Terrific harbor shot. I'm not good with those eloquent sentences you use, but this shot is well done. I like the view and the feeling that this is a real working harbor. Rather than the traditional victorian feel that so many go for, I like the modern relevance of this shot. It is the type that will be "in style" years from now when buildings look like glass and boats look like animals.
A lot of too-small details for this size image. The clouds look good at first glance, but on closer inspection there is a lot of banding going on in the sky.