editor

I remember in the early 2000's another tunnel being dug around Saint John's. Maybe it was just renovation of the existing tunnel, but I remember the construction mess vividly.

http://texas.construction.com/yb/tx/article.aspx?story_id=147278525

Redmond is another town over. Essentially it goes Seattle - Mercer Island - Bellevue - Redmond. Microsoft was actually headquartered in Bellevue after New Mexico, but before it moved to Redmond. But only barely. It's right on the border of Bellevue and Redmond. Redmond, however, isn't a real town, and doesn't have the capacity to handle an operation the size of Microsoft. It also has no business tax in the traditional sense. Instead, companies pay a flat rate of $85 per employee. Microsoft's campus there has over 200 buildings, but they're all 2-5 stories tall. I think there are only two buildings in Redmond over 5 stories (the Marriott and an apartment block). Sprawling doesn't begin to describe it. The distance from Building 27 (the south end) to Building G (the north end) is 1.42 miles -- about twice the length of the Texas Medical Center. So it's no wonder that MS has thousands of workers spilling out into Bellevue (rapidly approaching 10,000 employees), Issaquah, and Seattle. Microsoft has a large number of its employees in Bellevue, in part because Bellevue is close to both Redmond and Seattle. Bellevue does a lot to actively court technology companies, and is in the middle of a 40-year plan to transform itself from a bedroom suburb into a walkable urban city. Bellevue's zoning and taxes make the construction of residential and office condos attractive. The city also has a number of services to help small tech companies. For example, if you're designing a video game the city will hook you up with people who can do character design for you. I hate to use the phrase, but that's about the most "out of the box" thinking I've heard from a local government in a long time. Is it working? I'd say yes. At least four downtown skyscrapers have their office space 90%+ occupied by Microsoft (most notably the Xbox 360 and Bing groups), and I can think of three other buildings that have Microsoft as major portions of the office space, so there are Microsoft logos on buildings everywhere. Valve Software is also here. If you're a PC gamer, you know Valve. 5th Cell, Sucker Punch, and a bunch of other Nintendo game developers are here, along with other game companies. Sierra On-Line was here until it closed in 2008. Non-game tech companies include Expedia, which has a signature tower, Drugstore.com, Infospace, Amazon.com's regional distribution hub, and T-Mobile USA. Nintendo of America is next door in Redmond, next to Microsoft's west campus. There's probably a lot more that I don't know about. Interestingly, Microsoft operates its own transit system, independent of King County Transit or SoundTransit.

Actually, this is not always true. You are free to snap away without a tripod, but as soon as you set up equipment (even a Wal-Mart tripod counts) many cities (New York, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Long Beach that I know of, likely others) you need a permit because you're obstructing the public way. I thought a few years ago, Hines donated the Water Wall to the city for use as a public park. Or did I imagine that?

Paris is dumping the paper one-day passes. At least for the filthy tourists. The locals are getting Navigo cards

Why not? As long as the transit agency doesn't charge for the card, who cares? Getting a card from a vending machine is no harder than getting a paper ticket. In Chicago, paper cards are no longer used. It's a card or cash. And if you use a card, you get free transfers, and a 20% bonus when you reload the card.

METRO EXPANDS METRORAIL BIKE HOURS As part of its transition to a new METRO, the agency is working with BikeHouston to develop additional ways to make public transportation a viable option when biking around Houston. The regional transportation authority is working with the bicycle advocacy group to get the word out about expanded hours for bicycles boarded on METRORail and the need for safety as the new policy takes effect. Starting Monday July 19th, 2010, bike riders can board light-rail vehicles Monday-Friday except for peak hours (6:30 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.) when passenger loads are heaviest and boarding with a bike most difficult. Bikes are limited to two per rail car including weekends at all service hours. “Our partnership with BikeHouston represents the kind of collaboration the community will see from the new METRO,” said Acting President & CEO George Greanias. “Biking and METRO are important alternatives to driving and are natural complements, reducing both traffic and helping clean our air. With these expanded hours we can accommodate riders during our busiest light-rail hours, and make more room on the system for those whose commute includes bicycles.” Bikes, until now, were allowed on trains from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. until the last evening run. Working with the biking community, METRO launched a highly successful bike rack program on buses in 2007. Today, most METRO buses are equipped with either bike racks or storage compartments, and total bikes boarded since the launch have topped 156,000. BikeHouston and METRO are examining other ways to make Houston transit more bike friendly with collaboration on placement of bike racks along light-rail boarding platforms and utilization of interior space on rail cars as more miles are added to local light-rail systems. Peter Wang, League Cycling Instructor and advisor to BikeHouston noted, “Bicycling advocates welcome the expansion of bikes-on-board hours to accommodate both "Early Bird" and "Late Sleeper" commuters. We urge bicyclist commuters to be mindful of the needs of fellow passengers. Walk (don't ride) your bike on train platforms and sidewalks. Stay out of people's way, don't cram into a crowded rail car, and keep your bike clean." METRO is working with the City of Houston to improve residents’ ability to get around and exercise at the same time. The new Irvington Bike Lanes, will give bikers a safe trail near the North Line light rail which is now under construction. METRORail bike guidelines and Houston Bikeways Program can help you understand how to get around Houston fast, safe and economically.

Post some links. People around here love Google models.

I'd be prouder if there was some place to eat around here that wasn't sushi, Indian, or Thai. And a drug store would be nice, too. I really don't know how this place gets a WalkScore of 100. To do most of my errands, I take the bus across the lake into Seattle.

My first apartment was 400 sqft (Charleston). My second was palatial at around 500 (Cincinnati). After that, I had an 830, a 1,200, a 1,450 (all Houston). Then I started downsizing, with an 800, a 930, and a 475. I'm in 620 now, and it feels very comfortable (especially after 475). It's really all about how the apartment is designed, rather than the actual square feet. The 475 in Chicago felt way bigger than the 500 in Cincinnati, or even the 830 in Houston. Nothing will ever compete with the 1,450, though. I needed two Roombas to keep that hardwood floor clean. Two people can live very comfortably in 475 square feet. 350 is pushing it, it smacks of SRO. But a roomy hotel room is about 400 sqft. Add a few feet more for closet and kitchen, and you're home!

If there are so many Wal-Marts in such a small area, would the result be LESS traffic at each individual location? It's not like people are going to fly down from Wal-Martless places like Chicago to shop in the Heights. Aren't you just taking the existing number of Wal-Mart customers, and spreading them out across more stores?

From the +/- ratings, or the quotations, or both?

We have a winner!

It's that mansion and windmill in the earlier photos. The park where that was shot used to be a private estate, but the county bought it and now it's public. The county rents the mansion out for weddings and conferences and stuff, while the rest of the property is open to anyone.

It's been my observation so far that it mostly rains at night and in the early morning, then clears up. I think it's only rained all day once or twice. Florida is like that too, but since it's also hot and muggy and dangerous, it gets to be called the "Sunshine State," while this area is the "So Moist That Moss Grows on the Streets State."

Nope. That's an office building with a bunch of architects and engineers in it. Yeah, some days it's like that. At least my camera sees it that way. I might start leaving the polarizing filter off, though I do love when a blue sky fades to black.

Here are some pictures of Bellevue, Washington. Geographically, it's a suburb of Seattle; though I've met several older people who don't realize that, and think Bellevue is just another neighborhood of the city. I don't know if that feeling is widespread, or not. It's very clean. Very quiet. The population is 30% foreign-born (Indian, Pakistani, Japanese mostly). The big companies are Microsoft, Eddie Bauer, CoinStar, and Paccar. it's a tech hub, as well. It's the headquarters of Expedia, Infospace, Drugstore.com, T-Mobile USA, HTC's American operations, and a bunch of video game companies. The architecture is half way between traditional glass-and-steel, and the emerging Pacific Northwest school. I live in one of these buildings. See if you can guess which one.

Found this interesting article listing the 10 largest construction projects in the world. I find it interesting that about half are traditional construction (cities, buildings, etc...) and half are environmental projects.

Three ducks have decided that they're Houston Police cadets. They show up for roll call every day at 6:30am and march with the cadets to the classrooms.

Investigators in the Houston Police Department Robbery Division are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying five suspects believed responsible for at least six robberies in Houston's westside. The suspects are described only as five black males. One is believed to be in his 20s and a second is believed to be in his 40s. Surveillance photos of the suspect are attached to this news release. The incidents all occured at residences in which the suspects forcibly entered and took the home's safe with its contents inside. On May 29, the suspects entered a residence on the 10 block of Shady Lane and tied up a female housemaid. The suspects then used tools to remove the home's safe and secured contents, and fled the location. Another robbery occured on June 30 when the same group of suspects are believed to have entered a residence in the 300 block of Terrace and also tied up a housemaid. There were security cameras at the residence and images of the suspects entering and leaving the residence were captured. There are at least two more incidents linked to these suspects. Anyone with information on the identities of these suspects is urged to contact the HPD Robbery Division at 713-308-0700 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Most cities have this for their transit, whether they have rail or not. When I travel I collect them. CTA did this back in the 90's with its Chicago Card for a few reasons: 1 - To make boarding faster, which is really really does. 2 - To cut down on the expense of cleaning stations, because the people who live in certain Chicago neighborhoods are pretty filthy, and throw trash on the ground without thinking. Before these cards, at the end of the day many train stations would look like there was a ticker tape parade. 3 - To automate transfers, again reducing expense. 4 - To give people the option of not carrying cash in crappy neighborhoods. #1 was the big reason, and it really helps. Cities I've been to that have this: London (Oyster card) Hong Kong (Octopus card) Seattle (Orca Card) Seoul (T-Money card) Istanbul (Akbil, which isn't a card because a lot of people don't have wallets there, so it's a strangely shaped contraption with a loop on it that you can hook to your clothing or keychain or whatever) Chicago (Chicago Card, Chicago Card Plus, Chicago Card+ZipCar) San Francisco (Transcard, now called Clipper) Singapore (forget what it's called on the MRT) Saint Louis (Go-To Card) Los Angeles (TAP) Paris (MetroPass) These transit cards are really the easiest and most efficient way of doing business. BUT this sort of scheme only works on transit systems where you pay one price no matter what your destination. Also, it can sometimes take years to integrate the various computer systems of regional transit agencies so that one card will work across all carriers. When I got to Seattle a couple of months ago, the Orca card was still brand new. New York still hasn't done this, but it's trying. Last I heard it couldn't get all of the regional transit agencies on board. In Chicago, the Chicago Card isn't valid on water taxis. But you can get a special green version of the card that lets you use it to rent ZipCars. In Seoul, you can use your T-Money card on subways, trams, buses, taxis, and even to buy groceries at convenience stores. In Paris, you can get a MetroCard that can also be used for museum admission. Seattle's method is seriously screwed up. At certain times of the day at certain locations you pay when you get on. Other times and places, you pay when you get off. King County Metro still issues paper transfers, while no other transit agency does. To use it on SoundTransit light rail trains, you tap at the station as you enter, and again as you leave. SoundTransit's Sounder trains have an entirely different system. Oh, and it's not valid at all when riding a SLUT. I doubt Tokyo will get a unified card in my lifetime.

Here's a link that shows all the pictures from the slideshow in one page: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/08/architecture-survey-slideshow-201008?currentPage=all I've been to four of these places. The picture they use for the HSBC building really doesn't do it justice. Though much of its significance is in how the interior is laid out (and thus VF used an interior photo), it is most visually striking from the outside. And at night. Here's a picture I took for HAIF's sister web site, Chinese Architecture.cn. More pictures of the HSBC New Headquarters. It's also interesting that in a list of just 20 buildings, that two are churches. The cross of light is interesting, but I think I've seen that elsewhere. Doesn't Saint Basil's Chapel in Houston do that, as well? Or am I thinking of another building?

I love it when I come to HAIF to post a link to something, and you guys are already discussing it.

I popped over to Redmond, Washington last month to shoot some pictures for the Towrs architecture web site (plug! plug!). Not all that much to see there. It doesn't seem to have a real downtown. It's like a small bedroom suburb, rather than an actual town. That may explain the Microsoft campus. It's like a big gated suburban village, rather than a corporate office park. I was pretty disappointed with what I saw there. Dozens and dozens of boring flat office buildings with virtually no character. This is a company that can do anything with its architecture, but chooses to do nothing. A wasted opportunity. It's so bland I only bothered to take a couple of snaps of Microsoft. The best architecture in town is, without a doubt, the city hall. Great job on that one. Modern, but very local. Good colors and aesthetic. Very nice. But if it wasn't for Microsoft, I don't see any reason for this town to exist. The Clise Mansion King County District Court Microsoft Building 92 Redmond City Hall Redmond Marriott Town Center Redmond Town Center Willowmoor Farm Windmill

There will be another HAIF forum software upgrade today. If you notice anything broken or odd, please let me know.