Citizens National Bank At 402 Main St.

[C2H]

In all fairness, DT Denver really isn't that much busier than DT Houston. We're not talking about a complete ghost town of a CBD on weekends or nights but it certainly isn't where it was or where most of us hopes it will be.

When was the last time you were in downtown Denver? Denver's downtown has really grown over the past few years and has pedestrian activity night and day. 16th St Mall is even busy on Sundays now! You'd be lucky to see 1 person in downtown Houston on a Sunday.

[RedScare]

Our city is really a very young one. Maybe comparing to 200 yr old cities like LA is unfair, but remember the whole DT LA area is very old/historic and thats why it seems ugly to many people.

Umm....Houston is 14 years OLDER than Los Angeles.

[Highway6]

Umm....Houston is 14 years OLDER than Los Angeles.

HAHAHA Burrrn !!!!!! ....Ok.. Half a burn !

Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Se

Edited November 1, 2007 by Highway6

[C2H]

Umm....Houston is 14 years OLDER than Los Angeles.

Oh no its not, not to argue with you Red but LA was founded in the 1700s

**** EDIT ************

I just saw Highway 6 comment above. He posted the same time i posted mine

Edited November 1, 2007 by C2H

[RedScare]

Not a burn at all. The suggestion by Vertigo is that Los Angeles was some thriving metropolis similar to New York and Boston in the early 1800s. The fact is, it was merely a Mexican outpost with a few hundred farmers for decades. Houston had a larger population than Los Angeles until the 1890s. It was not until 1900 that Los Angeles even reached 100,000 in population, and even then it was barely that. The explosive population growth began during that decade, meaning that LA is at best a 100 year old city, just as Houston is largely considered a 60 year old city.

[Highway6]

It was not until 1900 that Los Angeles even reached 100,000 in population, and even then it was barely that. The explosive population growth began during that decade, meaning that LA is at best a 100 year old city, just as Houston is largely considered a 60 year old city.

Where do you get 60 yr old city ? When did Houston reach 100,000 people ?

I've found Harris County had a pop of 115,693 in 1910.. cant find just Houston though.

And no.. it's still half a burn in my book.

Edited November 1, 2007 by Highway6

[RedScare]

Houston's explosive population growth really began after World War II. Los Angeles began growing rapidly in the early 1900s, but exploded in the 1920s. This probably explains the wealth of art deco buildings in the city.

Houston's population reached 140,000 by 1920.

Please explain how Los Angeles is a "200 year old CITY", as Vertigo defined it. Perhaps your definition of a CITY is different than mine.

[Highway6]

Please explain how Los Angeles is a "200 year old CITY", as Vertigo defined it. Perhaps your definition of a CITY is different than mine.

Uhmm.. I think we got our burns crisscrossed. I was saying you burned him with the 'became municipality dates" (hence the part I bolded)... not the founding dates.

I cant explain or defend vertigo's claims since i think they're pretty silly.

[RedScare]

Uhmm.. I think we got our burns crisscrossed. I was saying you burned him with the 'became municipality dates" (hence the part I bolded)... not the founding dates.

I cant explain or defend vertigo's claims since i think they're pretty silly.

My bad. C2H's post seemed to suggest the opposite, and I lumped yours with his. My apologies.

FWIW, here is a pretty cool link where I got most of my Houston numbers.

http://www.houstonhistory.com/decades/history5i.htm

As you look at the population increases, it is fairly clear when things started jumping. While Houston clearly began growing in the 1900s, it exploded after the War. LA exploded in the 1920s.

[Jax]

I guess I'm in the minority too. Give me a nice townhome inside the loop over anything in the Woodlands, Katy or Sugarland. I just don't see any reason to live way out there. So bland, uninteresting and chain infested. Sugarland seems ok but I still couldn't live there either. Inner city living imo has the best stores, restaurants, culture, museums, nightlife, mature trees and everything else.

Totally agree with you there. If I stay in Houston there's no chance I'll live in the burbs. It's more likely that I will move to a different metro area than move to Katy or Sugarland.

[crunchtastic]

  FWIW, here is a pretty cool link where I got most of my Houston numbers.

[url="http://www.houstonhistory.com/decades/history5i.htm"]http://www.houstonhistory.com/decades/history5i.htm[/url]

Hey, that is a cool link. Thanks Red. Out of curiosity I clicked on 1965-70 and was happy to see the Astrodome front and center. Not sure where stand on the tear it down/build a hotel debate, but as a kid I thought it was just the coolest place.

[Ethanra]

DT Houston 1955. The galleria and other areas have killed DT. I have heard stories from older generations about taking the bus DT to go shopping/eating and how it was exciting. You can look through the blog and see before and after pictures of DT. It is amazing the number of old buildings and shops that were torn down for parking lots. It truly is sad.......

[Jimcj5]

DT Houston 1955. The galleria and other areas have killed DT. I have heard stories from older generations about taking the bus DT to go shopping/eating and how it was exciting. You can look through the blog and see before and after pictures of DT. It is amazing the number of old buildings and shops that were torn down for parking lots. It truly is sad.......

The caption on those photos note that they're from a civil defense drill. I'd bet DT would look as packed today if such drills were still happening. I'll trade the city-wide exercise in imagining nuclear annihilation for less street level bustle any day.

I'll also trade the bus(!?) for my car, or any other means of locomotion.

[RedScare]

The caption on those photos note that they're from a civil defense drill.

So, I guess the Galleria didn't kill downtown. Reagan did.

[worldlyman]

Downtown Los Angeles.

I used to spend quite a bit of my time going to the Central L.A. Library on some weekdays.

Broadway in downtown is quite a terrific urban vista where those pics were taken. As someone said, you can definitely tell that the ship has definitely sailed away when it comes to "reviving" or "gentrifying" downtown. That part of downtown L.A. is most definitely a crowded shopping mecca for the poor, mostly Latino during the day. BUT...when the sun goes down (or after it's time to leave the library)...downtown Los Angeles shuts down. Better get to your car, buddy, before you lose sight of your own shadow!

Other parts of downtown L.A. that are new such as the Grand Ave area...are ironically terminally sterile with skinny sidewalks! Ain't that something.

I do enjoy downtown L.A.'s old Chinatown. It's not too bustling but it's still active enough for an urban excursion or meal. And it's not too scary in the daytime at all.

However...

I like downtown Houston the way it mixes the new with the old. Perhaps noticeably reliable commercial pedestrian activity will be more substantial as the Houston Pavilions is completed and humming.

Downtown Houston's weekend nightlife has stabilized. It's not the super crowded sidewalk club chic of 1998-2004 but rather a more casual place that offers a mix of bars, lounges and restaurants and a few clubs.

[Htowngirl]

Well, obviously there in no Walgreens, or an upscale restaurant there... any updates? Is anything in the works?

[musicman]

Well, obviously there in no Walgreens, or an upscale restaurant there... any updates? Is anything in the works?

at this point, downtown isn't a "hot spot" any more. being satisified with with the current options is the best we can hope for. i heard lease negotiations for mkt square grille are in work. i just hope they stay.

[bkjones98]

at this point, downtown isn't a "hot spot" any more. being satisified with with the current options is the best we can hope for. i heard lease negotiations for mkt square grille are in work. i just hope they stay.

Whoa! I hope Market Street Grill doesn't leave, I need their Philly Cheese Steak to stay sane.

[musicman]

Whoa! I hope Market Street Grill doesn't leave, I need their Philly Cheese Steak to stay sane.

ditto cept for me is their jalapeno burger with pepperjack cheese

[lockmat]

But if a true mixed-income neighborhood is in place downtown, it will be able to weather such changes in trends, and remain stable.

Do the economics allow for such a thing w/o subsidy?

[houstonmacbro]

Get ready for this........last night, got to see many of my peeps who used to work at MBar. It did officially close on Saturday (1/13) BTW. Most of them landed gigs in midtown. Well, last night, I saw the former GM of the place, Carlos. He told me why the club went down.

It had nothing to do with business.

It had everything to do with who was gonna replace MBar at the old Citizens Bank site.

MBar is gonna be replaced by a WAL-GREENS

For those who dont know, the Site is at the corner of Main and Preston

Alot of us have campaigned for a grocery store downtown. Now while Wal-Greens is a CVS-Clone, in reality, its also the closest thing downtown has ever had to a full fledge grocery store. I guess the transformation of Downtown into a more friendlier residential component has begun. So how do you feel about this? You against the CVS-Close raiding the Downtown nightlife scene. Or are you for this mini grocery store helping downtowns residential aspirations?

Discuss.

Will 'downtown' (not Midtown) ever see a grocery store...? Like a nice Whole Foods or something.

[musicman]

Will 'downtown' (not Midtown) ever see a grocery store...? Like a nice Whole Foods or something.

when the downtown resident population increases considerably, so will retail of this type.

[Daniepwils]

There should be a grocery store in downtown by the end of the year I would imagine. It is going to be at the corner of McKinney and Austin (in the new Park Place Building aka Fingers Building across from 5 Houston Center)

[musicman]

Whoa! I hope Market Street Grill doesn't leave, I need their Philly Cheese Steak to stay sane.

it looks like they are closing at the end of the month.

EDIT: he is exploring the old dancing marlin. i just hope the owners of that offer reasonable rent. most of the owners downtown are still demanding too much which is ridiculous

Edited January 26, 2008 by musicman

[The Great Hizzy!]

it looks like they are closing at the end of the month.

EDIT: he is exploring the old dancing marlin. i just hope the owners of that offer reasonable rent. most of the owners downtown are still demanding too much which is ridiculous

I agree completely. Of course, you'd think the market would dictate the price, especially since a significant number of businesses have either closed or move from that part of downtown, but greed/arrogance is often blinding.

[bkjones98]

it looks like they are closing at the end of the month.

EDIT: he is exploring the old dancing marlin. i just hope the owners of that offer reasonable rent. most of the owners downtown are still demanding too much which is ridiculous

I am really sad to see that place go. Where is the old Dancing Marlin.

Also, the end of Jan. or Feb.?

[musicman]

I am really sad to see that place go. Where is the old Dancing Marlin.

Also, the end of Jan. or Feb.?

it is on the same block but on main street side (main@congress). st. pete's dancing marlin. they vacated in 2nd half of 2007.

i believe the end of january will be it.

[bkjones98]

it is on the same block but on main street side (main@congress). st. pete's dancing marlin. they vacated in 2nd half of 2007.

i believe the end of january will be it.

Two points: I didn't realize Dancing Marling closed. That surprises me.

Second, I just ate at Market Street today, and, for what it

[musicman]

Two points: I didn't realize Dancing Marling closed. That surprises me.

Second, I just ate at Market Street today, and, for what it

Edited January 28, 2008 by musicman

[LTAWACS]

So why DID MBar close down? You told us who is replacing them but not why...