Jump to content

totheskies

Full Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    871

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Everything posted by totheskies

  1. totheskies
    So right now, HP is surviving solely because of the House of Blues and XXI. The other stores aren't making enough to bereak even yet. HOB and XXI probably haven't yet either, but at least they're getting close. Poor Lidz.
  2. totheskies
    I guess it wouldn't be as big of a problem IF UH-D students (and faculty) didn't perpetuate the confusion. I've read more than enough CVs which downplay that the student is from UH-D, and been asked to write several recommendation letters. One student even came back to me and asked me to refer to the school as UH-D, but just as UH b/c he felt that would help him land a better job. As much as I wanted to help the student, I refused to change the recommendation because it's not the truth. Does that make me elitist??? I'm from southern Arkansas, and I did my undergrad at a little bitty school of 3500 people. I'd be shocked if anyone on this board even knows where it is. However, I moved to Houston, managed to get into grad school, and had no problem finding work coming from a "no-name" school. Why? Because I took the opportunities I was given and worked my way up. An education is an education. Once you get the degree, you get thrown out into the cold and evil world with everyone else. Better sink or swim.
  3. totheskies
    UH-D needs to face facts... it is located in Houston, it is a University, and it is located in DOWNTOWN. It's purpose is to educate LOCAL citizens who need a degree to advance themselves, but may not be quite up to the University of Houston's standards. There's nothing wrong with any of those things, but I think the school is starting to get caught up in its own delusions of grandeur. I have taught there, and I think it's a great school. But a new name is NOT going to change its purpose, or its relationship within the UH system. As I wrote in my letter to President Castillo, UH-D needs to take a little time to figure itself out, before seeking to change the institution's name. The Regents were pretty clear about this.
  4. totheskies
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of, or beginning at, San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley. The eastern portion along the Gulf of Mexico is also referred to as the Coastal Bend. There is no defined northern boundary, although it is believed to be at the city of San Antonio and from an east to west line extending from the Rio Grande near Maverick County to the Gulf of Mexico, but turning southeast at or near Lavaca County, and continuing towards the Gulf of Mexico to separate it from East Texas and Southeast Texas. The Rio Grande serves as the western and southern boundaries and separates Texas from Mexico. The eastern portion of South Texas is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico. Some people consider Houston to be in South Texas for several reasons. Numerous businesses in the Houston region contain 'South Texas' in their titles.[2] The South Texas College of Law is located in downtown Houston. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas includes the Houston division. And like South Texas, the city has a large Hispanic population. However, Houston is most accurately classified as being within Southeast Texas, a subregion of East Texas.
  5. totheskies
    Yay... I can't wait to go visit the University of Saint Texas! errr, I mean South Thomas!! ok, nevermind the name sucks
  6. totheskies
    totheskies recalls the days of unruly Hillary Clinton supporters... HMU!!!! HMU!!!! HMU!!!! HMU!!!!!
  7. totheskies
    I stop by there once every couple of months, and all of their info is available on the METRO website. I like the webchats... it's a good way to get info on new projects or a change in plans.
  8. totheskies
    Priority #1 for Houston Pavilions is to get more tennants to open. Hopefully, they'll start working on the flashy stuff once they meet the terms of their lease.
  9. totheskies
    Such a shame... this was a really cool development.
  10. totheskies
    If anything in the Houston skyline is "comparable" to NYC... it's definitely One Park Place.
  11. totheskies
    Has anyone written to their local congressman, or Sheila Jackson Lee? She's pretty good about drumming up publicity. I certainly wouldn't want to put an organization like the Y in a tough spot, but surely someone would care enough about this building for it to be preserved.
  12. totheskies
    - I certainly can't deny that, but any new development is a major risk in this recession. If you're going to build in this area, you've got two options... try to create a "new world" that attracts people from other areas of the city, or cater to something that the current residents may or may not use. Either way is going to be very risky. Southpointe seems like a good idea, but it would be a hell of a lot better if they thought towards the future of the area. The South Loop is densi-gentrifying on both sides, and Pearland is expanding like crazy... Houston would do well to develop some entertainment/retail distractions on the south side of town. OTOH, what could ever possibly compete with Pearland Town Center??
  13. totheskies
    LMAO... I guess I just don't view things this way, but I guess you're right. "Retreats" from the "danger and dilapidation" of UH are necessary. I also know a lot of UH and TSU students (myself included) that keep the Marq-E in business. Personally, I could care less for the looks of Southpointe... but I do care what it can DO for the area. Upscale is ok I guess, but functionality IMO is better.
  14. totheskies
    As I said in both of my posts... I'm clearly dreaming, but hey that's what the internet is for In regards to the vacancies... let he who is without empty storefront cast the first stone. I'm well aware of the demographics of the area, which is why it wouldn't make sense to plan a "Highland Village"-style dev. in that quadrant of I-610. But you're suggesting that just b/c someone lives in Sunnyside or Hiram Clarke that they don't go to the movies, don't eat out, and probably don't go to the club... simply not true on all counts.
  15. totheskies
    Classy=Hotels, decent=Marquee... But hey have you ever seen the parking lot there on the weekend? They ain't no River Oaks, but Marquee does bring in the money.
  16. totheskies
    I understand that viewpoint, but good planning begats good success. If we want the Reliant complex to attract more high level events, we've got to build some more people-friendly attractions in the immediate vicinity. If a project like this had already existed, it may have made the difference in a serious contention for a Houston Olympics, and the actual bid that was just a bit better than a joke ( I know... maybe not, but just saying it's possible). As far as entertainment venues, this place is PERFECT for a new movie theater/bowling alley/restaurant development. Look at what we have to draw from here... -Reliant events population -South/Southeast residents -Medical Center and vacinity population -Meyerland area -Pearland area Incorporate an "intermodal south station" by METRO (yeah, now I KNOW I'm dreaming), and you'll have a virtual gold mine on the Red line!
  17. totheskies
    You should attend the METRO light rail meetings, or one of the East End Management District functions.
  18. totheskies
    It could work... the question is, could it work even better??? IMO the number one priority for this piece of property should be H-O-T-E-L-S... Houston has lots of office parks. Another one isn't going to make any difference to me. But if we build some classy Hotels, and decent restaurant/ entertainment options (Marquee-Reliant anyone???????), Reliant conventioneers, sports-goers and rodeo hounds will have some more fun things to do AND a rail connection to downtown, the TMC and the museum district. If METRO were smart, they'd start bustin' their bootays to extend the Redline to Pearland (and the planned Waterlights district/Nanoville). Dreaming? Probably so. But Houston needs to start getting smart about their planning.
  19. totheskies
    I live in the East End as well... An underpass for the Metrorail... really? We've been there/done that with the Red Line, and it has to stop every time there is a major rain event and the drains get clogged. To me that's inefficient, and we need to plan better. It'll only be more expensive at the start of the line... but an overpass would save METRO and the city lots more money during the life of the line. Most of us have been to Dallas and we've seen the DART-Rail platforms that they build.... it's so much easier to do something right the first time, then it is to screw up and deal with issues later. A comment about East End/Harrisburg density... Harrisburg blvd. may not be packed with people, but it is the heart of the East End corridor. Canal to the east, Polk to the west, and lots of residential in between. It's the perfect connecting street for the neighborhood (and ripe for retail).
  20. totheskies
    No, I beg to differ, it's much stronger than even three years ago (when I moved to Houston). Again, whether it be inside the loop or outside the loop, most of the larger residential projects are being constructed because of need, and not just for show. I'm well aware that most people in the area live outside the loop, but over the last couple of years the inner loop has significantly picked up it's growth rate. If you need evidence, just look around. Big retail outlets like Party City and Shoe Carnival just moved into Gulfgate (with Staples on the way). CostCo just opened up at 59 and Weslayan. The retail area around Target (I-10 and Taylor Rd.) has nearly tripled, and that was all in 2008. Why else would we be bringing the suburbs into town? It ain't just because the daytime population is increasing.
  21. totheskies
    I have to agree. It's pretty clear which stores they care about at Houston Pavillions... only the anchors. House of Blues, B-A-M and XXI are all facing the street. I've walked by Lidz several times now, and I've never seen a single consumer in the store.
  22. totheskies
    Yeah, your post kinda confused me too, but I think that planners are working harder to provide mixed-use options in and near Discovery Green. It may not end up like a perfectly segmented block of Uptown Dallas, but the retail allotments in downtown are definitely getting better. But hey, why would we want to be Dallas??? In Houston we like our planning the way we like our music... CHOPPED and SCREWED
  23. totheskies
    Yeah, just wait until oil gains all of it back in 5 months... there is no reality with oil prices.
  24. totheskies
    In the case of Main Place, they still have some major tenants on board for the project so it's highly unlikely that this particular project could get cancelled. Houston's vacancy rate may certainly grow over the year, but I don't see that happening much in downtown. Outlying office parks that are already on the downslide (think Greenspoint) are going to be the most vulnerable in the current recession. Houston has established too strong a pattern of inward growth... people moving inside the loop. So although some major projects will be halted or cancelled, people are going to take advantage of the little remaining space that is available, especially in downtown. One thing I really like about Houston right now... most of our projects have been borne of necessity. The projects of lesser need have quickly fallen away, and the few things that remain are only going to benefit the area.
  25. totheskies
    There are lots of things that are wrong with the educational system (just ask anyone that just lost a job in the manufacturing sector), but Liberal Arts education is essential for society as a whole, just like engineering and business degrees are essential. Your average artist may make much less money than a businessman or engineer, but what they do causes people to think differently about their daily lives, and expand their understanding. I'm proud of my education in the liberal arts, and the life that I am making for myself. The topic at hand... I hope they go with Houston City University.
×
×
  • Create New...