Hayward

I don't think it was necessarily a matter of space efficiency, though a bunch of vertically separated floorplates is a reality many businesses accept and deal with when working in an urban environment. I think it just made sense for them at the time to move to a location where many of their employees were living and because it was cheaper to be out of the city. Though it still may be cheap, there's been a flurry of articles of how businesses are leaving the suburbs and moving back downtown where they have...and actually say...an intelligent workforce, a creative class, and a more interesting work environment. Also with nearly every major suburb accessible to transportation, getting downtown is easy as opposed to driving across the metro and dealing with traffic. People tend to think suburb to downtown traffic is bad, when it's actually suburb to suburb traffic that's awful. Even worse, there's no suburb to suburb commuter rail. I'd love to see Sears back downtown, but I'm not sure where they'd go. We really don't have any vacant office space for them unless they build a new tower, and would they be willing to do that?

The competition has been heating up. Michigan is offering $50 million in incentives and have already selected potential locations for the hq

You get an F....a big giant F for not getting Ann Arbor!!!! Just kidding. What a complete set! Some of the angles are absolutely incredible.

^ Wrong city and place.

I haven't really updated this lately and a lot has happened. Here's just a few. I'll post more later. Looks like Waterview will be moving forward again beginning of 2012. Currently it's abandoned hulk of concrete at about 26 floors. Originally slated to be 90, the design will be truncated to just 65 george posted this photo by way of skycrapercity and skyscraperpage.com http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=185023&page=7 Here's an update on Roosevelt's new dorms NorthAndre NorthAndre

Thanks for the Lansing tour. Despite living in Michigan until I was 25. I had only been to Lansing a handful of times...maybe 4. I've never really cared for it. The city feels kind of dull. I guess a way to describe the city is "horizontal" Everything is spaced out, the buildings feel low and flat which I think adds to its monotony and sterility for the fact there's little variation and interest block to block. I'll admit it's gotten better, and they are trying. The renovations are top notch but the infill and new development are pretty blah. As for the capitol, I have to agree with some of the remarks. Had the dome been a bit wider and more color matched it would be fine. What would have been better is a squarish tower with lots of columns that "wedding cakes" as it gets higher.

LOL, nice you got my friend's house. You can buy some of these mansions for cheap. Unfortunately the cost to heat one of these is unbelievable.

Really dig those morning shots. BTW, the people mover I think was out of service because of the wall collapse at the Whitney building. A 12' x 100' section of the building came down, some of it hitting the people mover tracks

Awesome shots. Love the aerials too. BTW, a beautiful building hides beneath this

Today, I really regret not trusting my gut and saying something. I was on the lakefront trail bike path where it crosses some surface streets and gets really narrow. I was behind a mother with her toddler in those small seat attachments behind her. What upset me was she was going a little fast (for having a child) and kind of swerving back and forth. I think if you are going to take a young child on a bike with you, at least have some coordination. But it gets worse. At the bottom. She runs a red light....at a 4 lane one-way. Two cars pass by on either side. At that point I was going to tell her that as a mother, she should not be reckless, having a child on her bike and wait for the signal to change. But I was worried I'd get the earful "Don't tell me how to be a parent b.s." Which to be honest, I think is garbage. Anyone in public should be able to call out bad parenting. Well anyway, didn't do it, and when she was beginning to illegally cross the street at the next intersection, she missed the car coming, and slammed on the brakes. She fell over sideways and the toddler smacked her head on the pavement. She was fortunately wearing a helmet and ok. But what an awful scene. Seeing a bike laying down on the ground with the child still attached in the seat, screaming and in tears, head on the pavement. I f that was my child, I would never forgive myself. Instead the mom tilts the bike back up "Oh she's fine, she's fine we'll be ok, smiling, and rides off...of course...not waiting for the signal to change. Horrible.

I hope you took video/pictures to prove it! I just pulled the label off the box. Actually our building resolve issues based on your honest word. They don't need photos or proof. If the resident tries to dispute it and lie, which they almost never do, we have cameras everywhere they can go back and review. And trust me, the woman that runs our management office.....YOU NEVER give her bullsh!t.

I've been away from the library for a few years since college. I just checked the Chicago libraries website and eBooks are probably the biggest section of their site. Wow have libraries changed

I'm pissed someone left their garbage in the stairwell. I sometimes run the 22 floors of stairs of my building to get some exercise. It's kind of winding staircase, so when I came down I slipped some thin pieces of packaging and fell on my ass on the concrete steps. I was lucky to pull up so I didn't hit my head. There's a garbage chute right there, and apparently they chose to just leave it there because the cardboard didn't fit. The resident was dumb enough to have their name on one of the box labels so I'm going to leave a note in the management office. The penalty is a $100 fine added to your rent for leaving garbage in the stairs. I don't care if you are in a wheelchair, pregnant, or 95 years old. Don't leave garbage in the stairwell. Either find someone to do it for you, leave it in your apartment, or leave the building for a place that doesn't have stairs or halls where you can put your unwanted sh!t

Amazing. In Ann Arbor, the University wants to move a dumpy suburban house because they don't want it anymore and don't want to tear it down. Yet at Mackinaw Island, a historic structure may be destroyed. They better block this. All this garbage talk about "create tax base...help the state." B.S. Mackinaw Island generates more than enough revenue. 1 building isn't going to be all that noticeable.

Who said anything about the street? I said Findlay Market. That would be like you riding your bike through the Westside Market. I agree on that issue. People who try to ride their bikes through busy, congested pedestrian areas are morons. They should at least dismount and walk their bikes, or better, lock them at the entrance and walk. Same applies at many festivals. It depends. Actually cyclists who ride SLOW...important word SLOOOOWWWW on sidewalks in crowded areas are less obtrusive than a person walking a bike. A person walking a bike is more likely to strike/scratch a pedestrian because they have no idea of their horizontal clearances. A person on a bike on average requires 22 inches of horizontal clearance A person off a bike requires on average 38" inches of horizontal clearance.

The interns are learning sketchup and photoshop.

People who don't appreciate your helpfulness. Not that I expect a thanks for everything, I don't, but here's the story. Someone contacted me on another internet board last month if I was aware of any companies hiring interns for his background. I said not any other companies in particular, but mine MIGHT be hiring. I warned him that it's a little late, most college students apply for internships no later than February, not in May when many of those positions have been filled...if not already having the student right there in the office! It was followed by quite a bit of correspondence. I talked directly to our hr head, and asked. She said all summer positions were filled back in late winter. I then tried to negotiate saying maybe some related position or perhaps a couple weeks. Really, I made a huge effort. And it's not all that comfortable trying to get someone a job within your company especially when the decisions have already been made. So I replied back to this person and apologized that we were full. I said we would be interested in interviewing anyway, and that maybe he could stop by for a day to shadow or just have a meeting to ask questions. I gave my contact info and everything. No response, no thanks, just silence. Your welcome, don't think of asking me again. I don't think this person has very good job seeking skills #1 Don't ever apply late for summer internships #2 Don't be too pushy on your contact. It's okay to follow up or check on things, but in the professional world, things like this take time. And it's not my decision, nor am I sitting at my desk thinking about it everyday, I'm busy, I have things to do. I'll report back to you when I get an answer. Don't send me pms every other day. #3 The response was, the positions are filled. Thank your contact. Say you plan to keep in touch in the future. Consider it a future option if you can get your stuff together earlier

It's bad

I like the new tower so far, and I'm pleased with what the same architecture firm did here with 300 N Lasalle

Along time ago I remember hearing on the radio about some guy who bought a house in Florida that was apparently on the registry for pissing in public many years ago prior when he was in college. Fast foward years later with he and his family settling in their new house. Cops come knock on the door and say they have to move because they are located by a school. I'm sure laws vary, but I'd say it's not worth the fine either. I think it's hundreds of dollars here in Chicago, which has pretty much eliminated the problem. But I'd say what needs enforcement is the people who don't pick up their dog's sh!t in the park. It's just sits there in the grass and temperatures reach 85 degrees and you can smell it 20' away.

It's a glitch on iphone too. ---------- My building lobby late at night reminds me of barber shops where people get all debating and stuff and it ends up getting out of hand and angry because everyone's coming in drunk. I'm jwaiting for someone to get thrown through a glass door.

http://www.stevencanplan.com/the-bollards-are-in-nuff-said/ Mayor Rahm Emanuel has pledged to build 100 miles of these cycle tracks across the city. I look forward to seeing these. Throw in the Navy Pier flyover that will begin construction next year and hopefully...hopefully the Bloomingdale Line and Chicago will be experiencing a major boom in modern bicycle infrastructure.

^ I always go to yelp to read reviews. I know some pretty dedicated people on that site. I've decided that Western Digital makes the most durable external hard drives. Every so often my chair at work gets tangled in the wires under my desk. I get up to get a coffee and "CLACK, clack, clack" the hard drive falls off the top of the desk or computer onto the concrete floor. They build those things to last.

Still is a great driving experience. The building was recently sold but redevelopment plans have been kept private. The building is a historical landmark, so it's appearance won't be changing much. It's cool to dream of Apple moving somewhere in the midwest, but the talent is out there in the Bay area. Too bad Cupertino sucks, and to think I almost spent many years living in Hayward.

^ That's when I say, they should have just picked a different site. We're fortunate alot of older warehouse and factory buildings have wide column widths, heavy floor loads, and high ceilings to accommodate a wide range of modern research and production. Just for run I ran some calculations and found Apple would fit in the Old Main Post Office here in Chicago. Yet space would still be tight: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Chicago_Main_Post_Office