Atlantic Station In Atlanta Now Open!

[citykid09]

[RedScare]

Now honestly what does Houston have that another city would want? Besides business

You just answered your own question, bub. That's what they want...business. Because, without that, none of your cheezy developments get built. Everything else is a distant second.

[citykid09]

You just answered your own question, bub. That's what they want...business. Because, without that, none of your cheezy developments get built. Everything else is a distant second.

I mean the development that comes with businesses, like a theme park, or a transit system, or a timesquare? What development does Houston have that another city of its size would desire?

[texasboy]

Know that if 5th ward looked like that I would not complain at all. They would have to do a lot of work though. I remember seeing that rendering from a long time ago and I know that none of that has started yet.

Honestly, do you think that will ever happen?

Example from Sixth Ward which is going under heavy revitalization.

Before

After

[Talbot]

I mean the development that comes with businesses, like a theme park, or a transit system, or a timesquare? What development does Houston have that another city of its size would desire?

A Space Center.

[citykid09]

A Space Center.

Ok, What else?

[sevfiv]

What I really want is for Houston to be the city that everyone in USA wants to go to and see what its like and even want to move there more than any other place in America.

Now honestly what does Houston have that another city would want? Besides business

our population is not stagnant, but if even more people would want to move here because of what we have to offer (and business is what is going to lure most people here for work) they are going to have to be the type that would want to and be able to (afford to) live in the city in condo-type places you showed above, else our vast burbs will continue to grow...and grow...

and of course, these people would have to know how to parallel park (which we ALL know no one here knows how to do properly )

[citykid09]

Parallel parking looks much more urban to me than the type of parking they have in the Height, Sugarland townsquare, and The Rice Village.

Now you all can not tell me you would like to see those type of houses in Houston.

The truth hurts!

[RedScare]

Parallel parking looks much more urban to me than the type of parking they have in the Height, Sugarland townsquare, and The Rice Village.

Now you all can not tell me you would like to see those type of houses in Houston.

The truth hurts!

Now, you're debating the merits of on street parking?

Dude, I believe you have completely lost it.

[texasboy]

Parallel parking looks much more urban to me than the type of parking they have in the Height, Sugarland townsquare, and The Rice Village.

Now you all can not tell me you would like to see those type of houses in Houston.

The truth hurts!

To tell you the truth. Again, hell no. You are on your own on this one. The quality of those things are quite low. I will tell you some of ATL's developments that I admire.

These without the mega highway

[citykid09]

^Now thats what I like too! Now why can't I get anyone to agree with me and say that Houston is in need of these types of developments.

Now what areas in Houston can compare to that?

I know Houston has downtown, midtown, uptown, mediacl center and other places, but that have that too, and now there in-filling there city, something that I don't really see happening in Houston.

Now be honest, Houstons midtown is no where close to this.

Someone please prove me wrong and show that it is happening in Houston.

[hokieone]

This has to be one of the more nonconstructive threads. Great, Atlanta has new development. I'm happy for them. Do you think Houston is going to now run out and build this tomorrow? What is even the point? I don't even know what the point of posting these pictures is. I don't live in Atlanta, I live here. I understand posting pictures of other places every so often, but posting pictures and saying "why don't we have this" just doesn't make sense to me. Next it'll be pictures of Disney World and why don't we have that. Or pictures of Times Square and why don't we have that? And then the Space Needle, why don't we have that? Again, what is the point?

[UrbaNerd]

^Now thats what I like too! Now why can't I get anyone to agree with me and say that Houston is in need of these types of developments.

Now what areas in Houston can compare to that?

I know Houston has downtown, midtown, uptown, mediacl center and other places, but that have that too, and now there in-filling there city, something that I don't really see happening in Houston.

Now be honest, Houstons midtown is no where close to this.

Someone please prove me wrong and show that it is happening in Houston.

Post Midtown Square. Plain and simple.

Now, as for Texasboy's preference for this "urban"stuff, I agree. The GOOD stuff that he is showing isn't just an artificial city built overnight. It is..gasp..INFILL. Dallas Victory is almost as cheesy as ATL station, IMO, especially with the overuse of "over modern starchitect" desgisn.

[citykid09]

^Those look just a little bit better than post midtown. They are taller and have other buildings around them that fit in, unlike a suburban CVS. You should see the CVS thats in Atlanta's midtown. Yes it has parking, but they put it in the back so that it looks urban.

[Gary]

Two weeks ago I stayed at the Atlanta Marriot (midtown) which was within walking distance of most of the pics posted.

The street with the apartment complex running up the hill was a piece of crap, I know I walked right through them. The shots of most of the midrises are angled and squeezed to make the area look more dense, trust me it's not as it appears. Oh and the whole Atlantic station thing is hugely overrated. I rode the MARTA rail for 3 days and although it was very conveniant when going to Uptown (Buckhead) it was dirty and old. The interior colors looked like someone from the 70's designed them (yellow and orange).

Citykid, for a guy who obviously doesn't know much about ATL, your certainly a fan. I encourage you to take an extended vacation there as I did (well it wasn't really a vacation) and find out about the fantastic urbanity of Atlanta. You will be searching for a long time.

Houston looks bigger (urban), feels bigger (urban), and is bigger (urban) than the great and mighty ATL.

P.S. I'm not here to bash Atlanta as it had some nice qualities, however when I constantly here about the great city of the South over and over again, I go a little nuts.

[citykid09]

Two weeks ago I stayed at the Atlanta Marriot (midtown) which was within walking distance of most of the pics posted.

The street with the apartment complex running up the hill was a piece of crap, I know I walked right through them. The shots of most of the midrises are angled and squeezed to make the area look more dense, trust me it's not as it appears. Oh and the whole Atlantic station thing is hugely overrated. I rode the MARTA rail for 3 days and although it was very conveniant when going to Uptown (Buckhead) it was dirty and old. The interior colors looked like someone from the 70's designed them (yellow and orange).

Citykid, for a guy who obviously doesn't know much about ATL, your certainly a fan. I encourage you to take an extended vacation there as I did (well it wasn't really a vacation) and find out about the fantastic urbanity of Atlanta. You will be searching for a long time.

Houston looks bigger (urban), feels bigger (urban), and is bigger (urban) than the great and mighty ATL.

P.S. I'm not here to bash Atlanta as it had some nice qualities, however when I constantly here about the great city of the South over and over again, I go a little nuts.

You know you're right. I even here people from Atlanta say Houston is much more urban than Atlanta. On SSC there was a poll awhile back about which city is more urban and Houston won by a landslide. It was like 67 votes for Houston and 14 for Atlanta.

[Jeebus]

Citykid have you ever been to Atlanta - specifically all these areas you post pictures of?

[citykid09]

Citykid have you ever been to Atlanta - specifically all these areas you post pictures of?

I have been to Atlanta one time if you count going to the airport.

[kjb434]

Then why do you so blindly put so much stock into it being more than Houston?

It seems you are taking a big leap in siding with something you don't know much about.

[MidtownCoog]

He likes Outkast.

[kjb434]

Don't smell his roses.

[hokieone]

^Those look just a little bit better than post midtown. They are taller and have other buildings around them that fit in, unlike a suburban CVS. You should see the CVS thats in Atlanta's midtown. Yes it has parking, but they put it in the back so that it looks urban.

Well now that we know you have seen the airport once, then I guess you also should see the CVS that's in Atlanta's midtown. As well as the rest of the city. Although I guess you can really tell how nice everything is just by taking a look at pictures of things. Probably need to go back to finding all the stores and chain brands houston doesn't have and ask why we don't have those either.

[Gary]

I have been to Atlanta one time if you count going to the airport.

Then why do you love it so?

Well now that we know you have seen the airport once, then I guess you also should see the CVS that's in Atlanta's midtown. As well as the rest of the city. Although I guess you can really tell how nice everything is just by taking a look at pictures of things. Probably need to go back to finding all the stores and chain brands houston doesn't have and ask why we don't have those either.

By the way, I was in and out of that CVS as it was a block from my hotel room, and it was actually quite dirty. Again the pictures don't tell the whole story. Oh and the parking lot that is supposedly in the back is actually on the side and completely viewable from Peachtree. It looked like any Houston CVS.

[kjb434]

As citykid09 reads, he is humbled and embarrass.

What to do? I'll post more pictures. That'll show them.

Anyway, Atlanta and Houston are more alike in urban (i.e. dense) developments than different.

I don't envy them or despise them. They are just another southern city moving along like us.

[VelvetJ]

Citykid09, I understand from where you are coming. We may not agree on every single thing but I do understand your standpoint. You want the best for Houston as do I. You want people to DESIRE to move to Houston instead of coming here soley because there job transferred them here. You want Houston to have urban styled development first, or at least along with other cities it's size instead of being light years behind. You want the majority of buildings going up in the city to have some sort of architectural merrit instead of so many of them barely meeting the mediocre standard. You want the fantastic skyline of the largest city in Texas to at LEAST look better than Austin's at night. You don't understand why the largest city in Texas is also the least tourist friendly out of the large cities in the state. But your biggest frustation is why it seems Houston always seem to be a step behind on so many issues? Things that are on the drawing board here, are either done or being finished in our counterpart cities (this does not include places like Corpus, El Paso, Knoxville, and Jacksonville, so please no one bring up how far ahead we are of those places).

I have been to Atlanta and in terms of feeling bigger and overall urbanity, I would say Houston has it beat. But they have so many great projects going on, and seem to be progressing so very quickly in so many areas, it causes some to wonder why Houston isn't progressing as fast. Houston's version of a Atlantic Station project is still a concept. Houston's version of a Victory Plaza type of development like in Dallas, is still at least a year from even breaking ground. A TOD was announced this week for the Medical Center, which is a wonderful thing, but I suppose the timing isn't bad since the rail itself is new.

What I found interesting about this thread is how passionately some seem to have attacked Atlantic Station, something Houston doesn't even have. This development is going to help Atlanta more than it will hurt it and for the most part they are proud of it, as well they should be. The residents of that development can reasonably walk to the movies, a comedy club, a grocery store, a Target, a Dillards, a ton of restaurants and clothing stores, etc., and they all do it from their homes. Where in Houston can you do the same? Yet we attack them. We attack their rail system, although I admit it is dated but they are upgrading the trains and a couple of stations now, but do we really have room to criticize?

Our rail system will expand, we will get more urban styled development, we will improve the appearance of our freeways, we will start to raise the bar in architecture in this city, we will begin to develope more pedestrian styled areas, and we will begin to become a competitive tourist destination, but it will be some years from now. Citykid09, I think you and I may need to try to get a understanding of the fact that maybe Houston belong in a position of being a step behind. Just maybe that is our place. Our citizens for the most part are pretty comfortable in the position, so why fight it. I've said this before, but maybe we just want a little more for Houston than it want's for itself.

Despite the way some may have taken it, I know you are not saying Houston should build replica's of The Eiffel Tower, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Statue of Libery, The Gateway Arch, or the Space Needle. I understand this is not about building something JUST because another city has it. This is about Houston living up to it's potential and being the best it can be, plain and simple. And if that takes looking to world class cities to see what they have done correctly to make their cities the best they can be, then coming back home and implementing something similar that fit's Houston, then great. Or EVEN BETTER, Houstonians thinking outside of the box themselves and setting the standard for others like we once did, would be the best.

I would hope all on this board want the best for the city, but Citykid09 you and I just want the ideas to come sooner instead of so many after everyone else, and for Houston to "stay on top of things". I get ya dude.

[citykid09]

^Thanks VelvetJ, You are the probably the only one that has admitted to understanding what I have to say.

I only hope that I can change Houston's mind about speeding up the progress.

[eelimon]

^Thanks VelvetJ, You are the probably the only one that has admitted to understanding what I have to say.

I only hope that I can change Houston's mind about speeding up the progress.

Citykid09

what about projects like Hardy Rail Yard

Mixed use development what do you think about this?

http://img185.echo.cx/img185/8975/aa38lh.jpg

http://img185.echo.cx/img185/2189/aa228yr.jpg

Does anyone have any more info on the Hardy Rail Yard? Here are some more renderings.

http://www.merriman-maa.com/projects/index.asp?project_id=55

Also does anyone know about Genesis Park?

http://www.merriman-maa.com/projects/index.asp?project_id=66

[citykid09]

^I like that, but how old is that project? And we still see nothin happening.

[nmainguy]

I have been to Atlanta one time if you count going to the airport.

I was in Atlanta a few times. I flew over it many times.

Their metro reeks of urine in many of the stations.

They have mediocre architecture.

They have a stagnant cultural environment.

We have great architecture-world class architecture:

Museum of Fine Arts by Mies van der Rohe.

DeMenil by Piano.

Pennzoil, DeMenil Residence, University of St. Thomas among others by Johnson.

Herring Hall at Rice University; Four Leaf Towers and Four Oaks Plaza by Pelli.

World class opera.

Theatre seating second only to NYC.

World class museums.

World class medical center.

World class-lets land some guys on the moon-space center.

So Atlanta has some cheesy artificial "urban" Atlantic thing. You want that? Go to the Woodlands or Sugarland. They are chock-full of sterile, lily white, homogonized developments.

I have to agree with kjb-which I hardly ever do because I think the planet may tilt on it's axis, but "why do you so blindly put so much stock into it being more than Houston?"

Answer that one.

[Gary]

Citykid09, I understand from where you are coming. We may not agree on every single thing but I do understand your standpoint. You want the best for Houston as do I. You want people to DESIRE to move to Houston instead of coming here soley because there job transferred them here. You want Houston to have urban styled development first, or at least along with other cities it's size instead of being light years behind. You want the majority of buildings going up in the city to have some sort of architectural merrit instead of so many of them barely meeting the mediocre standard. You want the fantastic skyline of the largest city in Texas to at LEAST look better than Austin's at night. You don't understand why the largest city in Texas is also the least tourist friendly out of the large cities in the state. But your biggest frustation is why it seems Houston always seem to be a step behind on so many issues? Things that are on the drawing board here, are either done or being finished in our counterpart cities (this does not include places like Corpus, El Paso, Knoxville, and Jacksonville, so please no one bring up how far ahead we are of those places).

I have been to Atlanta and in terms of feeling bigger and overall urbanity, I would say Houston has it beat. But they have so many great projects going on, and seem to be progressing so very quickly in so many areas, it causes some to wonder why Houston isn't progressing as fast. Houston's version of a Atlantic Station project is still a concept. Houston's version of a Victory Plaza type of development like in Dallas, is still at least a year from even breaking ground. A TOD was announced this week for the Medical Center, which is a wonderful thing, but I suppose the timing isn't bad since the rail itself is new.

What I found interesting about this thread is how passionately some seem to have attacked Atlantic Station, something Houston doesn't even have. This development is going to help Atlanta more than it will hurt it and for the most part they are proud of it, as well they should be. The residents of that development can reasonably walk to the movies, a comedy club, a grocery store, a Target, a Dillards, a ton of restaurants and clothing stores, etc., and they all do it from their homes. Where in Houston can you do the same? Yet we attack them. We attack their rail system, although I admit it is dated but they are upgrading the trains and a couple of stations now, but do we really have room to criticize?

Our rail system will expand, we will get more urban styled development, we will improve the appearance of our freeways, we will start to raise the bar in architecture in this city, we will begin to develope more pedestrian styled areas, and we will begin to become a competitive tourist destination, but it will be some years from now. Citykid09, I think you and I may need to try to get a understanding of the fact that maybe Houston belong in a position of being a step behind. Just maybe that is our place. Our citizens for the most part are pretty comfortable in the position, so why fight it. I've said this before, but maybe we just want a little more for Houston than it want's for itself.

Despite the way some may have taken it, I know you are not saying Houston should build replica's of The Eiffel Tower, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Statue of Libery, The Gateway Arch, or the Space Needle. I understand this is not about building something JUST because another city has it. This is about Houston living up to it's potential and being the best it can be, plain and simple. And if that takes looking to world class cities to see what they have done correctly to make their cities the best they can be, then coming back home and implementing something similar that fit's Houston, then great. Or EVEN BETTER, Houstonians thinking outside of the box themselves and setting the standard for others like we once did, would be the best.

I would hope all on this board want the best for the city, but Citykid09 you and I just want the ideas to come sooner instead of so many after everyone else, and for Houston to "stay on top of things". I get ya dude.

As the violins play and I wipe my tears, I can't help but wonder what might have been had Houston just kept up with the rest of the country.

Had we just not built The Astrodome, Reliant Stadium, Reliant convention Center, The Main Street project, Nasa, The largest medical center on planet earth (and still expanding), The largest theater district in the country second only to New York, The Williams Tower (tallest building on earth outside a CBD), Two of the top 25 tallest buildings on earth and three in the top 35, Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, the METRO LRT, an uptown with one of the top shopping districts in the country, a residential high rise boom, A fantastic museum district, the expansion of the George R. Brown convention center to a 1/3 of a mile long, the Hilton convention center hotel, The club district that's growing downtown, The Kemah Boardwalk, Galveston and it's soon to be "going up's", "Clearlake and it's going up's", and all the other projects soon to come we might have a shot at being a city like ATL or Dallas.

Now to get real for a moment.... No one was attacking Atlantic Station, they were explaining to citykid (who hasn't a clue about Atlanta) that he was taking shots in the dark. Oh and although Atlantic Station was nice, the LRT was butt ugly.

What's funny about this is that ATL nor Dallas has anything like the Main Street project, Medical Center, Uptown or Downtown and were supposed to be crying in our beer over a few lost proposals. You say Atlanta has so many projects going up and I'm wondering where. There was one highrise going up from Downtown through Uptown to Buckhead that I saw. That's not that impressive. I saw several residential midrises going up but they were no different than what we've had going up here for several years.

Look there's nothing wrong with trying to better Houston, in fact I encourage it. That being said, for you and city kid to act like Houston is fizzling out is rediculous. Further for citykid to know nothing about a city except from a "picture book", and then tout it as the second coming is beyond silly. He continues to promote Atlanta while obviously knowing nothing about it.

You guys have got to quit looking at the negatives about this city, the positives far outweigh it. That's the reason people like me made a choice to live here.