Makeover For Richmond Ave.

[skwatra]

i haven't been out to richmond since the late 90's. too young and ghetto for us now. but i would hope houston could sustain more nightlife areas. we enjoy main when we want to go clubbing, and the village for chilling.

i could envision richmond being something like lower greenville in dallas, except with less clubs and more restaurants/bars.

[BayouCityGirl]

got any pix of Lower Greenville in Dallas. I mean I really never been INSIDE Dallas to know what your talking about.

[skwatra]

i don't have any pics, its just a two lane road, probably close to as wide as richmond with a bunch of bars/restaurants/clubs along it, pretty dense at places.

[RedScare]

http://www.lostluggagetales.com/photos/thu...enville-ave.asp

Richmond could never look like Lower Greenville, nor, IMO, approximate the feel of Lower Greenville. Lower Greenville looks more like lower Westheimer. If the Heights would ever loosen their sphincters, Yale could look and feel like lower Greenville...

...of course, we all know Houston will have zoning before that would happen.

[westguy]

I don't agree with letting it fall into a major slum. That kind of reputation can taint the area forever.

[DJ V Lawrence]

I don't agree with letting it fall into a major slum. That kind of reputation can taint the area forever.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I 100% agree. Also remember that if Richmond Strip became a slum, Galleria area (Westiemer) would be sure to follow due to proximity, which is NOT something our city can risk.

I also don't agree that a more dense clubbing area for clubbing is the answer for the Strip. Main Street is BUILT for that kind of entertainment. Richmond's, like, a 3 Lane-road at parts of it. A more spaced-out, open-air, surburban-feel, crusing-around-at-night, Strip is the way it is, and the way it should stay. And with the two totally different nightlifes that Houston could offer, I think it would be best if the city took advantage of that ideal, and developed both so well, that eventually it could help as a selling point for tourists, conventions, and ourselves.

Oh, and by the way, whatever you do, PLEASE don't let these so-called "thugs" dictate anyone's decision as to what we can do to improve Houston. Just because they're there (as they are in Vegas, Miami, and New York) does not relinquish your power as citizens. We're all taxpayers. WE paid for Richmond Avenue and Main Street in the first place. Therefore, the Strip is OURS, not anyone elses, yo.

[westguy]

Upthread someone mentioned landscaping with palms and other trees. Then I saw this picture today. As a wide boulevard, this is what Richmond should look like: (link)

[RedScare]

Palms would be cool (I'm a sucker for palms). I've always believed Houston should use them more in its streetscape designs, befitting its location as a subtropical city. Makes the heat and humidity somehow more acceptable...almost expected.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I agree.^^^

And Richmond does have a brief strip between, I think, Gessner and maybe Fondren with palm trees in the median.

Richmond Avenue: Fix it!

[kjb434]

The Greenville area in Dallas is nice. It's by SMU campus and is always buzzing. Very urban area.

Would be similar to our Heights area.

[VelvetJ]

The more I think about it, the more I think this could be a Gold Mine for Tillman Fertitta.......HEY TILLMAN, DO YOU READ THIS SITE???????

I can totally see the old Billy Blues facility with the Giant Saxaphone, turned into a heavily themed Pappas Bar B Q, with a giant patio that jets out toward the sidewalk. Some of his Chefs could actually have giant Bar B Q pits outside on the patio so the patrons can watch them prepare Bar B Q, while they listen to the live band.

He can convert the old T-Town club into a family type entertainment center. I know Dave and Busters is already there, but Tillman's could include things D&B's don't have like a giant Rock Climbing Wall, a Giant Water Fall, indoor Go Cart Racing, and Laser Tag.

That shuttered Denny's, which already has that great design and great silver exterior could be turned into a 1950's themed restaurant with a full size restored 1950's pink T-Bird placed somewhere. They could sell Hot Dogs, Burgers, Malts, etc. The waitresses could be in poodle skirts and have hairstyles from the 50's.

The remainder of the closed facilities along that portion of Richmond could be turned into some form of other restaurants, but the key is making them accessible by foot in terms of making it easy to walk from facility to facility. Also like I mentioned before, make sure each place has a patio ( that can be converted from Air conditioned to open air) to give pedestrians a more welcoming feel when walking. And of course the streets would be smooth, clean and Lanscaped. Plus, with the new east/west rail line, it's possible the "Restaurants on Richmond" Corridor could one day see rail pass through it, making it easy to park at a parking facility a mile or so away and ride the rail down to the Restaurants. Or even better, ride a train from the northside to the Corridor without having to drive. Families could just make a nice full evening out of the entire event.

*note- Before anyone shoot me down, I'm just typing the first things that are popping into my head.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Greenville Avenue (and specifically Lower Greenville) is a mix of the lower Westheimer area in the Montrose and sections of the Heights. Lots of restored commercial buildings as well as older homes. The clubs and bars are more centralized in lower Greenville than in the Montrose while the Heights has a much larger inventory of restored homes.

It's a very cool section of Big D.

I would say a remake of Richmond in terms of basic reconstruction and asthetics would make the corridor look every much as "healthy" as Bellaire through Bellaire proper and Chinatown but not quite as bustling as outer Westheimer.

What Houston needs is a another North-South Corridor that serves as a main commercial artery. Outside of Shepherd and Kirby, there's not much, quite frankly.

Hillcroft comes close, I guess, but it runs through the outer reaches of the Gulfton apartments and the shadier side of sharpstown going south and then becomes exclusively middle class residential, while going north it runs out of steam pretty quickly once it hits Woodway.

Back on topic:

Richmond does have two very nice looking stretches, IMO:

1) From Kirby to Weslyan

2) From Gessner to Kirkwood (but even here the road needs to be repaired)

The rest of it is hum-drum, run-of-the-mill or a bit on the crummy side.

[largeTEXAS]

Casinos

[BayouCityGirl]

if casinos were allowed and legal IN the state of Texas that would be a good idea!

[DJ V Lawrence]

Casinos

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Resorts?

[BayouCityGirl]

We can still have fun establishments w/o casinos right?

[LTAWACS]

I would just like to see that street fixed up even if it isn't with clubs. I like the Galleria area with lots of attractions. I also want downtown to do good in that area. In a way, downtown is the new Richmond Ave, All of the clubs are locating in that area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All new attractions should be in downtown. Period.

[LTAWACS]

The main drag downtown is Main St.  Very hard to cruise that street.  The parking lots are off the Main drag.  If you hang out, no one will see you.  When you force people out of their cars, they lose anonymity, and often, their 'cool' factor.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good. We don't need their kind around here.

[DJ V Lawrence]

All new attractions should be in downtown. Period.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

TOTALLY disagree with ya.

So, like, everyone goes to all the new attractions downtown. Then what? What about the Uptown Area, Midtown, Reliant/Astroworld area, or any of the other places that we love going to? Nothing new added in their areas? No new areas developed with a new attraction in the first place?

Like, there'd be no point to going anyplace but downtown. Boring, yo. Just one urbanized development to party and entertain ourselves at. Where would the variety be? How much more expensive would it be if you wanted to start an entertainment business downtown where everyone else is at?

My suggestion for Houston?

1. Develop Downtown into an entertainment POWERHOUSE, partly with powerful colorful lighting for the downtown skyline nightly

2. do the SAME with the Richmond Strip (starting with suptropical landscaping and fixing the potholes on parts of the Strip),

3. have City Council petition Six Flags to improve Astroworld,

4. find a developer,investment group, or company to build a NEW state-of-the-art theme park within Harris County that could compete with Astroworld,

5. keep developing the Uptown area like they have been,

6. create a THIRD entertainment district around the Reliant Stadium/Astroworld Area

7. keep developing the Buffalo Bayou Area as they have, and keep it's redevelopment as a priority until 2025

8. heavily fund the new Downtown Park the way Chicago did with Millenium Park

9. No more crusing curfews (driving on a popular streetafter 1 am), while at the same time increasing the hours for no cars on the Main Street Clubbing area until later

10. Encourage MORE after-hour club businesses, possibly including other clubs, bookstores, coffee shops, and hang-out spots between 2am and 8am

(by the way, I think the ONLY way the casino idea would work was if ALL casinos were in their own separate zoned area with and that area worked together to advertize)

[RedScare]

If this were Waco, or some other city of 100,000 or less, I might be inclined to agree with AWAC. But, it is not. It is a city of over 2,000,000, that spans some 633 sq. miles. It can, should and does support numerous entertainment areas that cater to different neighborhoods and tastes. Downtown is coming along, Richmond could use a shot in the arm. The Village is great for its clientel. Midtown, Montrose, Galleria, Clear Lake, Woodlands, Sugarland, all have central gathering spots, and are entertaining in their own way. Heights is weak, but hopefully the rebirth will spur some rebellion.

The point is that a big city is a collection of neighborhoods. To try to cram everything into one spot sounds suspiciously like the master planned approach that you complain so much about.

[skwatra]

i agree we need (actually we already have) several entertainment areas. variety is nice, and i hope these areas are continually improved, especially richmond.

without different areas, we wouldn't have places like the village and kemah boardwalk which are perfect for what they are, and wouldn't be possible downtown.

hey DJ, afterhours places are needed, but how about we get them to extend last call? no one wants to leave those clubs at 2am when they shut down.

redscare, there's a central gathering place in clear lake? i must be missing out, cause we head downtown/midtown or to the village if we want to have fun. please enlighten me.

[DJ V Lawrence]

hey DJ, afterhours places are needed, but how about we get them to extend last call? no one wants to leave those clubs at 2am when they shut down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly. The clubscene (ESPECIALLY Richmond Ave.) once was thriving, and at that time period, most clubs closed at 6am. Bring those days back, and take away any regulations that keep that from happening. Let's make Houston another Miami, New York, or Vegas, where there's a positive reputation of them being cities that never sleep, where it's always fun, and the party NEVER stops!

Also needs to be more hotel development in that area as well, mainly directly on the Strip to accomodate the clubbers on the Strip and discourage drunk driving.

[RedScare]

NASA Road 1 was the area I was referring to. I don't think it's been that great since the 80s, but it is somewhat of a cluster of nightspots.

[kjb434]

It think the Richmond strip could be an entertainment destination, but good luck getting any developers to want to go along with it.

Downtown and midtown seem like the place to add new bars.

Most new bars have been established there recently.

[skwatra]

i don't think new bars are needed currently. if they just revamp what's there (there are still plenty of places open right?), fix the street up and allow it to stay open, hopefully they can draw better/bigger crowd and new places will come in time.

[LTAWACS]

i don't think new bars are needed currently. if they just revamp what's there (there are still plenty of places open right?), fix the street up and allow it to stay open, hopefully they can draw better/bigger crowd and new places will come in time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would you go againts our efforts for improving downtown?

[RedScare]

Is Houston so lame, that it can only support a half dozen hip-hop bars on a couple or three blocks of Main St.? If you think so, you probably ought to quit the we're so great posts on other cities' forums.

I happen to think this town is big enough for both of us, so to speak. I hope Richmond, being so close to one of the most popular and most visited sections of town by tourists, can rejuvenate itself. If the suggestions on this forum help, so much the better.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Why would you go againts our efforts for improving downtown?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...because we can't just focus on only improving Downtown when MANY areas in Houston also need improvement and revitalization.

Keep improving Downtown, but fund Richmond Strip's revitalization and many others at the SAME time as Downtown, so the whole city can be at it's prime, and not just one area...

[Subdude]

Why would you go againts our efforts for improving downtown?

Areas with a large concentration of bars aren't necessarily improvements though. Too many nightclubs often tends to lead to public drunkeness etc. that anti-cruising regulations and curfews are intended to curtail, and hurts neighboring property values. It may not matter as much in downtown, which has few residents to begin with, but in other areas near residential neighborhoods nightclubs might better be scattered around, rather than clustered in "entertainment districts". Even in downtown I think the number of bars may be discouraging development.

[RedScare]

Areas with a large concentration of bars aren't necessarily improvements though. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The older I get, the more I tend to agree with that statement. *sigh*