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609 is not deserving of a total worship. However, it still maintains a spectacular presence on the ever evolving downtown scene. The more I visit downtown the more I desire to move there. Applause to the COH, and continuous vision to transform our CBD into a neighborhood.

After living and spending all of my time working and playing downtown on the east side across from where Minute Maid was to be built. We moved out in 2004 to the Menil neighborhood. I can definitely say that a miracle has happened on the east side in the last 20 years. When we first moved into the Wagon Works building in 1996, they hadn't even broken ground on the stadium and there was literally nothing between our loft and the Southwestern building except a few vacant two story buildings some county offices and acres and acres of parking district. When I went out on long walks everyday with my border collie we would explore this side of downtown, walk over to see progress on the rail line, check out the construction of the Cotswold project and detour around the reconstruction of every north and south street in downtown. It was quite a mess, but it opened up a whole new frontier. The few people I saw out were either people parking to get to a courthouse summoned for jury duty or street people who lived under the Elysian viaduct. When I walk around the area now I am truly astounded at what has become of my old stomping grounds and it really is miraculous that this much has been accomplished in these last 20 years. I've been here in Houston since 1954 and always wanted for it to become a real city with people living downtown and look whats happening. I am so glad that I'm here to see it come to fruition.

I'll share my downtown story as well. Moved downtown 4 and a half years ago and nothing but the old standards existed: Warren's, La Carafe, Flying Saucer, Hearsay, etc. They are all great establishments with a lot of history and character but the scene was sleepy and revolved around the local regulars. Fast forward to today: a complete explosion of literally everything downtown. I can't keep track of the number of bar and restaurant openings, the new hotels and office buildings are beautiful, friends are moving downtown into the Skyhouses. Downtown along Main Street on a Friday or Saturday night is like a mini-6th street. I can drink quality coffee from Honeymoon or Local Foods. Innovative projects like the underground food hall Conservatory choose downtown as home. The projects and growth aren't even wrapped up yet. Downtown has just completely blown away all of my expectations when I first moved here. I am very grateful for the Downtown Living Initiative, the OKRA Charity bar which was one of the first in the new wave of downtown bars and the Superbowl...

Took some photos this afternoon. Too nice of a day not to! The proximity of these two residences is wild. Closer together than the Four Leaf Towers down the road.

I think Hearsay was also in the new wave of downtown bars, opening about 5 years ago. So there really even less prior to when you moved downtown, downtownian. 609 Main sits on a block that had a long-vacant obsolete small-footprint office tower (even the Chinese restaurant in it shut down a decade or two ago), and was otherwise a giant parking lot, though there was a weird suburban McDonald's on that block that was also torn down some years back. A block away, 811 Main was on arguably the worst (at the time) block in all of downtown, with a dumpy hotel rife with drugs and prostitution and otherwise a bunch of largely decrepit vacant buildings. Now this several block area is one of the most gleaming parts of downtown. Add the JW Marriott, which revived another decaying largely-vacant building, the Star apartments which are partially open now (though I think their parking garage should win an award for the slowest parking garage ever constructed -- I think they are building it at a rate of one floor every 6 months), two new light rail lines, and more, it's totally transformed the area. I worked downtown briefly in 2004-2005 and again since 2012, and the change has been astonishing. Even over the last 5 years I've seen so much of an improvement in street-level pedestrian presence in the area of 609 Main. Going to lunch today I was once again amazed at how many people there were outside -- this is not the downtown I know, and I love it.

I used to work at 806 Main. Main Street was active but not what the Chamber of Commerce would use to advertise the city. Buses would line up all along Main smoking up the air as they idled. Crazy folks every where. Open drug deals at the convenience store. And yes, the old Rice Hotel was simply an outdoor urinal. That said, there was a fairly busy Foley's, a Woolworths, a Payless and a few other retail places.

Nice shots Twitter 1. Its amazing how many new high rises have been built in Uptown galleria area in the last two years. I count about 14 new building over 20 stories or more. Thats some pretty quick infill. BP Billiton Hanover 1 Hanover 2 Wilshire Arabella Skyhouse BBVA compass Amegy Fertitta tower Skanska across from Neimans Astoria Hyatt Regency Galleria Belfiore and the new hotel going up next to bbva compass

Downtown life has been trending up for the last few years.

I remember catching the bus to the Med center at the old and abandoned Rice hotel. The place a strong urine smell. Would get stuck in the nasal epithelia for some time. Everything north of the Rice was a wasteland. My wife and I used to bemoan that places like Montreal had such lively downtowns but our city which was much larger did not. Things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Get the moles out of the tunnels. They'd be amazed at whats going on above ground!

Yeah some new town homes right near me just chopped down 4 mature oak trees so the ordinance is not very effective.

Talking about an amazing buzz. The combination of the Anime event in GRBrown and the circus Avenidas was incredible mix. packed and the sights were eye-catching. Couldn't ask for better weather. Go tomorrow night!

Yes, there was a big sign of a Pink Pussycat hanging in front.

Bingo.

There are those who would suggest that the bars are adult entertainment... As for Texas Commerce Tower / Chase / 600 Travis... at the time of the photo it's topped out. It's reinforced concrete / steel composite; by 1980 they were cladding it with granite and glass. IIRC, behind the photographer would have been The Pink Pussycat.

Thats it. I don't know if it's the age or the drinks why I couldn't remember the name. Thanks

http://realtynewsreport.com/2017/04/05/with-foundation-already-poured-new-skanska-skyscraper-will-zoom-onto-houston-skyline-in-record-time/

Auntie Pasto's is supposedly in the works of building a new restaurant directly behind the existing one.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=7761933&postcount=10090

Any clue what % of the building is leased up?

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Developer-planning-to-expand-Inner-Loop-mixed-use-11052088.php#photo-12671297

Both things are happening. The Hardy extension will connect to the new Elysian Viaduct as seen in these schematics. http://www.ih45northandmore.com/docs5/20160428_NHHIP_Seg3_Project_Updates.pdf TxDOT anticipates the viaduct will be complete in 32 months, or Dec 2019. (Source: http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/get-involved/about/hearings-meetings/houston/030917.html) According to the Hardy Toll Road Connector site, the Hardy ramps to the Elysian Viaduct will start construction in July 2019 and finish in June 2021. The HTR mainlane extension to downtown will start in May 2019 and end in August 2022. The overpass at Collingsworth began construction last year. The overpasses at Lorraine and Quitman will begin this year and next year respectively. Source: http://www.hardyconnector.org/schedule.html

This rendering from the HBJ article is a bit peculiar, because looking at the roof, there's no evidence that anything like this will be built: How it is right now:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Amegy-Bank-opens-eye-catching-tower-10923531.php#photo-12349913