Benjamin Metro Area

[coolwiththecool2 827]

After the "Forced Retirement" of my Portland CJ, which broke many personal records, I had to wait about 1 or 2 months with no computer, and had to use simtropolis on my phone (don't laugh). So I am back with a new CJ, I just can't play SC4 without making a CJ, it's boring to me.

 

Now without any more interruptions, I present to you:

 

(March 24) It's official, the Intro Update broke a personal record as the most viewed and commented intro/revive update with approx. 1,700 views and 14 comments. Second place was The intro update for Portland (of course) with 1,491 views and 7 comments.

[coolwiththecool2 827]

Prologue (Sorry for the mediocre intro update)

Benjamin, an up-and-coming city incorporated on August 28th, 1896, is in the mist of a population boom. From 1896 to 1964 the city's population never went above 25,000. As residential demand continues to break all-time highs, some wonder when Benjamin's economy will "burst", and that Benjamin surviving the Great Recession (2007-2009) means nothing....

 

This is Interstate 10 (hint), which sees stop-go-traffic daily. This freeway has been expanded before, since it started out as a simple 4 lane freeway. I-10 is the only land connection Benjamin has to the outside world, and has been declared as a local landmark in 2001.

 

Here is the Downtown Benjamin skyline, which is relatively new. All but 2 of the 3+ story buildings were constructed between 1994 and 2007. The Construction Industry made up 43% of Benjamin's economy in that period, and it currently makes up 28% of Benjamin's economy.

 

This is "Downtown Island", which has an approx. population of 22,000 people, all live in condos/apartments in the upper left corner of the island. The left side of this island was artificially made in 1999 when commercial demand reached a record high for the 20th century.

 

This is Historic Downtown Benjamin, which was considered Downtown Benjamin up until 1987, when commercial demand was going up at a record pace and there was no room left in Downtown Benjamin. Historic Downtown Benjamin is located on a peninsula and is surrounded by middle and upper class housing, most of these houses were built in the 70s and 80s.

 

This is an area just north of Historic Downtown Benjamin. This area has relatively low traffic (except on Interstate 10) due to all the low density housing and proximity to Historic Downtown Benjamin.

 

This is an area in the neighborhood of Yoo, which is named after the rough, U-shaped valley the neighborhood sits on. Traffic can get really bad in Morning Rush Hour, but the freeway is almost empty until Evening Rush Hour. The land values in this area have gone up, due to the proximity to a mountain and to an ocean.

 

Rate, Comment, And Follow!

[The Pennsylvania Turnpike 252]

i like how the city is on a island or two.

Keep up the good work

[Michelot 5]

Very nice! It reminds me of Madison, Wisconsin, whereas, the downtown is on a strip like that surrounded by water. 

[Schulmanator 5,803]

Glad to have you back. I look forward to seeing more of your newest work.

[_marsh_ 1,118]

Really love the city. Eventually you'll have to start filling in the waters in order to keep that downtown thriving

[quizlers1 2]

I would live here had I been a Sim! Excellent work!

[89James89 1,169]

That island looks awesome and has some very nice looking buildings on it.

 

Can't wait to see more of the city.

 

James

[КaZZ 203]

it is a very nice city hehe

[Fatjuice 253]

love it! its great! 
just, maybe you know this, and this is just my point of view - the poles!!!!!!

i find it pretty unrealistic to be like that in the water - you know that the bridges have power connectivity? probably you know, im just a newbie

[arozarker12 51]

Nice!

[Alex_1210 189]

very nice city. try placing buildings on both ends of the bridge so you'll get power without those powerlines.

[Benedict 3,119]

Great to see you back CJing, and an excellent start. There aren't too many cities in the CJ areas that feature such advanced cities on island terrain.

 

And congratulations - your CJ has debuted at number one on Ben's Top Ten.

[Titanicbuff 1,262]

wow looks nice

[kamran azam 2]

Beautiful city man!

Keep it up.

[SylvioJ 388]

Really nice island. I love those 1-storey Maxis buildings, and the major buildings selection fits perfectly the environment. The residential part of the island seems interesting, even not being shown with much detail. The rest of the update is really beautiful too. Congratulations. 

[coolwiththecool2 827]

Update 2: Marshall Point & Randall Ridge

 

Skipping Prologue Today, Replies At Bottom

 

Randall Ridge- Approx. Population: 16,500

This is the residential part of Randall Ridge. The density of the area is only 2,898 per sq. mile, which is relatively low compared to the city's (Benjamin) density of 4,233 per sq. mile. When Randall Ridge was finished, houses started at a low $279,000, but quickly skyrocketed to $456,000 when demand was 6 times higher than expected. Randall Ridge also has the most satisfied zip code in the metro, with an amazing 97% satisfaction rating.

 

In this picture you see Randall Ridge Elementary School, Randall Pool, Randall Ridge Community Center/Library, and a weird street system. According to the original planners, they wanted Randall Ridge to stand out and be unique, maybe even start a new style that future planned communities will follow.

 

More houses in Randall Ridge.

 

This is the commercial part of Randall Ridge, or more widely known as Midtown Benjamin. Commercial growth in Randall Ridge was so high that it later became known as Midtown Benjamin, and the first business district in the state to be considered a core employment center in its respective metropolitan area.

 

This is the construction of the Verizon Center, which will be 534 feet, 40 floors, and the second tallest building in Benjamin upon completion. This is expected to be the last building to be constructed outside Downtown Benjamin that is above 400 feet for a long period of time.

 

Marshall Point- Approx. Population: 12,000

This is the southern entrance to the residential part of Marshall Point, which borders Randall Ridge. There has been some growing tension at this border for some reason, and observers say that they will purposely honk at each other, threaten each other, both physically and vocally, and even "beat up" a resident of the other community. No one knows what this is about, but most think it is just "rich people games".

 

(Sorry for the pause button thingy). This is the residential part of Marshall Point, which is very "woody" and contains semi-look alike suburbs.

 

This is another part of Marshall Point.

 

This is the commercial part of Marshall Point, in which Great Blvd. acts as a border between Marshall Point and unplanned Benjamin. Commercial Marshall Point is relatively small in size compared to the commercial part of Randall Ridge.

 

Replies

MayorJacks: Thanks!

 

Michelot: Thanks! And that strip Downtown Madison is on is called an isthmus, similar to Seattle.

 

Schulmanator: Thanks!

 

_marsh_: Thanks! I was gonna do an update about that in the future.

 

​quizlers1: Thanks! There are also many houses available lol/

 

89James89: Thanks!

 

testuser1234: Thanks hehe!

 

fatjuice888: Thanks! And now that I think about it, it is pretty unrealistic.

 

arozarker12: Thanks!

 

Alex_1210: Yeah I plopped some 1x2 commercial next to the freeway.

 

Benedict: Thanks! Hope Benjamin stays in that top 10 (or at leat +10 lol)

 

titanicbuff: Thanks!

 

kamran azam: Thanks!

 

Sylvio Jorge: Thanks! I was gonna post a detailed pic of the residential area in Update 3.

 

RATE, COMMENT, AND FOLLOW

[89James89 1,169]

Loving the houses but really loving the commercials areas.especially downtown Randall Ridge. The construction is a nice little details and helps to explain the transition between the housing and the tall office buildings.

 

Cheers

 

James

[Bluthlucidity 88]

love the details in this one, an older pre-war suburb. very nice!

[The Avatar 1,089]

I love those Mattb325 houses, and the commercial district looks really good! You just got a new follower.

[APSMS 1,893]

Just got here, and so far it's looking pretty nice. I like the commentary you add with the pictures since it makes the city feel more real.

 

I'm actually glad you left the pause button thingy in (well, for the one shot at least) because it made me realize you were using full-resolution photos. You might want to mention that--I always like it when I'm not stuck with small pictures of detail shots.

[dubaidude303 1,125]

Looks great! 

[Benedict 3,119]

Congratulations, you're number one on BTT for the second week in a row.

[coolwiththecool2 827]

Update 3: The Suburb of Provo

 

The City of Provo, with a population of 31,985 and an unemployment rate of 6.3%, is a very fast growing suburb with an increasing density. In October 2012, when Provo's population was just 7,463, the city started making artificial islands, which now  totals at 6. The mayor of Provo plans to have 35+ artificial islands by the end of May. With those completed, Provo's population is projected to rise to 52,000.

 

Replies are at the bottom

 

The city of Provo

This is Downtown Provo, which serves as the cities main employment district and the cities entertainment district. Downtown Provo is home the both the Benjamin Greens (Football) and the Benjamin Galaxy (Basketball). The Provo skyline is made up of mostly hotels and entertainment companies.

 

This is a very low dense neighborhood of Provo right near the ocean. Home prices in this area range from $192,000 to $301,000, while apartment prices range from $742 or a studio to $1,868 for a 3 bedroom, relatively high for both the metro and state. 

 

This is a shopping center, anchored by Kroger and Apple Store (odd location), is located at the intersection of Provo Blvd. and Randall Ridge Ave.

 

This is Bottleneck Bridge (Chicago Ave.), named for its "gridlocking" traffic. This is the only entrance to the 6 artificial islands, and according to the mayor, no other entrances can be built without "heavy-duty terraforming".

 

This is the first island in the 6 island chain.

 

This is the second island and first commercial island in the chain.

 

This is the third island in the chain.

 

This is the fifth island in the chain.

 

This is the fifth island and second commercial island in the chain.

 

Replies

89James89- Thanks!

Bluthlucidity- Thanks! And it was made in 2012, though it is a newer pre-North Korea vs U.S. war lol

MamaLuigi945- Thanks! I remember when I had 7 followers, now I have 8!

APSMS- Thanks! And I always capture full screen shots unless I am doing some kinda region pic...

dubaidube303- Thanks!

Benedict- It was great enough being on there once for the first time of any of my cj's, and now twice! I'm kinda glad my computer broke down...

 

Next Update- Water+Darkness=Misery

RATE, COMMENT, AND FOLLOW!

 

[dabadon5 295]

This looks amazing, very beautiful and a well done entry. 

 

EDIT: I Also like how you have the different islands with their own little style

[SylvioJ 388]

Very nice updates. Downtown Provo is perfect, and the island idea is very creative. 

[KonstantinII 1,106]

What's up with the islands? Provo is located inland Utah.

[Thorseus 0]

This is incredible. Good job

[Bdub01 201]

That is awesome! I can't wait for more

[Benedict 3,119]

Congratulations on another great update and another week at number one on BTT!