Originally Posted by
Jenbel
I'm having to produce a brief description of El Paso, an airport I've never been to (don't ask). Google maps and airliners.net are my friends...
But I can only tell so much from these. Would any regulars give me any insight as to whether the description
"To the south and west, it is bounded by a mix of industrial, commercial and residential areas – along the eastern side, it opens out into countryside, which appears to consist of arid brush."
is at all accurate?
From the airport as the center:
North and NNE: Residential and Small-to-Medium buildings, mostly occupied by either medium to low income El Pasoans and Military-affiliated folks. Also, Ft. Bliss and some wide expanses of space.
Northeast to ENE: Desert expanses that belong to ELP. Also, expanses that are utilized by Ft. Bliss to conduct desert training exercises.
East and souteast in the area bounded by Airway Blvd, US 62, TX Loop 375, and I-10: Within a 10-15 mile radius of ELP, a mix of housing and small to large scale shopping areas. Mostly desert scrubs and developed areas featuring xeriscaping. Also, alcathiax lives somewhere in this area! ;-)
East and southeast, between Rio Grande and I-10: Just like the above, but populated with people of lower income. This area, with it's proximity to the Rio Grande, features a lot of trees and grassy areas that remind me of the forests that can be seen as a passenger in the terminals of airports like IAH and CLT.
Southwest (a.k.a. "Central El Paso") to Downtown: A mix of low-to-middle income housing, but in housing that dates back to the late 1880's. Downtown features the city's only skyscrapers, with major tenants including Wells Fargo, Chase Bank, and Double Tree Hotels. Flat downtown and central areas, but areas north of downtown go up in elevation quickly. Some desert scrubs mixed in with traditional green landscaping.
West, on the western slopes of the Frankin Mountains: Medium to high income housing, upscale shopping centers, and large commercial industrial buildings. Also, technical parks mixed with chain restaurants that remind me of the settings in the movie "Office Space". Mostly high elevation scrub desert, including some areas along the Rio Grande. Narrow patch of green runs from here north to Las Cruces NM along the Rio Grande.
If you need more details, PM me! :-)