kylejack

I wandered around yesterday afternoon and liked it also. Only a couple of shops were open and HOB was deserted (no, I didn't eat there)...some radio station had vehicles parked in front of HOB which made me think there was a concert promotion going on. I will re-visit when more things are open.

It will be appealing to conventioneers but at some point you're going to want them to get on the LRT and go somewhere where they can spend money on stuff that is unique to Houston. Overall a good start.

Bulldoze a bunch of houses and run the rail line directly to Downing Street at Westheimer and Kirby, worry about the fallout later.

I noticed the other day that a new independent (I think) coffee shop just opened up in the Market Square area near the Cotton Exchange. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet but it might be cool.

Really? I need to check that out.

I took pictures yesterday http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylejack/sets...57608056348995/

The big reason that nobody shopped there was because the stores were lame. Radio Shack, Hallmark, a lottery/cigarette place and that was pretty much it. I went there a few times back in the 1999-2003 time frame and was continually disappointed. It only catered to the immediate needs of office workers. Without something special, there's no reason to go there.

That's not the only reason. Who wants to pay $10 to park to go shopping in a mall when there are a dozen malls where you can park for free, convenient or no? Actually I think HP might run into the same problem, which is probably why they are leaning the focus heavily on restaurants and venues and very gently on shopping establishments.

The sauce was yummy. Tell me ... exactly what are those veggies? I thought it was spinach, but then I wasn't so sure.

Spinach, tiny noodles, and a little tofu.

The sauce comes in normal, spicy, or extra spicy. I like spicy, but they're all really good.

Those guys are like the dumpling nazis, though! You'd better know exactly what you want when you get to the front, because they will not wait at all, and any question you ask will not be answered when they've got a line. That's probably mostly a matter of necessity more than them being rude, because they get so much business. "Half and half with 2 spicies" is my order, and has never failed me.

I enjoyed the pork a bit better than the veggie.

Me too, but I get a mix anyway because I like both, with spicy sauce.

Ok, im not saying im going to HP just to buy me some pants,

but i like to go to downtown as much as possible and if

all i see is a food court at HP then that will be dissapointing

(yes im exaggerating, i know theres forever 21 and HOB and more besides restaurants)

Look, nobody shops there. Several retail establishments have failed in Houston Center, because people go there to eat, not shop. Maybe Discovery Tower, Discovery Green, and Pavilions will change that and bring more shoppers down and ultimately to Houston Center, but for now opening a retail establishment in Houston Center is generally a bad idea.

And yes, Doozo is so fantastic.

Wow. That's pretty telling that a month later it still looks the same. I bet the insides took a good thrashing.

Yes, I was downtown right after the storm before they had a police presence and there was paperwork, staplers, and yes even desks strewn all over the street in a million pieces. That's probably why the police had the street blocked off for so long, because I'm sure there were all kinds of corporate secrets laying all over the streets.

Here's a picture I took of it 2 days ago. As you can see its still in pretty rough shape, and prognosis negative on getting into the Sky Lobby. Even Wells Fargo still has some boarded windows.

Yeah, I'm sorry but this whole "let's conserve energy by not turning on all of the lights" is a load of crap.

We need to light-up everything in downtown. A clear night shouldn't go by that WEDGE tower, JP Chase, and Wells Fargo arent' lit up from end to end. I think it looks tacky, and it does not show pride in our downtown.

Think about how visitors to the city feel. "Oh, that's downtown?? uh, ok, but I kinda like Dallas' better... it's big and bright!"

A. Its their buildings and they can do as they please

B. Energy conservation is not "tacky" or "a load of crap"

I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest in the bookstore, Books-a-Million

I remember discussions on here where people suggested that if only a Borders or a Barnes and Noble would open Downtown, then things would really start to change down there. That this would attract shoppers at night and on weekends and would be a catalyst for further development.

Books-a-Million isn't Borders or Barnes and Noble, but it is the third largest book retailer. They have a store in Katy Mills. It looks pretty much the same to me.

Mike Huckabee is scheduled for an in store appearance and book signing Monday evening at 8pm November 24. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd something like that generates on a Monday night.

There's already a Walden or something like that in Houston Center.