San Francisco v2.0

[eppisgood 6]

Transporation Overview of The City (this is the last part of the region that is being developed, read on to see the development of Marin County to the North of San Francist and Alameda County to the East)

Regional Overview:

Here is the first update.  Since RH isn't out and I've determined that I should hold off on building the main city of San Francisco and concentrate more on the outlying areas.  So I've started north of the GG Bridge... following the Redwood Hwy north a ways... and then moving east to Tiburon.  Tiburon is a hillside/seaside town that has spectacular views of downtown while located in a country/forest like setting.  Homes go anywhere from $550,000 up to a $24.5 million home called Round Hill Estate!!!   Wouldn't want to be owner of that home when/if the housing market bursts up there, but their homes sure are nice to look at.

 

 

I have a question and have been searching for the answer for over a few weeks now... how do you take a screen shot of the traffic map?  Everytime I click on the map button the camera options disappear, does anyone know how to take pictures of the information maps and graphs?  Greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

Lastly, one way I try to make sure the densities/wealth level I build is consitant to the real thing.  I just started the practice of doing so halfway through the last SF region (another reason I wanted to start over).  If you are reduplicating cities, a great tool is http://www.realtor.com.  I have found that website extremely useful in finding out what the homes look like around the bay area.

 

To compare the homes in the Tiburon region with the real things, check out

http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListings.asp?frm=bymap&st=CA&typ=1&typ=2&typ=3&typ=4&typ=5&typ=6&poe=realtor&mnbed=0&mnbath=0&mnprice=0&mxprice=99999999&js=off&pgnum=1&lnksrc=&fid=so&mnsqft=&mls=xmls&ct=Tiburon&optInCheckbox=yes&areaid=1329

 

Hope that link works, if it doesn't for any of you I'll come back and erase it.

 

Until the next update....

[Timeline 0]

If u want to take a screen-shot without camera must prepare the picture u want put out and then press the stamp button. (near bloc-scorr - on the left).

Once u press the button u have the screen-shot in memory.

open a software like microsoft photo editor and paste it.

 

I make so when i want to put screens-schot outside the photo-camera.

But only once per time, one screen-schot and then must term sc4 to but in photo editor.

hope helps.....

[eppisgood 6]

Ah I should've been able to figure that out.  I was looking for some special way inside of SC4 that would allow me to take pictures and save them internally.  My computer must be different than yours though, because it's not the stamp button for me rather it is the alt + print screen button at the same time.  Thanks for the tip Timeline.

[eppisgood 6]

Finally finished with an outlying area of San Francisco called Marin County.  It lies just to the north of the Golden Gate bridge and it starts with the quaint little seaside town of Sausalito then moves north into some heavy suburban sprawl.  East off the 101, following the 131 (or Tiburon Blvd), you'll find yourself in Tiburon which is mostly a retirement community (for those who "made it" in the tech boom of the late 90's) and a perfect spot for a vacation home for those who can afford it.  If you follow Tiburon Blvd to the other side of the peninsula, opposite Tiburon, you'll come across acres of untouched land which are part of the Tiburon Uplands Nature Preserve & Paradise Beach County Park - perfect for that picnic on the weekend.

I'll post some close ups in a few hours.

[Shoe 2]

!!!

 

 

 

w00t!

[ALTX 40]

YAY! you fixed the bridge! good job

[eppisgood 6]

Sausalito, commercial district at 2nd & Main

 

Harbor Point, just east of the 101 freeway

 

Marin City, commercial district and home to AMD Processors which is the biggest employer in Marin County (ok I made the AMD part up).

[Dolittle 4]

Wow, that region pic is sweet! How long did it take you to do that?

[RodneyMullen03 5]

BTW, just to let you know, the 101 freeway goes all the way from Mexico(possibly, I'm pretty sure) to Canada. It goes through LA. Then, it goes up to San Francisco. It becomes the Golden Gate Bridge. Then, it goes out of Canada into Oregon and Washington, and out into Canada.

[eppisgood 6]

Dolittle, the region only took 15 minutes to load in SC4.  I got the map from a website.  It takes a bit longer to make the cities, I spend at least 8-10 hours on the cities that have more than 15,000 residents.

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On 8/25/2003 2:58:39 PM RodneyMullen03 wrote:

BTW, just to let you know, the 101 freeway goes all the way from Mexico(possibly, I'm pretty sure) to Canada. It goes through LA. Then, it goes up to San Francisco. It becomes the Golden Gate Bridge. Then, it goes out of Canada into Oregon and Washington, and out into Canada.

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Actually the 101 starts in downtown LA, but I am not sure why you are telling me this.  The 101 in the San Francisco area stops just south of Market St. and begins again in the Presidio.  Inbetween, the 101 turns into Van Ness St going north, then follows Lombard St west until it gets to the Presidio.  When this region is done (months from now) you'll be able to point out hundreds of landmarks in the bay area as well as the major streets & freeways.  I am almost finished with Berkeley and the hills of Berkeley, I will post new pics by the end of this week.  The city of San Francisco, or the north portion of the peninsula, won't be finished until after RH is released.

[Patience 0]

If you want to take a picture of your traffic map, open it up, then use the camera keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-Shift-S? I can't remember when I'm not playing the game, but the command should be listed on the back of that rinky-dink manual) and the camera tool will pop up. Then use it just like normal.

[eppisgood 6]

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On 8/25/2003 6:46:45 PM Patience wrote:If you want to take a picture of your traffic map, open it up, then use the camera keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-Shift-S? I can't remember when I'm not playing the game, but the command should be listed on the back of that rinky-dink manual) and the camera tool will pop up. Then use it just like normal.

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Thank you very much, couldn't find where it said that in the manual though.  If this works it's much easier than doing the print screen and switching to ImageReady every time.  And for answering that, there will finally be traffic map pictures I will post next time as well.

[Minotaur420 2]

awesome. I donno where u get the patience and find the time, but awesome. I donno what your map looks like but i live in orinda i hope you have that, it'd be interesting to see your rendition....

 

oh, and too bad there's no more room to make the little golden gate visitor center thing on the northeastern side of the bridge.

[Minotaur420 2]

if you wanted i could make you some nice maps out of your traffic and all off data screens. if you're interested. I love san francisco and i'd be happy to do it. When you finally get your city done i could label all the landmarks and neighborhoods and stuff. Of course you've done so much research you know stuff that i don't know so you'd have to help me with some of the labelling

[eppisgood 6]

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On 8/25/2003 7:24:59 PM Minotaur420 wrote:

if you wanted i could make you some nice maps out of your traffic and all off data screens. if you're interested. I love san francisco and i'd be happy to do it. When you finally get your city done i could label all the landmarks and neighborhoods and stuff. Of course you've done so much research you know stuff that i don't know so you'd have to help me with some of the labelling

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That would be great.  When I do finish I will ask for people's input on how to "tweak" the finished result, ie landmarks, etc.  Since I am a San Francisco Giants fan I've been traveling to the Bay Area for over 13 years (I live in So. Cal).  What I put together in this region is combination of what I've seen driving by on the freeways, maps, just driving around SF, and information on SF websites such as www.sfvisitor.com and www.skyscrapers.com.

As far as Orinda is concerned.. I am sorry to say but right now I made it into farmland with a small city off the 24, I do apoligize.  My guess is that Orinda is a pretty nice place to live, with little or zero farmland around, and definately not the 8,000 low class citizens I've placed there.  I'm not sure if my map is totally accurate, since I've never been on the 24 except once on my way to Concord from Berkeley.  Maybe you could help describe what it looks like so I can recreate it.  But since this is supporting the Berkeley Hills & Berkeley with low-class citizens I don't think it would be possible to destroy it and recreate the real thing at this point in the game.  I assure you it'll be fixed when the region is completed, I'll even post a before pic so you can make suggestions.  This goes to anyone who lives in the bay area, if you know your city well feel free to make suggestions and I'll consider them when I get to developing your town.

[comdude21 6]

Very cool San Fran. I really like your region pic. Great job, and I look forward to future updates.

[Minotaur420 2]

Actually, Orinda is an upscale town of about 20,000 people. Just about the best public schools in the bay area. The northwest side of 24 is a bit more upscale than the other side. There's a LOT of trees in Orinda. More than any other city around. There's just a bit of commercial extending from the freeway in the valley a short distance in both ways, more so on the northwest side. In Sim City 4 regions of the are I've had troulbe figuring out right were orinda is, the roads and everything. So i donno. Definately no farming. One thing about the bay area, overall it's very weatlhy. Sim city could make this hard in some cases. I don't know or care if you're cheating but if you put in a lot of parks and stuff and things to help increase the wealth of the people that could help. Overiously you can't have people in an orinda-type place all commutting to san francisco and oakland mostly, where they have their big jobs in office towers. I donno, it's just kinda hard to make it really perfect but you're doing an awesome job good luck. I'll be sure to stop by this thread so i can help you make it more realistic using some of my knowledge of the area. San francisco is such a great city, i love walking around the financial district and shopping in union square.

 

 

p.s. when i write long messages they tend to be sort of mixed up and stuff....so hopefully i wrote everything alright

[ALTX 40]

this is so cool... how did you ever make it so realistc?

[OriginalAndy 1]

wow very kewl... San Francisco was the first region i started to use when i first got SC4... but all the hills were annoying... and needed to learn to actually make a working city first.

[eppisgood 6]

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On 8/25/2003 10:25:13 PM Minotaur420 wrote:

Actually, Orinda is an upscale town of about 20,000 people. ....

 

....Sim city could make this hard in some cases. ....

 

... Overiously you can't have people in an orinda-type place all commutting to san francisco and oakland mostly, where they have their big jobs in office towers. .....

 

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I figured Orinda was a really nice place.  Places like Emeryville, Oakland, and San Leandro have a lot of low income families so that's where it'll move to eventually and then I can turn Orinda into the lush suburb that it really is.

Since I've installed the realstic commute patch things have actually worked out well in region play.  While building Berkeley Hills & Orinda there was a huge traffic jam at the border, telling me that is where all of my sims have been going.  And also.. I made a single road from the Orinda map through the Berkeley Hills map, straight into Berkeley.. and guess what?   It was packed full of traffic, and there was no way for a commuter to exit that road so he could work in Berkeley Hills, he only has the option to go straight through to Berkeley and they do!  It's amazing I tell ya.  So there is a possibility that residents in Orinda would work in downtown Oakland, it's just the next city south of Berkeley so if they'll travel over one entire city to work in the next... why not two?

I'll post a picture of what the East Bay looked like before I started developing.  Again, I am not totally familiar with this region (especially since it's not near the coast where I can recognize distinct geography) so if Orinda goes furthur up the east side of the hills tell me, if Piedmont isn't that big tell me... of course most of this will be residential with the majority of the industry being along the coast and most of the commecial located between the 580 & 880.

And lastly.. to the mods who keep deleting my pictures.. I host them on my own website.  No need to delete because Simtrop's bandwidth is not being used to view them.  Thanks!

[Minotaur420 2]

Ok, i busted out the maps    Piedmont is really small and completely surrounded by oakland. Your Berkeley extends just a little too far south. emeryville is really small and doesn't even extend that far inland. You could include Albany in the top left corner of berkeley. for orinda: the main road moraga way goes pretty much up against those hills and they'res only development around el toyonal road. You also have orinda village and some of the orinda country club. I think the caldecott tunnel goes right under you eastport words (never heard of eastport, canyon, rochedale village by the way) which makes me realize i think your uc berkeley is too far north a little, and half of that cragmont/berk. hills thing is actually tilden regional park, and it's not a different city anyways. you should jsut look at streetmaps to see where development is. There's a lot to say but i think it can wait, otherwise i won't get everything straight, don't got a whole lotta time right now, need to go to bed. Can't wait to see the cities

[eppisgood 6]

I do appreciate the suggestions.  It's hard for me to tell exactly where some of the inland cities end/begin because there is no topographical overlay to see the "lay of the land" so to speak.  I'll have to do a bit of remodeling (that picture was a before picture) but it'll be worth it to get the real thing.  I believe Rochedale Village is the area just adjacent to UCBerkeley where Kelly's Pizza, head shops, and all the arts & craft dealers on the street are... but I could very well be wrong.  Again, thanks for the tips.

[Shoe 2]

Well, a wiser fella than me once said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[Minotaur420 2]

maybe....i don't know that spot real well. But most people call the shopping area next to uc berkely telegraph or university. My friend took classes at berkeely and i just asked him and he's never heard of rochedale or kelly's pizza(?), he says telegraph is where all the vendors on the street are tho...

 

and i know what you mean about the places with the topography....hard to tell.

 

oh yeah and sorry if i seem a little rude or anything, i'm sure you're doing an awesome job but like u said i think you want it to be as accurate as possible, i know when i found out more about rotterdam and saw pictures after i built my version i really wanted to make a totally accurate one but i don't have that patience so i didn't bother, but i really wanted mine to be just like the real thing.

[Dereko 0]

I drive in this area every weekend, let me know if you need help. South Berkeley is a major ghetto, Orinda is a nice area, San Leandro isn't all bad, and how far south does your map go? Hayward, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley? I am off the map a little in Concord but I am in this area all the time for my job, let me know if you need to know the wealth level of certain areas, etc.

[eppisgood 6]

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On 8/27/2003 2:34:20 AM Minotaur420 wrote:

oh yeah and sorry if i seem a little rude or anything, i'm sure you're doing an awesome job but like u said i think you want it to be as accurate as possible, i know when i found out more about rotterdam and saw pictures after i built my version i really wanted to make a totally accurate one but i don't have that patience so i didn't bother, but i really wanted mine to be just like the real thing.

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It's fine.  You don't know how anal I am when it comes to creativity, when I was in elementary school my mom always said my "art" was good but I wanted to perfect it... and here I am 15 years later doing the same thing with SC4.  I am going to try and make this thing perfect, even if it takes me until 2004. 

Anyway... I found some great population/topography data (or what I perceive to be population) at http://seamless.usgs.gov and below is a picture of what I downloaded.  You can actually do this for any city/region in the US.  In your opinion, do you think the white area represents population growth?  I figure the green area is just that, greenery... but the red area I am a little unsure of.  It seems to follow the freeways a little so I was thinking it could be pollution, but that is too SC like.  So then I am thinking it might be heavy populated areas because it gets solid red in downtown Oakland and in Emeryville, and also near the freeway in Orinda like you said in an above post.  I just want to make this realistic.. so do you think my theory about this map would be right?  Thanks.

* Picture is hosted on my own website

[eppisgood 6]

OK, I've taken into consideration certain suggestions and I've come up with this.  I am thinking that I developed the Berkeley Hills too much east... I am now thinking that the valley between those two peaks should be all forest, am I right?  Is there any civilization in that valley?  Like should I make a 2-3 homes every 30 tile spaces or is there really nothing out there?  I see roads on the map, but I am thinking they are probably access roads and don't lead to anyones residence.

 

This is all of the East Bay that this region has, except for a small sliver at the bottom.  Are my plans for the freeways correct?  It was hard making the 24 because it goes at such a small degree angle.. and then it gradually increases the angle to 45* where it finally starts making the incline over the hills.  You can see where I've made UCBerkeley, it's the darker block inbetween S. Berkeley & the Hills.

 

 

Here are a few questions hopefully you guys could answer:

On the inland side of the 13.. are those single family residences of $$ & $$$ wealth?  Some condo's mixed in or just keep it strictly low density?

In Berkeley, how are the commercial ares zoned?  Are they strips two spaces (or one space) deep along the main roads (ala Los Angeles) or are the commercial districts at intersections (ala suburban Orange County)? 

 

What is the wealth like between the 880 & 580, south of downtown Oakland?  I rememeber drive along the 580 was nice and green... and the 880 was a like concrete city.  So am I correct in assuming the closer you get to the 880 the lower the wealth?

 

What about Alameda?  It's sort of an island, but is it a wealthy island?  Since industry is located all along the coast I couldn't see it being too nice.. but the 580 doesn't go through there so I haven't seen it first hand.

 

Again, I am sorry about Orinda, it will turn into resi's as soon as I get more low wealth in Oakland & Berkeley.  But for the time being I do think the farms look nice out there.  Thanks.

[Dereko 0]

Alameda used to be a naval base and all the roads there are in a grid. It is medium wealth for the most part. Did you know Orinda used to be the home of Maxis? Their old HQ sits right off the 24 at "Theater Square". It was a building in SimCity 2000, maybe when the BAT comes out someone can make Theater Square you can put it in Orinda. The area along the 13 aka the Warren Freeway, is medium to high class so I doubt it is Oakland

[Minotaur420 2]

Those are the oakland hills, the nicest part of oakland probably. the closer to 24 and the caldecott the steeper they go so there's just little strips of houses along a couple of roads(really steeply built house) when it gets steep. and berkeley doesn't go that far into the hills because starting next to CAL, Tilden Regional Park starts spreading north through the hills. By the 880 i think it's a lot of tight low wealth low density residential. Any body living sort of around downtown in west oakland, should be poor, with some apartment buildings and stuff, but the buildings right in downtown are some nice commercial stuff. As he said alameda is a lot of low-medium wealth people.

[eppisgood 6]

That's some juicy information there Dereko & Minotaur, your comments are very appreciated.  This is going to be really fun to do, I can't wait until I get some free time...

 

This is a picture of the north entarnce of the Golden Gate Bridge, mostly for ALTX but you all can enjoy it too.  I had to tweak the land at the base, into the bay a little... where the bridge hits land used to be water.  I thought it looked stupid at first, because it's not the real thing, but then I saw it in the overview and thought it looked kinda good.  So for those realists out there, that's not how the land goes in real life.