When do growing cities get amenities to match the city? (Houston: home, living in)

[cBach]

About world class local amenities...

I was excited about the Hawaiian Falls Waterpark opening. So, I took my family there on Memorial Day. It was a big disappointment. Exposed rebar and unfinished landscaping, main center was in a tent, restrooms in trailers.

So, yes Austin now has a water park but I still have to travel to New Braufels for a top quality Water Park...

I'm tired of everything being built in Austin being mediocre, except for the houses and high rises.

Going to SF this weekend to get a good dose of world class culture and some cool weather.

[Trainwreck20]

Ah, but we DO have world-class heat!

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by cBach

I was excited about the Hawaiian Falls Waterpark opening. So, I took my family there on Memorial Day. It was a big disappointment. Exposed rebar and unfinished landscaping, main center was in a tent, restrooms in trailers.

That's really disappointing to hear considering how much they charge for admission. I was hoping for more. Although their website is terrible as well so I guess it's not surprising that the offering is also mediocre, at best.

[twange]

The new boardwalk on Town Lake is certainly not mediocre. It's not a zoo or an aquarium but it's a fantastic addition to Austin.

I also think the food scene is getting very respectable. The bar has risen much higher over the last few years with a lot of new options.

[riaelise]

Let's set the matter straight here about Hawaiian Falls - I could've told you that. THE PARK IS UNFINISHED. They had a gun to their head to open immediately, so what do you expect? I'm just going to wait it out before I pass any sort of judgment. To think that the finished product is going to be a disappointment/mediocre/etc. is silly, just like it's silly to compare it to Schlitterbahn (a finished park). If anything, blame the city for forcing them to open when they're obviously not ready.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by cBach

About world class local amenities...

I was excited about the Hawaiian Falls Waterpark opening. So, I took my family there on Memorial Day. It was a big disappointment. Exposed rebar and unfinished landscaping, main center was in a tent, restrooms in trailers.

So, yes Austin now has a water park but I still have to travel to New Braufels for a top quality Water Park...

I'm tired of everything being built in Austin being mediocre, except for the houses and high rises.

Going to SF this weekend to get a good dose of world class culture and some cool weather.

There is another one in Waco that is finished if you want to take the trip to see what it will turn into.

[qwertyasdf]

Originally Posted by scm53

1. "Now" would be fifty years ago. Opened in 1964.

2. Completely supported without local tax dollars. All you proponents who think this would be great should form a group to raise the money to build and operate an Austin Zoo in a similar manner. Somehow I doubt any sunshine pumper here is willing to put their money in, instead expecting the already strapped Austin taxpayer to foot the bill. Right?

I haven't looked up any stats, but in 1964 it was probably the children's petting zoo they opened. Indianapolis didn't get their main zoo until the 80's or 90's, or later. I know it hasn't been 50 yrs. I lived 60 miles from Indianapolis from until 1973. There was no big regular zoo when I left there.

[ctk0p7]

Originally Posted by cBach

I'm probably in the minority that have lived 10+ years in the city too. I've done just about everything that can be done in Austin. Zoos and aquariums have that repeat-ability factor certain attractions like the Bob Bullock Museum, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, the Capitol, etc... don't.

Oh and don't talk about the Barton Creek Greenbelt, half of the time I've lived here the water has been dry. Same for Bull Creek and Lake Travis (well for practical purposes) for that matter!

When the lakes are high and the weather is good, this place is paradise. When the weather sucks or the lakes are low, there are not a lot of indoor options.

Traffic, blah blah blah. We get to vote on that in the fall, we'll see if y'all can put your money where your mouth is for that ...

I hiked Barton Creek this week, and I have to say it's wonderful even without water in it. It's great to have places like that in the middle of the city that make you forget you are anywhere near civilization, and that is a priceless amenity. Here's a pic from this week that I took.

[centralaustinite]

I don't consider any water park in Pflugerville to be an amenity of Austin! That doesn't make any sense. It is a nice addition to P-ville, just like a waterpark in CP would be a nice thing for CP but I'd never drive there.

I live in Austin proper and a world class water park is exactly 43 miles away! Makes me plenty happy. And yes, the boardwalk is first class.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by scm53

1. "Now" would be fifty years ago. Opened in 1964.

2. Completely supported without local tax dollars. All you proponents who think this would be great should form a group to raise the money to build and operate an Austin Zoo in a similar manner. Somehow I doubt any sunshine pumper here is willing to put their money in, instead expecting the already strapped Austin taxpayer to foot the bill. Right?

Here's the timeline - opened in 1964 as a children's zoo with "fewer than 200 animals" (that's still a lot of animals!) including elephants, penguins, camels, among others. Grew to be a bigger zoo. And, as you said, privately funded.

And it takes more than money, though it takes a lot of that. It takes time, hard work, blood, sweat, and tears to get anything like this off the ground, never mind make it successful.