Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel

[Houston19514]

4 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

I've been there twice on 4th of July. The Boston Pops play on the Esplanade but the party is in a lot of other places, including Boston Common. Sure, wristbands for the concert area. Can't believe you went and found a link for it. So you.

 

And I've been there once (and apparently observed more than you did in two visits).  It's hell being proven wrong, isn't it?  The fact is, the Boston  crowds are in the Esplanade and they limit the admittance, just as Houston did in Discovery Green for this event and for the comparable Final Four events.  Facts can be stubborn and not that hard to learn.

Edited February 5, 2017 by Houston19514

[H-Town Man]

Just now, Houston19514 said:

 

It's hell being proven wrong, isn't it?  The fact is, the Boston  crowds are in the Esplanade and they limit the admittance.  Facts can be stubborn and not that hard to learn.

If you think all the 4th of July crowds are in that little Esplanade, I am certain you haven't been there. It's where the concert is, that's about it. 

[mollusk]

DG and GRB may have had limited access, but downtown as a whole remained open.  While it was busier than a typical Saturday night it still had room for more.

[jmitch94]

Yeah they shut down the entrances to the Kendrick Lamar concert for the final four so my buddy and I hopped the fence. Way less security than the Superbowl so when it was at capacity last night I just went to rice village. 

[cloud713]

3 hours ago, jmitch94 said:

Yeah they shut down the entrances to the Kendrick Lamar concert for the final four so my buddy and I hopped the fence. Way less security than the Superbowl so when it was at capacity last night I just went to rice village. 

 

Yep, I was going to mention this too. I left early that day to walk around downtown and take pictures, and the park was already at capacity/theywere already turning people away by 4:00 when I was leaving. That's what happens when you have large events..

[HOUCAJUN]

I can understand the frustration for people from out of town. If you're local, the news kept telling us Houstonians to experience the events the opening weekend. I listened and went before the out of towners arrived and had a great time. Obviously it was going to get really crowded THE DAY BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL! 

Edited February 6, 2017 by HOUCAJUN

[Triton]

But still..... fam, I think Houston might have just hosted the best Superbowl of all time.

[j_cuevas713]

 

On 2/4/2017 at 11:44 PM, H-Town Man said:

And maybe warn people going out that they won't be able to get back in because it's getting dark and going to be bedtime soon.

 

Great day overall, just annoyed by the overmanaging.

You're annoyed by over-managing? The management was by far above world class, if that's even possible. To go a full week without incident is incredible! Just imagine if the downtown population grows to that level consistently, at least we know the city of Houston can handle it like nothing. And yeah, parks reach capacity, big freaking deal. Not too difficult to understand. It's wasn't a bad thing that park was filled to capacity. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by j_cuevas713

[Nole23]

Downtown was amazing this weekend. Walking around the Discovery Green area and Main St/Market Square Park area Friday and Saturday night was unbelievable. The atmosphere was amazing and all of the out of towners I talked to said how much they enjoyed Houston.

[HOUCAJUN]

The NFL Experience  hasn't sold out in 20 years! Great job Houston! This area   looks great and there is another 1 billion dollars in residential ,  office and hotel yet to be developed . 

[H-Town Man]

1 hour ago, j_cuevas713 said:

 

You're annoyed by over-managing? The management was by far above world class, if that's even possible. To go a full week without incident is incredible! Just imagine if the downtown population grows to that level consistently, at least we know the city of Houston can handle it like nothing. And yeah, parks reach capacity, big freaking deal. Not too difficult to understand. It's wasn't a bad thing that park was filled to capacity. 

 

The part of my post that you quoted is so reasonable and simple a request, one strains to see how it could bother anyone. Just warn people going out that they won't be able to get back in. A simple sign: "No Re-Entry Tonight."

 

Like I said though, great day overall.

[Tonyhtown]

It was a success and I hope that  investors  liked how Houston did and it's potential as it keeps growing. I have a feeling more great things are coming.

[H-Town Man]

On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 9:23 PM, monarch said:

^^^ a little SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE action at DISCOVERY GREEN for SUPERBOWL LI.  beautiful.....

 

I take it all back: The park is clearly beyond capacity! Literally bursting!

 

Beautiful event, just a little less prudish next time, fire department. Thank you (sincerely) for looking out for us though.

Edited February 6, 2017 by H-Town Man

[cloud713]

Dude, give it a rest. We get it.. You're upset that you left early and couldn't get back in to see ZZ Top. If you'd ever been to any previous secured events at Discovery Green, you would have known that the park can reach capacity and they start turning people away once it's full.. maybe next time you won't make the poor decision of leaving the park early, and then try to go back in later in the evening on the biggest day of the biggest festival the park has ever hosted.

 

Or you won't, and will continue to accuse the park/city/fire department of being prude because they wouldn't accommodate your schedule.

[nate4l1f3]

1 hour ago, HOUCAJUN said:

The NFL Experience  hasn't sold out in 20 years! Great job Houston! This area   looks great and there is another 1 billion dollars in residential ,  office and hotel yet to be developed . 

Nice! Where did you read this at?

[H-Town Man]

18 minutes ago, cloud713 said:

Dude, give it a rest. We get it.. You're upset that you left early and couldn't get back in to see ZZ Top. If you'd ever been to any previous secured events at Discovery Green, you would have known that the park can reach capacity and they start turning people away once it's full.. maybe next time you won't make the poor decision of leaving the park early, and then try to go back in later in the evening on the biggest day of the biggest festival the park has ever hosted.

 

Or you won't, and will continue to accuse the park/city/fire department of being prude because they wouldn't accommodate your schedule.

 

I gave it a rest after Saturday night, only to come back here and see people blasting my old posts on Monday morning. Sorry I haven't been to more events at DG, I guess living three hours away doesn't help. Like I said before, a simple sign, "No Reentry Tonight," would help prevent the "poor decision" of thinking I could walk away from a park and then walk back to it.

 

[j_cuevas713]

I heard a lot of visitors enjoyed the city. One guy I met from Illinois said he had heard of Houston but didn't know much about it. He was impressed with everything and he thought we had a very nice city and downtown. And a big positive was that he said he wanted to come back to Houston after the SB.

[j_cuevas713]

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

 

I gave it a rest after Saturday night, only to come back here and see people blasting my old posts on Monday morning. Sorry I haven't been to more events at DG, I guess living three hours away doesn't help. Like I said before, a simple sign, "No Reentry Tonight," would help prevent the "poor decision" of thinking I could walk away from a park and then walk back to it.

 

My bad dude, didn't mean to attack you in any way. My apologies. 

[samagon]

I stayed away from DG on Saturday night. I rode around on Sunday for about an hour downtown. I'm glad it's not always that much traffic on a Sunday, I'd never go near the place on my bike. Not really great.

 

I kind of feel that the party was more spread out this time compared to last. in 2004 everyone was on Main street for the club experience. This time, everyone was everywhere. Plus I have to remember in 2004 there weren't concerts as part of the NFL experience.

[gene]

they did SORTA have the same thing nearby though in 2004:

http://www.redrocker.com/news/live-music-meets-superbowl

my best friend got to open for Sammy Hagar! 

 

[monarch]

^^^ just a little SHOUTOUT to all of our HAIF contributors throughout this most momentous SUPERBOWL LI.  all of the many illustrated/social contributions kept this magnificent forum lively with a constant DRUMBEAT that is still being felt even as i type these words.  what a magnificent achievement as per our wonderful and fair city upon the bayou!  what a brilliant show we put on in view of the whole world (100mm people) WOW!  to each and every one of our HAIF patrons, DO NOT EVER THINK THAT YOU DO NOT MATTER UPON THIS FORUM... YOU DO!  i am soooooo proud of you.....

 

 

 

[cloud713]

5 hours ago, samagon said:

I kind of feel that the party was more spread out this time compared to last. in 2004 everyone was on Main street for the club experience. This time, everyone was everywhere. Plus I have to remember in 2004 there weren't concerts as part of the NFL experience.

 

Im sure it was. There is way more going on in downtown now than back in 2004 when it was really just some stuff on Main Street.

[JoninATX]

This year Superbowl put Houston on the map! Although I can't wait until Houston gets the another Superbowl. By that time we should have metrorail connecting to Hobby and or George Bush International Airport. Downtown will become more dense and urban. So happy to see my hometown shine like it did this wknd.

Edited February 7, 2017 by JoninATX

[Ctaf]

How did the new restaurants in the GRB do this past week, did they stay pretty busy?

And when do we think the NFL will ask us to submit another Super Bowl bid? I know LA has 2021, and if Vegas manages to get a team/stadium, they'd probably get 2022. Arizona seems to be in the rotation so maybe them for 2023. Can't forget New Orleans. Houston 2025 anyone?

I feel after this year that Houston should be able to join the list of traditional super bowl cities including SoCal, South Florida, Arizona, and New Orleans

[Tonyhtown]

23 minutes ago, Ctaf said:

How did the new restaurants in the GRB do this past week, did they stay pretty busy?

And when do we think the NFL will ask us to submit another Super Bowl bid? I know LA has 2021, and if Vegas manages to get a team/stadium, they'd probably get 2022. Arizona seems to be in the rotation so maybe them for 2023. Can't forget New Orleans. Houston 2025 anyone?

I feel after this year that Houston should be able to join the list of traditional super bowl cities including SoCal, South Florida, Arizona, and New Orleans

The bedding for the next available super bowl is not yet available the next 4 are set in Minneapolis,  Atlanta,  Miami,  LA. Houston committeejust announced they will start working ASAP for the next possible super bowl. Might be a long shot since arizona, new Orleans,  are part of the rotation.

[jmitch94]

27 minutes ago, Ctaf said:

How did the new restaurants in the GRB do this past week, did they stay pretty busy?

And when do we think the NFL will ask us to submit another Super Bowl bid? I know LA has 2021, and if Vegas manages to get a team/stadium, they'd probably get 2022. Arizona seems to be in the rotation so maybe them for 2023. Can't forget New Orleans. Houston 2025 anyone?

I feel after this year that Houston should be able to join the list of traditional super bowl cities including SoCal, South Florida, Arizona, and New Orleans

 

I am hoping for this to happen too and I think it just might. We have such an enormous population that the NFL certainly made bank this week and if I know anything about the NFL they will always follow the money. 

[nate4l1f3]

53 minutes ago, Ctaf said:

How did the new restaurants in the GRB do this past week, did they stay pretty busy?

And when do we think the NFL will ask us to submit another Super Bowl bid? I know LA has 2021, and if Vegas manages to get a team/stadium, they'd probably get 2022. Arizona seems to be in the rotation so maybe them for 2023. Can't forget New Orleans. Houston 2025 anyone?

I feel after this year that Houston should be able to join the list of traditional super bowl cities including SoCal, South Florida, Arizona, and New Orleans

TBH the restaurants were blocked by everything that was set up.  I'm willing to bet not many people even knew papadeaux's was there.  The fencing was necessary for security I suppose but without it the whole scene/experience would have been taken to another level.  I would have liked the 2 entry/exits on avenida to have been pushed back away from the pedestrian area.

[UtterlyUrban]

5 hours ago, nate4l1f3 said:

TBH the restaurants were blocked by everything that was set up.  I'm willing to bet not many people even knew papadeaux's was there.  The fencing was necessary for security I suppose but without it the whole scene/experience would have been taken to another level.  I would have liked the 2 entry/exits on avenida to have been pushed back away from the pedestrian area.

I hear ya.  The problem with pushing the entrances back is that both hotels would then have been "inside" security and that would have been challenging for guests and staff.

[urbanize713]

I was at Grotto on Wednesday last week and it was at capacity. The restaurant had its own security checking people at the door which I thought was odd. I guess it was  required for influx of people and the scope of the event.

[Nole23]

I ate at Grotto as well and it was slammed. Some friends told me they tried to go to Pappadeaux and it was crowded so they just went next door to McAlister's Deli which had a shorter wait.

[gene]

Friday and Saturday all the restaurants were packed when i was there early evening...even that kooky Bud's BBQ Popup inside their future space in Avenida Houston 

[Angostura]

11 hours ago, Ctaf said:

How did the new restaurants in the GRB do this past week, did they stay pretty busy?

 

 

Didn't get close enough to GRB to say, but Bayou and Bottle (in the Four Seasons) was doing very brisk business (at $8 for draft beer and $16 for cocktails). Reservations at Brasserie du Parc could be had pretty easily. It was almost-but-not-completely full on Saturday night, but since it's around the back of OPP, and you couldn't get there without going past security, I don't think they got many walk-ins.

 

Restaurants and bars along Main St were doing good business in the early evening, and probably picked up as the night wore on. We snagged the last two seats at Tongue-Cut Sparrow around 5:30, and they had a wait list from then on (which is not bad for a bar with no signage that had been open less than a week).

 

[cloud713]

3 hours ago, gene said:

Friday and Saturday all the restaurants were packed when i was there early evening...even that kooky Bud's BBQ Popup inside their future space in Avenida Houston 

 

Buds BBQ "pop up"? So they haven't finished the actual restaurant? I tried to go there for lunch last Monday but apparently none of the places had opened yet since it was before the LIVE event had started for the day.

[gene]

1 hour ago, cloud713 said:

 

Buds BBQ "pop up"? So they haven't finished the actual restaurant? I tried to go there for lunch last Monday but apparently none of the places had opened yet since it was before the LIVE event had started for the day.

correct! they had a long table with warmers on them with bbq and sides and then temporary stand up tables for guests and a makeshift dj table etc...honestly it was kinda weird so i decided not to eat there haha! but good for them trying to serve while still under construction (or at least not being officially opened...) they even had a huge sign on the door saying something like: Sneak Preview of Bud's BBQ - Opening soon! 

 

[nate4l1f3]

A friend of mine just text me and said that the kulture sign was removed and replaced with a chick-fil-a.  Can anyone confirm this with a picture??

[gene]

[Nole23]

18 minutes ago, nate4l1f3 said:

A friend of mine just text me and said that the kulture sign was removed and replaced with a chick-fil-a.  Can anyone confirm this with a picture??

 

What?? I'll drive by there in a couple hours and check

[ryrohtx]

1 hour ago, nate4l1f3 said:

A friend of mine just text me and said that the kulture sign was removed and replaced with a chick-fil-a.  Can anyone confirm this with a picture??

 

Chick-Fil-A had a pop-up in that space for the week of Super Bowl. It is not permanent. 

[monarch]

^^^ another lovely evening at the GRB......

[monarch]

 

 

^^^ i know, i know.  it's just a bit hard for me to get over just how GORGEOUS the AVENIDA HOUSTON district is....

[hindesky]

Aerating the dead grass.

[monarch]

 

^^^ such BEAUTIFUL places at AVENIDA HOUSTON.....

[bobruss]

7 hours ago, hindesky said:

Aerating the dead grass.

What grass?

[UtterlyUrban]

I wonder if the Billionaires Boys Club paid enough for the use of the park to have it reseeded?

 

any bets?

 

maybe 2 months from now, with careful attention, and limiting public access in significant sections, Discovery green will have nice thick grass again.  That is until the next free corporate event it holds.  

[scarface]

On 2/11/2017 at 8:44 PM, monarch said:

 

 

^^^ such BEAUTIFUL places at AVENIDA HOUSTON.....

 

 

AHHH. I LOVE AVENIDAS. Getting a taste of Houston's elite restaurants in walking distance. A true Houston experience. All we need is a Frenchy's and a Timmy Chans on the Avenida and we will be rocking and rolling.

Edited February 13, 2017 by scarface

[monarch]

11 minutes ago, scarface said:

 

 

AHHH. I LOVE AVENIDAS. Getting a taste of Houston's elite restaurants in walking distance. A true Houston experience. All we need is a Frenchy's and a Timmy Chans on the Avenida and we will be rocking and rolling.

 

 

[tierwestah]

9 hours ago, scarface said:

 

 

AHHH. I LOVE AVENIDAS. Getting a taste of Houston's elite restaurants in walking distance. A true Houston experience. All we need is a Frenchy's and a Timmy Chans on the Avenida and we will be rocking and rolling.

 

Dude You are not serious!!!

[monarch]

8 hours ago, tierwestah said:

 

Dude You are not serious!!!

 

 

 

 

^^^ why not?  in fact, i'm praying that @scarface is indeed serious... i know that i am!  IMO, AVENIDA HOUSTON from a restaurant standpoint is designed to reveal/introduce the real/true and authentic flavors of houston, tx, to out of town conventioneers and guest of houston.  AVENIDA HOUSTON should NEVER harbor hospitality/retail/eating establishments that are normally frequented and solely dedicated to the taste of caucasians.  you should probably be highly aware by now that HOUSTON is ranked as the most diverse city in america.  of course, new york has the largest diverse population, but houston harbors the most global ethnicities throughout.

 

for a number of years, i have had the most wonderful opportunity/privilege to frequent some very wonderful / unique / fine dining establishments throughout this great world of ours. whenever i am working for the DOD throughout afghanistan/iraq, i try to steer away from eating the foods off of the US/NATO bases.  i may decide to dine along with the military inside one of the DFACS located upon the base itself, or depending upon how long i shall be employed upon each base sight, i may order many food items in from the states from the base's IPO.  however, once i arrive to DUBAI where our company hotels usually are located, i can dine anywhere i want.  have you ever had fried chicken in dubai, uae?  i have. some of those little places are quite delicious.  i have also had great seafood in dubai at some of their most magnificent hotels (HOTEL KEMPINSKI, RITZ CARLTON, FOUR SEASONS, etc)  upon some of my few trips to CAPE TOWN, SA, you probably wouldn't believe some of the grilled seafood that i have had there (prawns so large that i could not even eat it all).  not to mention, some of the great foods in BALI, INODNESIA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, MAYLASIA, and oh boy, you wouldn't believe some of the thai food that i've had in PHUKET, THAILAND.

 

i guess that my whole point here is, whenever i am visiting a city per se, i want to taste and experience the SOUL OF THE CITY... not just a few pretty establishments that are somewhat geared toward one segment of society.  i want the real deal.  FRENCHY'S and TIMMY CHAN'S delivers the soul of houston.  i would like to think that these two highly authentic dining establishments, would indeed make perfect ambassadors to the front door of houston just by being themselves.  i mean, look at it this way, at least they are not mattress stores.....   

Edited February 13, 2017 by monarch

[scarface]

^^^ EXACTLY.

 

And I'm surprised hearing someone who claims to be from 3rd ward talk like that. Almost sounded a little bougie.

 

So what? Known Hood spots don't deserve to be on this corner? Is it going to cheapen/tarnish the area? Is it Only for the upscale, glitzy establishments?  Well who says they can't make a nice Timmy Chans or a nice Frenchy's?  Avenida Houston is meant to showcase Houston's eateries into a walkable area. Not just those restaurants who's Chefs have gained national spotlight.

Edited February 14, 2017 by scarface

[hindesky]

Tried the Grotto last night at GRB, it had a good sized crowd for a Monday night and I enjoyed the spaghetti carbonara. Oxchi looked packed as I walked by. Great to see all the places doing good business. The NAPE convention will bring lots of people to all the new restaurants this week.