NYT thinks Houston is "The place to go" in the U.S. (and the world) in 2013 (Dallas: appointed, renting)

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by GTRdad

The Taste of Chicago

So, you're saying that somebody would travel to another city for food?

You'll notice that the New York Times specifically addressed Houston's food scene as one of the reasons for visiting Houston.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

Want to compare the museums, opera and theater of Seattle, San Diego, Santa Fe, Portland or Denver to those of Houston?

Tell me why you would visit Chicago.

Chicago has some of the best. The Museum of Science and Industry is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. You can dive in a U-boat, go down into a coal mine, fly in an airplane and touch and explore lots of gadgets. It's huge and you cannot explore it all in a single day. There are so many interesting exhibits to see.

Then there are the eclectic theater shows (very non-Broadway). If you go, I always suggest The Neofuturists "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" which has a show in NY now, I think. They have other productions as well, but this one is unique to Chicago. Too Much Light - The Neo-Futurists

If you like architecture, you can take an architectural cruise on the river or go out to Oak Park and tour Frank Lloyd Wright's studio and home. Frank Lloyd Wright architecture tours, Home and Studio - Oak Park, Robie House - Hyde Park, Rookery - Chicago, Wright Plus Housewalk

If you enjoy art, rather than just going to the Museum of Contemporary Art in the downtown area, I suggest getting out to the National Museum of Mexican Art National Museum of Mexican Art
or to the Dusable Museum of African American History DuSable Museum of African American History

In the summer, of course, there are many street fests and you can walk or take the train to those (I suggest not going to the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park as it is more expensive and there are a lot of smaller ones in the neighborhoods.

If you like sports you have baseball, basketball, hockey, etc.

If you like gardens, there are many large and small including the Chicago Botanic Garden. Chicago has more than 7,300 acres of green lands, including over 500 parks, 33 beaches, 16 historic lagoons, two world-class conservatories, and over 10 bird and wildlife gardens. There is also the Garfield Park Conservatory.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by nana053

Chicago has some of the best. The Museum of Science and Industry is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. You can dive in a U-boat, go down into a coal mine, fly in an airplane and touch and explore lots of gadgets. It's huge and you cannot explore it all in a single day. There are so many interesting exhibits to see.

Then there are the eclectic theater shows (very non-Broadway). If you go, I always suggest The Neofuturists "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" which has a show in NY now, I think. They have other productions as well, but this one is unique to Chicago. Too Much Light - The Neo-Futurists

If you like architecture, you can take an architectural cruise on the river or go out to Oak Park and tour Frank Lloyd Wright's studio and home. Frank Lloyd Wright architecture tours, Home and Studio - Oak Park, Robie House - Hyde Park, Rookery - Chicago, Wright Plus Housewalk

If you enjoy art, rather than just going to the Museum of Contemporary Art in the downtown area, I suggest getting out to the National Museum of Mexican Art National Museum of Mexican Art
or to the Dusable Museum of African American History DuSable Museum of African American History

In the summer, of course, there are many street fests and you can walk or take the train to those (I suggest not going to the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park as it is more expensive and there are a lot of smaller ones in the neighborhoods.

If you like sports you have baseball, basketball, hockey, etc.

If you like gardens, there are many large and small including the Chicago Botanic Garden. Chicago has more than 7,300 acres of green lands, including over 500 parks, 33 beaches, 16 historic lagoons, two world-class conservatories, and over 10 bird and wildlife gardens. There is also the Garfield Park Conservatory.

So, you're saying that reason to go to Chicago is for the museums, theaters, sports, food, water recreation, etc?

Which is same reason why the NY Times is promoting Houston, but why others here are saying aren't good reasons to go visit a city.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

So, you're saying that reason to go to Chicago is for the museums, theaters, sports, food, water recreation, etc?

Which is same reason why the NY Times is promoting Houston, but why others here are saying aren't good reasons to go visit a city.

Houston does NOT have the variety and things are not easy to get to. You have to drive and use up gas money. Houston does not have a waterfront in walking distance, Chicago does. Frankly, Houston is just out of its class when compared to Chicago and NYC and in fact, to many other cities in terms of tourism. People do not come to Houston for vacation unless they are visiting friends. They do go to Chicago and NYC even when they have no people to visit.

[GTRdad]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

So, you're saying that somebody would travel to another city for food?

maybe you'll understand this... its a fiesta, with fireworks, by the water, with great food, great weather in a great city, all day long, with a more advance civilization.

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

You'll notice that the New York Times specifically addressed Houston's food scene as one of the reasons for visiting Houston.

I don't buy it though.
Find out why Perry is going around the country advertising for Texas using radio ads. There is no reason he shouldnt use print as well

[PedroMartinez]

I concede. Houston sucks balls and the Times writer is on crack.

I'm curious why y'all live in should a crap-hole of a city. Is money really that important to you?

I live in Houston because I think it's a great city with tons of cool stuff to see and do, and I'd never move to a place I thought was a crap-hole for some more money.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

You would travel to Chicago to look at a lake, go to a park and walk through a neighborhood? Seriously? You think that makes a tourist destination over performing arts, restaurants, museums and shopping?

NYC, same thing.

It's not just a lake. It's the lakefront. The things that's on the lake. And those same things that you named are ON the lake. Just like South Beach. Do you think people are going to the ocean because it's an ocean? No. It's what's on or besides that ocean that draws people. There is nothing in the Houston area that touches Downtown Chicago much less Manhattan or Brooklyn. To say otherwise is delusional.

Like I said, what would draw me to Houston that just screams Houston. Performing arts? Every city has this. Restaurants, every city has these. Museums, every city has these. Shopping? Every city has this. It's not that Houston doesn't have this either. It's that other cities does it just as good if not better than Houston as well.

When you mention shopping destinations to people around the country and world, Houston is not mentioned as much as the heavyweights. Same with musuems though Houston has some great ones. Same with restaurants and same with performing arts.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

Oh, well I did forget, NYC and Chicago have subways and I guess there are people who plan their vacations so they can ride a subway.

People don't plan their vacations to ride a subway. But they do plan their vacations to getting around on foot. Many people do NOT want to stay behind a wheel to explore most of a city. They are looking for walkable destinations even though they aren't thinking that themselves. They want to be able to experience the city by foot and the subway or el is part of that. Meanwhile, in Houston, to experience much of the city, you have to stay behind a wheel and someone's exhaust pipe. You can do that at home or in any suburb in America. Hopefully, Houston's improving mass transit system will do a better job connecting neighborhoods and help the city become more cohesive.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

I concede. Houston sucks balls and the Times writer is on crack.

I'm curious why y'all live in should a crap-hole of a city. Is money really that important to you?

I live in Houston because I think it's a great city with tons of cool stuff to see and do, and I'd never move to a place I thought was a crap-hole for some more money.

Houston is NOT a bad place to live. It's just a bad place to visit as a tourist. It's relatively friendly. It has a diverse population. It has some good places to go and good things to see *if* you live here. Of course, it could use a decent transportation system to help it get better though.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

I concede. Houston sucks balls and the Times writer is on crack.

I'm curious why y'all live in should a crap-hole of a city. Is money really that important to you?

I live in Houston because I think it's a great city with tons of cool stuff to see and do, and I'd never move to a place I thought was a crap-hole for some more money.

Nobody is saying that. Houston is a great city. It's just not a city that people would fall over to visit. There's a reason why the quote "It's a great city to live, terrible city to visit" exists. Houston in many cases offers a higher QOL than Chicago and NYC depending on what you are looking for. Houston is not a craphole city. Don't take it personal. It's a city that was built by business for business but made mistakes while growing which they are now correcting them.

What set cities like New York, Chicago, Miami, New Orleans and others apart from cities like Houston is that they didn't ignore their natural boundaries and/or build over them. Houston did this. Houston had one starting in their face with the bayous but decided to concrete them and ignore them. Manmade, Houston unforgunately, at least for me, grew mostly in the suburban spread out model of development era. People like visiting dense walkable vibrant places such as downtowns, South Beach, French Quarter, Center City Philadelphia, etc.