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Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
5,429 posts, read 14,855,768 times
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This is getting off topic, but I just had to say -- don't take him too seriously and it is actually kind of funny.
"well we have rolling plastic bags and roadkill furnitures on the side of the road"
I mean, that just made me laugh. And there is some truth to it... not really in most of Houston proper or the nicer suburbs, but from what I remember he lives in Alief? Crime-ridden, trashy... really one of the worst parts of the metro you could live...
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
2,028 posts, read 8,126,362 times
Reputation: 451
7. Lots of things to do in Houston. (until one inquires for one that is really interesting and memorable)
8. Houston is a cosmopolitan* city. (*in the same sense as how Houstonians use the word 'vibrant' and 'fabulous'
I agree a lot with what wysiwyg says and having spent a little time in NYC, what he says about the city are true. Here is my perception though about Houston:
Many on here have labeled me a Houston hater, well that is only partly true. I was born here and I live here but within 2 years, I will not be here. Family and career obligations keep me here.
My main gripe about Houston is the structure of this city. It has some awesome urban pockets but they are too spread out from one another. The city core, while is improving has been doomed because the big parks and museums should have been built more around downtown. They can do all the building they want but it would take more years to get things the way it needs to, which might not happen.
There is much to do but the vibrant energy found in better planned cities is weak here. I see more freeways being built, not more rail though. There is a lack of a centralized urban core in the form of live music, entertainment, parks and just plain urban planning.
Yes other cities have some of the same problems that Houston does but perhaps you guys need to hear the criticism because it can lend ideas as to how the improve the city. He need to hear the good and bad, whether we like it or not.
The Pavilions and Discovery Green are nice but they are only a small patch of the true problems with Houston. There are lots of nice things about Houston but cannot totally overshadow what's wrong with it. I must say that there are ways that Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Pheonix and Atlanta are better in areas that Houston fails.
Houston can learn from the elements other cities have and that was why they built Discovery Green, they looked at parks from other cities to come up with this idea.
Don't get me wrong, Houston is very green, beautiful in many aspects but a lot of the development that is taking place right now should have already been done. Houston's china town is laughable. It has good restaurants, good theatres, shows but the energy in this city can be quite low due to the fact it is so spread out.
Houston is for some and not for everybody.
Last edited by Black Jack22; 11-30-2008 at 12:11 PM..
Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
4,084 posts, read 12,693,793 times
Reputation: 1974
Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Jack22
I agree a lot with what wysiwyg says and having spent a little time in NYC, what he says about the city are true. Here is my perception though about Houston:
Many on here have labeled me a Houston hater, well that is only partly true. I was born here and I live here but within 2 years, I will not be here. Family and career obligations keep me here.
My main gripe about Houston is the structure of this city. It has some awesome urban pockets but they are too spread out from one another. The city core, while is improving has been doomed because the big parks and museums should have been built more around downtown. They can do all the building they want but it would take more years to get things the way it needs to, which might not happen.
There is much to do but the vibrant energy found in better planned cities is weak here. I see more freeways being built, not more rail though. There is a lack of a centralized urban core in the form of live music, entertainment, parks and just plain urban planning.
Yes other cities have some of the same problems that Houston does but perhaps you guys need to hear the criticism because it can lend ideas as to how the improve the city. He need to hear the good and bad, whether we like it or not.
The Pavilions and Discovery Green are nice but they are only a small patch of the true problems with Houston. There are lots of nice things about Houston but cannot totally overshadow what's wrong with it. I must say that there are ways that Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Pheonix and Atlanta are better in areas that Houston fails.
Houston can learn from the elements other cities have and that was why they built Discovery Green, they looked at parks from other cities to come up with this idea.
Don't get me wrong, Houston is very green, beautiful in many aspects but a lot of the development that is taking place right now should have already been done. Houston's china town is laughable. It has good restaurants, good theatres, shows but the energy in this city can be quite low due to the fact it is so spread out.
Houston is for some and not for everybody.
Good post with very astute observations. See, constructive criticism is good. It's criticism for criticism's sake that isn't helpful and puts people on the defense. Houston's planning, or lack thereof, is my biggest beef with the city. It's the #1 problem that keeps it from becoming the "world-class city" it so desperately wants to be seen as, if you ask me.
It's criticism for criticism's sake that isn't helpful and puts people on the defense.
This is absolutely true. In addition, people who criticize "for criticism's sake" usually have other issues going on in their life that are making them feel powerless. Coming to a somewhat anonymous forum like this and taking unconstructive jabs at a city to get people on the defensive is a cowardly way of showcasing power.
houstoner put it best by separating constructive criticism and just simple old criticism. Constructive criticism is good for the soul though and Houston needs it. I will say this Black Jack, those other cities you named in the sunbelt, they do have their problems in built environment as well especially cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas.
But I think the reasons why many developments or systems did not get off the ground earlier is due to sheer politics. People like Delay and Culberson ran this city for a while. For example, Delay and Culberson were two of the culprits that kept delaying Houston to have a better mass transit system. As soon as Culberson's voice is done, you may see Houston improve.
Now questions to Houstonians, do you like zoning? If not, do you think there is a chance that zoning will implement itself one day in the city. Also, would you be in favor to de-annex some areas of the city? Such as most of the outer loop. You'll lose your title of the 4th largest city. But I think the city government would run a better more efficient city. It looks like while they meant well annexing areas to save tax money, it's too much to handle.
Don't mean this as a dig to Houston. But it's amazing that DC and it's 68.3 square miles and it's population of only 589,000 is much more urban than Houston's and it's 601.7 square miles and it's population of 2.2 million (just another reason why city pops are irrelevant but you get what I'm saying.
Don't mean this as a dig to Houston. But it's amazing that DC and it's 68.3 square miles and it's population of only 589,000 is much more urban than Houston's and it's 601.7 square miles and it's population of 2.2 million (just another reason why city pops are irrelevant but you get what I'm saying.
Well, DC is not the best example of why Houston is behind.
I hate the old argument/excuse that Houston is sprawling because it developed only recently (although it does have some merit when compared to cities like DC).
A better example of what Houston could be in regards to urban development is Arlington, VA and Bethesda, MD (staying in the DC area). Both are essentially suburbs but both are also more urban and frankly more of a city than Houston. Both use TOD (transit oriented development), both use zoning to encourage density, both have good transit and both are stock full of new developments that showcase mixed-use development without setbacks. Houston, the land of zero planning, has places like Post Midtown (which would fit right into places in Arlington and Bethesda) but right next door is a CVS with a parking lot you could find in any suburb. Not to mention there is a bank across the street with the same suburb garbage. That belongs in Katy...not the supposed most "urban" part of Houston (my neighborhood btw).
Anyway, I wish Houston would be more urban and have a more city lifestyle but frankly...I have come to accept that it will not happen...at least in my lifetime. I want a more city lifestyle and once the economy picks up I am out of here. Houston is a city for the suburbs and until that changes it will never become the "world class" city so many claim they want it to be.
I agree a lot with what wysiwyg says and having spent a little time in NYC, what he says about the city are true. Here is my perception though about Houston:
Many on here have labeled me a Houston hater, well that is only partly true. I was born here and I live here but within 2 years, I will not be here. Family and career obligations keep me here.
My main gripe about Houston is the structure of this city. It has some awesome urban pockets but they are too spread out from one another. The city core, while is improving has been doomed because the big parks and museums should have been built more around downtown. They can do all the building they want but it would take more years to get things the way it needs to, which might not happen.
There is much to do but the vibrant energy found in better planned cities is weak here. I see more freeways being built, not more rail though. There is a lack of a centralized urban core in the form of live music, entertainment, parks and just plain urban planning.
Yes other cities have some of the same problems that Houston does but perhaps you guys need to hear the criticism because it can lend ideas as to how the improve the city. He need to hear the good and bad, whether we like it or not.
The Pavilions and Discovery Green are nice but they are only a small patch of the true problems with Houston. There are lots of nice things about Houston but cannot totally overshadow what's wrong with it. I must say that there are ways that Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Pheonix and Atlanta are better in areas that Houston fails.
Houston can learn from the elements other cities have and that was why they built Discovery Green, they looked at parks from other cities to come up with this idea.
Don't get me wrong, Houston is very green, beautiful in many aspects but a lot of the development that is taking place right now should have already been done. Houston's china town is laughable. It has good restaurants, good theatres, shows but the energy in this city can be quite low due to the fact it is so spread out.
Since we are talking about city layout/zoning/development, this thought came to my head. Houston has a lot of master planned communities (MPC) compared to other cities. Most of west and sw Houston was used for agriculture. Katy had rice, you can guess what Sugarland had, and all the areas in between had some form of agriculture. This land was easily and cheaply converted into large communities. These large tracts, that many other metro areas didn't have, gave way to our MPCs. While, MPCs are not for everyone, families and some couples tend to migrate towards that lifestyle. Then again, what type of development would suit everyone's tastes and needs?
Well, DC is not the best example of why Houston is behind.
How any one can compare DC to Houston is beyond me. DC is a sespool, high crime, failing education, ridiculous cost of living, traffic that makes Houston's look like a walk in the park. Although they do have seasons which is a plus.
If you want an example, go over to the DC city forum board and read the posts, what a sad sorry lot of people who all hate where they live.
DC has wonderful monuments and great historical sights, but you have to put up with the city to get to them. In my opinion, so not worth it.
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