houstonfella

Thanks 2112. Houston 19514 is a trooper. 19514 has an optimistic outlook and knows how real estate deals work. Time is always on your side in these matters. Thank you, 19514, for your posts. I always read what you have to say. Meanwhile, R I S E PAVILIONS!!!!! P.S. Ricco, you mentioned when Houston Center was built ... yeah, there was a lot of ifs and buts and actually changes made. Houston Center was going to be a little larger and contain something like the Pavilions. It actually got built with the Park Shops (which was a shot in the arm for that part of town), but it looks like now we will have it all -- a 500 ft tall highrise on Discovery Green and the condos in the old Texaco building AND the Pavilions.

I've been in Houston all my adult life. I find it amazing that there are things I didn't know about here. I just discovered the hike and bike trail on the bayou close to my suburban home. Native Houstonians sometimes don't even know what the city has to offer, but there is so much going on that you won't have to worry about having nothing to do. By the way, Houston isn't the fattest city any more. Las Vegas is. Houston is, I think, 6th. Now how did we trim up that quickly???? Aren't these magazines and their "lists" strange things?

Marvy Finger ... could it be mahvelous finger??? At any rate, I am glad to see Houston's downtown finally get itself together and pour the damned concrete and put up the glass & steel structures. Let's give the middle finger to the folks who thought it wouldn't happen.

Nancy Sarnoff's article did mention that the old Texaco Building will be renovated into about 400 loft-style condos (apartments) ... which would, with One Park Tower, add nearly 800 new residences downtown. It is a good thing. The old Texaco Building is really cool. I like the arches and ornate touches. Yay, downtown.

I think it is a Houston company. Good. Hope they do well.

I totally disagree here. This one, WHILE MICKEY, will get done. Gosh, I'd hate to eat crow, but feel strongly that Houston is ready for another Kirby zillionaire palace. There is money on the Bayou.

Montrose, you are the best!!! Thanks for pics... I loved every one. Of course, one or two were awesome.... parasol house was a really cool idea and Houston artists --- thanks.

I too thought Houston was getting really "raggety (sp??) around the edges" until I spent some time in the SF Bay Area. Their freeways were dirty like ours. Signage. Yes. Same ol' American crap. When will the United States of America spend money to clean up and look good? I guess when George is out of office and we stop all the spending to protect our 'interests'???? This is not to mention rights for gay Americans. Jeez, wasn't America discovered for freedom for all its people? OK, I've vented. I'll stop. Peace!

Well, guys, I have an "outside" office but do not make half a million bucks a year. Oh, well, cry me a river, boyz.... y'all will work inside and I'll see the rain pecking on my windows and make so much less.

Yeah, you would think. Of that 12.5%, a lot of the 5 m sq ft are Class B and C office spaces, which are totally unacceptable for big time law firms and energy giants. If four towers were built since 2000 with the vacancy rate at over 20 per cent, then surely we can get a few really tall ones in the not too distant future.

You hit the nail on the head with this post. During 5 days of the work week, people buy, buy and buy. Sales might be slower on the weekend downtown, but during the week, I think the workforce would support a decent sized downtown market.

Good luck with that one, Coog. But, yeah, I've noticed Theater District Parking being FULL .... gotta squeeze in somewhere. It is about time we get a brand new 50+ story skyscraper downtown. I hope the developers overbuild and we get 2 or 3.

Gosh, what a good year of leasing has done for downtown. Link The article does state that expect new buildings in the not too distant future for downtown.

Energy giant Houston and energy giant Dubai connected. Seems reasonable. But before we trash IAH, America has many, many, many big & rich airports. The Emirates has the big ONE. So let 'em have their pride, but we have 50 states with lots and lots of BIG airports and BIG cities.

Reliant has a big screen at the entrance where I arrive. Also, there is a party going on at that end (south) of the stadium always. Houston's last SuperBowl was great. It was actually a fun superbowl with a great game. Downtown was so cool. But, when the Cowboys new stadium is built, I wish them success and the 2011 Superbowl. I always wonder, though, when you say you can "expand" a stadium from 70,000 to 100,000. Now, how comfortable will the newly expanded 30,000 fans be? Can you say nosebleed? Because the last huge stadium I went to and had seats in the rafters was NOT a good experience. By the way, Reliant can be "expanded" to 80,000 too. But the comfortability index would be lower. P.S. Would you want the Cowboys' new stadium to be an outdoor stadium in the Metroplex in February?????? Brrrrrrrr

Last time I was in NY (this summer), I went to lunch with a few of my co-workers. We walked past a skyscraper under construction. I was like wow. What is this building going up and how tall will it be? Ummm..... they were clueless. I suppose it is because there are lots and lots of new buildings under construction in New York; so New Yorkers don't seem to notice (or care)about most of the new construction. Of course Freedom Tower is of some interest to the locals, but outside that, it is "oh, just another highrise." I like it that some of us show a lot of interest in Houston's Architecture. Those mega-cities seem to take it for granted.

Any time the city (government of any kind) is involved, you know the process will move like a herd of turtles. HP is going to be built and we are going to be extremely proud of the Pavilions. The park will be finished and One Park Tower will rise. In three years we'll be a changed downtown. These things cannot happen overnight. A lot of money is involved along with tax ramifications with the city. I believe HP is moving along as Houston19514 reports (thanks by the way).

And this week we have 60s and 70s... Houston weather... off the chart.

And because the NFL thinks Miami rules when it comes to the Super Bowl, how about that weather. Non-stop rain. To me, it is too huge of a ballgame and too expensive for people to have to sit 5 hours in the rain. I actually wanted that to happen. Florida gets too many Super Bowls. I am sure Arlington's new stadium will get the 2011 Super Bowl. If they put that kind of money into a stadium, surely they deserve to hose at least the 2011 one.

I agree with the idea that Alamo Drafthouse type of movie theaters would work best in Houston Pavilions. Let's face it, going to a regular movie theater is Gone With the Wind. Imagine HP with Lucky Strike, House of Blues, state-of-the-art movie theaters and great restaurants. This will work. Downtown Houston is ready.

Washington, D.C. is like that. It has a huge urban collage of shorter buildings. But, of course, they don't allow the 70 story ones there. It is kind of cool, but you can walk and walk and walk in that town. The shorter ones in Dallas seem to blend with the taller ones. I think it works great up there. In Houston, it seems, the taller ones dominate ... not to say that we don't have our share of the midrises etc.

Yeah, you have that right. Along with the price of houses here (very reasonable) ... you are better off in Houston than most places even with the property taxes.

Cold and wet. But my tropical plants are doing fine. Some of these are too big to move.

Thanks for the link RedScare. I realize I am not cut out to be a crane operator. I'll remain in awe of people who do that job.

Great news. I want the Comets to stay in Houston. Four titles in the first four years. Definitely the Houston Comets! And that's a fact, Jack!