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Person A: "Houston is so boring, there is nothing unique about the city; all the attractions it has, other cities have them." Person B:"Well then, what are some unique draws a cool city, say, San Francisco, has?" Person A:"Really? In San Fran, you have the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and more." Person B:"Well, you do realized you just named a bridge, and a prison, respectively. Every city in the country has a bridge and a prison. How are they unique?"
If the San Jacinto monument, Astrodome, and Space Center all appealed to ideals that get strongly reflected in an interesting cultural brand Houston were to create, they would indeed see more visitors. Houston would become some "hyper-tourist" mecca, but at least it can be seen as a better city in regards to tourism.
Your argument against the San Jacinto monument being an attraction does not stop the Alamo for serving as a viable attraction for San Antonio...
The Astrodome won't be attractive because "no one goes out of their way to see a sports arena, unless they are spectators?" Well, tell that to the Colosseum in Rome.
"Space isn't sexy enough to produce a mass appeal." Actually, space is a very broad concept that encompasses multiple aspects and ideals, some of which do indeed produce mass appeal if played up. Mass appeals have been created out of concepts that are even more obscure and narrow than space is.
Really, I'm beginning to suspect that the only reason people are saying these attractions aren't viable is because they are in Houston; its really just an extension of the negative feelings people have about car-dependent, sprawling metro areas. The only thing that is making Houston "boring" is lack of widespread mass transit and walkable infrastructure, that would allow the appeals of the various attractions in the city to play out in a palpable city brand and vibe that easily gets the message across to the nation. Such a vibe, though, can't play out if interaction isn't occurring at the street level.
Not saying they are better; just saying that, intrinsically, the attractions in Houston are no less memorable than many other attractions in other cities. The lack of "appeal" Houston's attractions have is due to the public not being thoroughly exposed to them, due to both lack of advertising that creates perecptions, and lack of walkable connectivity (including mass transit), that allows for the formation of a strong city brand where the attraction's ideals can be incorporated to an essence that can attract visitors. Its not because Houston's attractions are somehow worse.
Basically, I agree that Houston's features may not be a draw to people from the country/world, but disagree with the reasons people commonly offer.
I live in Houston and I hate driving by the Astrodome. It just looks so ugly. I wish it would just be torn down.
But the San Jacinto Monument is beautiful and definitely worthy of a visit.
I also think the Fred Hartman Bridge is stunning.
The east side can be a very interesting part of town to drive around because it's just so drastically different from the west, north, and south side which pretty much looks like every sunbelt city. But the east side has character. I wouldn't want to live there but it's worth a visit.
Is the Astrodome historic in some way? Why does it keep getting discussed? Is it just because it was the first of its kind, despite it being an eyesore and not particularly special amenity wise (and I'm not saying this in hindsight)?
Is the Astrodome historic in some way? Why does it keep getting discussed? Is it just because it was the first of its kind, despite it being an eyesore and not particularly special amenity wise (and I'm not saying this in hindsight)?
That's exactly why it's talked about so much. I hate it. It's so ugly and looks moldy. People in Houston either love it or hate it. No one knows what to do with it. I think it's going to sit there decaying till it just naturally falls apart on it's own. Maybe if it was preserved better I'd actually want it to stay but the moldy look of it just creates a negative image. Especially with the mammoth shiny still brand new looking NRG stadium sitting there next to it.
The Astrodome won't be attractive because "no one goes out of their way to see a sports arena, unless they are spectators?" Well, tell that to the Colosseum in Rome.
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Man I hope some of you guys get paid by the Chamber of Commerce....
They are too radical even for the Chamber Of Commerce. Nobody would compare the Astrodome to the Colosseum in Rome lol!
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