Daniepwils

Tunnels ...YUCK We should really start thinking above ground more if we want to attract people to downtown. Most Houstonian's don't even know there is a tunnel system downtown, and I doubt the tunnel system would ever be used for more than anything that it already is being used for now, a shelter from the hot weather.

The Tunnel system is good if you know it... Took me a year to use all of it really. Also, the tunnel system is not open on the weekends, and most of it closes around 6-8pm during the week, to keep the homeless out.

I think this garage under the park is being built because they are "hoping" that the lots around the park will be replaced with buildings. Most office buildings with parking garages, aren't open on the weekend, so if there were no parking offered around the park on the weekend then the park would not be used on the weekend. (I hope we get ride of all these surface lots)

Well it looks like the parking garage under the park will be two floors, which equals the two parking lots it was taking away. Honestly though there is a MASSIVE amount of surface parking lots around this area, and it is such an eye sore. When they start to build more buildings around here, more parking garages will appear, which is less space to take up, and more land for other buildings or maybe mini-parks. As for prices... this side of downtown is CHEAP compared to the other side of downtown. Before I lived downtown and worked at the Wells Fargo Plaza Building (71floor building with only three levels of parking) I paid almost 400 a month for reserved parking spot. I live downtown now so I just walk to work. A reserved spot in this building is around 200 I think (but I am sure some of that pricing has to do with how much space this garage has compared to that garage) -- also, someone noted earlier seeing surface lots always empty. Well some are (there are a few near the Toyota Center) because they are being disputed at the moment. I think the owner died and now the children are fighting over what to do with it, so they aren't being used (this is second hand information so not sure how accurate it is). Most of the surface lots are used around this area all the time, the GRB is always being used in some way or the other, maybe not to full capacity, and lets not forget the HUGE parking garage that the Hilton has, majority of GRB parking is there I believe. The only lots that stay empty are the ones on the far left end of MMP, which are only used on game days.

As of today! Some of these have a horrible glare, so I took more than one, sorry about that. This next picture is of the Fingers building (40 floor residential) they are building. It is located next to my building (5 Houston), it will be in front of The Houston Center (formally The Park Shops) and also it will be right next to Discovery Green (that name is so not right {LOL}, sounds like a putt-putt golf course). This picture shows how close the Fingers building is to Discovery Green (right next to each other)

Ha-Ha looks like I came back just in time. Well I am back for good! I have been traveling for the last three months and haven't really been in the Houston office all that much. I will take some pictures tomorrow (don't have my camera on me today). I will include some pictures of the "Fingers" building they are building right next to the park.

Yep! Saw the Tent and everything!! about time

New Name for the Park -- Penis Park I was taking a picture to put on this board when one of my coworkers comes in my office and looks at the park and starts to laugh...then informs me of the penis shaped dirt outline. Needless to say it was pretty funny, when you realize it.

See what happens when you type upset, lol. I apologize. (not upset about this, something at work) I should not have lumped it all together....so Basically what I want to point out is the Light rail was so poorly planned and put up so fast, for Mayor Brown to take credit for the super bowl, and trying to win a bid, or the start of a bid at the Olympics). It was needed to link Reliant to Minute Maid Park and the convention center for the superbowl, and we needed some type of transportation system for visitors other than buses and taxi's As for the Minute Maid and Toyota Center, I kind of put them in with the whole Reliant thing. Which we built so we could have a football team. This was one of the biggest factors in us getting the Texans if I recall. (In my eyes, there is nothing wrong with the Astrodome, I mean look at Wrigley Field, that is old and is still used, AND STILL NICE, why can't the Astrodome be something like that?)

MinuteMaid Park, Toyota Center, expansion of GRB, Hilton Americas, MetroRail Were all done for two reasons: Super Bowl and Olympics, not for downtown. Our MetroRail is a joke, now its just in its infacy, so I will give it time. (Dallas has a very good MetroRail, now they just need more businesses in downtown) MinuteMaid Park, Toyota Center were built basically because we were forced to build or loose teams, not for downtown. I will give you Discovery Park, that is probably the only thing that has been done for downtown, I am not sure how the mayor has played into the park, so I have nothing to say against that.

moo, its an ok name I suppose, in going with the whole "space" theme... Tom Green Park sounds better...

I was refering more to the bigger cities. Houston is the 4th largest city, we should be up there with New York, Boston and San Fran. LA and Houston, have pretty scummy (after work hours) downtowns compaired to other cities such as: Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, New York, Chicago, Seattle. Don't get me wrong, I think Houston can do it, I wouldn't live downtown if I didn't think anything was going to happen. We just need a mayor who is interested in doing something with our Downtown, not relying on the next mayor to do something. (also if you haven't noticed, crime rate in downtown has increased between the hours of 7pm - 7am) I really don't want to have to goto a 6 hour course just to carry a gun to run to the gym everynight. (;o))

The groundbreaking scared me half to death today.... I come back from lunch, and am flossing my teeth in my office and all of a sudden, I hear what seemed to be two rockets, and BOOOM. I jump out of my chair, and look out the window, and see two big clouds of smoke. LOL I just remembered they were having the ceremony today, anyways, just thought I would share that, I am cracking up laughing now. There were only about 30 or 40 people down there for the ceremony today. Anyone know what the name is yet?

In one of my pictures (the rainy ones), you can see where they put up the stage and everything on that parking lot near the Hilton.

new name.... Retention Park

well Houston now has a lake downtown 10/16/2006 pictures

A few questions regarding Seattle (just curious) 1) how many shopping malls are in a 50mile radus of Seattle's downtown area? 2) How many residients live in the downtown Seattle area? 3) What are these store hours (if you know) and are they open on the weekends? I am just curious really. Most other cities seem to have a lively downtown area, except Houston and LA. Houston and LA, both being two of the largest cities in the country... should have a downtown night life. They are "sprawled" cities (not to mention lack of a "good" commuting system, other than freeways), this is the only thing I can think of that would cause no one to come downtown on a regular basis and no store's risking to setup shop downtown. People can just goto these same store's in the malls where they live.

Yes, they are saving the majority of the trees. It was really interesting in how they moved them. They dug out the circumference of the tree, then wrapped it in, well, a heavy duty saran-wrap; then had this HUGE claw thing come in and pick them up and place them in a cluster with all the other trees. They have dug about 15 feet under ground, the pictures really don't show that; but if you look close, the trucks are at least 9-10ft tall, and look how down in the dirt they are. This is just after a month of working (I wish I had a pre work picture). The first day they came in with tractors that had huge arms/claws, and knocked down all the lamp post, was the funniest thing I have ever seen. Just seemed like something a three year old would do with a construction set. All the woman at my office make fun of me because I seem to "into" the construction (I think its a guy thing).

Pictures as of 10-9/10-2006

Yup, Main and Lamar, GROSS. I think Main Street Square was done with good intentions. It is a good concept, but like you said.... in the middle of the business district. IMO ALL of Main Street should have been turned into a pedestrian walkway, if they wanted something like that. Totally close main street to all vehicle transportation, or leave it all open road access, not cut two blocks out of the street for fountains. Imagine, all of Main Street in downtown all water, with fountains, that would look pretty good. (Pain in the ass to keep clean though).

SORRY for the long post.... IMO we should move the clubs off to another street. Main Street should appeal to all people (from children to adults). Main street should be more like (I think) Franklin Street, which has many restaurants. The Main Street project, has tried to do this, but they should move to the next step. I also think some type of entertainment, other than the sports venue's would bring people to Main Street. FIRST STEP should be to Clean up Main Street. TBH there are corners of Main Street, that smell like urine. One corner (where the store sells Fried Chicken) is disgusting. To have to smell urine and fried chicken, and to make your way through the panhandlers and transients is not very appealing. (If you walk downtown everyday you know what corner I am talking about). I walk to work everyday to 5Houston Center (half way I walk in the Park Shops), and I go through this intersection, GROSS. What is even more sad is I live a block from this crap.... I don't really want to live downtown anymore, unless they clean up Main Street. And I am sure allot of downtown dwellers don't either. Some days I feel like having a T-shirt made saying "NO I DON'T HAVE ANY CHANGE, STOP ASKING" -- same people hang out and ask for change, one guy has been there for 6 years.... (if you can sit there all day and do that, then get a job). Honestly, I am just tired of the beggars.... Houston really needs to clean this up. And no, I don't mean make a law, that just forces them out............. I mean really help these people out. I saw on the news the other day, that we are just starting this program for people that are homeless. I hope it does well, really do. We house them till they can get on their feet, and find a good steady job. REALLY IS GREAT. But until then what do we do???? I think there should be some incentive for these companies that have bought these abandoned buildings and lots on Main Street. Light a fire under there butts and figure out what they want to do with these buildings and lots, not just wait to see what happens, and then decide on what to do. Entertainment, is stagnant on Main Street. A movie theatre, might help, or maybe some type of interactive toy store, arcade, or hell maybe even a school (besides UHD), even though its not considered entertainment. These are just some ideas, of a million that can liven up Main Street. Most importantly, the stores need to have hours like any other mall. Open 7 days a week from basically 10-10pm, even later in some places. (I know this won't be cost effective at first, but you have to take a step in the right direction). All the money the city has already spent on this project.... it is still not up to par. Another transportation system linked to the light rail would be nice. Before light rail we had a Trolley System that was nice for downtown, I really think we should start that again (maybe .50 to ride it). Have it move through parts of downtown and midtown. Would link the pedestrians traffic in the two areas. Also lastly to all the readers, if you made it this far. I am sorry for making this so lengthy. I blame the weather today, looks nasty.

What about Homeless Haven jk (lol nvm, I see someone has that on the first page)

OH WOW Thank you Houstonian in Iraq for this link: http://www.richmondrail.org/blogs/ I have to do a rhetorical paper on the Light Rail in Richmond, and I am still pondering the pro's and con's of which side to take in my paper. This website is pretty good research. >

My office over looks this. And as of yesterday they started. They have taken down the light posts in the park that is already there, and have started tearing up the parking lot (well one of them). And have removed the bushes that surroneded the parking lot, they have also fenced in the area. SO MAYBE they will be done by January, I think. It looks like they are going to build a parking garage underndeath the park, that might take awhile.

LOL wow I remember that. Glad they put in flood doors now.