Redefining the Mall in the name of Urbanism

[thelakelander]

The negative effect of not having a direct entry off Southside, is that it hurts Tapestry Park's retail segment's visibility.  Retail there will have to really depend on attracting workers from the nearby Merrill Lynch/BCBS campuses and the new hotel.  The service oriented businesses should be okay, because many don't rely on drive by traffic.  Nevertheless, if every development in the Southside was designed like Tapestry Park, that area would be a lot better off.  To do so on a grand scale, is where we need a planning department that recognizes the differences and benefits of real New Urbanism vs. repackaged shopping malls.

[zoo]

Dr. K. Hope your stop in Georgetown is a temporary one until you can make it downtown? Is affordability the reason you chose it over a downtown area? If it is, you should have done a bit more digging before buying. Being an urbanist and buying at SJTC is like being an environmentalist who doesn't recycle.

One more minor sticking point -- an anachronism has to do with historical context. I think the term you were looking for was "paradox."

[Doctor_K]

One more minor sticking point -- an anachronism has to do with historical context. I think the term you were looking for was "paradox."

I stand corrected, Zoo - thanks for the appropriate verbage.  Being a History major (not nearly as astute or learned as Ock, of course ), you'd think I'd have caught myself on that.

Honestly, it was the amenities other stuff that the builder was willing to throw in at Georgetown that got our attention - breaks on H.O.A. fees, upgrades, etc - because in the current market, Seda was so desperate to sell the housing stock. 

Above and beyond that, it's perfect for us because it's so close to 9A, which is crucial for us and our multiple jobs.  In this case, the paradoxical idealistic/wannabee-urbanist, living amidst the sprawl (kind of silly, I'll admit), is glad to have easy access to freeways.  The location is ideal for the commute to our lives/jobs on the Southside, Doctor's Lake, Fort Caroline, and Arlington.  Thank you inner beltway!  BTW, I'd had my heart set on Berkman since the day Phase I broke ground, but that wasn't reasonable given our 'other factors.'  One day, ideally, I'd love to be in the core.

On a lighter note, since my neighborhood doesn't yet have a recycling deal in place, I regularly trot down to Philips/Baymeadows with trunkfuls of recyclables.   

[thelakelander]

I ran across this thread on a different site.  Its a collection of The Green Towne Center images in suburban Dayton.  Take a look at the directory and compare the layout of this complex with the St. Johns Town Center.  Both are suburban, but one has done a better job with building and parking placement, especially around the major entrances.







link to more images: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=159642

[Jason]

I'd take that any day of the week.

[Ocklawaha]

I stand corrected, Zoo - thanks for the appropriate verbage.  Being a History major (not nearly as astute or learned as Ock, of course  ), you'd think I'd have caught myself on that.

Certainly an embellishment of my somnifacient scrawl, a thus far ineffectual tyrannical lexiphanicism of futile phantasy. A Don Quixote, theorist gone awry on the premise of cerebral function in City Hall.

Hee Hee

OCKLAWAHA

[Jason]

Dude!  Speak ENGLISH!!