Bartow, FL- Largest city south of Tampa Bay in 1900, now part of the Lakeland Metro Area

The City was found in 1851 as Fort Blount but this was quickly changed after the Civil War to rename it in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first brigade commander of the Confederate Army to die in combat. Bartow recovered slowly from the war reaching only 400 residents by the 1880s and the first Polk County Courthouse was built in 1867 firmly establishing Bartow as the county seat. The 1880s and 1890s were a period of rapid growth moving the City’s population from 386 residents to 1,983. Bartow became a major hub of the phosphate industry and by the turn of the century, it was the most populous city south of Tampa on the Florida peninsula – larger than even Miami or West Palm Beach. However, for most of the 20th century, Bartow’s growth was modest, especially in comparison to the rest of the county and state. This was largely due to the City being hemmed in by surrounding phosphate mining companies. By the 1910 Lakeland had surpassed it in population and Winter Haven surpassed it in 1950. Bartow is expecting to grow rapidly in the next decade thanks to the annexation of 18,000 acres of former phosphate mining land.

Bartow’s Main Street is by far its best urban attribute, lined with attractive early 20th century commercial buildings for several blocks. However, for a City that reached over 6K residents by WWII the surrounding residential and mixed/use streets are not particularly dense or urban filled with many parking lots, autocentric buildings, and missing sidewalks. The remaining population of what I consider to be Dwtn Barlow is just shy of 1,000 residents. While the Main Street remains strong, there hasn’t been a strong demand to live in the core of Bartow in the Post WWII era. This is reflected by the City’s Centers relative affordability where one can easily buy a 3-bed house a block from Main Street for 200K-300K. There are decent retail and cultural amenities Dwtn but a lack of walkable grocery stores or pharmacies and other standard retail amenities. The most important way to improve Dwtn Bartow is to build more housing, esp. apartments, which are very limited. This would drive better retail and cultural amenities and perhaps lead to more walkable schools in the City Center.

Click here to view my Bartow, FL Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

Solid diversity metrics for Bartow (which I reviewed Citywide). Solid racial diversity with large Black & Hispanic populations and excellent economic diversity. This is also a pretty “”young”” town for Florida standards with a good number of families.
Attractive historic architecture mixing lots of different residential styles form the late 19th century to the 1930s. Solid historic main street as well.
For sale homes are pretty affordable but no smaller condos available. 2-beds sell btwn 100K-250, 3 & 4 beds sell btwn 130K-500K.
Decent cultural amenities including a good number of restaurants, bars, and cafes. Also a couple breweries, an art gallery, several local museums and historic homes.
Decent retail amenities Good number of clothing & home good/gift stores, a couple antique stores, several dessert joins/bakeries, 3 bookstores, a handful of banks, a couple gyms, a dwtn post office, several churches. No walkable pharmacies, public library or grocery stores.
Excellent streetscaping along Main Street. Generally pretty good urban form along it as well. Urban form and streetscape drop off outside of Main street with more surface parking lots, autocentric buildings, and streets without sidewalks (even mixed-use streets).

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Overall Sidewalk and especially ADA infrastructure are spotty in central Bartow. Only Main Street is consistent.
One can make the drive to Downtown Lakeland and Winter park in under 30 minutes but the bus ride is pretty awful (1-1.5 hrs.).
Not great population density at around 4K.
Very limited public transit. There is a nice bike route between Bartow and Lakeland but really no routes within the City of Bartow.
Really only one park in Dwtn Bartow, Ft. Blount Park. The larger parks in Bartow are all located on the edge of town and not walkable.
Apartments are very limited in Dwtn Bartow. Really only homes available for rental.
Walkable schools dwtn are limited to a well rated public elementary school and smaller parochial school. One has to drive to middle and high school options.

Dixieland- Lakeland’s first “Suburb”

Dixieland like East Lake Morton and South Lake Morton, also contains a historic district that was designated in 1994. The Dixieland neighborhood was originally an area of 160 acres developed by Henry Bascum Carter and C. W. Deen in 1907. IT was referred to by the local press as a fashionable Lakeland suburb. The neighborhood really started filling in during the Florida housing boom of the 1920s with development ending around WWII.

For Lakeland standards, this is a solid inner city district. But East Lake Morton and South Lake Morton are much better urban districts. Dixieland’s best assets are its proximity to Dwtn, housing affordability, decent retail and cultural amenities thanks to Florida Avenue, and low levels of crime and vacancy. Dixieland has even lower density than East Lake/South Lake Morton, mediocre transit access, limited rental housing, hit or miss sidewalk and ADA infrastructure, limited bike lanes, and few walkable schools. Like East Lake/South Morton, Dixieland would greatly benefit from increased density but a change in mindset towards less car dependency would also greatly benefit the district.

Click here to view my Dixieland Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Solid historic residential buildings from the early 20th century. Some decent historic commercial architecture too.
* Decent tree canopy.
* Most residents are only 1 mile from Dwtn.
* While there are really no 1-beds available plenty of 2 & 3 bedrooms with a good amount of affordable options ranging btwn 100K-350K. 3 & 4 beds sell for btwn 200K-600K.
* Solid park amenities including a couple medium sized parks and a nice rec trail along Lake Hunter.
* Solid historic residential buildings from the early 20th century. Some decent historic commercial architecture too.
* Decent tree canopy.
* Ok cultural amenities including several restaurants & bars, a couple cafes and the Pink Piano Bar. Also convenient access to Dwtn’s cultural amenities.
* Decent Retail amenities include a drug store, some boutiques & gift stores, an antique store, a local bookstore, a couple dessert joints, a local gym & church, and a couple health centers.
* Some low level crime issues but overall a pretty safe community with limited vacancy.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Ok public transit access. Better the closer one gets to Dwtn.
* Decent amount of rentals. Only a handful of 1-beds the rent around 1K. More 2-beds that lease in the 1Ks. 3-beds lease for around 2K. Really no dedicated affordable housing options in the district.
* 6.0 Sidewalk and ADA curb cuts are hit or miss with pedestrian infrastructure deteriorating the further west you go in the district.
* Bike infrastructure largely doesn’t exist.
* Not great walkable schools. Several elementary/middle schools but all located on the edge of the district with mixed rating. No walkable high school.
* Population density is more on par with a post WWII suburb.

East Lake Morton & South Lake Morton Historic Districts- Lakeland’s best Urban Neighborhoods

Both the East Lake Morton and South Lake Morton neighborhoods were designated as historic districts helping to preserved limited early 20th century residential architecture mostly consisting of bungalows and Arts & Crafts from the 1920s & 1930s. There are also examples of Victorian, Queen Anne, and Spanish Revival homes These neighborhoods by far, contain the best concentration of early 20th century architecture in Lakeland. From an urban perspective the density of the districts isn’t great but the neighborhoods are no more than 1.5 miles from Dwtn Lakeland with solid public transit and walking paths. The districts also boast decent housing diversity & affordability, good cultural amenities, solid tree canopy and high levels of safety.

Florida Ave forms the only consistent urban business district on the western edge of the South Lake Morton Historic District and it is a mixture of quality urban form and semi-auto centric form. Some mixed-use streets in East Lake Morton but no solid urban biz district here. At least the neighborhood is super convenient to Downtown. The neighborhood could use much better bike infrastructure, more walkable schools, better retail amenities, and a lot more density (which would make the aforementioned items more feasible).

Click to view my East Lake Morton and South Lake Morton Historic District on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Excellent sidewalks and ADA curb in East Lake Morton. More hit or missing in Southern Lake Morton with some streets even without sidewalks.
* Downtown is no more than 1.5 miles away from the furthest points of the district and a very comfortable walk from Easter Lake Morton.
* The parts of the district closest to Dwtn have great public transit but this quickly drops off the further dwtn one is.
* Overall very safe communities esp. Southern Lake Morton.
* Attractive early 20th century architecture with a lot of variety in styles.
* Solid urban canopy esp. in Southern Lake Morton.
* Medium Income is a bit on the higher end but still a decent amount of income diversity.
* Decent rental options with a fair amount a 1-beds lease btwn 1K-1.5K, 2-beds btwn 1.5K-2K but 3-beds are limited. Some affordable rentals concentrated in East Lake Morton.
* Limited small condo options but decent amount of 2 beds sell btwn 200K-550K. Very diverse price point for 3 & 4 bedroom homes running anywhere from 200K-800K and some options for around 1 M
* Cultural amenities including a decent amount of restaurants, bars, cafes, and a couple breweries. The district also includes several museums (mostly art), a handful of theaters and live music, and the cultural amenities from Florida Southern College. Good access to the cultural amenities of Dwtn as well.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So so density but not bad for a Florida urban district.
* Bike infrastructure is essentially non-existent.
* So so pedestrian activity.
* Decent residential infill but some unattractive autocentric bldgs along Florida Ave & S. Ingraham.
* Urban massing is hit or miss along Florida Ave. Urban massing is solid along residential streets.
* Decent diversity in East Lake Morton with sizable Hispanic and Black populations but Southern Lake Morton is mostly White.
* Parks are a bit limited but residents do have convenient access to three lakes (i.e. Morton, Mirror, and Hollingsworth. Nice recreation path surrounding Lakes Hollingsworth and Morton. Barnett Family Park is an excellent more formal park in East Lake Morton.
* Ok access to schools including several small elementary schools of mixed ratings. Now walkable high schools.
* So so retail amenities including some boutiques & gift stores, a couple antiques, banks, a pharmacy, a couple bookstores, several dessert stores, a couple gyms, a handful of churches

Downtown Lakeland, FL

My boundaries for Downtown Lakeland are a bit different than what google provides. I use route 563 as the western border, Walnut & Lake Morton as the southern, Iowa St and Lake Mirror as the eastern, and Barttow Rd as the northern.

Florida Ave is the main north-south street in Downtown Lakeland and probably the most important Dwtn throughfare. Its hit or miss, however, in terms of urban form. The best urban form are the blocks that surround Munn Park, a couple blocks of Pine St and several blocks of Kentucky north and south of Munn Park. The urban form generally is better the closer one is to Munn Park and Lake Mirror. Outside of these areas there are a lot of parking lots and quasi-urban blocks with limited street life.

Downtown Lakeland contains the City’s oldest structures and the highest concentration of historic commercial buildings. Given the City’s population was only 500 people in 1890, most historic structures are from the first half of the 20th century and many are from the 1920s when Florida hit its first building boom. The Terrace Hotel, Polk Theatre and Frances Langford Promenade are good examples of building and projects from this era. As Lakeland became a major US metro (above 500K) more mid sized office buildings sprung up in Downtown. Unfortunately this was also accompanied by buildings without great urban form and surface parking lots and parking garages. Like most American downtowns, Lakeland has a solid concentration of food & beverage businesses and decent cultural amenities. Downtown has also invested in quality sidewalk & ADA infrastructure and done a decent job preserving historic main street commercial buildings. But Downtown Lakeland needs a major influx of residents and office workers to be a truly vibrant downtown worthy of its Metropolitan size. There is also a lack of bike infrastructure, retail amenities, museums and theaters. University presence, government buildings, and major regional amenities.

Click here to view my Downtown Lakeland, FL photos on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

Excellent sidewalk and ADA curb cut infrastructure.
Solid grid dwtn and almost are the streets are two-way. Some wider streets but nothing too terrible for pedestrians except the two arterials running along the northern and western edges of Dwtn ( Bartow Rd & 563).
Solid economic and racial diversity indicators Dwtn.
Much of the main street historic commercial bldgs have been preserved with a sprinkling of mid-sized antique skyscrapers.
Solid school options located within and nearby Dwtn but not a ton, esp. private school options.
Nice Civic Park (Munn Park) which is surrounded by some nice Main Street fabric. This ties in nicely to Lake Mirror a block away with a well designed promenade ringing it. But only a handful of other parks outside of these.
This is by all accounts a very safe Downtown.
Large Civic Complex/Convention Center “”the Lakeland Center”” located on the western edge of Dwtn. This also includes a sports arena.
Good cultural amenities (esp. near Munn Park) including plenty of restaurants, bars, cafes, several art galleries, a of couple theaters.
Low office vacancy rates in Dwtn Lakeland and generally low vacancies overall.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Small core of good public transit within Downtown down to the South Lake Morton Historic District. Public transit quickly drops off in surrounding districts to levels typical of suburbs. Also 1.5 hour bus trip between Dwtn Lakeland and Downtown Winter Haven.
Mostly parking lots on the western 3rd of dwtn west of Florida Ave.
Some longer bike connections but overall a pretty terrible bike system which only marginally gets better in and around dwtn Lakeland. Also no biking sharing system. It closed in 2025.
Unimpressive skyline. Some decent mid sized buildings but nothing too distinctive or unique.
Not a lot of housing product (both rental and for sale). Available rentals are pretty on point for American downtowns.
Some decent pedestrian activity around Lake Mirror and Munn Park but this quickly drops off.
No colleges or universities within Downtown Lakeland but Florida Southern with an enrollment of 3K is about a mile south. A couple other smaller colleges about 2-3 miles from Downtown.
Only a handful of courts and government bldgs in Dwtn Lakeland.
Really no museums/botanical gardens located within Dwtn but a couple on the edge of it or 1-2 miles away.
Limited downtown employment especially for a metro of nearly 900K.
Some good retail amenities (esp. along Kentucky Ave and around Munn Park) including boutiques, gift stores, dessert shops, a Dwtn post office, several salons & barbershops, a handful of doctor’s offices and several churches. But this is very underwhelming for a Downtown in a major US metro.”

Oxford, UK- Iconic English Center for Learning Hosting the Oldest University in the English Speaking World

The City is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Founded in the eighth century, The town grew in national importance during the early Norman period after the Oxford Castle. Oxford steadily grew during the Middle ages but remained a University Town. Oxford was greatly affected by the changes of the English Reformation first with several of its ecclesiastical institutions and monasteries being dismantled and confiscated by Henry VIII. Oxford also became a flash point for the Country’s Catholic/Protestant clashes leading to several theologians being executed in the City. Oxford was granted city status in 1542 when the Diocese of Oxford was created gaining Oxford much autonomy. This was also the time when Christ Church College Chapel became the City’s official cathedral. Oxford went on as a more or less sleepy college town until the 19th century when industrialization led to a major population boom. Traditional industries included brewing and publishing (i.e. Oxford University Press). The City’s population and economy grew with this industrial boom, diversifying beyond the universities. Oxford has continued to grow since the Industrial area and has nearly doubled in population since 1980. Currently just under a 170K residents live within the Oxford City residents and around 250K in the metro.

Oxford is very comfortable and walkable small city where due to solid bus service, excellent bike infrastructure and mixed-use development, one really does not need to own a car. Central City Oxford is where the highest concentration of commercial districts, universities, cultural amenities, and department stores are located but several business districts and universities are also located outside of the core City. The more notable districts include the Jeriko District, Summertown District, St. Clement’s and the Headington District. These neighborhoods were developed in the 19th century during the City’s industrial expansion with compact rowhouse streets and linear business districts. There is also an abundance of scenic open space, a great feat for a City with an overall population density of 10K per square mile. The biggest downside of Oxford is its high housing costs, the highest in England second to London. This is due to the City’s strong demand plus a restrictive Green belt which slowed development on the outskirts of Oxford. In order to resolve its affordability problem Oxford needs to decide whether to embrace higher densities within the existing city limits or to expand out to the hinterland.

Click here to view my Oxford Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

Several world renowned gothic inspired landmarks (i.e. Radcliffe Camera, University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, Castle, Tom Tower, Merton College, Magdalen College, Museum of Natural History, Carfax Towner, Christ Church.
excellent market (the Covered Market) in the center of town.
Several excellent commercial districts most notably Cornmarket, Queen, Bonn Square (all pedestrianized), High Street , St. Aldate’s, Walton St (located outside of central Oxford in the Jeriko District), Banbury Rd (Summertown District), St. Clement’s St & Cowley Rd (located southeast of Central Oxford), and London Rd in the Headington District east of the Central Oxford.
Oxford all hosts an extensive dwtn mall (Westgate Mall) hosting several department stores.
Plenty of mix-used streets outside of these main corridors.
Incredible amount of parks and open space within the Oxford Limits. Pretty well enforced urban growth boundary which prevents Oxford from leapfrog development and sprawl.
Thanks to all the universities and historic institutions contains in Oxford, this town really punches above it weigh class for cultural amenities.
Comprehensive bike lane system covering nearly the entire city. Much better than the bike lane system in London.
Solid tree canopy.
Solid density for a City with so much green space, sitting at just under 10K per square mile.
Very manageable City (at only 18 Sq Miles) where you can basically walk anywhere or take the bus which is of high service.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Too small for any transit but good regional connections to London and other UK destinations.
* Plenty of more suburban districts on the edges of Oxford (esp. the eastern side of town) with limited walkability.
* Can get touristy at times.
* Very expensive City to reside. This is due to the City’s strong demand, historic preservation, and Green Belt stopping development from spilling into the surrounding countryside.

Paris 15th Arrondissement- Home to the Corbusian inspired Beaugrenelle District and Paris’ most Populationed Neighborhood

The 15th Arrondissement is Paris’ most populous arrondissement, with a population of 229,713 as of 2023. This is close to its historic high in 1962 of 250K. The ability of the 15th arrondissement to hold its population better than other parts of Paris is likely attributed to the major urban renewal district of Beaugrenelle which resulted in many dense high rises the general affordability of the district leading to less spacious renovations for the wealthy.

After the Second World War, the current character of the 15th Arrondissement took shape and began to distinguish itself from the rest of Paris. Autocentric and Corbusian inspired design resulted in the creation of the Beaugrenelle District along the left bank of the Seine. Conceived in the 1960s and largely constructed during the 1970s, the project relies heavily on “”dalle”” construction (an elevated concrete platform or superblock). This structural platform splits the neighborhood into two distinct levels. The Upper Level is reserved entirely for pedestrians, public green spaces, and residential/commercial entryways. The beneath the platform on the bottom level is street-level vehicular traffic, parking garages, and public transit infrastructure. Post War planning also resulted in the Boulevard Périphérique (ring road), which lasted from 1956 to 1973. Fortunately this has been converted into a street car boulevard. France’s largest convection/exhibition area (Paris Expo) runs along the Boulevard Peripherique and attracts more than 7 million visitors a year along with hundreds of concerts and sporting events.

My favorite sub district is the Grenelle District which lies next to the Beaugrenelle District. It has retained its old village feel with tight and irregular streets, older 1-3 story bldgs, and the wonderful Rue du Commerce which terminates at a gorgeous historic church. While the 15th Arrondissement lacks the grand tree line boulevards, museums, and recognizable landmarks of other parts of Paris, it remains a wonderful urban district full of mixed-use areas, attractive commercial districts, excellent parks, great subway and bike infrastructure and solid Haussmannian and Art Noveau architecture.

Click here to view my 15th Arrondissment Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Some excellent parks in the district including Parc Georges-Brassens, Parc André Citroën, Square Saint-Lambert, and Champ-de-Mars sitting just outside of the district where the Eifel Tower is. Also plenty of smaller neighborhood parks well spread throughout the district and the linear Petite Ceinture railway line located on a retired railroad line.
* Several great business districts including Rue St Charles, Rue Brancion, Rue Blomet/Rue Lecourbe/Rue de Vaugirard and several perpendicular biz districts, Rue de la Constitution, Av. Félix Faure, Rue des Entrepreneurs/ Rue Linois, Rue du Commerce, Rue Cambronne, and Boulevard du Montparnasse.
* Excellent overall Subway access. Only the eastern edge of the 15th Arrondissement is a bit underserved being a 10 minute walk from the nearest metro station at points.
* Great bike infrastructure including many seperated bike lanes.
* Solid historic Parisian architecture including mostly a mix of 1860s-1880 Haussman buildings and more turn of the 20th century styles.
* Great density at 70K residents per square mile.
* One of the largest post War development sits here along the Seine, “Front de Seine”/Beaugrenelle district and breaks out the historic Parisian fabric a bit. It also shared a border with the 14th district for the Tour Montparnesse. Most of the Javel district have been redeveloped after the closure several factories which populated the district (i.e. Citroen and Thompson).
* Relatively affordable arrondissement compared to the rest of Paris.
* Other than museums the 15th has great cultural amenities including plenty of restaurants, bars & cafes plenty of theaters, cinemas & live music venues.
* Excellent retail amenities like the rest of Parish but also two major shopping Malls (Centre Commercial Beaugrenelle & Centre Commercial Gaîté-Montparnasse) which house several department stores.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Only a handful of museums which is very limited compared to the rest of Paris. Also landmark buildings outside of Tore Montparnasse and Gare Montparnasse are pretty limited.
Tree canopy is so so for a Parisian District. Fewer grand boulevards here than other Parisian district especially with the dedicated tree line strips.
Legacy of car centric planning is more evident here than most Paris districts most notably with the Boulevard Périphérique ( ring road), which was thankfully converted to a street car boulevard and the Front de Seine modernist development.

Paris’ 14th Arrondissement- Home to Gare Montparnasse and one of Paris’ more Affordable Districts

The 14th Arrondissement is officially named Arrondissement de l’Observatoire as its host Paris’ Observatory. Like many Paris Districts the 14th’s population peaked in the 1950s at 1854K. Its now down to around 135K-140K, which it has been since the 1980s. The district has traditionally been home to many artists as well as a significant Breton community, which arrived at the beginning of the 20th century when Gare Montparnasse was built. The most recognizable part of the 14th is its northern border formed by Blvd du Montparnasse. Here one finds the Gare Montparnasse, Le Tour Montparnasse, Cimetière du Montparnasse, L’Observatoire de Paris, the Market set up regularly along Blvd Edgar Quintet, Les Catacombes de Paris and the vibrant Rue Daguerre commercial district, which is a quasi-pedestrian street. The southern edge of the 14th also hosts some welcome known sites at least for Parisians (i.e. Parc Mountsouris, Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris and Les Puces de Vanves).

The 14th Arrondissement is a solid urban neighborhood, which is more affordable than most Parisian districts. The district is well served by neighborhood parks, metro systems, bike infrastructure, several excellent biz districts, plenty of mixed use fabric and solid cultural and retail amenities especially concentrated around Gare Montparnasse. The only neighborhood attribute that I find a bit lacking with the 14th Arrondissement is a lack of more distinctive subdistricts that help distinguish smaller pockets from the larger Arrondissement. These subdistricts feel more prevalent in most Paris Districts.

Click here to view my 14th Arrondissment Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great array of large and interesting parcs (Montsouris, Montparnasse Cemetery, Pl. de Catalogne, Petite Ceinture du 14e, Jardin Atlantique). Plenty of other small & medium parks well distributed through the district.
* Lots of quaint villagelike streets (
* Lots of attractive commercial streets including: Rue des Thermopyles, Sq. de Montsouris, Rue Daguerre, Blvd Edgar Quinet, Ave du Maine, Av. du Général Leclerc, Rue Didot, Rue Raymond Losserand, Rue de l’Ouest, Boulevard du Montparnasse, Rue Brézin. Plenty of mixed-use fabric outside of these notable biz districts.
* Several notable landmarks: Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, Montparnesse, Gare Montparnasse, Observatoire de Paris, Les Catacombes (underground), the 14th arrondissement Townhall, Church of Saint-Pierre-de-Montrouge, Church of Our Lady of Labour, Réservoir de Montsouris
* Solid historic architecture with lots Haussman buildings and more intimate but less ornate late 18th/early 19th styles. Also some more creative late 19th/early 20th century styles more in the Art Nouveau style and some post WWII in-fill.
* Not a very touristy district, esp. outside of Montparnasse Cemetery and Garde Montparnasse.
* Great system of dedicated bike lanes.
* Much more affordable/accessible neighborhood than the right bank districts. Medium incomes are 13th of Paris’ 20 Arrondissements.
* Solid cultural amenities with a strong concentration around Gare Montparnasse. Excellent retail amenities really throughout the district.
* Solid density at just under 63K residents per square mile. Also a solid number of jobs at around 70K.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Tree canopy is fine but outside of the southern edge of the district where there are larger block apartment buildings, it feels a bit limited.
* Does not have as strong of sub-districts with their own unique character as most other Paris Arrondissements.

Paris’ 13th Arrondissement- Home to Paris’s largest Asian Population and a solid Urban District off the beaten path of most tourists

Paris 13th Arrondissement I sense is one of the least traveled by tourists in the City. Yet this is a very solid urban district which would blow almost any American neighborhood away measured by urbanists metrics. The Arrondissement also has several interesting sub neighborhoods including Le Quartier Asiatique along Avenue d’Ivry and Avenue de Choisy, Butte-aux-Caillesa (a wonderful mixed-use district with mostly narrow streets), several more intimate village like streets along Quartiers des Peupliers, La Cite Fleurie, and Cite Florale and the modern district of Paris Rive Gauche.

Thanks to the Quartier Asiatique the 13th arrondissement is one of the few Paris neighborhoods that is still growing in population. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the first wave of Vietnamese refugees from the Vietnam War settled in the district. This eventually diversified to include Vietnamese immigrants with Chinese descent and immigrants from Laos and Cambodia. In the present day the district as a strong Chinatown feel as most of the original Vietnamese immigrants have assimilated across Paris (while still maintaining a large business presence). The 13th arrondissement is also growing as a major Parisian job center thanks to the completely new Paris Rive Gauche District which runs along the Seine. The heart of the district is truly The Place d’Italie where many major Parisian Boulevards converge and the district serves as a major nightlife and shopping district. It takes its name from its proximity to the Avenue d’Italie, which, traditionally, has been the point of departure on the road that links Paris and Italy.

Click here to view my 13th Arrondissment Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:
* Several great biz districts like the Av. de France (part of a modern Paris Rive Gauche district), Bd Vincent Auriol with its elevated subway line running down the middle, Ave d’Ivry, Av. de Choisy, Rue de Tolbiac, Avenue des Gobelins, and Blvd Arago/St. Marcel. Also plenty of mixed-use areas as well even where the streets are primarily residential.
* Lots of smaller and medium parks. Only a handful of larger more formidable parks (i.e. Parc Kellerman and Parc de Choisy). Also really solid waterfront parks and plazas along the Seine on the Port de la Gare.
* More modern styles of architecture than your average Parisian district, esp. when you include Paris Rive Gauche, which is a textbook on how to build a new urban district. Lots of modern high rises in the Chinatown district as well.
* Solid tree canopy.
* One of the least touristy Paris Districts.
* Much more affordable/accessible neighborhood than the right bank districts.
* Solid density at 66K residents per square mile.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Great metro access like all Paris neighborhoods but subway coverage is a bit limited in the southwestern quadrant of the district. Same goes for bike infrastructure coverage.
Compared to most Parisian districts, esp. the right bank, the historical architecture here is a bit sub par. Still plenty of Haussman style apartments and pockets of intimate village like rowhouses.
Only a handful of museums which is very limited compared to the rest of Paris.
This also has an effect on the district’s lack of landmarks where I would really only include The François-Mitterrand Library, Manufacture des Gobelins, the 13th arrondissement townhall”

Richmond- Home of the Historic Richmond Palace turned Fashionable London Commuter 19th Century Suburb

Richmond was founded following the completion of Richmond Palace in the early 16th century. Richmond remained mostly agricultural until the 18th century when several large mansions were constructed and the district began to become fashionable. Development expanded with the late 18th century with the construction of the Richmond Bridge connecting the two banks of the Thames, adding many Georgian terraces to the neighborhood, particularly around Richmond Green and on Richmond Hill. By the mid 19th century Richmond was connected to Central London via the Richmond Railway, leading to further densification and development, especially along Kew/George St, Richmond Green, and Hill St. Richmond continued to fill in throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries leading to several additional business districts and nodes (Sheed Rd, Friar Stile, Sandy Combe/Kew Gardens). Southern Richmond is the newest part of the district and was mostly built post-war and has a distinctively suburban character compared to the rest of Richmond.

From an urban perspective, Central Richmond is the most urban and mixed-use. Richmond Square is actually where many scenes from Ted Lasso were filmed and has a couple quaint pedestrian commercial streets feeding into it along with convenient access to the main George/Kew Rd biz district and several other commercial streets. This is also where the Richmond Station is located and many 18th century mansions. The district around Kew Gardens is a comfortable late 19th century London district but nothing particularly unique about it other than its proximity to Kew Gardens, arguably the best Botanical Garden complex in the World. Richmond excels with a high concentration of Museums, historic homes, theaters, restaurants & bars and excellent retail amenities. The district also hosts a solid bike network, great tree canopy, and excellent parks. The biggest downsides of Richmond includes its distances from Central London (50 min-60 mins via the tube), several highly tracked roads, and lower density in pockets creating some parts of the neighborhood that are particularly walkable.

Click here to view my Richmond Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

George/Kew Rd is the most extensive biz district running north-south in Central Richmond. Sheen Rd, Friar Stile, Hill Street, King St are solid secondary biz district in Central Richmond. Paved Ct and Brewers Ln are lovely alleyway biz districts that feed into Richmond Green featured in the Ted Lasso series.
Sandycombe and the node around Kew Gardens station comprise the main biz districts of northern Richmond.
Several iconic landmarks and destinations fill Richmond including: Kew Gardens, Richmond Green, Ham House and Garden, Richmond Palace, Trumpeter’s House, Museum of Richmond, the National Archives, the King’s Observatory, and Richmond Theatre.
Solid cultural amenities especially in Central Richmond including Kew Gardens, several museums (including many historic mansions), several theatres and cinemas, plenty of bars, restaurants, and cafes, a handful of art galleries.
Great retail amenities especially concentrated in Central Richmond including tons of clothing stores/boutiques, dessert joins, plenty of supermarkets & drug stores, plenty of bookstores and floral shops. Also larger big box stores in the suburban style Kew Retail Park along the northern edge of Richmond
Great park access in Richmond including several large parks: North Sheen Cemetery, Richmond Park, Hams Land, Beaufort Court, Ham Common, Richmond Cemetery and several other small-medium park spaces.
Good bike & recreational lane infrastructure especially along the Thames River.
Lovely array of late 19th-early 20th century architecture styles (duplexes, rowhouses, townhouses, apts, and single family homes detached esp. in the northern and southern Richmond subdistricts. Also some post War housing mixed in (esp. in Southern Richmond) and a major redevelopment site along the northern edge of Richmond running along the Thames.
Great tree canopy.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Good transit access in the northern half of Richmond include two tube stations and two regional rail stations. The southern half of Richmond however has no train access and it shows with the neighborhood’s more suburban character.
Southern Richmond is newer with lower density than the rest of Richmond and really no well defined biz nodes nor corridors. Some walkable retail in Northern Richmond but much more limited than Central Richmond.
Lower Richmond Rd is basically a stroad and very car friendly.
So so population density at just over 10K residents per square mile.
About a 1 hour train ride to get to the City of London. A bit closer to the West End.”

Southwark- the Original South London Neighborhood

The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed due to its position at the southern end of the early versions of London Bridge, for centuries the only dry crossing on the river. Around 43 AD, the Romans found the geographic features of the south bank in Southwark suitable for the City’s first bridge. By the 12th century Southwark had been incorporated as an ancient borough. West of the Bridge was the Liberty of Clink manor, which was never controlled by the city, but was held under the Bishop of Winchester’s authority. This lack of oversight helped the area become the entertainment district for London with the Globe Theatre being one such venue.

Other than a handful of buildings (prisons, board houses, fishing sheds, and Bothels), Southwark did not become a proper district until the 16th century. Same incremental expansions occurred in Southwark thru the early 19th century with a much larger expansion of the district in the 1820s and 1830s thanks to the railroads and industrialization of London. By 1840 Southwark was filled in down to New Kent Rd. Southwark was heavily bombed during WWII thanks to its port and industrial nature. Much of the district, especially the western and southern edges, was rebuilt. The heart of Southwark around Borough Market thankfully retains its layered history and character and hosts buildings from all eras. The look and feel and street grid of Southwark share many similarities to the City of London given its medieval roots, helping make it one of London’s most interesting districts. While the population density is only about 17K souls per square mile, Southwark is an incredibly vibrant district thanks to a very mixed-use character housing Borough Market and all its interesting shops, restaurants, and bars, several museums and theaters near the Thames River, modern office buildings running along Southwark Ave and Blackfriars Rd and the vibrant biz districts along Borough High and Tower Bridge Rd. South of Borough Station the district becomes more residential and quieter. Southwark, while well connected to the Tube system and a convenient walk to the City of London across the River, is also just a 10 min walk to Waterloo, an important Regional Train Station. It also hosts a respectable bike system network and a good system of smaller public parks. Given its convenient location and great mixed-use fabric, I would like to see its population at least double.

Click here to view my Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

Southwark is the great main street cutting west to east through the district. Other decent biz districts include Borough High St, Union Street (which includes a nice small pedestrian segment), several segments of Tower Bridge Rd.
Layers and layers of history in Southwark with an incredible mix of architectural styles and eras. The overhead railroad viaducts also create a distinctiveness to the district where it feels its operating on multiple levels.
Several major landmarks here including: the Globe Theater, Southwark Cathedral, the Borough Market, the Shard, London Bridge Station, the Tate Modern, the London & Tower Bridge, Bermondsey St.,
Culturally the district has a great array of museums, performing art theaters, cinemas, live music venues, bars & restaurants (especially near the Borough Market) and a good number of cafes and art galleries.
Good tree canopy in the southern half of the district (where all the post War housing projects are located) but not the older parts of Southwark near the Thames.
Surprisingly much better dedicated bike lanes than the City of London and most inner city London districts. Safe seperated lanes run along Blackfriars and Southwark Bridge.
Good subway access including 4 stations and 4 metro lines. Waterloo is also a 10 min walk west of Southwark.
Solid retail amenities but mostly concentrated in Borough market, the main arteries and the northern edge along the Thames river. No real department stores in Southwark like in Central or West London.
Lots of nice smaller parks but no larger parks like Hyde or Regent’s Parks.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Large post war housing complexes build here that don’t have the best urban form and mixed-use fabric especially in the western and southern edges of the district.
* Parts of the district especially along the river and Borough Market can get very touristy.
* At about 17K residents per square mile, this really isn’t a very dense neighborhood. But Southwark still feels busy due to all the tourists and workers here.
* Parts of New Kent feel like a minor highway especially at the intersection with Tower Bridge Rd.