Hermann Park At 6100 Hermann Park Dr.

[Highway6]

google maps shows an existing bridge, at least a pedestrian bridge, only a few hundred feet from this location

[JLWM8609]

So this is why the new MacGregor has bridge guardrails at one section, but nothing going underneath for the time being.

google maps shows an existing bridge, at least a pedestrian bridge, only a few hundred feet from this location

I think that bridge may be torn down as part of Project Brays. I was looking at it the other day and I don't think they can widen the bayou there without either extending or tearing down that bridge.

Edited December 5, 2010 by JLWM8609

[Triton]

I wonder why they chose this location. Anyone from the area who is a runner/cyclist also think there was a need for a connection here?

I'm not familiar with the park space that it connects to. I know it's mainly a golf course at that point, but I'm assuming there are running/bike trails that go around the course as well?

Well, speaking as a cyclist that travels through this area nearly every weekend, I would have to say this is a smart location for a bridge. This bridge *I believe* is mainly for the people who like to take the bike trail that goes over 288 which is part of the Columbia Tap Rail Trail. This would allow people to take Dixie Dr, cross Almeda, and then take this bridge to get over to the other side fairly quickly.

Why is this quicker? Well, at the moment, if you come down Dixie Dr from the 288 bridge, then you have to bike all the way down Almeda to MacGregor and once you're on MacGregor you have to cross the actual street to get over to the zoo area.

If none of this makes sense, maybe I can show you what I'm talking about with my bad paint skills lol

The dark red is the existing trail that you have to take in order to get from 288 to the zoo area.

The light red is the new trail according to the picture they provided.

[house567]

Pretty good job Triton. Yes, it is about "connectivity" to Columbia Tap Trail, but I have grave reservations about using Dixie avenue as it is narrow, no bike paths, no sidewalks, and is used currently by lots by Grocer Supply 18 wheelers. Dixie has potential as it sits tangent to the Catholic Diocese Retirement Center. As a 20 year runner and biker who lives in this area, it is a "long time coming" and would not be achieved without the tenacity of Bill Coats standing up to CoH Parks and Recreation Director, according to his own account at the Groundbreaking Ceremony.

I wish they could have been more conservative on the bridge design and expense. I felt a very functional bridge could have been built for the new expanse of Braes Bayou WITHOUT clear cutting much of the thick forest on "Mount MacGregor". The cutting of the trees will allow much for traffic noise and light pollution into this small bit of urban respite.

Anyway, I support anything that moves Houston toward a more walkable-ridable community. So much potential and so much to see when we hang up the car keys.

[VelvetJ]

Now that is a nice design. House567, I am far from a fan of clear cutting however Houston has too many projects where design has taken a backseat to conservative functionality. Barring the "necessary" clear cutting for the design, I love that it is modern. I say more, more, and more modern designs for this city in every sense of the word.

Edited December 5, 2010 by VelvetJ

[Jax]

This is awesome. I live in the neighborhood and ride on this path almost every day. The current bridge that is close by is pretty ugly and minimal by comparison, so it will be a huge improvement if they are replacing it with this. Also if you look at the renderings, it almost looks like there will be steps down to the edge of the bayou. Is that really part of the current plan? That would also be a huge improvement over the steep grass then steep concrete on the edge of the bayou right now. I knew they were going to make the banks less steep as part of the Barays project but I didn't know exactly how they were doing it.

[Highway6]

Also if you look at the renderings, it almost looks like there will be steps down to the edge of the bayou. Is that really part of the current plan?

No, you're seeing the result of using foam core to build a terrain in a physical model.

[Houstonian in Iraq]

Kickass looking bridge. Would really like to see more projects like this. Passed by the other day and saw some work being done, thought maybe that the bayou was being widened. Thanks for the posts

[JLWM8609]

Passed by the other day and saw some work being done, thought maybe that the bayou was being widened.

It is being widened.

[Jax]

Aside from being wider, I'm wondering how different the bayou will look when they are done. As I understand it will still be channelized, but I hope it will be done in a more tasteful way. It can't be any worse at least.

[house567]

It is now SIX months later than the last post. Foundations appear to be in but NOTHING has happened for the last month that I can tell. Maybe HCFCD has to get other nearby work completed before they can proceed. Anyone else have an update?

[Triton]

It is now SIX months later than the last post. Foundations appear to be in but NOTHING has happened for the last month that I can tell. Maybe HCFCD has to get other nearby work completed before they can proceed. Anyone else have an update?

Yea, it has pretty much stopped since the last time I was there a few weeks ago. It seems like most of their attention has been the area around 288.

[citykid09]

Thats a nice bridge! Has there been any changes to how its going to look since those renderings?

[Simbha]

I hadn't seen anything about this on HAIF, so I thought I'd post it...

Chinese artist/political critic Ai Weiwei's newest public art display has made its way to Hermann Park. The piece, titled Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, depicts the heads of the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals mounted on matching poles. Each is about 10 feet tall. The piece is on a tour of the US and is currently installed at Lake Plaza until June 3.

Here's an image from the Chronicle's article on the installation (link is below):

To be honest, when I first saw it in person, I didn't know what they were and they looked 'demonic' to me. I recognized them as Chinese Zodiac symbols, but I didn't care much for them. That being said, no piece of art appeals to everyone, and getting a Weiwei installation is a bit of a coup for Houston (especially for such an extended period of time). I think this is just one more reflection of Houston's growing importance on the international stage, which I see as a good thing.

Here's a recent article from the Chronicle on the subject: http://www.chron.com/life/article/New-sculptures-create-sense-of-place-3375029.php

And, the press release from the Houston Arts Alliance: http://www.houstonartsalliance.com/site/print/contemporary-arts-coup/

[brian0123]

Other pic and link to Frontline episode on the artist... http://innerlooped.com/1628/free-event-of-the-weekend-ai-weiwei-heads-at-hermann-park/

[msteele6]

I happened to be in Hermann Park twice in the last three weeks. The first time, the statues weren't there, the second time they had magically appeared.

It's odd, since I didn't realize that they were Chinese Zodiac figures, I assumed there was some hidden theme, and the only thing I could think of was the fact that 11 of the figures represent real animals that I could identify, the twelfth one is imaginary. It's sort of odd that the Chinese have one imaginary animal in their Zodiac, and furthermore, that imaginary animal seems to play an important role in Chinese mythology.

[lockmat]

I agree, they're kinda freaky.

[Simbha]

I happened to be in Hermann Park twice in the last three weeks. The first time, the statues weren't there, the second time they had magically appeared.

It's odd, since I didn't realize that they were Chinese Zodiac figures, I assumed there was some hidden theme, and the only thing I could think of was the fact that 11 of the figures represent real animals that I could identify, the twelfth one is imaginary. It's sort of odd that the Chinese have one imaginary animal in their Zodiac, and furthermore, that imaginary animal seems to play an important role in Chinese mythology.

My understanding is that the dragon myth origin relates to one of two real creatures: dinosaur bones which were unearthed in ancient China or crocodiles which lived in the waters of major rivers. Note that Chinese ('Asian' or 'Eastern') dragons are wingless, so such mythical are not far from real creatures, living or long-gone.

[kylejack]

I saw them and thought they were awesome.

[woolie]

Is this the highest and best use of this park land? My rough outline of the course and club house is about 125 acres.

Note: Topic title should be "COURSE" obviously. "Coarse" is jargon in my field... Can someone correct the title?

Edited May 22, 2012 by woolie

[woolie]

Approximate boundaries and land areas:

Main park area (Red)

94 acres

Zoo (Blue)

54 acres

Museum / Botanical (Green)

26 acres

Parking (Purple)

14 acres

[woolie]

And, off topic, Google Earth has fairly nice 3D rendering for Houston.

[Ross]

Is this the highest and best use of this park land? My rough outline of the course and club house is about 125 acres.

Note: Topic title should be "COURSE" obviously. "Coarse" is jargon in my field... Can someone correct the title?

Yes, it is.

[luciaphile]

I glance at this website from time to time out of, well, I suppose nostalgia is the word (though it doesn't seem quite right!) for my Houston childhood.

Are you suggesting that Houston needs less open space?!!!

[TheNiche]

Is this the highest and best use of this park land? My rough outline of the course and club house is about 125 acres.

Yeah, for right now, I don't think that redeveloping the golf course as intensively-programmed park space would lure enough additional people per acre to keep the park from feeling more empty (in terms of the number of users at any given time). If I want a sense of naturalistic isolation, that's what Memorial Park is for.

The part I always wonder about is the gardening center. It can be very inconvenient for someone trying to exit the park walking northbound, especially at night. And I just don't know who uses it. Seems kind of like a fuddy duddy relic of a generation that's dying out.

[YakuzaIce]

I glance at this website from time to time out of, well, I suppose nostalgia is the word (though it doesn't seem quite right!) for my Houston childhood.

Are you suggesting that Houston needs less open space?!!!

Pretty sure he's just saying that a golf course is a very inefficient use of open space. There are only 48 tee times a day for a maximum of 4 people. Even if every time is taken with the largest party possible, that is only 192 people per day (although it could be more with the driving range and other ammenities). So even assuming it operates at maximum capacity year round, the zoo still averages 22.8 times more people per day despite using less than half the space. As a comparison Discovery Green saw an average of 850,000 visitors per year in its first two years ("over 4 million" since it opened, but I don't know as of when.), and that's just a 12 acre park.

While it's nice to have a golf course so close into the city, I have to agree that it is wasted space in its current form.

[woolie]

Yes, like Yakuza says. The 125 acres for the golf course is already highly programmed -- but to a very specific use that limits both the number of users (a few hundred), and the appeal of the activity (high investment, large block of time, no appeal for children.) It might as well be a polo field. Should the city use such a large block of a very precious and limited resource for this use?

[luciaphile]

Quite the utilitarian, aren't you? So possibly 70,000 golfers a year. It won't help much but perhaps you should count "people-hours" (HRU: Human Recreational Unit? - as I type I realize it surely already exists) instead since each golfer will be on the course 4 hours. Whereas who could stand to be at the Discovery Green with their kids for 4 hours?

(Understand that I don't have the slightest idea what the Discovery Green is, but the name makes my eyes glaze over.)

(You kindly reply and explain. I write back, "Oh, sounds fun." Not really.)

Now during my infrequent visits I have seen how they cleaned up the reflection pool in Hermann Park (or bailed it out - who knew it had rectilinear concrete edges?) and thought that looked very nice. But no one can stand in it and recreate. So it's not an amenity in your brute reckoning?

[Fringe]

I believe the 90 year old Herman Park course is Houston's oldest golf course and I think an inner-city golf course is good for the community.

[woolie]

There are already two other municipal golf courses inside the loop -- Memorial Park and Gus Wortham. Both of these are in more appropriate locations for a low-density/intensity recreational activity.

Hermann Park is in the very core of the city, adjacent to the very dense TMC, a major university, the tourist destination Museum District, and served by fixed route transit. I have been on the train hundreds of times and have never once seen a person carrying a set of golf clubs, despite the fact that the three stations servicing Hermann Park are heavily used. Yet, we've allocated 125 acres of prime urban park to this use. When the Hermann Park Golf Course was first laid out in 1922, it was a legitimately suburban area.

Edited May 24, 2012 by woolie