Posted June 15, 200619 yr Earlier this week I ventured a few blocks to W25th Street to check out the views from the Riverview Tower. Some may question the sanity to make this visit, but I can assure you that once I got over the fact that I am a skinny little white boy (from Cleveland Ohio, come to drink your women, and chase your beer...) heading into a CMHA housing project, there is nothing to worry about (it's mostly elderly housing these days). The views were some of the greatest I've ever experienced and would suggest checking it out to everyone if you get the chance. Here are some photos:
June 15, 200619 yr Those are some great pics, and some unique views, to boot. So is Riverview open to anyone who walks in? That seems strange to me.
June 15, 200619 yr nice work! I've never even thought of doing that! I wouldn't expect there'd be any reason to be fearful of going into Riverview, but I suspect that they have a sign in desk...yes? My fave is the same as Rob_1412's
June 15, 200619 yr No, there is no security or desk of any kind. Just walk on in through the main entrance off W25th and head north within the building to the elevator. For some reason I couldn't get onto the top floor terrace, but the 14th floor has just as good a view. I can't imagine what that looks like at night. Sounds like another assignment...
June 15, 200619 yr Oh man, I might have to don a gray wig and Bosom Buddies my way into a unit in that place. Thanks for sharing the sweet views. And thanks UrbanSurfin' for dropping the name of the guy that sings that catchy song- I've been meaning to google it for about 5 years now.
June 15, 200619 yr Awesome views. OK, what's stopped some developer from buying that concrete silo in the pic that Rob1412 and MGD both like? That would be an awesome housing development -- similar to what was done at Quaker Square. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 16, 200619 yr ^im pretty sure thats a wheat/grain silo, i know someone who works over there great shots, so this is all non-market rate??
June 16, 200618 yr Yeah, it's public housing for the elderly, but about 5 years ago it was surrounded by some of the roughest housing projects in the city along the slope down to the river. It's surprising a private developer hasn't taken a piece of land on W25th and built luxury condos along the rim of the river valley. The views are phenomenal.
June 16, 200618 yr ^I think the views from the western bank is the driving force behind the success of Stonebridge. Have you checked out their views from the Superior Viaduct? Another spot just down the hill from Riverview at the intersection of Columbus and Franklin has similar views. At that intersection there is a small strip of new contemporary townhouses- called Irishtown Condominiums I think- and a blue collar bar called Hooples with large picture windows of the skyline.
June 16, 200618 yr My girlfriend lives at Stonebridge and we often hang up on the bridge and read the paper. The cobblestone street shows how streets really should be constructed. It's lasted 130 years and looks imacculate, leave a freeway bridge to its own devices, and it would fall apart within 5 years.
June 16, 200618 yr It's surprising a private developer hasn't taken a piece of land on W25th and built luxury condos along the rim of the river valley. The views are phenomenal. Is this a cruel joke?
June 17, 200618 yr My girlfriend lives at Stonebridge and we often hang up on the bridge and read the paper. The cobblestone street shows how streets really should be constructed. It's lasted 130 years and looks imacculate, leave a freeway bridge to its own devices, and it would fall apart within 5 years. I agree that the old viaduct is pretty impressive in its longevity, and it was an amazing thing when it was completed in 1878. Keep in mind, though, that it was only 40 years old when it was replaced by the Detroit-Superior High Level Viaduct (Veterans' Memorial Bridge), long before trucks reached today's weights, before traffic reached today's volume, and when traffic speeds were on the order of 10mph and slower. During most of its life, it carried horse-drawn vehicles and streetcars that weigh much less than contemporary light rail vehicles. The vibration and load stresses from today's traffic, combined with the heavy doses of salt now used for snow and ice removal, almost certainly would have had their effects on the masonry. Even under those conditions, though, it might have held up better than contemporary construction does. Incidentally, brick or cobblestone pavers, when frost-coated or wet, can be slicker than snot, especially for rubber tires. Try riding a bicycle on a brick street right after a heavy frost! :-o
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