Better skyline Houston or Dallas? (Arlington, Plano: to move, suite, eat)

[R1070]

Originally Posted by Scarface713

I said that because I was obviously joking, but you took it seriously.



What are you talking about? Outside of the Inner Loop, Houston really doesn't have tall buildings out of nowhere. No different than the buildings you see randomly in DFW or Atlanta. It's just that Houston has more of those business districts. There are only a couple of highrises standing alone randomly, and that's all in the Inner Loop.

I guess I'm thinking more of the Uptown skyline in Houston moreso than any other area there.

[ladarron]

Originally Posted by Scarface713

I said that because I was obviously joking, but you took it seriously.



What are you talking about? Outside of the Inner Loop, Houston really doesn't have tall buildings out of nowhere. No different than the buildings you see randomly in DFW or Atlanta. It's just that Houston has more of those business districts. There are only a couple of highrises standing alone randomly, and that's all in the Inner Loop.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by ladarron

Well, you did.

Originally Posted by R1070

I guess I'm thinking more of the Uptown skyline in Houston moreso than any other area there.

But that's Uptown. Those buildings are all strung out along 610/Post Oak for the most part. It's just linear instead of compact together. I don't see much "randomness" in that.

[ladarron]

Originally Posted by R1070

If you had never been to Dallas you would think its skyline looked like Phoenix or San Jose when you read these Houston poster comments. Moving to Dallas from Atlanta I was impressed with how condensed the Uptown/Downtown skyline is which in fact just forms one skyline. Atlanta is similar to Houston in the fact that you see random tall buildings sticking out on the horizon. That just looks ugly. In Dallas folks complain about how the Cityplace tower looks odd because its not downtown and how it looks very Houstonish. I think the attitude in Dallas is just different. There is a lot more attention to the detail on things rather than how big can we make it. Uptown Dallas has a very nice growing skyline and isnt tall at all. I find the Medical Center skyline in Houston the most impressive one there and it has the least height.

I agree The Tower at Cityplace looks very odd, because it is the only tall building in the area.This building is the headquarters of the Forture 500 company Dean Foods.

Here is a picture of The Tower at Cityplace 560 ft 42 stories 1,200,000 sq ft

http://www.dallassky.com/Cityplace_aerial.jpg

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by ladarron

I agree The Tower at Cityplace looks very odd, because it is the only tall building in the area.

There was suppose to be other buildings near CityPlace, including a twin tower, but then the economy collapsed.

[ladarron]

Originally Posted by Scarface713

There was suppose to be other buildings near CityPlace, including a twin tower, but then the economy collapsed.

I know that!

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by ladarron

I know that!

I'm sure you did.

[Hanglo Phucwell]

Originally Posted by R1070

If you had never been to Dallas you would think its skyline looked like Phoenix or San Jose when you read these Houston poster comments. Moving to Dallas from Atlanta I was impressed with how condensed the Uptown/Downtown skyline is which in fact just forms one skyline. Atlanta is similar to Houston in the fact that you see random tall buildings sticking out on the horizon. That just looks ugly. In Dallas folks complain about how the Cityplace tower looks odd because its not downtown and how it looks very Houstonish. I think the attitude in Dallas is just different. There is a lot more attention to the detail on things rather than how big can we make it. Uptown Dallas has a very nice growing skyline and isnt tall at all. I find the Medical Center skyline in Houston the most impressive one there and it has the least height.

SCARFACE713, I think these comments by this particular poster kinda exemplify the basis of my own point-of-view regarding the discussion (particularly, the ones I marked bold)- especially being that they're coming from a source of objective observation. I agree with his assessment of the Uptown/Downtown skyline in Dallas as growing nicely. (The way it hits you at night when driving southbound down I-35E passing the 183 re-connect is undeniably breath-taking, and that's exactly what I think Dallas is truly gunning for: unexpected-optical-shock-sensation.) In this way, Houston is like a very athletically built man that is both, laid-back/soft-spoken and deadly serious at the same time, whom doesn't mind that all the ladies knows he has a BIG , and all of the men knows he can kick @ss . Dallas is like a short-man that prefers to always be seen in ties, collars, business jackets and shiny dress shoes, driving a drop-top Bugatti all of the time, partially because he is a power-broker and doesn't mind everybody knowing that he has a huge bank account. The skylines represent and reflect character and "attitude". It's like, Houston "stands TALL" because it doesn't want to leave any room to chance that a person comes to it and mistakes it for a "chump" in any way. Dallas does something similar- but in a different way: it lights up like a grand casino, and, just like a posh casino, it makes you feel ultra-comfortable while siphoning away your money. (Nobody pays attention to the fact that Las Vegas doesn't really have a TALL skyline- they just go for the bright lights and the gambling.)

Now... perhaps Dallas had to deal with the handicap of FAA building heights restrictions -or- they simply went with the notion of "well, this IS tall enough, let's keep moving...", but whatever it was that they were going by, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED .

[Hanglo Phucwell]

Now.... maybe this is something better suited for another "city-based" forum discussion, but this, to me is Dallas' main issue (-which, serves as Houston's primary city-to-city comparison advantage): Dallas doesn't seem to know if it would rather be an "mega-urban-zone" or a "haven-of-suburban-utopia" (-although I'm inclined to believe that the answer is the latter, and not the former). Obviously, Houston made it's decision a longgggg time ago and stuck by it's guns- hence- it's sprawling urban core, which, includes all of the highrise/skyline areas. Houston WANTS you to know that YOU-ARE-IN-A-BIG-CITY when you are there. It's as if, Dallas wants you to know- but, doesn't want you to focus on it too much lol (-hence, it's metro population and metro size advantage over Houston). Dallas either doesn't think -or- doesn't know that it can have it's cake and eat it too. Houston, on the other hand, figures that it doesn't matter how many large cities/suburbs it has an ability to lay claim to, so long as "Houston" stands tall.

In this way, Dallas is more like "L.A." and Houston is kinda like Chicago. In L.A., you go a few blocks and you're in a completely different municipality while maintaining the identity of still being in "L.A.". That's very much what Dallas does, but on a smaller scale. When you think of Houston's suburbs, you think of Sugarland, The Woodlands, Missouri City, maybe, Katy, maybe, Humble??? When you think: "Dallas", you think about: Plano, Richardson, Garland, Addison, Carrollton, Mesquite, Rowlett, Lancaster, Duncanville, Desoto, University/Park City(s), Irving and even- Denton (-and now, Arlington). I didn't mention Farmer's Branch because, although it sits atop Northwest Dallas, nobody really thinks about it's existence, lol. But, that's part of the difference and the charm of the Dallas area, and it's also what continues to draw so many people to move there. (Not to mention that it is located closer to the mid-south and mid-west than Houston is.

[dv1033]

Paradox


I think Houston has a more bold and powerful skyline that makes you look at in it's entirety. While Dallas has more individual buildings that compete with each other for your eye.

Paradox


Even outside of it's skyline Houston just feels bigger through its buildings. Notice how the Med Center isn't even pictured here.