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Second-floor balconies are pretty common in my area. They're not common in cities with parking podiums.
Yes the view varies by location. Regardless, in most tall buildings there's a point where the difference between the high units and low ones is really stark.
There's also a difference in noise level. On the lower floors you might hear individual voices. On the upper ones, you can hear more things, but they're fainter.
What does LAZY refer to? Walking up steps... well few choose a high-rise to live on the lowest rental floor or condo. Some will if the location is right and a cheaper price then a higher floor with perhaps a better overall view? I do not remember seeing many balconies right in cores at a mere second-floor level? I do in neighborhoods outside of cores. Then sure it is some retail is good street-level and the rest. I for one would walk stairs... I would for 4 floors for sure up or equivalent with podium.... still unlikely I would choose to love on that lower level in a downtown. That is me. I do like a balcony though and something on the roof-top for residents is nice... just not the nice HOA fees......
You do know that many who may live in a podium-tower or mere high-rise one ..... might only use their vehicle for joy-rides or weekends etc also. They still walk or use transit otherwise. Especially if already in a core or near. Just saying.
Parking podiums-buildings. Also, if one is in a major city and core. They are unlikely to have a second-story balcony. Now in neighborhoods yes outside of the core sure. Many street-level retail and eateries have a higher ceiling or multi-story features also on lower levels... all sorts of kinds if you really dive into it.
Whether someone loathes podium buildings and parking decks in general. They are a fact one way or another in American cities.
Just a city as NYC the price per sq/ft is so high.... that it is prohibitive to give any space to amenities in the building and least of all parking .... and hopefully something though street-level. A needle foot-print new tower just cannot do a podium by that narrow foot-print. I have no doubt many Rich and Infamous New Yorker's would not mind a ability to have their toys in the same building as them too for a drive to the Adirondacks, or the Poconos or quaint New England hideaway.... starting out from the Manhattan building they may live.
Speaking of Podium High-rises... you may abhor this one on the left... A older one in this city when they did not do retail lower-level or try to hide having parking. Still it serves a purpose, has balconies just a tad higher. This one a minimum for the OP probably with still retail in other nearby buildings old and new office and residential. You may also hate that the city narrowed the sidewalk in favor of the main street vs the crossing street with still its normal wider sidewalk intact.
I have seen many of the podiums there older and newer and done not so great and those done better. Some say fake looking to hid the parking part. Still they serve a purpose and I would rather both garage and tower in one footprint then separate as some sunbelt cites do all the time. I know one wants Seattle to get credit for not have I believe parking minimums and less podiums? Still some great cities do them and it works.
This is merely another that uses some fakery to hid the podium section. Still offers retail or eateries street-level.
This is one you probably will not like either.... a podium high-rise. Uses a bit of fakery to hide a garage. Still has a eatery ground-level but a true podium with parking above then residential with balconies. Still works for me..... to some too 80s 90s in look maybe.
What difference does it make what floor you are on? You either live in a highrise or you don't. I live on a 27th floor of a 35-storey building and my lifestyle is exactly the same as those living on the 4th floor -- we use the same elevators, same garage, same amenities and enter through the same lobby.
Also it's not like all of the highrises in the DC area are 12 floors. Emporis lists over 250 buildings 15 floors+ across metro DC. That's more than Philly, and not far behind Houston and SF/Oakland. And once you step down to the 12-15 range DC has like 5x more.
You tell us what the difference is. You pay more to live on the 27th floor. Why don't you live on a lower floor instead?
I live on a higher floor in a high rise and I pay more because I like the view. If I lived anywhere below the 10th floor, and I have, I would only have views of neighboring buildings.
Apart from Uptown, almost all of Houston Residential hirises are in the core areas of Montrose, Museum District, Upper Kirby, Midtown and Downtown.
Downtown Houston has historically been an office hirise hotspot, but the surrounding neighborhoods, especially Montrose, Museum District and UK, have been building a lot more residential than commercial towers.
Recent visits show that Midtown and TMC have gotten into the residential towers game too, and It looks like Downtown Houston has had more new residential towers built than office.
Uptown Houston too has been getting more residential towers than office.
I can't really think of any residential tower that not in the core or Uptown.
I did a quick Google search and found nothing.
Please share.
The Galleria area of Houston has several. Also a few others are scattered out in various suburban locations like Champions and Memorial near and west of Memorial city to name just a few.
In my building it was something like 5% more money to be on 7 vs. 6 with the same layout. That's where the views started as the neighbor toward the water is six stories but more of a 5.5 height.
NoHyping, I don't know what you're disputing about laziness. Watch anyplace with an escalator and adjoining stair. Even one flight in a retail center or office.
As for parking podiums, we can disagree about their problems and benefits, but my point is different: If there's no podium, then there's room for other stuff in its place.
Here are examples of second-floor balconies in highrises near me.
The Galleria area of Houston has several. Also a few others are scattered out in various suburban locations like Champions and Memorial near and west of Memorial city to name just a few.
The galleria area is Uptown.
The condos in the suburban areas are not over 15 feet.
They are low to midrises.
Same with the ones around Memorial City
No way Houston tops Atlanta, Seattle or Dallas. The rest seem alright.
Show your work, talk is cheap on here. The lists posted here do not support Atlanta being near DFW nor Houston. I also agree Fla is more a hotbed than just Miami. We need data though come on isnt this city data? Where is the data when we need it lol
You tell us what the difference is. You pay more to live on the 27th floor. Why don't you live on a lower floor instead?
I live on a higher floor in a high rise and I pay more because I like the view. If I lived anywhere below the 10th floor, and I have, I would only have views of neighboring buildings.
The context got distorted as the conversation developed.
The topic of the thread is which cities have substantial highrise living, and I made the point that DC is getting overlooked despite having more highrises, by a substantial margin, than any city in the country after NYC, Chicago and Miami. Someone replied that this is because highrises in DC are not as tall as in other cities and lower floor units “don’t count” so to speak.
I am saying they all count. Highrise living is highrise living. That doesn’t mean there is no difference whatsoever between living on a low floor of a highrise vs a high floor. Obviously a 27th floor unit will have better views (and less noise) than a 7th floor unit — same as a 47th floor unit will have better views than the 27th floor one. But, regardless of the floor, all these units are in a highrise enjoying essentially the same lifestyle and amenities. Views is just one aspect — and not even necessarily the most important one — of highrise living. So it should all count in this discussion.
The context got distorted as the conversation developed.
The topic of the thread is which cities have substantial highrise living, and I made the point that DC is getting overlooked despite having more highrises, by a substantial margin, than any city in the country after NYC, Chicago and Miami. Someone replied that this is because highrises in DC are not as tall as in other cities and lower floor units “don’t count” so to speak.
I am saying they all count. Highrise living is highrise living. That doesn’t mean there is no difference whatsoever between living on a low floor of a highrise vs a high floor. Obviously a 27th floor unit will have better views (and less noise) than a 7th floor unit — same as a 47th floor unit will have better views than the 27th floor one. But, regardless of the floor, all these units are in a highrise enjoying essentially the same lifestyle and amenities. Views is just one aspect — and not even necessarily the most important one — of highrise living. So it should all count in this discussion.
I think that this thread is about views, which is why the OP used living at 15 floors or higher. I can't speak for the OP, but my impression was that the ask was for cities where you can live at floor 15 or higher, not for buildings that are 15 stories are higher. In that context a city that has lots of 15 story buildings would be pretty bad for opportunities to live at 15 floors or higher. A city with lots of buildings considerably taller than 15 floors would come out ahead of a city that had twice as many buildings that are 15 stories.
And I don't dispute your point that a view is just one aspect, but i believe that it's the aspect that is being highlighted in this thread.
I think that this thread is about views, which is why the OP used living at 15 floors or higher. I can't speak for the OP, but my impression was that the ask was for cities where you can live at floor 15 or higher, not for buildings that are 15 stories are higher. In that context a city that has lots of 15 story buildings would be pretty bad for opportunities to live at 15 floors or higher. A city with lots of buildings considerably taller than 15 floors would come out ahead of a city that had twice as many buildings that are 15 stories.
And I don't dispute your point that a view is just one aspect, but i believe that it's the aspect that is being highlighted in this thread.
I didn’t see views mentioned anywhere in the OP or the title... I thought this was more about highrise living as an overall lifestyle, not just views. But even if this is focused exclusively on views, the 15 floor cut-off is completely arbitrary. The quality of your views has more to do with the height of the built environment surrounding your building than what floor you are on.
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