Why are “hip” Houston condos so butt ugly? (Portland: houses, neighborhood)

[fbf2006]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

I don't mind living in a townhouse like this. These townhouses have character/style. More expensive than some River Oaks houses though
/from my recent vacation/

Well yes, these are wonderful. They're in the UK though . These homes are old and were not made of wood/vinyl. Also, no parking which Houston needs. They're beautiful and typically have pretty long yards in the back. My cousin has one; the rooms are quite small and you have to add your own closer/wardrobe. Their new builds don't look like these though.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by fbf2006

Well yes, these are wonderful. They're in the UK though . These homes are old and were not made of wood/vinyl. Also, no parking which Houston needs. They're beautiful and typically have pretty long yards in the back. My cousin has one; the rooms are quite small and you have to add your own closer/wardrobe. Their new builds don't look like these though.

Nope, parking is better off being abolished for Houston 610 townhome developments.

[fbf2006]

Originally Posted by Texyn

Nope, parking is better off being abolished for Houston 610 townhome developments.

That's fair. I just meant folks in Houston seem to want parking. I'm not there yet, so what do I know?

[Spade]

Originally Posted by fbf2006

That's fair. I just meant folks in Houston seem to want parking. I'm not there yet, so what do I know?

I made this same argument in the city vs city forum with mhays. It's not that Houston is unable to develop without parking. It's if Houston is willing to develop without parking because so many want it.

[gwarnecke]

Removing parking from new developments would hurt drivers far more than it would help pedestrians. More to the point - no one would buy them. Even in dense cities in Europe and the NE - the rowhouses that offer no parking generally predate widespread adoption of the automobile. Most new developments include a fair bit of parking- maybe not one garage spot per unit, but at least one per 2 or 3.

I do wish that more Houston developers would figure out how to put the garage in the rear or around the side, or maybe centralize parking for each development, and have a nicer face towards the street.

[fbf2006]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

Removing parking from new developments would hurt drivers far more than it would help pedestrians. More to the point - no one would buy them. Even in dense cities in Europe and the NE - the rowhouses that offer no parking generally predate widespread adoption of the automobile. Most new developments include a fair bit of parking- maybe not one garage spot per unit, but at least one per 2 or 3.

I do wish that more Houston developers would figure out how to put the garage in the rear or around the side, or maybe centralize parking for each development, and have a nicer face towards the street.

My building in NJ was completed in Fall 2016 and kinda looks like the wrap around that was pictured here. it's in the center in this NJ town and has parking at the back. You have to pay and can only get one space. Most other newer builds around here are the same. They all have packing. Even the new buildings in Manhattan seem to have parking...on the far west side anyway.

[IndyRC]

Originally Posted by jerbear30

I like some of them, and some of them I don't. I think it depends on the area, really. If you have a sidewalk in front of the condo and a little front porch area, and you can walk to some "hip" stuff then I can totally see it. These condos take up less space and they give more opportunity to own inside the loop for folks who otherwise could not afford it.

Where I don't like these structures is outside the loop in places like Spring Branch, where I live. Here, there is little walkability, and yet you're stuck with the downsides of the condo all the same. In a suburban space, these condos look strange and I do wonder a little bit about their long term viability.

I also don't like the rhetoric of many of the condos--they seem to be very shut off from the experience of the front porch and any kind of social interaction with the world around them. They're like tiny fortresses that tell people walking by, "get away". That's what's the most ugly to me about them.

I haven't made it through the whole thread yet, but I totally agree with this. I live in one of the 3 story townhouses in the Rice-Military area and love the location and walkability. I do miss my suburban space a lot though. We are in flux and may move back out.

Anyway, I think they make no sense in the suburbs either. And surprisingly, I've seen some high prices on some in the burbs. I would have no interest in one there, however, I do like the 3 story living, so maybe if it had a traditional suburban yard size, I might give it more of a consideration.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by fbf2006

That's fair. I just meant folks in Houston seem to want parking. I'm not there yet, so what do I know?

The problem is that we don't know this for a fact.

Even if we did, we would still have to dig deeper regarding the origins of the want, as it can have huge implications regarding the development styles that are viable. For instance, is it that people actually desire driving in general? Or is it that they want to drive simply because all the other options (PT, sidewalks, amenities, etc) are limited?

[Houston321]

I love people who are so self-centered and arrogant to think that their view of "ugly" should be everyone's view.

[kimsk112]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

I don't mind living in a townhouse like this. These townhouses have character/style. More expensive than some River Oaks houses though
/from my recent vacation/

I think beauty/ugly is pretty subjective. I prefer townhomes here that those above , but I am not an architect or artist as well.