SIMplemente

What a great, brave and terrific work you did with your United Cities! Congratulations, and now let me start again with the 1st post, as I'm trying to learn something for my future cities. Thanks for sharing!

9- Geometry The next set of skyscrapers built in the early 80's were both Wells Fargo towers as a part of the upcoming Wells Fargo Center on Bunker Hill. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The Wells Fargo Center is an office complex located in downtown Los Angeles, between 349 and 355 South Grand Avenue, at the highest point of Bunker Hill. The site occupies an entire block that corresponds to Hope Street, Grand Avenue, Third and Fourth Street. The complex includes two towers of different heights: Wells Fargo Tower and KPMG Tower, which are connected by a kind of athree-story atrium, glass-lined. This atrium houses the Wells Fargo Museum which features a wide and varied collection of modern art. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us This new office complex was designed by architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and they presented two towers of different heights, both with a ground in a trapezoid rectangle shape. As a result, and depending on the point of view to be seen, both towers appear larger, more slender and, if possible more vertical as they really are. And because both buildings are located on the highest point of Bunker Hill, this make them appear still more taller, compared with the surrounding buildings. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The towers are: Wells Fargo. The taller -Height: 220 meters (720ft) -Floors: 54 -Elevators: 26 -Works begun in 1981 -Completed: 1983 Uploaded with ImageShack.us KPMG Tower: -Height: 171 meters (561ft) -Plants: 45 -Underground floors: 5 -Elevators: 26 -Works begun: 1981 -Completed: 1983 Next view is Downtown looking south. Notice how around the new towers, developers have built some parking lots to fill the space where, not many years ago, there were old buildings that the CRA had pulled down. It was cheaper to knock down an old house and use the space as a parking lot, than building a large car park building. That was the way how Los Angeles lost some its old housing stok. In fact, where today stands the Wells Fargo Center, until 1960 more or less, there was beautiful victorian homes. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The towers are not twin towers. Short after completed, the new buildings were on the media... Uploaded with ImageShack.us Well. I meant the serious media. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Downtown looking north: Uploaded with ImageShack.us The real life in 1983: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Now looking west: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Night views: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Day and night, in SimCity Downtown Los Angeles: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us A view of the Hollywood Fwy, looking east, with the Civic Center in the background: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Looking west. Notice the parking lots in South Figueroa St. In the future the Stamples Center and the Nokia Theater, along with the L.A. Live complex with hotels and and condos, all will be built there. I'm going to pay some more attention to those parking lots in the next post. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Speaking of parking lots... Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Hey Viva! I think I already fixed the problem. I believe something was wrong with the server at the time I was uploading the last post. Im glad you like it.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us 8- Gambling number 444 on Flower Street. Between 1974 and 1976 took place the construction of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, located in 404 South Figueroa Street. During the 'bunkerhillization' period, In the lot where the hotel was built there was... nothing. But before, there were some small businesses, as we can see in the picture above, just behind the City National twin towers. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Just because there is not anything similar to the Westin Bonaventure in all SimCity websites around the world, once again I have to improvise... Uploaded with ImageShack.us Where the hell am I gonna find a modern and functional casino-hotel? Easy, in the original game. You wanted, you got it. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Confortable suites with nice views to the desolate Bunker Hill and to Downtown, in between Figueroa and Flower, it won't disappoint you: casino, swimmingpool, sports facilities, spa, and anything you need to go to work at the surrounding towers and never stress out. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Two years later, in 1978, developers started to plan a new building commissioned by Wells Fargo. The new tower was to be located in 444 South Flower St. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Formerly known as the 444 Flower Building, it was one of the first projects to redevelop the Library Square, and a solution on what to do with North Hope Street. Not many years ago, this section of North Hope Street ran parallel to 5th street, in front of the Central Library, to join to South Grand Avenue, running also in front of Edison Building. Now, with that new tower, North Hope Street has been 'moved out' and it joins Grand Avenue one block away, as a result of that new redevelopment on Bunker Hill. The solution came a few years later along with the upcoming of a new office tower. Was it a new park? No. Just steps. The Bunker Hill Steps. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Designed by Albert C. Martin & Associates, the 444 S. Flower Tower is a 48 storey skyscraper 625 ft (191 m) height. Short after its completion in 1979 it became the headquarters of Wells Fargo, but once Wells Fargo moved out to a new set of towers on North Grand Ave, the major tenant was Citycorp, and now is well known as the City Group Center. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Bunker Hill, looking south, in 1980: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Downtown looking east, with a view in the foreground of the Library Square. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Downtown Los Angeles, 1980. Looking west. The L.A river is visible, and in my recreation it hasn't been channelized yet. From left to right, bridges at sight are: 4th St, 1st St and the I-101, also known as the Aliso Sreet viaduct, followed by two rail bridges. Then I tried to create some sort of César Chávez bridge, but I simply forgot about the Spring Street one. Finally, north Broadway bridge, well known as the Buena Vista viaduct. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Downtown, looking north in 1980. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Angelus Plaza condo towers, in between east exits of the 3rd and 2nd St tunnels. The towers are actually located in South Olive Street. Here they are as viewed in 1981, just after being built. I know that by that time the Angel's Flight, visible in that recreation, wasn't there anymore. Nothing built yet in Grand Avenue or Hope Street. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Bunker Hill, looking north. Night view. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Old Hope Street section, before the Library Square renovation, as viewed in 1981. This section of Hope Street will be 'moved out' a block away in 1987, to make place to a new 'open space park': The Bunker Hill Steps. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Bunker Hill looking East in 1980. Night view. In the foreground there's a glimpse of the Harbor freeway. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Detail of the Citygroup Center south facade: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Ready for the Wells Fargo Towers?

Thank you very much indeed for your words. Muchas gracias de verdad, Vivapanda.

7- An impossible angle. In 1974 the sims living in downtown could see that the sickness of the City Planner Advisor, mister Parking Lot, the 'building mania' was not contagious. But far from over, it just had begun: now they were building something new very close to west exit of the 3rd St. tunnel. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Of course, it was a new office tower and it was completed together with the First Interstate Building... That new skyscraper was the headquarters of Arco Enterprises, and later the Security Pacific Bank was its major tenant. Maybe for that reason the tower was known with this name. Located in 333 Hope Street in Bunker Hill, with its 224.03 m (735.0 ft) height and its 55 floors, the tower is a good example on how wrong things could be when we are looking for a 'super modern' redevelopment on a given landscape. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us The building was the first to be built in the 'new' Bunker Hill area. But that tower presents a problem, in fact it's a big problem. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The tower sits oddly in some sort of podium. In addition, the tower was built in a difference angle of 45º to the streets around. For instance, it is the same effect as we put a rhombus on a square, and the square was made of 3rd, 4th, Hope and Flower streets. Of course as far as I know, impossible to recreate in SimCity. We see that 45º difference angle in the next picture: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Other than that, I decided that the tower looks alright to me, so I put it down on its place, and I built a park around, with threes and stuff to fill the space between the tower, Hope and 4th St, as you can see: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Since 1992 the tower is known as Bank of America. Uploaded with ImageShack.us And we do not forget the press... Uploaded with ImageShack.us Definitely, it was never the favorite building of the Sims, mostly for its odd angle and for the ramps across the street and the skyscraper, not seen here, They were built just to bridge the gap or the slope of the hill. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Anyway, here is Bunker Hill, looking west, between 1st and and 3rd St, with the 2nd st tunnel in the middle. Now 1st street runs over Figueroa on a new overpass, while 2nd St runs in diagonal almost meeting 1st St to go ahead underneath the Harbor Freeway. The strange building at the left of the picture, with a few little canals of water and some parking lots is... Well, you ever heard of the DWP Building (Department of Water and Power)? I tried my best, there wasn't nothing similar around! Uploaded with ImageShack.us

6- Taller than the others. Meanwhile in 707 Wilshire Boulevard, corner with Hope St, and in 700 South Flower, corner with Wilshire Boulevard... Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Works for a couple of new office towers had begun. Uploaded with ImageShack.us But very close to the new Bunker Hill desert something is changing. The year is 1973. Uploaded with ImageShack.us In 1974 the tower at 707 Wilshire Blvd was completed. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us First named United California Bank and later First Interstate Bank the building is a 62 story office tower, 262 m (860 ft) height. Two more things to say; until 1982 was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River and until 1987 was the tallest building in L.A. and the tallest in all California. Architect was Charles Luckman. Today, the tower is the Aon Center headquarters. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Short after the completion of the First Interstate Bank Tower, now Aon Center, the construction site at 700 South Flower St turned out into this: Uploaded with ImageShack.us It's the MCI Center, the modern skyscrapper in the foreground, completed in 1974. Designed by Luckman Partnership Architects, with its 33 floors and its 414 ft (126) it was once the Metrolink operational headquarters. Now the building accommodates some more other business, like for instance the main offices of the La Opinión newspaper. I have to say that my MCI Center has nothing to do with reality. I found that lot here on Simtropolis and I thought it could work for my recreation of the building. Who knows, in SimCity anything is possible and anything can happen. Uploaded with ImageShack.us This is downtown in 1973-1974 looking east, with the new office towers int he foregorund. One is taller than the others. Civic Center, and the Angel's Flight are at sight around an empty Bunker Hill. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us

5- The LA 'twin towers' and a crane. City National Plaza is a twin tower high-rise complex located in 505 South Flower St. in downtown L.A., comprising City National Tower and Paul Hastings Tower. The 213.1 m (699 ft) 52 storey structures are located on the site of the Art Deco Richfield Tower, that was designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements in the 1920s. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Here they are, looking west with a view of Bunker Hill at the right part of the image. No more homes and Sims in Bunker Hill. Now it is the kingdom of bulldozers, as works for building pipes and drain systems never stop. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Downtown looking east. 4th St carries traffic to nowhere, because Grand and Olive are still closed to traffic. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Now looking north. Notice that many buildings between Figueroa and Flower are being pulled down to make place to new condo towers and apartments. It seems that a normal kind of city planning, the one with a wall to a wall and a street is disappearing, leaving behind it nothing but empty spaces. The City Hall is also at sight. Uploaded with ImageShack.us A little bit closer: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Figueroa and Flower St, looking south, still in 1972 Uploaded with ImageShack.us Now Downtown looking south in 1970. Here everything looks scaring... It looks like war zone. Only the twin towers are telling you than something is changing here, and it's changing quickly... Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Meanwhile... what's going on in the City Hall? Go figure! Uploaded with ImageShack.us Oh, and what about the media? Well, look the cover of the magaSIM Uploaded with ImageShack.us

4- Was it worth it? The next office tower to be built during that time was the Crocker Bank Plaza, aka 611 Place located in 611 West 6th St, corner of Grand. Since being vacated by AT&T, there have been plans to turn its upper levels into high-end condominiums, in a re-development scheme. I couldnt find a tower that looked like the building, so I finally had to use a total different one because I needed to fill the place with some building. Not the same, but better than nothing... Here it is still under construction. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Here's the site of the construction, south view, of the 611 Place Building. In the foreground, there's the Central Library and the Library Square. The old Edison Building is at sight, along with a glimpse of the Biltmore Hotel: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Pershing Square, looking west and the new 611 Place Building already completed. It's the year 1970. The new downtown keeps moving and rocking on time while the Mayor Fletcher Bowrron, the Finance Advisor, miss Golden Coin and the City Planner, mister Parking Lot are dancing the rock'n'roll for the big times. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Behind the new Union Bank there's something rising up... But on Bunker Hill, the last bulldozers are busy working on the new pipes, while South Grand Avenue and South Olive St are close to traffic, both from 5th st to 1st St for the new redevelopment on the hill. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us

To Nathan, Cobhris96 and VivaPanda: -I converted all pics into JPG format, thanks for the suggestions, which it was obvious (silly me) -I think it is impossible to recreate the old days of Downtown, I meant the old times before the Bunkerhilllization took place. In the original game there are a lot of art-decó buildings, but we can not control were to put them. Well, I wish I could. Buildings like the Richfield Tower, or the old LA Phillarmonic Auditorium deserve to be here, or some others like the Edison, The Eastern or event the Biltmore Hotel... and so many! -I'm new here. This is the second time I ever created a city journel. First time was a fictional city, in a spanish SimCity site. Now the challenge is double: Downtown Los Angeles, which is not my city, and english language -not my natural born language-. So, I going to commit many mistakes, with the city and with my english. Be patient, and apologies for everything. (especially for my grammar or spelling mistakes) Thanks for follow the thread.

Thank you for the suggestions, I take note of all of them!

3- Bunkerhillization and the first modern skyscraper. This is Downtown Los Angeles, looking East. Ugly, compared of how it looks today, isn't it? The view shows the 'new' 4th St viaduct built in the last 60's as a part of the Bunker Hill redevelopment done by the CRA. Also the Central Library at west 5th St is at sight. At the time I took this picture, 'my own' Harbor Freeway wasn't finished yet, but there's a glimpse -at the upper left side of the pic- of the old Bunker Hill victorian homes. In 5th St, corner with Flower, that ugly grey building could have been the old Architect's Building, soon to be demolished to make way to new set of skyscrapers. I must say that is a pity that the old Richfield Tower is not available here. Uploaded with ImageShack.us More of that period: 4th St new viaduct looking east, followed by the 3rd st. tunnel -next to the El radiador sign- Both viaducts run over Figueroa and Flower to Hope St, as we can see in the next pic... In real life -and unable to do it in Sim City- those viaducts, from Hope, they connect the underground part of Grand Ave, under Bunker Hill. In fact, today Grand Avenue at its path on Bunker Hill is just a two level avenue. The picture shows a new try of the Harbor Fwy. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us And this is Bunker Hill, looking west. Any bulldozer has come there yet, but they're getting closing... Uploaded with ImageShack.us At the end of the 60's the CRA went on with the 'bunkerhillization': the destruction of the historic neighbourhood of Los Angeles, plus the leveling of the hill, to start a new redevelopment there. As a result, the hill looked like a war zone. Many Sims have been forcibly evicted by the CRA and our City Planner, mister Parking Lot. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Once the last bulldozer was gone, the result was more or less like this one: Bunker Hill, looking east. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Thanks God Angel's Flight was still there, but by the year 1968 it was demolished and put into a wharehouse, like an old piece of junk.The last 60's represents the years of the 'highrise fever', or well known as 'skyscraper mania', as developers had decided yet to built a new and modern financial district in Bunker Hill. All will be planned by the City Planner Advisor, mister Parking Lot. He is a good specialist in... Well, He really knows where and how to park a car. He represents also the CRA (Communty of Redevelopment Agency) so, he is also a good specialist in destroying historical buildings and historical neighbourhoods to create parking lots. In 1966, the first modern highrise was built in South Grand Avenue, corner of Wilshire Blvd: The One Wilshire building. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The One Wilshire, along with the City National Bank Building (located in 6th St and Olive, in front of Pershing Square) was the first 'skyscraper' ever built in Los Angeles since the pre-war years Uploaded with ImageShack.us Skidmore, Owings and Merril LLP, was the architect office responsable of the design of the building: with 395 feet / 120 meters height and 30 stories, when completed had the honor to be the 'first one'. But the best was yet to come: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Harbor freeway, southbound. Uploaded with ImageShack.us And voilà! Uploaded with ImageShack.us 'Eggsactly'... The Union Bank Plaza. Completed in 1968, is in fact the first high-rise of many to come soon for the new financial district in Bunker Hill. Located in 445 South Figueroa St, faces the Harbor Fwy with 40 stories and 516 feet (157 m.) It was designed by Albert C. Martin and Associates, and by then it was the tallest structure in Los Angeles... It is a dream come for everybody: for the City Planner,mister Parking Lot, for the Mayor, Fletcher Bowron and for the Finance Advisor, miss Golden Coin. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The first modern skyscrapper of that new Downtown stands in front of the Harbor Freeway. It haven't been opened yet to public and we can see perfectly some other buildings in construction around. Whatever is going to happen to downtown is going to happen fast. Uploaded with ImageShack.us

2- Freeways, traffic and overpasses. So, while the I-101 was entering downtown from east, as being constructed, new viaducts had to be built. The picture shows the ones for Los Angeles St, Main and Spring St. Meanwhile, Aradia St and Aliso St, have altered their path, and now both run parallel to the freeway at a different level. At the time being, both are only simple and dusty streets. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us The I-101 joins the I-110 and the Arroyo Seco Park Way thanks to a 'magic' four level interchange. Works begun in 1949 and it opened to traffic in 1953. Uploaded with ImageShack.us And finally the Hollywood Fwy is about to carry traffic at the early 50's. New viaducts are at sight, as well as the entry and exit in Alameda and Grand Ave. Sorry, not enough place to make and entry/exit in Broadway (which is the main avenue you see in the middle) Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us

1- Building Freeways. Now let's pretend the year is -more or less- 1950 or 1951. Developers wanted a new system of 'super highways' after the success of the Arroyo Seco Park way. So... Civic Center (It's Oklahoma City City Hall, by the way, no LA City Hall was available here) is in the middle of the view. We can see part of the 'old Los Angeles', all that remains of El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora, la Reina de Los Ángeles, La Placita and a train station... (Let's use our imagination and let's pretend is Union Station) Also Little Tokio is visible. But coming out from the left, just crossing the LA River (not visible on the picture) there's a part of the freeway I-101 (the Hollywood Fwy) not completed yet. Also, 1st ST Bridge is at sight. Uploaded with ImageShack.us The I-101 on its path across Downtown is a sunken highway, so works to level the land are needed. The freeway is going to cut off Los Angeles Street. Uploaded with ImageShack.us I-101, aka the Hollywood freeway, in construction. First pic is looking west, and second is looking east: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us A section of the freeway in construction, with a viaduct (here is when I had to be very accurate with the NAM or just to improvise): Uploaded with ImageShack.us The next set of pics are trials of the Harbor Freeway, I-110 with some of its viaducts, entrances and exits. Southbound: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Northbound: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Signs show the future site of the main buildings. 'El radiador' is the way my little niece refers to the Security Pacific Bank building, now called Bank of America. I know both pics are very ugly, but both pics show the 2nd and 3rd street tunnels and the 4th st viaduct running towards Hope and Grand Ave (not seen in the pics) And of course, both avenues pretend to be Figueroa and Flower streets...