SimCity Downloads: More NYC BAT's in Process Being Built

Just a quick update to tell everyone I'm in the process of BATing up some buildings that should be ready to hit the simcity downloads section soon. Be on the look out for them in the next couple of days.

Speaking of downloads some of you may have noticed KS JPN has updated his site, SimCity BAT Showcase. He changed his URL so update your bookmarks, I have posted the new URL in the links section. I'll be adding more BAT links in the near future.

More next time.

YouCity's Amazing 3D Map of Manhattan

If you haven't heard about the site YouCity or checked it out yet you should take a look. The YouCity team has been diligently working on mapping and modeling Manhattan.

The website is actually a social networking site with a 3D map that is displays information on entertainment hot spot in the city. It seems like an interesting concept (social mapping service?) The map really reminds me of SimCity 3000.


I spoke on the phone a couple of months ago to the man behind YouCity, Shu Zang. He told me each building is individually modeled to accurately represnt the area. Now that's detailed dedication. I'm not sure how many people are modeling the buildings but it must be a lot since Manhattan has so many buildings. Also, there are a few inaccuracies and buildings that should have more 3D detail added to them.

Though, I don't think every single building in Manhattan is modeled and it would be nearly impossible to do that. Nonetheless, it's quite an amazing project and demonstrates an interesting application of how 3D mapping can be used in other ways.

You can find more out about YouCity 3D Maps and how they develop them maps at youcity.com.

SimCity Tutorial Videos

I discovered some great SC4 tutorial videos after visiting YouTube today. I found a helpful video on laying NAM EL over road transit pieces

It's always nice to see step by step tutorials because sometimes we need visual aids and video tutorials show us exactly what to do. Very handy aid to written tutorials. You can find more SimCity 4 tutorials on YouTube.

Speaking of tutorials I'm thinking of putting together a tutorial myself on how to make realistic recreations in SimCity but that's a future project so you'll have to wait for that one.

Manhattan 1609: The Big Green Apple

Manhattan is known for it's famous skyscrapers and vibrant streetlife. Although 400 years ago Manhattan was a little known island inhabited by woodland animals and a few Indian tribes.

Here's some great renders of what Manhattan looked like back then from the New Yorker's Mapping Manhattan

Here's a 3d render of what the island looked like back then compared to now. The West Side of Manhattan in 1609 and 2009. The clearing of trees is about where times square is now.

We'll have more Sim New York next time

Google Earth New York: A Closer Look

Today we'll take a closer look at Google Earth New York. With updated new layer 3d cities I've been exploring Manhattan with amazement at the level of detail that went into the creation of this update.

The photo realistic textures, the day/night transitions and the scale of it all is something that will take mapping to the next level in the coming years. Here's a few more images from the map.

Times Square

City Hall and Tweed Courthouse

Renwick Ruins on Roosevelt Island

McGraw-Hill Building in Midtown

One Worldwide Plaza

Could Sim New York be upstaged by Google Earth New York? Possibly, though it is likely my Google Earth Project will help my sim New York project and serve as a useful reference for Manhattan (the other boroughs aren't mapped out in 3D- yet.)

In the meantime we'll take a 3D tour of the various neighborhoods of Manhattan in the coming months ahead so be on the lookout for that.

More SimCity New York next time.

Google Earth New York: Manhattan Finished!

My other recreation project has taken a big step forward toward being complete, Manhattan is now finished thanks to a new 3D update to Google Earth. Here's some of the latest pictures from Google New York:

The Financial District



The Lower East Side, SoHo, Greenwich Village and other areas of Lower Manhattan.

Midtown



The Upper East Side


We'll take a closer look next time.

Christmas in New York

There's no other time like the Holidays in New York. The Big Apple is decked out in festive decorations that signal the start of the season.

City Hall puts up their Christmas Tree the earliest, a few days before Thanksgiving.



Lincoln Center puts on a performance for the eyes with its Christmas tree with blue lights.


The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree signals the official start of the holiday season.

The Waldorf Astoria Hotel welcomes holiday guests with its elegant ornament wreaths and garland.

Even though it may be upstaged by the giant flashing billboards around it the Times Square Christmas Tree adds the city's Christmas Tree collection .

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The Bronx in SimCity

A close up of a side street in the south Bronx. Old tenements juxtapose with high-rise public housing units across the street.

More next time.

SimCity Central Park-79th Street Traverse in

One last look at fall before Winter sets sets in and the beautiful colors of the trees from their mid season display on the 79th Street Traverse.

More next time.

Sim New York: Inaugural Excursion to Washington DC Preview

With the end of a historical week comes the beginning of another project gearing up for the presidential inauguration in Washington DC.

I've been working on and off on DC for a couple years now. Only the areas around Capitol Hill and downtown have been laid out. Here's a an overview of my current progress so far.


A Metro Police car is on special assignment patrolling the west parking lot of the White House for president elect Obama's visit.

The Jefferson Monument at night.

Be on the lookout for my special inaugural update in January. More Sim New York coming up next time.

Making of SimCity New York: Harlem

We'll head up to Harlem today to check out how things are progressing with the area.

Here's a map of the area shown.




View Larger Map

The square of plaza tiles is a placeholder for the Apollo Theater, soon to be BATed. 125th Street runs along the right side of the picture and is the most developed part of the area since this is the main throughfare of the Harlem.

More next time.

Cities XL Videos

I'm gearing up for the release of the upcoming city simulation game Cities XL with planning a New York recreation in Cities XL (more on that in a later update)

Here's some of the latest videos from the Cities XL team

Cities XL Walkthrough


Curved Roads (Finally)


More coming up later.

NYC Taxiology 101 Preview

Here's a preview of my upcoming post of the different looks of those famous yellow cars and how they've changed since the 1970's.

How the hacks car has changed in 10 years:

Central Park West and the 65th Street Traverse-1997


65th St and Madison Avenue-2007


We'll take that trip through time next time.

Remembering 9/11

Today marks the seventh anniversary of 9/11. SimNew York is paying tribute to that day by offering the World Trade Center for download. You can get it in the downloads section.

More next time.

YouCity Map of Lower Manhattan in Action

Here's a look at the fully 3d map of Lower Manhattan created by new mapping startup YouCity. Very stunning and well done.


You City: Sample Map of Manhattan from digitalurban on Vimeo.

I spoke with the president of YouCity last monthago and he informed me most of Manhattan is already done and told me all of the buildings are fully modeled in 3d by a team of modeler's.

It will be interesting to see how the mapping device evolves over the next few years.

SimNew York Turns Five!

The project turned five a month or two ago but I have not had time to make an update until now.

I'm celebrating by giving two 3D gift's to all the BATer's out there and taking a look back at the history of New York being created in SimCity and showing what's around the curve for Sim New York as well as a few other projects I'm working on.

Next month I'll be releasing The Globe from the World Trade Center to pay tribute to 9/11 as well as the long awaited Park Avenue Tower.

We'll also take a look a the different looks of various New York's taxis cruising around the streets of New York since they were painted the iconic yellow in the 1970's and we'll head to the Queens for a second installment of my neighborhood spotlight series.

Brooklyn Bontantical Gardens and Park Slope

More from Brooklyn for today.


This time a look of progress so far with Park Slope. There's still a lot to due but things are coming along slowly. Brooklyn Botanical Gardens are in the upper part of the picture.



A closer look of the botanical gardens. Not an exact replica due to the clam shell fountain but close.

More next time.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Ditmas Park and Kingston Brooklyn

Today a new section of the blog is born, neighborhood spotlights. This section will feature certain areas around the city to help you gain better insight into the areas of the recreation and of the actual area itself. After all interesting neighborhoods make the city.

We'll kick it off with out very first showcase, Ditmas Park and Kensington Brooklyn. The historical areas of Ditmas Park and Kingston are not only one of the most suburban areas of Brooklyn, but one of the most historical. We'll take a tour of these area today in 3D.

First we head to Ditmas Park with its tree lined streets and historical victorian homes. Ditmas Park is an area of Flatbush bounded by Flatbush Avenue on the east, Church Avenue to the north, Coney Island Avenue to the west and goes south until about Brooklyn College.

Here's a version of the area in SimCity.

The real Ditmas Park in Google Streetview

View Larger Map

Middle class and upper middle class families live along these tree lined streets in homes that cost anywhere from $400,000-$650,000. Though, I've seen homes on trulia.com going for more than $1 million in this area.

Looking above the area around Beverly Road


Next we'll head off to neighboring Kensington, just west of Borough Park. There's some dispute amongst real estate agents and residents over the official borders of Kensington but the borders are tentatively McDonald Avenue to the west, Canton Avenue on the north, Rugby Road to the west and Ditmas Avenue to the south.

Kensington has a bit more affordable housing than Ditmas Park and offers more types of housing such as walk up and multi-story apartments buildings. The area is diverse and is home to many immigrants.

A suburbanesque street in sim Kensington.


The real thing in Google Streetview.

View Larger Map

More next time.

NYC Google Streetview Easter Eggs- Nightview

Cruising around the streets of New York in Google Streeview I came across two Easter Egg of a nighttime captures of a drive over the Brooklyn Bridge and of Times Square.

Brooklyn Bridge at night in Google Streetview

View Larger Map

Times Square at night in Streetview

View Larger Map

More coming up next time.

Ferrara Bakery and Cafe Review

In addition to mashup maps that help you get around I’m adding a new section to the blog, restaurant reviews. A 3D recreation can also be practical and helpful as well as entertaining ;)

Since it’s the middle of summer we’ll see where the Best Gelato in New York is.

There’s a lot of great places to get some great gelato but Ferrara Bakery and Café In Little Italy has some of the best gelato in New York (or at least Manhattan). Even though it can be a little touristy and sometimes pricey ($6 for a iced mocha) it’s still worth it for the gelato, tiramisu and cannoli’s.

You can check out photos of Ferrara at Yelp.

Ferrara Bakery & Café
195 Grand St (between Mott St & Mulberry St)
Average tab- $10-20
www.ferraracafe.com

Ferrara Bakery SimCity stlye