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Showing results for tags 'midwest'.
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Version 1.1.2
264 Downloads
I was tired of seeing maps that were not fun to play on because they had very little buildable area and also were an unrealistic place for people to settle. Most maps being too big (100s or 1000s of tile) or too small (3-4 large tiles), this map is 10 tall by 9 wide with 95 large tiles and about 20 medium ones - it will look full after about 6-11 cities although you could contextualize an urban core with a small handful of cities like 3-4; the tiles are staggered allowing for commercial (office) centers for those that want to do a large international airport challenge. The file size is respectable is 41.6 mb compressed or 80 mb unzipped - so player won't be complaining if you play multiplayer via your private sc4mp server (feel free to invite me) or file swapping. A retro version of this region is already on 2 sc4mp multiplayer servers with different owners that aren't me. This is the biggest version with the most buildable area, I also fixed some of the hills and contextualized the coast a bit by expanding it. This map is a river valley map, of a hypothetical fictitious small state. Some people will prefer to densify the hills and some flatten, others will add touches or leave the way it is. Download the zip and extract to your regions folder. -
Version 1.0.0
429 Downloads
This is the same as the original arkatanya except I removed the extraneous connections that were from a multiplayer region I hosted. I renamed the region Silverbend Praire, as it reflects my vision of this being a farming region. You can rename it whatever you want by modifying the region.ini file. I'll a version of this with the regional transit (highways and rail) soon, that will be under arkatanya#4. Reposted: I was tired of seeing maps that were not fun to play on because they had very little buildable area and also were an unrealistic place for people to settle. Most maps being too big (100s or 1000s of tile) or too small (3-4 large tiles), this map is 8x8 with 60 large tiles and about 16 medium ones - although it will look fairly populated once it has 16-25 cities; the tiles are staggered allowing for commercial (office) centers for those that want to do a large international airport challenge. This map is a river valley map, of a hypothetical fictitious USA county in a northern state. Some people will prefer to densify the hills and others will add touches or leave the way it is. Download the zip and extract to your regions folder. -
Version 1.0.0
143 Downloads
I made a brand new arkatanya there's no lingering connections or mayor's names in the mayor data like arkatanya #1. However, I put this together last night unlike arkatanya #1 that was put together over the course of several sessions. I'm thinking of adding highway connections and cleaning up the hills, so it can be one of those ready made maps. The file is a 7zip file. It has to be extracted with 7zip and placed in your regions folder. -
Version 1.0.0
283 Downloads
I was tired of seeing maps that were not fun to play on because they had very little buildable area and also were an unrealistic place for people to settle. Most maps being too big (100s or 1000s of tile) or too small (3-4 large tiles), this map is 8x8 with 60 large tiles and about 16 medium ones - although it will look fairly populated once it has 16-25 cities; the tiles are staggered allowing for commercial (office) centers for those that want to do a large international airport challenge. This map is a river valley map, of a hypothetical fictitious USA county in a northern state. Some people will prefer to densify the hills and others will add touches or leave the way it is. Download the zip and extract to your regions folder. -
Version 1.0.0
262 Downloads
Lincoln Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Lincoln Park contains Council Point Park, which dates back to 1763 when Chief Pontiac met with other tribal leaders along the banks of the Ecorse River to plot a rebellion against increasing European settlers, specifically those in nearby Fort Detroit. The Potawatomi eventually ceded the land to the French in 1776. Lincoln Park is considered part of the Downriver collection of communities within Metro Detroit. The city borders Detroit to the north and also shares borders with Allen Park to the west, Ecorse to the east, Melvindale to the north, and Southgate and Wyandotte to the south. It developed as a bedroom community, providing homes to workers in the nearby steel mills and automobile plants of the Detroit area, while having no industries of its own. Lincoln Park was originally part of the now-defunct Ecorse Township, incorporating as a village in 1921 and again as a city in 1925. Lots of industry, lots of commercial, lots of parks and schools...and only 36,525 Sims to run it all. Oh, did I mention tons of diagonal and FA grids. Made from scratch, pre-transitted(for select maps) cities or regions requested by our special members or for special events. To Use: Unpack, place in Regions folder, play. Raised lines reference streets, roads and highways. Refer to enclosed maps if you're unsure which is which. Simply level and place roads as you go or zone agriculture around them. No extra terrain-ing required, unless you want it. Use any non-elevation altering terrain texture or water mod. Stand alone or import into larger regions. Be nice to your fellow mapper and rate and review!. -
Hello Simtropolis! After a long break, welcome back for the third update of Bienville. Computer issues and real life are making this take a lot longer to put together than I originally anticipate, but I do intend to continue this project. Right now I'm going to shoot for monthly updates as a goal. If this is your first time reading, I highly recommend taking a look a the first two updates and the cinematic video, which can be found in the Journal Index. In this update we will continue to explore one of the oldest districts in the city, Bertling Park. We'll begin with an overview shot of Interstate I-224, which divides the Bertling Park district in two. The construction of the corridor in 1958 required the razing of several blocks in the heart of the district and devastated the local economy. Empty lots still line the freeway on both sides in spite of the recent gentrification of the area. These empty lots and the interchanges along the highway have long been the domain the of the city's homeless population. In this next image we see the partial-cloverleaf interchange that provides access to Mississippi Avenue, under which a temporary settlement has been constructed in spite of the city's efforts to push the city's homeless far from the eyes of the city's more affluent residents. Across Mississippi Avenue is Southeast Beverage Distribution, which distributes beer from the city's blossoming craft breweries to local bar, restaurants, and stores. On the other side of Interstate 224 lies the southern, less dense half of Bertling Park. The area along Mississippi Avenue has recently been the target of investment from the municipal government, which gave significant subsidies to a developer to encourage the development of a commercial area anchored by a grocery store. Their goal was to attempt to cut into the food desert that deprives many of the residents of the city's southern inner-city neighborhoods of fresh, healthy food. The result, Bertling Gateway, replaced several industrial buildings, 3 commercial properties, and vacant lots with a Bock Family Grocers, a McDonald's, and an IHOP restaurant. The Love's Travel Center across the street, which along with a Blue Beacon Truck Wash serves truckers heading to industrial areas further South along Mississippi Avenue, was also remodeled and modernized as part of the project. The truck wash itself was not remodeled, but the property was beautified with new landscaping to meet the city's standards for the area. The development was generall well-received by the community, although some raised concerns about traffic along the Mississippi Avenue corridor and the inclusion of chain fast-food and fast-casual restaurants rather than local, healthier options. Further West along I-224 lies one of the centers of the Bertling Park community, Crosno Preparatory School. Originally constructed in 1899 as the Crosno School, it was rebuilt in 1918 as Crosno High School. I served as the neighborhood high school until 2002, when the school became a magnet school in the Bienville School District, drawing high-achieving students from around the southern urban core. This transformed the school into one of the highest-rated schools in the state, but also means many students now have to attend a school much further from their homes in a less-safe area. As part of the reclassification in 2002, the school was significantly upgraded. The interior was remodeled and central air was installed, replacing the window units that had been required before. The old stadium and gymnasium were also destroyed and replaced with modern facilities. This lead to negative outcry from some community leaders, who pointed out that school had been left in a sorry state for many years prior and that no such renovations had been undertaken at the high school most of the students in the neighborhood would now be bused to. Just to the East of the school is a residential area characterized by apartments and townhouses, many constructed from brick produced from the abundant clay deposits in the region. At the corner of Robidoux Street and Fourth Street, directly across from the high school, a former general store has been converted by the Bertling Park Historic Society into a small history highlighting the history of the area. The area was first settled when the French settlement expanded southward into the present-day district as their fur-trading and exploitation of Southern Missouri's rich mineral resources expanded. After the French abandoned their colony to the Americans in 1804, these original French settlers were gradually replaced by American settlers coming from the East. The area, however, remained largely rural until the arrival of German immigrants in the decades preceding the Civil War. It was at this time that a settlement was established in the center of the modern-day district and the area was given its name. The name honors Johann Bertling, who divided up his land to establish a town in 1831. A relic of this Teutonic legacy can be seen farther East along Robidoux Street, where the Bertling Park Lutheran Church towers over the neighborhood. Most Germans left the area in the 1920's and were replaced by immigrants from Italy and Ireland along with African-Americans migrating from the rural areas of the American South. Today, the neighborhood is still home to many fresh immigrants, many of whom are now Vietnamese. Gentrification in recent years, however, has priced most immigrants out of the neighborhood and pushed the centers of their communities further South and West. The demographic changes in the neighborhood did, for many years, shutter the Bertling Park Lutheran Church. The building became a Baptist church in 1928, and was home to various congregations throughout the 20th century. The church was returned to its original denomination in 2011 to serve the growing population in the downtown area. The cemetery adjacent to the church is home to the resting places of many prominent people in the neighborhood's history. Across from the church is the Robidoux Dog Park, opened in 2015 as part of the city's efforts to replace vacant lots in the area. The off-leash park has become a popular attraction for dog-owners in the area, as it has the distinction of being the closest off-leash dog park to downtown Bienville. The other centerpiece of Bertling Park South of the interstate is Truman Green Park. A large expanse of open grass dotted by trees featuring a playground, event space, and a public swimming pool. The hall in the center of the park was built in 1922 as a monument to the local soldiers who fought and died in the Great War. In the past the park was home to crime and was a frequent location for illegal dumping, but recently the city has stepped up its maintenance efforts and a fundraising campaign paid for restoration of the memorial hall. In the area around the park and continuing to the South, a transition can be observed from apartment buildings into detached homes, some of which are quite large. Osage Avenue, which starts in Betling Park at the junction of Chouteau Boulevard and Third Street and continues in to the adjacent Colline Royale neighborhood to the South, is dotted with large estates built by the city's merchants and business men as growth pushed them further and further from the city center. Although few of the original stately homes remain, long after the leaders of the city moved on the most successful members of the upstart immigrant communities that made the district their home. In recent years they have become the center of the gentrification of the community. To the West, Fifth Street and Truman Trafficway form the western perimeter of Bertling Park. In the image below we see the junction between these two streets. As it moves southward, 5th Street turns to the Southeast to match the grid in Bertling Park. In its place, Truman Trafficway continues to the South at the angle of the grid of the other adjacent districts. The city has made efforts to increase the safety of drivers and pedestrians at their meeting by directing traffic to avoid sharp turns with slip lanes and restricted turning directions. Along the two arteries there are a number of small businesses and a few fast-food restaurants. In recent years some of the ethnic restaurants and shops that previously prevailed have been edged out by art galleries and coffee shops as the area has become a center of the arts scene in Bienville. Following Fifth Street to the North brings us back to the northern half of Bertling Park, where the district is closest to downtown Bienville. In 2012 several small retail buildings and vacant lots along I-224 were replaced with a new office building known as De la Salle Plaza. The shining new offices tower above the interstate and show people entering the city entering from the East the progress of urban Bienville, which had seen little new construction since a building boom in the 1980's. The area around the new De la Salle Plaza building is known as Bratcher's Lot, a historic working-class neighborhood that has served as the home to many generations of people working in the nearby industrial areas of the city. Today the neighborhood is popular with young people moving into the city, and is filled with restored apartments with skyrocketing rents that have forever transformed the face of this area. One sign of this transformation can be found at Fourth Street and Duchesne Street. The former home of the Boothell Stationery Company, founded in 1911, has been converted into loft apartments with the help of municipal tax abatement. Several adjacent buildings were leveled to make room for the parking lot for residents, which includes private garages that can be used by tenants who pay an additional monthly fee. One defining feature of this neighborhood is its close proximity to the Government Disctrict and City Hall which towers over the low-rise buildings in the neighborhoods closer to the river. Completed in 1931, the twin-spire building stands contains 35 stories and stands at 471 feet. Around the base of the tower and throughout the Government district there are several plazas and open spaces. Along Duchesne Street there are several pull-off locations reserved for food trucks that the city encourages to park in the area to provide lunch options for the many city and federal employees that fill the district's buildings. We will return to the Government District for a more thorough tour in a future update. At the corner of Illinois Avenue and Fifth Street lies the City Hall transit hub. This area features a large bus stop on Fifth Street, the City Hall streetcar station on Illinois Avenue, and a park and ride lot serving both stations and providing a way for people exiting I-224 to access the transit options serving the greater downtown area. A large fountain, predating the park and ride facility, serves as the centerpiece for the area. Another part of the city's efforts to improve public transit and access in the urban areas of the city can be seen along Fifth Street, which features one of the city's first protected bike lanes. ----- Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed this exploration of what I created and the stories surrounding it. If you did like what you saw and want to help grow the journal, please take the time follow this journal. As I mentioned I am going to try to make this a monthly journal, but some uncertainty in my life makes it impossible for me to guarantee this. I may also try to make some more video content featuring Bienville in the future or a behind-the-scenes update more focused on building, so I'd love to hear your feedback on those ideas. I'm also thinking about adding some interactive things like having polls to decided what is built in certain areas, so let me know what you think about that as well. Thanks again! Until next time.
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Update Two: The River Market and Bertling Park - Part Two
KCJC posted a City Journal entry in Bienville, Missouri
Hello Simtropolis! Welcome back for the second update of Bienville. It took a little longer than I intended due to some game issues and real life, but I hope you enjoy what i have to share. In this update we'll continue our tour of the River Market and Bertling Park districts of Bienville. If this is your first time reading, I recommend you go back to the first entry and read the introduction to the city and the districts we're exploring. Our first location today is an area inside the River Market District known as Gardner Mill. The neighborhood is named for a large textile mill that once occupied the area East of Second Street between New Madrid Street and Illinois Avenue. The mill closed during the depression, and sat abandoned for years before being demolished in 1951. The neighborhood around it faced similar struggles, but ultimately most of the area avoided the fate of its namesake, and in the late 1970's became the center of Bienville's LGBT scene when several businesses catering to the community opened in the area. The largest and most successful of these businesses is the Colours Nightclub, which has occupied a former hotel on St. Louis Street since 1978. A large mural decorates the eastern wall of the building, and has become an icon in Bienville. The buildings to the East of the club were destroyed by a fire in the 1940's and have since been replaced by an Exxon gas station and another Beinville instiution, Harlan's Famous Ice Cream. The row of buildings across St. Louis Avenue from Colours is home to several local business, including a bar, health foods store, and a microbrewery. In recent years the craft beer scene in Bienville has exploded, and numerous breweries have opened throughout the city. This brewery features a brewpub and a large outdoor seating area, which has quickly become a popular gathering place in the neighborhood. The entire neighborhood is served by the Gardner Mill/Chouteau Park streetcar station, which allows easy access to the area's bars and clubs from around the city. In 2006 the city installed a unique, rainbow pattern crosswalk across St. Louis Avenue between several of the most popular venues in the neighborhood and added signals to increase safety at the crossing. Another prominent feature of the neighborhood is Chouteau Park, a small park West of Second Street between St. Louis Avenue and Illinois Avenue. The gazebo in the park is a popular location for gatherings, ranging from birthdays to weddings. Just North of the park is the recently finished River Market Community Center, which provides residents with a variety of services and gym facilities. Father South down Second Street is the future site of the Gardner Commons, a mixed-use development slated to occupy the location of an office building damaged by fire last year. Currently the project is in the final stages of demolition, and is currently projected to be completed in sometime in late 2019. One landmark in the River Market district is the Bienville Central Post Office, located at the junction of Grand Boulevard and Forth Street. Constructed in 1911, the Beaux-Arts brick and limestone structure has been the primary post office for the city since it was built. In recent years, however, there has been discussion of moving the post office to a more modern and spacious facility elsewhere in the city. Further to the East, Grand Avenue becomes US Route 86 and crosses the Mississippi via the Albert Neves Memorial Bridge, named for a former mayor and state senator. The approach for the bridge begins at first street and carries the highway over Mississippi Avenue. Nestled against the bridge approach is Los Geckos, a popular local Mexican restaurant and bar. The large industrial building next to the restaurant is occupied by the offices of several companies, the largest of which is the Urban Deco architectural firm. This company has grown rapidly in recent years, and its projects can be seen throughout the city. Following Mississippi Avenue to the South brings us to the Stuart Hall lofts, one of the largest converted industrial buildings in the River Market. Formerly home to a cereal factory and then Stuart Hall Stationary Company, the building now houses a number of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments featuring exposed brick and rafters. It features an exercise room and an outdoor plaza with a pool. The building across Cairo Street from the lofts is still an active industrial building, and houses the warehouse of the Kruse Importing Company, which has occupied the space since 1909. Now we will move even further South to explore the half of the Berling Park District that lies to the North of Interstate 224. Most of the commercial activity lies along Mississippi Avenue between Kentucky Street and Bertling Street. Several local business occupy these buildings and attract clientele from the neighborhood and the traffic heading into the city from the Interstate. Behind this strip there are mostly residential buildings with some small restaurants and shops mixed in. The Holy Rosary Catholic Church, one of the largest landmarks in Bertling Park, lies just out of frame to the West. Built in 1801 and reconstructed in 1866 after it was partially destroyed by fire, the church is one of the oldest standing buildings in the city. Its 170 ft spire towers over the surrounding buildings and its small cemetery is the final resting place of several prominent figures in the history of the city. For many years the church was the tallest building in Bienville. We end this update with a view along Bertling Street at Third, near where Interstate 224 divides Berting Park in two. A businesses, like this Waffle House, have moved into this area, but in general this swath of Bertling Park has never recovered from the demolition of several blocks of housing to construct the interstate and the decreased property values from the proximity to the noisy thoroughfare. Much of the area was declared blighted by the city government in the 1980's and demolished, leaving behind large empty lots, some of which still sit vacant while others have been converted to parking lots, auto shops, or self-storage facilities. --- Thank you everyone for reading, and thank you for all the positive feedback on the first update. If you do want to see more, follow the journal by clicking the follow button on the banner at the top (not the entry one, that just follows this entry.) I mentioned in the first update that I was considering creating some video content for Bienville, which I have since put some work into and am excited to be able to show you sometime in the next week. Also, if you are interested I have started a Twitter account (@kcjcyt) where you can keep up with my CSL content no matter where its posted. Until next time.- 6 Comments
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Update One: The River Market and Bertling Park - Part One
KCJC posted a City Journal entry in Bienville, Missouri
Hello Simtropolis! Welcome to my new City Journal: Bienville, Missouri. Some of you may know me, most of you probably don't so I'll briefly introduce myself. My name is jon, and I have previously authored two City Journals, Insulo and Kaskaskia and the short-lived Progress. I would link them, but due to my usage of the now-defunct Majhost and a strange issue with another host I used none of the pictures work . This is the first City Journal I have made in very long time (five years, to be exact) and my first ever in Cities: Skylines, but I have very high hopes for this project, so I hope you enjoy what I have to share with you. Before we dive into the pictures, let me first introduce you to the idea behind Bienville and some basic information about the city. My goal with this project is to recreate a realistic, detailed America city. I always intended this project to be based in the central part of the United States, and eventually decided on a location in Southeastern, Missouri along the Mississippi River South of the convergence of the Mississippi and the Ohio. I chose this region because I wanted to draw inspiration from several cities in this part of the country, chiefly my hometown of Kansas City, St. Louis, and Memphis. The specific location was chosen for its location on the Mississippi River and the sparse population of the area in reality. The city is definitely around the size of Kansas City and St. Louis, but I haven’t completely nailed down its population at this point. The city has historically been very dependent on the river and railroads for transportation, and is a major industrial center. The name of the city indicates its origins, it was founded in the late 18th century by French fur-traders operating in French Louisiana, and named for the explorer and French Colonial Governor Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. That should be enough information to get started. Eventually this journal will include a more detailed, Wikipeda-style information post about the city, but that’s something I’m still working on. So, with all of that out of the way, let’s get into the meat of this first update. This first update will be the first of two or three updates focusing on two of the city’s oldest districts, the River Market and Bertling Park. The first location we are going to visit is a great indication of the city’s relationship with the river and its impacts on industry and transportation in the region. While Mississippi River shipping is not in its heyday, cargo-laden barges are still a common sight along the river. Bootheel Chemicals Incorporated, founded in 1951 by a group of local businessmen, provides and transports a variety of chemical products throughout Southeastern Missouri, Western Kentucky, and Southern Illinois. This facility, located close to downtown Bienville, is a secondary shipping and storage facility with a dock on the river to allow for the transportation of chemicals in ships and barges along the Mississippi. The facility is also serviced by a rail connection, allowing it access to three modes of transportation. It sits along Lemoyne Drive, a small industrial road that runs along the river outside of the cities formidable levee system. This location means that the facility requires protocols for the flooding that frequently occurs along the Mississippi. In this image we can also see a ship towing several barges upriver to other industrial facilities. The next location featured today is a construction site in the River Market district. Only a block away from the City market and directly adjacent to a streetcar station, this is prime real estate in one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city. Before it was purchased by a developer, the lot was home to a paid parking lot. The plans for the project have been a topic of fierce debate at City Hall, where neighborhood leaders lobbied against the original proposal for the site, a fourteen-story luxury apartment building, and forced the developers to alter their plans to something that better suited the character of the area. The primary highway access to the River Market and Bertling Park districts in provided by Interstate 224, with exits at Mississippi Avenue, the first street inside the municipal levees, and Fifth Street. The interstate bisects Bertling Park, and is surrounded on each side by vacant, overgrown lots where proximity to the interstate has inhibited redevelopment since the raised portion of the highway through Bertling Park and bridge across the river were constructed in 1958. Mississippi Avenue, shown here, is serviced by an aging partial cloverleaf interchange that has become a popular shelter for the area’s homeless population. In this image we are looking north toward the River Market over the westbound exits and several businesses positioned to attract motorists exiting the freeway. One of these businesses serves a local and regional favorite, barbecue. The scene is also situated at an access point to the districts from the Kentucky side of the river. The Bienville Strictoaster Cafe location is located at Grand Boulevard and First Street, at the end of the Pulitzer Bridge that carries US Route 86 across the Mississippi River. The heavy traffic that traverses this intersection prompted the city to construct a jughandle exit for the eastbound lanes. They accomplished this by converting a short stretch of Rue Sauvolle, named in honor of the first colonial governor of Louisiana, into a one-way road, and the cafe sits in the center of that junction. Although the location makes the diner somewhat difficult to access, the exposure provided by the location’s visibility on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares more than offsets this disadvantage. Located along Mississippi Avenue near the border between the River Market and Bertling Park Districts, Levee Park is a relatively new city park created as part of an initiative to revitalize Bertling Park in the early 2000’s. It provides walking and biking trails along with public spaces and a playground. It was well received by residents and has become a popular part of this transforming community. Across the street, another result of the district’s revitalization can be seen. The Mississippi Village Development is a large complex of mid-range apartments constructed to take advantage of the neighborhood’s emergence as a trendy arts district and the resulting increase in property value. The project, however, necessitated the demolition of two entire city blocks of mixed-use properties that were aging, but not in disrepair. The demolition and construction required for the complex was delayed for years by disputes between the developers, the city, and community leaders who vehemently opposed the project. Eventually, however, the project went ahead and was completed in 2016. The Bienville Public Library’s main branch is located adjacent to Iberville Square, which has served as a public gathering place for much of the city’s history. It resides in a large, richly-decorated 1887 structure that formerly served as the home of the Bienville Commodities Exchange. Inside, the library features an extensive collection of fiction and non-fiction works, along with an extensive genealogical collection, archives of local history, and the Bienville History Museum. It frequently hosts public events both in the library and on its grounds adjacent to the square. The next two images focus on two recent, but very different, development projects located around what has historically been known as “The Junction,” a three-way intersection where Grand Boulevard and Clemens Street converge at their crossing with Fourth Street. The first of these is the Market Square development, which features one mixed-use nine story tower, a 4 story residential building, and a connected three-level parking garage. This development marked the highest building built in the River Market district in many decades and was designed to have ample access to transit, including a street car station and bus stop directly adjacent to the property. This, coupled with its position within walking distance of the business district, Iberville Square, and the City Market make it a near perfect property for residents wanting independence from owning an automobile. It contrasts this distinction with its on-site parking garage, which is actually a public lot designed to provide greater access to Market Square and surrounding attractions. Among these is another development project that has received near-universal praise, a rare feat in the city, the Clemens Street Pedestrian Walk. This project, which has adopted the name “The Junction” from the meeting of the three streets, converted the short stretch of Clemens Street before it converges with Grand Boulevard and Fourth Street into a pedestrian street. A long plaza, complete with shade trees, replaced the roadway and buildings along the stretch were refurbished or renovated. The East end of the walk is capped by a small public park while the west end features a massive art installation looping above the walkway. This project not only improved the conditions of this historic area, but it eliminated the three-way intersection that previously had been one of the most congested and dangerous junctions in the city. The old buildings now house trendy shops and restaurants and numerous loft apartments catering to people who want move back into the city from suburbs. These two development projects have been held up examples of revitalization projects done right in a city that has seen many controversial developments. Finally, we have arrived at the beating heart of these districts and downtown as a whole. The City Market, which is the reason this district is referred to as the river market, features a covered outdoor marketplace and a large indoor market hall. The market building, build in 1879 as a train station, is home to numerous permanent and temporary vendors and eateries, while the outdoor area hosts twice-weekly farmers markets flush with local produce. It is one of the busiest markets in the united States, and has operated continuously in this location since 1906. Its recent resurgence in popularity has been key to the emergence of the River Market as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city. This brings the first update of Bienville to and end. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed creating it. Please share any ideas you have, any comments, or any criticisms. I also appreciate feedback. If you do like what you see, please take the time to rate this post and follow the journal so you see when I post the next update. I am not sure yet how often updates will come, I’m hesitant to post a schedule with how long some things I want to do might take me and how unstable my game can be. I do have a second update close to completion, so that should be coming within a week or two. I have also considered trying to put together some video content or livestreams for this project. Let me know if you would like to see that. I do have some recording of what I’ve built already, but due to some issues with recording software I lost quite a bit of it. I also am planning to use my website a bit for this project. I have some ideas for some extra content that would be hard to do here. Not much is done yet, but eventually I hope to have quite a bit of additional information there. When any substantial additional content is added I'll let everyone know in a post. Until next time, thanks for reading!- 7 Comments
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Jackson County Episode 1 - "Downtown Jackson" Welcome to Jackson County! RV Capital of the World! Before I show you the "Historic District" of downtown Jackson, you must first understand a little bit about this city. Here you go: - Region of the USA: Central Michigan - City Population: 54,670 - County Population: 197,892 - Known for: RV Capital of the World (manufacturing RVs) In this first episode, the highlight feature will be the historic and quaint, "Downtown Jackson." The City of Jackson is content on preserving the historic quality of downtown Jackson. Many regional and corporate headquarters reside in Downtown Jackson. Alas, here you go: 1. Jackson Square: The heart of the city. The epicenter of all the action. Yes, there are plans to revitalize the downtown. It's not exactly the nightlife scene, but, during the daytime, the streets are crowded. For the lack of a better infrastructure. 2. Northern Lights Casino & Resort Despite much opposition, the Pokagon Band of Indians was able to twist the arms of city leaders to locate a casino in the downtown. It was seen as an "economic boost." The Jackson Police Department thinks differently. 3. Jackson County Convention Center & Michigan Federal Government Building Michigan's state senator or governor may make an appearance every once in a while to the Michigan Federal Government Building, conveniently located next to the convention center. $28 million dollar price tag (tax dollars of course). 4. Greater Downtown Jackson Downtown office occupancy rate of 87%. Pretty solid for a Midwestern town. Apparently there are plans in the works for a "major" investment from a foreign company to locate their headquarters in downtown Jackson. Skepticism remains. 5. Jackson College Neighborhood The historic Jackson College, founded in 1897. Many beautiful homes, condos, and townhomes can be found here in this historic college and nearby neighborhood. This area has seen residential growth due to the Research Hospital located nearby. 6. "Northwoods" Downtown Neighborhood Who wants to take a stroll down the Jackson Canal, or perhaps the Jackson Central Pathway? Quaint neighborhood just north of downtown. Homes in this area will go between 250k - 400k. The price for safety and amenities! 7. Historic North Jackson Neighborhood (Old Money) One of my favorite neighborhoods in the city. Also located north of downtown about two miles. The mayor resides here, the founder of Keystone RV, and many other prominent businessman. Homes were built in the 1920s and 30s. This particular neighborhood features the North Jackson Pathway through the center of the neighborhood. 8. Southeast Gardens Neighborhood Another prominent neighborhood located nearly a mile southeast of downtown. Features the South Jackson Pathway as well as the Jackson Gardens. Volunteers from the neighborhood take care of the landscaping in the area. Quite the community pride in this quaint neighborhood. 9. Jackson High School & Freshman Campus As you can see, this roadway sees traffic build up during the school rush hour. Local leaders have consistently delayed this project for safety reasons. As one council member states, "we don't want this roadway becoming a major thoroughfare through our city with so many school facilities nearby." Therefore, no change has occurred. 10. The Jackson Avenue Shopping Corridor The regional shopping corridor in the city, South Jackson Avenue. Nearly every big box and chain restaurant can be found in this area. Pictured above is the Jackson Mall. Still thriving amid online retailers such as Amazon. 11. Jackson County Regional Airport & Industrial Parkway Still not international status, although the airport has seen considerable growth with the population creeping up. Truck traffic near this avenue is extremely heavy as there are nearly 40 businesses in this 1 mile radius. This is one of the economic backbones of the region. 12. Grand Jackson Industrial Park The second largest industrial park in the region, features many RV manufacturing companies as well as distribution centers. A rail hub goes through the area as well. Highlighted is Grand Design RV. 13. Teaser for Next Episode: Southwood Township Although not technically part of the city of Jackson, this growing township is just south of the city. Does the city of Jackson have plans of annexing this area into the city? Nearly everybody living here commutes to the city of Jackson. Here are a few pictures to symbolize what Southwood Township is like, and yes, suburbia does come to mind. So does traffic...
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Hi everyone, so I'm a new poster to Simtropolis (have been lurking and playing SC4 for quite a long time). I'm hoping to add more visual diversity to my cities in SC4 while still having them grow naturally, so I was hoping to get some more residential structures-I'm tired of seeing the same 4 types of houses and apartments everywhere. I was hoping that maybe someone could make some lots representing real life examples of housing in Midwestern cities like my home St Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, etc? All three cities, and all the cities of the Midwest, have too many unique examples to try and model, but here are 3 basic blueprints that i was hoping could be translated to SC4: St. Louis townhomes: -https://goo.gl/maps/WckNLUqQSRC2 -https://goo.gl/maps/hS7rM9q9jiE2 Chicago courtyard apartments: -https://goo.gl/maps/jAb8WKDr6YA2 -https://goo.gl/maps/K7XzZWyMdDU2 Cleveland single: -https://goo.gl/maps/LnnWtGQqBbD2 -https://goo.gl/maps/ootx4mv9FUq If someone could make lots out of these that fit the standard Maxis scale, that would be amazing! Thank you!
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Indiola Part 5: East Lake Rudy W.I.P
DavidDHetzel posted a City Journal entry in Waukegan - The Region on the Lake
Hey guys, here are a couple of photos of the tile I'm currently working on, hope this tides you guys over! -
Indiola Part 3: Ohio City Suburbs
DavidDHetzel posted a City Journal entry in Waukegan - The Region on the Lake
@kschmidt, @kelistmac and @tariely, thanks for the comments and thanks for the idea for beaches Tariely! At roughly 150,000 Ohio City is the center of Indiola both economically and culturally. We're gonna take a look at the outlaying areas of Ohio City. (Because like last time the game crashed before I could finish the shoot) Northeast Ohio City This is Day Bible College, a notoriously conservative Christian school similar to that of Liberty University, but on a smaller scale. Shopping in and around the campus, includes Comet, Fishy Master Sushi, and Babcock Citroen Indiola Museum of Art Residencies \ Police Station More residencies Southeastern Ohio City. A small chunk of this area is incorporated as Powell Pines Powell Pines Farmers Market, Powel Pines City Hall and Ohio City Driving School Far eastern Powell Pines. Includes Pizza, Cell Phones, Bowling and Tractors. This is ChezMondo Stadium, home of the Ohio City Bandits of the Waukegan League. Here's South Ohio City, Includes the incorporated area of Pittsfield Suburban living! You could call this "Downtown Pittsfield" even though it is in incorporated Ohio City. Fry's Electronics is the anchor for this big shopping complex. Baseball fields and office parks in the far south. Ohio City Presbyterian Academy and Church plus the train stop for South Ohio City. Southwest Ohio City (From Top to Bottom) Gamma Hardware, Fancy Flea Antique Mall and Fleamarket, KMart, Southside Mall. A RightRail EMD G8 Carries a small manifest freight. Target anchors this shopping center along with Cub Foods and Hardees. Wal*Mart Anchors this store with Century Movie Theatres, and Media Markt Electronics South High School (Right) Freeman Elementary school (Left) plus Levens Stadium (Football) and Surhoff Ballpark (Baseball) Indiola University! You can tell what the original school was and what the new parts of school are. Homes plus on the far left is St Leo Preparatory School The newest addition to Indiola University. A dormitory/Athletics center. Ikea is the anchor store along with O'Charley's, Texaco, HyVee and Bass Pro Shops plus two blank lots for future use. Northwest Indiola Shoreline Palce Theatre and Music Hall The infamous "Vanity Project" Emerald Statute at the roundabout on roundabout at University Pike and Brown Ave. Warehousing District of Ohio City More Industry, plus the Franciscan Church of Ohio City. Also seen is Midtown Volkswagen, and the Ohio City train station. The Amazon Warehouse in the Warehousing District. One the left is DDT& Sons Farm supply, on the right is thought ti be a FBI building, and in the middle is this statue commissioned by the Indiola Dairy Farmers Association. Hope you enjoyed! Next update will be downtown Ohio City! -
COMING SOON!
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Here comes trouble.... http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/chicago-to-dallas-strong-storm/26736001
