The View From Mill Mountain

Mostly what you can see from the overlooks at Mill Mountain is The City of Roanoke.

 

Roanoke, formerly known as Big Lick, became the Town of Roanoke in 1882 and then a city two years later. The railroad brought the area its fortune in the 20th century and for many years it was known as a "railroad town."

 

The Roanoke River bisects the city, as does the train tracks. The city has a population of over 97,000 people, making it the largest metropolitan area west of Richmond and the commercial hub of Southwestern Virginia.

 

I am not a city girl and I do not venture into Roanoke very often. I remember the downtown of my youth as a vibrant and alive place, with various shops and movie theaters. The city now has a market area which offers shops and restaurants.

 

 

The city to the south of its center.

 

 

Roanoke is surrounded by mountains, and this billboard at The Roanoke Star names them.

 

 

 

This is the heart of Roanoke. The tallest structure is the Wells Fargo building (the one with the copper roof). It was originally called the Dominion Tower. It was built by a bank and has changed hands as the banks have rolled over.

 

 

This is a shot of Tinker Mountain, which is about 12 miles from Roanoke. We live on the other side of Tinker Mountain.

 

 

Another shot of downtown. The road snaking through is an interstate.

 

 

More of the city to the south of downtown.

 

 

The upper right shows the Catholic Church. It is currently undergoing renovation.

 

 

It's rather sobering to see all of those house tucked among the trees down there, isn't it.

 

 

It takes a lot of space to house nearly 100,000 people.

 

 

This was my favorite shot that I took last week when I was on Mill Mountain.

 

 

 

 

Haze frequently hides the mountains.

 

 

A closer look at the Wells Fargo building. To the right and a little to the rear, before you get to the Catholic Church, is Hotel Roanoke.

 

 

 

Hullabaloo was rampant when Dominion Bank built this structure. Nothing in Roanoke is accomplished without lots of complaining and doomsday talking.

 

 

 

This is the Taubman Museum. It was also controversial, and I tend to come down on the side of the folks who don't like it. I think it looks like a spaceship landed in the middle of the city. It is a lovely structure but it was put in the wrong place.