The story of Beruit, New York

[rob_2616 13]

As the 1820's draw to a close, the sims of Beruit can look back on the passing decade with pride. They turned a once desolate piece of wilderness into a bustling frontier town. With only a few primitive tools, they plowed fields, built homes and businesses, and dug the Great Erie Canal. For Beruit the 1820's were a great decade, but the 1830's will be even better.



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Beruit's downtown, though small, is booming. Nearly every house on State Street (aka Route 5) has been bought up and rezoned for commercial use. The center of downtown is Market Square.





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As expected Beruit (pop: 5,034) is now the regions largest city, surpassing Buffalo in 1830. To meet the growing demand a larger grid was laid out. Similar to my older city (Volkshaven) Beruit has a very simplistic design: Numbered Streets run East to West, Named Streets run North to South. The exception of course is Post Street, which runs East to West.

(1) Beruit High School

(2) Beruit Elementary School

(3) Market Square







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Though the intersection of Post & State Streets is one of the busiest in the region, very little commercial development has occurred here. It's location, nine blocks away from Market Square, makes it a tough sell.






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A new industrial plant has been built on State Street, south of the canal.






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Despite complaints by the New York Canal Authority, Heavy Industry has continued to develop along the canal. Beruit's 3rd manufacturing plant (far left) opened up in 1831 on Holland Street. At one time mothers encouraged their children to swim in the canal, but now its so polluted the city council has passed an ordinance banning such behavior.

Also in this picture you are able to see where the proposed Commonwealth Ave. Bridge will be built. A wealthy Boston developer bought 11 acres of land south of the canal and is planning on building around 50 rowhomes on South 1st Street. However, before he begins construction on the homes he wants the city to construct the Commonwealth Ave. Bridge so that the homes will have easy access into town. The bridge has always been a part of the city's master plan, they just need to find the funds.







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In 1831 Beruit opened New York State's first public school. The Beruit High School, situated on the corner of 8th & Federal Street, was built with the most high-tech equipment of the time, such as chalk boards and wood floors! Beruit's older elementary school also became public the same year.







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An arial view of the great city of Beruit.

[rob_2616 13]

Ludlow and Havisford (pop: 1,132) lie to the southeast of Beruit, on the Cook River.






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Ludlow is the larger of the two towns. Cook River Road is the main road running through the city.






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Havisford is on the east banks of the Cook River. There are no industries in the town, so most sims commute to work in Ludlow.





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An arial view showing Ludlow (left) and Havisford (right).

[Vatt3 8]

Great new updates. I am liking the small downtowns; you do a great job at making them look very realistic. I can't wait to see the growth of Beruit over time, but I guess I'll just have to wait for that anyway. The maps also help make everything seem realistic and easier to understand. I can't wait for next time.

[Yajimari21 0]

Looks really good. Usually grids aren't very attractive but it looks nice here ^^

[adsadafafas 0]

Great job! I find your CJ fairly addictive. I quite enjoy seeing the development of all the cities (not just Beruit) in the region and look forward to the progress. The only sad conclusion I have come to is that I'm not as good at building my own cities as I thought I was. Nice job!

[Brickcity 30]

This CJ is awesome!

[Quack 0]

I really really absolutely love this CJ... its just so realistic. very good work i must say.. although i have one question.. where do you get the canal pack at?

[Ryan B 35]

Nice region you have going here! I live in the area (Orleans County), and I just love to see regions from this area!

Keep up the good work! Here's a duck:

[rob_2616 13]

Beruit's first railroad opened in 1836. The line was originally planned to run from Beruit to Niagara Falls, but officials from Buffalo successfully negotiated the extension of the rail line to the city of Buffalo.

There are only three stops on the short 20 mile line: Buffalo, Beruit, and Niagara Falls.






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The Buffalo-Niagara Falls Rail line enters the region from the north. This photo, taken close to Tonawanda Creek (the Erie/Niagara County line), shows the railroad as it cuts through rural Beruit.






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Moving further south, the rail switches from the east side of Route 62 to the western side.






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As the railroad continues south it travels through the poorer section of Beruit.






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The railroad makes its way through the city, wedged between two new streets: Parade St. (on the west), and Liberty St. (on the east). Most of the land adjacent to the rail is owned by the city, but some has been zoned industrial - no factories have been built as of yet.

Also in this photo you can see Beruit's railway station. Currently the building is suitable, but city officials would eventually like to construct a larger, more impressive station.





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One of the biggest ironies in the construction of the Erie Canal is the story of Howard Jeffery. Jeffery, the infamous man who stood in the way of the canal, was one of the only sims to profit from it's detour. Unbeknownst to many, Jeffery had accumulated much of the land surrounding Beruit well before the canal was constructed. After the canal was built, housing demand (and prices) skyrocketed, leading Jeffery to sell off his real estate holdings around the city at a huge profit.

His fortunes are short lived. Heavily invested in the stock market, Jeffery lost most of his money in the financial panic of 1836. Unable to pay back his bank loans, his mansion was sold off and Jeffery moved back to Scotland. The railroad bought half of his estate (including the mansion), and the rest was subdivided and sold to developers.







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The rail line eventually ends in the city of Buffalo. After crossing the Cook River is skirts along the backside of the city, ending before it crosses Cook River Road.

[rob_2616 13]

Thanks again for all the nice compliments.

Quack: Oppies canal pack at one time was available at Simcity Central . I looked around for a few minutes trying to find their downloads section but it appears to be missing - or well hidden. I could e-mail the files to you, if nobody else can help you find them.. I doubt Oppie would have any objections to that.

[Vatt3 8]

Oppie's canal set is available at the SimCity Brazil website (I think it's an affiliate of Simtropolis). Nice story. I can't wait to see some more industry come about especially since as Beruit approaches the later nineteenth century. Of course there's still a long way to go until then.

[davidhogan 1]

This is a great little CJ, and having grown up in Buffalo I can relate to the terrain. I'm definitely looking forward to more.

Dave

[rob_2616 13]

Beruit became an officialy recognized city in 1832. In the same year, Beruit's Common Council appointed the city's first mayor, and also laid the groundwork for the construction of a new city hall. Pre-1832, town officials held their meetings at various hotels, and houses. These were suitable venues a few years ago, but with the city growing in size, and status, they would be impractical to use now.

Only one location has been proposed for the new city hall. Most sims would like to see the building built at the heart of downtown - Market Square. However, others have suggested the city hall be built north of downtown.







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The area north of Post Street, known as uptown, has been growing rapidly. Many local businessmen have bought land in this area, anticipating that the business district will continue to move north. These same men have suggested building the new city hall here, instead of at Market Square. No specific uptown location has been suggested, and it's very unlikely that an uptown proposal would find much support amongst the general public.

[Cjah 15]

Wow this C.J. is very good.
I love the rail lines.

I can't wait for more.

[rob_2616 13]

1. Beruit: 16,658

2. Buffalo: 5,800

3. Fort Erie: 3,129

4. Gatlingsberg: 2,900

5. Wakeport: 2,144

6. Franklin: 1,240

7. Worthington: 1,177

8. Ludlow-Havisford: 1,157

9. Milford: 772

10. Rutland: 501

11. Knoxbrush: 407

12. Rimersberg: 372

13. Pattersonville: 367

14. Starke: 322

15. Millersville: 205

16. Starbrick: 188

17. Heathen Yards: 137

18. Cadogen: 125

19. Boonestone: 75

[Simbourgeois 139]

I liked that you displayed here how difficult it's always to choose the right place for now buildings, in this case for the new City Hall. Nice CJ, keep it up

 

Simbourgeois

Mayor of Belleville

[rob_2616 13]

After much debate, town officials unanimously decided to build the new city hall on the corner of 3rd & State Street - across from Market Square. Completed in 1838, the new city hall is one of the tallest buildings in the city, second only to the Terminus Tower.






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Just one block west of city hall, on 3rd & Niagara, is the new Paw-Taw Hotel. The hotel was a joint venture by two of the town's richest men, Jonas Pawson, and Henry Tawney. It's certainly not the Ritz, but I hear they serve some really good clam-chowder at the hotel's ground floor restaurant.






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Water borne trade was booming in the 1830's. Both lake, and canal traffic were increasing every year - and showing no signs of slowing down. Erie County officials decided in 1833 to build a lighthouse near Gatlingsberg to protect & assist vessels traveling through the county's waterways.






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View of the Region in 1839.

[Quack 0]

ya you can mail the pack to me at froin_poodle@yahoo.com .. i appreciate it

[Yajimari21 0]

I
Love
It

^ ^ ^ ^
(*^-^) -------- (^-^*)

[NDP 0]

Date:1/5/2005 4:40:45 PM
Author:rob_2616

quote>

 

Are these construction lots available to download anywhere? I'd love to use them as part of my CJ

[louisville327 0]

I see you've been quite busy while I've been away! Great work as usual!

One question: I've driven through western New York a couple of times heading east from Erie, PA to Rochester and Syracuse. I know the terrain is generally flat, but is it THAT flat? Your region seems to have no hills at all---it's a giant pancake!

I know you said you hated terraforming, but you must REALLY hate terraforming by the looks of it.

[ExiL3 10]

Love how you build everything so niceley from the start, keep it up!

[rob_2616 13]

Date: 1/16/2005 1:31:32 AM
Author: louisville327
I see you've been quite busy while I've been away! Great work as usual!

One question: I've driven through western New York a couple of times heading east from Erie, PA to Rochester and Syracuse. I know the terrain is generally flat, but is it THAT flat? Your region seems to have no hills at all---it's a giant pancake!

I know you said you hated terraforming, but you must REALLY hate terraforming by the looks of it.

quote>

I don't think any real world city is as flat as Beruit. I was honestly planning on incorporating some more hills and valleys into the region, but I just totally forgot about it up until now.

BTW, Did you drive into Erie at all, or did you drive past it on the thruway? I live in Erie, and I'm always curious to hear what people think of it.



NDP: No, I deleted em' awhile ago. They were pretty simple to make. You can download the construction crane props from the STEX.

Quack: I e-mailed you the canal lots.

[rob_2616 13]

Tying up a few lose ends before we move into the 1840's...




Buffalo (pop: 5,800) is the first city to expand beyond its original city tile. The photo above shows the city's south east side. Also shown above is Buffalo's Ellicott High School (named after Joseph Ellicott, the founder of Buffalo). It is the second High School in the region.

Route 5 is the major road heading north/south, and Cook River road is the major road heading east/west. Just above Cook River road, you can see the terminus of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls rail line.









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Once you cross the Cook River you leave Cook township (aka Buffalo), and enter Beruit township. The neighborhood of West Buffalo is only a short walk away from downtown Buffalo, but it is technically a part of the city of Beruit.

Shown above is Bridge Street, and the Bridge Street Bridge that connects the neighborhood to the city of Buffalo.







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The old Route 5 covered bridge that connected Buffalo & Beruit was demolished in 1838, and replaced with a new, stronger, truss bridge. The new bridge handles about 833 horse drawn carriages per day. One house had to be demolished to build the bridge.







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Leaving Buffalo we head to Canadian, Fort Erie. Fort Erie became the first city in the region to fully utilize their waterfront. The city's industrial port opened up last year, and has been a huge success. The port is so busy a massive plan is in the works to expand the facility.

The Route 5 Ferry Terminal was also rebuilt further south, and was incorporated with the newly built port. Currently there are only three Ferry Terminals (One on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, one on the American side of the Niagara River, and one on the Southern tip of Fleet Island) - However, a fourth terminal is being constructed in the town of Heathen Yards that will allow commuters to make a quicker connection from Fort Erie to Buffalo or Beruit.







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Downtown Fort Erie is looking quite good.







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Fort Erie has more R$$$ sims than any other city in the region. Most of those wealthy sims live on Pointe Blvd.






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It occurred to me yesterday that I've never shown a picture of the region's 4th largest city, Gatlingsberg (pop: 2,900). The town is home to the Gatlingsberg lighthouse, which I showcased in the previous update.

[Mikeaut1 261]

This is spectacular! I see your using the urban housing modd, which I think is great. I rarely see any low class houses like those small cottages in your cities. How do you not get them?? I have more middle class in my city than lower class but I want to definitely get rid of my low class in the suburbs. It's alright if there are the low class tenements and brickstones. I like the look of those. But if you can tell me how to get a less low class in my suburbs, it sure will be appreciated!

Great job on this. It looks so good!

[ChicAgo333 2]

it sure has been a while since i have visited this CJ! (being the first to post and all) everything looks perfect, i cant just find the right words to explain it, its so good! keep up the good work, i cant wait for more updates!

[Dezz 0]

It's looking really nice, can't wait for the next update

[pitch 0]

Nice Job. Especialy the small villages surounded by Farmland look great

[rob_2616 13]

The 1830's ended on a sour note with the economic panic of 1837, which was followed by the more severe depression of 1839. Water borne trade and traffic continued to grow in the later part of the decade despite the depression, however development in the region came to an abrupt halt. Unemployment soared as the region's four largest factories laid off hundreds of workers. Many construction projects were put on hold, or abandoned all together.

Americans had never faced such a financial crisis before, and few looked ahead to the coming decade with optimmisim. The economy would be shaken even further in 1841, after the death of President William Henry Harrison - the first President to die in office.

Fortunately, the beginning of the Industrial Revolution put an end to the economy's downward spiral, and by the mid 1840's the United States was again exploding with growth.




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The railroad industry took root in the 40's. With 2,167 miles of track in 1840, and 7,355 miles by 1850, railroads were quickly becoming an indispensable part of the American economy. The Beruit - Syracuse Railroad, built by the American Rail Co., was completed in 1848. The city of Worthington was lucky enough to gain a station on the rail line.









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The Atlantic & Great Western Railroad company took control of the Buffalo - Niagara Falls railway in 1841. Shortly afterwards the line was extended from Buffalo to Pittsburgh.

The citizens of Buffalo were outraged when they learned that not only would the city of Buffalo no longer be the terminus of the old rail line, but the new rail line would go around the city all together. Their fears were somewhat put to rest when they learned the rail would travel through the Buffalo city limits, just not through the city itself. However, Buffalo would not initially be a stop on the line.

The old section of the route is represented above by the dotted line.







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The New York - Alleghany Railroad was the first rail to approach Beruit from the east. Built by the American Rail Co. the line traveled from New York City to London Ontario. Completed in 1844, it displaced the Wilmington - Raleigh railroad, as the longest rail line in the world.






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The Alleghany Railroad was the first bridge to cross the Niagara River. The line actually bridges the Niagara twice, once on the east side of Fleet Island, and again on the west side of Fleet Island. The height of the bridge has enough clearance to allow any Lake Erie barge to pass under, however lake traffic is almost nonexistent here. The bridge is to the north of the Erie Canal, and just a few miles south of Niagara Falls - a dead end.

[rob_2616 13]

Date: 1/16/2005 3:27:11 PM
Author: Mikeaut1

This is spectacular! I see your using the urban housing modd, which I think is great. I rarely see any low class houses like those small cottages in your cities. How do you not get them?? I have more middle class in my city than lower class but I want to definitely get rid of my low class in the suburbs. It's alright if there are the low class tenements and brickstones. I like the look of those. But if you can tell me how to get a less 'low class' in my suburbs, it sure will be appreciated!

Great job on this. It looks so good!

quote>


Well, the poor sims are still there.. I've just hidden them. In my opinion, the tiny R$ cottages in Simcity are incredibly unrealistic. It could be just a regional thing, but where I live (Erie, Pennsylvania) poor sims.. err, people.. live in large, old inner-city housing - almost exactly like the R$$ houses in the Chicago set.