Chicago skyline from the air

[editor]

I've been digging through some old folders and came across four neat pictures I snapped back in January that I never did anything with.

So, I spent a couple of hours last night playing with colors and such to see what I could make of them. I like the black-and-white one best.

Sorry about the massive ChicagoArchitecture.info watermark on them. You know how the internet is these days. If you don't take precautions someone ends up posting them on SSP and claiming they're his own.

They're huge pictures, so I encourage you to view them full-size.

[dalparadise]

Funny how people are always trying to draw comparisons between Houston and New York or Los Angeles, when our closest comparison, to me, would be to Chicago.

Houston and Chicago both sprawl, crossing political boundaries without any geography to stop them on most sides of the monster. Chicago's mass transit has helped them deal with this much more effectively.

Both cities have massive downtown cores that are more business friendly than residential friendly -- though Chicago clearly has an advantage in this regard.

Both cities are known as business and industrial giants and have built their economies accordingly -- Houston has been a bit more successful in this case, while Chicago courts visitors and hospitality slightly better.

Both cities are far removed form the influences of the East or West coasts. Both seem, at once, secure and insecure in this fact.

Both are heavily reliant on transportation systems for their lifeblood -- Chicago by air and rail (and to a lesser degree, shipping) and Houston by shipping and rail (and to a lesser degree, air)

Both are challenged by real and perceived climate issues strong enough to keep relocations in check.

Both have major cities nearby that have virtually emptied out skilled labor and executive workforces into their economies -- Chicago has Detroit. Houston has New Orleans.

Both draw the best and brightest from neighboring states, creating a cosmopolitan island in an otherwise rural region -- Chicago pulls from Wisconsin and Indiana. Houston pulls from Louisiana.

In all, I'd suggest we not look to LA and NY for our model of the future of Houston, but more toward Chicago, as our physical and mental kinship seems much more pronounced with that city. That's not a bad thing, either.

[Jeebus]

I guess you haven't taken any of Houston like this have you? These shots are amazing. Thanks as always.

[editor]

I guess you haven't taken any of Houston like this have you? These shots are amazing. Thanks as always.

Not yet; but on my next trip to Houston I plan to rent a helicopter. It's much cheaper in Houston than most other cities. I think because there are so many used to ferry people out to the oil rigs and they like to keep them flying rather than sitting around losing money.

[Boris]

Those are awesome

[Gary]

Gotta love Chi-Town. We had a tour date planned there in September, but unfortunately it got canceled. It's a bummer because I haven't been there in at least 7 years, and was really looking forward to taking some photos.

[editor]

Gotta love Chi-Town. We had a tour date planned there in September, but unfortunately it got canceled. It's a bummer because I haven't been there in at least 7 years, and was really looking forward to taking some photos.

It's probably changed a lot since you were there last. Even going away for just a month or two, when you come back you spend a lot of time noticing all the new stuff.

[Gary]

It's probably changed a lot since you were there last. Even going away for just a month or two, when you come back you spend a lot of time noticing all the new stuff.

Thanks for bumming me out even further.

Plans are for a date in March of next year. Hopefully it's a warmed up by then.