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totheskies

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Everything posted by totheskies

  1. totheskies
    MetroRail is a tram. It runs on the street, and has to compete with traffic. We need to just face facts, and be happy that we're getting a tram.
  2. totheskies
    That's what I was thinking... they're basically gonna be HD jumbo-trons, right? So assuming they're doing the utility work for them, it won't take very long. B/c of the shock factor for downtown patrons, I'm sure they're gonna wait till the last minute for those. It'll be really nice to have SOMETHING in downtown that screams for attention though. I can't wait!
  3. totheskies
    ^Yeah, and for those of us that don't have rail bias, BUSES count as public transit. But Houston's bus service is just too sporadic and infrequent. If METRO decided to step up to the plate and run the bus routes every 5 or 6 minutes, our public transit would be great.
  4. totheskies
    Yep... it definitely makes UH a fun place to work.
  5. totheskies
    I think downtown's retail future is very bright, but this is largely a trust issue for consumers. Like pointed out in the above post, people have no expectations of actually purchasing something downtown. The place dies at 6pm, and none of the retail stores have the foresight, balls, or whatever it takes to even consider staying open past 6pm... not even the ones near Discovery Green. It's really sad and pathetic. I bike to downtown very frequently, and I have even taken it upon myself to go to store owners, and ask them why they close so early. The man from Quiznos on Main Street said "no business after 6". Now keep in mind Main street has some people at all times... businessman during the day, theatre-goers and sports venue traffic cris-crossing in the evenings, and club/bar flys at night. After politely pointing some of this out, I asked him if he would ever consider staying open later. He replied "no b/c I wanna go home as soon as traffic thins out, and we're not hiring right now." It is a mentality for Houstonians that downtown is for work and work only. That ain't a gonna change overnight. So my point with this is... the downtown image has to chip away very slowly, b/c that's how we'll get the long-lasting effects. When you see projects like Discovery Green and OPP now towering behind it, it makes you very excited and anxious for change and new street life. But I think the pace of downtown is better for sustainability. What we don't want is for downtown to be the "hot new place" and then wash away like every other fad.
  6. totheskies
    UH has a completely different attitude about the rail line. The University has mandated it as part of our Master Plan, wherever Metro decides to place it. TSU should try and be more flexible.
  7. totheskies
    This has GOT to be Houston's greatest current project.... HANDS DOWN. I'm so glad that there will be retail!!!!!!!!
  8. totheskies
    OMG LOL WTF!!!! You people crack me up... SERIOUSLY. Stop playing the "woe is me" card for Houston. This city has got some phenomenal designs... I have no problem with HOB, as I haven't seen the inside yet, but I'm not going to pass judgement on it before it even has a chance. Some of you heifas are so dissatisfied with this city... maybe you should just move somewhere else.
  9. totheskies
    Does it have racquetball courts?? I'm seriously considering joining this one.
  10. totheskies
    What homeless problem???? You live in Montrose. The homeless people are half the fun.
  11. totheskies
    HP isn't prolific, nor is it revolutionary, but it will be a helpful ingredient into the Downtown mix. If I could only pick one single project to be the "key piece" in Houston's downtown renaissance, that would be Discovery Green. As I said before, we haven't gotten a cutting edge, pristine project like that in Downtown since... well... forever. But now the momentum has started. Disco G is open, Houston Pavillions will come in and add a little more retail and a couple of new night spots (as well as DT's first large-scale book store), OPP will open next year and add not only more residents to the area, but some very well-placed retail. Then we'll have Discovery Tower and Main Place... world-class office towers. The existing retail areas (mainly Houston Center) are going to have to keep up with Houston Pavillions, and might be extending their hours to accommodate the increased evening population. If these chips fall correctly, downtown will be a lot more interesting than we've seen before. And if not... if everything turns out to be a failure... I'll be entertained listening to all of the "I TOLD you so"s on here.
  12. totheskies
    As far as parking is concerned... I am excited that they have not built a parking garage. Bell station on the light rail provides acces to endless swaths of surface parking. If they want to go to HP, they can hop the train, ride it one station, then walk the block over there. I for one will be taking my bike.
  13. totheskies
    Keep telling yourself that.
  14. totheskies
    I'm still trying to figure out why this project is so "bad"? Please check out the Kansas City Power & Light district and it's "yuppie retail". It is (surprise!) many of the same things that are coming to Houston Pavillions. And it's been a rousing succes so far. Among adults in the 20-35 bracket, these types of development are the big money-makers. Especially when you consider that midtown is rapidly filling in with the same age range, I would say that Houston has a great opportunity in HP. Could it be better? Of course. But last time I visited downtown, it looked like there were plenty of surface parking lots still in tact (and thus more potential for a "better" development). As long as our local economy keeps tipping along (or at least stays afloat) HP will open the door for cooler projects down the road.
  15. totheskies
    I haven't been hearing much of anything about HP on the news, and that's kind of frustrating... but they maybe be keeping a cool head for a reason. Basically HP is well set up for success. Discovery Green is experiencing it's ultimate test time right now (the heat of summer), and currently passing with flying colors. Come October when this thing opens, people will still be going to games, the theater district, the GRB for conventions, and taking their kids to play in the water fountains at Disco G. Houston Pavillions has all of this to pull from. Oh yeah, and lest we forget how much midtown has filled in within the last few years?? As of October, the closest major bookstore, bowling alley, high-end shopping, and first-class dining options will locate in downtown. Look at Kansas city. Great urban core, but the downtown was pretty well on life support just like us. The Power and Light district (with many of the same tenants that we will have at HP) has brought downtown back in full force.
  16. totheskies
    Wow that is the bomb diggity... I am so enthused to be a Houstonian right now! Let's keep 'em comin'
  17. totheskies
    As Paris Hilton would say... "that's hot."
  18. totheskies
    Ahh, yes. The joys of being rich and getting whatever you want... must be niiice
  19. totheskies
    Dayumm-- we even AC the sidewalks here!!
  20. totheskies
    It's really looking more and more like a downtown mini-Galleria than something neat and new. On the other hand, if it's gets a fraction of the Galleria's business, HP will have accomplished it's goal. Gotta go with what you know I guess.
  21. totheskies
    But you don't hang out downtown anyway, correct?? Your tax dollars pay for roads in the city and county that you don't use, schools that you've never attended, and parks/public spaces that aren't on your side of town. You pay the taxes, and the city leaders decide what to do with it. And considering that they county only spent 8 mil on this project, you'd probably never miss the 30 or 40 cents that you PERSONALLY contributed anyway. Just be glad that Houston is moving in a new direction, and don't cling to the past.
  22. totheskies
    The university line is getting close to construction, and so is the second parking garage. The new grad apartments are looking good too. Times are a changin' at UH.
  23. totheskies
    Which I'm sure could have been prevented with increased floor-to-floor security. Can't control everything, but to me, parking garages have always been safer.
  24. totheskies
    I live about three miles from dt and ride my bike almost daily in the area. I'll be GLAD to have a place to shop that is so close to me. There's my personal (selfish) reason for enjoying Houston Pavillions, just like I love and enjoy Disco G already. The communal reason is that although our downtown is already quite impressive, it can be so much more. I don't live in New York, nor do I want to. But I sure wouldn't mind Houston having some more fun in our own downtown. People will always shop in the Galleria, Memorial City, and wherever else they want to, but HP and what follows will provide everyone in the metro with another viable option, and be a very welcomed sight to visitors staying downtown, or just wanting to explore the whole city. And I'm sorry but the surface parking in dt Houston is CRAP. It's a complete waste of space. Think about how many people you can fit on one surface lot vs. how many MORE people fit in a five or six story garage!!! And did anyone mention that garages offer more protection from vandalism??? Come on y'all, let's have some common sense!!! Get rid of dt's surface lots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  25. totheskies
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