texasboy

Some good news out of this thread. Hey, I shop at Forever 21 Men in Union Square in San Francisco sometimes and you can really dress the stuff up. I can say I am sick of the emo scene too, but you have to be really selective to pull off the look when in that store. You cannot beat the prices either.

In fact, the existing rail line is probably closer. You just have to walk a mile (or something) from Main/Fannin.

I use to live in a duplex style apartment near the Contemporary Arts Museum off of Bayard when I lived in Houston, only a block or two from the rail line, and that walk was hell.

What they really need to do with Houston Center is fix the exterior.

Last year they "pollished" it, but it still looks funky.

and get rid of those high school cafeteria posters on the outside.

Sakowitz is supposed to be getting an American Apparel store on the ground floor.

Houston Pavilions is going to be next door to Sakowitz on the 3 empty blocks bounded by Main, Dallas, Caroline and Polk.

Also Habita is opening, which is claimed to be a new chic industrial style retail concept. It is suppose to open February 2006.

Also nmainguy, why is your favorite smiley?

I HAVE TO SAY that i somewhat share Houstonsemipro's frustration regarding this project. When i look at all the multiple projects that are taking place in Dallas, i conclude and feel that Houston's a little on the slow side.

Dallas mentioned the Victory Development and wide plasma screens not even a year ago. They've already begun to move some dirt showing progress and signs that the projects are moving along. It's frustrating. Dallas appears to be the most booming city in the state right now. Why can't we at least start seeing some dirt flying or being moved for the Pavilions? I'm mad as hell!

Wrong. I have a friend in Dallas that has been waiting on Victory for years. Try the 90's. Maybe a Dallasite on this forum could tell you.

My experience with Virgin (in New Orleans) was three large floors of a large selection of music. I found artists i could only read about on the internet and hope to download a song from them.

There are a lot of music choices in Europe and the rest of the world that you typically don't have access too that I was able to get too.

Exactly and the prices are not that way off from the sheer variety of stuff that they offer. I found the one in NYC jacking up their prices a little bit though. When I lived in SF, the prices were not that high because of the competition they had in the city with local retailers. Maybe Virgin is not appreciated because of how big they have become, but they offer what any quality music store has, from R&B, hip-hop, punk, country, pop, etc, and then some.

Virgin is great for the Top 40 crowd who don't care about their music.

I am not talking about the Soundwaves in the burbs, but something like the flagship store on Montrose.

Like I said, the one in London is very lame.

And if the one in London is lame, how good do you think a Houston location would be?

I would love to see a real flagship Soundwaves one day where possibly this local retailer could go nationally. Sort of like Starbucks in Seattle. Well not really, but you get the point. Anyway, putting Soundwaves in this development is so unrealistic though. These are huge developers out of California. Do you really think they are just going to scout out any kind of retailers to place in this project? I seriously doubt that. It's just wishful thinking. When I said Virgin Mega Store is a key tenant to Pavilions Projects around the world, I meant it is a retailer that almost comes standard with these pavilion projects. Do you really think the developer is going to do something special just for Houston and sway away from their key tenants just to put in a Soundwaves. Yeah right. Personally, in this situation, I hope they do not.

As for as the London store, that is not the only location. Virgin Mega Store is from London and they have more than one location in the city. BTW, how many Virgin Mega Stores have you been in throughout this country. One would know, that they are not all alike. The Virgin in Phoenix is pure garbage because it is located in a mall. Visit the Virgin in Chicago, Orlando, New Orleans, or San Francisco, it makes it seem like the developers did not even try with the location in Phoenix. Hopefully an urban designed Virgin store could finally make it to Houston.

Did you used to shop at Dolce & Gabbana?

Even if he or she didn't, the market for places like those in Houston is higher than it has ever been and to have the only one in Texas again would be great for Texas residents and our wealthy neighbors in Latin America. I know it is only one store, but anything to bring more money into the city.

I think Virgin is a key tenant to Pavilion projects all over the world, of course it would be us to try to water down something. I cannot see how Soundwaves would be better for this project. People can go to Soundwaves all over the city. Do people on here realize that it is imperative to place retailers that are not found all over the metro, so people can have a reason to go to downtown? And before people throw out examples, Virgin is no Hard Rock Cafe. Soundwaves? LOL. Great, it is a local retailer, but that is like a million steps down. When I lived in Houston, I knew too many people that were longing for a Virgin Mega Store and since such stores usually make it to the Galleria, one in downtown almost sounds to good to be true.

I think the bus station is to be included in the intermodal facility at N. Main and Burnett-just north of the vehicular tunnel.

WOW. Talk about a crowded station, but I like that. We need some sort of Grand Central Station in Houston. METRO buses, BRTs, light rail vehicles, and greyhound buses at on station? WOW. It helps it will be in downtown too.

I've always wondered the same thing.

BTW, citykid, what the hell does your post have to do with this thread?

No, it use to be this.

002 magazine usually changes the images but keeps the same url, so the pic just changed.

Seriously Velvetj, when you have free time, why don't you write such things to the city council to express your thoughts and ideas?

^^ Not a bad idea, especially if the driveway to the entrance was lit, but the lighting looks ok to me already.

Read here: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....04132439&EDATE=

I think you should take your $280,000 and get a nice new 3000 sq.ft. David Powers home in Katy. That guy has some nice designs. You should look into Woodcreek Reserve.

http://www.davidpowershomes.com/ViewCommun...?Communityid=35

If you haven't found out by now, suburbs are overrated and they are cheap for a reason.

Nothing but me and my Cadillac, you might want to check out har.com under higrise condominiums. And search under your price range. http://har.com/cs_highrise.htm

............

Says Hagstette: "With every project that happens in the downtown area, there is a tendency to characterize it as the be-all, end-all to solve all our problems, and I don't want to give the idea that this project falls into that category. But this project is breaking new ground in a new market -- urban retail -- and in that sense it's going to be extraordinarily influential."

............

That's what I'm talking about.

Maybe in Midtown, maybe along Main downtown. There are several scoping out locations right now. By early 2008 at least one should be open.

I'm curious to know where you guys would like to see a movie theater.

In the historic district. Where so many were removed. Maybe where Shamrock Tower was suppose to go. Close to the Rice.

1000 Main becomes second downtown skyscraper to change hands this summer

By Jennifer Dawson

Houston Business Journal

Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET Sept. 18, 2005

One of the city's newest skyscrapers was acquired last week for what is believed to have been the highest price per square foot ever paid for a building in downtown Houston.

Reliant Energy Plaza, located at 1000 Main, was bought by KanAm grundinvest Fonds, an institutional investor out of Germany. The seller was a partnership led by HAUS-INVEST Global of Germany, which had held an ownership stake in the building since August 2004. The other former owners are from Houston: Pinto Realty and Century Development, which developed the building in March 2003 and will continue to manage and lease the property.

More Here:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9395712/

Why doesn't Houston have a Crunch gym yet?

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Are we suppose to? I think it is that you are just into names. Crunch is more of an east coast thing. The only place i have seen outside the east coast that has it is la and san francisco.

It's sad that some of the best open bayou is surronded by the freaking jail!

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It has been said many times throughout the last few days but I finally agree with you on something.

^^what?

edit: we must have posted at the same time.

I have a feeling that most tenants will not be announced as soon as we expect. I can see them being announed during construction like so many other large mixed use projects across the country. largeTexas where you at?

I'm very excited about this!  Great news!

I'm curious to know whether a retail boom in downtown would preclude midtown from having comparable activity.

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No, you all just need to make it down the street.

I'm holding my breath.

If real estate trends in Houston hold true, anyone with land anywhere close to the area is going to jack up their prices as if the thing had already been built and was thriving.

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I already thought this a long time ago. Especially the Humble Building across the street. Oh my gosh, like their rent was not already high. Just to have the convenience of having all those amenities right across the street from your door step=price-gouging.