Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think Downtown San Diego deserves an honorable mention. They've added a lot of new residential construction over the last 10 years as well more dining and nightlife. Lots of new high rises and hotels too. Petco Park opened in 2004 and the area immediately around it has really taken off. Some of downtown's neighborhoods have actually developed into places people actually want to live now too like East Village.
Unfortunately it hasn't increased its downtown employment base that much I believe, only one new office tower has been built that I can recall. Transit options are about the same too.
Downtown Portland hasn't changed all that much--it's really been the Pearl District just north of downtown that's really blown up in the last ten years. Where there used to be a few scattered bars and galleries in between warehouses is now gleaming condos and more pedestrian activity and nightlife than downtown itself. The Pearl District has sort of bled over Burnside into the northwest section of downtown now. But the inner core of downtown doesn't seem to be all that different from ten years ago--the MAX and Pioneer Square were in place since the 70s/80s--there's been some new high density residential developments--but that's been the case all over Portland. NW Portland outside the Pearl and Goose Hollow to the east of downtown have sort of continued on their path of gentrificaiton that they've been on since the 90s. If you count the South Waterfront as part of the core area--that's been the latest area to redevelop--it was simply vacant land near the river that's ended up with Vancouver-style high rise condos and an aerial tram. It's also the most controversial piece of urban renewal in Portland--and it's still uncertain how it's going to pan out.
Could you post some stuff going on in KC you may know about? What would make you say KC? That's definetly one city I never hear mentioned much on here. I'm sure there are a ton of things happening in KC. Could you share some of them?
Well, KC is pretty much a completely unknown city outside of about 250 miles from KC. The place may as well be on Mars. Personally I find it kind of mind boggling that a metro area of over 2 million people has the national reputation on par with maybe Toledo, OH or something only people are generally more clueless about KC because they imagine it being more rural and in the middle of Kansas. I have all but given up on even trying to make people out here understand that I am from a large urban city in Missouri and not Topeka or more accurately Amarillo, TX which is what I picture when most people on the coasts try to describe KC to me. Enough of that.
I do think DC wins as far as overall urban core change, but DC has always had a thriving downtown. Downtown KC in the 70's and 80's into the early 2000's was a complete disaster. Union Station was nearly boarded up, the WWI monument was falling down and closed, downtown had more haunted houses than full service restaurants, most of the office towers built before 1989 were more than 50% vacant if not completely vacant. The infrastructure was literally deteriorating and falling apart. Concrete was falling onto cars below, traffic signals dating back to the 50's were set in permanent concrete filled tires, the historic theaters were all closed or in need of extreme renovation. One of them had a 4 story tree growing out of the roof. The fringes of Downtown was surrounded by vacant warehouse districts and even more surface parking lots, the riverfronts were dumping grounds and the parks were crime ridden and avoided. Downtown KC was just a few large 1980's era office towers and a couple of food courts. The rest was a complete embarrassment. I honestly don't know of a city that was worse. Even Detroit had people walking around, traffic, the new stadiums going up, waterfront development etc.
Fast forward to 2012...
So many building have been renovated into apartments that it took over ten years of extensive redevelopment to even think about new construction. A new 24 story tower is finally going up in downtown and new midrises are going up as well. But only after converting dozens and dozens of historic and even some modern office buildings and warehouses into residential adding 10-15 thousand residents in a short period of time.
Big ticket items were built like the 420 million dollar Performing Arts Center, the Sprint Center arena, the P&L District, the H&R Block headquarters tower, an expanded convention center etc. While KC is far from building light rail (streetcars should be operating soon), KC drastically improved its bus system in the core with MAX service.
Now, I'm not saying KC is some amazing place by any means however I think it's one of the country's more interesting cities and can stack up to any city under 2 million and even some much larger cities which is pretty incredible for a city and metro that 99% of the population of the country has zero knowledge about. It's not that KC has always been a terrible city, it just had a terrible downtown. It still has the Plaza, an urban district that should be more known nationally all by itself.
But again, what they have done with their downtown is nothing short of amazing. I didn't even think it was possible.
Downtown Portland hasn't changed all that much--it's really been the Pearl District just north of downtown that's really blown up in the last ten years. Where there used to be a few scattered bars and galleries in between warehouses is now gleaming condos and more pedestrian activity and nightlife than downtown itself. The Pearl District has sort of bled over Burnside into the northwest section of downtown now. But the inner core of downtown doesn't seem to be all that different from ten years ago--the MAX and Pioneer Square were in place since the 70s/80s--there's been some new high density residential developments--but that's been the case all over Portland. NW Portland outside the Pearl and Goose Hollow to the east of downtown have sort of continued on their path of gentrificaiton that they've been on since the 90s. If you count the South Waterfront as part of the core area--that's been the latest area to redevelop--it was simply vacant land near the river that's ended up with Vancouver-style high rise condos and an aerial tram. It's also the most controversial piece of urban renewal in Portland--and it's still uncertain how it's going to pan out.
Well I said city core/urban core meaning urban neighborhoods in and around downtown. Doesn't have to be in the CBD, just connected to it.
Sprint center is now one of the busiest concert arenas in the world
New and renovated theater:
Jobs have come back like the huge IRS complex and H&R Block's HQ both replaced parking lots.
H&R Block tower in center:
nearly vacant union station now a science center
college basketball hall of fame built
renovated (now National) WWI memorial, one of the finest war museums in the country
huge warehouse districts and buildings as high as 35 floors were vacant. Now most are filled with apartments and condos
nearly all old buildings renovated or in plans to be renovated, new construction now happening
Downtown has a very nice full service grocery store
infrastructure upgraded
entertainment district built
convention center expanded
municipal arena renovated
While not downtown (it's in urban core), the art museum went through a 300 million dollar expansion
The plaza district is only a few miles from downtown and is in the urban core and that area of KC has always thrived. That area has added dozens of new condo/apartment buildings, hotels, office towers etc. so while downtown has come back. The plaza and other areas of midtown kcmo are still developing.
also kc put max brt into service and while not light rail, it's a very usable transit spine for the core of the city. KC also has shared bikes and streetcars are coming.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
