Downtown's Old Potential

[Montrose1100]

I guess I never realized how small, and big, Downtown is until I loaded up my google earth. I don't know if its the actual boundaries, but it seems like Downtown is the center of all the freeways. (The entire center). Look at this picture:

© Google 2003

The skyline is only a small section of all the city blocks. I wonder how big it would be if all the blocks (expecially the ocean of surface parking lots) where to have Mid-rises or High-rises. The skyline is in an odd shape, lining down Lousiana Street, and south towards the G.R.B.

How long, or big, do you think Houston's skyline would be compared to the big 3? New York, Chicago, and Hong Kong.

Do you think theres a future to all this land? Surely its value is astronomical.

[Talbot]

it would certainly be a lot bigger and denser than it is now, but I don't think it would be as big as the big 3 yet, i think the skyline will have to go outside of the loop to compare in size and density to them.

And of course, i think there is a future for that land, it's already in the process. Now it is just a matter of time that the land is filled up and Downtown will look even more beautiful than what it is now.

I have high expectations for the city.

[Montrose1100]

I would think it would be cool if the skyline ran straight to the Med. Center, along the same grid.

[nmainguy]

I guess I never realized how small, and big, Downtown is until I loaded up my google earth. I don't know if its the actual boundaries, but it seems like Downtown is the center of all the freeways. (The entire center). Look at this picture:

[Montrose1100]

thanks but its a little too blurry.

*You'll notice this was taken around early 2003. Most neighborhoods don't show up, and are only grass patches. The Toyota center is being constructed, along with 1000 Main (Reliant Energy Plaza), Galleria III, Calpine Cneter, Hilton Ameicas Hotel, Reliant Stadium, and the GRB expansion. Also, the Taz Texas Tornado is still at Astroworld! This might have been early 2002. I'm not so sure. somewhere between 2002-2003.

Edited November 4, 2005 by Montrose1100

[YakuzaIce]

Well different sections of the city are different years. I know a few months ago they put these newer pictures for downtown (they are also higher resolution than the old ones). But the areas in the east and north of that pic are denser than they appear. From that altitude some blocks that have buildings appear to only be surface lots. As for skylines ours won't be as linear as NYC's and chicago's just because we don't have a lake or river restricting it. Also I love how the skyline looks when heading west on I-10 as wou exit onto 59. You have dense, shorter, older buildings in the foreground. While in the back are the tall post modern buildings.

[MidtownCoog]

Does anyone know what city this is?

It reminds me of Houston without all the freeways around downtown.

Is this somewhere in MN or ND?

[UrbaNerd]

Minneapolis, indeed.

[midtown 4.2]

I had always wondered what Houston's skyline would look like if we were to gather up all the buildings from Medcenter, Greeway Plaza, Galleria, Greenspoint, etc etc. and plop them down in the CBD. Could it possibly rival Hong Kong?

[ldogg]

looking at Houston coming north on 288 is something special.... from the Galleria to the west then over to Greenway to the Med Center to Downtown you get a real good feel of just how many skyscrapers we have and how huge the place really is.... there is no doubt that if everything were just a little closer together that we would have a massive city center..

[Montrose1100]

looking at Houston coming north on 288 is something special.... from the Galleria to the west then over to Greenway to the Med Center to Downtown you get a real good feel of just how many skyscrapers we have and how huge the place really is.... there is no doubt that if everything were just a little closer together that we would have a massive city center..

I think there are 2 utopian views of the entire skyline. One, from the Dungeon drop, seeing from out of Katy-Galleria-Greenway-(+)Huntington-Downtown.

Also, the view from the San J. Monument, seeing The Galleria, its looks almost right next to Downtown. A "Little Manhattan".

Manifest Destiny... The Belief that Downtown should reach the west loop.

*Midtowncoog, what does this have to do with the topic?

Edited November 4, 2005 by Montrose1100

[MidtownCoog]

That downtowns look a lot better when they are not surrounded by freeways like Houston's is.

Notice the downtown in the picutre above has room to "breathe"?

[MidtownCoog]

Also, what's this obsession of being crammed together like Hong Kong?

That's so silly.

Bird flu, SARS, etc.

[houstonfella]

Wide Open Spaces: Texas style. That's why I like Houston so much. No "crammed" together people.

[dbigtex56]

Minneapolis, indeed.

Shucks, you beat me to it.

The tip-off for me was the City Hall tower.

[RedScare]

Coog, that is a view of downtown Minneapolis from the Northwest, across the river. On the east, south and west sides, downtown is hemmed in a bit more by freeways. However, unlike Houston's brilliant visionaries, Minneapolis doesn't build it's freeways as high into the air as possible. Therefore, even though the freeways are there, they don't hog the view.

BTW - my all-time favorite Houston freeway design? The Katy Fwy HOV, soaring 60-70 feet in the air. Beautiful.

[Montrose1100]

I think LA and Houston have alot in common, more then people think. (Since this topic has veered to FREEWAYS and not development)

[MidtownCoog]

Looks nice. (in the summer!)

The airplane is even prettier. It's on my wish list.

[Subdude]

Coog, that is a view of downtown Minneapolis from the Northwest, across the river. On the east, south and west sides, downtown is hemmed in a bit more by freeways. However, unlike Houston's brilliant visionaries, Minneapolis doesn't build it's freeways as high into the air as possible. Therefore, even though the freeways are there, they don't hog the view.

BTW - my all-time favorite Houston freeway design? The Katy Fwy HOV, soaring 60-70 feet in the air. Beautiful.

Agreed that the elevated freeways are ugly, but what really makes that picture of Minneapolis nice is the green space, instead of a view of surface parking lots. Just like Houston, it probably depends on the angle. Our downtown looks like is surrounded by parkland on photos taken down Allen Pkwy.

[MidtownCoog]

Even Pike's Market in Seattle has an expressway running right under it.

I guess its everywhere.

[Subdude]

I read in a circa-1965 magazine article that, when it was built, it was thought that the I-10/Pierce Elevated/59 "loop" around downtown would help spur downtown redevelopment, which was a concern because downtown was getting a bit ratty by then. The idea was that having the freeways define a downtown boundary for the first time would somehow concentrate new development. I don't think the theory really panned out, though.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Lower Manhattan has an elevated freeway looping around it as well as the James Lick (I think) near DT San Francisco. Of course, they don't form complete loops and the critical mass of dense structures minimizes the optical effect.

[MidtownCoog]

OK, for you speed freaks out there. Take the loop around downtown for some fun and nice view.

Enter 59 North at McGowen.

59 to I-10 W (the best part is the connector)

I-10 to 45/Pierce

45/Pierce to 59 North

The sport wagon approves of this drive.