I first spotted these on Middle Road near the round-about in Bettendorf when I was out taking the pictures of the future high-tech office park. I wished I had stopped to take a picture after I drove past. Fortunately, I had to make a rare trip to the suburbs(Bettendorf) this afternoon, so I decided to swing out and get a picture.These condos embody everything that is wrong with current neighborhood design. Uniformity the Nazis would be proud of is about the only description I can give of places like this. Note the precisely one identical tree in between each driveway. Also, these demonstrate how modern American houses have become visually dominated by the garage. I would guess that almost 80% of the front of each condo is taken up by the 2 car garage door.
This is why New Urbanism is so important to me. Neighborhoods that look more like the places we grew up, with alleys, clotheslines, variety in house design, and fronts of houses that look like houses rather than garages. I'm sure some people think those condos are just the cat's pajamas, but personally, to me a neighborhood will always look like the one below.
6 comments:
AMEN, QCI!
if you want to see really interesting real estate, go out to Eastern Avenue and look at Nicki's place.
QCI might to a little to young for the place, given all the nude statues of women and such.
But what the hell, go out and snap a few photos QCI. Let all these bloggers see what Niki is all about
Niki is doing great things for real estate in the Quad Cities. And, she keeps getting dumped on by City staff. She would really make a damn good Mayor. Talk about somebody that could straighten this City out.
Must be Bettendorf's idea of individualism and diversity. I take it the City has no design standards for subdivisions? Can you imagine trying to give someone directions to your condo? "It's the brown one, with the garage out front and the single tree in the yard..." I've seen the same type of subdivision in Eldridge. Is lack of design standards typical in Iowa?
It was great seeing Niky back at city hall telling us all how great she is and how she has a "secret list" that will solve all the budget problems, if she has all the answers why doesn't she make them public?
This woman is on an incredible ego trip that seems like it will never end.
When it gets warm and all the fountains get turned on, I'll post some pictures of the entrance to Niky's development.
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