KimberlySayWhat Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 I know sometimes people in here disregard talk of tourism in our city saying that it's a place of business, not play. That's fine. But I for one am always interested and enthusiastic about new proposals and ideas on how to attract tourists. I don't want Houston to become another Orlando, but I don't see anything wrong with a few tourists attractions. Yes we have great theater and museums, but what's so bad about a few cheap, colorful, fun thrills. Maybe someone is here on business for a weekend and they bring their family along. Offer them a good time. Plus, wouldn't it be incredible if Foder's put out a Houston travel guide that was more than 10 pages and in small print? Have I mentioned the wax museum/Ripley's? All major cities have them. Oh, except for Houston. How about reviving the roller rink phenomenon of the '70s/early '80s with a state of the art roller rink that no one else has? Not to sound repetitive, but the AstroWorld thing for goodness sake. I'm not a fan of car racing, but NASCAR is really popular. Take advantage of that. Maybe design some sort of interactive attraction around it; kind of like that racing ride at Epcot. And anything with animatronics is alright in my book. Anything you'd like to see? This is sort of a fantasy thread. It's not like these things will happen in our lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 The most probably thing on that list is NASCAR since one is planned off of SH 288 where the Grand Parkway will cross.It hasn't been confirmed to move forward since it needs NASCAR's blessing and the people promoting the track won't move forward without having NASCAR races there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 i think a roller rink of large proportions would be neat! plus, there is quite a large roller derby following in houstonand i think if nascar was here, it should be faaaaaar out...but that's just my opinion...heh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 That's why they are planning for it to be out on SH 288 by the proposed Grand Parkway. That's several miles south of Pearland, but north of Angleton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirzania Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Have I mentioned the wax museum/Ripley's? All major cities have them. Oh, except for Houston. Have you ever been in one of those? I find them less than appealing and, of the 3 I've been in, terribly dull. They have one in St. Augustine and, for me, it cheapens the whole area. How about reviving the roller rink phenomenon of the '70s/early '80s with a state of the art roller rink that no one else has?Please. God. No. We did it once. We already have to relive the fashion - must we relive the life?Not to sound repetitive, but the AstroWorld thing for goodness sake. But for out-of-towners, this may be a Good Thing. If they're staying (with kids) in downtown, and they see a commerical or billboard, you know they'll be screaming to go to Splashtown. What kid wouldn't? Especially if they've never been to Houston. I'm not a fan of car racing, but NASCAR is really popular. Take advantage of that. Maybe design some sort of interactive attraction around it; kind of like that racing ride at Epcot.But we'd be competing with Atlanta and Indianapolis, cities already known for that sort of thing. I think we'd would look like we're trying too hard. /agree kjb Put it out in Ft. Bend, if absolutely necessary. And anything with animatronics is alright in my book. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We've got five Chuck E. Cheese's. I've faced the same problems, though. I think Houston plays to the kid crowd just fine, what with Astroworld and Splashtown. I think it's the 20-somethings and seniors who don't have much to do. Nightclubs are popping up, but slowly and less than popular, from what I've seen. My fiance's parents were in town recently and the only things we could decide to show them were the LightRail, where we worked, IKEA, San Jacinto, Old Towne Spring and Galveston. (Not exactly all-Houston.) I think the main reason for "lack of things to do" stems from so many people commuting that there's no time in the day for anything else. And weekends are reserved for yardwork, housework, and, chiefly, WoW. I wish we could add a Busch Gardens to the scene. I think we're on the right track with the Bridal Show too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Something else that would be cool would be for the roller rink to have a permanent concert stage inside to host up and coming artists as well as already popular artists. They could even have retro nights with performers from the '70s and '80s. They could have restaurants inside as well. Not the crappy snack stand food. Although one crappy snack stand would be OK for physical atmosphere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 yeah, crappy snacks are requisite roller rink fare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Have you ever been in one of those? I find them less than appealing and, of the 3 I've been in, terribly dull. They have one in St. Augustine and, for me, it cheapens the whole area.Nah, I don't think they're dull. They're just spooky enough. I do agree that they're tacky, but what does that say about me? I love those things. And yes, I've been to wax museums in Hollywood, San Antonio, Dallas and Tuscon. I LOVE them! Just one little 'ol wax museum is not going to hurt this massive city. Bring it on. Please. God. No. We did it once. We already have to relive the fashion - must we relive the life? Was is so bad? Come on. But for out-of-towners, this may be a Good Thing. If they're staying (with kids) in downtown, and they see a commerical or billboard, you know they'll be screaming to go to Splashtown. What kid wouldn't? Especially if they've never been to Houston.The parents may not want to get wet. Give them options so that they can compromise. Besides, it may feel like summer/spring through much of the year, but that doesn't mean the water parks are open year round. AstroWorld's not either, but that's part of the point of the thread: create more things to do.We've got five Chuck E. Cheese's. Eh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirzania Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Was is so bad? Come on. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yes, and I think I shall use my former-art professor as a prime example. (Came to class stoned/high/drooling all over himself, flitty - all in all, the quintessential Hippy.)Famous quotes: "Draw a 'happy' line. I want you think of how the 'happy' line would look. Is it wavy? Is it round? ... Good, good. Now draw an 'angry' line. What would an 'angry' line look like?" .. Welcome to college, kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 I had my cousin and his wife visit from Louisiana because they reserved a room since Hurricane Dennis may have hit near them. The Hurricane didn't hit but they couldn't back out of one night's reserved.The have a boy and a girl in 4th and 2nd grade, respectively.Saturday afternoon they spend at the Galleria and enjoyed themselves quite alot. They also spend that day driving around just seeing the city. There hotel was in Westchase.On Sunday I took them to the museum district area and we went to the Museum of Natural Science. We just did the main exhibition and the Butterfly exhibit. They thoroughly enjoyed and the kids had a great time.We probably could have made two more days out of that place with the other exhibitions we didn't go to (Lord of the Rings, Gold!, and Planeterium).I could have also taken them to the Childrens Museum. Also, the cost of going to the museum for all five of us to two exhibitions was much cheaper than going to Astroworld.I don't think we realize sometimes what we have and market it well.Our museum district is on par with other large cities in the US. Our theatre capacity is only second to New York City.Being in the Museum parking lot I saw license plates from all over the country and not nearby states, but states from the Northeast and out west. there plent of southeastern states also.That weekend was also quite nice outside which made Hermann park enjoyable.I don't think our city has a lack of places for children or adults to enjoy themselves. I think we just don't market it to the outside world that much.p.s. no one travels anywhere to rollerskate indoors. Let's not bring that nightmare concept back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 I don't think our city has a lack of places for children or adults to enjoy themselves. I think we just don't market it to the outside world that much.p.s. no one travels anywhere to rollerskate indoors. Let's not bring that nightmare concept back.i agree on that point - houston has LOTS to see and do...but you have to know where to find them (and that can be difficult for out-of-towners)as far as roller rinks - i bet one would get a fair amount of business - the roller derby crowd in houston is growing, and i also think that a few might enjoy the nostalgic factor... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Wouldn't a roller derby type place need more a velodrome type arena? A velodrome arena doesn't have a flat floor and it set up more like a track built for speed.The difficulting for out of towners is all part of full blown marketing campaign.New Orleans has re-upped there campaign and being from Louisiana and never really seeing the marketing for the city on TV, it was pretty impressive. It isn't the Harrah's Casino commercials either. Being from there, I'm taking some friends there from Houston that really got interested in the city after the Commercials. Before they really were interested in going.Also, if you think Houston is confusing to get around, New Orleans is a whole different story especially if you got a room inside the french quarter area. Let's say you have to valet since the nearest place to park would be about two blocks away in a special parking garage.I think Houston just needs to market itselft to other media markets about the things to do. The only problem I see is that Houston doesn't have a well known charm or historical aspect to market. The agency given that job will have to create one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Develop a riverwalk along Buffalo Bayou from downtown to Montrose.Put up some kiosks or booths along the bayou; maybe have a monthly arts and crafts fair. Build a few stages along that area for concerts. Have the City run or contract out a boat rental facility, or offer historic tours through downtown along the bayou. Naturally, occasional flooding would have to be considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Any retail would have to be above the 100-year floodplain (about Allen parkway level).A park can be completely flooded. They could have PERMITTED vendors sell food and other stuff commonly seen in large city parks.Good concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Develop a riverwalk along Buffalo Bayou from downtown to Montrose.Put up some kiosks or booths along the bayou; maybe have a monthly arts and crafts fair. Build a few stages along that area for concerts. Have the City run or contract out a boat rental facility, or offer historic tours through downtown along the bayou. Naturally, occasional flooding would have to be considered.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>The Buffal Bayou Partnership's plan proposes to do just that and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirzania Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Yup. Buffalo Bayou Projects.In addition to the art fair idea, I say we need a Musikfest there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 We have an international Jazz Fest already. Not as big as New Orleans though. The International Festival is good also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 I have seen a number of links to some of the many stories from this site, but, as you can see by reading the stories, there would be plenty of areas of interest that could be covered by boat. Buffalo Bayou I was looking at this site just this morning and saw the photo of the drawbridge that is directly under the Hwy59 overpasses. I never knew this bridge existed, and I have been here for 57 years! Has it been that well hidden? Or am I just blind to my surroundings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Yes, and I think I shall use my former-art professor as a prime example. (Came to class stoned/high/drooling all over himself, flitty - all in all, the quintessential Hippy.) I'm not talking about the '60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirzania Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 I'm not talking about the '60s. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> He's not that old - he was 70's era. I bet his sibling introduced him... Just as many drugs in the 70's anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 We have an international Jazz Fest already. Not as big as New Orleans though. The International Festival is good also.I would rather see a "destination" along the bayou rather an "event" as a means to draw in tourists. Naturally, we could have both. But I'd like to see ongoing activities more than anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 that is incredible - i will have to check it out...i am shocked i have never seen it! I have seen a number of links to some of the many stories from this site, but, as you can see by reading the stories, there would be plenty of areas of interest that could be covered by boat.Buffalo Bayou I was looking at this site just this morning and saw the photo of the drawbridge that is directly under the Hwy59 overpasses. I never knew this bridge existed, and I have been here for 57 years! Has it been that well hidden? Or am I just blind to my surroundings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 He's not that old - he was 70's era. I bet his sibling introduced him...Just as many drugs in the 70's anywaysWell then it's really no different than today. I'm talking about recreating a retro vibe at a roller rink. Not about bringing back Woodstock or Studio 54. A large smiley-faced sun snorting a spoon of cocaine as part of the decor isn't what I have in mind. I would rather see a "destination" along the bayou rather an "event" as a means to draw in tourists. Naturally, we could have both. But I'd like to see ongoing activities more than anything. Me too. If I feel like doing something on a whim, I'd like for something do be there at all times rather than waiting for an events to take place. Both would be great, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Wouldn't a roller derby type place need more a velodrome type arena? A velodrome arena doesn't have a flat floor and it set up more like a track built for speed.The only problem I see is that Houston doesn't have a well known charm or historical aspect to market. The agency given that job will have to create one. i didn't mean for it to be exclusively for the derby-ing folk, but i would know they would frequent it as well... and as far as "creating" a charming and historical aspect to market houston under - maybe we shouldn't market houston as a big lie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 The draw bridge pictured above is to be part of the hike and bike trail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Yup. Buffalo Bayou Projects.In addition to the art fair idea, I say we need a Musikfest there too. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Musikfest, huh? Bethelhem sure looks close to Allentown, Kirz. I thought you weren't too wild on Allentown? Hey, and lighten up on the spliff bashing. How are we going to get tourist to come to our musicfest if they think Houston is anti-bud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayouCityGirl Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Ped. friendly streets Better Streetlights more trains (Train from IAH/Hobby to Downtown, Train on the loops) Better attractions More conventions Improve the city by adding more beautiful scenery on the waterways (boatride down the Bayou ) LOL BIGGEST THING: LESS CONSTRUCTION!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirzania Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Musikfest, huh? Bethelhem sure looks close to Allentown, Kirz. I thought you weren't too wild on Allentown? Bethlehem is nifty, unlike Allentown. Unfortunately, they share the same valley along with Easton. It's all historic and they're big on *Fests. Allentown has the PP&L building, some rowhomes and ... Yup, that's it. I was just thinking it'd be nifty if the Bayou had a whole bunch of *fests in the same respect. Art, Christmas, Musi(c/k), Beer, Food, Crafts... I think it would really make it a choice destination for out-of-towners and Houstonians. Hey, and lighten up on the spliff bashing. How are we going to get tourist to come to our musicfest if they think Houston is anti-bud? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm not quite sure about these sentences. My attempt to translate them resulted in: "Don't talk bad about "special" cigarettes. People might think we don't like Budweiser." Um. Well. Far as I can tell, given the German descent (sound familiar?), they're really into their own, darker brews than Bud, so I think we may share something there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VelvetJ Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 I will respond with some ideas a little later, but I think a key thing would be something that can be experienced in no other city, or something that is unique to Houston. That's why Kemah has been so successful. There is nothing else like it in the entire Houston Metro Area, and people drive from Conroe, Baytown, Katy and even College Station just just to visit it. We could use something that would do that on a national scale.I have to go but will return soon with some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayouCityGirl Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 i think a roller rink of large proportions would be neat! plus, there is quite a large roller derby following in houston and i think if nascar was here, it should be faaaaaar out...but that's just my opinion...heh <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We have the unofficial Nascar. Its called Westheimer or the freeways Your sponsers are every car/truck/furniture billboard on the side streets and feeders! Your audience is the traffic and cops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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