Multi-story strip malls - does your city have them? Or is this uniquely Los Angeles - Page 4

LA21st · #61 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 8:35 PM**

I'm not saying LA doesn't have shitty walkability here and there but for the most part I don't think "I hate walking in this neighborhood ".

And I walk alot lol.

There's some stretches of Venice, Santa Monica and Olympic Blvds that suck for walking. But usually there's some walkable corridior nearby instead.

Overall I would say it's good, but not great like older cities. Terrible? No.

JManc · #62 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 8:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA21st

I'm not saying LA doesn't have shitty walkability here and there but for the most part I don't think "I hate walking in this neighborhood ".

And I walk alot lol.

There's some stretches of Venice, Santa Monica and Olympic Blvds that suck for walking. But usually there's some walkable corridior nearby instead.

Overall I would say it's good, but not great like older cities. Terrible? No.

I wouldn't want to be carless in LA but there are many places in the LA area to park the car and walk for a few hours. They're just not contiguous like older cities up north or SF.

LA21st · #63 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 8:53 PM**

Yea, for sure. It's a problem and impacts how some people view it in general probably .

I'm walking from Runyon canyon (Hollywood hills) down to farmers market/3rd on weekends and it's a very pleasant walk. Maybe 4 miles total?
But most people won't do that lol

badrunner · #64 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 9:01 PM**

Yeah it's not like LA is lacking in fantastic retail corridors and traditional town centers. I mean, there's miles of stuff like this all over the place:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9776...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0633...7i16384!8i8192

It just also happens to have a bunch of unique and colorful strip malls which have their own gritty urban charm. Not every street has to look the same. There's room for different retail typologies, especially in a city that can support such an insane density of retail.

Steely Dan · #65 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 9:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by badrunner

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9776...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0633...7i16384!8i8192

the size, density, and uniformity of the shade trees on those two streets is really impressive!

they're magnificent, and not something i'm accustomned to at all coming from chicago, where street trees on commercial streets tend to be a more haphazard and sporadic mixed bag of smaller trees.

here's my neighborhood's main retail street: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9649...7i16384!8i8192

i think the 8 gazillion tons of road salt that chicago dumps on its main streets every winter has a nasty side-effect of killing street trees before they can grow to magnificent size like those LA examples.

badrunner · #66 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 9:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA21st

Yea, for sure. It's a problem and impacts how some people view it in general probably .

I'm walking from Runyon canyon (Hollywood hills) down to farmers market/3rd on weekends and it's a very pleasant walk. Maybe 4 miles total?
But most people won't do that lol

Hell, I've walked the entire length of Wilshire in a day. The thing is, almost everything is pretty walkable, and you could live a car-free lifestyle in many parts of LA. but very few people actually do.

sopas ej · #67 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 9:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

the size, density, and uniformity of the shade trees on those two streets is really impressive.

they're magnificent, and not something i'm accustomned to at all coming from chicago, where street trees on commercial streets tend to be a haphazard and sporadic mixed bag of smaller trees.

here's my neighborhood's main retail street: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9776...7i16384!8i8192

i think the 8 gazillion tons of road salt that chicago dumps on its main streets every winter has a nasty side-effect of killing street trees before they can grow to magnificent size like those LA examples.

That surprises me, Steely. And, the example you posted looks like those are fairly newly planted gingko biloba trees?

Here's a street in my area, which hehe we go to fairly regularly. Up the block is a Japanese restaurant we go to regularly, and there's a nice Argentine place on this street too: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1445...7i16384!8i8192

badrunner · #68 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 9:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

the size, density, and uniformity of the shade trees on those two streets is really impressive!

they're magnificent, and not something i'm accustomned to at all coming from chicago, where street trees on commercial streets tend to be a more haphazard and sporadic mixed bag of smaller trees.

here's my neighborhood's main retail street: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9653...7i16384!8i8192

i think the 8 gazillion tons of road salt that chicago dumps on its main streets every winter has a nasty side-effect of killing street trees before they can grow to magnificent size like those LA examples.

Those trees are probably close to a hundred years old. Mature landscaping can make all the difference. That's why I'm willing to give some of those newly built urban neighborhoods in the sunbelt a chance. Give them time.

My favorite street trees are these massive hundred year old hundred foot tall pines. Not something you see everyday in the city:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0991...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1009...7i16384!8i8192

Steely Dan · #69 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 9:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sopas ej

That surprises me, Steely. And, the example you posted looks like those are fairly newly planted gingko biloba trees?

i edited my link. the original one i posted was of clark street in andersonville, my old neighborhood (you'd think i'd remember where i live

).

i replaced it with a street view of lincoln ave. in lincoln square, where i actually live now.

but yeah, generally speaking you almost never see giant 50+ year old street trees on commercial streets in chicago.

now, the residential side streets of chicago, those are often a MUCH different story:

a couple blocks over from the last street view i posted: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9648...7i16384!8i8192

but even there, you almost never see the 100% manicured uniformity of the trees like you see on those LA retail streets.

SFBruin · #70 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 10:23 PM**

What I remember about LA is that it is pretty easy to get around by bus.

I think that the combination of walking and the bus makes for a somewhat adequate lifestyle.

ocman · #71 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 11:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFBruin

I think that those are unique to LA.

I don't recall ever seeing one in Daly City when I lived there, and I'm pretty sure I haven't seen one like that in West Seattle.

There’s all over the bay area. You’ve lived here and you’ve never seen one?

There mostly in heavily Asian areas like San Jose. Here’s one in Milpitas that I used to go to. I associate them with ethnoburbs that have large Southeast Asian communities in California.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.4191...=en&authuser=0

jmecklenborg · #72 Posted **Oct 20, 2021, 11:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by badrunner

Hell, I've walked the entire length of Wilshire in a day. The thing is, almost everything is pretty walkable, and you could live a car-free lifestyle in many parts of LA. but very few people actually do.

LA is also very bikeable. Stay away from Wilshire, Sunset, etc., and just ride the side streets. I don't get why people don't get this. You can bike from the Santa Monica Pier to DTLA almost entirely on low-traffic residential side streets.

LA21st · #73 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 12:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFBruin

What I remember about LA is that it is pretty easy to get around by bus.

I think that the combination of walking and the bus makes for a somewhat adequate lifestyle.

It is. I work in downtown burbank and there must be 8 bus routes here to la neighborhoods plus burbank own bus service.

Echostatic · #74 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 12:38 AM**

Austin has a few multi-story strip malls. Arbor Trails (https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2215...7i16384!8i8192) in my part of town is a good example, with the classic staircases on the outside. I believe Arbor Trails was built partially multi-story because of impervious cover restrictions. West Tower Village (https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2310...7i16384!8i8192) is also partially multi-story. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples around town but those are the two I know off the top of my head.

tech12 · #75 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 12:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pizzaguysrevenge

There's one in Lakeshore Plaza in SF, less than a mile from Daly City.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7329...7i16384!8i8192

Quote:

Originally Posted by ocman

There’s all over the bay area. You’ve lived here and you’ve never seen one?

There mostly in heavily Asian areas like San Jose. Here’s one in Milpitas that I used to go to. I associate them with ethnoburbs that have large Southeast Asian communities in California.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.4191...=en&authuser=0

Here are a few examples from Oakland:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7895...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7874...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7928...7i16384!8i8192

SFBruin · #76 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 1:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ocman

You’ve lived here and you’ve never seen one?

Yeah, I mean maybe I don't get out enough lol. I didn't recall seeing them in Daly City / SF specifically, along with Palo Alto and Berkeley, which is probably where I spent most of my time.

So, maybe it's just a quirk of seeing only parts of the Bay.

Segun · #77 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 2:22 AM**

I only know of one in Chicagoland:

Schaumburg
https://goo.gl/maps/h7KgwL4i2ZkDhojn8

Surprised nobody has mentioned Atlanta
https://goo.gl/maps/7ngDrqnyPFXjdm227

https://goo.gl/maps/cySSxnRVr68XSZsc8

ChrisLA · #78 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 4:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschaton

I think one reason why they became so common in Los Angeles is the strict zoning which segregated completely residential and commercial uses. Up until recently it was basically impossible to have "apartments over a store" in LA. This meant in a commercial corridor options were limited where you couldn't construct an office building. Either you have rinky-dink one-story commercial, even with big apartment blocks just behind, or you do the whole multi-story strip mall thing.

I also think these multi-story strip malls are a major reason why LA comes out to be theoretically quite good on walkscore in some spots with terrible actual walkability. Lots of stores within a very short distance after all.

I disagree, just about every city in the USA including NYC with the exception of Manhattan have I seen residential areas separated from the commercial streets. I can’t recall seeing a bunch of retail on the average residential street, not in Chicago, not in San Francisco, and not in most of NYC. There are parts of old LA that still have buildings with commercial businesses on the first floor and apartments above. They are all over south central LA, and even along major corridors throughout neighborhoods west of downtown and into Hollywood. Search around south LA, especially the east side, and streets heading west, Melrose, Santa Monica Blvd, 3rd, 6th streets, and numerous others. Usually these are mom and pop’s businesses, corner markets and or liquor stores.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9932...7i16384!8i8192

Well I had to delete the other examples, I just realized I copied the same street scenes over by accident. Now I’m too lazy and too tired to redo it.

SIGSEGV · #79 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 4:51 AM**

I remember seeing some in Honolulu, like this one:
https://www.google.com/maps/@21.2922...7i16384!8i8192
And nearby there is a 3 story one!
https://www.google.com/maps/@21.2914...7i16384!8i8192
and, yep they're all over the place
https://www.google.com/maps/@21.2897...7i16384!8i8192

There's kind of one I'm aware of in Reno, although it's a bit different since the second story is accessed from the back (it's on a hill) and it's mostly doctor/dentist offices, not stores (though at one point there was a cyber cafe where I used to go and lose at Counterstrike)
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5335...7i16384!8i8192

In Chicago... well, Chinatown Square almost feels like a strip mall (though it's not really)
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8536...7i16384!8i8192

ardecila · #80 Posted **Oct 21, 2021, 5:32 AM**

Chicago has a few. If you’ve been paying attention to the other examples, it seems to be almost entirely an “ethnoburb” phenomenon so naturally the Milwaukee Ave corridor has a few:

https://goo.gl/maps/WysHEtaZAyAs4JmM8
https://goo.gl/maps/S7jL8K5MtKKUszj5A
https://goo.gl/maps/Rme3BmdKjaHnPcs3A