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"Charlotte is barely inching by"? You obviously don't have a clue.
At any rate, in terms of skyline I'll give the edge to Charlotte, but Austin's skyline is certainly growing tremendously also. I just wish the new additions were more of a mix of office and residential instead of virtually all residential. I'd give Austin the edge in terms of scenery, primarily because of the river.
I gave Charlotte a slight edge. Also I do agree, it has light rail in place as well as the sports venues. Austin also has a large football stadium and more residential.
I don't know about that part in bold. Having UT in downtown Austin makes it pretty dense. I would be extreme surprised if there where more people living in downtown Charlotte then Austin.
Austin seems to have more residents. This is a estimate for 2010.
http://www.brookings.edu/es/urban/top21fin.pdf (broken link)
Charlotte has roughly 23 buildings above 90 meters tall while Austin has about 20. Charlotte's three tallest are all above 200 meters while Austin only has one building above 200 meters tall (and it was just completed within the last year).
As it stands now, both skylines are very comparable when it comes to number of buildings. I personally like both skylines.
I am not sure about Austin, but I love the "classic looking" neighborhoods that exists on the ground level of Charlotte's skyline.
Flickr Photo Download: 4th Ward, Charlotte (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bz3rk/2738462435/sizes/o/in/set-72157606576313902/ - broken link)
Flickr Photo Download: Charlotte - 4th Ward Park (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bz3rk/3246755560/sizes/o/in/set-72157606576313902/ - broken link)
It doesn't look as wide in person, but the BoA tower is pretty tall.
It's been REALLY long time sense I've seen the Charlotte skyline in person, but I do remember the BoA being extremely tall. I would guess somewhere between 700 and 900 ft tall, correct?
In this VERY recent web cam image, the skyline (at its most dense cluster of buildings) is roughly 0.75 miles long without any gaps. To some, this might be considered narrow. However, being that Charlotte is a midsized city, 3/4 of a mile worth of buildings (without any gaps between them) is pretty good IMO.
As for the "taller" factor, there are 3 buildings above 200 meters tall in this image (two to the far right and 1 at the far left). Duke Energy Center (far left tower) certainly has given Charlotte's skyline more "balance" from this angle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wpmeads
It's been REALLY long time sense I've seen the Charlotte skyline in person, but I do remember the BoA being extremely tall. I would guess somewhere between 700 and 900 ft tall, correct?
871 ft from floor to the top of the crown I believe.
I'd say wider/taller in person (however that depends on one's personal definition of "wider/taller").
I was asking because you see pictures of a lot of skylines that look so massive and/or tall and then you see them in person and you're like "that's it?". Some look stubby and short in photos, but take your breath away in person.
I was asking because you see pictures of a lot of skylines that look so massive and/or tall and then you see them in person and you're like "that's it?". Some look stubby and short in photos, but take your breath away in person.
I know EXACTLY what you mean. I am a trucker that has seen every major US city quite a few times (in person). It amazes me how some cities look on the internet vs how they look in person. IMO, it is all about the angle and one's personal expectations of certain cities.
In the case of Charlotte, most "normal folks" don't expect to see a possible top 20 US skyline in the middle of the Carolinas. Let's face it, most "normal folks" think Miami and Atlanta are the only "cities" in the South East. So when these folks make their way down I-77 and see uptown Charlotte for the first time, they are usually shocked.
Also, Charlotte's downtown area is "cocked" clockwise. In other words, "south" is actually southwest and "north" is actually northeast. I-77 (the main freeway into uptown) is not "cocked". Therefore, when one sees Charlotte's skyline from the freeway, they are looking at the longest and most dense angle (a good angle). I hope this makes sense.
Another factor for Charlotte is the fact that every building can not be seen at the same time. The skyline is so dense that buildings often hide other buildings in photos. If you ever saw the skyline in person (as a passenger in a vehicle), you would see hidden buildings move in and out of view as you passed by. This is the same with any dense skyline so Charlotte is not special at all in this department.
My guess is that you would appreciate Charlotte's skyline more in person than you would on the internet (especially if you are looking at it from a moving vehicle). Some angles make the skyline look really small while others make it look "big city-ish".
Those sure were some Old pics Of Charlotte Skyline I think Charlotte is alot better plus with sports venues and light rail.
Those are some good pictures! Man look at the traffic (or lack thereof) on the highway! I would kill for traffic like that.
Anyway I give an ever so slight edge to Charlotte but I was really shocked by how far Austin has come. Kudos to them for turning what was a dismal skyline into something great!
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