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ArchFan

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Everything posted by ArchFan

  1. ArchFan
    I tend to agree. My guess is that many of the people who are willing to spend $3000 + per month to rent a high-rise apartment would be willing to pay some amount of premium for an additional "wow" factor. They could just as easily buy a high-end condo, and they are just as susceptible to appeals to their vanity as anyone else ...
  2. ArchFan
    I agree that Town Lake is a great draw for DT Austin. Despite that, Buffalo Bayou is a resource that we haven't exploited so well yet. I hope we will get flood bypass channels that will make "Lake Allison" a thing of the past, while also getting more quality-of-life benefits from it. I think we can work with the python-like grip of the early-60s freeway loop around downtown, although I also hope we can change that, too. The lack of amenities for downtown residents seems (to me) to be the biggest obstacle. DT Austin does have the flagship Whole Foods store close by, which must really help it. For us, I'm glad to see how well Phoenicia seems to be doing, albeit on a smaller scale. Hopefully their success and more residential development will lead to more choices for DT residents.
  3. ArchFan
    So, Perkins+Will started a trend that resulted in something like the BBVA Compass Building on Post Oak (despite not being residential)? That's interesting, although all design fads have to start somewhere! :-)
  4. ArchFan
    I agree, I'm also excited about this project, particularly because of the location and the company that is developing it. And, likewise, for its potential to have a changing impact on our city. With 150,000 + people working downtown, its rather surprising that downtown Austin has so much more highrise residential development, despite the much smaller workforce there. This project alone isn't enough to change the situation, but it will play an important role along with other improvements in the area. E.g., continued improvements along the bayou, including flood-bypass channels.
  5. ArchFan
    Apologies to the palm-tree-haters hereabouts, but I rather like the pool deck area ... :-)
  6. ArchFan
    Time to invest in some more opaque blinds. As certain areas of the city densify with highrises, that might be a good business to be in!
  7. ArchFan
    I'm definitely glad we saved and renovated our late-1930s city hall. I enjoy the Art Deco aspect, even if its not the most spectacular example of that style. OTOH, it is also interesting in its use of fossiliferous limestone on the facade ... which one also sees on buildings on the UH main campus and the San Jacinto Monument. I haven't noticed that elsewhere in my travels; does anyone know if that was more from of a Texas thing in those years? On a related note: the Julia Ideson Building next door to City Hall has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I'm so glad we still have it; we've lost so many cool old buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries here.
  8. ArchFan
    Should be a cool addition to downtown, whatever they do :-)
  9. ArchFan
    I find it interesting that public architecture in Houston is rarely splashy, in contrast to our our neighbor to the north. When they needed more space for their municipal offices, they went to I.M. Pei for a flashy building to replace their small, but cute classical city hall. More or less at the same time, we decided to preserve our mediocre (in my opinion) Art Deco city hall and just build an annex in the Brutalist style, which was fashionable at the time. Ironically (correct me if I'm wrong), but our annex seems like a cheap imitation of Pei's Boston City Hall. Not that I'm such a big fan of Brutalist architecture, I just think it's interesting to consider the attitudes of our two cities, in terms of how strongly we are willing to pony up to pay for prime examples of whatever architecture fads are considered "cool" at the moment. I like it that the recent museum designs in Houston (Piano's and Moneo's) get good reviews from some educated sources, despite not being flashy. I like them, too. But ... the relict teenager in me still yearns for a Kodak-moment (read postcard) edifice sometimes. Is this feeling necessarily a bad thing? I recall someone north of us referring to their Calatrava bridge as their city's Eiffel Tower. Comparisons like that can sound kinda silly (especially when taken out of context, like here), but having comparisons like that does seem to fulfill a common human need.
  10. ArchFan
    I've walked on major thoroughfares in many urban cities in the world ... in N and S America, Europe, and Asia. Living and working in the Galleria/Uptown area, I see people, for example, that exit 610 and seem to yearn to continue driving as fast off the freeway as on. I understand the psychology, its frustrating driving here. I know it's a subjective reaction, but I have never seen drivers as inconsiderate or careless in those other places. OK, so as to not be too far off-topic, I appreciate the increased density this development and others nearby will contribute to. And, I appreciate the efforts the Uptown District is making toward improving pedestrian amenities. But ... I would like us to be more proactive about pedestrian safety. People get hit crossing streets here because drivers are careless. It happened recently to the daughter of a colleague of mine, fortunately they were lucky.
  11. ArchFan
    Yeah, I walked by yesterday and wondered about that, too. Personally, I've started to feel kind of uncomfortable walking on sidewalks that put me just a few inches from the speed demons on Post Oak. I once saw a red Lamborghini that must've been pushing 70 on the curve right by the construction site. In turn, that reminded me of the two Animal Planet TV producers who were sent flying by a doped-up driver who went up over the curb nearby a few years ago. At least they're alive, but one of them was said to be damaged for life.
  12. ArchFan
    Yeah, I am hoping for the best case on those things too, asubrt! I do want to buy the explanation that our city officials were got off guard by the competition for the HQ that happened while the transition here was taking place. I don't wanna automatically blame Parker, since it was early in her tenure ... but, the idea does resonate with me that she wasn't yet paying attention to how important this was to Houston. Hopefully, Houston will continue to get attention from foreign-flag carriers in countries Houston does business with, despite the lack of awareness from US-based airlines.
  13. ArchFan
    Thanks, HB. You're right, our international traffic is doing well, with special thanks to Latin America. However, I also think it would be good not to be complacent about the strides we've made -- the competition is pretty stiff. I find United's apparent attitude to be bizarre, really. But then, earlier in life I imagined that large corporations were run by rational people, not people governed by emotions (like the rest of us!). It's easy to say (as some have here) that if they don't serve us, someone else will. To me, that is a maybe-yes/maybe-no proposition. But, if their management continued as in the recent past, I would also say scr-- them.
  14. ArchFan
    I am delighted that this is happening. At the same time that I feel that joy, I still have the expectation that Houston will continue to be punished by that petulant giant that absorbed our "hometown airline". I do like SW, but I don't think a few cheaper flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Venezuela would offset the benefits that would have been accrued to Houston, if it had continued as the HQ for a major international airline. Perhaps it's in vain, but I hope that United's management will eventually take the high road and recognize that Houston can be an important part of their global strategy. (I don't see any sign yet that our punishment phase is over.) While I like SW, I don't think they will ever offer benefits on that scale. Someone please convince me (with real evidence) that the future won't mandate flying thru Dallas, LA, SF, Chicago, Atlanta, or NY to go anywhere international, at least other than a few places like London.
  15. ArchFan
    Before the recession, it was rumored that Willie G's just across the street would be demolished, perhaps to be replaced by a highrise. Along with the ones going up, that would certainly make for a canyon-like effect on Post Oak!
  16. ArchFan
    Wow, can't get any more convenient than that for access to MetroRail! I imagine the building's owners will do quite well.
  17. ArchFan
    I like the renderings, at least the detailed ones for the low-rise buildings. Also like the idea of having a greenbelt that connects to the bayou. As for the location ... I guess I don't have a complaint, but it does seem that the east side of Post Oak Lane seems to have an ongoing identity crisis. I.e., will it completely transition from being an area of old large-lot estates into a helter-skelter of patio homes, office buildings, restaurants, mid-rise apartments, or what? I feel qualified to comment on this because I can see the ongoing hodgepodge of development from my office. Originally, all that land continued to be pine & oak forest even after the estate homes were built. However, as redevelopment makes it more dense, the forest is disappearing fast. So, from above, it's starting to look like a big hole in the landscape that's getting packed full of buildings. I don't have a problem with mixing different elements. However ... if I had spent beaucoup bucks on a high-end patio home in a "nice" neighborhood, I'd be pretty upset if the lot next door were developed into a multi-story parking garage with florescent lights shining through my bedroom window all night long.
  18. ArchFan
    Whole Foods' website lists stores under development, but not the BLVD Place location, for some reason (even tho' it is scheduled to open sooner than some of those other stores). Like others, I read that it was downsized, after originally being planned to be as large as the flagship store in Austin. Frankly, if they were to restore their plan to the larger size, I'm confident many in the area (including me) would be likely to shop there more. Or, at least to spend more. Part of that is because I'm still mourning the loss of Eatzie's. I think the Austin flagship had Eatzie's beat, actually, certainly in terms of scale.
  19. ArchFan
    R.I.P. Foleys, "the largest department store in the Southwest". (That's quoting a billboard they had on 288 North, the main road from Angleton into Houston years ago.) That store occupies a prominent place in my childhood memories for a number of reasons. Will Houston ever have another 10-story department store (1 basement + 9 floors above ground)? It was a vestige of an era in which downtown was the premier shopping district of Houston (as in other cities). Despite the convenience of shopping online or at smaller branch stores, it was fun to have an excursion to the downtown Foley's, which often included lunch at the snack bar in the basement. As a kid, I was partial to their hot dogs ... which I admit, weren't as good as those at James Coney Island. And, maybe after walking through the tunnel back to the parking garage, an occasional visit to the Foley's "gourmet" store next door.
  20. ArchFan
    My take on the Four Points is something like this: no matter how many times you reapply lipstick to a pig ... Perhaps a mid-price hotel would make a nice addition to City Centre, but I'm not sure that exact location would be successful. Also, it doesn't seem that Midway Co's target demographic would want anyone to think they would settle for "mid-price" anything. So ... while I admit that I'm not in a position to give a cost/benefit analysis of such a project, I think the FP location is significantly less than ideal for a hotel in either the mid or high ranges. But, nevertheless, it's there. Would it make more sense to demolish it and put that particular parcel to other use?
  21. ArchFan
    Hmmm ... if it were Swiss cheese, it might be interesting :-)
  22. ArchFan
    While I'm not crazy about the design of that tower, if the project included putting those hills in NW Houston, I'd go for it!
  23. ArchFan
    For those of us who didn't live in Houston during those years, I think that is an excellent point to be aware of. We lost that position, not only in minds elsewhere in the world, but own own. Perhaps there are various metaphors that fit: "fifteen minutes of fame", "merry-go-round", etc. I don't believe in the notion of living in the past. But ... we should remember our past ... and let that help inspire us to be the best that we can be, given the resources we have at hand. Better than degenerating into obscurity, consoled by fleeting status symbols.
  24. ArchFan
    Nor do I, although in honesty I must admit I have to permit the rational part of my mind take precedence over the (remnant) teenage competitive part :-) From a practical point of view, maybe we can get some free "bounce" from Dallas' (the city's) efforts to promote itself. (Just kidding, but it's a fun idea! Especially since I think they are better at it than we are.) Seriously, San Antonio and Dallas both have a "Houston Street". So, I don't really see a need to change the name of our Dallas Street. It is a part of our history, after all. Perhaps, some day, people in Houston and Dallas will grow up enough to appreciate each other's positive aspects, much as human siblings do. Or, is that an absurd idea, since we have a steady supply of new teenagers coming online? Back to the original topic: I'm old enough to have faint memories of downtown Houston really being the place to go for many things. E.g., the only place to select from a wide range of out-of-town newspapers (across the street from the Rice Hotel). Several movie theaters. The only place with a diversity of shopping options that could compete with Gulfgate (of all places)! Living on the west side, it was a very big deal when Sharpstown Mall opened: no more long drives to downtown or Gulfgate to shop!
  25. ArchFan
    if this is truly a possibility, I am willing to consider praying for it, even though that would be against my nature! :-)
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