editor Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Looks like Jones Plaza is getting yet another overhaulhttp://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/busine...ff/6239834.htmlLast fall, Central Houston quietly invited a group of big-name architecture firms to submit their qualifications to recommend design changes for the plaza, bordered by Louisiana, Texas, Capitol and Smith streets at the core of downtown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 NO! Bad parks administrator!Fix Market Square first before you go tearing up something that is somewhat passable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 waste of money IMO. There are many parks that are relatively ignored that could benefit from some of this funding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I'm with Niche here. Market Square needs some help.I went to a Dynamo rally in Jones Plaza a while back. There was also some other event where different restaurants participated. This plaza functions very well as is, regardless of design preferences. They just need to organize more activities to draw more people. Bring back "Party on the Plaza". That was really cool back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Well not to be against everyone here, but Jones plaza is horrible from the outside. The "main" opening, is like a cul-da-sac. The inside is nice, I like all the fountains & tables, but it should have been done right back in 01'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Can I vote to fix BOTH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porchman Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Why not just add a bunch of showerheads on Jones Plaza? It would complete the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 NO! Bad parks administrator!Fix Market Square first before you go tearing up something that is somewhat passable.Agreed. Jones is often used and Market Square is rarely used. Market Square is a better place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 It would be great if you could get your lunch somewhere around Mkt Sq and go sit outside on a nice day and eat at a table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 They just need to organize more activities to draw more people. Bring back "Party on the Plaza". That was really cool back then.but the cops were running people off. they didn't want "certain" types there i.e. skaters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 It would be great if you could get your lunch somewhere around Mkt Sq and go sit outside on a nice day and eat at a table.Treebeard's and Market Square Bar & Grill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Treebeard's and Market Square Bar & Grill....or Les Givral's or Franks.Not many people walk through the square, it's generally bum infested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 ...or Les Givral's or Franks.Not many people walk through the square, it's generally bum infested.I'd like to see it return to its former Market Square splendor, with a weekly farmer's market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 ...or Les Givral's or Franks.Not many people walk through the square, it's generally bum infested."Bum infested" is a bit overstated. I walked through it twice a day when I parked in the Mkt Square garage. Bums ranged from none to two or three. A much bigger problem was that it is absolutely uninviting and unimaginative...except to the dogs who crap there.They tried to bring back the farmers market 4 years ago. It died a quick death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 "Bum infested" is a bit overstated. I walked through it twice a day when I parked in the Mkt Square garage. Bums ranged from none to two or three. A much bigger problem was that it is absolutely uninviting and unimaginative...except to the dogs who crap there.I agree, I would not call it bum-infested. Spend a little time at the Greyhound station or Allen's Landing (sometimes) for some perspective.They tried to bring back the farmers market 4 years ago. It died a quick death.I seem to remember something like that, but maybe it might do better now that downtown is a little more lively? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Why a farmer's market? I'm not going downtown for my veggies. They need to fill it with street artists, fortune tellers, and productive homeless people (beggar musicians). Jackson Square rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Why a farmer's market? I'm not going downtown for my veggies. They need to fill it with street artists, fortune tellers, and productive homeless people (beggar musicians). Jackson Square rocks. Some of us live downtown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Okay, it's not bum infested. 1 or 2 doesn't qualify it for that. Anyway, it's still uninviting. I park at the Kim Son garage, so I walk by all the time.Don't they already have a farmer's market at Discover Green? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Okay, it's not bum infested. 1 or 2 doesn't qualify it for that. Anyway, it's still uninviting. I park at the Kim Son garage, so I walk by all the time.Don't they already have a farmer's market at Discover Green?Yeah, but it sucks. The one at Tafia is much better. I haven't been to the one at La Strada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Yeah, but it sucks. The one at Tafia is much better. I haven't been to the one at La Strada.I drove by La Strada the other morning and I wasn't sure what that was. I've heard the market at Rice is a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 lol, some cheese and a couple of boxes of tomatoes in a parking lot is not a farmers market. Besides, the 7 people in Houston who care have already gotten up at 6 am to buy all the tomatoes anyway. I'm with 20th st dad. Bring on the street performers! Go-cups and tarot cards! And some damn mobile food vendors. Our urban quotient would go up a ton if one could buy and eat a shawarma on the sidewalks of downtown Houston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I'm with 20th st dad. Bring on the street performers! Go-cups and tarot cards! And some damn mobile food vendors. Our urban quotient would go up a ton if one could buy and eat a shawarma on the sidewalks of downtown Houston.How about a taco truck? That would rawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 How about a taco truck? That would rawk.yep! taco trucks, hot dogs, dudes on bicycles pulling little keg trailers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 And some damn mobile food vendors.I read a history of Market Square somewhere that had mentioned how the tamale vendors were chased out of it at one point by city officials and/or police. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I suspect that tamale vendors, shawarma and fortune tellers isn't quite the "upscale" image that downtown would like to project. For some reason the appeal of farmer's markets is totally lost on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I suspect that tamale vendors, shawarma and fortune tellers isn't quite the "upscale" image that downtown would like to project. For some reason the appeal of farmer's markets is totally lost on me.Who belongs to this downtown hivemind, anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I suspect that tamale vendors, shawarma and fortune tellers isn't quite the "upscale" image that downtown would like to project. sigh, I suspect you're right. But when it comes to urban 'vibrancy' don't we really mean 'more people' ? 100 people in a square eating sausage on a stick and watching clowns make animal balloon looks busier, and therefore better (especially in brochure photographs) than 10 people buying locally grown micro greens and cutely packaged cheese. I cannot give up on my downscale, downtown food cart dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 sigh, I suspect you're right. But when it comes to urban 'vibrancy' don't we really mean 'more people' ? 100 people in a square eating sausage on a stick and watching clowns make animal balloon looks busier, and therefore better (especially in brochure photographs) than 10 people buying locally grown micro greens and cutely packaged cheese.It does?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 (edited) It does??It absolutely does. Density and its shiny cousin 'vibrancy' , at their most basic, just mean attracting more bodies downtown. This is Houston, not the Bay Area. You're gonna attract more people with a hot dog cart and beer than cheese and turnips. OK maybe not clowns. They can be scary. Edited February 3, 2009 by crunchtastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I want local interaction, not tourism. Farmer's market is better than festival for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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