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A community dedicated to SimCity 4 and all city-building games. (About Simtropolis)
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SupportedCity Journals
Our community City Journals
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Teaser II - City East
Just a quick shot to whet the appetite. Apologies that I haven't produced updates. I've been having trouble with my internet (gotta love wireless - NOT!), and have also been a little busy. Update should come in the next few days, connection standard pending.- Read More
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Latest Entry
Viewing a metropolis!
Hi, I'm Arthur! Amazing, right? A month ago I was in a horrible, unhappy nation! But now I'm where everyone says it's the Dream Land! And better, I'm here as the mayor! I bet this is gonna be an awesome adventure! Check it out! I had a great arrival in the city. Today, I went to the city hall and worked a lot, read papers. Nothing unusual! The main secretaries arrived at my office: Lucy,Dênio and Gabriela. They invited me to do a tour in the city! And there we go! While we're taking off, I can view the historic center of the city. It's the second oldest neiborhood of the town! It was build in 1815 by Marcus Trevonir. We passed through the CDB. What a shame. I couldn't view all of it.But we stopped to view the Trenktown(Tall buildings),Cherry Trees(Small houses) and the Olympic Complex Mariju. We pass through the CDB again - "This pilot must have something against the CDB!" - And we had a look of Niddlebury, where skilled and unskilled workers can live happily.On the lower left bottom of the screen we can see small building. They are owned by the Rumpsbridge county. The secretaries gave me some pictures and started to tell me problems.- "Because not everything is perfect" - This picture showed the social difference and the beginning of traffic problems. (Taken on 01/15/11 - Stripes Avenue - Trenktown and Cherry Trees) And before my head explodes, the pilot showed us a beautiful sunset. Viewed from the Chinewstu Island! And before we landed I finnaly could see the CDB and the Downtown -"Thanks God" - Well, almost. After this long day, I have to sleep and prepare myself for another one! -
Latest Entry
Kenesaw: A community built around a lake and river.
Kenesaw presented a lot of challenges. I finally figured out the rain tool. I couldn't find any bridges with the tahoe water that were suitable for the rivers, so I had to make land bridges. I will let the pics speak for themselves. First, I give you 2 sneak peeks at the amount of detail update 2 will have. Now onto the entry. Enjoy My next update will be detail shots to show off the meticulous work that went into trying to make Kenesaw realistic. I would like to add that I recently installed the SPAM mod and everything that goes along with it and have to admit, peg and team have renewed my love for this game. Thank you again for your amazing work, you have given me an outlet for my artistic side. I hope you have enjoyed this entry. Do Svidaniya -
Latest Entry
The Imperial Palace
War being over the king of Lata leaves his defensive castle to a more palace like castle, recently the motes and the shores were falling apart and the mayor payed for the reconstruction but the island is still very rural and is just a few houses and farms but is very eco-friendly.- Read More
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Latest Entry
The Riot
Since the farmer's death, Sims all over the city have gathered up and started a mass riot. Regional SWAT teams have dropped in and blockaded the city's transportation networks and supply lines and state troopers have been at war with the riotous Sims for around 3 months. While I, along with the advisors, civil servants, and llamas have been moved to secret bunkers in Area 52, Sims continue to advance into the military bases and Area 52 itself. I'm not sure how long this city can last... oh look! 5 star general Steven Flaggs is about to debrief on his plan to eliminate the rioting Sims. But what is it? -
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�le St.Jacques
Located about 20 kms from Île François, Île St.Jacques seems remote and out of the way however,the island contains some of the best examples of colonial architecture and has become synonymous with the Independent Spanish-Anaïsiens Movement which is an ongoing conflict that revolves around the goal of Spanish descendants taking over Île St.Jacques and turning it into an independent Spanish enclave in a predominantly French region. The island is also known for its lush forests, sandy beaches and its peacefulness. The town of Jamelle is the island's only settlement. It is considered to be the centre of Spanish culture in St.Anaïs. This can be seen in its architecture, traditions and atmosphere. Jamelle is also famous for its colorful buildings. The San Pedro Cathedral is the only Spanish style church in the country. The Musée de la Culture Espagnol(Museum of Spanish Culture). The building was originally the headquarters of the Compañía Española de</span> <span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">Comercio</span> <span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">del Caribe</span></span>(Spanish Caribbean Trade Company) and when the French took over it became a mansion for the French founder of St.Anaïs,Jacques Mercier. After he passed away the building was left empty until a group of Spanish descendents in 1921 made it into a museum to highlight the Spanish heritage of St.Anaïs. This group of satellite dishes make up the <span class="short_text" lang="fr" id="result_box"><span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">Centre</span> <span class="hps" title="Click for alternate translations">des Télécommunications(Telecommunications Centre) Located on the north coast of the island the centre broadcasts and recieves signals for cell phones, radio, T.V and internet in St.Anaïs. This vineyard once part of the LaPierre Tobacco Plantation now produces the country's famed Orange Wine, which is a local wine made from oranges. The historic Fort de Espagne(Fort of Spain) was built by the Spanish colonists in order to defend their new found territory. - 10
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Latest Entry
A Transportation System Called Feres
Feres, (which means horse), is one of the newly experimental transportation lanes created by the provincial government to connect the various cities on water to one another through land transportation. It has been relatively successful in its objective. Humorously, although the land in these areas were reclaimed for the sole use of transportation, with land at a premium, commuters are settling and industry is developing on any piece of the minuscule land left available. The L'Érythreé government has unsuccessfully attempted to evict many of the residents, businesses, and factories in the land available. However, with land prices skyrocketing and the price of land reclamation, the provincial government turns a blind eye to the illegal land development and actually directly governs and taxes any development on these lanes.- Read More
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a few pictures of my city
Center (Trung tâm) Airport (Sân bay) Seaport(cảng biển) Resort COMING SOON -
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Alviano
Welcome back to Leonhartia! To the little town of Alviano, to be specific. It's just to the east of Vincenza. However, the town consists of two parts. The first part is on the river. Like most small settlements, it's nothing more then a quiet town. This dock is the only real connection between Alviano and the rest of the region. A close-up of the town. The other half of the town is up in the mountains, around Lake Julius. A close-up of the town. And how about some scenery? Look! Some horses! Like always, a region shot. - 18
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Latest Entry
Elveng city intro
Elveng is a city on the Norwegian east coast; nestled between hills, and the picturesque Elvengfjord. The city has been an important trading spot ever since its founding in 1015 A.D; to this day it is still an important hub of commerce, but its roles has shifted from lumber and industry powered by water, to administration for a lot of the Norwegian economy; mainly the oil industry. 950 000 people live in this city and it's metropolitan area, 500 000 of them in the central core. Info aside, the intro for Elveng will consist of some mosaics, and pictures around the city. For this time it will be mostly centered around the city centre. We'll start off with mosaic of Skutebukta. Skutebukta is one of the oldest parts of the city, with some buildings dating back to the 16th century found in back alleys. Within Skutebukta you will also find its own rail station. A quite dingy and gloomy looking structure from the 1950s in dire need of refurbishing. You can even see some of the cobble poke through the asphalt in some places along the roads of Skutebukta. Despite this being one of the oldest parts of Elveng you won't see many buildings past 200 years old though, there are only a few exceptions. Modern architecture adds contrast lot to the look of the area as well. The last picture of Skutebukta before we move on: Next up, the city around the trainstation. To the west of the train station lies Fritz D. Müllers Vei, this is a six lane divided avenue that runs for three kilometres in a straight line, cutting through the city. It was part of the architect's Fritz Daniel Müller's grand vision of a super highway cutting straight through the city in the 1950s, as a result the city lost many of it's historic buildings, and street networks. Due to the lack of funding it was never realised completely, and neither is it much of a highway, with no interchanges; neither speed limits over 60 km/h. More of Müller's handywork can be seen along the sides of the avenue, with concrete towerblocks towering over the sides of the road to the right. Initially this entire avenue was to be lined with buildings such as these. The Sakhahalian people's republic ,and Pridnestrovian Moldavian People's Republic lies within the walled off area in the blue building, the buildings is frequently visited by protestors, often refugees, or family members of people living within the two countries. Next up, is the area of Kjøs, Kjøs is mostly recognisable from the number of narrow streets in the area, cris crossing between the buildings. Within the Kjøs area lies the radio and television transmitter. The top of the tower has an observation deck, it offers magnificent views over the city, on a clear day one can even see the snow capped mountains in the distance. Assorted pictures around the city. This is Stenersenbygget, easily one of the most hated buildings in the city, mainly because of it's sheer size in land area, and the fact that blocks the sunlight for many of the streets behind it, resulting in falling property prices, and crime on the rise. Attempts to get this building approved for demolition are yet to be successful. Last is a picture of the intersection between Waldemars Allé and Storgata, two of the most important streets in the city. Waldemars Allé was part of a vision by several businessmen to transform much of the central city into a Hausmanian style urban centre, much like Paris. Lack of funding led to only some of the buildings being built between the 1880s to 1910. That's it for this time, i hope you enjoyed the intro. -
Latest Entry
TriBeCa
I'm starting a new, with more attention to detail this go round. I want it to be as real as possible, so I started at the transition between two cities (Lower Manhattan and New York City north of it), to make sure streets line up right. My last attempt was not up to standards, having problems at Canal Street, potential major problems in the future. Using the terrain (Pier 25 and Rockeffeller Park on the west and Corlears Hook Park on the east) to make sure I get it accurate as possible I found my street layout was going to start in the TriBeCa neighborhood. The road going down to the southern tip is West Broadway, I did this to check my status. I traced the same street on my atlas and found it correlates to the true layout of Lower Manhattan. I did the same using Chambers and I believe this layout is on the right path. The streets are choppy, and ugly, but using a satellite view I made sure every block would give me a chance at decent realism and I'm staying possitive and having fun with this region. Just working on the streets and a few buildings (schools, jails and landmarks) at this point. I decided to just build to get my region up in the millions. I few more pictures of the TriBeCa neighborhood and back to work. At this point the grid is up to my standards, if you see any potential problems down the line, please let me know. Thank You RGullett -
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Parks....
It came to my attention I hadn't uploaded any of the national park islands I had made. (For anyone that has seen the massive region shot the main one is that massive island on the edge of the rendered cities.) But it wouldn't be me if I didn't drip feed you guys, so here's a teaser. (Yes more is coming, but I am adding effects. Don't expect them for next time, I am crap, but they may be ok.) And for anyone thinking about the fallout buildings I am doing, I haven't got them done right yet. A levels are in the way, as is my complete lack of skill with the BAT - 14
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Latest Entry
The start of it all
The Year was XX00 and The small village know as Canal Port was becoming 90 years old and almost a town. But in March an Earthqauke that happens every 250 years happend called the El Poko. This Earthquake made the village sink into the ground and made a cave. They were saved a few minutes later by a town nearby called Houstonn. The National Guard from Houstonn came to the village and saved the people and created a tunnel to their village.Later the people of the village asked the only Friscoanite Eagle Sim Scout in the village and he said they should sell the land over their homes to the people of the north and let a city grow on top of their old homes. They wanted to be always be know as the village of progress! The Northerners were happy to build and buy their land and started with the layout. So they asked the Eagle Scout for help so he created a main plan. The only problem was the canal and the Church of St.Canalinia both were in the way so they changed the plan a little bit and then they were done.After that they built a new power source ! It was called The Seismic Turbine plant. It used the constant small earthquakes to turn the turbines and also it collects radio waves and puts them to use and makes power too! That was the first progress of the village. After That they zoned out the areas and what a surprise they got! -
Latest Entry
The Rail Bridge
I didn't have time yesterday but I did something. So I focused on the bridge and the surrounding area (I came up with some ideas driving around town ) 1. I added the wall under the bridge. You can see graffiti (under the bridge is placed the entire graffiti - the other side of the bridge the crew is cleaning graffiti -> foto on the Blogg) 2. Bridge. Hmmmmm ... These concrete waterfront look ugly ! So I had to add something of my own I added a set of traffic lights for the boats + some signs (random from SFBT prop pack). I added a metal wall and it came something like this -> personally do not satisfy me and I think I'll add something else. On the blog more retail picture. 3. Well, probably the biggest thing that nervous me now !!!!!!! Maybe You guys have any idea on this? I don't have got any idea! For more details, I invite you to Blog -
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Maybe You'd Like to Visit this place!
Paradisiac Place! That I'm Sure you'd like to spend! Pacific Sea! Join! Welcome! Join This Party Our Bay! Perfect for vocations! -
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Revolution and Republic
The colony of Saint-Domingue was incredibly wealthy. It was, in fact, the most wealthy colony in the Carribbean. Sadly this wealthy colony was built entirely on brutual slave labor. In this alternate Saint-Domingue, the Acadian migrants became a poor underclass: far below the status held by landowners and aristocrats. In a move that surprised only the aristocratic class, the slaves and the migrants decided they had enough this abuse. As seen above, the colony erupted into a huge slave revolt once the slaves and the migrants realized they far outnumbered the aristocrats and landowners. The revolt snowballed into a revolution. This revolution would last for years and finally ended in the early 1800's with the establishment of the Republic of Haiti. The new republic authorities met in Port-au-Prince to decide their next goals for the new nation. A rather crazy group wanted to liberate the rest of France's North American colonies and invade mainland France. This suggestion was dismissed as hilarious and the republican legislature decided instead to rebuild the nation's infrastructure. Above: Port-au-Prince's first hospital Above: Port-au-Prince's first water pump Below: The nascent water supply system. The Republic at the moment was stable in its post revolution state. But would it last? (Spoiler: No)- Read More
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Latest Entry
The Dresdin Republic's New Era Begins
I am new to SC4 modding and to city journals so please bear with me. Situated in an isolated corner of Sim Earth, The Dresdin Republic has been spared from the best and the worst changes in the world around her. Small farming towns and rural residents take little notice of matters outside the borders. But that is about to change... The newly elected president Fteha Muhlach, a student of western culture and technology, has proposed an ambitious plan to bring the Dresdin Republic up to speed with the worlds first- rate countries. Inaugurating a council on economic and infrastructure improvement, the president is ready to lead the republic to a new age of prosperity. The flag of the Dresdin Republic The Republic owns all the land to the Southwest of the Lodge-pole Mountains. To the west and south lies the great Hering Sea. To the East lies the poverty stricken Principality of Prenushia and to the north, the savage Kingdom of Noubidu. The Republic is lucky enough to posses a massive land and sea locked area with five bountiful rivers and several prosperous island chains. These isolated conditions permeate a sense of self reliance into the citizens of the republic. The only scar on the landscape is Mt. Hellberg: a dormant volcano that has a past of burying entire villages under its fiery lava and ash. An older map of the republic The crowning glory of the Republic's natural wonders are it's forests. Stretching from the roots of the mountain to the altitude of suffocation, the forests of the Dresdin Republic are a wonder to behold. That's all for now. Real cities coming soon. ; ) Credits: Map - Randland2 by Meldolion Terrain & Trees - Meadowshire Terrain Mod - Meadowshire River Tree Mod - Meadowshire Coast Tree Mod & required BATs -
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Port Jebel Ali
Welcome to Port Jebel Ali, the shipping headquarters for the region! To start, the Port Authority Headquarters: Click image for larger copy. Next we have a slice of the business district. A super cluster of skyscrapers surround the Port Authority Headquarters and the Port Authority Bridge. Click image for larger copy. Just north of the business district is a cluster of posh supertall condominiums to house the local executives. It's reportedly just as expensive to live here as it is on most of the islands. Last, but certainly not least, is a portion of the port itself. This is the largest and principal container shipping port for not only Dubai, but the region as a whole. It has more gross tonnage than all other ports in the nation combined. - 6
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Latest Entry
Facts, History, and Information
Dallas, Texas photo by Matt Clarkson Geography: Area: 385.0 sq mi (99.7 km2) Dallas city limits include several large man made lakes used for water for the rest of the metro area Topography: Located on the great plains, Dallas is mostly flat with scattered hills and shallow valleys created by streams; the Trinity River runs through the middle of Dallas Climate: Humid subtropical. Mild winters, occasionally strong cold fronts move in bringing snow and ice. Hot, dry summers. Spring and Autumn are both pleasant and warm, but stormy. Demographics: Population (2010 census): 1,197,816 (9th in the US) Metro Population: 6,477,315 (4th in the US) Density: 3,697.44 sq mi (1,427.38/km2) Diversity: 56.6% White, 23.2% African American, 2.5% Asian, 16.4% other race, and 1.3% from two or more races. Latinos make up 43.1% of the total population. Religion: Located in the "Bible Belt" there is a large Protestant, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Catholic influence. Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism is also have sizable communities. Economy: Metro GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product):$379,863 million Major Industries: Cotton, Telecommunications, Retail, Banking, Oil, and Natural Gas Fortune 500 Company Headquarters: 12; Metro: 24 Transportation: Major US Interstates: Interstates 20, 30E, 45, 635, 820 Major Airports: Dallas Love Field, Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport Mass Transit: DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Light Rail and Bus service History: Throughout the 16th to the mid-18th century, Caddo Native Americans inhabited the Dallas area. In 1841, John Neely Byran built a log cabin near the Trinity River and surveyed the area. After the survey, in 1844, J.P. Dumas laid out .5 square miles of blocks and streets near present day downtown Dallas. Dallas was incorporated in 1856. Right before the Civil War, Dallas county voted in favor of secession. The war did little damage to Dallas; however, the Reconstruction Period brought myriad hardships and challenges to Dallas. Slaves were emancipated in June of 1865. In 1871, Dallas officially became a city.The major north-south (Houston and Texas Central Railroad) and east-west (Texas and Pacific Railway) railroads crossed in Dallas in 1873. These railroads quickly made Dallas a center for grain and cotton in the South. In 1880,the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad was built in Dallas and caused the city to become the cotton capital of the world. In 1904, the Trinity River flooded and reached a depth of 52.6 ft. with a width of 1.5 miles. Although only five people died, over 4,000 were left homeless, and there was an estimated $2.5 million in property damages. This devastating flood caused the city to think of ways to try to tame the Trinity. In 1911, largely due to Dallas being the cotton capital of the world, the Federal Reserve Bank opened its eleventh regional branch in Dallas. During World War I, aviation became a concern for Dallas, and so Love Field was purchased in 1927 and became Dallas' municipal airport. During the Great Depression years, Dallas fared relatively well. In 1930, oil was struck 100 miles east of the city in Kilgore, causing an oil boom. This new discovery of oil caused Dallas to quickly become the financial center for the oil industry in both Texas and Oklahoma.In 1936, the state of Texas chose Dallas to host the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. The Exposition lead to the creation of Fair Park, an art-deco filled complex that serves today as the fairgrounds for the Texas State Fair, the largest in the country. Fair Park additionally houses numerous museums today. In 1958, a version of the integrated circuit was created in Texas Instruments. this creation lead to Dallas promoting high-tech development and the creation of the term "Silicone Prairie" due to the large amount of high-tech manufacturing companies based in the Dallas area. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Elm Street in Dealey Plaza. Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy from the nearby Texas School Book Depository. Today, that building has been converted into a historical museum dealing with both JFK's life and assassination. Although the assassination dubbed Dallas as a "Hate City", the 1970s and the 1980s turned Dallas into a real estate hot bed. Dozens of skyscrapers were built. In 1983, DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) was created and began light rail and bus operations. After the 1980s, Dallas experienced a lag in growth largely due to the Savings and Loan Crisis. However, in the late 1990s, the telecom industry boomed in Dallas. This, along with another boom in the high tech industry, created a building boom for Dallas today. Currently, the recession and hard economic times have not been heavily felt in Dallas. Unlike most other major US cities today, Dallas is still a real estate hot bed and is experiencing a construction boom in downtown and the surrounding areas. In the next update, I'll show how far I am in recreating Dallas in Simcity 4. -
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GCP: S01E02 - The Railroad Bomb
Railraod iron is a magician’s rod, in its power to evoke the sleeping energies of land and water. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever, and never got uncoiled. Vast piles of building full of windows where there was a rattling and a trembling all day long, and where the piston of the steam-engine worked monotonously up and down, like the head of an elephant in a state of melancholy madness. - Charles Dickens (Hard Times) Coming up next on Gotham City Perspectives: Today on Gotham City Perspectives, we're going to look at the rise of Gotham City during the time of the Early Republic in through the 19th century in an era referred to as the Industrial Revolution. We will see how the rise of American liberties, capitalist enterprise and most importantly the railroad, had a major impact in Gotham City's transformation from typical port city to the major industrial and commercial powerhouse it has become. Side Note: I apologize as this post wasn't supposed to take nearly as long as it did. I had some major hard drive/server malfunctions (completely unrelated to sc4) so I had to replace, reformat and restore all my final cut stuff. I work as a DP & film/video editor so the footage took priority. And with close to 10 TB of stuff ... it took a while ... but all is back to normal and with no data loss soooo on to the show. From revolution to ratification: The time of the American Revolution was one of great uncertainty for the country at large as well as with the Port and City of Gotham. In the years leading to the Revolution many prominent citizens of Gotham, like the young Darius Wayne and Charles Tyler, were quite outspoken in their opposition the British Crown's oppresive policies in her colonies including most of the new taxes King George imposed. Meanwhile, other city residents like Mr. Wayne's own father Thomas, spoke harshly of this rebellious business believing that Gotham's financial future would be secured with her ties to Great Britain. This was the stuff that ripped families apart like we wouldn't see in Gotham for another hundred years. Darius and his cousin, war hero "Mad" Anthony Wayne of Pennsylvania would go on to serve under General George Washington and rise prominently among the new American elite. After the war, Darius would later serve as a delegate from New Jersey at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It was here he befriended Alexander Hamilton who had convinced Wayne to purchase several fledgling publications in Gotham which were then consolidated and would become the Gotham Gazette in 1786. Wayne was eventually elected Senator in the New Jersey Legislative Council where he served throughout the remainder of his life. Darius was instrumental is pushing New Jersey toward ratification of the new United States Constitution arguing its case to the Council, General Assembly and to the people. Using the Gotham Gazette to publish many of the Federalist Papers he helped push a progressive movement among Gotham and Southern New Jersey residents toward ratification. On October 26, 1787, the State of New Jersey became the third state to ratify the Constitution and as in counties all across the State, Darius Wayne wrote to the Gazette: Now be it known, that we, the delegates of the state of New Jersey, chosen by the people thereof, for the purpose aforesaid, having maturely deliberated on and considered the aforesaid proposed Constitution, do hereby, for and on the behalf of the people of the said state of New Jersey, agree to, ratify, and confirm, the same and every part thereof. Done in Convention, by the unanimous consent of the members present, this 18th day of December, in the year of our Lord 1787, and of the independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names. DARIUS WAYNE, President, and delegate from the county of Gotham. The Rise of Gotham and the American City In the years between 1790-1860 Gotham experienced one of the largest expansions in the city's history due in large part to the coming of the steam powered locomotive. As we learned last week, by 1780 Gotham had earned a reputation as a major shipping and exporting hub throughout the northern East Coast centered largely around Rogers Harbor and the Port of Gotham. With America's new found freedom, markets which were previously off limits to the colonies were now a vital part of Gotham's growth. As the city's shipping industry grew, so did all other areas of business. Businesses from all across southern New Jersey flocked to the wares of Gotham to more easily move their products and offer their services and along with them, jobs. The population doubled from 1790-1800 and again by 1830 becoming the nation's 4th largest city with a total of 81,643. Artist rendering of Gotham City, 1804. view from Land Lease & Trust Company Building looking south over some of Gotham's neighborhoods. Areal photograph of Uptown. Land Lease and Trust Company Building is across from North Penn Station (intersection of Federal St. & 16th St.) Railraods, Steam and the American Dream: As Gotham cit grew throughout the 19th century, Georges Island (popularly referred to as Uptown) was overtaken by the city incorporating towns such as Yeaverly and Ensbury as well as the larger Buroughs of Granton and Jerod, just to name a few. The city itself was beginning to spill over into the Miangani and Worrell Islands. (the later now known as Midtown) The rural residents of Gotham County and surrounding Cape May & Atlantic Counties feared being overrun by the growing city and were able to pass state legislation limiting the city proper to Georges Island further congesting the young city. But by 1830, with the advent of the steam powered locomotive, Gotham City was once again changed. It became much easier and faster to move goods to and from Rogers Harbor via railroad lines to the outlying areas around Gotham. Those towns that only 30 years earlier had looked at Gotham's growth with concern, were now welcoming the new development & accompanying business opportunities that the railroad was able to offer. Gotham was able to pass its 3rd City Charter in 1829 which now was to include all of Gotham County. But John, isn't this just a typical history of just about every city in the northeast and Midwestern U.S.? Yes but what made Gotham City special, was that as cities grew to be either a "Pennsy", Reading, or B & O town, Gotham acted as s hub connecting nearly all lines from Boston to Washington to Chicago. The New Jersey Railroad Company was founded in 1815 and meant to lay rail connecting Gotham to Trenton, and by extension, Philadelphia to the west, New York to the north and Metropolis to the south. Rail cars at the time were drawn by horses which limited the size of a consist to only several cars at a time. It was just much easier to move goods and people using waterways opposed to railways and by 1819, construction on the NJRRC main line was halted extending only about 15 miles north & west of Gotham. In 1829 however, when the Baltimore & Ohio railroad began using steam locomotives for its "Tom Thumb", Judge Solomon Wayne started to invest heavily in the continued construction of the line. A site of the original NJRRC main line as seen today currently used at Rogers Railyard connecting one of the maintenance shops to the Maintenance S/R yard. Another section of the original line; connecting to the Ship Yard at Rogers Harbor. Judge Wayne played an critical role in the rise of the Railroad tycoons which in turn attracted young entrepreneurs like your host's own Great-great-grandfather Issac Reese who patented fireproof brick giving a huge boost and an already booming local industry. Wayne's newly founded Wayne Shipping Company (and Wayne Chemical Co.) used his recent railroad investments and leased track usage to B & O, Pennsylvania and the also newly formed New York Central railroads. This required a brand new rail yard to be constructed near the port as it would allow trains from several different companies to arrive and depart easily to and from their own track lines. The yard itself was eventually sold to PRR by Solomon's son Alan Wayne in 1859 who would use the sale to consolidate the family businesses into Wayne Enterprises. Solomon had amassed a fortune in the shipping industry, which he used after his retirement in 1854, to finance the construction of a new "temple" in central Uptown for the Free and Accepted Masons of Gotham. It was to be here where Solomon created (with help from many of Gotham's elite) the Gotham City Society for Abolition while also secretly constructing very expansive underground tunnels that would become part of the "Underground Railroad" connecting as far as Elizabeth, NJ. These weren't just tunnels however, they featured cutouts with cots every 2-3 miles and many secret entrances to the homes of some of Gotham's local abolitionists to help those escaping tyrrany along the way. A section of this tunnel is preserved and on display at the GC African-American Museum. This map depicts a terminus at Gotham City which was a point of confusion for many shippers. What PRR couldn't show due to space limitations are the rails that allowed trains to move from Philadelphia to Gotham which would then cross the Delmarva Penninsula back into DC (leased on what was then B & O track) -or- move right up the coast into New York finishing a massive loop connecting Phila., Gotham & NYC to the North and a second loop connecting Gotham with Philly, Baltimore & DC to the souh with lines all across country able to connect to these loops. (side not on the Underground Railroad: the tunnel was discovered around 1919 as the "Red Line" subway was being constructed which cause much of the tunnel to collapse ... though it was originally routed through what is now the Bat cave, Patrick Wayne, then occupying the Manor, was nervous of the Bolshevik movement in Russia and fearing the "Communists" would be interested in taking over and destroying Wayne Enterprises in the name of socialism, he destroyed the Manor's entrance to the tunnel. To this day, historians do not know why Judge Solomon Wayne would finance this section of the Underground Railroad yet not offer his own house as a "stop" along the way. Only Patrick, his grandfather Solomon and his great-grandson Bruce know the truth. As the rails in and around Gotham where moving more cargo than many cities in America, even more business opportunities opened up. The George Stevenson Locomotive Company opened a factory in Gotham as did Baldwin (based out of Philadelphia) and would bring with it a satellite Gotham headquarters. As B & O continued to build south, Penna RR west out to Chicago and the young New York Central to the north, by 1861 the major (and minor) railroad companies began to depend on Gotham City not just for regional commerce and industry, but the Western Expansion of the United States. An expansion, that would have to be put on hold as America braced for war. Next time on Gotham City Perspectives, we'll look at the American Civil War and the role Gotham City played in preserving the Union. Gotham City Perspectives is a Public Broadcasting production made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Wayne Foundation, The Historical Society of New Jersey ... and viewers like YOU! Personal Musing: As I continue to grow and develop Gotham City from the ground on up, you'll notice I never saw Gotham City as the megalopolis of massive highrise buildings encompasing the entire city. Though it certainly has its skyscapping areas in downtown with more commercial highrise districts in midtown and uptown, I see Gotham as a city of neighborhoods ... of houses and W2W apartment buildings. A sort of comination of the Philadelphia style row-homes, and Chicago style brick apartment buildings with some art-deco, neo-gothic AND modern styled commercial districts connecting these neighborhood and to the industrail parks. I'm basically taking when I know and love about Gotham City (usung of course my own personal interprutation) and spicing it up with elements I've found and come to love the places I've lived. Here's an update: A neighborhood in east Uptown. The curves are a little tight on the left ... I'm in the process of widening some of the connections. I'll post the update next time. Norston: a neighborhood in northern Uptown. North Federal Station (Federal St. & Broadway) - 4
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Sakomasato pt1
REPLIES TekindusT : thanks a lot, I'm planning on making a longer and more artistic one soon escilnavia : thnaks a lot for this compliment, it does take time, I admit Samerton : Thanks a lot, but it actually isn't that hard actually Simmtyu : Thanks man! SAKEMASATO DISTRICT PART 1 - 12
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By TogaMasterJohn · Posted:
Yay! It's back! Alas, like Tamijo, I can't remember what I voted for the first time around! Thank you for providing a brief summary of the highlights; that made it easier to sort of remember things! I had fun looking at all of the neat pictures again, too. -
@Tyberius06
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@TheMurderousCricket
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@911Diva Thank you all very much for your kind comments! -
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That's a lot of industry! Im curious, where are the commercial zones in the city? I couldn't spot them. -
By ilikehotdogsalot · Posted:
Lovely airport! Nice to see Pan Am made a comeback in your city! -
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By Tyberius06 · Posted:
Very cool images and nicely designed airport! Great work! -
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