Drastic Differences in Landscapes Within a City

[CoreySamson]

Most of the time, a city is small enough where the landscapes within the city look relatively homogenous throughout, even in large cities (i.e, Houston). However, sometimes two different landscapes within a city can look drastically different. Take these two GSV images, both taken within the city limits of Little Rock, AR:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rsjLHEm9dm1PTCDh9
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9gcycspbxKRmd1v78

While it's not inconceivable that these views could be from the same state, it makes a lot less sense that they would be within the same city's city limits! Any other interesting examples of this?

[TheStranger]

Louisville, Kentucky's 2003 merger with Jefferson County creates the net effect of a city that has a pretty urbanized central core:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2568494,-85.7584756,3a,75y,113.49h,94.16t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sZN52pPAAXUFFUDyIb8R-VA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DZN52pPAAXUFFUDyIb8R-VA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D113.49283658955119%26pitch%3D-4.161473549932538%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu

...and some areas that could be mistaken for random small towns anywhere else in the state.  This is over in the Fairdale area in the southwest area where one of my friends lives:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.1077312,-85.7548443,3a,75y,241.9h,98.31t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sF1L084StQf_5kjrjy9qx1Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DF1L084StQf_5kjrjy9qx1Q%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D241.90007193193856%26pitch%3D-8.313470433363094%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu

Way further east is the community of Fisherville, near where my best friend used to live.  Also semi-rural despite being in the post-2003 city limit:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.1812196,-85.4695495,3a,75y,130.25h,99.15t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sBO9Gk5-RsTN259P4VhYg4A!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DBO9Gk5-RsTN259P4VhYg4A%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D130.24563437256265%26pitch%3D-9.147428920531368%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu

[gonealookin]

Bend, Oregon:

The west side is quite heavily forested:
SW Century Drive which becomes Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway

On the east side you're out into the Central and Eastern Oregon High Desert at the edge of town:
US 20 eastbound leaving Bend

[gonealookin]

And the local one, which is sort of a technicality, is Carson City, Nevada.  It used to lie within Ormsby County, but since almost everybody who lived in Ormsby County lived within the city limits of Carson City, Ormsby County was merged out of existence and the whole of it is now governed by Carson City's mayor and supervisors.  So Carson City's western boundary is the 120th meridian, the state line between Nevada and California in the middle of Lake Tahoe.

Westbound US 50 entering Carson City

Southbound SR 28 entering Carson City at Lake Tahoe

The top of Snow Valley Peak, elevation 9214 feet, is the highest point in the city limits of Carson City; the lowest point, in the inhabited part of town, is around 4600 feet.

[JayhawkCO]

Colorado Springs



Colorado Springs

[webny99]

I've always thought it somewhat unique that this can be found within Rochester city limits (Kings Hwy, Durand Eastman Park):



And this being less than 3 miles away provides an interesting contrast (Ontario Beach Park):




Or for more traditional urban vibes, we've got that too, although these are perhaps more "complementary" than "contrasting":


Pont de Rennes Bridge at High Falls



Cobbs Hill Park

(All pictures from Google Maps Street View)

[StogieGuy7]

What about Los Angeles? You've got urban high-rises, dense residential areas, multiple mountain ranges with wilderness areas, beaches (both urban beaches and wilder ones), coastal areas with eucalyptus trees, and even some desert areas. I'd say that's a pretty broad spectrum.

[Sctvhound]

Duval County, FL (Jacksonville). Everything from beaches to city to about the most rural Florida you can get.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/AccnGJEJeMSYDVXWA?g_st=ic

https://maps.app.goo.gl/t5HjkizMWJh2dijt6?g_st=ic

https://maps.app.goo.gl/2LnaEyszW4cqVzq89?g_st=ic

[Streetman]

Really all but the smallest cities in area are going to have great diversity in scenery within their limits. Away from the downtown core there will be suburban and even rural areas. NYC has five boroughs and lots of places in the outer ones look nothing like midtown Manhattan.

[Hunty2022]

Virginia Beach, VA:

There's obviously the Resort Area/Oceanfront...


Then there's this rural scene in the southern part of the city...

[TheStranger]

What about Los Angeles? You've got urban high-rises, dense residential areas, multiple mountain ranges with wilderness areas, beaches (both urban beaches and wilder ones), coastal areas with eucalyptus trees, and even some desert areas. I'd say that's a pretty broad spectrum.

Which areas within the Los Angeles city limits would be classified as desert?

[epzik8]

I-95 south going through and out of downtown Richmond basically goes from 100 to 0 real quick in terms of building density.

[Road Hog]

Many urban areas were built on a topographic boundary, which included a fall line (noted elsewhere on the board). They built the city at the point where natural navigability ended. So you have hilly terrain on the uphill side and plains on the downhill side.