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

[Battlecat]

Beautiful work!  The suburban sprawl is looking very realistic and that region view is stunning!

[hooha47]

I love your MD, especially the region shots.  The urban center surrounded by farms looks so realistic.  I'm also a big fan of your BATs.  Thanks for all your contributions to the community. 

[Dreamcat]

Simply amazing update.  But I must know, what is that big white building in image 47.12?  It looks very nice.

I'm liking just about everything in that update.  You seem to have mastered urban layout, and it really shows...just really nice job on the whole thing.  Especially the region shot, the farms there look great!  Must have taken forever to make that, I'm not sure I have the patience for that. XD

[ecoba]

Beutiful Update, Jon!

Covington really is growing! That city is so huge now, how many city tiles does it take up? And, are the suburbs going to extend to the edge of the cleared space? As that's what I have been led to believe.

Ethan

[fantnet]

JB,

I looked and Jestar or Simgoober dont have a warehouse that look like this one. was this unreleased? Thanks Much!!!

[dragonshardz]

I believe that's Cogeo's Logistics Center. It's on the STEX.

[Jmouse]

After getting accustomed to rural updates for a while, this one was a surprise – but a very pleasant surprise!

That first pic (47.01) is a beauty – a nice suburban neighborhood with some breathing room, yet a feeling of compact suburbia. That's an effect I usually have in mind when I start laying streets, but somehow the results never end up as planned. Of course, Celebration Square itself is just stunning, and any bragging rights are well deserved.

The close-ups of the neighborhoods look great and are helpful in getting a feel for the layouts. The commercial districts look as good as can be expected (hehe!). Very realistic and very much a part of day-to-day life in suburbia. You have chosen your commercial BATs well, and placed them perfectly, from the smallest to the larger ones.

And as always, the region overview is a jam-up finish to a fine update.

Great work on this one...
Joan

[JBSimio]

Dragonshardz:  Thanks!  Glad you like it.

Daniel:  Thank you!  Actually, the "city" of Covington is probably still under 200,000 people at this point.  I think the current city hall is sufficient.  When the city does outgrow it, they will probably opt for a secondary office building rather than tear down such an important historical structure. 

Peter:  Thank you so much!

Battlecat:  Thanks!  It seems that the more blanks I fill in, the better the region view gets. 

Hooha:  Thank you!  I'm glad you like this and my "other" hobby as well.  Stop back anytime! 

Dreamcat:  Thank you so much!  The building you mentioned is the KSIM Network Headquarters by JaWood.  (Follow the link to the STEX)

Ethan:  Thanks!  I forgot to get an exact count of city tiles, but I think that "metro" Covington is somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 or 11 tiles, most of which are medium sized.  There are several small tiles and one large tile in that number too.  Yes, I plan to extend out to the cleared areas and from there we'll just see what happens next.

Fantnet:  I did some checking, and that warehouse is definitely by Jestarr.  It's called Acme Cold Storage... although I couldn't find it on the LEX for some reason.  I have it installed from the DVD, but I'm sure it's got to be around somewhere.  Sorry I can't seem to track down a link for you... I'll keep looking.

Joan:  Thank you!  The large shopping district was all grown with minimal troubles.  I did have to bulldoze a couple things I didn't like, but mostly it was a matter of CTRL zoning for the proper sizes and hoping for the best.

Update Time!!!

Some of you may remember the neighborhood just south of Oak Park along Randlemann Road which was simply known as The Flats.  It wasn't the prettiest thing we've ever seen in Covington, but we're going to return to that area just for a moment...

48.01


The major contriubtor to the not-so-well being of The Flats is the industrial corridor along Randlemann Road and the south bound rail lines.  What I failed to mention last time, was that the city's main landfill is also just along Randlemann Road here.  Once upon a time, it seemed like an idea place for a dump... but that was before Covington really started growing.  Now, the best that the city can do is to put up some walls in the hopes of hiding things from those driving by.

48.02


In the hopes of eventually closing at least sections of the old landfill, the city has enacted a very aggressive recycling program.  The center seen here even imports garbage from surrounding villages by rail for recycling.  While the program seems to be doing very well so far, it still hasn't done much to improve the nearby living conditions.

48.03


A few miles further to the south, we come upon all that remains of what was originally Hudson Landing.  This used to be a small village along the Cone River which has now become completely surrounded and engulfed by suburban Covington.  This small business district has survived mostly out of local pride, but everything around it is now really just part of the bigger metro area.

48.04


How Hudson Landing came to be is interesting... at least to me, anyway.  Remember that we're in North Carolina, which is a major player in the tobacco industry.  This is one of the oldest surviving drying warehouses in the entire Piedmont region.  Originally built to recieve tobacco along the river, a stroke of luck later made shipping by rail equally simple.  The facility at Hudson Landing employed thousands during its heyday.  Sadly, the building was so old it became difficult to maintain and update with new machinery and is no longer used.  Developers have recently purchased the site, and while there is talk of saving the structure for use as a novelty shopping area, its future is a bit uncertain at the moment.

48.05


The areas surrounding Hudson Landing are changing fast.  The single family homes and squallor just to the north quickly give way to much nicer plans along the river nearby.  These apartments are merely place holders for what is to come in time.  The final plans for this area include a number of midrise condominiums to take advantage of the water and views across the river.  The east side of Covington, near Harmony Hills, is a perfect example of what Hudson Landing may soon become.

48.06


The commercial invasion continues to spread along Riverside Drive in Harmony Hills.  Just south of Interstate 40, the big box stores transition into offices and professional buildings in all sizes.  The area is doing so well, that some of the offices are even beginning to go taller.  But none of this is really what we came here to see... it just sets the tone for what has happened here over the last few years.

48.07


A view from across the Riedsville River shows what this development really looks like.  Interstate 40 and the large shopping center are just to the left of this picture.  The narrow strip of land stretching to the south was transformed into Fox Point estates with stunning views, open spaces, and money to burn.  Let's have a closer look...

48.08


Walking and biking trails are a big part of Covington's overall plan for the entire riverfront wrapping around the east and south sides of the area.  Fox Point was the first major development to really impliment this plan.  Truth be told, the paths were built before the city had such a strategy, and Fox Point could probably be credited for the much larger system that is now in the works.


48.09


The river banks are fairly steep here and the paths wind around a number of eroded areas.  A short branch takes people down closer to the water, although currents here make swimming a bad idea.  For this reason, the trail ends in a small circle away from the water, but there are always those who decide to pick their way down the loose hillside anyway.

48.10


The southern end of Fox Point also features a community building strictly for residents and their guests.  A fitness center, pool, and small cafe take up most of the ground floor.  The second floor features several very large rooms which can be rented for receptions and parties.

48.11


One final look towards to the east shows why Fox Point has done so well.  It's hardly the most exclusive address in Covington, but for apartment living, you really can't do much better.  Harmony Hills has grown into a very desirable area on the east side and there is still plenty to see here, but we'll have to come back another time for that.

48.12


Yep... just because I can! 

Thanks for reading!!!
JB

[threestooges]

Wow, this update covered a lot of ground, but it did it all really well too. What was the garbage facility you showed there in 48.02? I use the one by SFBT currently, but that would be a nice addition to the mix. I also like the rail bridge in 48.04, though I'm curious waht you mean when you say "novelty shopping." I assume it means with the historic nature of the site, but I can't help but think something more gimmicky. Fox Point is a amazingly nice, and fancy, area, and looks like it took some time to get there. 48.07 Is an amazing shot. I really like the landscaping too and the terrain you worked with. 48.08 in particular is a great example, with the little valley there and the trail winding around it. Very nice use of blending the trails with the land. Sometimes it's tough to avoid having bits and pieces hang awkwardly over the edge of a hill or something, but you seemed to get things perfectly here. Well done Jon, and the region pic, as always, is a nice way to cap things off.
-Matt

[danielcote]

Great update! Using that SG Mansion for a community center was very creative and the appartments were very beautiful. That Volkswagen dealership besides that office building is a great touch and please try to keep most of those historic houses for me Thax

-Daniel

[superhands]

Jb, Covington is filling out nicely

The drying warehouse is a nice touch alongside that rail bridge.

[ecoba]

That was a great update, Jon. And it's nice to know you are updating so frequently. Covington is one of those MD's that makes it hard to wait for more.

Well, that was also a transitional update, going from dirty industry and landfills to luxury condos.

I hope that Covington will finish those trails along the river. We have that here too, but it mainly runs through not so good neighbourhoods, and does not have development backing up to it. PS It's called the Greenway.

Ethan

Edit: Who's houses are those in 48.03, Jon? Where might I find them. If you're not sure I'll post it in Residential Related. But they seem new, never seen in Covington before.

[rooker1]

Great stuff Jon.
Your regional view always amazes me.  So realistic and beleivable.  Looks just like a real city, the city center is absolutely visible and slowly works it way down to farms.  Great work  !!

Robin 

[Sciurus]

Just awesome!! And I love the region overview, which is very realistic

Guillaume

[jimbo_jj]

I like how you set up those apartment complexes, not to mention those astoria pointes along the river. Very well done. Plus the region view does look really realistic. Great job!

-James

[Battlecat]

Very nice!  I like those trails in the latest update! 

[JBSimio]

Matt:  Thank you for all your thoughts!  I don't know why I decided to start with Covington's landfill other than to show the lot you asked about.    It is BSC SER Recycling Center by Serkanner (there is also a canal version for SimGoober's set if you're interested).  The rail bridge is just a standard Maxis one, although I did like the way it fit into the picture.  I guess by "novelty" shopping center, I mean a sort of mall reflective of the building itself.  In Frankenmuth, Michigan there used to be something similar called "Schoolhaus Square."  It was just an old two story school building which had been converted into a mall of sorts.  It had more of a tourist theme and less JC Penney... but it was the same idea with toy stores, book stores, etc.  Fox Point did take a fair amount of care.  I treated the bike paths as if they were streets and prepped the area with railroads first to keep things fairly smooth.  Then I just filled in the blanks with that 1x1 grass lot and planted some trees to hide the edges.  I had to bulldoze a few times to get the right buildings to grow... but I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Daniel:  Thank you!  The mansion was kind of a fluke, but I liked the look and just thought up a story to go with it.  The car dealership was also just dumb luck, but I thought it fit well and marked it historical to make sure it stayed there.

Superhands:  Thank you!  I always liked that building (which I called the drying warehouse) and have been searching for a way to use it here for some time.  Glad to hear it fit in! 

Ecoba:  Thank you!  I do plan to wrap the trails along both the Riedsville River (to the east) and the Cone River (on the south) as things progress.  The industrial area just south of Fox Point may present a challenge, but I'll figure something out.  The houses you see are some of the latest from Mattb325 on the LEX.  If you look up his name, you'll see the most recent 12 or so uploads are all new housing.  (In fact, I see that 4 of those are new since I downloaded  )

Robin:  Thank you!  The region view is definitely getting closer and closer.  I've gotten so used to the bare spots that I'm starting to get excited myself about how it will all turn out. 

Guillaume:  Thank you so much!

James:  Thank you!  I'm glad you like the look!

Battlecat:  Thanks!  I'm glad you enjoyed this one!

No update just yet... I'm still working on a couple ideas.  I think we'll be staying in Harmony Hills next time, but that could still change.  I really just wanted to stop by and answer the "where can I find this" questions before people had to wait too long...

See you soon,
JB

[JBSimio]

Update Time!!!

Well we're still out to the east of town in Harmony Hills.  Let's look at the new and improved (although not completely finished) map!

49.01


Yes, the Google inspired map is far enough elong for me to start using it although it certainly isn't done yet.  By the time this whole thing is done, I'll have it completely labeled with everything you could ever hope for.  In the meantime, I thought I would just use it anyway.  Several people commented on times when I labeled the photo locations, so I've done that here just for fun.

49.02


Riverside Drive continues to be a booming commercial corridor.  Office Depot has done extremely well since building here, thanks largely to all the smaller proffessional buildings in the area.  Although no longer inside the large shopping center near the interstate, it seems that people just can't get enough of their big box stores!

49.03


Speaking of the shopping center, you may recall that I questioned the purpose of a couple hotel chains which had been built there.  Here in the literary world, we call that a bit of misdirection.  (Actually, I think it may be called that in a lot of different worlds, but I digress.)  The real reason these hotels do so well probably has something to do with the Andersen Water Park located just across Riverside Drive.  Obviously, the park isn't large enough to be a tourist draw in its own right, but the hotels definitely boast that it makes a compelling incentive.  It's also nice to see that the bike path continues north from Fox Point and even shares parking with the water park here.

49.04


North of Andersen Water Park is another swanky set of riverside condominiums.  Celestia Bluff consists of four taller buildings, all of which literally glow as the sun rises over the farms across the river.  Beautifully designed by the English firm of Callee & Associates, these condominiums once again overlook the Riedsville River and its network of bike paths.

49.05


In addition to the larger buildings, Celestia Bluff also offers a number of smaller townhouse units.  These were designed to invoke fond memories of brownstones from the days of yore (whenever that was).  Unfortunately, as so often happens when modern builders attempt to recreate the past, the mark was sadly missed.*  In truth, the developers here probably won't win any awards from the historic society, but they do add a rather ecclectic look to the area.

49.06


A longer view of the Celestia Bluff shows the four towers and the bike path winding north towards its end at Cone Boulevard.  It may be interesting to note that there are no bluffs, or even steep grades for that matter, anywhere on the property.  In many ways, this development is similar to Fox Point in that there is no point or land projection to be found there either!**  One may begin to question the intelligence of residential developers if one examines the names too closely.  Perhaps the whole thing is simply a marketing ploy to entice buyers or renters to the area in the hopes that by the time they arrive, tour the magnificent floorplans and model apartments, visit the clubhouse, and call the lending agent of their choice, perhaps by then they will have forgotten to look for bluffs and it won't matter either way.

49.07


One last view of Celestia Bluff before we move on.  There just aren't enough night shots in this Mayor's Diary and someone seems intent to change that!

49.08


The commercial mania continues along Cone Boulevard.  Here in North Carolina, we would be remiss if we didn't partake in a meal from Cracker Barrel.  (It's entirely possible that we could be forced to leave the state, actually.  I doubt that law is truly enforced, but it's best not to take chances.)  In typical fashion for Harmony Hills, numerous apartments can be found right behind the commercial strip.

49.09


Just to the southwest of the intersection of Cone Boulevard and Riverside Drive is an industrial park.  Truck drivers arriving after hours, who would normally be forced to simply sit around and wait until morning, are often pleased to find that other distractions can be found nearby.  Even in the Bible belt... whatever is this world coming to?

49.10


Speaking of night shots... how about a current overview of downtown?  Hey... wait!  What the...?  Turn the lights back on a minute...

49.11


That's what I thought!  Covington has managed to win itself another regional office building.  Well, three cheers for Covington, huh?  First Coca-Cola and now Aramark... things certainly are happening fast around here these days.

49.12


And no wonder, really... it's getting bigger every time I see this picture. 

Thanks for reading!!!
JB


Notes from the JBSimio, Inc. legal team:
*  The above statement should in no way be construed as bearing negative feelings for the BATs in question or their creator, the esteemed SimGoober.  Humorous anecdotes abound in this Mayor's Diary, and occaisionally said anecdotes involve jokes made at the expense of things that the author likes very much.
**  Although, to be completely fair, Rickland Creek meets the Riedsville River at Fox Point. Fox Point, while not technically on the property, does in fact lie directly across the river from the residential development which bears its name.

[Pat]

Jon love the legal mumbo jumbo at the end there 

[Battlecat]

Nice update!  I like that water park!  The trails through it look great as well.