What's your town's claim to fame?

One of the many things that I love and that's unique about Austin, Texas are the bats in the Congress Avenue bridge.

About Congress Bridge Bats
The Congress Avenue Bridge spans Town Lake in downtown Austin and is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. The colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Each night from mid-March to November, the bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food. This event has become one of the most spectacular and unusual tourist attractions in Texas. The most spectacular bat flights are during hot, dry August nights, when multiple columns of bats emerge. There are several points from which to view the event.


[Edited 4/17/09 9:45am]

Obviously the MOST unique thing about my native country is the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal is a man-made canal which joins the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. A ship sailing from New York to San Francisco via the canal travels 9,500 KM (6,000 miles), well under half the 22,500 km (14,000 mile) route around Cape Horn.[1] Although the concept of a canal near Panama dates back to the early 16th century, the first attempt to construct a canal began in 1880 under French leadership. After this attempt failed and saw 21,900 workers die, the project of building a canal was attempted and completed by the United States in the early 1900s, with the canal opening in 1914. The building of the 77 km (48 mile) canal was plagued by problems, including disease (particularly malaria and yellow fever) and landslides. By the time the canal was completed, a total of 27,500 workmen are estimated to have died in the French and American efforts.

I don't have a pic at the moment, but the CN Tower is unique to my hometown, which is Toronto.

Started: Throwing homeruns back onto the field (Cubs)
Singing the na na na song (whitesox)
Sports teams doing music videos (1985 bears)
Playing Video's before games as the intro: Bulls

The Liberty Bell.

Guess I'd have to say the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. New York now has one as well, but the original one was built here in Cleveland, Ohio.

My hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa makes Cap'N Crunch.



About once a week, downtown Cedar Rapids smells like crunch berries. It's a nice little break from the flood smell.

SCNDLS said:

I think I just shit my pants.

Maybe standing on this bridge would be just what I need to get over my fear of bats.

most people think my hometown is in Kansas but it really is in Missouri.

JuliePurplehead said:

JuliePurplehead said:

It's really a cool sight and not scary at all cuz the sun is still up kinda so it's not pitch dark.

I get bats in my attic. I'm going to have to stand outside of my house at dusk to see where they're coming out of and hopefully I'll be able to patch up their entrances. One of those buggers came down into my living quarters and scared the bejeesus out of me. I haven't been the same since.

JuliePurplehead said:

Okay, no, that's not a cool sight.

It's where the U.S. presidents live.

Tampa is a treasure trove of uniqueness:







And of course, Sondra Prill:

Abraham Lincoln gave the speech where he supposedly said "You can fool all of the people some of the time..." etc., in my hometown.

Harlem, NYC. 'Nuff said.

Ya'll got alot to catch up

JuliePurplehead said:

I am lucky that I am not afraid of bats even when they are inside my room . I am terrified of wasps though .

Harlepolis said:

Well, Cleveland has set the Cuyahoga River on fire more than a few times. Yes... the water. That's pretty unique.

It's much cleaner now.

Nicollet Mall. This is like our "main street" in Minneapolis. You can also take a Mary Tyler Moore tour and see all the places featured in the hit TV sitcom. Nicollet Mall is the actual location of the hat-throwing in the show’s opening.

'nuff said.....

I am really starting to hate the shit out of youtube...
[Edited 4/27/09 21:09pm]

My town is located at the widest section of the Hudson River....We got a brick museum up in here. I know you're jealous

Lammastide said:

JellyBean said:

I've been to Nicollet Mall, but this was back in 1992, before they put up the Mary Tyler Moore statue, and offered tours.

It was the home of one of the finest leaders of the 20th Century

http://en.wikipedia.org/w..._Churchill

Imago said:

The Senator!

I danced with him at The Castle!

Elkton MD is located on the colonial highway of America. Our forefathers navigated its waterways and traveled its roads when heading north to Philadelphia, or south to Virginia. Once known as Head of Elk, named by Captain John Smith, it sits at the northern headwaters of Chesapeake Bay. Elkton played a significant role in both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. Today, many of the town's beautiful colonial structures remain, yet they're surrounded by buildings that reflect an active business community. Office buildings, courthouses, a hospital, and retail establishments share space with history in Elkton, which has been the County Seat since 1787.

Elkton was once known as the "Gretna Green of the West" because of its popularity as a place for eloping couples to marry until a state law was passed in 1938 requiring a 48-hour waiting period. Still, the town maintains several wedding chapels.

The crash of Pan Am Flight 214, which was struck by lightning, occurred in Elkton on December 8, 1963. The crash of Pan Am Flight 214 was registered in the Guinness Book of World Records (2005) as the "Worst Lightning Strike Death Toll."

I was born in Clermont-Ferrand, famous for:

-Michelin tyres (world's second largest), its red and green travel guides, the Michelin stars that the Red Guide awards to restaurants for their cooking, for its road maps, and for its emblem, the Michelin Man.




-Volvic mineral water.





Now I live in Landes county nearby Bordeaux:

-The biggest world pine wood supplier after Bresil.



-Bastides buildings:

Characteristics of bastides include:
-having a charter giving the terms under which the bastide was founded.
-built on a hilltop, a plateau or a rocky spur
-fortified perimeter, often with the church either included or nearby, to serve as a keep and observation post
-rectangular grid layout .




Most bastides have been rebuilt and built over during the centuries. There are very few that still have most of these characteristics

And bullfighting, unfortunately
[Edited 4/27/09 5:07am]

We incinerate biohazardous war materials.

We store low grade radioactive waste.

We store mercury.