Why Casual Visitors To Houston Area Skip Downtown

[The Great Hizzy!]

It takes me 20 minutes TOPS and usually more like 15 to drive to work. If I had to transfer twice, I wonder how long it would take me.

As a teenager, I lived in Westbury and had a job in Sharpstown Mall, a 20 minute drive from my house. I didn't have a car so I took the bus. I had to take a bus to the corner of Main & Holcombe, then a bus that went west on Holcombe to Bellaire & SW Freeway. Between the two buses & waiting time, it took me no less than 1 hour & 20 minutes, and some times more. I just can't see doing anything like that now that I have a car.

So yeah, if it took me say 30 minutes (a 50% increase over my current communte time) to get to work on the bus, I'd go for it. I would be pretty surprised if I could make it to work in less than an hour taking three buses. And waiting at three bus stops in Houston heat is not exactly attractive. Waiting at one would be ok, two, tolerable, three, to travel approximately 7 miles is, IMHO, excessive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can understand the concern for travel times. I agree with that, and it's a problem with public transit in general. What you gain in avoiding being "stuck" in traffic (if there's any) you lose due to things like a local route that makes several stops or having to travel somewhere that, like in your case, requires numerous transfers.

In a perfect world, a transit agency would be able to run service practically anywhere all day and night at desirable frequencies but since the service is already heavily subsidized, you have to get the most bang for the buck, and unfortunately a good number of people don't use public transit, even to downtown.

Visitors are a different animal of course, and they don't like the idea of riding buses to get to places of interest. That I agree with (even if, IMO, it's kind of hypocritical if they are of the mindset that says people should utilize public transit more often).

Do you think visitors to Houston would feel a bit more compelled to "explore" Houston via the BRT if the present and future LRT expansions don't quite take them where they "want" to go?

[MidtownCoog]

IT audit and consulting with a focus on Sarbanes-Oxley for Energy companies.

As far as commute times...

I always come back to my London co-workers.

1.5 hours to get to work at 80 Strand, by a combination of car, train, tube and walking.

[lowspark]

In a perfect world, a transit agency would be able to run service practically anywhere all day and night at desirable frequencies but since the service is already heavily subsidized, you have to get the most bang for the buck, and unfortunately a good number of people don't use public transit, even to downtown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it's a sort of Catch 22. We in Houston have gotten so used to taking our cars everywhere and not using the buses, it's going to take a LOT to get us out of that habit. So which comes first, ridership or increased routes?

I have to think it's the routes -- because I just don't see how ridership can increase if the bus/rail doesn't go where you need it to go. As for people not taking the bus downtown, I don't know why that is. If I worked DT, you can bet I'd be on that park & ride every day.

So Good Question! What DOES it take to get people to ride when the availability and convenience IS there?

I've never done park & ride so I have no clue -- are the buses full? Do they run enough of them or do they run half empty buses just to achieve frequency? If more people rode, would they need more buses?

[MidtownCoog]

I force myself to take the bus. For better or worse, it's better.

The Katy buses are packed. SRO on many days.

[The Great Hizzy!]

The Kingsland and Northwest Station P&R routes are indeed packed, the NWS moreso than Kingsland.

And the lack of public transit usage for commuting/work-related-travel isn't a Houston thing. Every city not named New York has a seriously low percentage of work-related trips via public transit. Some, like in Chicago, are noticeably better but are pretty low still and certainly lower than New York.

[RedScare]

You are right. Houston is not unique in low transit ridership. Over the years, we have gotten an entitlement mentality about our cars. I remember a Chrinicle article about transit a few years back. A woman worked down the street from her husband, and across the street from her neighbor, yet all 3 drove SUVs past the Clear Lake P&R into downtown...and she thought it was funny. Did not want to wait the extra 30 minutes for hubby to get off work.

With THAT mentality, it will take some really expensive gas to get people out of their cars.

[dbigtex56]

As a proponant of public transportation , I hesitate to share my experience with Park and Ride, but here goes.

I spent the weekend with a friend in Galveston. Rather than getting a ride all the way to Houston, he dropped me off at the Clear Lake P&R. We had just missed a departing bus, so I had to wait an hour for the next one (OK, I know - my fault). The waiting area does not have soda machines or a drinking fountain, so I walked to the closest Kwik-E-Mart (about half a mile away) for a squishee.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sweat it out in time, and went to use the public bathroom. It was locked. There's a tower that overlooks the parking lot, presumably manned by a guard. Perhaps he could let me in. But no guard was to be found, so I spent the rest of my wait breaking into cars. (j/k, j/k!)

I'd heard that the seats on P&R buses are comfortable, and they were. What I wasn't prepared for was the noise. Imagine a lower-pitched dentist's drill, amplified to rock concert volume. Yeah...it was that bad. The ride was bumpy to the point of making reading impossible. This went over big with my squishee-filled bladdar.

Maybe this was a dud of a bus. Maybe the Gulf Freeway is bumpier than other routes. Maybe I ought to check the schedule - and time my bathroom visits - more carefully. And maybe thieves haven't yet targeted commuters' cars.

Still, it would be nice to have an unlocked bathroom, a soda machine, a guard to protect riders and their property, and a smooth, quiet ride.

[SpringTX]

Waiting at one would be ok, two, tolerable, three, to travel approximately 7 miles is, IMHO, excessive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you're going only 7 miles, I think you should consider some sort of human-powered form of transportation, such as:

* walking - at a pace of 7 mph, which is brisk, but not running, it should take you 60 minutes, which is less time than spent on those 3 buses, plus you get the benefit of the exercise, which saves you money in long-term health care costs. It also saves you the cost of a gym membership or fitness equipment, etc.

* biking - at a pace of 14 mph, which isn't too fast, it should take you 30 minutes

* rollerblading - maybe 45 minutes

* skateboard, scooter, or motorized scooter - think of the "cool" factor you'd enjoy

[ssullivan]

If you're going only 7 miles, I think you should consider some sort of human-powered form of transportation, such as:

* walking - at a pace of 7 mph, which is brisk, but not running, it should take you 60 minutes, which is less time than spent on those 3 buses, plus you get the benefit of the exercise, which saves you money in long-term health care costs.  It also saves you the cost of a gym membership or fitness equipment, etc.

* biking - at a pace of 14 mph, which isn't too fast, it should take you 30 minutes

* rollerblading - maybe 45 minutes

* skateboard, scooter, or motorized scooter - think of the "cool" factor you'd enjoy 

I'd hope with any of those choices work would have a shower and changing area... I'd hate to work close to someone who just walked seven miles in one hour (that is a VERY fast walk) or biked it or whatever in the heat and humidity we have here nine months of the year!

[ssullivan]

dbigtex56,

Sorry your park and ride experience was not good. Generally those buses are pretty smooth, but it does depend some on the bus you're riding, the driver (some Metro drivers are notorious about sharp, fast turns that throw everyone around), and the roadway. I've generally had no problem reading even on a local Metro bus with the hard seats and people standing in the aisles, and I usually can't read in a moving vehicle.

Anyway, park and ride service here is often very full. In addition to the west/northwest lots, the Gulf Freeway and North Freeway routes are also very popular, to the extent that with almost every Metro schedule change in the last couple of years park and ride lots on those freeways have had increased frequencies added to the schedule. I know there have also been problems with a couple of lots running out of parking spaces.

Overall our bus system provides pretty good coverage, but it doesn't hit everyone, or provide easy options for everyone to get from their neighborhood to their work. I know when I lived in Westchase and worked near Tanglewood riding Metro required three buses and going several miles out of the way. I think it's possible to use the local bus system to commute on a regular basis, but it may require picking a neighborhood based in part on it having bus routes that make it easy to commute to work on the bus. For many people here that may be asking way too much. But in general, if you work downtown or in the Galleria area, you can probably get there with just one transfer because those areas are so well covered.

[MidtownCoog]

I'd hope with any of those choices work would have a shower and changing area

Watch out for Scooter Chick who parks at Travis Place.

I bet she smells good...

I see her every day. Very cool Vespa, though.

[RayLSU]

Who's goal is that?

Yours?

Why live downtown when there are tons of neighborhoods all around it?  I see people who do live down here walking their dogs and think "what a hardship."

Y'all act like the only places to live are 30 miles out.

A mile or two from downtown you can find a real neighborhood, and not a concrete jungle.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

#1 I already live in Midtown...and wouldn't really consider living out in the burbs unless I worked out there.

#2 Why wouldn't you want downtown thriving? Would you prefer that no one lives in downtown? If so, why? It isn't exactly like Midtown is a step up. In fact it really isn't that great for "urban living". I would prefer that living downtown/midtown/intown/whatever would not necessarily come with all the hood ratz and riff-raff that plaques the area. Sure, other areas outside of downtown aren't as bad, but what is wrong with wanting them to clean it up and make it a more thriving residential area?

#3 What exactly does the comment about "walking the dogs" mean?

[lowspark]

If you're going only 7 miles, I think you should consider some sort of human-powered form of transportation, such as:

* walking - at a pace of 7 mph, which is brisk, but not running, it should take you 60 minutes, which is less time than spent on those 3 buses, plus you get the benefit of the exercise, which saves you money in long-term health care costs.  It also saves you the cost of a gym membership or fitness equipment, etc.

* biking - at a pace of 14 mph, which isn't too fast, it should take you 30 minutes

* rollerblading - maybe 45 minutes

* skateboard, scooter, or motorized scooter - think of the "cool" factor you'd enjoy 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All interesting options. However, none of that addresses the fact that our mass transportation system really only serves certain areas well. So if you live/work in those areas, you've got access to the transportation and that's fine. However, I would venture to guess that the vast majority of people who live in Houston are not in that situation. And that's my point when I say that our mass transportation system has a long way to go before it really serves Houston well.

[MidtownCoog]

Ray, my point is that downtown residency, or lack thereof, is not the crisis many make it out to be.

I thinik we'll eventually get there, but there are so many other urban areas we need to fill in as well. Downtown is light years ahead of those areas.

I don't know how else to say walking a dog downtown. Not enough parks, and not fair enough to the pooches IMHO.

[Kirzania]

I don't know how else to say walking a dog downtown.  Not enough parks, and not fair enough to the pooches IMHO.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When we lived in downtown, we were kinda sad about this too. But there is a dog park nearby, the Ervan Chew Dog Park. It's not as nice as Millie Bush and it's a bit of a hike if you're downtown, but it serves its purpose. And, I really have my hopes on this one, but according to the Houston Dog Park location page, "Inside the loop near downtown- The City of Houston and the Parks Department are working on this project." With the increase of residential in Midtown and Downtown, I don't doubt this won't be a reality soon-ish.

[RedScare]

I don't think the dogs really care where they are, as long as the 'puppy chow provider' is with them at the other end of the leash. Keeping some of the active ones in an apartment without a place to run might not be the greatest, but that happens all over town.

I can tell you this. My dog absolutely loves coming downtown for walks. Since her sense of smell is the strongest sense, she goes crazy with all of the smells of downtown, even the great unwashed.

And, nothing brings a smile to my face quicker than seeing a happy dog downtown. But maybe I'm a sucker for that.

[skwatra]

i take the bus from the clear lake P&R several days a week in the afternoon. i could drive downtown in 20 minutes, but instead i drive 8 minutes to the park and ride, and take the 40 minute bus ride (during the day its stops at Fuqua and Monroe unfortunately) to eastwood TC, then an 8 minute walk to UH. i wish it ran more often, but its usually me and 5 housekeepers, and maybe another student or two so i don't expect too much for frequency.

the only reason i do this is because i head back home between 5:30 and 6. at this time there are busses every 10 minutes that go straight to Bay Area, and take less then 30 minutes (driving would not be fun, plus i save on mileage and don't need a parking permit on campus, gas=bus fare). the bus is usually close to full, i've even stood a few times.

and the P&R is overflowing with cars.

dbigtex, more amenities at the park and ride would be nice, but with the frequency (10 minutes during rush hour, 1 HOUR during the day), i assume most people time it to get there right when the bus is going to come. there are no transfers, people aren't usually waiting around.

as for security, i don't think there's much of a need for it. i often leave my car there on friday, take a bus downtown to catch a greyhound to austin, and get it back sunday (only problem with this is i need a ride from downtown since busses don't run on the weekend).

the bus is loud, and something about the Gulf freeway causes a perfect rythym, i usually fall asleep to it even if i don't want to. maybe i'm used to it.

so that's my "commute"

for work, i live and work in CL, so its 10 minutes, and i have no choice but to drive. i could bike (which many people do, we have showers), but i usually have to go to other buildings or downtown, so i need my car at work.

when/if i move downtown/midtown, i'll be a reverse commuter. i've contemplated the idea of leaving my car at the P&R, taking a bus down to clear lake, and not having a car at home on the weekdays. but since its against rush hour the bus would take much longer then driving so i don't think its feasible.

[RedScare]

Apparently, Time Magazine does not subscribe to the theory that casual visitors eschew downtown.

"A rare and exotic species has found its way to Houston of late. Known in other cities as pedestrians, the carless creatures are suddenly appearing along a vibrant 7 1/2-mile stretch of the city, thanks in large part to Houston's new light-rail system. Any new visitor to the city would do well to see them in action--and join them for a ride on the new rails and a stroll around town."

The entire article -

http://www.time.com/time/insidebiz/article...1034703,00.html

[ssullivan]

Working downtown this past week I saw a LOT of families with kids that were obviously tourists during my lunch breaks.

[N Judah]

The August issue of Wallpaper Navigator was supposed to have a feature on Houston, but for some reason I haven't been able to locate it at newsstands yet.

[worldlyman]

It's one thing to want a better city, and quite another to run around with an inferiority complex about where we live.

I lived in Houston for many years before coming to San Diego in 2002. My wife and I looked forward to living in San Diego, getting out of Houston for awhile. While it is delightful here in "America's Finest City" (NOT!), there are things about Houston that I still find preferable, definitely.

And I did return to Houston from December 2003 to July 2004. And I found that I love Houston more than San Diego.

Not even July weather made me want to go back to San Diego! But my wife's license is in California, and I had to go back.

Everyone moans about how downtown Houston lacks this or that compared to a Denver or in one case that I see, San Diego.

Well, I've been to that 16th Street or so in Denver before some years ago. But what else can you do in Denver, so small and limited, unless you're into Colorado skiing or mountain hiking nearby? Houston, you've got so many good attendant metro options from Woodlands to Sugarland to Kemah to Galveston to the Rice Village...downtown Houston is just but one option even if it is "unfinished." (It's a hell of a lot better than downtown Los Angeles in terms of overall entertainment!)

Houston's even got a cool and vibrant suburban Chinatown, packed with pedestrians around the Sin Chao and Dynasty centers especially...an entertainment district in itself; Denver cannot claim to have that!

Now, San Diego's GasLamp has it all. Retail (like that cute outdoor mall the Horton Plaza), clubs and high peak residential areas. We even lived in the GasLamp for a few months. Enjoyable per se.

But I don't know. Downtown San Diego seems too Disney. Really Disney. The area is charming for a night out but it does not take my breath away with any sense of urban ambience (lack of skyscrapers, perhaps?) the way that downtown Houston does. The convergence of tall 'scrapers, clubs, cultural buildings all in array seems to do it for Houston. In San Diego, you only notice the cute sidewalk diners that are lousy and over-priced. (Well, there's a ghostly window at the Horton Hotel that may be worth a look.)

I've always gotten a real big city rush from downtown Houston, whether as a worker who did the tunnels for lunch or walking Main (before it became what it is now) or as a nocturnal reveler who went to Club Spy or the late No Tsu Oh, the most uniquely eccentric coffee shop I've ever seen (nothing like it in San Diego or Tampa or Phoenix or Dallas, fo' sure!).

But why worry about whether Houston becomes "touristy?" San Diego's only real alternative weekly, City Beat, even had a damn good article about the fallacy of being a tourist city. (I hope I still have that article by MsBeak somewhere.)

Downtown Houston is still a positive option for us to go watch movies, plays, the theater, or dance the night away...no matter what the detractors say. And there are decent crowds on a Wednesday or Thursday night in downtown Houston, last I checked in July 2004. Those are facts.

So what if downtown Houston doesn't have Border Books yet, is not a "complete" and "cute" downtown like that of Denver or San Diego? I love downtown Houston's untamed areas juxtaposed with the gentrified areas. I mean, going to Fannin St., the Underground Club there, it's just so Bladerunner.

The thing about San Diego I really HATE is that you are limited to the GasLamp, Uptown Hillcrest and Pacific Beach. It's hard to find cool places outside the entertainment districts. In Houston, you've got Shepherd Plaza, the corner of Fountainview/Richmond and the corridor of W. Gray St., among a few others as complementary options outside of the major entertainment batteries like Rice Village, downtown or the Montrose areas.

It's just that Houston eccentricity or "strangeness" that I miss. Some folks (including some Houstonian friends) say I'm "lucky" to be in San Diego...but I think that's just so superficial. They can all have that vacuous "Uh, surf's up dude" mentality that seems to pervade much of Southern Cali.

In Houston, there is not that overbearing police presence that hounds you for your ticket on METRORAIL. In San Diego, 40 transit cops can keep everyone on the Trolley until everyone's fare is accounted for, as if San Diego, CA is some militarized authoritarian foreign country.

Houston's had some somewhat independent mayors (Whitmire, Brown) outside the rich elite man's club. Well, you all know what's been going on with extremely corrput San Diego city governance, ALWAYS run by elite types. (I bet Donna Frye will win the votes again but for some reason, she won't get the mayor's chair come November.)

I pretty much have a Houston trip planned for later this month and I can't wait to get there!

[MidtownCoog]

Print It!

[largeTEXAS]

Love it, worldlyman! You hit the nail on the head. It's really not all that exciting to be in a touristy place in my opinion. Houston will probably never be touristy like SD because, well, we don't have that beautiful water nor the great weather. I'd like to see downtown grow into a place where you can not just work, but live, and also visit. But, Disney-fication is not the answer. It's all aboust soul, and Disney aint got none!

[worldlyman]

Love it, worldlyman! You hit the nail on the head. It's really not all that exciting to be in a touristy place in my opinion. Houston will probably never be touristy like SD because, well, we don't have that beautiful water nor the great weather. I'd like to see downtown grow into a place where you can not just work, but live, and also visit. But, Disney-fication is not the answer. It's all aboust soul, and Disney aint got none!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with ya, largeTEXAS.

If downtown Houston can get more amenities similar to a Horton Plaza and a Borders Books, I'm all for it.

Sadly though, we see too many complaints because downtown Houston is not Denver or San Diego. (San Diego did have a 13 year head start too.)

Instead, as folks like RedScare have said, let us look at what downtown Houston has accomplished in the past 10 years. The GasLamp of San Diego, while cute, is what it is already. The potential for stunning changes and evolution still exist in Houston in ways that it cannot in landlocked Southern California anymore, in my view.

Look at Los Angeles. The entertainment elites make a big deal over that Hollywood@Highland mall, another typical cookie cutter Southern Cali outdoor contraption that houses the ballyhooed Kodak Theater where they have movie awards.

The pedestrian flow kinda stops at a certain point away from Highland and Hollywood...which kinda deflates that "Hollywood revitalization" hype. Beyond that is still no-man's land with lots of potential predators. But they have done some cool things there nearby like the Caheunga and Sunset Blvd. area.

Still, I hate the way LA is so overhyped while the more impressive accomplishments of downtown Houston are dismissed as second fiddle. I love Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles but when we observe the implications and potential of our Main and Smith St. in downtown H-town...I don't know why there is general negativity in some quarters toward it.

I think the improvements we want in downtown will come, but I prefer to also see things like the Angelika Cafe, Frank's Pizza, Bayou Place, the Red Line going all the way to the 'dome area, KavehKaneh Coffee, Brewery Tap and even the Fertitta Aquarium as a lot accomplished so far.

[largeTEXAS]

Downtown Houston will see lots of growth over the next few decades. It should be steady and slowly gain more and more momentum; not happen all at once. Dtown was so hyped up leading up the Super Bowl that many came to expect that kind of furious building to continue after the big game. Expectations were raised leaving a lot of people anxious for more.

So here we are. I think it's healthy that there hasn't been an explosion of growth downtown...yet. I'm glad there isn't a slew of cheesy theme restaurants or overpriced wax museums. It's inevitable that as downtown gets more and more popular stuff like that will trickle in. But, since Houston's a down-and-dirty kind of town, I expect our core to always have an edge to it. Plus, I kind of like the grit.

[gnu]

...

The thing about San Diego I really HATE is that you are limited to the GasLamp, Uptown Hillcrest and Pacific Beach. It's hard to find cool places outside the entertainment districts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I feel i have to defend San Diego a bit.

I have lived in both Houston and San Diego. I really don't find it much different from Houston as far as entertainment.

I do think Downtown Houston - from an physical standpoint - is more impressive. The larger concentration of tall buildings does it for the most part. but Entertainment-wise...its really no different that San Diego.

There ARE plenty of funky non-corporate places in San Diego.

Have you ever been down to Ocean Beach. Or North Park, University Heights, or even off the beaten path of downtown? How about little Italy? Coronado? La Jolla? Old Town? If you want Asian food you could venture over to Kearny Mesa or Mira Mesa...of course not in the concentration along Bellaire blvd.

Also the San Diego area must have a 10 to 1 (or more) brewpub ratio when compared to Houston.

That's a major plus for SD in my (somewhat intoxicated ) book.

[ssullivan]

It's interesting to hear this discussion of San Diego versus Houston. I was in San Diego just over a week ago for the weekend visiting a friend/coworker who is pushing me a little to consider relocating out there. I am considering it, but any such move would be at least a year off in the future. It would be hard to leave Houston, as I really love the city, but I'm also in a situation with my work where I can live anywhere I want to in the US, and there's not a lot in my personal life tying me down to Houston.

[VelvetJ]

That was great worldlyman. The things you listed that you love about Houston are what I, and I'm sure most of us, love about it as well.

Now, lets do the same comparison to Chicago, New York, Seattle, Miami, Boston, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Tokyo.

I absolutely adore San Diego and really do believe anyone that lives there is lucky. But with all do respect, it's not in Houston's league in terms of economic power, population, size, diversity or importance and IMO, shouldn't be compared.

Most of us here have witnessed what has happened in Downtown in the past 5-7 years and know the world of difference between then and now. I don't think anyone here is trying to discount the progress that has been made by simply pointing out flaws and wanting to improve them and the city.

A number of people have stated they've seen tourist downtown. So have I. It's silly to think that NOT A SINGLE tourist that comes to Houston ever visits downtown. What I think is a more appropriate question is what do those tourist think after their visit downtown ( and this does not include visitors from College Station, East Texas, or Corpus Christi, or Lake Charles).

All of those cities I listed earlier with regard to comparing to Houston all have very strong tourist elements to their identities, however they are not necessarily tourist traps like Vegas, or Orlando, or New Orleans. They are world class cities because they are dynamic and tourism is a large part of it. Yes, I want people from Seattle, Frisco, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles to want to come to Houston JUST for leisure. No, I do not like the fact that the largest city in Texas is also the least tourist friendly. No, I do not like the fact that Houston's TRUE counterparts (Dallas and Atlanta) both get more leisurely tourists than Houston and appear to market themselves better.

Houston has so much potential but the mindset and actions of some of us just makes me nervous that we are really going to screw it up. We could use a powerful forward thinking committe that understands the importance of pedestrian areas and transportation in dynamic cities. We have to come to a collective point where we all understand how important it is to nurture Houston's two most unique neighborhoods (The Montrose and The Heights). 19th Street in the Heights could be even more of a gem, and a plaza with a fountain and street perfomers and artists at the corner of Montrose and Westheimer (tear down the Blockbuster strip center) would be a blessing for Montrose. *note* Somehow convince the residents of Montrose and the city that the best part about arguably the best festival in the City, the Westheimer Arts Fest, was the fact that the street was closed off temporarily and people could walk in the street and enjoy themselves. Lighten up folks.

It wouldn't hurt to have someone with a true vision and take advantage of one of the most diverse section in the city (Sharpstown) and make that mall area a sort of gathering place and "town center" for all of the ethnicities that live in close proximity. There could be a temporary stage area and temporary retail booths where a different ethnic group could hold a public festival in the parking lot one Saturday out of the month.

Can the Harwin Shopping strip get a couple of "entrance" arches and possibly a shopping shuttle that drives the length of the street, as well as a Plaza type development for drop offs and pick ups from the shuttle, so people can "shop and shuttle" without having to drive their cars to every single store?

New ChinaTown along Bellaire is what it is, but the old one on the edge of Downtown could still be turned into a more traditional styled pedestrian ChinaTown found in most other cities across the world. The same could happen for a Vietnamese area. It broke my heart to see that new HUGE BEAUTIFUL Vietnamese monument with the American Soldiers placed in the middle of the parking lot of a STRIP CENTER on Bellaire Boulevard (things like this must come to an end in Houston).

Downtown, The Medical Center, The Reliant Center Area, AstroWorld, Old China Town, Midtown and the Museum District, The Rice University area including the Village, The Montrose, The Heights, Greenway Plaza, The Galleria Area, over to the Sharpstown/Harwin area, and out Westheimer to the Beltway, and not to mention 3 of the city's major parks. If you take a marker and draw a circle around these areas on a map, you will see one FANTASTIC thing. They are all connected and are basically next door to one another. This corridor could become the apple of Houston's eye if they were connected by rail (it HAS to be rail and not bus), and some pedestrian areas were created in them.

Also, Midtown being turned into one of the coolest neighborhoods along the rail on Main, with storefronts below apartments and tons of foliage with hanging pots and lflowerboxes outside some of the apartment windows, forming a colorful vision (the Fannin Flower Shops would be greatful I'm sure), would be something never imagined in this city in recent history.

And on a completely "left-field" note, how about one of those 40ft statues like that of Sam Houston in Huntsville, of a Astronaut or a Rocket of some sort, along the Gulf Freeway near Clear Lake/Nasa. Another museum could be placed next to it (one can never have enough museums) and Willowbrook mall could be re-themed into one of Space. All of this could become another draw for tourists. Not many places can claim a true kin to Outer Space and Nasa and Houston should REALLY take advantage of that. PLUS everyone on their way to the Beach in Galveston, or to Kemah, or to the Dog Track, or Schlitterbahn, or Moody Gardens, or on their way to take a cruise, would have one more reason to make a stop if they are "slapped in the face" with a tourist attraction like a convenient 40ft statue and museum. Can you guys see the tons of people taking pictures along side that statue then skipping across the freeway over to Nasa on the shuttle bus that would connect the two attractions?

OK, I know I drifted off into another world on this post but IMO, things like this would take Houston to another level and that alone would attract tourists and create a "cool" factor I think our city is missing.

[skwatra]

And on a completely "left-field" note, how about one of those 40ft statues like that of Sam Houston in Huntsville, of a Astronaut or a Rocket of some sort, along the Gulf Freeway near Clear Lake/Nasa.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

they recently constructed a building over the Saturn V rocket to protect it from the elements, which is good i guess but really takes away from NASA. the size of it sitting out there at the entrance was great to see.

i do hear rumors that we will be getting a shuttle once they retire the fleet (planned for 2010). i don't see whey we wouldn't get one, smithsonian already has one, so that leaves three between KSC and JSC. maybe they could place it where the future NASA pkwy and Gulf frwy will intersect. but i'm assuming it will go in the rocket park on-site and be included in the tour.

[pineda]

RESTAURANT CONGLOMERATE SELLS CORNER BAKERY

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