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At least you acknowledge it for what it is.

You and TheNiche are soooooooo predictable. Always looking for an opportunity to dig at Dallas. . . .and if one doesn't exist, you'll create one. Rowdy was dead on! Penis Envy X 10. LOL

It must be eating away at you (and others) that executives in Dallas made a decision that will have long-term effects on Houston's real estate market.

Fort Worth is in Tarrant County.

Oh, I see. I was looking at the following site, but didin't read the column to the far right. Thanks for the correction. I still think it's interesting that White did better in Dallas County than his hometown, Harris County.

How in the world does Bill White carry Dallas County, but get trounced in his own hometown - Harris County? I think it speaks to the content of his character.

1. I mentioned George Bush because the Bush Family loves to claim Texas, even though they are originally from Connecticut. That actually is not news. 2. I didn't interpret this thread to be a 'political topic," exclusively. However, when you created this thread, "Houston Most Famous," you should have anticipated that any reasonable person could/would interpret that broad category identification as encompassing any famous person claiming Houston. If you want to be more specific, I suggest you change the thread title.

I never heard of BJ Thomas. Houston's most famous musicians are rappers. . . oh yeah, and Beyonce. . . . and another notable/famous person I guess you could claim is George Bush. However, he's not even originally from Texas.

Perry is also going to win this election with his Texas = no/low taxes, good for business (relocation), good for jobs, strong on (*cough*) public education mantra. Despite voters' fatigue of Rick Perry, it doesn't look good for White.

Pretty much Everyone on this forum knows not to pay any attention to this guy when he starts to go off on tangents regarding rail. The Niche can't even be taken seriously on the subject of rail in Houston because his viewpoint is so skewed in the anti-rail direction that we can almost predict what he's going to post (which is anything anti-rail). Niche doesn't want to acknowledge the benefits of a light rail system. So, there's no point in even engaging him in meaningful conversation on this topic. Niche lives for the argument, and that's especially true when it comes to Light Rail in Houston. This is one of those times where you should ignore what he's posting. I would dare state that he's making a lot of his facts up. , .because it's so far from the truth that it is laughable. I Know that many rail proponents can see DART for what it is, and is doing. The proof is in the pudding. The rail antagonists will try to use DART as an example of an unsuccessful transit agency. However, the reality of the matter is that DART keeps expanding, and DART's regional rail success is pushing outlying suburbs to consider/push for the legislature to give more transportation dollars to mass transit/rail projects in the North Texas area. If Harris County were to adopt the same strategy, Houston would be moving rapidly in the direction of mass transit. As it stands now, though, the Niche's of the world rule the day. Because of that, it doesn't really seem like there is much hope for Houston, unless something drastic happens in the next 12 months.

Well, one of the main differences between DART and METRO is the structure of the agencies. METRO represents all of Harris County, and has a governing board that has to represent (e.g. battle with) the interests of people living as close in as DT and far out as the Woodlands. DART is comprised of 13 member agencies, and with the exception of University Park and Dallas, all of them are suburbs. That means that Dallas' (inner and outer) loop/suburbs have bought-in to the DART rail system a long time ago by voting to pledge $0.01 of their sales tax to fund DART. It doesn't hurt that when DART proposes a plan, they execute it on-time or ahead of schedule and under-budget. And with the exception of the budget shortfall fiasco a couple of years ago, DART stays out of controversy.

This is the most intelligent analysis I've read on METRO's current problem in a very long time. METRo's flubs, unethical behavior and illegal operations over the last decade will have a lasting impact on the agency that many still can't comprehend. At this rate, voter confidence in METRO is sinking fast, and as a result rail expansion will probably fail if it has to go back to the voters. There are just too many issues to overcome now.

You all think the facade and structure of the Downtown Dallas Sheraton is ugly? The view at street level is just as bad. I thought Starwood would have tried to do something to beautify the building, but alas, those hopes have been dashed. The DT Houston Embassy Suites I definitely unattractive, but IMHO the DT Dallas Sheraton has it beat In the ugliness department. On the bright side, though, these two buildings can only get better with time, and some architectural improvements.

Those photos are absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

This post resonates with me, and I feel your pain. HAIF has become a colloection of the same usual suspects arguing, nitpicking, and trying to one-up each other all day over trivial issues, and points of view. As for the thread topic, I would say that I don't think Houston is particularly boring. . .at least not for the first day one visits. There are things to do in houston, but you need a local to show you around. . .because the things to do are mostly for locals. And the things Houston is known for, and houstonians pride themselves on, don't exactly scream tourism. . .NASA, Medical Center (a bunch of hospitals), Ship Channel, Oil Companies, and traffic don't exactly provide a draw for people looking for a vacation destination. Some other random points: In response to one poster who stated that (s)he didn't neccisarrily think boring = bad, I got news for you. . .It does. Give anyone a choice between fun and boring, and 9 times out if 10 they'll pick fun. Most of Houston's visitors won't be casual tourists, but rather conventioneers, and friends/family of people living in Houston coming to visit for whatever reason. Houston has a lot of Southern Louisiana influence ingrained in it's culture (e.g. Lake Charles, Lafeyette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans). I think that contributes to it's "quirkiness.". Southenr Louisianans are special people (see movie: the Waterboy). I think this mentality has a significant impact on how Houstonians approach issues like tourism, transportation, zoning, and how non-houstonians perceive the city.

I'll say this. . .Many people who post on this forum seem to think that when a plan is announced, they should start marking days off of their calendar to see a completed project. Well, especially with rail projects, there are a number if different studies, plans, meetings, approvals that must take place before these plans come to fruition. There probably will be several years before we see any progress on the U line. We probably shouldn't expect revenue service before 2018? At lest,

Unless and until you see a press release from the Ritz Carlton, don't hold your breath. It would seem that you guys had learned your lesson about use things, already. Hopeful wishes for hotel/condo projects, illustrated in renderings, will not produce an actual building being the name of that hotel. It's just something the developer does to get people all excited. And apparently it's still working! Here's my advice. . .WAIT for the Ritz Carlton to issue a press release, then get excited. Until then, accept the reality that there will be no Ritz Carlton om this site, or any other in Houston, for that matter, for the foreseeable future.

I believe MARTA, in Atlanta, has a similar system with it's "breeze" card. However, the card is scanned at the "turnstile" / entrance to the station instead of the train itself.

^Don't forget the W Hotel and the Ritz (as if those projects were ever going to happen).

Btw, the (unprovoked) pot shots taken at "Dallas" are predictible, funny, and pathetic at the same time.

It's interesting to see so many Houston-based HAIF forumers have been keeping up with what's going on in and around Dallas. As one poster pointed out. This is a private development. It will make a great addition to the skyline. The City of Dallas had nothing to do with it's funding and upcoming construction, other than the City's investments in the Arts District, Victory, the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park, and the upcoming Marget Hunt-Hill bridge, among other things. One could say that the culmination of all of these things, in addition to the development of The Woodall Rodgers corridor (including the forthcoming Natural History Museum), incentivized the investment in this tower. I'm sure Museum Tower's developers and investors realize that with the surrounding Starchitecture, and amenities, Museum Tower will be successful.

The Dallas Police and Fire Pension System would never fund a project within a 150 mile radius of that location.

You and I obviously agree on that, which is why I was attempting to relate my previous comments back to the most recent bus/rail crash that was the impetus for this thread. As for creating another thread on light rail in Houston, I think there are more than enough of those threads on HAIF already. @JLWM8609: The Wanda Sykes skit was funny. I'm sure it will be on youtube or vimeo soon, for those that missed it.

Yeah, I guess I should have noted that the Map is outdated. I assumed that most of the people here had already seen it, or could decipher from looking at it that a number of updates weren't included. Take Dallas for instance. The map does not show the new Green Line, which is partially in service, and will be in full service (about 23 miles worth) by the end of the year. The main purpose of my posting the map was to illustrate the number of cities that have started and/or expanded their rail systems in the last 50 years - A point made to counter the argument that Houston's rail system lags behind because it's a younger city. AND, in an effort to bring the discussion full circle, I submit that the same Houstonian mentality that encouraged no investment in rail 20 - 30 years ago, is the same mentality that encourages making excuses for ponying up enough money to pay for a grade separated system expansion now. . .and the lack of grade separation is partially the reason for the number of bus crashes we're seeing. This most recent bus/rail crash won't be the last because the (at grade) expansion of the system only increases the likelihood that these types of accidents will occur.

I don't think age of the city has much to do with it. There are many cities that have started and/or significantly expanded their systems within the last 50 years. I think it's more about the culture of cities.