GreenStreet: Mixed-Use Development At 1201 Fannin St.

[Jax]

it would be nice to attract other types of people to Houston as well remember?

Yes I also remember not talking about video screens but about the city in general and how foreigners/americans from other places usually don't stay after temporary assignments in Houston. Nothing to do with video screens. I even said specifically that video screens would NOT solve that problem. My point was improving the city to make it more appealing to tourists would also have an effect on people visiting the city for temporary work/study type assignments for other reasons, not just tourism (I stated that because I am more familiar with those people than tourists). In many ways, those people are more important than tourists because they have the potential to stay and start businesses, make new jobs, etc.

When I go on vacation, luckily i don't go to look at billboards and video screens. Each to his own i guess.

Who said anybody went on vacation to look at billboards and video screens? Nobody goes to Times Square specifically to look at video screens, but they are sort of part of the overall atmosphere of that part of NYC, and it works.

What's wrong with blank walls?

I'll leave you to puzzle over that one.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Jax

[Jax]

Could it be the weed?

It's only legal for "medical purposes".

[musicman]

Yes I also remember not talking about video screens but about the city in general and how foreigners usually don't stay after temporary assignments in Houston. Nothing to do with video screens.

On luring smart people to stay:

I don't think video screens will attract more smart people. Magpies, maybe, but smart people will probably see through the sizzle.

I'm not so sure. Smart people seem to like sizzle.

I guess this led me astray.

[crunchtastic]

It's only legal for "medical purposes".

This thread makes my head hurt. Does that count?

[Jax]

this is getting out of hand...

You didn't catch the line in the same post saying "I'm not sure [installing] video screens is the answer... "?

By saying that smart people like sizzle, I meant the so called smart people often seem to like cities that one could describe as cities which have have "sizzle" (I wish I didn't have to reuse this term) such as NY, Chicago, Toronto, and SF more than places that might have cheap housing and good jobs but less "sizzle", at least when they have the choice. Maybe my reply to memebag confused you.

I did not say that installing video screens at HP alone will make Houston as a whole more attractive to visitors/tourists. I do however think that making HP more flashy from the outside is probably a good way to help increase HP's visibility. If somebody is new to H-Town and they take the Metro downtown to explore and see some flashy funky lights they're possibly more likely to get off and check it out than if they see a rusty billboard. I know that probably wouldn't work for you or membag, but you guys are the exception, not the mainstream.

I think you are confusing my views of Houston in general from a tourism/visitor perspective with this silly video screen debate.

This thread makes my head hurt. Does that count?

Yeah. This thread makes my head hurt too, and it's probably not worth my time. Musicman seems to make me send threads off on a tangent. I'll stop posting now.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Jax

[memebag]

I think you are confusing my views of Houston in general from a tourism/visitor perspective with this silly video screen debate.

I think you helped with our confusion:

If adding some flashy screens helps make Downtown more interesting to outsiders, I don't see anything wrong with that at all. I definitely think some real shopping options downtown is going to make a big impact, and the more interesting they can make it look to outsiders, the better.

[wernicke]

Must be the longest, most contentious debate on public video screens in recorded history.

[Trae]

Must be the longest, most contentious debate on public video screens in recorded history.

Hardly.

[KinkaidAlum]

The problem with the new and PG-rated Times Square is that it is a neighborhood that most Manhattanites AVOID AT ALL COSTS. It's full of big box stores and chain restaurants and lots of shiny lights that blind the hell out of people who actually live there. The area is also annoying because the rest of America apparently thinks Times Square is still uber cool and so the streets are full of people wandering around looking for the naked + singing cowboy.

The sad truth is downtown Houston wont EVER have the mobs of people from out of town wandering around aimlessly looking at super Toys-R-Uses and TGI Fridays. Downtown Houston also wont ever have the Broadway Theater crowd to cram into the space at night.

So, why add light pollution that might piss of the neighbors?

Houston should just continue to make downtown better for the people who actually live and work there. Restaurants, shopping, grocery stores, new and improved parks, major events, conventions, new hotels, improved transportation options, etc... are the types of things that will make downtown vibrant.

[Trae]

So you don't want any new people Downtown?

[jgriff]

When a company like Clear Channel Outdoor can make money from video screens downtown they'll put them there. You don't put advertising or video screens somewhere for ambience, you put them there to make money.

If you don't agree with that then you can buy some land downtown put up a few video screens for the rest of us to enjoy and throw all your money away. I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate it.

[Jax]

[Times Square] It's full of big box stores

What's your definition of a big box store? There's no Walmart, Super Target, Sam's Club, or Costco at Times Square.

You are however right that there are a bunch of chain restaurants, and chain stores. But there are also a bunch of independent electronics stores and things like that.

There are a couple cool Irish pubs around there though, and until last year there was also a funky Afghani restaurant right around the corner. Little Brazil is basically in Times Square too. So it's not all chain restaurants...

The Roxy Deli is there too (chain?) but it's way overpriced compared to the smoked meat sandwiches in Montreal.

I think Times Square has enough non chain stuff surrounding it to hold it's own against somewhere like Rice Village in terms of shopping and dining options.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Jax

[NewMND]

Billboards are ugly and they suck. They seem so 1970's. Anyways, as far as the video screens, they don't have to show ads. I've seen some that rotate between pretty pictures, like art hanging on a wall. They would rotate between pictures of famous paintings, flowers, butterflys, things of that nature. It looked better on a side of a building than an actual blank wall.

Okay, I just realized I don't hate all billboards. I'm so bi-polar. I hate those billboards lining the freeway. Ads on the side of buildings like in some cities, I don't mind so much. I prefer the ads to the blank wall. That's just me, I don't like blank walls. Maybe I have a blank wall phobia.

[memebag]

Anyways, as far as the video screens, they don't have to show ads.

The chances of any large video displays on the outside of HP not showing ads are so small that it isn't worth thinking about. I can't think of any public video displays that are ad free. Your eyeballs are the meat merchants want to eat.

[tierwestah]

I was simply commenting on the fact that your webcam of Dallas doesnt disprove Tierwestah's statement that HP will not be as isolated as VP hence drawing people from nearby buildings. I see that your webcam proves that VP isn't very popular. So video screens don't bring crowds. We all knew that. The point that Tierwestah was trying to make was that if you want to put up video screens its best to do so where there will be people to actually see them, and since HP is in a good location with potential to draw people from nearby buildings, they would most likely work better than in VP (which is apparently empty most of the time).

Nobody here is trying to make the statement that video screens on their own will draw crowds.. The whole point is that if you have a public place which is popular and crowded, video screens might make sense for advertisers to use, and they might make that place look nicer to certain people (tourists, for example) than rusty old billboards or blank walls.

Maybe if membag is lucky, they might install some rusty billboards as well just for him to enjoy.

Thanks Jax. I'm glad you feel what i'm saying. I think some people on here are just trying to be difficult for the sake of being difficult.

[rsb320]

maybe it's a 40 and up thing vs an under 40 thing. the younger ones sounds like they need to be entertained vs us older ones who can entertain ourselves.

Nope!

[rsb320]

You know at first I thought Houston was just bad at getting anything done. I actualy feel a little better knowing that there are other cities that have a bigger issue on getting anybody to agree on anything. ie. Kansas City.

http://kansascitylightrail.org/

http://www.kansascity.com/743/index.html

http://kclightrail.com/2008/01/20/does-light-rail-to-prospect-even-make-sense/

http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/606500.html

http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/11530

At least we got our rail, maybe now we will get our plasma screens and I don't care if other cities had them first. I want one. C'mon how is that different from when your neighbor invites you over to watch a game on a 60" screen. Once you see it you want one too.

Hey is Kansas trying to copy our little choo-choo!

Hey, that train on the first link says Fannin South. Isn't that Sakowitz (garage) in the background?

[bkjones98]

OMG, just put the damn TV screens up already! What difference does it make? I can't believe we've been arguing over whether TV screens will change the world for three pages. Let me say: they are not going to solve any problems.

I don't see myself standing on the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon to watch CNN, but it is kinda cool to have "sizzle" around what is supposed to be a pedestrian mall. For the record: I'm smart and I like sizzle.

[H-Town Man]

I think some people on here are just trying to be difficult for the sake of being difficult.

Now wait a sec, let's be sensitive. For some people creating and winning internet arguments is their only source of self-esteem.

[tierwestah]

Now wait a sec, let's be sensitive. For some people creating and winning internet arguments is their only source of self-esteem.

it's almost like some of these people probably jerk off to winning an argument.

[memebag]

it's almost like some of these people probably jerk off to winning an argument.

Probably the same folks who like hairy women. Or hairless women, I'm not sure.

[wernicke]

it's almost like some of these people probably jerk off to winning an argument.

This is a little much.

Anyways, aren't the screens in AT&T Plaza, outside of American Airlines in Dallas, mostly advertisement-free? I sat there and watched them a few months ago and all they showed was artistic stuff, and they slide around on railings. They were intended as more of an activity/public art type of thing. Seems cool enough. Shut them down at a certain time like 11pm.

Edited May 7, 2008 by wernicke

[TheNiche]

IMHO, Houston won't ever become a fashionable city. It doesn't matter what we do because people who have never been here will think oil (evil)...

I actually agree with Kinkaid, but for a different reason. Out of all of the major metropolitan areas in the nation, ours is absolutely the most science/engineering intensive in terms of our core employment base. These are unfashionable nerds with poor social skills and mild, often undetected autism...ok, so that's a vast oversimplification...but I do think that it goes a long way towards explaining how cities as similar as Dallas and Houston are so culturally different.

It's really simple. Different kinds of people sort themselves by different kinds of jobs. Our jobs attract relatively unhip people, therefore, we're a relatively unhip city. This has always worked well for me because aside from being unhip, I'm in fact anti-hip...which in the eyes of the unhip proves to be pretty hip...apparently.

[ricco67]

<inhale>

<hold>

Why can't the screens be used to advertise future acts for HOB, Blue cat, or whatever upcoming event is going on in there?

</exhale>

[Daniepwils]

That said, adding video billboards to Main Street downtown really doesn't do anything for our image or for making downtown a place people will want to live. Would you really want to buy a unit that has light pollution every night until midnight? I wouldn't. Noise and light pollution are major inhibitors to downtown's residential growth which is why I am happy to see the nightclubs failing.

People will want to live downtown IF there are quality restaurants around, access to grocery stores, pocket parks, public places to walk dogs, coffee shops that are open past business hours, etc... These are the things downtown needs more of; not tv screens.

Couldn't agree more!

[memebag]

<inhale>

<hold>

Why can't the screens be used to advertise future acts for HOB, Blue cat, or whatever upcoming event is going on in there?

</exhale>

I'll bite. Why can't they?

[CasaNova]

OMG, just put the damn TV screens up already! What difference does it make? I can't believe we've been arguing over whether TV screens will change the world for three pages. Let me say: they are not going to solve any problems.

I don't see myself standing on the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon to watch CNN, but it is kinda cool to have "sizzle" around what is supposed to be a pedestrian mall. For the record: I'm smart and I like sizzle.

So after three or so odd pages the issue has been settled. Majority rule, and the verdict is in. The cool and hip have spoken. Plasma screens it is. Now lets see if we can get some decent ads to display on the those screens. Can anyone say Victoria Secret.

[Subdude]

I don't have any particular objection to the video screen idea. What seems peculiar though is that they wouldn't have been designed in from the start in a "people-gathering" area and in such a way that it wouldn't disturb the neighbors at Humble Apartments, instead of being an afterthought.

[Trae]

Weren't there TV's on the original rendering?

[lockmat]

Weren't there TV's on the original rendering?

I checked the other day and I didn't see any.