firstngoal

Thank you very much for your comments, Pineda. They were helpful and constructive - and relevant to the original discussion. And to help folks out just a little here, Exxon Mobil has a huge presence in the Houston area and is one of the city's largest employers. They occupy over one million square feet of office space in the Greenspoint office market with other offices downtown and in other submarkets of the city. Clearly, Moving2Houston needs relatively good access to the Greenspoint area.... M2H- Good luck with your move - and again, welcome to the Houston area. I think you will like it here, no matter your interests or where you decide to call home.... Ok, that said, Ricco... please read the opening questions of this discussion. You may not be asking about what The Woodlands has to offer - BUT THEY WERE. My initial response was geared specifically to the questions posed... QUESTIONS THAT WERE SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT THE WOODLANDS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA... their interests were made quite clear. The last time I checked - this thread was about THE WOODLANDS AND CONROE . I'm sure if they were interested in living in Houston they would have placed their questions in another discussion thread. Alright, back to that happy place. Moving2Houston, safe travels and all the best with your move. I think you've gotten some helpful advice here regarding The Woodlands and the surrounding suburbs.... and I am outta here!

Quality of life is exactly what I had in mind when I recommended The Woodlands. Have you been there recently?? I read what Moving2Houston wrote a couple of times, so I'm only suggesting what I think is best based on what was written... Want movies? They got 'em (both independent and standard Hollywood fare) in two newly developed theater complexes. Want retail integrated with office/ residential product in a pedestrian oriented environment? They've got it in the form of The Woodlands Town Center - which is really becoming impressive. Want culture? You've got concerts at Cynthia Woods Pavilion, a new (and large) Children's Museum under development, with more cultural facilities to come. Want green space, plentiful parks, hike and bike trails, lakes? Yep... all there. Want a variety of housing stock - homes, townhouses, mid-rise condos, patio homes, senior housing? The Woodlands has tons of options. Hospitals a concern? Not a problem - close and easily accessible within The Woodlands. There are many, many other attributes to The Woodlands... perfect place? No... but a really, really great place to live. And I'll repeat, if you want other options, Houston is only 28 miles away (which doesn't take that long)... by American suburban standards, that is not that bad. The commute to Greenspoint isn't bad at all (and the area isn't that bad). Again, for my money and quality of life - I guess I didn't stress it enough - I think you won't be disappointed with The Woodlands

You are on the right path... definitely go with The Woodlands. Nice neighborhoods, great amenities, a developing city center - and Houston just 28 miles down the road when you want access to the city. Its not a bad commute to the Greenspoint area, as you'll have access with either the Hardy Tollroad or Interstate 45. Hey, I've lived in Spring and the traffic is getting out of control and the lack of planning and municipal guidance is really becoming apparent. I think The Woodlands would be a much better environment to live in, especially if you are planning to be there for a while. Its just a safer investment - you know the land next door is master planned and the use will be compatable with your home. In Spring and other areas... good luck. Your subdivision entrance may have trees now... but they could be mowed down for a Jiffy Lube within weeks and you wouldn't have one say in the matter. I love The Woodlands and would live there if I had the option. Good luck... and welcome to the Houston area. I think you'll enjoy it here...

Not much of that article still applies (at least regarding the economy and the real estate market). The mention of the employee at Arthur Andersen (hello - they are history!) certainly dates the article.... R.I.P. This article is over three years old - and the world has completely changed. We are at war on multiple fronts. The space shuttle exploded, and now the space program is grounded. We suffered from a catastrophic flood. And the unimaginable happened - light rail opened in Houston!! Vacancy rates in Houston are not plummeting - they have soared. We've discovered the tapes and records that revealed the greed and exploitation of those folks at Enron and Dynegy who lied and manipulated to market analysts - and could care less about the safety of millions of Americans (namely in California and the West Coast). We also saw the personal accounts of thousands of Houstonians - the innocent workers at those companies - dwindle to virtually nothing thanks to the likes of Fastow and Lay. I sincerely think there is a special place, where it is very hot, for those two... This article harkens back to a time that seemed much more innocent and fun - the world, and Houston, seem like much more serious places now.

You are correct. The top of the tower will be illuminated at night - and is also pretty distinctive during daylight hours. I view this project as a really nice addition to the Med Center skyline... and a welcome addition to the Med Center streetscape.

Here are larger renderings of the project. Yes, H-town, I agree. Perhaps seeing this project come to fruition illustrates the difference between a legitimate development team - those who truly have the endurance and resources to get the job done - from those that can make headlines - but little else... BTW, when ground breaks, this Memorial Hermann project will be the largest commercial real estate project under development in the Houston area. Its kind of amazing its not getting more attention around town... esp. when we hear over and over about "The Shamrock" (which seems as elusive as a four-leaf clover in Houston). I would contend that the Memorial Hermann project, with its ground floor retail and large ambulatory care facilities - is a much more important (and real!) project for Houston. Additionally, this will be the first major project announced to be built at a METRORail station since the light rail system opened in January. Kudos to Memorial Hermann and the development team for having the vision for this project!

Wow... I had no idea that the flooding was that bad there. Some of the photos remind me of Downtown Houston immediately after Allison. Thanks for posting the photos... Pittsburgh has many impressive new buildings along their waterfront.

Gee... I don't recall there being a personal attack. I'll let other forum members judge for themselves... I accused you of not living in a city without billboards - I was wrong. But I'll take a billboard-free Houston any day... and I stand by my word that it is a pox on our landscape. But I guess this is "a childish fit." MidtownCoog, looks like you and I need to "stop hating and fearing regular society and taking out our aggressions on the internet." Clearly, this billboard forum is my cry for help. As far as this "snob attitude" that I clearly demonstrate - boy, you are so off-base it is amazing. I was born in Houston, Texas and care very much about it. Even as a teenager - growing up in the heart of the Montrose and Heights areas - I was bothered by Houston's cluttered freeways and lack of design standards. I went to DC to go to college - and lived there a few years upon graduation. I came back to Houston because I thought I could make a difference here - a difference in my hometown because I cared about its people and its future. I now work here, live here, and play here... and I am proud of this city. I'm actively involved in community events and have volunteered hundreds of hours for many not-for-profit groups in this town. So, that makes me a "snob" with "a chip-on-my-shoulder." Wow. I've never been called that before in my life... and can't believe that I would be called that in regard to the town I love. Heck, I'll go ahead and take this website off my favorites if that is the way it is. Enjoy writing to yourself, H-Town.... BTW, I have lived with billboard proliferation my entire life here - and as Mayor White stated - I am tired of it (as are thousands of other Houstonians). They are not a badge of honor for our town - they are repeatedly pointed out as visual pollution and I believe they harm our image, our economy, and our aesthetics. I will continue to fight against them with all of my energy - and if you are disturbed by those feelings - so very sorry.

Perhaps we can all agree - whether you like signs or not - that downtown Houston needs to be better lit at night so as to at least exhibit some life and vitality. I personally do not like signs on buildings... LA and San Diego are both good examples of downtown skylines where signs on buildings basically just trying to "out-yell" one another. There are some very classy skylines out there that are dramatically lit at night - without being tacky. Washington, Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York, Seattle and Boston all come to mind. Those should serve as models for our town.... and honestly, I'd leave the neon to Las Vegas.

"I don't think I would want all of the city's billboards to be removed - the landscape would be too artificially clean, and we would lose a viable source of public information. " Huh?! Clearly, you've never lived in a city without billboards lining major highways. I have (D.C.). "Too artificially clean?" Its called aesthetically pleasing! And trust me, I don't think the people of Washington consider billboards a "viable source of public information." Billboards are vile and a pox on our urban landscape. I'll be the first to volunteer to help dismantle them and dump their remains off in front of the Clear Channel Corporate offices in San Antonio.

That is a dated rendering... the new tower is significantly different. I'll do my best to try and locate some new drawings...

It is rental.

And I say good-riddance to him! I feel bad for the folks in Delaware. Yet another person who is part of the problem - rather than being part of the solution. Perhaps if we got back the money we give to the US government to develop alternative modes of transportation in this region, we would be in better financial shape to address our issues. But, alas, OUR money is going to regions like NYC and Boston so they can enjoy their rail networks, highways, and tunnels. Big Dig anyone??? Price tag: $16 BILLION!! - most of which came from the tax payers of the U.S. Houston's light rail? Price tag: $325 million, almost all of which came from local sources. I blame our local leaders, too, but I have also participated in local forums and have written letters to appeal to our leaders to address our issues. All this bozo is doing is bitching about the obvious... in pure NY form, I say "Get outta here!" He should be awfully glad he didn't move to any of those other cities that were ranked worse than Houston in highway congestion... I'm not saying that things are good here (traffic-wise), but they certainly aren't the worst either. Perhaps he should have done a little more research on where he was moving rather than blast the city.

The Houston Business Journal has a story about the former Plaza Hotel as well, which includes a rendering of the renovated exterior. Looks good... I'm very happy to see this happening. BTW, Jennifer Dawson at the HBJ is doing a great job as a replacement to Nancy Sarnoff. JPM

The art gallery is going up between Richmond and Highway 59 - east side of the street (just south of Aries/Zimm's/etc...)

Yep, that cohesive vision is really lacking - which is unfortunate because the Midtown TIRZ was created by the city and the state. Ultimately, one would think that both the city planning department and the TIRZ leadership would require developers to meet certain urban design guidelines. These developers are getting tax breaks and incentives - yet there seems to be relatively few standards for them to meet. There are so many suburban type retail centers and apartment complexes that have descended into the area. How disappointing. Here are some more examples in Portland that I think would be wonderful in Midtown. Notice the different residential developments around the recently created park in the Pearl District... the buildings are all different (and had different developers), yet they really work together. Here is proof of what a "cohesive vision" will do for a district...

I believe this is what they are talking about (Portland example below)... and frankly, I could see it working in the downtown area of Austin. Austin is getting serious about light rail (they vote again this November), as well as commuter rail. There does seem to be a growing concensus there that they need to develop a truly multimodal transportation network... I wish we could get the same concensus going here. I simply don't understand why there aren't more serious discussions about commuter rail in Houston, aside from a few commissioners with the County. Oh well, I like Austin a great deal and think the streetcar idea is a good one.

Actually, keep the faith. I think you'll see a couple of projects like Pentagon Row in Houston's near-term future. Sadly, I don't see it happening in Midtown though....

I think the original post in this thread is great. Midown is at a critical point in its development right now and both the city and the Midtown TIRZ could wise up and look to design standards/development solutions that have worked in other cities to truly realize the potential of this important area. On a very recent trip to Portland, OR, I snapped these photos of that city's Pearl District... a wonderful example of urban redevelopment and a true mixed-use neighborhood. Take note on how its done, Houston.... Warehouse Redevelopment New condos Residential over retail Notice the street trees, nice lighting, generous sidewalks New Whole Foods store and new condos New midrises around the city's famous Powell's Books

Done... thanks for your assistance!

I couldn't agree more! Right on.... Houston - and Mayor White - need to wake up and smell the coffee if they truly want to create a 24-hour downtown. The examples are out there - take a look at San Diego and Portland. They offer residents and developers great tax incentives to move into the downtown core of both cities - and voila! - they have thriving residential bases and a blooming retail core. I was in Portland over Labor Day after a three year absense - and the Pearl District (like Houston's Midtown) and the downtown area were thriving with thousands of new residential units and a plethora of shopping options. There were people everywhere! Hotels were sold out, restaurants were full, and there was an energy that just filled the area. It was truly impressive. It is really sad that Houston has almost three times the population base (metro area) of Portland, yet our downtown doesn't hold a candle to theirs. We have impressive buildings and light rail - all the parts are there - but the relatively easy step of aiding residents and developers in the area is totally missing here. I blame it on conservative, if not ignorant (and I mean that in the true definition of the word), leaders and a truly incompetent planning staff (both within the city and within groups like Central Houston, Inc.). There is a real lack in progressive incentives and creative solutions to attracting residents - and retailers - downtown. Witness how dead the areas around the Convention Center, Minute Maid Park, and the Toyota Center are... the city promised that these would bring a surge in adjacent development. They were very, very wrong... they are massive buildings sitting in a sea of parking and overgrown lots. Stadiums themselves don't bring additional development - it takes a real understanding of real estate markets and what can build and sustain true mixed-use, 24-hour environments. I'm sad to report that in this town very, very few - despite an active development community - have a clue as to how to achieve this.

I believe we are discussing the SW corner of Richmond and Montrose. I noticed the convenience store/gas tanks were surrounded by a chain link fence this morning. While I can understand the frustration some are voicing... its not like we are losing a major architectural treasure here, folks. We are losing a convenience store and gaining a drug store (in my eyes, a new millineum edition of the convenience store). I'd just call it robbing Peter to pay Paul...

Not really. The interiors - despite the photo - are not like any other high-rise I've seen in Houston. Check it out at the sales center and see for yourself (and no, I'm not on the sales team). You see it as garish - I really don't have a problem with this project. It is much nicer than some of the other condominium projects we've seen go up in this city (the Mercer, the Mark, Randall Davis projects all come to mind). This said, I am concerned more about how the project meets the ground than how it looks on the skyline. I do hope that the project will be sensitive to the banks of Buffalo Bayou and not turn its back to this historically important waterway... unlike other recent projects on its banks (i.e. - the Hobby Center). Unfortunately, I would say that there have been much more interesting and innovative projects built in Middle Eastern cities (and throughout the world) than in Houston, Texas as of late. Check out the most recent edition of Urban Land - you'll see what I mean...

Perhaps I'm a little "slow", but could someone please assist with directions on how to post photos on this site? I have many images to share - but always seem to trip up trying to contribute them to discussion threads. Its frustrating. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!