Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: What does your city look like these days ?

  1. #1
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default What does your city look like these days ?

    these questions were asked on a professional investor's BBS ... with some extremely interesting responses ...


    Is your downtown healthy?

    Do you have neighborhoods coming back or are most trending down save a few, and cowfield areas?

    Are just a few newer strip malls doing well and most of the rest becoming more empty?

    Does it seem like more and more areas are likely best to avoid after dark?

    Are you seeing more and more office space for rent?

  2. #2
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: What does your city look like these days ?

    I'll start, based on input from family plus observations from my last visit to upstate NY ...

    Is your downtown healthy?

    1/3rd of downtown businesses have closed, particularly 'mom & pop' storefronts / restaurants.

    Do you have neighborhoods coming back or are most trending down save a few, and cowfield areas?

    city neighborhoods have several 'for sale' signs on every block. Mega-Upscale neighborhood near lake and golf course is expanding.

    Are just a few newer strip malls doing well and most of the rest becoming more empty?

    One new strip mall next to a WalMart with a GameStop, a dollar store etc. is doing extremely well. WalMart parking lot is packed day and night. But some older strip malls now have more empty storefronts than open businesses, and have lost their 'anchor' stores ( like KMart ) !

    Does it seem like more and more areas are likely best to avoid after dark?

    not really ... the entire downtown area was always a place to avoid after dark

    Are you seeing more and more office space for rent?

    definitely

  3. #3
    Veteran Member Angel75217's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Dallas , Texas
    Posts
    404
    Thanks
    36
    Thanked 77 Times in 49 Posts
    My Mood
    Angelic

    Default Re: What does your city look like these days ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Melonie View Post
    these questions were asked on a professional investor's BBS ... with some extremely interesting responses ...

    Is your downtown healthy?

    The party / club scene is dying off slowly, places are closing. There are lots of empty office spaces but there is also some construction for new buildings but who knows if the city is just blowing money for the sake of it.

    Do you have neighborhoods coming back or are most trending down save a few, and cowfield areas?

    The cookie cutter neighborhoods are all turning into section 8 ghettos. A couple of once ghetto areas are turning into trendy rental areas but that's few and far between.

    Are just a few newer strip malls doing well and most of the rest becoming more empty?

    In my local area it's all auto shops, meat markets, dollar stores and cheap beauty supplies (thank god!) Not too much empty space so I guess that's good for the low income areas. A high turn over though.

    Does it seem like more and more areas are likely best to avoid after dark?

    LMFAO I live in that area so I don't know!

    Are you seeing more and more office space for rent?

    Yes, and it doesn't help that the city keeps building more space when there is already empty space not being filled. It doesn't make any sense!

    ~
    Last edited by Melonie; 10-09-2010 at 02:14 PM.
    Licky like a tangerine


    .... Yea I said it!!!

  4. #4
    God/dess Deogol's Avatar
    Joined
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,493
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 50 Times in 35 Posts

    Default Re: What does your city look like these days ?

    Detroit area. Nuff said.

  5. #5
    God/dess Kylea2's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Denver & San Fran
    Posts
    6,907
    Thanks
    181
    Thanked 2,002 Times in 1,285 Posts

    Default Re: What does your city look like these days ?

    Relatively speaking I would say Denver is doing well in the Central Business District. The rest of the city, not so much.
    Don't you ever sleep?
    Not at night...that's when the stars have rather better things to do. They're coming out, shining, that sort of thing.
    - Blog -
    My PM box fills up quick. If you have a question please with your username.
    Congrats to Pryce on doing some much needed tending in his garden!
    - -


  6. #6
    Moderator unbeleavable's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Atl
    Posts
    3,429
    Thanks
    4,881
    Thanked 2,349 Times in 1,220 Posts

    Default Re: What does your city look like these days ?

    I live in Atlanta & I'm in new home sales & have been for the last 5 years. I saw the peak in 05 & a lot of bad loans to say the least & the crash in 07 in my area. Right now it seems if you are in the right location you can make good money again with the right builder. Banks are lending money & its cheap..to the RIGHT people as far as I can see. Commercial is still another story...very bad from what I hear. I also talk to a lot of resale agents & the ones that are still at it are making money again so I have hope for Atlanta.

  7. #7
    God/dess 4everresolutions's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Great White North
    Posts
    3,605
    Thanks
    2,475
    Thanked 2,620 Times in 1,383 Posts
    My Mood
    Chatty

    Default Re: What does your city look like these days ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Melonie View Post
    these questions were asked on a professional investor's BBS ... with some extremely interesting responses ...

    Oh I like this! An interactive DD post! Here's my answers for Toronto.

    Is your downtown healthy?
    Seems to be - as far as I can tell. Clean streets, businesses are doing fairly well (that is, I don't see many empty store fronts). Lots of "Help wanted" signs in Windows, very bustling.

    Do you have neighborhoods coming back or are most trending down save a few, and cowfield areas?
    A lot of areas are coming up slowly. The neighborhood I just moved into is slowly becoming gentrified along with a few other 'slummy' areas downtown; and more and more yuppies are making homes in the places with affordable housing. It's a good sign, as you see more coffee shops, boutiques, etc opening up and creating jobs.

    Are just a few newer strip malls doing well and most of the rest becoming more empty?
    Most malls in the downtown are doing well. I remember there was question about the big main mall - Eatons - a few years back but recently they've taken on a renewal project (for the first time since the 60's) that has breathed life into the shops.

    Does it seem like more and more areas are likely best to avoid after dark?
    There are a few - I know because I lived in one of them - but areas like this are dissipating slowly as more and more young families eat up those 'sections' of the city. Some 'safehouses' and shelters have closed down right in the core, and it seems the crime moved once that happened.

    Are you seeing more and more office space for rent?
    Mainly in new builds. Not so much in established buildings/locations.
    Seems Toronto is doing fairly well, but it would be nice to see what someone who has lived in the city for 20+ years would say.

    Edited to add: I moved from Central Florida to Toronto, and I have to say the difference is astounding. I was so used to the depressing nature of Orlando due to the economy - it felt like everything was dying. It was crazy to move here to Toronto and feel like there never was a recession to begin with. I mean, people here talk about it, but it's NOTHING compared to what I saw in Florida; people are still shopping here, still going out to eat, malls and salons aren't closing. There are actually "Help Wanted" signs pinned up here - I haven't seen those in Orlando in years.



  8. #8
    Featured Member Winged Dinghy's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2008
    Location
    The dirty south
    Posts
    1,381
    Thanks
    1,942
    Thanked 1,992 Times in 605 Posts
    Blog Entries
    17
    My Mood
    Fine

    Default Re: What does your city look like these days ?

    I live in New Orleans. The city's still seriously blighted from Katrina--blocks and blocks of flooded, gutted homes, really dirt-poor areas, a bustling, vibrant downtown, some seriously gorgeous and affluent neighborhoods right next to crime-ridden ones-- all in all, it is and has always been a city that reflects the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. And because we're a lot smaller now than we were pre-K, there are a lot of empty, rotting houses, but you can't pin that entirely on the housing market bust.

    I do notice more for sale signs in the French Quarter. Used to be nobody ever let go of property in the quarter--people held onto it for hundreds of years--but now there's a lot available.

Similar Threads

  1. Organized by City & State and/or City &Country
    By Kylea2 in forum Junkie Club Chat
    Replies: 120
    Last Post: 07-30-2012, 12:04 PM
  2. New York City- things to do in the city...?
    By crazybeautiful28 in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 07-05-2008, 11:37 AM
  3. Game Days VS Regular Days
    By elektrafying in forum Stripping (was Stripping General)
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 12-01-2007, 08:15 PM
  4. Silver City = Scary City! (Dallas)
    By eyeawry in forum Club Chat
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 12-19-2006, 03:53 PM
  5. Replies: 2
    Last Post: 05-24-2006, 10:02 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •