If a "Tech District" were established in Houston, where do you think it should be ? (Dallas: transplants, for sale)

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

I vote for the Westchase area. Comparably cheap office space. Lot of apartments. Single family areas not far. Right off the Beltway and Westheimer. Close to the Energy Corridor. This would give that area a shot in the arm.

Agreed, plus nowhere is the full diversity of Houston on full display quite like it is in that area.

[atadytic19]

Honest question but don't you all play?

Everyone is talking about live near where you work, live where you work...

But what about play?

From personal observation the tech crowd seem younger than the energy crowd.

I can see the 25yo plus energy worker wanting to settle down in a nice house in the burbs but I do not get the same picture with the under 25 tech worker.

I see the tech worker wanting to be near the Heights, Kirby even Eado, 3rd ward but not grand parkway.

Think of all the capital being taxed spreading resources thinner and thinner by constantly locating jobs further and further from amenities.

I see young techies being attracted to ask the Montrose restaurants, the shopping in and around the loop, the night life around the west side of downtown.

I do see the attraction of a major company moving to a campus but purposefully starting a hub in an area void of any culture, limited amenities and promoting sprawl just does not seem like wise planning to me.

Somewhere in and around Midtown to me would be ideal.
KBR site?

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by atadytic19

Honest question but don't you all play?

Everyone is talking about live near where you work, live where you work...

But what about play?

From personal observation the tech crowd seem younger than the energy crowd.

I can see the 25yo plus energy worker wanting to settle down in a nice house in the burbs but I do not get the same picture with the under 25 tech worker.

I see the tech worker wanting to be near the Heights, Kirby even Eado, 3rd ward but not grand parkway.

Think of all the capital being taxed spreading resources thinner and thinner by constantly locating jobs further and further from amenities.

I see young techies being attracted to ask the Montrose restaurants, the shopping in and around the loop, the night life around the west side of downtown.

I do see the attraction of a major company moving to a campus but purposefully starting a hub in an area void of any culture, limited amenities and promoting sprawl just does not seem like wise planning to me.

Somewhere in and around Midtown to me would be ideal.
KBR site?

Just posting to AGREE with the bold. But I would add from ----> a existing workforce in need there already. So much is Corporate America choosing the sunbelt states for low and no Corporate taxes. Then this migration must be to them. Choosing FURTHER OUT SUBURBS in sunbelt cities that have areas in the city yet available.

There is land in areas of northern cities cleared of former industry that sits. Same for even parts of inner-loop Houston. Yet these new office parks get built further and further out. It is really bad if reverse traveling to work is from the city to distant suburbs.

I know Chicago has a tech corridor developing just north of its downtown that was industrial. The city zones and promotes it to them. So I would hope Houston's can be closer to its inner-loop and core too. Of course with Houston, even the city is very spread out. Philly also has its tech development just west of its downtown in its University City. But the city suffers still with much more job growth in more distant suburbs too.

Houston needs to PLAN where it wants its tech corridor and zone and promote it. Chicago is and Philly just had it spin off from its University area. Seems Houston just HOPES they choose a area and no matter why in fast growth? They will get something somewhere with little planning. They should be thinking transit to areas that can and could be zoned commercial. But

But corporate America will choose and the city will let whatever happens happen. Houston is lucky to have such growth because of being in a no corporate tax state. But still could plan and promote them to build where it deems most advantages to for the city and think of future transit there planned.

[gwarnecke]

Originally Posted by atadytic19

Honest question but don't you all play?

Everyone is talking about live near where you work, live where you work...

But what about play?

From personal observation the tech crowd seem younger than the energy crowd.

I can see the 25yo plus energy worker wanting to settle down in a nice house in the burbs but I do not get the same picture with the under 25 tech worker.

I see the tech worker wanting to be near the Heights, Kirby even Eado, 3rd ward but not grand parkway.

Think of all the capital being taxed spreading resources thinner and thinner by constantly locating jobs further and further from amenities.

I see young techies being attracted to ask the Montrose restaurants, the shopping in and around the loop, the night life around the west side of downtown.

I do see the attraction of a major company moving to a campus but purposefully starting a hub in an area void of any culture, limited amenities and promoting sprawl just does not seem like wise planning to me.

Somewhere in and around Midtown to me would be ideal.
KBR site?

Maybe I'm getting old...but I work 5 days a week and play (away from home) maybe 2-3 days a week. I'll gladly take a 10-minute daily commute over a 30-45 minute reverse commute, even if it means a longer drive to a few amenities.

I wouldn't call the suburban areas mentioned in this thread "void of any culture". Westchase? As was mentioned earlier, it's probably the most-diverse corner of Houston, with a restaurant selection to match. In my college days, my friends and I spent a lot more nights out along the Bellaire and Westheimer corridors than we did in Montrose.

Which brings up another issue with promoting a tech district in one of the "hot" areas you've mentioned...they've already gentrified, with high land and housing prices (except for parts of Eado I suppose). Start-up companies benefit from low prices, they can save the flashy HQ until after they've made it big. Near-suburban districts have comparatively lower land prices and an abundance of already-built office space, which can be offered far cheaper than brand-new office parks built on expensive land inside the loop.

Fundamentally - the kind of companies and workers that would appreciate a flashy Midtown location would probably rather be in Austin or the west coast anyways.

[3shipguy]

Originally Posted by atadytic19

Honest question but don't you all play?

Everyone is talking about live near where you work, live where you work...

But what about play?

From personal observation the tech crowd seem younger than the energy crowd.

I can see the 25yo plus energy worker wanting to settle down in a nice house in the burbs but I do not get the same picture with the under 25 tech worker.

I see the tech worker wanting to be near the Heights, Kirby even Eado, 3rd ward but not grand parkway.

Think of all the capital being taxed spreading resources thinner and thinner by constantly locating jobs further and further from amenities.

I see young techies being attracted to ask the Montrose restaurants, the shopping in and around the loop, the night life around the west side of downtown.

I do see the attraction of a major company moving to a campus but purposefully starting a hub in an area void of any culture, limited amenities and promoting sprawl just does not seem like wise planning to me.

Somewhere in and around Midtown to me would be ideal.
KBR site?

This is why I suggested 290 Dacoma/Mangum area. It's between 2 gentrifying areas in Spring Branch and Oak Forest. Lots of high end town homes are being built on Longpoint, Post Oak, and Westview. New builds and ranch renos are creeping into Oak Forest West and Mangum Manor. Scarborough HS just received almost $13 mill for reno just like Waltrip HS. The Northwest Mall is due to be revamped. The bus station is in the area. HSR supposedly is going to end there in the future. The area is just outside the loop and approximately the midpoint between the Energy Corridor and downtown. It's close to City Centre and the Heights/Montrose. The best part is that the area is still somewhat affordable.

[Jack Lance]

Houston Community College has partnered with Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) as the tech giant expands its app development curriculum to community colleges.


HCC is one of the first six community colleges to offer the company’s new “App Development with Swift” curriculum, Apple said in a May 24 press release. The full-year course is designed by Apple engineers and educators to teach students the Swift programming language specifically for Apple products. HCC also will open an iOS Coding and Design School to teach the curriculum.


http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/n...ew-coding.html


I wonder if this Coding School will be at their Midtown Campus ??

[PedroMartinez]

I'm trying to determine if I want to eventually move my startup to Austin or remain in Houston.

If I stay in Houston, I'll probably relocate the business to mid-town in a year or so. I'll stay on Lake Houston but possibly move my residence down to the Kemah area.

[westhou]

Maybe someplace in the northeast corner of the county. There seems to be a lot of room to grow up there. There is just far too much growth occurring west of 45 and a new big industry is not something that is needed. East of 45 could surely benefit from a new industry.

[LeavingDetroit]

Have you seen the latest in co-working space? These are the types of developments that the creative class wants and Houston needs to support for emerging businesses. I don't think it's about being near single-family homes. What hipster wants to live in Westchase?

WeWork announces new downtown Houston location - Houston Chronicle

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by LeavingDetroit

Have you seen the latest in co-working space? These are the types of developments that the creative class wants and Houston needs to support for emerging businesses. I don't think it's about being near single-family homes. What hipster wants to live in Westchase?

WeWork announces new downtown Houston location - Houston Chronicle

Yea I think those who were thinking Westchase where thinking more about what area would be more convenient for themselves. This Tech District is geared more towards start --ups. Now Westchase may be a great place for the more successful companies to move to once they become more established and mature, but at this stage I think Midtown would be the better location.