I’d live in a state with elevation.
I work downtown. I’m sure at one point people could see the bay from the 5th floor. Now, you are lucky to see it from the 20th. Everyone is trying to build higher and higher, which means older buildings are being torn down for 50 story monsters.
Now this isn’t a complaint about the lack of nature or native life downtown because I’ll save that for another post. This is about the constant construction going on everywhere.
To get around downtown, you have to walk. I’m sure if I drove a $75,000 car, I’d drive it around like all the other small-dicked idiots around here, but I don’t. So I walk. That isn’t exactly an easy feet when every other building is under construction and the sidewalks are all closed. I feel like I’m in Frogger trying to cross the street, between the cars and the non-existent sidewalk. Although some days I hope that jerk in the car Aston Martin, or who am I kidding, Mercedez, hits me and I sue their ass so I can have one. But no, I continue avoiding these important people to try to get to food, or the bank. That’s another thing, there are more banks here than anywhere else on earth. I’m really surprised no construction crew has “accidentally” plowed into a vault with one of these cranes and then disappeared back to whatever South American country they are originally from.
Anyways, being a pedestrian is difficult, but that is not what truly annoys me. That is saved for the noise coming from the construction site across from my building. Or more specifically, my office. Every day we get bombarded with the sounds of that reverse beeping for hours and multiple sources; the sounds of grinding or sawing as from a chainsaw being used by someone who I can see from up here is not using the proper safety equipment; an incomprehensible loud speaker system that constantly goes off; and my favorite part, an unending alarm system that is on from the moment we arrive to the moment we leave. I wear padded head phones that cover my ears, blast Van Halen, and I still can hear the alarm. I want to ask the construction workers if they get annoyed with the alarm, but I really don’t feel like talking to them.
Also, an interesting trend on a lot of these skyscrapers is having a pool located above the parking garage, usually on the 12th or higher floor. And then, to make it more “natural” they surround the pool with palm trees. “Hey, forget about the former park we tour down to make room for this behemoth, and all the plants we killed as our workers parked and polluted around them, we will give you palm trees in front of the building and around the pool!” Its pathetic, really, and I’m guessing everyone buying into these places are too stupid to realize Florida has more than palm trees. Also, if you want a pool, go buy a single to two-story house anywhere in the area, and chances are it will have a pool. And a ground level pool at that. Or rent one. It can’t be as much as the $2000+ a month you are probably paying for your 800 sqr ft apartment.
And of course, what all these condominium skyscrapers means is more motorists and people in the area. And I’ve walked through the area, there are only a few restaurants at the moment and that’s it. No book stores, no electronic stores, nothing but over priced restaurants. Granted there is room for these things on the first floor of all of these buildings, but by the time they actually construct and move in to them, it will be three years later and I hope I’m still not here by then.
People from everywhere move to Florida. People from Florida move to North Carolina. What does this tell you?
Jason Orkin, Floridian
Tags: Blogging, Complaints, Life
