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Roanoke, Virginia

 

Population just under a tenth of a million, which is 1/3 of the MSA.

Located along the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

Virginia has these things called independent cities, which means no county courthouse? WTF?

 

 

 

First a view from the little mountain overlook.  There is some huge metal star monument up here that I didn't care about, but it is famous or whatever.

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It seems that you could take the Norfolk & Western line from Columbus to Hagerstown. Sign me up!

This train map, which includes little metal things to stop people from skating on the curb, was part of a little park walkway/jogging thing that runs along the rail for a block or so. It had a few other neat train themed things too (like a bench with train wheels as supports on the side)

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Roanoke's second tallest tower. It is several blocks from the core, and this bare wall faces the rest of the downtown. Of course, it is a federal building built in the 1970 decade

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Part of Roanoke market district…there were vendors selling wreaths and soaps and stuff…no fresh produce today,  but they probably do at harvest time.

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Train

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Originally was Norfolk & Western general offices. now it is the Roanoke higher education center.

 

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This does look like it would be fun...

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It seems i neglected to get one of the Roanoke Hotel which was just behind the train area, built in 1882 for the N&W RR people/tudor style/national landmark. It can almost be seen at the far right. Just above it is some famous church they have:

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Roanoke really could be Virginia's Asheville if it wanted to be.  Did you check out Grandin Village?  It's their mini-Short North.  Well done sir!

"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

not very attractive, but looks clean and cared for, a solid place.

 

Man, Roanoke gave Portsmouth a shout-out on the rail map in pic #2!

 

Did you check out Grandin Village?

 

Nope; I hadn't even heard of it before this mention. Perhaps if I ever go back near the area I'll stop by.

Very handsome city, in my opinion. Lots of substantial buildings and a well-kept, reasonably prosperous-looking downtown as befits the home of a surviving home to one of America's consistently well-managed railroads. In their hey-day the Roanoke shops could perform heavy maintenance on a wide range of powerful coal-fired steam locomotives, and their foundries and forges and vast machine shops built from the ground up many of the Norfolk & Western's signature locomotives like the sleek J-series engines that could maintain 110-mph speeds with the road's heavyweight premiere passenger trains.

  • 2 years later...

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