Perimeter285

Looks like Houston with hills to me. SA is such a "wannabe" place.

Generalizations? I've lived here for four years. I'm describing what I deal with on a daily basis. And I love Houston, but yes, aesthetically, some of our infrastructure is third world (rust covered freeway columns, for example). When you care about a place, you admit it's faults so that you can hopefully change them.

I totally agree about the "sinister force" that magically slows traffic to a crawl in certain spots all over town. That's exactly what I'm getting at.

More neighborhoods in Houston should look like this. Unfortunately, even on the north side where there still are trees, most are clear cut prior to construction.

Can someone tell me why people in such a large city (fourth largest in the U.S. as we all remember) drive so slowly? I've lived here nearly four years, and it still never ceases to amaze me how slowly the traffic moves even when it's not heavy. It just kills me to drive along a freeway where everyone is going 20 MPH and there's about 10 car lengths between each car. Seriously, you have to TRY to drive that slowly, and I see it all over the city, all of the time. I think it's pretty sad when I pass people like they're standing still when I'm going the SPEED LIMIT. Am I the only person that has anywhere to be?

I've surely never seen anyone in comparably sized cities (Dallas, Atlanta, etc.) drive like that. Any ideas on why it's like this and what can be done about it?

I like all of the surface street signs except Westchase (can we say 1985?), but BOOOOOO to TxDOT for changing its standard font. The old FHWA font is uniquely American, attractive, bold, art-deco, conveys movement, etc. Clearview just looks dead, and it's harder to read.

That is my favorite neighborhood in Dallas. It is so incredibly beautiful. Anyone who travels up there needs to drive through.

Regardless of what megamalls are in other cities, I think that is one baaaaad idea. First of all, we already have a gigantic mall (4th or 5th largest in the US), and secondly, what is this, 1985? Who wants malls anymore? They just tore down Town and Country, which was a huge mall in itself. I doubt that Houston needs, much less wants, another mall. We'd be the laughing stock of the country if we built it. What we need is more improvements to downtown, which could be a REAL community center for Houston.

Yes, the humps do slow traffic. How else do you explain a long backup miraculously starting to move as soon as you get over a hump, even with no wrecks, stalls, etc. Things would be a lot better if the surface streets went over the freeway instead of the other way around, for a number of reasons.

Yeah, there are some good examples of freeway aesthetics in the Houston area (59 through Sugar Land, 610 though Bellaire, 59 through Montrose) but we also have some of the ugliest freeways on the planet. Just think about 45 North in the vicinity of "Mattress Mack", 45 south of downtown, 10 East, and countless others that are sterile at best. The mega-tall lights, roller coaster humps and, above all, feeder roads lined with ugly strip malls. Houston's freeways are the reason people think Houston is so ugly, which is why I tell people, "Don't judge Houston until you get off the freeway."

Can someone help me understand why TXDOT placed a hard right turn access from the 610 southbound feeder road to Hidalgo Street/Richmond Avenue (just south of the Galleria)? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is a ramp from the mainlanes to Hidalgo/Richmond just north of here. Why did they bother to construct this large ramp if they're still going to have this stifling little right turn also? It causes MAJOR backups, because it is within a few feet of the ramps to enter 610 and 59. Still, with all of the other options available to the drivers of our fair city, I'm constantly amazed at the number of people lined up to make this stupid little right turn. Who designs this crap, and does anyone know if they plan to remove this thing at some point?

A building very similar to that AIM proposal just opened in Atlanta called Symphony Tower:

I agree, cars are a way of life in the South/Sunbelt, and I'm not complaining about that. I am complaining about the lack of alternatives for all of these highway projects. Concerned citizens in the area around the Katy Freeway expansion presented forward thinking alternatives to the concrete covered demolition derby that we're seeing now. Transportation planners just can't seem to see beyond adding as many lanes for as little money as possible. I'm all for improving automobile circulation, but too often regional "solutions" create local nightmares. Is shaving a couple minutes off commute time worth tearing out houses, trees, businesses (that create tax revenue and jobs) and generally wrecking the atmosphere of a city? And I do mean shaving a couple of minutes off, because even after these mega-expansions are complete, the traffic snarls will still be there. Traffic continues to grow, and within a year or two you're right back where you started, only with a lot less scenery to look at while your engine idles.

As for alternatives:

- Make the most out of the right-of-way you already have (look at the Central Expressway in Dallas - they managed to squeeze many lanes into a tiny space because they got creative...and it's a very attractive road at that...and traffic moves!)

- Commuter rail... I know we harp on this to death, but given the alternative, a lot of people would use it and remove a lot of traffic from these freeways, especially people that just head straight to work in an office and never use their car otherwise. I know for a fact that Atlanta's commuter rail system does not have a corridor in the vicinity of I-75, and there is zero talk of extending one up there. They're just going straight to the highway expansion alternative.

I am interested in doing a photo essay type thing on the history of Sharpstown, and I would love if people could pass along pics of the area from 1955 to 1985. I'm especially interested in pictures of street scenes (both residential and commercial). Also, any literature you may have (brochures) would be awesome. Thanks for the help!

Check out plans for I-75 in Northwest Atlanta:

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stor...methighway.html

It sounds a lot like the multibillion-dollar concrete monstrosity that we're building in our fair city (the Katy Freeway expansion). I find it disturbing that people are still have this "gobble up everything in sight and squeeze in as many lanes as humanly possible" mentality. What will we do in another 20 years, double it again? Ham-handed work from ham-handed transportation planners. TXDOT's influence is obviously spreading.

THAT IS HILARIOUS! How awesome.

I haven't been here in a while, and I made a comment that Dallas was more forward thinking than Houston. I really need to emphasize that I live in Houston and love it and would live here over Dallas any day. And in fact, we excel over Dallas in many areas of urban development, most notably the revitalization of downtown. All I was trying to point out is that we have to be aware of what is good about our "competitor" cities or we're doomed to rest on imaginary laurels while they zoom by us.

As for Houston not getting the recognition it deserves, this is true. We are a world class city with a world class urban environment. We need to let the world know so. Dallas is an expert at marketing itself, so much so that it's pretty much synonymous with Texas. People in general haven't the faintest idea that Houston is the larger city by almost double (or that it's the fourth largest city in the US).

I've seen two reports on CNN in the last few weeks that showed the phrase "Houston, Texas" below the talking head that they were interviewing. Do you think they would put ",Texas" after "Dallas"? I think not. By the way, they are breaking the rules in that Houston is one of a handful of cities that are not supposed to be accompanied by their state name in news reports, but you get my point.

When area codes were first assigned, states with multiple area codes had codes with "1" as the center digit. States with only one area code had "0" as the middle digit. Since Texas had multiple area codes, Houston and Southeast Texas got one with a 1 in the middle: 713.

It all stood to reason: states with multiple area codes were usually more populous and therefore fielded more phone calls. Since "0" took longer than "1" to dial on old rotary phones, then the states with the most phone calls got the area codes that took less time to dial.

I think those of us that aren't from Texas originally think that feeder roads are totally expendable. They make the freeway hideous by providing for businesses to line it without any sort of wooded buffer. And as for helping to move traffic, all that money spent on feeders could go towards extra mainlanes, which would be basically as effective. But asking native Texans to give up feeder roads is tantamount to disrespecting the Alamo.

Another Houston freeway phenomenon that has to go: high mast lighting! I hate them hate them hate them!

My dream I-45 would be trenched with tons of landscaping and no feeder roads or high mast lighting. Once we cover those, then I'll get to the details.

Why is sinking the Southwest Freeway a waste of money? I guarantee this freeway will function better than all of the over-engineered monstrosities around town. Just consider all of the existing depressed freeway sections around Houston (I-10 between Heights Blvd. and Washington Ave., the Beltway between I-10 and Deerwood, among others). I can't ever remember sitting in traffic on these roads.

Besides, moving the most cars for the least amount of money isn't the only valid consideration in road projects. Making Houston a desirable place to live and locate a business is extremely important, and sinking the Southwest Freeway is another means to that end. Aesthetics are not "fluff" in this day and age. If Houstonians continue to have that attitude, though, this city will get left in the dust.

As a person of "decent means" living in Sharpstown, I can tell you it is nothing to be afraid of. I have to admit that the nearby apartment complexes are DISGUSTING, but they'll never change unless people move into this neighborhood and invest. Never once, though, have I feared for my safety. All of my neighbors take great care of their property and look out for each other. My house is distinctive (mid-century modern), has real hardwood floors, and I'm ten minutes from downtown. I didn't let some preconceptions keep me from realizing a bargain when I saw it.

ICE? Do you mean INS? How am I to know that these people are illegal? Besides, these days, with big business and not-so-big business running the show, do you really think anyone is going to turn off the flow of all that cheap labor?

I am far from complacent. In fact, I am very vigilant about keeping my neighborhood attractive. The problems here sometimes seem insurmountable, but I don't just sit by and watch them happen. I don't understand what gives you the idea that I just sit by and let things happen around here. At least I live here in the first place, which is more than I can say for all of the "upstanding" Americans that fled in the first place.

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/bus...data/index.html

Click on the letter of the neighborhood in which you're interested. If that neighborhood has a link on the next page, click it, and there is likely a neighborhood map link in the article (with exact boundaries).

Sharpstown's exchange back then was Preston (77). My phone number is still on that exchange.

By the way, I also requested a 713 number on my cell phone when I moved to Houston so that I could have the in-town area code. Dorky, I know.

Dallas' population is generally more white-collar, and as a result better educated overall. This might lead one to think that Dallas feels newer, since life just seems to move a lot faster and more smoothly there. I love Houston, and I'd live here over Dallas any day, but the fact is that they are a lot more energetic, upbeat and forward thinking than we are.

All of this white-collar yuppyism also leads to lots of civic pride (some might call it in-your-face insecurity and shallowness), which leads to a much cleaner city, which also might lead one to believe it's newer.

As far as urban planning, Dallas is light years ahead of Houston in its embrace of newer ideas such as New Urbanism. Even old ideas like zoning (which Houston does not have) hold Dallas development to higher standards, and keeps the Houston phenomenon of mansion next to cracked out apartment complex next to used car lot, at bay.

I love Houston, but a lot of the things we brush off here are giving Dallas a better face for the world than our own.

I live in Sharpstown, and needless to say we deal with these issues constantly. Illegal immigration and the toll it takes on our neighborhood is incredibly frustrating. Mexicans here often do things that make me cringe: large numbers of cars parked every which way, clusters of people drinking in the front yard, houses painted extremely loud colors, loud mariachi music, commercial vehicles parked in plain view, shopping carts parked on sidewalks, businesses run from homes and constant garage sales, on top of the most ungodly amount of careless littering imaginable (I often wonder, do they not have trash cans in Mexico?).

All that being said, Mexicans are also some of my best neighbors. These Mexicans are the ones that aspire to be Americans, to give their children a better life than they had. They have some of the most beautiful yards on my block (and no loud paint colors or hacienda fences, mind you). And as for all the other white people that live on my block, I don't think I've ever said much to them. The people I know the best and like and respect the most are all Hispanic.

Mexicans are definitely not the kiss of death for a neighborhood, as long as they have some semblance of education, and as long as you have an active homeowners' association that will enforce deed restrictions and educate those who might be ignorant to them. Most people that trash neighborhoods aren't doing it on purpose.

Since I've gotten active in this pursuit, my little corner of Sharpstown is actually very attractive. So come on people, move here! heheh