Houston ranked 5th in metro population (Galveston, Happy: year, visit to, good)

[AmberAzeneth]

DANNYY, any links to any newsworthy stories pertaining to this Intermodal Station?

[SouthernBoy205]

Question: Why is Galveston County losing population? I thought it had some of the fastest growing cities in Texas.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

Question: Why is Galveston County losing population? I thought it had some of the fastest growing cities in Texas.

When people talk about Houston getting hit by hurricanes, they mean Galveston county.

It got ravaged by Ike worse than Tina did

[SouthernBoy205]

When did IKE hit?

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

When did IKE hit?

Let me google that for you

[TrueDat]

The one thing I've not quite understood about Texas is that while the state has been great at selling itself as a business relocation and convention destination but -- with the exception of Austin and its whole "live musical capital of the world" tag, San Antonio with Riverwalk and The Alamo, Fort Worth's Stockyards, and a little bit with South Padre -- the state seems to have less interest in selling itself as a national recreational destination.

I'm always peeved when people outside the state -- and many within it -- don't know about great things like Big Bend National Park (always on the list of the least visited national parks), Dallas' deep roots in American blues (Deep Ellum should be as well-known as Memphis' Beale Street for example), or Houston's phenomenal choice in Asian (and other types of) restaurants (it could be a prime foodie destination).

This relates to Galveston in that, while the beach may not be the best or the cleanest and the city has problems, that doesn't have to matter as much as it seem to. The actual beach at Key West isn't all that phenomenal either (though, yes, the water is cleaner) but it's also threatened by hurricanes, has problems with poverty and homelessness (Key West cracks down on vagrants - Sun Sentinel), and is a bit out of the way (3-4 hour drive from Miami). But it sells the whole "Margaritaville"/Hemingway/parrothead lifestyle thing and that continues to be the lure.

With its great architecture and sense of history, weather (not all that dissimilar to Key West's), and general beachy vibe, Galveston should have a higher profile in the national tourist consciousness than it does. Maybe I've just been lucky the couple of times I've been to Galveston but I found it quite pleasant and not so unlike this tourist hype on this Galveston.com page
(GALVESTON.COM: East Beach). But then you mention it to people and ALL they talk about is how trashy and dirty it is. I don't quite get it.

Galveston (and Texas) needs a Don Draper to do marketing makeover like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWyLaXCV2_s

[SouthernBoy205]

I was just wondering when the hurricane hit because the lastest official estimates show that Galveston COunty lost population after years of good gaining.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

I was just windeing when the hurricane hit because the lastest official estimates show that Galveston COunty lost population after years of good gaining.

Google is your friend. Just type in Hurricane Ike and find out. Take the initiative.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by Scarface713

Google is your friend. Just type in Hurricane Ike and find out. Take the initiative.

lol, leave him alone

[SouthernBoy205]

IKR. I just wondering about Galveston County's sudden lost after years of good gain.