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Welcome Back to my City Journal, "Touring the World"! All Cities shown are inspired by reality, but may have subtle differences with their real-life counterparts. These differences may be due to game constraints... being in a Mirror Universe... or... just because. For this entry, we'll be visiting Singapore! SINGAPORE, a clean, safe, efficient and wealthy city-state located on an island in hot and humid Southeast Asia. Built on the tip of the Malayan Peninsula along the Strait of Malacca, it is a major trade, finance, shipping and tech hub and a popular tourist destination. The country (and the city) are built on a relatively small land area sandwiched between two much larger countries, Malaysia to the north and Indonesia to the south. Despite its small size, the country is the most developed economically in Southeast Asia with a standard of living that is among the top ranked in the world. It is home to many international businesses as well as first-class education, research and health facilities. Its infrastructure is also amongst the best in the world. We begin by flying over Singapore. Here we see Singapore's Central Business District (CBD), the Marina Bay area, Sentosa Island (a resort island located south of the Singapore "mainland", where many Singaporeans spend their weekends) and some of the other surrounding areas. And now let's begin our day in Singapore! First sunrise along the Singapore River which runs adjacent to Singapore's CBD. Usually at this hour it is fairly quiet with the only activity being morning joggers getting their exercise routine in before the weather gets too hot, though even at this hour, its usually around 80-85'F already. As the day progresses, Singapore's CBD gets busier, bustling with office workers toiling away for both locally-based companies as well as major international and global corporations, especially in the areas of finance and banking, which has traditionally been a key industry of Singapore's strong economy. Local banking corporations such as United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) are based here. In addition, many global banks such as ANZ, Citibank, Standard Chartered, HSBC, JP Morgan, BNP Paribas have regional headquarters in Singapore's CBD. In the last decade or so, an ever increasing amount of global tech firms have also moved into the area, including the likes of Google, Apple, Samsung and ASUS. Along the Singapore River is Clarke's Quay, a very popular dining and nightlife destination for both tourists and locals. Many restaurants and bars line the river and these businesses are operated in traditional Singapore "shophouses", a type of colonial-era architecture unique to Singapore, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia. Drop in here for some amazing seafood, or a nice cold locally-brewed Tiger Beer, or perhaps something stronger...? Near the CBD is Marina Bay, home to the famous iconic landmark Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino, with its "surf board" infinity pool connecting the tops of three hotel towers, and Gardens By the Bay, a 250-acre nature park. Both Marina Bay Sands and Gardens By the Bay were built on re-claimed land. And now let's take a short diversion to Sentosa Island, where Singapore goes to play and spend its weekends. The island features beaches, two world-famous PGA golf courses, some historical landmarks and some of the most expensive neighborhoods in the world. We'll visit some of these areas in Singapore: Part 2, but for this entry, let's visit Resorts World Singapore, an integrated resort on Sentosa Island and the island's biggest tourist attraction. Resorts World Singapore features a hotel, casino and mega-mall as well as Universal Studios Singapore. An overview of Universal Studios Singapore. Although not as big as the ones in the United States, Japan or China, it is the only Universal theme park in Southeast Asia and is quite the popular attraction. Some of the more popular parts of the park are Jurassic Park, Springfield and Transformers: The Ride. The park can be accessed by road (the massive car park is located underground beneath the park itself - see if you can spot the ventilation shaft), monorail (followed by a short tram ride to the main entry area) or by foot through an air conditioned, semi-covered water-front "moving walkway" that connects the Resort with Vivo City (a mall on the "mainland") and the cruise ship terminal (also on the mainland). Revenge of the Mummy, located in the "Ancient Egypt" section of Universal Studios. A roller coaster, with you guessed it... mummys! Glass covered stage area for shows, Nickelodeon Nick Toons and Mel's Drive-In Diner. The main park entry area featuring the famous "Universal Globe" that is present at all Universal theme parks around the world, as well as the construction site of the park's first major expansion since opening. If theme parks aren't your thing, perhaps some shopping along Orchard Road, Singapore's high-end and exclusive shopping street, home to many top of the line designer brands. One of the more unique buildings is the pagoda-inspired Tang's Plaza, located at the intersection or Orchard and Scotts Roads. The base of Tang's Plaza is home to the flagship store of TANGS, a locally based high-end department store that sells everything from apparel/clothes to kitchen-wares and home goods. The top floors are occupied by the Marriott hotel. Another view of Tang's Plaza as well as an ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) toll gantry. Singapore was one of the first places in the world to implement electronic-only tolling on its roadways. Singapore's CBD is also subject to "congestion pricing" where tolls vary based on time of day and demand. Given the lack of space, Singapore's government has encouraged its citizens to use public transit as opposed to driving. Unlike many western countries, Singapore's public transit system is top notch, clean, safe, efficient and always on-time. Taxis in Singapore are also relatively affordable when compared to other countries and taxi operators are governed by strict rules that ensure trustworthy and honest drivers and clean and safe vehicles. After a long day of touring Singapore, its time to get some dinner. A popular spot is East Coast Seafood Centre, located in East Coast Park about half way between the CBD and Singapore's Changi Airport. Here you will find famous local restaurants such as JUMBO Seafood, Long Beach and others serving the famous Singapore Chili-Crab. Each restaurant does its own take on the dish, so its worthwhile to try them all. The restaurants are housed in open-air buildings and the tables are mostly located outside and along the water. A perfect atmosphere for seafood and beers! How about an after-dinner swim? Let's return to Marina Bay Sands and check out the world-famous infinity pool with its sweeping 53rd floor views of Singapore's CBD. And that wraps up our day in Singapore! Good night and we will see you again soon for Part 2! Thanks for visiting! You can also follow my CJ's and other content on Instagram.
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Welcome Back to my City Journal, "Touring the World"! All Cities shown are inspired by reality, but may have subtle differences with their real-life counterparts. These differences may be due to game constraints... or... just because. For this entry, we'll be returning to the US West Coast! Starting from the north, we return to the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area! Downtown Portland is known for its 200 ft by 200 ft blocks - originally designed to maximize corner units and thus developer profit - today, an unintended side effect has been that the blocks are short, walk-able and pedestrian friendly. This photo shows the area around Broadway and Main Street, including two very interesting buildings, 1000 Broadway (the building with the white dome) and the Portland Building (top right corner), which houses the City of Portland's various bureaucracies guarded by the statue "Portlandia" who stares down at every citizen of Portland who dares enter the building to file a Planning Department permit for their backyard fence remodel or whatever else they need local government for. Another shot of downtown Portland, this one along Burnside Avenue. Included in this photo is the City's (and the State of Oregon's) second tallest building, the US Bancorp Tower, also known locally as "Big Pink". It stands at 43 stories tall. On the 30th floor is one of those fancy restaurants with great views but overpriced food and drinks. Also in the photo is the MAX Light Rail, which serves not only the city of Portland but also surrounding suburbs and the Portland Airport. At the bottom left is the Chinatown Gate, located on 4th Avenue, it provides a cultural icon and entryway into Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood. In August and September of 2020, vast forest fires raged throughout the western United States. The Portland area wasn't spared. Due to the fires, air quality in the Portland area plummeted to over 450+ AQI (air quality index). At that time, the air quality in Portland was the worst recorded globally. The photo below shows the St. John's Bridge, a suspension bridge located approximately 5 miles north of downtown Portland and crossing the Willamette River shrouded in a thick orange haze. This photo was taken September 15, 2020. Just 10 to 15 miles west of Downtown Portland is Washington County a mix of suburban housing tracts and rural farmland. One of the striking things about the Portland area is how fast you can go from an urban center with skyscrapers to vast open farmland. Much of this farmland is protected by Oregon's strict land use regulations and the Portland area's "Urban Growth Boundary". The photo below shows the rural and privately-owned Twin Oaks Airport in Hillsboro, Oregon, approximately 12 miles south-west of downtown Portland. Eugene, Oregon is located 105 miles south of Portland along Interstate 5. It is the second largest city in Oregon with a population of about 150,000. It is also home to the University of Oregon and the 2020 Pac-12 (football) Champion Ducks. The Ducks play their home games at Autzen Stadium, pictured below, which is located just north of the University of Oregon's main campus area. Travelling further south on Interstate 5, you will find yourself in California and its capitol city, Sacramento. While we won't visit Sacramento itself during this entry (we will in a future entry), lets swing by really quickly to Roseville, California, which is a suburban bedroom community located directly east of Sacramento in Placer County. Roseville's development is typical of inland California, featuring endless tract homes and neighborhoods, churches, parks/open spaces and big box retail. Many people moved into this area in recent decades to escape higher housing prices in cities along coastal California. There is no lack of land in the Roseville area and this housing is much more affordable when compared to the Bay Area or Los Angeles area. A typical home in the neighborhood below sized between 2000 and 4000 square feet could range from $300,000 to $600,000, a steal considering a similar home would easily be over $2,000,000 in the Bay Area. To the west, Oakland, California. Oakland is one of three major cities surrounding San Francisco Bay. It's population is approximately 480,000. It is also home to the second largest container and shipping port in the western United States. Each day thousands of containers are loaded and unloaded. Many consumer products manufactured in Asia and elsewhere and destined for customers in the United States pass through here. From the Port of Oakland, these products are either loaded onto semi-trucks for delivery within the Bay Area region or within California, or, loaded onto freight trains where they head east. In recent decades, downtown Oakland has seen a bit of a revival. Due to the lack of build-able land in the Bay Area, housing prices are exorbitant and always in short supply. Oakland has always been seen as a more affordable alternative when compared to San Francisco while still providing some of the same urban amenities and lifestyle. Taking advantage of this, developers have built "luxury" condos and apartments throughout Downtown Oakland in recent years. Of course, a 800 square foot one bedroom unit on a lower floor will still set you back $850,000+ if purchasing, or at least $3,500 a month in rent. Oakland is home to Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics (A's). The A's play at Oakland Coliseum, an outdated facility surrounded by a huge parking lot. There are ongoing discussions about building a new ballpark for the A's at a waterfront location closer to downtown Oakland. The Coliseum was formerly home to the NFL's Oakland Raiders before they relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. The Coliseum is also located next to the arena formerly known as Oracle Arena. Oracle Arena was home to the NBA's Golden State Warriors prior to their move to new facilities in San Francisco. The Warriors won several NBA championships in this building. Both the Coliseum and the Arena area are served by the Coliseum BART station (BART = Bay Area Rapid Transit) and pictured top right. From here, commuters can catch BART trains to San Francisco, San Jose, the Oakland Airport, Berkeley or other suburban destinations throughout the Bay Area. The freeway pictured at the bottom is Interstate 880 which connects Oakland and San Jose to the south. Rush hour traffic on this freeway is an absolute nightmare due to the amount of commuters and truck traffic coming to/from the Port of Oakland. West of Oakland and across the Bay Bridge is San Francisco, California. One of America's most recognized cities, San Francisco is home to Golden Gate Park, pictured below. Contrary to the name, the park is not located directly adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge, but rather, a few miles south. Similar to Central Park in New York, it provides respite from the urban hustle and bustle. It is also home to the De Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences (which features an aquarium, a bio-dome and one of the largest green roofs in the country), and the Golden Gate Park Japanese Gardens which are pictured below. Next, we return to Los Angeles. In the hills above downtown LA and adjacent to Elysian Park is Dodger Stadium, home to the 2020 MLB Champion LA Dodgers! Although the ballpark is similar in age to the Oakland Coliseum previously seen, Dodger Stadium retains much of its "retro-charm" and has preserved outfield views of the surrounding hillsides. Finally, we visit Downtown Los Angeles, home to the tallest building on the US West Coast (by spire), Wilshire Grand, on a rare rainy day in LA. Thanks for visiting! You can also follow my CJ's and other content on Instagram.
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East Asia: China, Japan, Korea (Part 1)
thecitiescenter posted a City Journal entry in Touring the World
Welcome Back to my City Journal, "Touring the World"! All Cities shown are inspired by reality, but may have subtle differences with their real-life counterparts. These differences may be due to game constraints... or... just because. We're now off to East Asia! Tokyo is the largest city and capital of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, it is located on the main Japanese island of Honshu. It's metropolitan area is home to over 37 million people. During the 1980's it was an economic powerhouse. Today, it is one of the most frequently touristed cities in the world. Shinjuku is one of the most famous districts of Tokyo. It is home to the world's busiest train station, office towers, hotels, department stores, Godzilla, countless restaurants, cafes, bars and Pachinko parlors. Now let's take a trip on Japan Air Lines (JAL)'s Airbus A350 from Tokyo to Osaka. No trip to Japan is complete without a look at Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.2 meters (12,389 feet) and perhaps the most recognized cultural icon of the country. And now Osaka, Japan's second largest metropolitan area, with a population of over 20 million. It is located south of Tokyo in the Kansai region. Hong Kong is one of the most recognized cities in the world, a favorite tourist destination known for its many sights, shopping opportunities and delicious food. Its skyline contrasts against a background of lush green, subtropical mountains and deep blue ocean seas. With a population of over 7 million people at 17,550 persons/square mile, it is one of the densest cities in the world. Due to the lack of build-able land, it is also one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, with 350 square foot condos being easily valued at over USD $3 million per unit (!!!). With such density, its no surprise that Hong Kong is home to one of the most successful public transportation systems in the world. Hong Kong is also one of the world's primary financial hubs with almost every major international bank having some level of operations in the City. And now a historical picture of Hong Kong's Kai Tak International Airport, circa 1980. No longer in operation, this airport was located in the heart of a dense urban area. Due to twist and turns, no visibility of the runway until the very last second, and the low altitude approach above apartment towers a mere couple hundred feet below, landing at Kai Tak was enough to make even the most seasoned airline passenger nervous! Here is a shot of the old Kai Tak terminal building, including various Cathay Pacific Lockheed L-1011s (Cathay Pacific is based in Hong Kong), a Pan-Am Boeing 747 bound for San Francisco, and a Thai Airbus A310 bound for Bangkok! Shanghai is the largest city in China, home to 35 million people. In the 1930's, it was known as the "Paris of the East" harking back to scenes of a romantic and historical waterfront area known as the Bund. Today, however, it is a modern skyscraper-filled financial center. The area known as Pudong, which as recently as the mid 1990s was nothing more than rice fields, is today home to multinational corporations, investment banks and some of the tallest buildings and hotels in the world. Taipei is located on the northern section of the island of Taiwan. It is home to over 2 million people and the economic center of the island. It's suburbs are home to Taiwan's well known semiconductor industry, but when you're in the City, you can't miss the 1,671 ft Taipei 101, located in the upscale Xinyi District, home to world-class shopping malls, high end retailers, five-star hotels and super expensive condos mainly reserved for wealthy businessmen or celebrities. Kaohsiung is Taiwan's second largest city. In contrast to Taipei, Kaohsiung is decidedly industrial and blue collar. It is home to the 85 Sky Tower, an architectural marvel rising to 347.5 meters (1,140 ft). While Kaohsiung doesn't garner the same level of attention as its big sister to the north, it is still well worth the visit, especially considering that the trip from Taipei only takes about 2.5 hours on Taiwan's High Speed Rail. Seoul is South Korea's largest city and capital. A highly successful business center, it is home to the chaebols, South Korea's conglomerate, mega-corporations. These corporations are best known for their consumer products, such as smart phones, appliances and cars. These high quality products aren't the only thing that the City exports. Seoul is home to South Korea's well known entertainment industry, churning out Korean drama shows and of course, "K-pop" music. While not as popular tourist-wise as some of the other cities in East Asia, those who have visited Seoul have had nothing but good things to say and always want to come back. Though if you're inclined to warmer climates, you may want to avoid winters here, which can be downright chilly. Thanks for visiting! You can also follow my CJ's and other content on Instagram.- 7 Comments
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Welcome to my new City Journal! All Cities shown are inspired by reality, but may have subtle differences with their real-life counterparts. These differences may be due to game constraints... or... just because. We'll start off on the US West Coast. Seattle, Washington is the largest city in the US state of Washington. There are over 3 million people living in the Greater Seattle Metropolitan Area, which is known for its naturally beautiful surroundings, rain, coffee and Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks and Costco, all of which are headquartered here. Another major company, Boeing, was founded in Seattle and still has significant operations in the area, though its corporate headquarters was moved to Chicago. Below, is a picture of downtown Seattle during the afternoon commute. Interstate 5 runs through the downtown area and is often congested. There are, however, Express Lanes that run parallel to the general purpose travel lanes. This is, in my opinion, one of the coolest stretches of interstate freeway in the United States as there are multiple tunnels and ramps as well as the close proximity to the Seattle skyline. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport also known as "SeaTac Airport" is the primary commercial passenger airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area and is one of the busiest airports in the world. It serves many US-domestic routes, as well as international routes and non-stop flights to cities in Asia and Europe. It is a hub for Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines and is currently undergoing renovation and expansion. Below is the new skybridge that links the South Satellite terminal (used primarily for international flights) with the Main Terminal, allowing passengers to "walk over" the planes. Portland, Oregon is the largest city in the US state of Oregon. There are approximately 2 million people living in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem Metropolitan Area. Portland is known for rain, coffee, donuts, beer, food carts, biking and outdoor lifestyle. Many Portlanders pride themselves in "Keeping Portland Weird", though the city and region has been one of the fastest growing in the nation in recent years. It is the setting for the comedy television show Portlandia. Downtown Portland, shown below, is known for its small, walk-able blocks each measuring 200 by 200 feet (or 4x4 in SC4) as well as its "park blocks" (entire city blocks dedicated to green space). The tallest building in Oregon, the Wells Fargo Center, pictured below, is 546 feet, 41 stories tall. It has been the tallest building in the state since 1972 and no building is expected to be taller in the foreseeable future, as the City has a strict height limit in the downtown area to protect views of the nearby West Hills and of Mount Hood. The Lloyd District in Portland is home to the Lloyd Center Mall, once billed as America's "largest outdoor mall". It was covered, expanded and renovated into an indoor mall in the early 1990's. In recent years, the mall has become somewhat dilapidated and there are rumors that the site may be used for a Major League Baseball Stadium as part of an effort by Portland to lure a professional baseball team. The Lloyd District is also home to the Oregon Convention Center (pictured below) as well as the Moda Center, home of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers basketball team. Fremont, California is a suburban city in Alameda County, California. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area along the Bay's eastern shore (also known as the "East Bay"), approximately 30 miles south of Oakland and 15 miles north of San Jose. Fremont has an estimated population of 238,000 residents. It consists of primarily suburban residential and commercial strip malls and industrial areas. It is also home to the Tesla factory, where the famous electric car maker currently manufactures its Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles. The Tesla Factory is located along Interstate 880 and Mission Blvd. and is also located next to the Union Pacific Railroad line and the new BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Silicon Valley Extension. Los Angeles, California perhaps needs no introduction. It is the second largest city in the United States with an estimated population of almost 4 million people within the city limits alone. It is the economic center of the Greater Los Angeles area which has an even greater estimated population of almost 14 million people. Los Angeles County and nearby Orange County are the largest counties by population in the United States and LA ranks 3rd/4th largest GDP (by city) in the world. It's known best for Hollywood, movies, television and celebrities, but it is also incredibly diverse both demographically and socio-economically. Downtown LA, pictured below, is home to many corporate offices and hotels. Historically, it tended to clear out after every one got off work... but in more recent years, there has been a real push to develop more residential and housing in the downtown area. Thanks for visiting! You can also follow my CJ's and other content on Instagram.
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