The Photo I was Actually Intending to Take...

[WMATAGMOAGH]

So the photo I was actually setting up for when I got the photo of the O303 turned tow truck that I posted yesterday is this one.  The building in the background is called Holyland, it is a luxury apartment complex that most Jerusalem residents consider to be a huge eyesore.  A huge bribery scandal that resulted in the arrest of a former Jerusalem mayor and put much scrutiny on former PM and Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert revealed that bribes were paid by the developers to gain approval for the project.  Count me among those who think the complex is an eyesore, but it does make an interesting backdrop for a bus photo.  What do you all think?

[Antozilla]

Great shot and story

[WayneNYC]

First... That's an awesome shot.  The funny part is that at quick glance, I didn't realize that structure was an apartment complex.  Is the tower part of the same development?   It didn't stand out as an eyesore to me, but there's no denying that it's different and unconventional.  That said, I can understand why folks would find it to be an eyesore.  I probably would like it more if the face had more of a flush appearance.  I bet the residents enjoy the functionality of the bridge connecting the five buildings.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

First... That's an awesome shot.  The funny part is that at quick glance, I didn't realize that structure was an apartment complex.  Is the tower part of the same development?   It didn't stand out as an eyesore to me, but there's no denying that it's different and unconventional.  That said, I can understand why folks would find it to be an eyesore.  I probably would like it more if the face had more of a flush appearance.  I bet the residents enjoy the functionality of the bridge connecting the five buildings.

Thanks Wayne!  I also didn't realize it was an apartment complex until someone told me (you can see it in the tow truck bus photo, too).  The tower is part of the complex.  I googled a bit today, apparently it is about 25 times larger in height than the buildings that were there previously, but I'm not sure if "it" refers to the largest tower or the entire site.  As I understand it, there was a hotel on that side that was converted to luxury apartments, but I'm not sure if the buildings photographed are all new or if some of them existed previously.  I've never been in the complex itself except for one time I was in a sherut (a shared taxi, think Israel's version of Supershuttle) that we may have picked up someone there, I can't remember. 

Funny thing is if that monstrosity wasn't there, that location probably wouldn't be a photo spot worth trying for transit photography.  And I think I got a bit lucky with the shot coming out as well as it did, there is a bus stop just to the left outside the image, but there are then 2 right turn lanes that start almost immediately after the bus bay (marked by the big white lines), so I managed to get off the shot of the tow truck bus, and still set up again for the artic with Holyland in the back, and no cars blocked the bus which was continuing straight so it needed to get over into the center lanes of the road.

Great shot and story

Thanks (though I wish the story hadn't happened, I don't like the building).

Here are some other photos which show how this ugly development comes to dominate the view from so many different places (each taken from several kilometers away):