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  • "Room With a View", Anyone?

  • General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.
General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.

Moderators: mtuandrew, gprimr1

 #1537957  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Seems as if "room with a view" is going mainstream and upscale - and beyond the railfan community:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/real ... racks.html

Fair Use:
.After Yue Yu and her husband first moved into their one-bedroom condo in Long Island City last summer, she spent a blissful afternoon out on her new balcony.
She basked in the sun, which washes her living room and bedroom with light from the southeast. She tilted her head up to the blue sky. And she looked out at the view.

Of train tracks.

Her building, Galerie, backs up to an inactive rail spur. Beyond is track after track serving the New York City Transit Authority, the Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak. Ms. Yu and her husband, who paid $875,000 for their home, see the No. 7 subway rolling by as they get ready for work in the morning.
 #1537975  by bdawe
 
I half-seriously tried to talk the spouse into buying an under-construction condo overlooking Willingdon Junction near Vancouver the other day, "Bordeaux Luxury Living", with the inestimable luxury of watching the CN, CP, Amtrak, VIA and occasional BNSF local be sorted between either side of the Vancouver Harbour

Image
 #1565050  by bdawe
 
Update: have asked the realtor to arrange a viewing for a condo in the neighbourhood overlooking Willingdon Junction, from 25 floors up. May be able to swing the Mrs on this one
 #1565836  by bdawe
 
Image

The Canadian National Railway Company was kind enough to provide an opportunity for live demonstration of the sound insulating qualities of this property.

Incidentally, the diagonal power line right of way in the upper right corner of the picture pointing towards the freeway is part of the mortal remains of the British Columbia Electric Railway's Burnaby Lake Interurban
 #1565843  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Here's a place, "smack along the BNSF Chicago Sub" that I "wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole".

https://www.mycroftrow.com/

It's abuilding at present - and it's constructed of WOOD!!!!!

OK, in all likelihood, "It's Code"; but I don't think you want to pay $900K to listen to the trains all night (50 freight, 8 Amtrak, 60 METRA), the neighbor's fights, and the neighbor's "whatever else". I can't believe they are offering any kind of showing while under construction. If it were concrete, then go for it, if in your "range".

Me, I'll just stick with my 1942 vintage, 1200ft, wooden frame dwelling with its "view of the action from my front yard during Winter" location. Read Bill Stephens piece in April TRAINS, where he, much more the railfan than am I nowadays, is happy to be "close, but not on top" of the action.
 #1565860  by bdawe
 
as a resident of a 12 year-old stick-frame three-over-one building for the last 8 years, I'm reasonably pleased with the sound proofing for internal noises. The occasional foot steps but I've never heard anyone's voices.

Now if there were diesel locomotives moving by I might have a different story