Mobile Then and Now (Riverview: hotel, neighborhoods, living)

[PortCity]

I ran across two websites that have pictures of old Mobile. Though Mobile is still considered an historical city but as I look at the old pictures of Mobile, it is upsetting to see that so many buildings were destroyed. On some of the pictures downtown Mobile looked as dense as the French Quarter in New Orleans. Mobile would have had the same amount of tourist as Nola,Savannah , Charleston, and St. Augustine if past leadership wasn`t so short sighted.



The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - March 28, 2000

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - January 25, 2000

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - February 8, 2000

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - November 2, 1999

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - March 30, 1999

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - December 1, 1998

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - September 8, 1998 (downtown post office)

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - May 26, 1998 ( Water street before it had six lanes)

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - June 10, 1997 ( This occupied the parking lot next to the white Presbyterian church on Govt st )

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - Apr 22, 1997

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - Apr 8, 1997

The Harbinger - Mobile: Then and Now - Jan 21, 1997 (Spanish Park on Govt st )

Full List : The Harbinger. Mobile: Then and Now.



Also on the What Was There website it shows some of the French Quarter density that was downtown at one time : WhatWasThere | Explore Photos

[raj kapoor]

PORTCITY,
maybe a lot of those structures were victims of the weather through the years. NO is not right on the big water like Mobile and those levees do help some with the wind as well as the water.

But it is nice to see and encourages smart people to value what we have and look forward. The glory days are certainly ahead for Mobile. It has all the components coming to together to take its place as one of the outstanding Gulf Coast/southern cities. (it would be great if Mobile becomes the next big Latin American trade location)

Dream big, because you can.

raj

PS Sorry, PORT, after reading these I realize that it was time and misfortune, not weather that stole much of Mobile's historic legacy. But still when I drive down those streets I see what is left and I can't know what was there before. (but let's get rid of church's chicken and all those places)

[Keeper]

Thanks PortCity.. it is sad to see the city I loved as a kid compare to the city it is today. The pictures remind us all of how we should guard the history of a city. There is so much the city could do to make downtown beautiful again. Maybe it has improved in the last couple of years but it just seemed seedy to me.

I really wanted to move back to Mobile but I didn't want to live around Airport Blvd or out of the city.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

PORTCITY,
maybe a lot of those structures were victims of the weather through the years. NO is not right on the big water like Mobile and those levees do help some with the wind as well as the water.

But it is nice to see and encourages smart people to value what we have and look forward. The glory days are certainly ahead for Mobile. It has all the components coming to together to take its place as one of the outstanding Gulf Coast/southern cities. (it would be great if Mobile becomes the next big Latin American trade location)

Dream big, because you can.

raj

PS Sorry, PORT, after reading these I realize that it was time and misfortune, not weather that stole much of Mobile's historic legacy. But still when I drive down those streets I see what is left and I can't know what was there before. (but let's get rid of church's chicken and all those places)

The sixties was the most brutal era for the city, Mobile was growing with Brookley Field at peak operation and the city was trying go modern, and modern is a good thing bad planning was the issue. I mean who what have known that Water Street once looked like the picture on the left of the link ? http://www.theharbinger.org/then_now/tn980526.html the left picture looked so much more dense and the city looked larger. Here is a close up of the first link as you can see raj they replaced an old grand hotel for the Riverview Plaza http://www.theharbinger.org/then_now/tn000208.html I`m sure they could have found another site to build that thing. The city is on the move and if we capitalize what we have left which is not much compared to old Mobile but is much more than most cities then I`m sure we will see the tourism that our other sister cities are experiencing. Keeper do you remember the hotel in second link ?

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Keeper

Thanks PortCity.. it is sad to see the city I loved as a kid compare to the city it is today. The pictures remind us all of how we should guard the history of a city. There is so much the city could do to make downtown beautiful again. Maybe it has improved in the last couple of years but it just seemed seedy to me.

I really wanted to move back to Mobile but I didn't want to live around Airport Blvd or out of the city.

Downtown has improved but the city really need to crack down on owners of neglected buildings. The new mayor has hired a zoning commissioner( if that is what they are called ). His/ her job is to find out who owns the building and what fine they will be facing if they fall into compliance.


And I agree with you about west Mobile living. The midtown neighborhoods create a flavor of there own and are more community oriented. There are more nice midtown neighborhoods than there are bad ones Keeper. And for downtown you have the Detonti and Church street historic districts.