Midtown Real Estate

[ricco67]

So the crime of Midtown is more serious and deserving of police protection then say, the Gulfton area?

Please, continue..

Ricco

[midtown_resident]

So the crime of Midtown is more serious and deserving of police protection then say, the Gulfton area?

Please,  continue..

Ricco

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All regions are deserving...but the reality might not provide for it right?

[JFC]

All regions are deserving...but the reality might not provide for it right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A good friend of mine area in Chicago went through the same revitilization that Midtown is going through now. They too had the crime similar crime problems. At the end of the day it is not going to get better until several more areas are revamped in midtown. It is just going to take time.

[tw2ntyse7en]

...

[MidtownCoog]

Midtown already employes a Constable. I see him all the time near Elizabeth Baldwin Park, Baldwin Square, etc.

And the HPD moutian bike teams cruise the area a lot.

[ricco67]

I believe Glen is correct in his information on the constables.

In regards to the River Oaks police being paid by the association fees, you have to remember, their fees are substantial enough to be able to hire accredited law enforcement officials (which is NOT cheap) as well as the infrastructure they need to operate properly.

Midtown does not (yet) have that kind of wealth to throw around. At best you can hope for is a constable and hire two or four police officers for four hour shifts at night or whatever hours you want to be "protected."

Before going further with this conversation bear in mind something that doesn't make it into the news:

Beverly Hills and Hollywood mansions have been having averaging 40-60 breakins a MONTH for the past year or so.

Basically what I'm saying is, crime is everywhere, just protect yourself and be aware of your environment.

Ricco

[tw2ntyse7en]

...

[midtown 4.2]

Midtown already has a dedicated police presence. Midtowners pay an additional tax to fund the various projects . . . street scaping, period lighting fixtures, benches, parks, security etc. Check out the district's web site for more info.

http://www.houstonmidtown.com/

[midtownguy]

One year later, Metro rail still a dividing line

Some point out lots sitting empty; others say change, developers need time

By DAVID KAPLAN and NANCY SARNOFF

Depending which way you turn your head at the Ensemble/HCC stop on Metro's light rail line, it appears great things are starting to happen - or the area is going nowhere.

In one direction, stylish shops and eateries are popping up. There's the cosmopolitan Julia's Bistro with its violet and mango interior and glass windows overlooking the train. Tacos A-Go-Go, a hip taqueria sporting a statue of Carmen Miranda, will open in several months.

But look in another direction, and the neighborhood seems full of empty lots, boarded-up buildings and panhandlers.

Both optimists and pessimists can make their case about how the 1-year-old light rail will shape development along the route.

Some believe the rail will generate something new for Houston: dense "urban villages" where people live, work and play. And some don't.

Since the Main Street light rail opened, no major development has sprung up along its seven-mile corridor. Experts advise that patience is required; it takes five years or more for such growth.

But Houston, a city with no zoning, could pose a challenge: Unlike in many other cities with rail lines, no rules here encourage urban environments combining residential, office and retail space.

Developing in time

In the late 1990s, when city and Metro leaders were trying to sell Houstonians on a light rail line along Main, they emphasized the economic benefits of new development.

Today, a year after the rail line opened, the adjoining landscape looks much as it did before the line was built.

"It's incredibly disappointing that nothing has happened on Main Street of significance," said David Crossley, president of the Gulf Coast Institute, a nonprofit group promoting quality-of-life issues.

Metro Chairman David Wolff counsels patience: "I'm not at all disappointed. These things take years."

Michael Bayard, a senior research fellow at the Urban Land Institute, agreed. In Washington, D.C., he said, it's taken from five to 28 years for development to take off around subway transit stops.

"Development is a complicated business

[kzseattle]

Peter Brown, an architect and urban planner, said few new projects have been built along the rail line because developers see Houston as a gamble. Cities such as Denver and Dallas created redevelopment authorities to guide development along urban transportation systems.

...

The size of the area is crucial because there is strong opposition to anything that smacks of zoning.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So developers see Houston as a gamble because of no zoning laws so they are reluctant to build new things. Yet, there is a strong opposition to anything that smacks of zoning! What gives?

[ssullivan]

The article totally ignores Camden's proposed development near the McGowen station that is supposed to be breaking ground sometime this year.

[midtown_resident]

The article totally ignores Camden's proposed development near the McGowen station that is supposed to be breaking ground sometime this year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I too am starting to ignore projects that are supposed to be breaking ground...simply because they rarely, if ever, seem to actually break ground.

[Sunstar]

I know it's still kind of early, but it would really help the case for light rail if some significant project would break ground. I think this year will be a good one for development, but at this point light rail proponents need something to point to as a success for rail-centered development.

[UrbaNerd]

The article totally ignores Camden's proposed development near the McGowen station that is supposed to be breaking ground sometime this year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the printed form, there is a graphic with a few rail line developments.

[midtown_resident]

I know it's still kind of early, but it would really help the case for light rail if some significant project would break ground. I think this year will be a good one for development, but at this point light rail proponents need something to point to as a success for rail-centered development.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm gonna listen to my own words and preach patience on this...even my impatience gets the best of me now and then...but then i have to remind myself of these developments nationally and how long it takes for the impact to truly settle.

[themidtownguy]

i have a feeling this year we are gonna see some major changes in our neighborhood.

[Sunstar]

I had thought the same thing. There are numerous projects on tap for this year and if they all go off without a hitch this could be a big year for Midtown.

[editor]

Perhaps someone a little smarter than me could list the projects completed in 2004, and the ones planned for 2005.

[111486]

I would like to find out more info on the Midtown TIRZ.

[RayLSU]

as a Midtown homeowner, i would love for someone to elaborate on what is going on?

[111486]

Well we can look forward to seeing construction of The Edge. I thought this building was going to be stucco, but it looks like it will be brick. Love brick buildings. They just look more urban, and they age very well.

[themidtownguy]

is the Edge gonna be condos to rent or own?

[Talbot]

I am glad they are going to be brick. And I think at first they were planning on making them rentals, but not to long ago, if I am not mistaken, they switched to own.

[111486]

They are buy to own, and are actually pretty affordable compared to places like Manhattan condos. You can get a 3 bedroom/3 bathroom that is over 2000 square feet for 339K.

[UrbaNerd]

I am glad these things are both brick and for ownership. This will be a great change from the traditional faux stucco rentals, like the Calais or Post.

[Sunstar]

There are the two new medical towers on tap for this year.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...p?showtopic=288

And then there's Camden's Point Center Midtown:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...p?showtopic=659

I'm not sure if they're going to break ground on the new Firefighter's Museum this year. There's a big sign with a rendering of the building on the empty block next to the Cadillac dealership.

http://www.houstonfiremuseum.org/InviteFin...20building'

[Talbot]

If that's the rendering for the fire museum on that site, than it looks pretty cool, from that angle atleast.

[MidtownCoog]

Is the Edge even in Midtown? Maybe that's why it's called the "Edge".

And here we have the story of two Midtown's.

Don't forget the "other side of the tracks". We need to see some growth there as well.

[Sunstar]

If that's the rendering for the fire museum on that site, than it looks pretty cool, from that angle atleast.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish I could have found a better rendering, but strangely enough there was nothing on their Website about it.

[The Great Hizzy!]

My new office in my new building overlooks Midtown and then westward out to Uptown. What a great view! And you really gain an appreciation for how dense Midtown as well as the longterm promise that it has. Very impressive. If I can ever find a scanner, I'll take a pic and share it with you all. Surreal view, indeed.