totheskies

It was merely meant to illustrate a point - Namely that unlike most world class cities, Houston's own citizens are painfully unaware of what their city has to offer. And as a result, are unable to articulate what makes this city special to outsiders.

I know we like to say we don't care what people think of us, but c'mon - we do. We want people to see this city as the special place that we know it is. Particularly if you've seen people's reactions when you tell them you're from Houston - if it illicits any sorts of reaction, it's more likely to be negative than positive.

The average citizen of Austin can tell you what makes Austin special or why they are proud of the city. Even if they never truly experience what the city offers (see: average Arboretum resident). Can we really say that about the average Houstonian?

So you're only one guy... here's two. I've lived in Houston for exactly four years today (weird isn't it) and I can say that the reputation of this city is completely and utterly useless. Growing up in Arkansas, I hardly even knew that Houston existed until I was in junior high school. Of course I knew the phrase "Houston, we have a problem" and I had heard of NASA being in Texas, but I had no clue that NASA was in Houston or that that is where the phrase was referring to.

The first time I ever remember seeing images of Houston?? Reality Bites. That movie was some of the best press that Houston has ever gotten... great skyline shots, talking about different parts of the city, showing "real Houstonians" living "real Houston lives". But guess what movie also came out in that very same year?? Jason's Lyric. It served to brand the city as a place that was just as dangerous as South Central LA. Not exactly good for the rep.

And of course the only times that Houston ever gets national attention??? Disasters. Take the last ten years just for fun. Houston has been associated with such highlights as Tropical Storm Allison, Superbowl '04 (now forever known as Janet Jackson's nipplegate), Hurricane Katrina evacuees, the Rita traffic jam of Death, and our dear friend Hurricane Ike. If it hadn't been for the Recession and the Latin Grammys, Houston would have probably one an award for most disatrous image of the Aughts.

Seems to me that all of the "good stuff" about Houston gets grossly underemphasized and even swept under the rug, even by Texans. I especially love when people in this state (more specifically in the Texas urban triangle) talk about "Houston heat" and how it's so much worse than "Texas heat". How?? I'm up in Dallas right now, and if I go outside and try to walk across this parking lot, my clothes are going to be wet by the time I get back. Sound familiar? Last time I checked, just as many people suffer heat stroke in D/FW as they do in Houston.

Of course I agree, the image change starts with us. I know most Houstonians don't care about the city's image to outsiders, but there is something that we all care about: money. Because Houston doesn't spend time promoting itself, Houstonians lose out on the money that other cities are able to generate. NYC, Chicago, LA and Atlanta are cities that live or die by their public/media image. So as bad as that can be sometimes, the also get to reap the benefits of being first in line for government funding, hosting more national/ international events, and enjoying some world popularity. As a relatively new Houstonian, I'm proud to live in a great city, and I'm not ashamed to tell people that it's great every once in a while, especially if it helps us all in the long run.

Man this would be a great idea, but

1. This is just speculation so it doesn't need to be in the "going up" thread... needs to be in either Downtown or General discussions

2. What kinds of toys do kids want nowadays? We as a society have managed to screw kids up to where they think they are miniature adults... IPod this, Twitter that, toy cell phones and computer games. They don't even want to get dirty. As sad as it sounds, a major toy store would fail in downtown b/c we as a society are raising kids to not even want REAL toys. They're just supposed to do like adults and play on the internet all day. Until we decide that we should reinvest in the human imagination, the only toy store we're going to have is Wal-Mart, Taget and the kids isle at HEB.

Just went and saw Kiki Melendez and Hot Tamales Live! on Saturday night at HOB. It was very good show... much better than I expected. I'm not use to famale comics being raunchy like that . This was also my first experience with HOB's "foundation room"... kinda creepy. It felt like a swingers' club for straight people.

As far as Pavilions for shopping, only place I've actually spent money there is Books-a-Million. Yeah, Forever XXI ain't exactly my style.

I was at Disco G on Sunday for the Jazz Fest... I've eaten at The Lake House like once, but haven't tried The Grove yet. Also I took my car on Sat. to the comedy show, but rode the rail from my church to downtown on Sunday, then took the 40 back home.

I hear Metro is going to open up a souvenir shop at HP. That will be nice...(can't wait to get my very own Metro bus key chain that dispenses Mace)

Ooh ooh a RideStore that actually stays open past 5:30pm!!! That would be a real asset to downtown.

Given that it is a foreign based carrier, perhaps it would be easier for their clientele to speak to someone who can communicate in their native language. That and since there is plenty of petroleum in and around Qatar and there are hundreds of oil-related companies in and around downtown Houston, perhaps they want to be situated near their biggest customer base - oil companies?

We have lots of ancillary operations in Doha and the Middle East... and not always in oil.

http://www.qatar.tamu.edu/

so are they ever going to actually finish this building's exterior?? The horizontal spire is still missing.

Jackson trials and endless litigation...

The man was special... very special. I guess I'm just a hopeless fan, but even back from the 1990s spectacles, I have always believed his innocence. After all, he was/is the greatest pop star of the world, and when you're as rich, famous, infamous and strange as MJ was, people are going to take advantage of you. The role of the press and the public is to basically get into his business and doubt/contradict everything that he ever said and did (to which I would say they were quite successful). I still believe that he was innocent, but it ain't my place to know the absolute truth. It's my place to honor and respect him for the tremendous talent and genius that he was.

Mrs. Jackson Lee...

She probably stepped over the line here, but that's what her career has been built on... stepping over and across all sorts of lines. As an elected public servant for the United States government, I was glad that she was there to show that MJ was not "just another entertainer" but what he did effected change for the betterment of our entire planet. She is highly political and highly charged... that's what we pay her for.

more good news, imo, since their taking up retail space and using it as office space

I guess that's good in the short run, but now HP has less usable retail space.

LOL 1986.... I was 4

office tenant is a done deal

Who are you, how did you know this, and tell me who OPP's grocer is.... I'm tired of talking to their know-nothing reps!!!

Yeah, it's still going to be ridiculously hot though, even at night... by the time the parade is done, we'll only be down into the upper 80s

^^ Agreed... hopefully we'll be one of the first green marks to re-emerge (and not just b/c of rising oil prices).

My thinking is that development to the east and southeast side of downtown will slowly crawl that way. Most the ameneties like restaurants etc are on the western side. It would not make much sense to build on the far east or southeast side of town in my opinion. If there are reasons, there aren't many. I wonder if the east end LRT lines will help draw more buildings out that way though?

Seems like the East End is well spoken for though. It's one of the busiest CBD construction areas in the whole United States right now, with no signs of slowing down. The Dynamo stadium on the other side of 59 will spur more retail and restaurant development, and we're still pretty optimistic for at least on more large hotel and convention space in that area. I'm just as excited as the next guy for Houston to get "more big stuff", but really what need to do is continue to improve the streetscapes and activity within our CBD. I can't wait until that Soccer stadium is built... then we will have all of our professional sports venues within 6 miles of each other!! Not too many metros around the US can even claim that!!

Glad to hear all of the great info.

What about Super Targets? Where are they located, and does anyone shop there?

Did Albertson's pull out of the Houston market??? I've never seen one here.

Eventhough it wasn't at a very active part of the day (Sunday morning) and I was short on time, I tried to do my best...

Oak Cliff... this is now my favorite Dallas neighborhood. I had never been here, but a friend of mine from DalMet told me I have to go and see it when I came up. He was totally right...

Yep, "awkward" contemporary art just sitting out in front of someone's house... it's like I'm home again

Whoa another Hunky's!! Apparently Oak Lawn doesn't get all of the fun

And last, but not least... downtown

This is where the term "Katy Trail" comes from... a popular place name in Texas. It's the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad

Thanks for viewing

VP's real problem was it's focus was one a small demographic that already has multiple shopping/accommodation/housing options that really didn't set itself apart.

Victory Park's success lies in marketing & focusing on those visitors to the American Airlines Center (AAC) and House of Blues (HoB). Chili's is always packed whenever there's an event going on at the AAC and with Hard Rock Cafe opening in July (supposedly, I think it'll be more like August) the demographic (middle-class males 25-50) that goes to most events at either venue will have another option besides Chili's. Unfortunately,because of lack of signage and poor pedestrian flow throughout the development most HoB attendees have no clue there's a Chili's and end up in the just as empty West End Historical District. An AAC or HoB event goer isn't going to stop by a Quicksilver retail store on their way home, they want to grab a bit to eat at a Fox Sports Grill or ESPN Zone. While the Hard Rock Cafe is a step in the right direction, VP needs more restaurants like Chili's and sports focused retailers like HatWorld or team specific apparel retailers like a "Dallas Stars Store" and "Dallas Mavericks Store"

Right on point here... and same thing goes for Houston/ HP. We have to start with the basic downtown visitors, figure out why they're coming in, and then cater to them. Trying to create a whole new purpose for a development is never going to be as sucessful as using a developement to fulfill a need. VP already has a big sports crowd, so start by getting businesses that they like and use, and then branch out into other areas.

Also, this is a FRESHMEN dorm. Aesthetics just aren't as important... the number one concern is that it's tough (FORD tough lol). Freshmen abuse everything, so a nice spacious set of lofts is probably not the best idea in the first place.

BTW, has anyone noticed that all of UH's new construction projects are Neo-Brutalist??? Talk about bleh.

Im falling in love with Regent Square...!

Link

I LOVE the developement (brownstone areas)

I LOVE the tower

But together they look like a hot mess... but thank the heavens that SOMEBODY in this town has figured out the concept of rooftop parking, and building the development to the street corner. That's some sweet action!!

Just to start off...

I live in the East End/Broadmoor area. My normal grocery stores are HEB, West Gray Kroger and Fiesta...

My closest HEB is at 610/I45s. It's ok, but there are some things that are a bit sub-standard when compared to other HEBs around town. The produce selection tends to be a bit disappointing, and sometimes their selection of frozen foods is less than other stores. So I do shop here regularly, but I wish it were better. This is an "ok" HEB, but I've seen some that are way better.

My closest Fiesta is on S. Wayside. This store is not very good... it's small, and very regional. There's no international selection like the Fiesta over on S. Main. I've noticed that it has gotten better in the last month or so, but I still don't regularly shop here. It's a real shame too, b/c this place is like 7 blocks away from me... I don't need a car to get here at all! Not a great Fiesta

My closest Kroger is actually the one on Cullen st. at Polk, but I don't shop here very often (unless I have to go get like one or two items). Mostly, I use the Kroger on West Gray to do the majority of my shopping. I love the selection there, and the workers are normally very halpful. It's also nice to have fresh sushi, a very good deli, and excellent seafood area. This is one of the best Krogers around.

Last but not least, there is actually a grocery/convenience store right behind my house (I know... weird for Houston). I do shop there, but obviously not for major grocery runs. Mostly just to go and pick up a drink or one or two other items.

Wow this is some really great info!!!!

Now that we're in the throws of summer, I'm regrettably back to a half/half pattern. But now that it's hot, it's become very difficult for me to bike to work. I do work at UofH (so a shower is available), but some mornings it's just tough to get everything ready in the morning. My bike ride is only about five minutes longer than the car though.

Like samagon, I live in the East End, and a really like it here. I do wish we had some better grocery stores in the neighborhood b/c Combat Kroger just doesn't cut it sometimes. But I mostly use my car for times when I need to hit up the surburb box stores, or for when I have gigs outside of the loop. For me, METRO is pretty reliable, but sometimes with these music gigs, I end up staying out pretty late, and it's a lot easier to take my car and pay for gas (though getting harder as prices rise again) than have to call a cab all the time. I love the East End's bike trails though.

Oh, and an update on this project FYI...

The site has been cleared and fenced off already, and they've begun to move in some construction equipment. they'll probably start in the next few weeks.

There are many Tier-One-correlated variables already listed in your statement; furthermore, I do not believe your list of variables to be exhaustive. You didn't mention football at all, for instance.

All I did was make a list, forgive me if I didnt's specify in the aforementioned post that I was only discussing the first of the listed criteria, and took it to reason that (along with the current trends within this thread) that I didn't need to go into detail about the remaining criteria.

Of these many variables, some are more important (i.e. take priority) and likely correlate weakly. In a circumstance where an institution has a finite budget (which is to say, every circumstance), capital and operating budgets should reflect these priorities.

Furthermore, In the case of on-campus university-operated student housing, much of the existing stock was constructed in a different era and is a legacy of the past, not necessarily reflecting a practical future.

Whether or not they were practical in the past doesn't matter in the present. If all developers thought this way, then Houston in its current form would most certainly NOT EXIST. If Moody Towers, the Quadrangle and Cougar Place were sitting unused during the regular school year, then you may have a point in this statement, but the fact that the dorms have been filled to capacity for several years now, and that the university cannot meet housing demand for all students that wish to live on campus shows that whoever in the past decided to take a gamble on those projects was correct... that gamble paid off. In the case of Cougar Place, it's a shame that they decided to build the facility with cheap construction materials, but still it remains in use because University Housing has run out of room. Business practicality is very important to an institution and is LIFE or DEATH to a private company, but UH has the dubious distinction of being a public entity for the Houston community. Sometimes, they have to stick their necks out and make impractical business decisions because they see need down the road.

The core of your argument seems to be that they have a physical plant of known characteristics, they are better (for reasons not very well articulated), UH should aspire to be like them, and so UH should have a physical plant of similar characteristics. This is poor reasoning. My own analytical paradigm is as follows: first identify the function of UH, second identify what factors allow that function to be optimally fulfilled provided a finite budget. If the function of UH is to be like UT-Austin or TAMU, then UH needs university-operated student housing. If the function of UH is as described in its mission statements, then university-operated student housing is a dubious proposition at best.

Your statement here is somewhat confusing, but I'll try to respond...

UH does not want to "be like" Rice, UT or A&M, but they do see some areas in which those schools have solid operating systems, whil UH may need some improvement in those areas. UH can never replicate the campuses of other Tier 1 schools. And I agree with you... nowhere in UH's mission statement does it say "be like UT, Rice or A&M". However it does seek to discover and disseminate knowledge through the education of a diverse population of traditional and non-tradtitional students. Anyone who has attended college as a traditional student knows that dorm life was an essential part of their education. And with the Fall of 2009 shaping up to be another record year of FTIC attendance for UH, this part of the mission statement is a top priority.

By whom and for what reason? Platitudes are not sufficient.

Precedent. Most Tier 1 (AAU) schools have tight residential communities, notable faculty, a healthy endowment and state-of-the-art research facilities. It only makes sense that UH would want to model itself off of the Tier 1 schools that are already in existence. UT and A&M are known for having strong residential ties (and probably by no surprise, very strong alumni connections).

Unless the full capital cost of the dormitories are financed in their entirety by non-recourse revenue bonds and net operating income is consistently sufficient to pay down the debt service, then UH is in fact making a capital budgeting decision that will impact their cash positions or that exposes them to all variety of financial risks or that increases their aggregate leverage ratio and has a marginal increase of their cost of capital for future projects.

Putting things in italics appears to be important to you, so I'm going to say this one more time: there is no such thing as a free lunch.

UH obviously looks at the new dorms as a big bold investment, but to be clear, an increased residential population is presumed to be an essential for Tier 1 status. These dorms are much more than extra sleeping quarters... they are helping to esablish a new UH community. Just like downtown... we could argue forever over whether or not One Park Place was needed there, but to a certain extent, the developers had to take the leap and hope that the project works out for the best. UH continues to grow during the recession, and the student base is now more diverse than ever. It is no longer acceptable for UH to be labled as simply a "commuter campus". If we're going to grow and have any hope of achieving Tier 1 status, these dorms are a critical stone for our future foundation.

Just wondering... what areas of town have the "best" grocery stores? what areas have the worst??

Please state what area town you live in, and which grcery stores you use the most. If it is a chain store (HEB, Kroger, etc.) how does it compare to other franchises in other parts of town?? it would be great to see which areas of town have the best grocers.