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713 To 214

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  1. I know this has been discussed to death but time for my 2 cents worth.

    I am a big proponent for the rail system in Houston. The 2 negative aspects in my opinion are: 1) Sprawl, the neighborhoods are so spread out and non-linear in Houston that the economics of hitting them all with a rail is truely daunting, and 2) Houstonions (as a rule) seem to see public transportation as something reserved for the "lower" class.

    The first point is anything but simple to resolve. I would think that first building a good backbone on major corridors would be a starting point. I am still trying to figure out exactly why the current route was choosen to start with. Perhaps for doctors that live downtown?? Anyway, I know a few people that get great use out of what is there and I know they have had pretty good numbers riding thusfar. If that line gets extended to along 521 down to 518, I know alot of young medical types in the Shadowcreek and Silverlake areas that would jump on it.

    I lived in Boston for a year and I only used my car to go out of town. I even started using trains to get to NYC. They are perfectly set up for public transit lines being prettymuch restricted from growth in 3 directions, so they keep just packing in more and more people, property values keep shooting up, minimal number of lines can service the whole area. Just don't talk to me about the Big Dig.

    The second point could be attacked by public messages and incentive programs. On the rails in Boston you are likely to see the full economic spectrum of peoples on any one train. I would guess that I rode the rail 700ish times while I was there and we had 1 accident and only once did I feel uncomfortable due to another rider.

    If Houston were to take this rail thing seriously I would definately look into uprooting myself and moving close to a rail line. It's a way of life. It's a huge investment and I think it would work wonders for this city.

    I totally agree with your points regarding:

    1. Sprawl (if METRO started today, it would take 50+ years before Houston is adequately served with rail); and

    2. Perception (the longer it takes to get past the "low class ridership" perception, the longer it will take for Houstonians to fully embrace an accelerated expansion of the stater line).

    btw Lowbrow, I think that Metro's starter line (Reliant to Downtown) was selected as the starter because of its potential appeal (at the time) to Olympic, Superbowl and MLB selection committeees. (links destination points in the center of the city). I will agree with you that it probably wasn't the most practical route if you want to have good ridership numbers.

  2. Well you don't have a Fogo De Chao, and that makes an even bigger statement...

    Too bad I have to be the one who breaks it to you, but. . . ahem. . . not only did Fogo De Chao open its 1st North American Restaurant in Dallas, the company is based in Dallas.

    Check the website: http://www.fogodechao.com/flash_index.php

    well you had alot to say before, and you were not 100%, so don't be a HIPO (crite)...

    huh? :unsure::huh:

  3. 9/11 is a major factor at this point...

    And not to mention the priced of steel has skyrocketed over the past few months (Thank you China). But its not there fault there booming so quick they don't know height limits...

    It seems, as time goes on, skyscrapers get more, "pretty" or "high-matinence"... so that ever some of the smaller structures today, are just as pricy of those taller then it.

    And then there just the fact we don't need it, but I bet, within the next 10-15 years, we will have another 70's effect. The younger population in this country is mild, but considering Houston, its WAY above average. And they'll need jobs come time there looking, so, the job demand will be really high... (Thats just my educated guess)...

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    WTC Events Didn't Cloud Skyscraper Construction

    By ADA LOUISE HUXTABLE

    http://www.realestatejournal.com/pr...7-huxtable.html

    The conventional wisdom has it that the desire to build tall received a serious setback from the World Trade Center disaster. As usual, the conventional wisdom has it wrong. The reality is that we are building higher than ever, with buildings in construction, or on the boards, that dwarf everything we know now.

    Superskyscrapers are proposed or rising in London, Paris, Vienna, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing and Mexico City; they already exist in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Taipei. While the earthbound argue about fear and safety, Asia has outstripped the West, using the most advanced structural technology and safety features for buildings already completed and occupied; Malaysia's twin Petronas towers became the world's tallest in 1998 at 1,483 feet, and the 101-story, 1,667-foot Taipei 101 tower broke that record when it opened in Taiwan this year. There is no turning back. This is the way it will be in the 21st century.

    These dramatic additions to the international skyline are being designed by the familiar high-wire performers -- Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano and Santiago Calatrava are all represented, while seasoned skyscraper pros like Henry Cobb, Cesar Pelli and William Pederson have been quietly producing the first generation of superbuildings. They are all working with structural engineers who have so radically transformed the possibilities that the name "skyscraper" has become old-fashioned.

    At least, that is the judgment of Terence Riley, the Philip Johnson chief curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art, and Guy Nordenson, a structural engineer and Princeton professor, the co-organizers of the exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. They prefer to call it "Tall Buildings," because they find the word skyscraper a romantic throwback to an earlier age when one considers the conceptual possibilities and structural innovations of today's enormous towers.

    The 25 examples being shown in models, sections and elevations are on display at MoMA's temporary outpost in Queens, where they will remain until Sept. 27, after which the museum returns to Manhattan and its own new tall building at its old site on West 53rd Street. They range from a modest 187 feet for an office building in Santiago, Chile, chosen for its ingenious engineering, to a proposal for Chicago at 2,000 feet and 108 stories that would have been the world's tallest building if it had been constructed -- a title as fleeting as the clouds above.

    All have been designed within the past 10 years, although only six have been built, with another half-dozen under construction; the rest were conceived as projects or for competitions. Three were finalists for the World Trade Center site: a pair of "kissing" towers by Norman Foster that meet as they rise and are a marvel of suavely expressed technology; a forest of connected leaning towers by an international consortium of Dutch, British and American architects that say come with me to the precipice and leap into the arms of tomorrow; and a matched set of minimalist towers joined with orthogonal precision by a prestigious New York team that included Richard Meier, Charles Gwathmey, Peter Eisenman and Steven Holl.

    It is safe to say that as long as architects are possessed by a timeless obsession to build tall -- a universal ambition that can make even the most modest fancy themselves masters of the universe -- and developers pursue ways to wring every ounce of profit out of expensive land, the race for height will continue, limited only by how high practicality and this alliance will take them. And that is discounting symbolism, hubris and dreams.

    There is, however, a significant difference between the tall buildings of the past and those of this new Skyscraper Age. Radical changes in architecture are the result of radical advances in technology. High-speed computer calculation and modeling of structural systems has changed the rules of the game. Surreal and sculptural shapes now rival more traditional towers of increasing decorative complexity.

    The romance of great height is still there, whether in Calatrava's futuristic twisting Turning Torso, or Petronas's fairy-tale fruitcakes piercing the sky. The M

  4. That means houston has more population then dallas, and yes houston needs more highways. That's why they granted houston 4.1 billion dollars in transportation. 177,000 people move into houston last year, and the numbers continue to grow they mention.

    Also, the team cowboys nor texas rangers is not in the city of dallas. Look at the new stadium they building, its not in dallas, its on the outskirts of dallas. In Houston, everything is in the city limits. The only thing is in dallas is the nba basketball team. When dallas, or should I say Arlington, TX get's the superbowl, its not going to have a great impact like houston did, and of course houston is expected to host the superbpwl again in 2009 or 2010.

    Ha Ha HA HA HA HA :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

    semipro, you just can't let the whole 'we got more people than you got' thing go. . .can you? You're begining to make me think that you know nothing else about Houston to brag about. As a matter of fact, I bet I know more about Houston than you do. You know, you really are not qualified to be the spokesperson on behalf of your fellow Houstonians. Do yourself a favor. . . find something else to say other than Houston has more people than Dallas. . .because no one disputes that. You obviously think that fact makes Houston better. . .so please articulate to me why it does in your mind. Otherwise, do us all a favor and stop regurgitating the same thing over, and over, and over, and over again.

    You might want to look at post "121" for guidance. :D

  5. greystone, thanks for rethinking your position. btw, what would be comparable things in Houston to do? Please spare me the hanging out at the restaurants thing though (i.e. Cabbos, Pappadeaux, etc.). That's really not my thing. :rolleyes:

    By the way, DART rail doesn't go through Deep Ellum yet. Maybe you went through the Cedars Area which is immediately south of Downtown and at the Cedars Station stop, there is the brand new Gilley's (a la Pasadena). Did you happen to see that?

    Sounds like you probably came down for the Grambling vs. Prairie View game. Was that the Friday and Saturday you were speaking of?

    And as for the Galleria. . .Yeah, Houston's is the original, and the best. However, as I stated earlier, Dallas' just underwent a major expansion/renovation from top to bottom, and added a Grand Lux Cafe (Cheesecake Factory's upscale cousin) (only two others in the U.S. - L.A. & Chicago). All of that said, Houston's Galleria is still the best. . .especially with the new phase 3.

    By the way, if you enjoy eating at restaurants, as opposed to just hanging around the bar, well, Dallas has 1 of 2 Il Mulino's (NYC has the other), 1 of 5 Oceanaires (Seattle, DC, Minneapolis and Indianapolis the others), and now one of 4 Nobu's (NYC, Miami, Las Vegas being the ones I know about). That makes a pretty big statement, especially with other peer cities like Houston and Atlanta.

  6. The thing about Dallas is that they have a really nice rail transit system.  I used to drive to Dallas every other week during the late 80's, to see my then girlfriend.  I know things have certainly changed there.  But, the one thing that still baffles me is why Houston does NOT have AT LEAST as nice of a rail system.  I dont see near the traffic and congestion in Dallas that I see in Houston.  It seems like Houston needs it a helluvalot more.  It's almost like Dallas built the thing as much for the image of an urban setting and maybe not too much because they actually NEEDED it.  Meanwhile, Houston needs in a big way and it doesnt have it.  Go figure.

    You pose an interesting question. One to which there is an answer. . .POLITICS!! As a matter of fact, this is being discussed, in part, in the "Delay Lied To Us About METRO?" Thread.

    Let me say that any top 15 city (population) needs mass transit. The reason Dallas' rail system is bigger and better is because Dallas didn't have as much resistance from its political leaders as Houston did to the idea of mass transit. As a matter of fact North Texas' political leaders really got behind DART and pushed for the federal funding to make it happen. I would have to say they were more forward thinking. Additionally the citizens of DART area cities voted for bonds to speed up expansion. (maybe citizens of Noth Texas are more forward thinking b/c we have a lot of people move here from other cities w/ rail.

    Houston, on the other hand, has the likes of Tom Delay to deal with. His staunch support of anything anti-rail is a HUGE reason why METRO's rail line is paultry, and will continue to lag behind Dallas in terms of expansion. Simply put, Delay and others discretely make sure that the feds don't send the money to Houston for such projects, because all Mr Delay wants is roads, roads, and more roads. He views METRORAIL as a system that will only service a sliver of the Greater Houston population (mostly poor people). . .and unfortunately, if he gets his way, that's just what's going to happen (very few will be served b/c the system won't expand very much, and when it does, it will be at a slow pace, and Houstonians will become frustrated with the expansion's failure to keep up with Houston's growth ). As a matter of fact, Houston wouldn't even have its starter line if METRO didn't pay for it ouf of its own coffers. . .which led to other problems (less funding = poor design = an all at-grade line = multiple stops at traffic intersections = too much intermingling with cars = Houston being the light rail/car crash capital of the world)

    You're right, Houston needs Rail more than Dallas because Houston is soooo spread out. However, Dallas needs it too, and it may be part of the reason why you don't see as much traffic in Dallas, because DART is taking a lot of people out of their cars and onto light rail. But, then again, if you haven't been to Dallas since the 80's then your perception is waaaay off anyway.

  7. My response -- voters should have booted DeLay out of DC a decade ago. I did my part when I was living in his district by not voting for him. I've also sent letters to both he and John Culberson, whose district I once again live in (funny how I've moved only once in the last four years and have been in three different Congressional districts). I also did not vote for Culberson this time around in part because of this issue. Unfortunately far too many people around here don't share my point of view on these guys and keep reelecting them. It's also unfortunate that DeLay rules the House with such much power that the other Houston Congressional delegates are unwilling or unable to speak out against him for the expansion of Houston's rail system.

    ssullivan, thanks for doing your part. Do you think that Houstonians will hold these other representatives' feet to the fire since the referendum did pass?

  8. greystone08 (no doubt, your name is inspired by the apartments next to TSU's campus, and located across the street from Frenchy's) while I appreciate your comments, it appears to me that when you visited Dallas, you didn't have the right tour guide. Dallas is much more than the JFK Memorial, Reunion Tower, etc.

    It appears that your travels within Dallas were pretty limited, and being an educated college student you know that you can't make wholesale judgements based upon a limited perspective. Say I came to Houston to visit a friend in 3rd Ward, but he/she never took me past I45 or 288 or 610? My impression would be that Houston is all about what I would see on MLK, Cullen, Scott, Elgin, etc. . . You get where I'm comming from? (I know many other parts of Houston b/c I used to live there for years, and my business takes me there about every other week. However, I used the 3rd Ward area as an example b/c I figured that you could relate better to that example)

    The bottom line is that you need more exposure to Dallas than just 1 visit before you can formulate an educated opinion. Next time you come to town, try to get out and see more things, ride the DART Rail to Cityplace Station (only subway station in the southwest), West Villiage and Mockingbird Station, Ride Dallas' McKinney Avenue Trolley in its Uptown District. Experience nightlife in Downtown at places like Jeroboam, Club BLUE, Purgatory, Manhattan Bar & Grill, Tpheze's. Experience the Deep Ellum district (similar to Montrose, but I think much more lively at night). Visit Dallas' Arts district with the World Renowned Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Museum of Art, Crowe Exhibit of Asian Art. Go shopping at Northpark Center and the Dallas Galleria (just underwent major renovation, however Houston's is still better). Take the Trinity Railway Express (Dallas' & Ft. Worth's Commuter Rail line) to Fort Worth and visit Sundance Square, Kimball Art Museum (internationally recognized), and Fort Worth Zoo (great place). I could go on, and on, and on. . .but you get the idea.

  9. This is getting boring now. Who cares about how many teams dallas has

    You sound like my son when he doesn't get his way. . . sounds sort of like: "If I can't win, then I'm going to take my ball and go home"

    WOW, you wanna cookie?

    Yes. Chocolate Chip please. :P

    Houston always been more of a city like, while dallas was more country feel.

    Huh? :huh:

    But me, I'm not worried about it.

    You're not?. . Could have fooled me.

    Dallas cowboys wanna get a new stadium, cause why? Houston got a brand new stadium that host the superbowl, now dallas wanna copy and share the glory.

    You obviously don't have a clue. . . do you? Larger stadiums (no matter what sport) with more seats and luxury suites = more money for team owners. . .and yes, Tagliabue has already said the Superbowl WILL be in Dallas in 2011.

    houston always will be #1 in texas.

    Except in Football! :D

  10. His girlfriend is just as much as an Authority as you are...

    "Mommy! The pots calling the kettle black again!"

    1st of all. . .You should let other grown men speak for themselves.

    secondarily. . . I never said that I am an authority on the subject. However, having lived in Houston, Dallas, New York, and D.C., I felt that I could offer a unique/educated perspective to the discussion. Can you say the same?

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