Worst Texas Skyline (Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth: appointed, apartment complex, rental)

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by BBQgritz

The black glass building resembles the Sears Tower (in the last photo).

The Plaza Tower in Tyler is unofficially known as the "Little Sears Tower" of Texas. Its the tallest building in Tyler & East Texas at 280 feet tall.

[WestTx]

Lubbock definitely has a LONG way to go in terms of a skyline, and a central business district in general. There hasn't been a downtown office building built in 40 years and it shows. There are many positives to Lubbock, but downtown is not one of them. The Depot district south of downtown has some potential, but the rest of the downtown area is awful. There are plans for the future to rebuild and enhance the area. But, they're about 15 years too late IMO. Midland has an excellent skyline mostly because of the oil execs that frequent the area when times are good.

Here's the vision for downtown Lubbock:

Commission unveils plan to energize downtown Lubbock | BUSINESS EDITOR

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by WestTx

Lubbock definitely has a LONG way to go in terms of a skyline, and a central business district in general. There hasn't been a downtown office building built in 40 years and it shows. There are many positives to Lubbock, but downtown is not one of them. The Depot district south of downtown has some potential, but the rest of the downtown area is awful. There are plans for the future to rebuild and enhance the area. But, they're about 15 years too late IMO. Midland has an excellent skyline mostly because of the oil execs that frequent the area when times are good.

Here's the vision for downtown Lubbock:

Commission unveils plan to energize downtown Lubbock | BUSINESS EDITOR

Here is the official website for Lubbock's downtown revitalization. The plan looks pretty impressive, but now it is just a matter of doing. I hope they build new highrises. The skyline and the downtown are often the things people look at when they form their opinion of a city, and right now Lubbock is not giving great impressions despite what we know to be the truth. The city has finally realized this fact and it looks like they are doing something about it.

Lubbock - Downtown - Information, Presentations, & Scenarios

[Jerryltx]

Waco has not built anything over about 11 or 12 stories since the 1911 Amicable (Alico) Building (22 stories). There is beginning to be considerable development in downtown Waco. A local developer has plans to eventually build a major hotel downtown and the land has already been purchased. Here's hoping that they will consider building it tall (at least by Waco standards). If there were a couple of other buildings similar in height to the Alico and in that same area, Waco could have a decent skyline for a city of its size. But I'm not holding my breath until it occurs.

[Metro Matt]

Tyler just got its first new residential high rise this year, Stretford at the Cascades. Its now the tallest building located outside of downtown at 14 floors & 180 feet.

Photo taken by me

[Mark-Tyler is Special]

Good photo - we have three or four more buildings other than downtown - on the south loop that are 6 or 8 stories and the Bank of American building, South on Broadway - they would have really added to downtown - Oh, Tyler has a height restriction of 180 feet outside of downtown - dumb I think, so in the Bellwood Lake Development across the lake from the Cascades, the site plan calls for 4 or 5, 14 story condos with a 9 story assisted living and 7 story four-star hotel - should look like a small second downtown.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Mark-Tyler is Special

Good photo - we have three or four more buildings other than downtown - on the south loop that are 6 or 8 stories and the Bank of American building, South on Broadway - they would have really added to downtown - Oh, Tyler has a height restriction of 180 feet outside of downtown - dumb I think, so in the Bellwood Lake Development across the lake from the Cascades, the site plan calls for 4 or 5, 14 story condos with a 9 story assisted living and 7 story four-star hotel - should look like a small second downtown.

They really should lift that stupid height ban. Oh well, at least Tyler will have a decent mid rise skyline outside of downtown if those other buildings break ground. I would like to see Tyler's medical district build up more too to become another skyline kinda like a much smaller version of Houston's massive Med Center.

Just imagine the possibilities...

[solytaire]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

They really should lift that stupid height ban. Oh well, at least Tyler will have a decent mid rise skyline outside of downtown if those other buildings break ground. I would like to see Tyler's medical district build up more too to become another skyline kinda like a much smaller version of Houston's massive Med Center.

Just imagine the possibilities...

I understand that growth is a good thing, but for some reason I dont want to see Tyler expand into another sprawling Texas metropolis. If that happens I just see Tyler being another hub for transients, illegal aliens, and transplants who care nothing about the things that make East Texas unique. And I know: Tyler is "too conservative" for most people. And it probably "has too many country folks" for most outsiders to appreciate it. But speaking as a 23 year native born citizen of the quaint country town, thats perfectly ok with me..I can always run to one of these sort of generic big cities and get lost in the crowd. But not to many places can match the uniqueness of Tyler imo. And I just hope that the growth of the city wont affect that unique quality of the place I've called home...

P.S. I do realize the above diatribe probably sounds regressive.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by solytaire

I understand that growth is a good thing, but for some reason I dont want to see Tyler expand into another sprawling Texas metropolis. If that happens I just see Tyler being another hub for transients, illegal aliens, and transplants who care nothing about the things that make East Texas unique. And I know: Tyler is "too conservative" for most people. And it probably "has too many country folks" for most outsiders to appreciate it. But speaking as a 23 year native born citizen of the quaint country town, thats perfectly ok with me..I can always run to one of these sort of generic big cities and get lost in the crowd. But not to many places can match the uniqueness of Tyler imo. And I just hope that the growth of the city wont affect that unique quality of the place I've called home.

Tyler is no longer that "quaint country town" & hasn't been for the past 10 years or so...it is a city of over 100,000 people now. Growth in this part of the state is inevitable. Mind you, its never going to be a hip & cool place for young people to move to, but the town isn't marketed that way. If you are retired or looking to raise a family then sure Tyler is a great place to call home, but the same problems that plague the much larger cities in Texas are also present in Tyler such as crime, gang violence, traffic, pollution, & poor performing public schools.

[solytaire]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Tyler is no longer that "quaint country town" & hasn't been for the past 10 years or so...it is a city of over 100,000 people now. Growth in this part of the state is inevitable. Mind you, its never going to be a hip & cool place for young people to move to, but the town isn't marketed that way. If you are retired or looking to raise a family then sure Tyler is a great place to call home, but the same problems that plague the much larger cities in Texas are also present in Tyler such as crime, gang violence, traffic, pollution, & poor performing public schools.

Comparably Tyler is certainly still a "quaint country town" and in my estimation will be perceived that way for another 10 years or so at least...It may be the best thing East Texas has going for it. However all but a couple of people whom I've talked to from major cities still DO consider it a small country town. Heck most people Ive talked to from true urban East Coast cities (Boston, NY, Washington DC) dont even regard Houston, Dallas, or SA as truly urban cities. Although they all (Dallas/FTW, Houston, SA) have practically everything those East Coast cities have and more in a few instances.

And the crime, traffic, violence, crowding, pollution, and gang violence in Tyler are not even on a comparable scale to most real/major cities. Which is why Tyler remains such a great place to retire. Our experiences may vary so Im not saying those elements you listed DONT exist, Im just saying from when I lived there, and based on all indications when I go back to visit, Tyler is nowhere near the scale of being "plagued" with the problems listed, as a majority of large cities (even cities as small as St. Louis or KC) are.