah JDM

Wow they're actually really similiar, never noticed that I always thought WPB and Orlando both had similiar skylines, the thing is that they are all short, spread out, and dense, and if you dont know alot about cities buildings they all look the same.

WPB and Orlando? They are in no way similar. WPB and Ft. Lauderdale have similar qualities (many beach condos downtown, the colors (lots of whites and yellows, med revival, etc). This would make sense, they are a part of the same metro.

[Hia-leah JDM]

Originally Posted by jzquince69

those were pix of Ft.L.

I know.
I was saying I had never noticed the similarity between Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, then I said I had always thought WPB and Orlando had similar skylines, they are both short dense and spread out.
But anyways lets get back on topic

[Quegiebo]

Originally Posted by jzquince69

ah, try not to be so hard on him...

he disagrees and thinks Ft.L should be considered a bigger city than Orlando b/c of the skyline or whatever.? those photos haven't shown it... they only show that Charlotte has good density...

I love ft. charlottedale, especially since they can pick up their buildings and move them around for better skyline images.

I think these shots from jz are awesome images of Orlando:




very cool

[Hisma]

orlando can look so good from certain angles, and like absolute garbage from others. Probably due to the fact it's mainly a "linear" skyline where most of the buildings aren't clustered together. It will be nice when downtown orlando has a definable cluster of buildings, it'd probably help make it look better from more angles. Suntrust cluster is getting there, but it still needs 2 or 3 more talls around it to really make it striking.
Imagine if all of orlando's current talls were clustered together? it'd probably make the debate about the quality of it's skyline much easier... one day we'll get there

[smiley]

I actually think being a bit spread out is good because every angle is different. Tampa has one cluster (that is finally spreading) and it always struck me as very limited looking

[SkyDiveJunkee]

That night shot from I-4 is wonderful!

[smiley]

So I was all over Orlando today and I figured I would jo down some observations

1. You need a good highway connection b/w the airport and dt
2. DT is looking very nice - and the spread out thing works because there is good medium sized filler
3. 55 West is huge masswise - it may even be too big for its context
4. What is up with all the not discussed condos/apartments on the south east edge of dt near the east-west expressway - I have heard nothing of them, but they add a great deal of depth
5. I really dislike the new fed courthouse - looks like a 70's bunker building with a little more color (I know the inside story on this building and know why it looks that way, but it is a shame)
6. THe airport needs better signage. I admit I have not been there in years but coming from the south it took me three trips around before I could figure out how to get to parking - and that with the airport basically being laid out like a bigger TIA. (and the colors of the signs are a bit questionable - but that is justa matter of taste)
7. I saw dt as silhouttes on the horizon from an office in Maitland and from the airport and from both it looked nice and dense - very city-like
8. Orlando does landascaping very well - about as well as anywhere I have seen.

So, some bad, some good - but overall I liked it and, oddly, when I got back to Tampa, for the first time in a long time, I thought it looked very city-like as well (I don't think that has ever happened before)

[SkyDiveJunkee]

^Agreed. The South entrance to OIA is ridiculous, especially when getting to terminal A. All the construction on this side of the airport doesn't help the image, either.

[jzquince69]

I think of the new Fed Cthse (at night w/ the stained glass) as 1/2 art museum (south face), and 1/2 city jail (everything else). I've come to terms with it finally.

OIA-- yeah, coming from the south-- I think there's a dedicated A-Side ramp and a general loop ramp as well... I've never noticed that much b/c I always go to terminal top from either A or B. Two weeks ago I even found myself critiquing the signage as well...

DT-OIA highway: will never happen. TNPK widening is our best bet, which is happening now. that, plus a few new flyovers will help things along---- unless they turn 436 into US 19 in Pinellas--- not sure now that they just got thru widening 436 last year by OIA. They are also widening the TNPK portions of 528, so when it's all said and done, I-4--TNPK--528 could work much better...

[smiley]

Well, I am at a loss of how to get to the top near the hotel. I ended up parking in the B section (though the air conditioned tunnel is cool) and took the elevator up. THe mall area is nice, as is the food court - though OIA's security screening backs up into the landside while TIA's is at the airside, which is cleaner - at least if you aren't flying.

THe south entrance is so screwy that I have no idea how they planned it - with that extremely odd left fly-over ramp without real signs and rails - it is actually really convenient and could be limited access-ed to the greenway nicely (I assume it will be)

THe other thing is that I went north to get to dt and when I got the the east-west the signage was really bad (especially about it being the way dt - like those little county road signs) and I really only got on it because I could not figure out what other road it could be - figured whatever happened I would hit I-4. This surprised me a bit because the signs on 4 are generally really good - and really the signs on the expressway were quite good too (as is the landscaping and sound wall)

Oh, and the A&M law school does not do much from 4, but the big emblem is cool.

I am really interested about those condos on the south side of dt (just north of the east-west) like that cube-y white thing - I don't remember hearing about that.

I also got some interesting info but won't get into it because of the forum rules - but it is positive.

[jzquince69]

The FSA deal--- it used to be more compact before 9-11. They make it centralized so that they only need two total instead of four, one at each airside... it prevents us from going airside w/o a ticket which sucks.

The flyover w/o rails-- that's the LRT to the South Terminal built ahead of time--- it shadows the roadway easement.

Getting to DT: as a local, I still won't take 436 b/c it's a zoo; no improvements yet at the 436/408 Interchange I don't think. 528-Tnpk-I-4 is Bible, trust me.

FAMU: You should see an aerial shot of that part of downtown before FAMU and the new Cthse... empty lots and desolate. I've got a bird's eye of FAMU every day and it presents much better--- what low rise wouldn't?...

Just north of 408-- Star Tower; The Jackson; 101 Eola; Osceola Brownstones; Eola South; Sanctuary; all from this latest boom. Paramount too, but it's on Central and a little farther up.

Star Tower (w/ The Jackson in the rear left of photo):



FAMU from the Wachovia parking deck (w/ State buildings in background; Fed Cthse to left):



Federal Cthse (from dusk 'till 2 hours later; it comes alive):





^ see my point about 1/2 art museum & 1/2 jail? it's a lot more dramatic than these shots show; the south facade is pretty interesting with that giant multi-story grill over the windows... it lights up at night as well-- can't tell from here...

[SkyDiveJunkee]

The only thing that is going to save that ugly plaza in front of the federal courthouse is if they enclose it on the west and south sides with larger, residential/office buildings. These can be midrise as well, but right now this is a completely undefined space--plainly, it sucks.

And when did tree beds become fashionable? I'm seeing this more and more. I cannot think of any successful plaza with tree beds.

[Robert.Maddrey]

If we want to play the density photo game.






Personally, I fail to see the point of much of this banter. Tampa and Orlando are two very divergent entities... If you cannot acknowledge that Orlando was a sleepy citrus community prior to the Disney tourist revolution you are daft, while Tampa has been a Floridan industrial/shipping core since the mid 19th century. These two factors alone explain most of the differences in our down towns among other things.

In terms of perceived size, I'm going to have to go with the fact that Taller=bigger no matter how many people try and assert its not the height but what you do with it. Bottom line, both cities have their pluses, minuses and gazillion square miles of suburban sprawl....welcome to central Florida.

[Robert.Maddrey]

Forgot this one, not only does it make things look dense but it gives the illusion of mass transit.