AK123

People buy $500k+ homes near apartment complexes all the time. I see a lot of that in Riverside Terrace.

Don't forget montrose, midtown, or the heights.

Don't forget that ranch style filled slum along Braeswood called Meyerland

Yet again people from the city thinking that the far-out suburbs need to be the same way. Why?

It doesn't work the same. Do families target Riverside Terrace, the Heights, Midtown and Montrose as places to move to for nice homes PLUS great family atmosphere and good public schools? If so, that's news to me. Home sales data instead show top selling-communities are Cinco Ranch, The Woodlands, Telfair/Sugar Land, etc.

It's a different demographic and a different animal. Having lots of apartments across the street from expensive housing can work fine in city areas with more density, nearby employment centers and higher land values. When you try it in the outer suburbs, what you risk getting eventually is Alief or Spring ISD... once enviable family-friendly areas with great schools, not anymore.

Related, sort of

http://creativity-on...-sridhar/142644

"If this guy gets his way, most American homes will be powered by a black box that could fit inside a handbag by 2020. Based on a project to help NASA sustain life on Mars, K.R. Sridhar, a mechanical engineer, developed the Bloom Box, which uses fuel-cell technology."

Looking in your post history, you've posted in the "Katy and Points West" and "The Great Northwest" forums several times yet you live in Sugarland.

It's all west-side suburbia. What is the big difference between these areas?

I post in this particular thread because Sugar Land had a similar thing happen last year.

And I'm not posting in the thread to be all judgmental of Katy residents because they don't want to live my urban lifestyle... since I'm in suburbia just like them.

There's no real comparison here between me and the inner-loopers in this case. Now, if I start getting into in-town area threads and telling them they are full of crap and need to start doing things just like we do out here in the 'burbs, then you can call me out.

But I’ll confess I'm a little disappointed. I had hoped to speak at the hearing, to talk about how badly we need to fix Houston's existing low-cost housing.

Properties that I'd have talked about:

- Candlewood Glen & Candlelight Trails on the Northwest side (DeSoto Street): The properties should both be bulldozed, one turned into a park; quality low-cost housing built on the site of the other. (It won't be easy - the Candlelight Trails is actually a condominium complex).

- Le Promenade on the Southwest side (7400 block of Bissonnet): These condos should be bulldozed; half of the site turned into a park, or sold to HISD for use by Sharpstown High; half turned into quality low-cost housing.

- Properties on the Chronicle’s Database from 2008: Some of these places have changed hands and names, and repairs have started; but they can’t just put lipstick on pigs. They need to gut these places down to the studs and rebuild from there. TDHCA help sure would be nice.

- Houston’s countless derelict houses: There is no reason derelict houses can’t be demolished and rebuilt into quality low-cost housing. The City is starting to do this, and TDHCA actually has some programs in place that could help; but I’ve yet to see evidence that TDHCA is using those programs here in Houston.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. My point is that the TDHCA is doing Houston a huge disservice when they spend money to subsidize new housing on open land. It’s the urban equivalent of buying a new car, and leaving your old car to rot on the front lawn.

I totally agree with you on this. Why not put more effort into renovating or rebuilding existing properties that are falling apart or dangerous, and less effort into building new on open land way far out from the city in areas where the public is greatly opposed? The car example is a good comparison.

There will be hearings in downtown for the other applications. You should show up to one or more of them and share this.

Nobody is expected to justify their interests by physical proximity. People from Katy are free to post in the Downtown topic area.

Well that was unexpected. You obviously miss the point.

Of course, but if Katy residents were to post in downtown topics of how they think inner-loopers should think and should live their lives, in a very judgmental and political way, I'd suspect the inner-loopers would probably not be very pleased. I don't see how any of that discussion is helpful to anyone. Would you disagree with this? People usually choose to live where they do because it has something attractive to them, or a way of life different from another area they chose not to live.

Why would inner-loopers care about what happens out in Katy? Or bother getting in this Katy forum? Just curious...

......Sugarland on the other hand has done a great job with the First colony mall area

But the thing about First Colony is that it has two layers of zoning; City of Sugar Land city limits, and the First Colony MPC. So there is much greater control over what is or isn't built in that area.

However, I haven't been too pleased with city of Sugar Land leadership concerning areas immediately next to their city limits with Sugar Land postal addresses but Houston ETJ. At least in Katy's case here, the mayor or city council or whoever it was spoke out against this apartment development, even though it's not in Katy city limits (correct?) So props to Katy city leadership for apparently recognizing that something doesn't have to be in city limits to directly affect them. On the other hand, the city of Sugar Land was completely silent when a developer was trying to build one of these places a stone's throw from Sugar Land city limits, at a Sugar Land postal address area, but Houston ETJ. It was 100% up to residents to stop it... no help from city of Sugar Land with even something like a public statement. This area has asked two or three times to be taken into Sugar Land ETJ, but Sugar Land keeps saying no. I don't get it, I don't agree with it, I think think Sugar Land blowing the area off that's near its own airport is stupid, but what do I know. It's displeased me enough though, that when we do ever move again, it probably won't be into Sugar Land. That, and the fact that whenever I've had to deal with city of Houston or 311, it's been 10x faster and more responsive than that of the city of Sugar Land, if you can believe that. Oh, and FBCAD blows too.

Sorry for my Sugar Land rant, didn't mean to hijack your thread!

Why not build on something that's honestly Houston like Houston's musical heritage? Think about it, Lightnin' Hopkins was associated with Houston, the zydeco beats you hear at Jax Grill on Friday nights had their roots in the Frenchtown section of Fifth Ward, and Fifth Ward was once the home of Don Robey's Peacock Record Label. You can say we've got House of Blues, but that's faux dive.

There was this planned, but not sure what the status is right now...

http://www.yesmamh.org/

http://www.houstonpr...thank-you-mamh/

Wouldn't it have to be released from Houston's ETJ first? Or has it already...?

I used to live in 77079. In general I didn't like it.

I live inside the Loop now and there's at least two low income housing projects I can think of in close proximity. It doesn't bother me. Nobody from those have ever bothered me.

I used to live right next to one in 77042. It didn't bother me then either. In fact it's not the people or the structure that bothers me; it's what almost always inevitably ends up happening to the schools when there is too much super-cheap housing in one area. Back then I didn't have kids; now I do. Priorities change.

Not if you have your way and bulldoze it.

77083 is nowhere near Gulfton, Sharpstown, etc. Which were the areas I was talking about originally.

One of the things I've seen on HAIF is an animosity toward the suburbs (especially on the "How do we make Houston better" thread, despite the jest, I could see some dislike). Unfortunately, I can't really see where the hate is coming from. I can think of a few good reasons why inner-loopers may hate the suburbs and suburbanites:

1. Mostly rich white people.

2. Mostly McMansions.

3. Fine dining means (fill in chain restaurant)

4. They add traffic to the roads.

5. They think inner-loop Houston is crime-ridden and gross.

I wonder if the same suburb-hating people have similar animosity for other enclaves of wealthier-than-average families and good public schools, such as 77024 and even 77079.

I'd like to see what would happen if a developer tried to get state funding to build a new low-income apartment complex on vacant land in those zips now. I'd bet money would talk and it would be stopped. In Sugar Land, it was 100% a grass-roots effort and hard work of concerned citizens; any financial greed involved was that of the land seller, real estate agent and developer.

It's something of a double-standard here and on other local forums if you ask me.

And where exactly should those residents go?

That's not really my problem. Just like it's not their problem when working middle class families can't afford to live inside of the Loop to be near their jobs (at least where the public schools are all good.)

This was just a suggestion to make Houston better. Take it or leave it.

Sugar Land, the land of milk and honey, where we pride ourselves on not having any housing for the poors.

No one in Sugar Land "prides" themselves on that. This is a free country, people can live where they want and no one should get a free pass just so they can have a Sugar Land address; there's affordable housing in nearby Houston and Rosenberg already.

But hey, if some of you have it out for Sugar Land and want to see it decline like Spring ISD did... fine! I guess you must like sprawl, because that will just encourage it further (families will just flee for Richmond/Fulshear, just as families flee Spring ISD for The Woodlands and Cypress)! As a last resort, people will flee to Austin. If you think this is good for Houston, I don't think you have Houston's interests in mind.

Cities need to be able to attract young, educated, successful, ambitious people and families. Sugar Land and Austin do just that. Maybe Houston could learn something from these cities. (I'm not trying to dog Houston; I love Houston and participate here because I do.)

Some good suggestions so far.

I'd add to them: Condemn and raze the mini-cities of crummy apartments on the southwest side. Re-develop the areas into single-family homes with mixed-use on the edges (retail, restaurants, etc.) The southwest side is composed either of areas out of most peoples' price range (Bellaire, Meyerland, West U... nice areas with good public schools), or ghetto-like areas composed primarily of apartments with terrible public schools and high crime. Not much in between. There are no options for middle-upper class families who are a highly educated, relatively affluent demographic, but looking to spend $300k on a home rather than $700k+. And people wonder why places like Sugar Land are so popular... this is one reason why.

I can't get behind you on requiring that signs be professionally made or that they not advertise poop-related businesses, but you can talk to Harris County about the removal of bandit signs.

No matter what the signs are, they may be there illegally if they are

-- in public right-of-way (on medians or near the curb)

-- on private property (meaning land owned by a real estate company or individual even if no one is occupying the land) without permission (which they often are on these vacant lots... owners usually don't know the signs are being put there)

I've a got friend on the FBCAD board who is new there, and is going against the grain trying to stand up for the taxpayers. He's up against a lot with the "good 'ol boys" as we call them, who seem to think there are no problems and that customer satisfaction is high.

If you feel there is an inequity in appraisals (i.e. the same exact home models being appraised at different rates), that foreclosures DO affect property values, and that the brand new building they'd like to build at our expense is a bad idea right now (it would serve its main purpose for only the three months out of the whole year for protest season), please show up to the board meetings where public comment is allowed:

Here is the info for it:

3rd Monday of every month, 5pm

2801 B.F. Terry Blvd (FM 2218)

Rosenberg, TX 77471

(through the front door, room on the right)

Late chiming in here but...

I've a got friend on the FBCAD board who is new there, and is going against the grain trying to stand up for the taxpayers. He's up against a lot with the "good 'ol boys" as we call them, who seem to think there are no problems and that customer satisfaction is high.

If you feel there is an inequity in appraisals (i.e. the same exact home models being appraised at different rates), that foreclosures DO affect property values, and that the brand new building they'd like to build at our expense is a bad idea right now (it would serve its main purpose for only the three months out of the whole year for protest season), please show up to the board meetings where public comment is allowed:

Here is the info for it:

3rd Monday of every month, 5pm

2801 B.F. Terry Blvd (FM 2218)

Rosenberg, TX 77471

(through the front door, room on the right)

Bandit sign problem at Grand Pkwy (99) and I-10

Read more: http://www.city-data...l#ixzz0gfgFyz9E

Anyway, I would try to organize a volunteer group to clean it up.

We did it in an unincorporated area of Sugar Land. Volunteers, and the help of the county commissioner for the area and TXDOT.

The longer it's allowed to flourish, the worse it will get. Trash attracts more trash, as is obvious there.

Bandit sign problem at Grand Pkwy (99) and I-10

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/houston/845755-bandit-sign-problem-grand-pkwy-99-a.html#ixzz0gfgFyz9E

The W was recently being discussed in another forum. Someone was asking why Houston doesn't have one.

Just spoke to someone about the W this morning. The W is a done deal and will be in Houston with construction starting within the next 2 years. Location is finalized, but the design is still in the works, in fact drawings have not yet begun as far as I know.

So... I guess financing fell through?

And is this version of the W what happened instead? http://www.starwoodh...X_PP_AH_3127_TX

I know the W is pretty cool news coming to Houston, but there is another project that is in the works is going to be even more awesome if it goes through.

What was the "even more awesome" project?

"In my opinion, it would be better to bulldoze the mall and start over, maybe make it an outdoor town center type place."

Yeah, like CityCentre (on the site of the old Town & Country Mall).

However, I don't know if the Sharpstown area would have the demographics to support something like that. They'd have to count on drawing in people from Bellaire, Meyerland, Sugar Land, etc. But many people from those areas dislike venturing into Sharpstown at all because of all the high-crime apartments and a feeling of being unsafe.

Believe me, there's nothing I'd like to see more than half or more of the crummy apartments in the Sharpstown and Gulfton area bulldozed, and turned into single-family home subdivisions and mixed-use. The entire southwest side of Houston would then change for the better, and middle to upper income residents who work in places like TMC and downtown would have more (and closer) housing choices.

But this description above is very tainted. Sure, there is crap there. But there is crap in Houston proper also. And there is crap in Dallas. Crap in Austin exists too, but in Austin, they refer to crap as "quirky" or "weird".

Lol...so that's what they mean by "Keep Austin Weird", eh? It's really "Keep Austin Crappy".

Not really but... I can guarantee you if Austin had no zoning, it would be praised for being "weird" and "different."

Houston has no formal zoning, but instead it's mostly criticized for it and used as a negative by outsiders.

It's a double standard if I ever saw one.

Well, suddenly most of the street spam is gone. I'll admit a few of us just started grabbing what was in easy reach on public right-of-way at stoplights, and then chuncking it.

Even better news, the HUGE grouping of wooden advertisement signs (homebuilders and others) at FM 1464 & Hwy 99 is now completely GONE! Hooray!

The smaller grouping of wooden signs at FM 1464 and Old Richmond Rd is mostly gone, and it seems another sign comes down each day. I know United77498 has worked on getting that one taken care of.

http://www.chron.com...n/6724217.html#

The Chronicle put together a group to assess the course at the Houstonian Golf & Country Club, site of this week's LPGA Tour Championship, and the review scores were off the charts.

Even with a wide range of spectacular area courses that would be excellent hosts for tournament golf, the LPGA could not have landed in a better spot than the Houstonian.

A Rees Jones-designed course that is difficult without being tricky, the Houstonian will play at about 6,700 yards this week. The wide-open design makes it an almost ideal venue course for viewing tournament play. The way the ropes are set up, the gallery will be in virtual high-five range of the players.

LPGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

When: Thursday through Sunday.

Where: The Houstonian Golf & Country Club, Richmond.

For one, this has never been about projecting a cool image based on the city I lived in. It's about being proud and appreciative of what your city has to offer.

My entire point has been that many Houstonians don't appreciate the great city that they have. For all of its faults, it's a great, even world class city. And it is a shame that more people aren't aware of that. And if they were, it would do a lot for the city - not only in terms of supporting creativity and all things Houston, but for our rep around the world.

Maybe it's my demographic - Late 20's to early 30's professionals with a mixture natives and transplants. Not to mention extended family around the metro area. But I really, really, cannot fathom how someone can honestly say that Houstonians appreciate all their city has to offer to the same extent that people in other major American cities do. Or that most Houstonians would be willing to hold themselves up with Chicago, LA, New York.

I'm in agreement with you on that. I also relocated from Austin (though I'm not a native Texan) to Houston (lived in city limits 4-5 years before moving out to the Sugar Land area) and was amazed with the restaurants, museums, amenities, and even the quirkiness. I worked in the Medical Center a few years and it was amazing. Montrose was "weirder" than anything I ever saw in Austin. All the while, I would run into Houstonians who just complain endlessly about Houston. I still run into people like that! I just don't get it. Houston's got its negatives, but I think the positives far outweigh those.

But...

And of course the only times that Houston ever gets national attention??? Disasters. Take the last ten years just for fun. Houston has been associated with such highlights as Tropical Storm Allison, Superbowl '04 (now forever known as Janet Jackson's nipplegate), Hurricane Katrina evacuees, the Rita traffic jam of Death, and our dear friend Hurricane Ike. If it hadn't been for the Recession and the Latin Grammys, Houston would have probably one an award for most disatrous image of the Aughts.

Seems to me that all of the "good stuff" about Houston gets grossly underemphasized and even swept under the rug, even by Texans. I especially love when people in this state (more specifically in the Texas urban triangle) talk about "Houston heat" and how it's so much worse than "Texas heat". How?? I'm up in Dallas right now, and if I go outside and try to walk across this parking lot, my clothes are going to be wet by the time I get back. Sound familiar? Last time I checked, just as many people suffer heat stroke in D/FW as they do in Houston.

I've been saying this since I moved here about a decade ago.

Some of the worst bashers of Houston are other Texans themselves. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff I had to hear from Austin friends upon moving here. Luckily they were all wrong.

What I find really sad is that so much of the rest of the state is completely ignorant of and negative toward its largest city, which houses some of the nation's better cultural institutions, museums, restaurants, industry, and neighborhoods.

Al Gore didn't help either.

Of course I agree, the image change starts with us. I know most Houstonians don't care about the city's image to outsiders, but there is something that we all care about: money. Because Houston doesn't spend time promoting itself, Houstonians lose out on the money that other cities are able to generate. NYC, Chicago, LA and Atlanta are cities that live or die by their public/media image. So as bad as that can be sometimes, the also get to reap the benefits of being first in line for government funding, hosting more national/ international events, and enjoying some world popularity. As a relatively new Houstonian, I'm proud to live in a great city, and I'm not ashamed to tell people that it's great every once in a while, especially if it helps us all in the long run.

For a time I was working in an industry where I recruited highly sought-after workers (like software engineers during the tech boom) for jobs. Houston was one of the hardest cities to recruit for. Why? Not because it's not a nice place, but because people perceived it as a not-nice place. So Houston sometimes loses out on this desirable demographic (well-educated and highly-skilled workers) to other cities, because of image and perception. Along with that, the same can happen with companies deciding where to relocate. I saw a few companies pick up and leave Houston for other cities in part for a hunt for a better pool of candidates. It's very frustrating. It's fine to not care about image for your own personal reasons, but for those who want to see Houston to thrive and continue to be a great place to live, with enough jobs and a demographic with enough disposable income to keep supporting the great amenities here, there will have to be more attention paid to city image.

You want this.

http://www.txdot.gov...rvletConfig.xml

Awesome, thanks! I filled it out and emailed. I wonder if anything will actually become of it... but at least it's a start.