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Houston Pavilions, Now Green Street


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I don't know why everyone is getting so hung up on the venue. As a musician and music lover, I only care to play/see shows in venues that have a good sound system and acoustics. I could care less if it is trying to be trendy, or if it is trying to look "authentic", or if it is someplace like Fitzgeralds or a run down warehouse. WHO CARES! Once you get in the building, the lights go down, the stage lights up, and you get to witness masters of their craft creating music right in front of you. Yes, it is not only about the music... it is also about watching musicians build that song right in front of you! If you want to stare at the damn walls of a worn down warehouse, or marvel at the things on the wall at the House of Blues... don't go to the concert and get in everyone's way! Instead, just take a tour of the place sometime later, and congratulate yourself for standing in a place you felt cool at. In the meantime, I'm going to keep paying attention to the music.

Now, can we please get back on topic?

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I hope HP does very well....but stepping into reality what is HP....it is a shopping mall full of mostly restaurants downtown with a bit of office space on top....I am far from a hypster for mixed use, but as many others have pointed out a hotel and or residences would have made this project something unique

I also posted my opinion that people are WAY over hyping the HOB because honestly after seeing a picture of it on wikipedia I have seen air conditioner cooling towers that were more architecturally interesting

and a place called House of BLUES kind of makes me laugh when their opening acts are gangsta rappas and comedians for WAY too much cost.....I would prefer to pay to go to a comedy club on open mic night and hear something original than go see a comedian for too much money that I will already know what 90% of his jokes are before he says them....mix in the over priced drinks to pay for all the "atmosphere" at the house of blues and I will pass on most of their acts.....HOB made a name for themselves as a place that gave small BLUES acts a venue and instead of opening with reasonable prices and a line up of BLUES acts that most would rarely see they open with a has been rappa and comedians

and it is correct to say that sitting in an old warehouse does not make something special, but neither does sitting in a contrived over priced ugly box with a name on the front make something special

people seem set on being excited that it is THE HOB when the reality is it is uglier than a wharehouse and cost more and will be full of people more borish than an empty warehouse.....not really getting what all the excitement is about

I wish this mall the best, but they will really need to WORK to make it something more than just another mall away from a large population center with over priced venues living on what they were somewhere else VS what they have become now

Points taken. Although it is a shame that there are millions of Houstonians that disagree with you. I guess HOB will just have to rely on them to stay afloat.

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God forbid that Houston, the "fourth largest city" or "ninth largest metropolitan area"... whatever you want to call it, be allowed to get another live music venue... we simply have too many of them, and cannot meet our current demand for touring artists as it is. We should have moved HOB to The Woodlands anyway, b/c downtown Houston isn't supposed to get interesting stuff. It's just a place where people work, then they climb into their cars, and get stuck in horrendous traffic for three-and-a-half hours on their way out to Sierra Flatana Cinco-Seis Ranch on the Lake of Cypress Forks of Mine Enemies in the Pear King's Gardens. Let's just tear down Discovery Green too, and move it to Foeswood! :ph34r::angry2::angry2::angry2:

And tourism??? Oh puh-lease! We don't need tourists in Houston, clogging up our rail lines and freeways, exploring downtown. The creation of a tourism industry? That's just un-American!

Edited by totheskies
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A live music venue, is a live music venue. Whether I'm going to see Kittie at Fitzgeralds, Dave Mathews at the Mitchell Pavillion, or Marilyn Manson at the Verison Theater.

Even though most artist suck without studio magic, its fun to see them in person and enjoy it as best you can... Seriously, people are bitching about the authenticity of the House of Blues and its coolness factor? Be thankful we have something exciting going on Downtown and not the surface lots we had before.

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Hey have any of you guys seen the new Houston Pavillions website, it's pretty modern filled with clean lines!!! I am so excited for this project to become real....hopefully it will attract more shopping stores to downtown to make the urban shopping center of Houston.

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Hey have any of you guys seen the new Houston Pavillions website, it's pretty modern filled with clean lines!!! I am so excited for this project to become real....hopefully it will attract more shopping stores to downtown to make the urban shopping center of Houston.

someone already mentioned that before, but yes, but imo, i prefer the old logo, and the old website

probably the old renderings too, but all that matters is the retail, office area, and the venues, right?

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the sight-line to the GRB is exciting.

it hadn't occurred to me that surrounding hotels will have hundreds of rooms with a view of the pavilion. i hope the project will do well. there is still plenty of space to lease. i wonder if interested businesses are waiting to see how the rest do.

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Question for you all...

HP is now about 60% leased for the retail. What other stores would you like to see move into HP??

It's starting out with more than enough bars and restaurants, but what about

-The Apple Store

-Bike Rental/Bike Share

-movie theater

anything else?? Would love to hear some input.

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-GAP

-Banana Republic

-Ann Taylor

-AMC Theater

-Pappasitos

-Victoria's Secret

-Disney Store

-Old Navy

-Kentucky Fried Chicken

-G by Guess

These stores give variety for all tastes and incomes=attracting a wide variety of individuals from the Houston Area.

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Although I'm not a mall person, I'm excited to see this become successful. This is a key component to building an urban core in Houston. I'm hoping this will spur more organic growth and not just more master planned projects with corporate anchors, as DT needs to have some character too. Still, I'm glad to see this is finally opening.

Edited by barracuda
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Dream list for tenants:

H & M- would be a destination for girls/women all over Texas

Trader Joe's- Would make a killing on downtown lunch crowds and give a small market to residents and hotel guests

Zara- The Latins love to come to town to shop so let's give them the Spanish Dept. Store.

Kuhl-Linscomb/Area/etc...- a smaller boutique version would be nice and get some "local" flavor

Art Space- dedicate a section to local artists. Have month over month shows

Frenchy's- just cuz I am hungry as I type for some real fried chicken

Bullfrog Tours- knock off Boston's "Duck Tours"...old military vehicles that are amphibious...open air tours of town and the bayou/ship chanel. Give the vehicles local names like Buffalo Betty, Rice-a-Rita, Ashley Dome, Montrose Martha, Ernie Enron, Harold Heights

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This thing ought to be great for out of towners. There is no tourist ghetto in Houston. No West End, no Riverwalk -- and while those aren't places locals necessarily go, they are great for out of towners who don't know the city and want to go someplace easy to find and prepackaged and ready to go. Pavillions is not the Riverwalk and is basically just a mall, but it provides something for the out of towner to do to kill a couple of hours while waiting to do whatever it is they came here for.

The proximity of Pavillions to the Hilton, Four Seasons, Club whatever, even Doubletree, is a good thing. It gives the people who came in Friday afternoon for a Saturday wedding an option that doesn't involve a long cab ride somewhere else. It is a good time killer for the business traveller who is trying to get out of his room. It provides a bunch of good dining options for the conventioneer. I think I can say before it is even open that it is better than Bayou Place or the Shops at Houston Center. It may not be perfect and it may not draw tons of people from in town, but this is something downtown sorely needed. It may be a glorified mall filled with chain stores you can get in any other city, but the reality is that most Americans will go to something familiar first and that is why this place will be successful.

Will it draw people from in town? It just might. I live in Montrose and I like McCormick and Schmicks. I'll probably come down here before the Galleria. I know I'll see some shows at HOB. It's hard to imagine going past 12 bookstores to get to Books-a-million, but you never know. Time will tell.

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-- Museum store that is specific to Houston museums (prints from current exhibits, gift-shop merch, etc). Also it should have free maps and guides to imminent events at Houston museums. As a result, an out of towner or tourist will be made more aware of local offerings.

Edited by N Judah
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This thing ought to be great for out of towners. There is no tourist ghetto in Houston. No West End, no Riverwalk -- and while those aren't places locals necessarily go, they are great for out of towners who don't know the city and want to go someplace easy to find and prepackaged and ready to go. Pavillions is not the Riverwalk and is basically just a mall, but it provides something for the out of towner to do to kill a couple of hours while waiting to do whatever it is they came here for.

The proximity of Pavillions to the Hilton, Four Seasons, Club whatever, even Doubletree, is a good thing. It gives the people who came in Friday afternoon for a Saturday wedding an option that doesn't involve a long cab ride somewhere else. It is a good time killer for the business traveller who is trying to get out of his room. It provides a bunch of good dining options for the conventioneer. I think I can say before it is even open that it is better than Bayou Place or the Shops at Houston Center. It may not be perfect and it may not draw tons of people from in town, but this is something downtown sorely needed. It may be a glorified mall filled with chain stores you can get in any other city, but the reality is that most Americans will go to something familiar first and that is why this place will be successful.

Will it draw people from in town? It just might. I live in Montrose and I like McCormick and Schmicks. I'll probably come down here before the Galleria. I know I'll see some shows at HOB. It's hard to imagine going past 12 bookstores to get to Books-a-million, but you never know. Time will tell.

Great post B)

Agreed... for the out-of-towners that know these places-- House of Blues, Forever XXI, B-A-M, etc. HP really hits the spot. Just imagine yourself as a first-time, NO better yet a second-time visitor to Houston, and the first time you came was in 2005...

You stayed at the Hilton Americas, and it was a DEAD ZONE. Everything around it was dark and empty except for a few scant conventionneers. You trek the long way across eastern downtown (6 blocks) just to hop on the train, go up one station, then walk another 7 blocks where you FINALLY get to the Hobby Center for a Broadway or TUTS show. Coming back to the hotel is lonely, desolate, and frankly scary. You make up your mind right then and there that Houston SUCKS and you're never coming back.

Flash-forward to 2009...

Somehow you're trapped in town for a conference, and you have to stay at the H.A. again!! But wait, this time something is different... whoa look at this cool-ass park! So you get done with meetings, and decide to go for a nice walk around. As evening approaches, you suddenly see a big neon blue sign come on and you go "WTF! I didn't know Houston had a House of Blues?!?" You run over there and encounter Houston Pavilions... stroll around and decide to call up your convention buds... "Hey guys, there's an HOB here. And it's connected to this shopping thing-- yeah, kinda like Kansas City (P&L district). So I say let's grab dinner here, and then decide if we want to go bowling, see the broadway show, or just pal around downtown at the clubs. Cool see ya in a few."

Sorry to go so "twilight zone" in the post, but I guarantee you that this thing is going to change some people's minds about Houston!

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Oh, yeah and something else that I pointed out on SSP...

Houston is a random-ass mess of a city. Hard Rock Cafe has no relation to Inn at the BallPark, and the GRB and the Theater District couldn't possibly have a wider gap between them. But in the strategic sense, Houston Pavilions is a really great use of space. Not only does it help to link east and west downtown, but by linking Macy's with Houston Center, it actually serves to create a retail/shopping district for our downtown. I think this was a key move that will start to "zone" things for downtown Houston. most of the future retail that comes to the area will be in the vicinity of HP and HC.

This obviously helps for the residential future of downtown too. Once we muddle through the credit crunch, you better WATCH OUT for residential projects to be gobbling up the surface lots between Toyota, DG and HP. It's literally the next hot spot for a residential/mixed use highrise. Let's just hope that a major grocer like HEB's Central Market or Whole Paycheck gets worked into the plans.

Edited by totheskies
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Not only does it help to link east and west downtown, but by linking Macy's with Houston Center, it actually serves to create a retail/shopping district for our downtown. I think this was a key move that will start to "zone" things for downtown Houston. most of the future retail that comes to the area will be in the vicinity of HP and HC.

I definitely think Dallas St. from GRB to Main St. should be made into a pedestrian friendly corridor, and the city should encourage (incentivize) development of hotel/residential/retail projects. There are 5 blocks adjacent to Dallas between HOB and Hilton/DG/GRB just waiting for it...

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Pavilions website is rebooted and refreshed.

No longer a construction orientated site.

www.houstonpavilions.com

mia bella is great. i would wager that they need more room and would like to stay open more often. i will miss the cozy location they are currently at (if they are moving).

The retail floor plan does show Mia Bella on level 1 (161A).

So has anyone heard definitively if they are moving from the Main St. location or just opening an additional location? To me, the current location has always been part of the draw due to its charm.

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The retail floor plan does show Mia Bella on level 1 (161A).

So has anyone heard definitively if they are moving from the Main St. location or just opening an additional location? To me, the current location has always been part of the draw due to its charm.

This is an additional location, their 3rd. I think a 4th is going in somewhere else.

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I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest in the bookstore, Books-a-Million

I remember discussions on here where people suggested that if only a Borders or a Barnes and Noble would open Downtown, then things would really start to change down there. That this would attract shoppers at night and on weekends and would be a catalyst for further development.

Books-a-Million isn't Borders or Barnes and Noble, but it is the third largest book retailer. They have a store in Katy Mills. It looks pretty much the same to me.

Mike Huckabee is scheduled for an in store appearance and book signing Monday evening at 8pm November 24. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd something like that generates on a Monday night.

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I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest in the bookstore, Books-a-Million

I remember discussions on here where people suggested that if only a Borders or a Barnes and Noble would open Downtown, then things would really start to change down there. That this would attract shoppers at night and on weekends and would be a catalyst for further development.

Books-a-Million isn't Borders or Barnes and Noble, but it is the third largest book retailer. They have a store in Katy Mills. It looks pretty much the same to me.

Mike Huckabee is scheduled for an in store appearance and book signing Monday evening at 8pm November 24. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd something like that generates on a Monday night.

There's already a Walden or something like that in Houston Center.

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Your update is soo last week :P - but yeah, looks like a typical mall website now, vacant spaces and all!

I see lockmat beat me too it! (yes, I was curious to see!)

y'all talk a lot, it was 2 pages back, I did not go back that many posts to see.

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Question for you all...

HP is now about 60% leased for the retail. What other stores would you like to see move into HP??

GAP

Banana Republic

H&M (PLEASE!!!!)

American Eagle

Abercrombie and Fitch

American Apparel

Mike Huckabee is scheduled for an in store appearance and book signing Monday evening at 8pm November 24. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd something like that generates on a Monday night.

Oh good lord. :rolleyes:

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Question for you all...

HP is now about 60% leased for the retail. What other stores would you like to see move into HP??

It's starting out with more than enough bars and restaurants, but what about

-The Apple Store

-Bike Rental/Bike Share

-movie theater

anything else?? Would love to hear some input.

how about some outlets?..Oakley, Puma, Eddie Bauer, Kenneth Cole, LaCoste... :D

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Abercrombie and Fitch

American Apparel

Yes!

a 24/7 Starbucks, P.F. Chang's, Polo, Energie, Buckle, Probably a salon, a nice Bar, (And keep the clothing stores open till 9 or 10, since all the drunks will want to buy more! Hey it works in Puerto Banus)!

A nice boutique like Urban Rendezvous in the Heights.

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Yes!

a 24/7 Starbucks, P.F. Chang's, Polo, Energie, Buckle, Probably a salon, a nice Bar, (And keep the clothing stores open till 9 or 10, since all the drunks will want to buy more! Hey it works in Puerto Banus)!

A nice boutique like Urban Rendezvous in the Heights.

I know it is a pipe dream but Trader Joes would be ahuge win!!!!

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There's already a Walden or something like that in Houston Center.

Thanks, that's good to know. I guess I was referring more to the supersize type of bookstore, with bigger selection, coffee shop,expanded hours,etc...

Something that would actually bring people in to stay awhile, as opposed to a place to grab a book or a magazine on your lunch hour.

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GAP

Banana Republic

H&M (PLEASE!!!!)

American Eagle

Abercrombie and Fitch

American Apparel

Oh good lord. :rolleyes:

They're opening up an American Apparel store on 909 Texas. Kind of an odd place to put a new store... I don't really think that area in downtown caters to its targeted customers.

Actually. Scratch that. Just looked at the AA website and it no longer has the downtown location listed as opening soon; they just took it out completely. (?)

Would love to see an H&M though. When is it going to be OUR turn? Every other major metropolitan city has one EXCEPT Houston. Or Texas, rather. A Zara would be fab too!

And is Forever 21 going to open on Thursday as well? I have a party that evening and need a new dress!

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  • The title was changed to Houston Pavilions, Now Green Street

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