AUSTIN | Northshore | 424 FEET | 38 FLOORS | U/C | Complete - Page 13

MTM-ATX · #**241** Posted **Jan 22, 2015, 2:15 AM**

Great time lapse. Thanks TXAlex!

Tech House · #**242** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 12:44 AM**

I was walking around downtown checking things out today and saw the big sign outside the construction gates for Northshore and 500 W 2nd that says, "NO PHOTOGRAPHS PLEASE!" Being a fan of this forum and all the wonderful pics people share, I had a good laugh. I have a hard time imagining what purpose that sign serves other than to reveal that whoever came up with the idea for it is incredibly out of touch with reality. Probably a lawyer or insurance underwriter.

wwmiv · #**243** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 12:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech House

I was walking around downtown checking things out today and saw the big sign outside the construction gates for Northshore and 500 W 2nd that says, "NO PHOTOGRAPHS PLEASE!" Being a fan of this forum and all the wonderful pics people share, I had a good laugh. I have a hard time imagining what purpose that sign serves other than to reveal that whoever came up with the idea for it is incredibly out of touch with reality. Probably a lawyer or insurance underwriter.

Attorney was almost certainly behind it.

Jdawgboy · #**244** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 1:09 AM**

I don't see how they can enforce such a rule. I took my pictures from across San Antonio street at the far corner. What are they going to do cross the street and scold people from taking pictures that are on a public sidewalk?

wwmiv · #**245** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 1:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I don't see how they can enforce such a rule. I took my pictures from across San Antonio street at the far corner. What are they going to do cross the street and scold people from taking pictures that are on a public sidewalk?

They can't. Don't pay it no mind.

KevinFromTexas · #**246** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 1:26 AM**

Yeah, when you're in public you can take photos of just about anything. It would be different if you were standing on their property however.

This is a good read about your rights as a photographer. This passage applies here:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=129445

Quote:

Property owners may legally prohibit photography on their premises but have no right to prohibit others from photographing their property from other locations.

This means you can take a photo of their property from the sidewalk even if it is the one bordering it. You can photograph it from the street or on another sidewalk across the street. You can even photograph it from another property, assuming you have permission to take photos from that property. Most of the time parking garages are ok to take photos from. If I ever have a doubt or see that there is a guard on duty, I'll ask permission first. Most of the time they're totally cool about it, and there's nothing stopping anyone from snapping a photo of the view with their cell phone after they've parked their car in the garage anyway. One thing, though, if they ask you to leave, you must leave.

I have noticed that it often depends on the security guard, however. Some are more strict and less understanding than others. Really as long as they see that you're taking photos of the view and not of the actual property itself, they're mostly ok with it.

Tech House · #**247** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 6:19 AM**

What's the basic objection likely to be here, that someone would be taking photographs for the purpose of using it against them for some purpose? I can see this as a conceivable (though not reasonable) motive, just as many businesses are worried about activist documentarians collecting evidence against them. The main issues I can see being sensitive downtown would pertain to safety and workers' rights, but there are probably others. But that just makes the sign seem very silly, because the only people who are likely to abide by it are those who have little to no motivation to take the photographs in the first place.

austlar1 · #**248** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 6:26 AM**

This photo phobia started mostly after 09/11 when owners of commercial properties suddenly decided that details about their buildings that might be contained in photographs posed some kind of threat to building security. It is a case of lawyers and security types creating a lot of absurd red tape. Some buildings will threaten photographers with arrest when they are caught taking pictures on the premises, and they will sometimes confront photographers taking pictures offsite. It is kind of silly in my opinion since a determined terrorist could easily obtain information about the buildings in question without too much difficulty.

KevinFromTexas · #**249** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 7:25 PM**

The security thing is kind of pointless, though. People do all kinds of messed up things without taking a single photo. I could see them worrying about security since the photos show what's inside the construction site - building materials. Metal thieves are kind of a problem. Still, it doesn't take a genius to figure out there's going to be building materials inside of a construction site...

The only other thing is the photos showing the building and then people critiquing its design, but that's also something that can and will happen with or without photos.

Also with the advent of Google Streetview, there's little point in telling the public they can't take photos of their property when you have the tech geeks doing it in a Prius with a giant camera mounted on the roof.

KevinFromTexas · #**250** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 7:28 PM**

By the way, the only time I've ever had a security guard in Austin tell me I couldn't take a photo of a building was at the federal courthouse, and technically he was right to do so since I was on the building's plaza (on their property). Although, you could argue since the building is a public building that you still have the right to be there. That's kind of a grey area, though, since it is still on the building's premises.

Syndic · #**251** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 8:14 PM**

Driving north across the 1st St. bridge late last night was the first time I've let out an involuntarily "wow" at Austin's skyline. It's impressive. It feels like there are highrises all around you. Northshore (along with Seaholm) is already making a real impact on the skyline. I can't even imagine how it's going to feel once Austin Proper, 500 West 2nd Street, The Independent, The Fairmont, 99 Trinity, and Waller Park Place are built. (I don't think Aloft, 5th and Brazos, or Hotel Zaza are going to be very visible from the 1st St. bridge, but will add a lot to the skyline regardless.) I don't think there's ever been a more exciting time in Austin than right now.

Jdawgboy · #**252** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 11:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

Driving north across the 1st St. bridge late last night was the first time I've let out an involuntarily "wow" at Austin's skyline. It's impressive. It feels like there are highrises all around you. Northshore (along with Seaholm) is already making a real impact on the skyline. I can't even imagine how it's going to feel once Austin Proper, 500 West 2nd Street, The Independent, The Fairmont, 99 Trinity, and Waller Park Place are built. (I don't think Aloft, 5th and Brazos, or Hotel Zaza are going to be very visible from the 1st St. bridge, but will add a lot to the skyline regardless.) I don't think there's ever been a more exciting time in Austin than right now.

That's how I feel about crossing Congress as well. Looking left to right your basically looking at a wall of highrises. In a couple of years both crossings will be epic.

The ATX · #**253** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 11:20 PM**

Ditto here. I take S. 1st into downtown for work and am often parked in traffic on the bridge. But I don't mind it so much just because of the view.

TXAlex · #**254** Posted **Jan 27, 2015, 4:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

By the way, the only time I've ever had a security guard in Austin tell me I couldn't take a photo of a building was at the federal courthouse, and technically he was right to do so since I was on the building's plaza (on their property). Although, you could argue since the building is a public building that you still have the right to be there. That's kind of a grey area, though, since it is still on the building's premises.

Don't take a photo on the USPS grounds.... I was about to photograph the label on a package to ME in the post office at Burleson and this old broken turd of woman threatened to call the police on me if I didn't give her my phone. I of course said I would would absolutely not. Eventually I showed her that the photo had not even taken the photo and left. Subsequently, I found that there have been multiple arrests of people for taking photos at a post office. Welcome police state.

Thanks MMT-ATX. I will be posting a few more after I register them.

corvairkeith · #**255** Posted **Feb 2, 2015, 3:46 AM**

Today.

Speculator · #**256** Posted **Feb 8, 2015, 6:55 PM**

Why no marketing site for this one yet? They seem behind Seaholm and 5th and West yet the building is further along.

Anyone know if these will be more high quality finishes like Bowie or run of the mill like Ashton?

Tech House · #**257** Posted **Feb 8, 2015, 8:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speculator

Why no marketing site for this one yet? They seem behind Seaholm and 5th and West yet the building is further along.

Apparently the residential units are all apartments, so there's no need for pre-selling.

On a totally unrelated note, looking at the picture in the first comment in this thread, you can plainly see 500 West 2nd Street looking pretty much as it is currently planned to look. Also, the tower immediately west of Northshore is depicted and it's a nice tall and thin one. Nothing spectacular, but at least it's not bulky. Too bad the Proper Hotel couldn't swap places for that prominent position.

The ATX · #**258** Posted **Feb 8, 2015, 9:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speculator

Why no marketing site for this one yet? They seem behind Seaholm and 5th and West yet the building is further along.

Anyone know if these will be more high quality finishes like Bowie or run of the mill like Ashton?

That is kind of odd. They didn't even pick the name "Northshore" until after construction started.

Speculator · #**259** Posted **Feb 8, 2015, 10:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

That is kind of odd. They didn't even pick the name "Northshore" until after construction started.

That's what I thought. Bowie has been leasing apts for sometime, as has Seven. OR at least they had sales offices open. Went to Bowie this weekend, very nice.

KevinFromTexas · #**260** Posted **Feb 8, 2015, 11:20 PM**

Name switches aren't uncommon. Remember when Ashton was "Altavida"?