Describe the best view you've had from any window at somewhere you've lived at, not where you've holidayed, worked or visited.
Bonus points for the worst view, but it still as to be the best possible view from that 'bad' place of living, as many flat will likely have a one view of a nearby blank wall.
Quote from: mongers on December 26, 2020, 11:15:57 AM
Describe the best view you've had from any window at somewhere you've lived at, not where you've holidayed, worked or visited.
Easy. For two years I lived at a lakeside cottage at Upper Mann Lake in Alberta. It wasn't much more than a mile wide, really an overgrown slough, but between the waterfowl and the northern lights it had some amazing scenes.
Second best was the view from my second story office in Whitehorse, Yukon. Looking down was nothing special, but looking up we had a great view of Grey Mountain which overlooked the city.
Worst... probably a highrise apartment I had in downtown Calgary. It had a balcony. The view straight across just looked into a hotel that was across the back alley, but if you looked off to the side you could see the notorious "Crackmacs" convenience store where many a drug deal went down.
[LOL - if you google "crackmacs" it directly shows you pictures of the store, even though it's now rebranded as a Circle K]
Never really lived anywhere with a spectacular view.
The current apartment is built on a hill so from our living and dining room, we look into the valley. At night the high rises on the other side look quite nice, not so much during daytime.
For a few months, I lived in a building with the pretentious name "The Sail at Marina Bay" in Singapore, a sixty story high rise. My window oversaw the pool area with three pools below, which could be distracting at times.
Probably a high rise I lived in DC. My studio faced west and I could see the US capitol dome.
My current apartment. I can see the Hudson, the southern tip of Manhattan, and the Governors Island. When I lie down in my bed at night, I see the lighted up Manhattan skyline, including the Freedom Tower. Unfortunately I need to wear my glasses to see it, so it's wasted on my eyes.
Condo in Marin County, CA. My view was out onto a canal that led into the bay that the local schools used as a crew training area in the mornings, and behind that was Mount Tamalpais rising behind it.
In the morning I could go out on my deck and watch the crew teams practice while the mountain behind it was shrouded in fog, or, a lot of times, could just watch the fog roll down then mountain and engulf us.
Second place goes to our house in Ft. Collins, CO, which had a view out the west window in the living room of the Rockies.
Not a "view" but growing up I would wake up to the sound of the waves breaking on the nearby beach. My window didn't point on that direction, though.
Probably my parents place. They live on the edge a pretty high town and have a good view over the countryside to the cities and sea beyond. You can even see the stadium of light.
Though my first place in Japan did have a view of Mt Fuji and had its appeal despite the very bleh standard Japanese buildings that were everywhere around it.
And my first place in Switzerland sort of had a view of Lake Geneva and the alps but you really had to twist your neck, looking out of the window normally it was just an opposite apartment block way too close for comfort.
I remember visiting once a tiny 9 sq. metre room with a perfect view on the Eiffel Tower. :) :lol:
Would have been acceptable for a student during a year or so.
Probably my current, I have view of the canal and bits of the commons from the balcony and on the other side it's open suburban landscape ending with the Øresund bridge in the distance.
Worst was the view was when I lived on campus on the ground floor of the student housing. My window was across from the pizzaria.
Bonus: my parents recently bought a summer house with a spectacular ocean view. It's quite a trip to get there but worth it.
My house is on a tidal stretch of the river Ribble; it is subject to strong tides and the flow also varies due to rain in the hills and snow-melt. Its fun watching these changes and the way the birds react to it all. The flood defences will be updated in 2021 so it is probable that we won't even get flooded for the next couple of decades :cool:
The year I lived in Big Sur. I had the coastline from Nepenthe to the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse on clear days.
Quote from: mongers on December 26, 2020, 11:15:57 AM
Describe the best view you've had from any window at somewhere you've lived at, not where you've holidayed, worked or visited.
Bonus points for the worst view, but it still as to be the best possible view from that 'bad' place of living, as many flat will likely have a one view of a nearby blank wall.
Best view: Where I live currently. From the 2nd floor window, I can see the St-Lawrence, from my office, I see the forest and the field in front of me. From the back and the sides, distant neighbours.
Worst view: What was then to become Hotel Roussillon-Dorchester* in downtown Montreal, we stayed on the construction site in one of the unfinished rooms in the hotel, while my father was working there.
View to a scrapyard: otherwise known as downtown Montreal, behind the flashy lights, in the dark alleys.
*The boulevard is now René-Lévesque and the corner street is St-Mathieu. I think it's called Hotel St-Mathieu, now. Not sure.
The view from my room is an overgrown backyard. Once, I had a view of another overgrown backyard. And while in college I had a view of some other dorms.
Hong Kong's harbour looked like this in the 80s, and yes, all rooms in the flat had this view.
(https://i.imgur.com/2onbyYx.jpg)
I had a rental in an apartment in this building: http://www.wirednewyork.com/real_estate/420w42nd/
2nd floor from top, facing south
Pretty much this view, when leaning out of the window. Looking ahead, a (often spectacular) sunset over water.
(https://www.italybyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/San-Servolo-Vista-su-Venezia750x464.jpg)
Quote from: Maladict on December 27, 2020, 04:26:00 PM
Pretty much this view, when leaning out of the window. Looking ahead, a (often spectacular) sunset over water.
(https://www.italybyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/San-Servolo-Vista-su-Venezia750x464.jpg)
:cool:
But I'm surprised by how few windmills are on show. :P
Quote from: mongers on December 27, 2020, 04:41:38 PM
But I'm surprised by how few windmills are on show. :P
:D
I could see the top of a windmill from my previous place. There's one very close to my current home but I don't have a view of it.