McAllen "City of Arches"? (Houston, Brownsville: construction, restaurants, shoppers)

[956kidd]

As some of you know in past posts, McAllen has been aiming to establish a distinct entertainment and arts districts to promote more tourism other than shoppers. The city is now changing it's motto from "City of Palms" to "City of Arches" to help shed the Spanish, subtropical tag the area has been known for. Officials plan to build sizable archways in the center of town. They will likely sit at the boundaries of the entertainment and arts areas. The arts district runs along Main Street from Business 83 to Pecan Avenue. The entertainment sector runs on South 17th Street from Business 83 to Houston Avenue. Officials painted the archways as massive landmarks, perfect for visiting tourists to stop and take photographs with. Construction would likely begin in the coming months.


story from McAllen Monitor
Entertainment: McAllen: City of Arches? | entertainment, arts, city - Entertainment - TheMonitor.com (http://www.themonitor.com/entertainment/entertainment_20881___article.html/arts_city.html - broken link)

[lemonfresh]

So, they plan to build a couple of archways and that validates the name City of Arches? Yet McAllen has thousands of Palms...

Not to mention it sounds like McAllen is basically endorsing McDonalds, I don't mean that literally. Terrible slogan.

I'd have stuck with City of Palms, just reinvented and put it out there more because outside of McAllen (or the RGV) no one is familiar with it.

[gabetx]

I think that is stupid. I think they shouldn't try to shed themselves of their spanish culture, but turn it around and use it as a good thing for tourism.

I think "City of Arches is stupid". It sounds like they are trying to become something that they are not. A major, culturally, architecturally, and artisticly, influenced modern US city.

Horrible idea.

[teatime]

LOL, when I saw the title of this, I immediately thought of McDonald's and wondered if McAllen had the largest number of McDonald's restaurants per population or something! Why manufacture an "attribute" and slogan instead of simply highlighting some existing facet of the community? This is pretty stupid.

[SweethomeSanAntonio]

When I think of the valley, I think about Brownsville, South Padre or Harlingen, not really McAllen.

Anyway, City of Arches? The city does start with MC! It seems Mc Allen is trying to hard! It's a decent town, that seems not to wanna be apart of the valley.

[doss1]

It doesnt' make sense.