Covington - Update 61 "Chestnut Hills and South River Bend"

[danielcote]

I like all the new condos downtown!

[canyonjumper]

Wow Jon! Great update! All the new development is looking great. The region view is looking better and better!

           Your friend,
                          Jordan

[Jmouse]

I have some very specific plans for that section, but that's all I'm going to say for now. 

That's OK. I love pleasant surprises, but I don't like waiting too long for them! 

You continue to amaze me with your neighborhood layouts. I started attending a professional commercial art school when I was 13, and spent the first year copying the published work of others. So I shamelessly tried to copy your work for practice, but I just can't seem to achieve the same satisfying results you get. I'll keep trying, though!

Even the names you use – Squirrel Valley, Market Street, Foothill Road, etc., add to the unique character of Covington.

Normally, industrial areas are low on my list of favorites – way down there at the bottom along with skyscraper forests – but 59.05 and 59.06 are very attractive. And your narrative with 59.09 is priceless! I even like the face of your burgeoning downtown area (59.11-59.13), and the final "view from space" is always an amazing sight to see.

Later...
Joan

[Girafe]

Amazing region shot at the end which looks like so realistic 
The houses suburbs are well done and integrated with the highway
and i really enjoy the matt s houses   

congratulations for this city 

[penguin007]

Great to see another update here looking superb as usaul downtown looks out of this world!!

Will

[Battlecat]

Gorgeous work as always! 

[JBSimio]

TiFlo:  Thank you!  Yes indeed, a few of the new dormitories can be seen here. 

Arthur:  Thanks!  I was very excited to get the apartment building (by my good friend, Tag_One) in 59.10 as it's my first growing of that particular building here.  I tend to have some abandonment issues in that area now and then for some reason, but the residents always come back eventually.    I'm glad you liked the night shot... there's a few more in this update for you too!

Daniel:  Thank you!

Jordan:  Thanks!

Joan:  Thank you!  I'll try not to make the wait too terribly long, but you never know with my schedule.     I wish I could offer you some tips about the neighborhood layouts, but I honestly just make each cul de sac up as I go... there really is very little rhyme or reason to how I lay them out.  Perhaps that's the "trick" al by itself?  I'm normally not a big fan of industrial areas either, but this one came out so well that it seemed worth including for once.  Covington will probably never become a skyscraper forrest, but as you're about to see it is still growing quite a bit.

Girafe:  Thanks!  I shudder to think what I would ever do without Matt's wonderful houses... they've really made a huge difference when it comes to building the suburbs.

Will:  Thank you!

Battlecat:  Thanks to you as well!

Update Time!!!

We've seen so much suburbia during the last few updates, that it became all too easy for me to forget about the other parts of Covington.  All the growth on the outskirts has definitely had an impact on downtown, so I thought we'd stay there a little bit longer and see what's been happening.  I also needed a good excuse to let this city tile catch up with everything else in the region!  It's hard to believe how much Covington has grown over the last two years.  (Yes... I managed to miss my diary's birthday once again!)

60.01


A map of downtown should come in very handy right about now, especially one chock full of labels and other imaginary information.  One of my earliest updates for the city focused on the rather intricate system of avenues and one way streets that funnel people into the downtown area and this map does a very nice job of showing how all the major arteries we've seen come together here.  Notice how Benjamin Parkway and Friendly Avenue combine to form the set of one-way streets near RJ Reynolds Park or the Freeman Mill Road (US 220) bridge over the railroad tracks, Lee Street, and Interstate 85.  Notice anything else you might like too while you're at it... after all, maps are fun!

60.02


In the last update, I mentioned that future plans for Murrow Boulevard and Market Street included a second apartment building similar to the first.  The development proved to be so popular with residents, that a third building was actually added before all was said and done.  While some of the landscaping has also been done here, there are still a few smaller buildings waiting to be knocked down before the project can be considered fully complete.  In the meantime, the leasing agents have been busy and these three apartment buildings have added nearly 3000 new homes to Covington.

60.03


The gateway to downtown for much of south Covington remains Freeman Mill Road as it splits around city hall.  The KSIM building and Swan Majestic hotel have welcomed people for years, but the view from the bridge is constantly changing as the skyline continues to rise.  I mentioned the recent additions of Jenner Tower and the Farrel condominium building, but this angle probably does a better job of showing the impact these buildings have had on the view commuters see from the overpass.

60.04


Just east of city hall are the other two blocks which make up Covington's government center.  The Guilford County Courthouse sits in the shadow of the Swan Majestic.  The city did manage to squeeze in a small parking lot across the street, much to the delight of lawyers and the dismay of parking meter police.  Just north of the courthouse is the city's stock exchange building where white collared math geeks can buy, sell, and somehow manage to bring about financial ruin to countries across the world.  For those who contend that Covington has outgrown its rather small city hall building (which I'm the first to admit that it certainly has done), I should point out that the 12 story building next to the stock exchange is also owned by the city and contains many of the offices formerly found across the street in the old building.

60.05


Just off Murrow Bouldevard on the east side of downtown is Market Square.  A throwback to Covington's history, the market building is still in use on a daily basis.  Fresh produce from local farms can still be found here on weekends as well as two other days during the week.  The other three days are set up on a rotating basis when one can find flower and gardening markets, technology fairs hosted by UNCC, fresh seafood and meat markets, even the occasional livestock auction from time to time.  The clock tower, a long ago gift to the city, was obviously inspired by the British but it adds to the old world feel of this area.

60.06


In startling contrast to the historic feel of Market Square, Covington's office boom continues a mere two blocks south on Murrow Boulevard.  Modern towers of glass and steel slowly replace the older brick buildings as the need for more space grows.  Aramark's new regional headquarters really cemented Covington's place as an emerging center for business in the southeast.  No sooner had the doors opened to that office tower than ground broke next door for the SimsCo building.  The older Taft and Hurst buildings in the background, once proud anchors of the downtown core, now seem dwarfed by their modern neighbors.

60.07


Richardson's department store has welcomed people at the corner of Friendly Avenue and Eugene Street since 1923.  Preservationists scored a recent victory when this building, along with the First Nation bank building across the street, was added to the local register of historic structures.  With so much growth and development downtown, the fight to save some of the older buildings has become more urgent as the historic societies race against time.  The newer office building between Friendly Avenue and the freeway stands as a reminder that progress is relentless right now and many of the older buildings are at risk of being lost forever.  Fortunately, Richardson's is now safe from the wrecking ball and will continue welcoming people as they enter downtown from Indian Village to the east.  (I should mention that the Taft building from the previous picture is also protected by the historic registry.)

60.08


Market Square continues to be a busy place well after dark.  The clock tower shines like a beacon welcoming people from Interstate 85 at the busiest exit ramps feeding into downtown.

60.09


Another pretty night time view looking down Friendly Avenue toward the west...

60.10


... but the gateway still strikes me as the better view this time of night.  There's something very dignified looking about city hall and the square in front that I really like.

No region shot today (it would give things away for the next update)... so I thought we'd wrap things up with a little mosaic of downtown.  RJ Reynolds Park, home of the Piedmont Pirates, proves that North Carolina is probably the only place left in the country where a tobacco company could still be awarded naming rights to a major sports venue.  Even so, the company was limited to only adding their name to the park... no additional advertisements will be found here.  The mosaic continues past the government center before ending near St. Gabriel's Cathedral and Market Square...

60.11







Thanks for reading!!!
JB

[canyonjumper]

Nice work Jon! The nightshots are great, and the little facts you add makes the update even better!

          Your friend,
                         Jordan

[threestooges]

Very nice last couple of updates Jon. The downtown area is really flourishing and is pulling off the realism of the growth over time look (as it should, given it's been quite a while in the making). The Hurst, Taft and Swan Majestic really show off your skills on both sides of the game: developing and playing. Curious to see what you have planned for next time that you didn't want to show the region view. Until then, take it easy.
-Matt

[RickD]

Your maps are fantastic. I wish I could do them like that.

[bat]

This update is as all your other 59 updates great! Wonderful work on it!!
Looking forward to update 61...

[penguin007]

Awesome downtown there looks to be just right. Only qualm for me is the use of Big Ben it just doesn't look right!!

Will

[Jmouse]

Outstanding map, Jon. I'm going to try and learn how to make them before...umm...before long.

I'm looking at 60.03, and already I like the CBD. It's proof that buildings don't have to be 85 stories tall and set on a 1x1 lot to make for an attractive downtown area. I still remember Houston during the 1950s and '60s. Those vintage buildings were beautiful, and I still see one in game every now and then which is reminiscent of those classics. The light brown building in the upper left of 60.04, for example, along with many of your SHUR creations.

The more modern ones which follow in several photos actually look good with the older ones. Makes the whole city look very realistic – after all, this is the way such things evolve in RL. The night shots are stunning as always, and the mosaic really shows off the evolution from vintage to modern. It's one of the best choices and arrangements of BATs I've ever seen.

Later...
Joan

[Haljackey]

Wow, 60 updates and still going strong!

I really liked the map and the mosaic!  Keep it up!   

[art128]

Wow, excellent night shots there, Jon ! I loved them' all.

Fantastic work with the downtown, it looks like a real one from the US. I love the mix of old architecture, such as church, city hall, change building; clocktower and market and the modern architectural skyscrapers. Great job with the road layout, greatly done.

Keep it up !

Arthur. 

[danielcote]

You should think of making some of the brick buildings historical.

[GreekMan]

wow great looking downtown! keep up the great work!

[Battlecat]

Great update!  You've got some fantastic buildings in this update!

[Nanami]

Great update!

[kwakelaar]

I enjoyed this update from your CBD, to get a feel of the development that is going on is always interesting. Your down town core has such a contrast in different buildings. From quite small to quite large, making me think that growth came suddenly to Covington.
I have one small comment about this area; I think the stone texture covering the slopes do not fit very well here. It seems rather crude and rural for this area that is turning into such a sophisticated commercial and administrative centre.

Gjermund/Kwakelaar