Nick_G

You didn't make it to uptown. http://www.uptown-houston.com/images/uploads/FactBook.pdf map on the 2nd to last page

Looks good and a good place to put it, Midtown really has a lot coming down the line.

I am not making the rules, just expressing frustration. The most "famous" homeless man in Uptown has one leg, so not so intimidating. Sit's right over by Neiman's on Post Oak. Some of the others play musical instruments, which I guess also decreases their fear factor. In all seriousness, there are cops usually standing at that corner of Post Oak in addition to the uptown patrol cars that drive around and I think there are a recognizable 5 to 10 that frequent that area. If you head down Post Oak and into the Uptown Park bars and restaurants you rarely see any and that's where we end up going out. As for this have you been there?

Fair enough, I wanted to get involved in the discussion because I want Houston to develop its central areas to make it pedestrian/rail friendly and at least let off the accelerator on the sprawl. I am new to this forum world so mistakes can be made and I guess I need to work on wording and putting thoughts together in a more formal and less conversational way. As far as the group of women I know, it is very difficult to get people to downtown with me let alone live there and I am frustrated by this. The frustration (which has been building up for a while) is especially true during baseball season as I love going to games and would like to be able to go out after without having to get in a car first (or ever for that matter). I wish it was not true but it is.

About the same, the JW Marriott is a 23 story building. http://www.lowerycom...ml/Projects.htm

My guess, there are two main things happening. First, a lot of post recession transplants from the northeast/west cost where rent is much higher, high priced areas in Houston still seem low or moderate especially when you factor in Texas has no state income tax. The second, generational changes. http://www.newcoloni...boomerboom.html

Well put largeTexas, I agree with you 100% (except about the neon signs but i am not going to split hairs, but ok 98% before someone attacks that) Most of what you said were points that I was trying to make but you seem to have put them together more eloquently. I did not suggest train development but could not agree more, especially since I view the train lines as the perfect way to avoid drinking and driving. Reading your post, in case there was any confusion in anyway, I was not saying the planning comity for the convention center district was doing anything to move homeless I was replying to TheNiche's critique one piece at a time, I actually gave no plan to move homeless at all in any post just pointed it out as an issue. I am still not sure why Redscare or TheNiche first reactions were to attack me. The point about the convention center planning was that the city is looking to add attractions, green spaces and make the east side of down town more attractive.

Thank you for the links, much appreciated. 10 is a little early for eating after going out, but definitely doable for coming back from Reliant. i will check it out.

I got that feeling but it's hard to believe, so many people work there and there are so many medical students in the area.

I still have a lot of hope for it. If nothing else the location is excellent and I know there is going to be a new casual Italian restaurant in there which I am looking forward to. As for Progress i emailed Wulfe & Co yesterday and this is the response I received from Elise Weatherall today. "Thank you for your continued interest in BLVD PLACE. We are planning to begin construction later this spring."

How did I reject any solution? I did not do that at all. I rejected Redscare from saying that homelessness (or panhandling) was not a problem. I said that the city is working on it, which it is, and gave an example of the convention center district plans which I actually posted a link to a few posts back. Downtown is the center of the city, does this make it sacred ground no, but it is my belief that developments should center around, the center of the city. That at least makes logical sense to me, especially if the train lines that are being built will all in one way or another lead there.

When I go to downtown to spend time there with my girlfriend it is coming in either two ways. One the long walk from Uptown to downtown going through Memorial Park and Buffalo Bayou park. I know people think I am crazy for doing this but I love being outside and walking in the city. The walk for the most part is actually really very nice and it showcases the great green areas of our city. The other way is by parking in the Medical district where my girlfriend has been working for about 6 months or so and taking the train in, this is also on the weekend. When walking into the city, the west near Sam Houston Park and northwest corner of the city near the theaters and as far as Frank's pizza are usually just quiet. Although I have had homeless people ask me for change near the pond at Sam Houston park. It is the areas as you get closer to the pavilion where we have had issues. We actually had someone follow us for more then a block as we tried to ignore them telling a story about how they ran out of gas and their mother is in the hospital or something a long those lines. When this is happening and you look around and the number of homeless or transient panhandlers (I can not say for certain they have no homes) are greater then people are around it prevents more people (us) from moving in. If this was a single occasion that is one thing but has not been. I rarely walk into downtown from midtown but I am aware of the people you are talking about there.

Redscare First, as far as homeless treatment, I am not part of the group who just does not want to see them. I am also however not someone who thinks handouts are the correct response either. Don't imply you know who I am, I do not know you but I am not for anarchy as your photo would imply. Second, you say my opinion can stay in Uptown. I beg to differ, you would like more people in downtown. I am one of the people who wants to live in downtown, wants it to be a thriving environment, and would benefit from living in downtown to reduce my commute. If you look at my other posts in this thread, I was saying that the Pavilion will benefit from the new convention center and that if stores close down they will reopen. If you look at my other posts throughout this forum, I am making suggestions to improve downtown and to bring tourism money in. We are having a discussion about what causes people not to live there. I am giving you an example of why two people do not live there and that is the lack of feeling safe, whether it is justified or not. Truth be told anything can happen anywhere, it is the illusion of safety that people flock to. You of course can have your opinion that homeless do not cause people not to live downtown. I am saying that it is a big reason I currently do not live there, combined with the lack of downtown patrols and a community feeling. People should not try to plan to improve downtown? Really?? That statement is ridiculous. Downtown needs to compete with every community in the metro area for residents. The areas that are growing the fastest are areas that are planned. We can plan a downtown area, we need to and actually we are now. If we are being honest, everything in Uptown from the high end shopping to the restaurants to Williams tower should be in downtown but it is not, and the reason is because Houston was not planned to force that. We have to ask the question why to people leave at 5. That is not the problem, that is the symptom. Downtown needs to compete with every growing metro area within 2 hours of the city in every category, entertainment, shopping, restaurants and yes the illusion of safety. I gave you a clear reason why i do not live there. I have in other post suggested ways to improve the city and make it more attractive for more people. What are your ideas?

This discussion is about how to get more foot traffic and people living in downtown and what is preventing it. There are way to move/help homeless without violating their constitutional rights. You can ignore the issue or you can work to improve it, but the status quo, which has caused this tread to exist is not working.

The homeless are a problem. Yes all large cities have homeless but Houston's population is very spread out and the one of the few visible concentrated populations in the city are homeless in downtown. To attract residents to downtown there needs to be far fewer homeless walking about, why would one move from the suburbs into the city if it meant seeing transients walking around every day. They would not and they do not. I have talked to a good number of people, usually girls, who live in close suburbs like Spring that have never spent any amount of time in the city itself. Warranted or not, they do not feel safe in the city because there are many transients walking about. The female population needs to feel safe and want to hang out in the city. If you think about it how much do guys do in order to attract a girl.. wear certain clothes, drive a certain car, go to certain bars... if guys knew living downtown would attract more girls there would be a lot more people living in downtown. I live in Uptown with my girlfriend. She could not be happier, she can walk to the Galleria and feel safe doing it. I hate commuting and I love walking, my commute would be much shorter if I lived downtown but am I trading my girlfriend for a short commute? I am not. " In New York's metropolitan area, single women outnumbered single men by more than 210,000" http://www.politicsd...no-1-in-survey/ We can't force women to live in the city, they have to want to live here and we will follow. To do that downtown needs to be prettier and cleaned up more. It has come a long way already, Iv'e been paying attention, but the homeless have got to go.

The convention district should help support the pavilions in the future, if stores close down it won't be forever. http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php We really need to do something about the transients in downtown though, no one wants to see homeless people when they go shopping.

Hate it, looks unfinished and or like they never took the scaffolding down. I also believe Houston would benefit from more blue tinted glass towers reflecting the the sky as we already have the gritty concrete look category covered.

I have been through the area a few times and have to say Fanin is a handsome street and the area actually has a nice city atmosphere especially during working hours. What I can not figure out is where everyone eats. I hoping someone can fill me in. Looking for places that are near one of the train stops, have a full menu, and are open late enough (and on the weekends) to get a bite after going out in midtown or to a game at Reliant.

Frank's is my favorite local place. Grimaldi's is my favorite chain, but I never have a reason to go all the way out there.

Does this place still exist?

I also agree. Those two lines should have crossed at the corner of Richmond and Post oak basically across the street from where that new Skanska 22 story is going up. That route was blocked by the small corner of River Oaks/Aften Oaks on Richmond just inside the loop. They did not want the train coming through their area to protect... I am not really sure what as that area is really very run down. The original plans called for the Univeristy Line to run all the way down Richmond to Hillcroft, making the string of bars and restaurants on that stretch accessible by pedestrian/rail. This reroute is one of the most frustrating developments to me as I would have actually used that bit of train. It is my strong feeling that if people inside the loop do not want to live in the city they should move out of the city, they should not halt and or stop what would have been real progress. If anyone has any ideas of how to get the train to run all the way down Richmond again I would certainly join in that effort.

Any updates on this project? I have not seen much progress since they fenced it off. Also to Sellanious Caesar who stated "This project is in a suburban business district, in Uptown Houston. It's not downtown, Greenway Plaza, nor Texas Medical Center and its outside the loop. Although I would like to see less parking lots between sidewalks and storefronts and more garages or parking lots behind the shops, it wont be taking place in Uptown. Uptown is primarily suburban, you know it and Houston knows it. I do like this project though, I'd support shopping there over the Galleria if I were to be in the neighborhood to shop. " Uptown may not be in the loop but uptown council is actively promoting development in the area as a business district, high density housing is going in left and right, it is actually arguably one of the most walkable areas in Houston and the power lines are for the most part below ground. http://www.uptown-houston.com/images/uploads/FactBook.pdf Many of the inside the loop areas including River Oaks, Montrose, and Midtown have above ground power lines, this by itself gives those areas a suburban feel (if I am being nice, the look of a third world country if I am being honest). I currently live in Uptown because it is as urban a feeling as I can find in Houston while also not having to see homeless people walking about, boarded up shops, or mass exodus during weekends. I do wish it was closer to downtown, a swap of locations of Uptown and River Oaks or Montrose would be ideal such that I could have access to Buffalo Bayou Park. A train line Running down Westminster starting in Uptown and running through Highland Village, Montrose and eventually linking up with the Red Line in downtown would really start bringing these parts of the city together.

It was supposed to be the location of the soccer stadium. What it will be is a mutli-use development aimed at young professionals centered around the train station where the uptown and university lines intersect. Bellaire has just rezoned the area to allow for this. http://www.chron.com/news/article/Zone-OK-d-for-Bellaire-urban-village-2414937.php