When You Think Of Houston...

[houstonfella]

Houston is, well, HOUSTON. There's only one, the one I love. Energy capital of the world. Space City. Bayou City. The good, the bad, the ugly. Great, awesome and eclectic. International. Diverse. Houston is itself.

[The Great Hizzy!]

You do realize that people have made "hating" something or someplace fashionable, right? You do realize that people levy attributes or demerits on a place based on hearsay, right? For example, "Houston is dirty." Relative to whom? Are you trying that hard to convey such a lie as to suggest that the great majority of cities aren't pretty dirty? Who came up with that? Seriously. Walking along some SF streets can be like walking across a field at a horse ranch. And so forth.

"Houston has bugs." Yeah? And? First person to inspect New York, Chicago, Miami or San Francisco and not find bugs, gets $100.00. Granted, you're less likely to find mosquitoes on the west coast but gimmie a break. Only a jackass would spend every waking day making this into the big deal that some make it out to be.

Mosquitoes! Really relavant on a November afternoon.

Houston is hot! A hellish place! Yeah, another relevant gem on March or April afternoon.

So at the end of the day, I don't think you should really care what people who clearly have an agenda, absent of facts, think. They're going to think it regardless. Be yourself and be comfortable with who you are and let the vane, self-absorbed, self-appointed cool people continue lying to themselves about who or what is great.

It's as sad as the other people in Texas running around lying to themselves about how Houston is so much hotter than everyone else in the state. Are they on drugs? Do they wake up and come up with this crap so as to try and mitigate their misery? I'm dead serious. I even had one jackass say that Houston almost always gets colder than Austin, and I'm thinking to myself, "Are you high? Do you record this ____ daily or is it something profound you can say that'll help hide reality?" It's like, any negative they can levy on Houston, they'll do it, without reason, and I can see why some Houstonians are defensive; it's like that they have to deflect some moron creating nonsense just for the hell of it, out of the blue, and without any basis in fact.

I'd love to see an ad campaign that said, "Houston! And f*** you, too."

[Heights2Bastrop]

From Emily: First of all, anyone with a Texas accent sounds slow, no two ways about it. I hail from the North-East, and I need to talk fast, and a lot.

Doesn't she understand that a Texan can say more in a 10-word drawl than a Northeasterner could in a 2-hour rant?

[Kirzania]

Doesn't she understand that a Texan can say more in a 10-word drawl than a Northeasterner could in a 2-hour rant?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Correction: "A Texan can say more with a 10-word drawl and a shotgun [...]"

Besides, we don't have annoying words like "wadder," "bonnyclapper," "fuss-budget," "Double runner," and "bee-ah" or weird phrases like "I want you should [do something]." Even better, we don't say "hoagie." Honestly, it's a sub, a sub, dammit!

[KimberlySayWhat]

You do realize that people have made "hating" something or someplace fashionable, right? You do realize that people levy attributes or demerits on a place based on hearsay, right? For example, "Houston is dirty." Relative to whom? Are you trying that hard to convey such a lie as to suggest that the great majority of cities aren't pretty dirty? Who came up with that? Seriously. Walking along some SF streets can be like walking across a field at a horse ranch. And so forth.

"Houston has bugs." Yeah? And? First person to inspect New York, Chicago, Miami or San Francisco and not find bugs, gets $100.00. Granted, you're less likely to find mosquitoes on the west coast but gimmie a break. Only a jackass would spend every waking day making this into the big deal that some make it out to be.

Mosquitoes! Really relavant on a November afternoon.

Houston is hot! A hellish place! Yeah, another relevant gem on March or April afternoon.

So at the end of the day, I don't think you should really care what people who clearly have an agenda, absent of facts, think. They're going to think it regardless. Be yourself and be comfortable with who you are and let the vane, self-absorbed, self-appointed cool people continue lying to themselves about who or what is great.

It's as sad as the other people in Texas running around lying to themselves about how Houston is so much hotter than everyone else in the state. Are they on drugs? Do they wake up and come up with this crap so as to try and mitigate their misery? I'm dead serious. I even had one jackass say that Houston almost always gets colder than Austin, and I'm thinking to myself, "Are you high? Do you record this ____ daily or is it something profound you can say that'll help hide reality?" It's like, any negative they can levy on Houston, they'll do it, without reason, and I can see why some Houstonians are defensive; it's like that they have to deflect some moron creating nonsense just for the hell of it, out of the blue, and without any basis in fact.

[KimberlySayWhat]

Going a little further off topic here.

Another prime example of how Southerners are viewed:

This is from some idiot in Florida (of all places) on a UK board for the TV show "Lost". The following was a response to a thread asking how many Americans there are on the board.

 

Lost Fan:

Arent yankies from the north and others from the south.

Dale Cooper (aka idiot Floridian):

Yeah, in the U.S., but it just became a general term for American in Europialand. The rednecks (southern hicks) in the U.S. call northerners Yankees with the intention of insulting them, but northerners would rather be a yankee than a redneck so it's not really an insult.

Keltic:

Now I'm really confused, this is more intriguing than Lost!

Who did vote Bush? 

Mostly rednecks and rural types. The larger coastal cities where the educated types live usually vote Democrat.

Of course the religious fundies pushed it over the edge (being afraid of gay people and legal abortions as they tend to be).

[ssullivan]

I generally find when I'm not in Houston that when people find out where I'm from they're very intrigued and want to know a lot about it. 90% of the time they've either been here and loved it, or have never visited our city but have always wanted to, kind of like someone might have always wanted to go to New York but has never been.

Amazingly, the only time I seem to run into people who have a lot of negative things to say about Houston is when I'm here in Texas, and often they're people in my hometown who think I'm totally insane for moving here, liking it, and actually staying here for more than five years. Of course these are usually people who bother crossing the county line only about three times a year.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I have found that many Southerners take just as dim a view of Texas and Texans as do Northerners.

[largeTEXAS]

Keep Houston Ugly!

[ssullivan]

I have found that many Southerners take just as dim a view of Texas and Texans as do Northerners.

Guess I'm an exception. I love people from up North!

I also find that people who meet me in other places are often surprised that I'm from Houston, and that I'm a native Texan. They usually assume I'm from the Northeast due to having none of the Texas twang and just coming across more like a Northerner than a Texan.

[bachanon]

same here, although i was born in houston and raised in conroe, i didn't develop a southeast texas accent. people i meet from other states are surprised to find that i've always lived here.

midtown coog: i like the suggestion you made - "houston, be yourself". that concept could make a great campaign. imagine a commercial with images of houston's diverse population (different nationalities, cultures, subcultures) with a tag line something like "it's houston........be yourself". or a series of close ups with our beautifully diverse population simply saying to the cameria "I, am Houston". it would be important to include not only varied nationalities but musicians, artists, cyclists, athletes, etc.

[MidtownCoog]

Thanks. I actually submitted this idea to one of our multiple competing organizations that try to promote Houston.

I had the same vision as you for an ad campaign.

And I like "Houston - be yourself" becuase since I have seen Houston try to reinvent itself so many times with failed campaigns.

So I thought why not just "be yourself"?

That's what I do everyday, and I am a native.

[bachanon]

it's smart on two levels; the one you just mentioned, and the fact that anyone can be themselves in houston. "houston, be yourself" reminds me of the individuality and uniqueness of the residents of houston. it brings to mind all the different types of people i've met over the years here in houston, and the positive attitudes and desire for betterment the majority of them share along side people with differing values, cultures, etc.

guess i'm gushing houston again.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Houston - Feel The Energy, Be The Energy!

[Gary]

How's this for a slogan; "Houston is like a fungus, it grows on you."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is a great quote as it's exactly what happened to me. I've said before that I had a very dim view of Houston before I started touring through the city in the early nineties. Everyone told me it was filthy and full of industry.

Afer my fourth tour through the city I was convinced I had to move here. I was so drawn to it's wildness, architecture, and kindness of the people, I moved here within 6 months.

Although I miss my Hermosa Beach weather I have grown to really love the uniqueness of Houston, it's so different than I was told and I'm happy to call it home.

[ilovehouston]

humidity

strip malls

sprawl

overweight people

[Guest danax]

Although I miss my Hermosa Beach weather I have grown to really love the uniqueness of Houston, it's so different than I was told and I'm happy to call it home.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep, I moved from out CA and it was the same thing for me.

Here's another possibility " Houston, America's 4th biggest city and her 1st biggest secret". I know, bad English but that would also work for those that think of us as all characters from King of the Hill.

[RedScare]

Thanks.  I actually submitted this idea to one of our multiple competing organizations that try to promote Houston.

I had the same vision as you for an ad campaign.

And I like "Houston - be yourself" becuase since I have seen Houston try to reinvent itself so many times with failed campaigns. 

So I thought why not just "be yourself"? 

That's what I do everyday, and I am a native.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good call, Coog. It is comfortable on many levels. A campaign showing off the diversity of the city, while not trying to be someone else's city, would bust a lot of stereotypes.

I have to admit, in watching the myriad attempts to promote the city as something it is not, I always wondered why we didn't promote the reason we all love it here...and that is that you CAN be yourself.

[VelvetJ]

Well, some may dismiss this post, but I love Houston and I'm not going to sit here and post a million reasons why I SHOULD like my city because I already do. I'm not going to be in denial about our city and the fact that it can be a better place.

J.A.S.O.N, I have to say that your slogan for Houston is just brilliant. "Houston, Texas' International City". I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

First let me say that not caring what others think of you is a great thing........to a degree. As large of a city as we are, I think it is totally unrealistic and self-defeating to not care how the world see's us. Houston is not the only place on earth. There are billions of other people and thousands of other cities, and for Houston to exist as if the only thing that matters is itself can come back to haunt us if we aren't careful.

Now on to the title of the thread. Completely from a personal standpoint, when people hear the word Houston, I want them to think:

Diverse

Cool

Hip

Progressive

Cheap

Green

Welcoming

Activity filled

Accepting

Fun

The Beach

Cruise Ships

Palm Trees

Southern Culture

Modern diverse population in terms of educational background, financial status, occupation, and lifestyle.

A place with distinct neighborhoods or parts of town.

A place with great Architecture and great skyline(s)

Nasa

A place with great food and restaurants.

A place that has a great environment for artists of all types.

This is what I want the world to think of when they hear the words Houston, Texas.

As most of us know, most of the things I listed are already true about Houston, but the world as a whole do not think of these things. I have found that there are tons of people that don't even realize we are near the Gulf of Mexico and believe Houston is a dusty south Texas town. I have found that most people don't know and are quite surprised to hear Houston is the 4 largest city because after NY, LA, and Chicago, they automatically think of Frisco, Boston, Miami, Philly, Seattle, even Dallas and Atlanta before Houston.The question is why? But first we have to make our citizens understand WHY we should even care that other places are thought of before us. We have to be realistic about the fact that when most people think of a city in Texas, Dallas comes to mind first, and why we should care about that, and most importantly, that caring about those things does not mean we have to completely change our modus operendi (sp?) based soley on what others think of us. It's possible to be ourselves as well as be aware of how the world see's us also.

How can we make these things a reality? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is promote the HECK out of Houston throughout the sunbelt first. But only the positive things and the things that most don't automatically associate with Houston or know about such as The Beach, Palm Trees, Diversity, a night shot of Main Steet on a Saturday night, specifically Ultra Twister at AstroWorld, some of the funky storefronts on lower Westheimer in the Montrose, The Museum District, The Galleria, The rail line, specifically the college names of UH, Rice, TSU and PVAM, shots of all of our sports teams, Theater Arts, Kemah, Space Center Houston, The Horse and Dog Tracks, and a large shot of Dowtown, The Medical Center, Greenway Plaza, and Uptown all in a single clear sunny shot. And in addition to J.A.S.O.N.'s fantastic slogan, we can also have one that states: "Houston, It's More Than You Think".

Note- Nothing on the Medical Center, no shots of the ship channel, no refinery shots, and no shots of any Cowboys at the Rodeo. Although these things are a part of who we are, those things are either not too flattering or they are things people expect.

Right now, a campaign like that should be targeted specifically to Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Little Rock, New Orleans, Jackson and Bilouxi Missippi, Birmingham, Memphis, Huntsville Alabama, Atlanta, and Nashville. Nothing to Austin or San Antone or anyplace in Florida right now.

Lastly, we should really focus on making certain areas of our city or certain points of interest more pedestrian friendly and providing extremely easy transportation to them until rail can get there. Can you guys imagine the Harwin Wholesale strip if it were pedestrian friendly? Those buses from Mexico on there way back from the casinos would stop, park, and the visitors would have a field day on Harwin (now they stop in Walmarts across the city). Can you imagine if one of our China Towns were really really pedestrian friendly and full of life? If I'm not mistaken we have the largest Asian population in the South and the only China Town in the South. We should take advantage of that. I think Uptown is on it's way to becoming more pedestrian friendly.

I continue to bring up pedestrian areas because most of the world live in places where walking is a part of life. Many believe in order to TRULY get to know a city is on foot. There are very few places like that in Houston and we could really benefit from it.

Pedestrian areas and a convenient way to get there. I'm telling you, it would change the face of our city not only for ourselves but to the rest of the world, and it really has nothing to do with "trying to be like someone else". If you ask me, using the same theme in the new proposal for the Astrodome, that is used in Dallas' hotel is like trying to be like someone else. Trimming a downtown building in Neon Green is like trying to be like someone else. And building a freeway interchange with the same design and color scheme as the High Five Freeway project in Dallas, is like trying to be like someone else. But I digress.

Houston is a wonderful city that does indeed have it's own unique flavor, but I don't think there is anything wrong with finding out what makes successful cities work and taking the blue print of that and making it work for us, in turn making the world view us in a better light.

*note* Houston, please take the tunnel concept of I-45 the north freeway seriously. One of, if not THE biggest festering open sores in our city is I-45 between the beltway and 610.

[nmainguy]

I generally find when I'm not in Houston that when people find out where I'm from they're very intrigued and want to know a lot about it. 90% of the time they've either been here and loved it, or have never visited our city but have always wanted to, kind of like someone might have always wanted to go to New York but has never been.

Good point ssul. When I first started to travel to Europe in the 80's and told people I was from the US I generally got a sneer. So on my next trip I told them I was from Texas. It was like day and night "OOO!!!!! Le Cowboy!" It was so exotic to them so it was kinda nice to get the positve attention. Now when I go anywhere overseas saying I'm a Texan gets me a snear because of shrub. So now all I say is I'm from Houston. "OOO!!!!! Le Astronauts on the moons and ze station in space!"

Now THAT is what I call proud of being a native Houstonian. We don't need another worthless campaign that get's us nowhere. We just need to keep on doing what we do. Over 5 million people [metro area] can't all be wrong.

[MidtownCoog]

"Be Yourself" would be a lot more effective than "It's worth it".

"It's worth it" sounds like there is something wrong with, or working against, Houston to begin with.

Now get out there and BE YOURSELF today!

No posing!

[brijonmang]

yeah and in the commercials we could play that song "express yourself"... its pretty catchy

[VelvetJ]

For every Houstonian that thinks our city is perfect, there are Houstonians that see there is room for improvement, and are thinking of ways to do it. My goodness.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Who thinks Houston is perfect?

[brijonmang]

I LOVE Houston...but to use the word perfect when describing it? HAHA

[RedScare]

I'll bet you couldn't find a Houstonian that thinks it is perfect. By the same token, most Houstonians appreciate the strides Houston is making and encourages more of the same. Most are not ready to commit suicide over it.

You listening, Houstonsemipro?

[VelvetJ]

Who thinks Houston is perfect?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You do.

[MidtownCoog]

"Houston - It's Perfect"

[VelvetJ]

There was a fantastic article in yesterday's Chronicle about Rice University and how it's having a hard time recruiting students from around the country and even from within Texas because it is located in Houston. Think I'm exaggerating? Check out the link below (Only those that subscribe to the chronicle and can provide an account number will be able to see it. Because it is from yesterday, I can't post a direct link because it is now archived).

Link

People, this image thing is no joke. Think what you will of the outside worlds negative view of us, but we are the one's being hurt by it. This has nothing to do with anything we have accomplished in our past. This is about who we are today and where we should be going in the future. So mentioning how many Stadiums the city opened within a few years of each other is not worth a hill of beans to me with regard to our image.

There are some positive things in the article about a few students who have come to like Houston after being here a couple of years, but the subject of the article is about how the city of Houston itself turns students off and choose to go elsewhere. That is a HECK of a statment to make folks and should be something to think about.

[MidtownCoog]

Yet people go to school in Lubbock and College Station?

I kinda see your point, but lets get real.

Rice blows both of those school out of the water. And don't get me started on how great life is in Lubbock and College Station.

If anything is holding Rice back, it's those high admission requirements.