totheskies

Who says we couldn't have our cake and divorce it too?? The Houston Heights still uses all of the city's services, so just propose to them that if they want a divorce, we're just going to charge extra alimony on their water lines, roadways, police and fire services, etc. Until they develop all of that stuff independently, they get to pay us the big bucks. Personally, I don't think it's fair that our police forces maybe show their face in my side of town twice a week (for patrols... they're ALWAYS at Ninfa's) while the Heights gets to be a focal point just b/c they have more money. Let them pay for cops in Eastwood, and I'd be happy to see them hit the door.

I have to say, it's really sad to see how little we "care" about ourselves today. How little we care about our health, building a true social environment, and our overall quality of life. It's a shame that we continually choose convenience over what is best for us. I blame myself most of all, but it is a learned behavior shared by all of American society. Back to topic... The downtown scene is maturing, and rightfully so. I'm glad to see a resurgence of places like the Red Cat, and also new venues like Pete's Dueling Piano, the House of Blues and Polk Street Pub. It's a more diverse crowd than your standard hip-hop club, and it can attract several age groups. This is the direction that downtown needs to go. We already have the "feeder infrastructure" in that all of our major arts venues and sports venues (Reliant of course via the rail) are located there. Downtown is right to continue pursuing a good post-event scene. Let Washington have the "major clubs" but downtown has staying power based on its other strengths. The biggest problem continues to be "safety"... or at least the perception of it. The lighting scheme in downtown is still very poor. And the retail is so sporadic (especially between HP and the theaters) that it's just not a place that most people will walk to at night. If we really focus on a couple of corridors like Main st. and Texas, we could create a sustainable scene in downtown.

And that's the inherent chicken vs. egg scenario for Houston METRO. In one post, you managed to convey your disappointment for the lack of frequency and reliability of the busses and a bias towards rail. But the only way that the busses will become more reliable is if more people start riding the busses. But if they ride, and get discouraged after one trip, then the cycle of unreliable and infrequent service will continue.

^LOL and mine to the Music building

I for one love the green lightting in Dallas... and just to be clear, it's a direct imitation of the Wedge Tower in Houston.

I had a break-in this weekend also!! I'm over on the 5000 block of Jefferson. Did you report it to the police? I wonder if there's any connection. Same for me. This is the first apartment break-in I've had here, and I've lived in Dissen Heights for 2 and a half years. Really considering moving, eventhough I love how close it is to work. But living near work and Downtown isn't worth it if I have to lose an $2700. I worked hard for that TV and computer

I salute METRO's new attitude of accountability and honesty. I am hurt that our rail construction is being postponed, but at least METRO is now letting us know why. And THANK YOU for pursuing new revenue streams!!!! Allowing ads on buses and converting more HOT lanes won't create a fortune and it certainly wouldn't solve METRO's budget woes, but it will the the agency some extra income as "breathing room". They are also great measures to increase the visibility and notariety of METRO.

Sexually-Oriented Businesses... SOBs

Agreed, but the same can be said for virtually every major governing agency in Houston and Texas. They all need to be more directly accountable. But that doesn't mean we should just throw in the towel every time someone steals money from one of them. I say this as I go to my supply cabinet at work, and get some color ink that is definitely going to be used for a purpose that is NOT work-related.

It may also help if Texans as a whole were more receptive to the concepts of light rail and mass-transit mobility. That is a systemic failure of education because we spend too much time choked in traffic via cars... trying to reconnect with the "wide open spaces" theories while still needing to be tied to cities like Houston. I disagree with Niche as well, but I'm not going to invalidate his points. The budget is strapped in Houston and Texas. If the priority isn't rail, then it just isn't. Though my personal opinion is that we need rail more than ever. But we can't sacrifice the current transit infrastructure for it. We shouldn't have to cut bus routes (which are well-used and drastically needed btw) to support light rail that doesn't exist yet. For many Houstonians without cars, or unable to drive, METRO is literally their lifeline. It allows them to be independent in their homes and still be able to get around the city. This is METRO's primary function. And guess what?? If we REALLY wanted rail, all we have to do is get on the busses. If every single Houstonian took METRO 8 times a week for one year, METRO would make 23 million dollars a week. Within a year's time, they would have over a billion dollars and could easily build the rail system of their choice. Call it "rail bias", anti-rail sentiment, class discrimination, whatever you want. Point is, if we really wanted to improve transit, we would be infusing money into the current bus system, and thusly generate the funds needed for improvement. So I say if Houston wants rail so badly, we need to get on the BUS and start voting with our pocketbooks.

I'm a renter in Dissen Heights... specifically right around Jackson Middle School. My area is a more transitional than Eastwood proper, but I still like it a lot. Eastwood and the Heights were built as companion neighborhoods, it's just that the Heights got a 20-year head start on the rehab process and East End is just starting. Biking is great here, very easy and SAFE access to downtown, the Med Center/ TSU (via Columbia Tap), UofH and Midtown. The East End also has some eclectic places like Bohemeo's and Mandola's that give it an improving cosmopolitan feel. I suggest you check out Eastwood proper, Woodleigh and Broadmoor.

So much going on in this thread!! I'll just say this... BRT is a great solution, but it's an intermediate step. But I think it would work much better for the East End and Southeast Lines b/c those areas are far lower density than the other three lines to begin with. Most of the people that will be riding those lines were/are already riding the existing bus routes that parallel them. Simple fact. BRT would be a good solution in these two lines b/c we can always upgrade it to rail later. The University, North and Uptown Lines should be kept and built as rail. For the North Line, the population density is higher than East and Southeast so they will have a higher ridership and can make better use of the rail format. For University and Uptown, these lines must be rail b/c of the riders they're trying to attact. You avg. upper anxious classman (Anxious class is the new Middle Class btw) just doesn't ride brown. They need a new toy to try out. As stupid as it sounds, every time I ride the rail line, I see a young couple with one or two kids that are riding the train just for entertainment. They say "we always come ride the choo choo on Sundays" or something like that. Otherwise they wouldn't even care. To a majority of Houstonians, that's what METRO is to them... a mode of entertainment, or something that poor people use b/c they don't have a car. Rail's purpose (sad though it may be) is also to educate the public that it is in fact possible to travel to various destination in Houston without a car. And busses? Oh, puh-lease!! I get awkward looks everyday at Texas Southern University as I step off of the 68 and go to teach my classes. The students and faculty don't think it becoming for a teacher to be riding the bus.

I know you're responding to someone else, but I've eaten, and I have an hour before I teach... Agreed, but reality shouldn't be based solely on fares in the first place. The reality is that METRO serves all of the Greater Houston area, whether you set foot on it or not. For everytime I successfully accomplish one of my job functions via METRO, I take my car off of the road and give you more room with which to travel safely. THAT is the goal of transit. Everyone cannot fit on one train, just like everyone can't jam into one highway (we learned that during RITA). But the rail lines give Houston another option for their travels, and there will be many people that do choose it as a regular option... no matter how badly designed the system is. Once it's built, it will be used. Transit ain't cheap, nor should it be. It's now impossible to separate the backroom dealings of METRO's former administrations from the real and important goal of improving transit mobility for Greater Houston. That's a shame, but it's the truth. So the line costs a billion dollars, and we were lied to about that. Doesn't mean that the need just went away once the true numbers were thrown at us. Houston is still growing, and streets like Richmond are still clogged. Some of us legitimately see the need for Houston to be proactive and improve our transit. There's nothing wrong with that opinion.

I like the overall design of the building... but I HATE the side the faces the park. If they had thought to build the park side the same as the opposite side, it would have turned out rather nicely. It's a hotel... it doesn't have to re-invent the architectural wheel. Houston is lucky to have gotten some very nice projects in the past few years (Main Place, OPP, Co-Cathedral). It's ok if we intermingle with some structures that are less of a fine art and more of an applied art.

So can we begin a protest to save the old Y now????? How dare we put such an historical treasure on the chopping block!! Maybe it could be converted into a hotel of some sort???

I'm on the board for retail infrastructure!!! But we need to develop a little more "common retail" first... like a downtown Target for your general items, and more cool places like Freebirds or Bullritos. We just need retail that ups the visibility of downtown, and puts it back on the map for Houston-area shoppers. That IMO is step one. Thankfully, the increased hotel infrastructure is slowly coming on line. ES will help a bit, but we need another large hotel to really be competitive. One that's 1000 or so rooms. Discovery Green is renewing interest in our convention business quite well, but we still have to be able to house all of those visitors. Finally the cornerstone is more residential. It doesn't make a lot of sense for us to just overload with residential if there's no interest for it. But I think as the retail and hotel scape improves, people will start to feel like downtown isn't always deserted, and they will see it as a livable area. I've been in Houston for five years, and I'm very pleased with the progress that's taken place so far. +1 on Bombay Pizza Co... Good Stuff!!

I'd almost rather be in Dallas' situation with DART (ok, yeah, I would much rather be in that situation). DART has been in a tailspin with their budget, but at least they were forced into the light about everything instead of lying to their citizenry for so long. So they know they will have to cut back services and raise fares. It's all out on front street, as it should be. I agree fully with you Niche... METRO has been under terrible leadership. I am hopeful that Mayor Parker has finally gotten some people that are willing to share the truth with us. It seems promising so far. But I think it's a mistake for them to try to avoid raising fares when we're in such a deep hole from the previous administration. If they have to cut services, I guarantee that it will affect my area of town first and foremost (the East End), and that really sucks. I would rather see them raise fares even $0.10, implement more agressive corporate ads on buses, and toll more HOV lanes. Service frequency is painfully thin and slow as is... unless you ride the 81 or 82.

I have a headache, so I don't feel like getting into a big argument right now. But the only thing I will say is this... We all know that transit systems are not built to "make money", otherwise they would be fully privatized and have absolutely nothing to do with the government. Houston's transit situation is even worse off, as we live in an area of the country where so many people have a car (and feel it a necessity to own one) and have a very strong stigma against transit. So the point is this... if we're going to invest in the city's transit, it needs to be funded by the government. METRO needs to adhere to the government's rules. This is not the fault of the voters, it's not the fault of CAF, and it's not the fault of the new METRO administration. The blame for this mess lies squarely with FRANK WILSON & CO. He f*cked us over big time. But there's nothing we can do about that now, except figure out a way to get these lines built with more government support and less burden on the tax payers. I think we should go ahead and raise rates too... at least for the few of us that can afford it. Even at $1.50/ride, METRO would still be a good deal compared with other transit agencies.

I agree with Niche... the highrise element of this project is too ambitious at the moment. Perhaps long-term. The East End really needs to build up its basic retail infrastructure first before we can even consider projects like this one. We're still operating off of Kombat Kroger for goodness sakes!! The Dynamo Stadium over on Texas/Harrisburg and the new rail line should help, but we have to start small and give people more reasons to discover the East End. What I STILL don't understand is how the East End manages to be so invisible when compared to The Heights or even Third Ward!! Rents are scary cheap in most areas over here, yet it's just as close to Downtown as your overpriced compatriots in the Montrose. East End hasn't been kept up well, but we have an amazing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure of trails, sidewalks and quiet side streets. The only thing missing is more hipsters.

LOL at this point, I'm far-less concerned with the aesthetics of the Embassy Suites, and far more concerned about adding hotel rooms to the downtown market (thus bolstering our convention ability). BTW, anyone know of plans for the lobby?? I'd like to find out.

Sounds excellent, and I'm SOO glad they're open in the evenings and Saturdays!!! I'm going to go have dinner there on Thursday to give them some evening business. Will let y'all know what I think.

Inner Views with Ernie Manouse is nationally syndicated on PBS.

Well I'm going to relate to the topic... I'm tired of METRO stalling on the new lines too. But what I don't understand is why they are taking so long to create new revenue streams. Two untapped revenue sources are staring the agency in the face, but they're doing nothing about it. Convert the HOV lanes to HOT lanes already!!! Of course the ultimate goal is to have expanded lanes like the Katy Tollway, but I'm sure they could figure out how to toll the current HOVs. This is a revenue stream that many people in the city ALREADY take advantage of (illegally). So we may as well enforce it and make some cash for the agency. ADS on the busses. METRO has these rolling billboards all over town, but refuses to use them as a fund generator. This several million dollars going down the tube could again be used to aid METRO's priorities for construction. It's really sad and pathetic that they have a budget gap that they won't lift a finger to earn money and close it!

Did we completely forget about KTSU????? They are jazz mostly, but they also air NPR and PRI programs.

Well I'll go ahead and throw in my few cents here... The Heights is a neighborhood. It is no longer its own independent town. It is a part of the City of Houston, and has every right and responsibility as River Oaks, Fifth Ward and Idylwood. As a part of the City of Houston, they are not subject to city-wide zoning restrictions, because Houston residents have voted them down... time and time again. Which means Wal-Mart has every right to purchase land and build whatever it wants, wherever it wants. And I'm in agreement with whoever posted earlier... if feeder road enhancements are already occurring, then its a no-brainer that this is a done deal. IMO the residents are going about this the wrong way. Why not work with Wal-Mart to try and build something like a Marketside store or Neighborhood Market. Since they're already planning a Wal-Mart for I-10 at Silber, this could be a very reasonable request. Wal-Mart may be willing to go with a smaller store model that will cater to the surroundings a bit more. Err well, what y'all think the surroundings are. Last time I checked, the Heights still looked pretty suburban.