Skyline Battle of Ohio, which city has the best skyline? (Columbus: weddings, square footage)

[Traveler87]

I don't think Columbus is much taller than Cincy. Both have great older buildings like LeVeque and Carew, and mixes great with the new modern towers and condos.

[dodeca]

I'd have to say Cleveland, for the Terminal Tower and Key Bank Building, lakefront location, and bridges over the Cuyahoga. I don't care for the bunching of talls near Public Square, but that was a decision made long ago. The view from University Circle clinched it for me.

I think Cincy also has the most vibrant downtown and inner neighborhoods, at least in terms of their connection to the downtown. I think the Carew Tower, inside and out, is one of the most unique and beautiful early 20th Century buildings in the country - rivaled only by the Rockefeller Center and Terminal Tower. Leveque is even in that race, in my opinion. Cincinnati has a fantastic skyline, but one important characteristic for me is the ability to see the skyline from many parts of the city. In Cincy, because downtown is in a bowl, it's beautiful from the seven hills, but not visible from many other places in the city. Cleveland's is visible, along the right vistas, from many angles. Another major drawback for me is Cincy's 5/3 Building, which I think absolutely ruins Fountain Square, perhaps the best urban space in Ohio.

Columbus, outside of the stunning Leveque (?) Tower, is filled with too many oddball, brutalist or just plain ugly buildings in my opinion. I like the setting along the Scioto, but Columbus on the whole reminds me of a SunBelt city, and I prefer cities with some older architecture, like Cleveland and Cincinnati.

I also like Toledo and Dayton's skylines, even more than Columbus's. I adore the Owens-Illinois/Fifth Third Tower in Toledo, along with the Hi-Level, MLK and I-280 bridges make it a very unique ensemble. The massing and setting of Dayton, cradled by the Miami Valley and set along the Miami River, is also very human-scaled and dense.

I'd say that among all US states, Ohio has the best collection of skylines as a whole.

[buckeyenative01]

Totally biased homer: Cincinnati

I'm also slowly warming up to Queen City Square, but I still hate that tiara.

[costello_musicman]

Originally Posted by City Boy Columbus

Columbus has the tallest and the best to look at in the day. But Cleveland and Columbus has the best since there's seem to be a lot taller than Cincinnatti.

I think Columbus is the shortest if we're talking sheer height.

[Natural510]

Originally Posted by dodeca

I'd say that among all US states, Ohio has the best collection of skylines as a whole.

Interesting; I find the collection of New York and Pennsylvania skylines to be charming, but it makes for an good discussion. California may also have an argument due to sheer numbers. Texas has nothing distinct, same with Florida.

[dodeca]

Originally Posted by Natural510

Interesting; I find the collection of New York and Pennsylvania skylines to be charming, but it makes for an good discussion. California may also have an argument due to sheer numbers. Texas has nothing distinct, same with Florida.

I agree that New York and PA have a great collection of skylines. I don't know the mid-sized cities so well in those states. Philly, Pittsburgh and NYC of course top anything we have in Ohio. I think Ohio's strength is the number and quality of its midsized and smaller cities' skylines.

[jbcmh81]

Ohio is mediocre at best when it comes to skylines. Cleveland's looks and feels old (okay it is old). If we were still in the 1920s, it might win.

Cincinnati seems to be winning the poll and it has nothing to do with the skyline, but because physical geography forced a denser collection of boring buildings. Its most recent addition looks like runner up to a Miss America pageant.

Columbus' skyline is large... but it seems to only have one skyscraper per square mile. Having the least dense downtown is awesome if you like parking in one of its 500 surface parking lots.

[Traveler87]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Ohio is mediocre at best when it comes to skylines. Cleveland's looks and feels old (okay it is old). If we were still in the 1920s, it might win.

Cincinnati seems to be winning the poll and it has nothing to do with the skyline, but because physical geography forced a denser collection of boring buildings. Its most recent addition looks like runner up to a Miss America pageant.

Columbus' skyline is large... but it seems to only have one skyscraper per square mile. Having the least dense downtown is awesome if you like parking in one of its 500 surface parking lots.

How is it mediocre?

Key Tower is in the top 70 tallest buildings in the world, and designed by world reknowed architect Cesear Pelli. Or Terminal Tower, LeVeque, Carew, etc. Pennsylvania has Philly and Pittsburgh, outside of that, their skylines offer nothing. Missouri has the arch... what else? Ever been to Milwaukee? Love their lakefront, but the skyline is boring. You can pretty much say the same about most states in the south minus Atlanta and Charlotte.

Ohio has 3 good skylines (yes I think they could be better), but Ohio is easily up there with the states of best skylines because of the variety Ohio offers. Even the smaller skylines are better than larger city skylines in other states.

[buckeyenative01]

I don't think a building topped off in 1991 (such as the Key Tower) counts as "old." Hell, the BP Building (or whatever its called nowadays) was completed in 1986. Calling Cleveland's skyline old is ridiculous.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by buckeyenative01

I don't think a building topped off in 1991 (such as the Key Tower) counts as "old." Hell, the BP Building (or whatever its called nowadays) was completed in 1986. Calling Cleveland's skyline old is ridiculous.

You're totally right.

Average year built of buildings 10 stories or taller:

Cincinnati: 1956
Cleveland: 1957
Columbus: 1966

% of 10-story or higher buildings built before 1950

Cincinnati: 36.8%
Cleveland: 39.6%
Columbus: 16.9%

% of 10-story or higher buildings built 1950-1980

Cincinnati: 36.8%
Cleveland: 30.2%
Columbus: 50.6%

% of 10-story or higher buildings built 1980-2011

Cincinnati: 26.4%
Cleveland: 30.2%
Columbus: 32.5%

So actually, Cincinnati is the oldest skyline. A total of 73.2% of their skyline 10 stories or more was built prior to 1980. Cleveland had 69.8% built before 1980, and Columbus with 67.5%. However, Cleveland had more buildings built in the period before 1950 than either of the other two more recent periods.

And for those interested, here is where I got the ages of the buildings: North America - SkyscraperPage.com I left out all the buildings that were below 10 stories or did not have a listed year.

But really, who takes stats and facts seriously? We're here to make unsubstantiated claims.