Hating on the Highrises (Houston, Dallas: city hall, neighborhood, school district)

[readymade]

Really? I LOVE the Frost Building! I think it's really cool looking. I like to picture Bruce Wayne living up there....

I like some of the other buildings as well (I don't know what they are, or why they were built), like the one with the green upside-down L(s), the one with the blue stripes, and there are a couple more that I think are pretty cool.

Personally, I like hi-rises in a downtown area. But, then, I didn't grow up here... and I'm used to a downtown w/ hi-rises (Boston). I really missed that in LA and it's one of the reasons I moved to Austin. I wanted to live somewhere that had a "real" downtown.

That being said, I LOVE the Capitol building And I hope they never obstruct the amazing view of it from S. Congress.

[Trainwreck20]

It is interesting to drive downtown now. I don't really end up DT too often, so it can be a long time in-between trips down a specific street. I went DT a few months ago, and it was immediately evident that huge changes are taking place. In particular, the buildings replacing parking lots has resulted in a 'canyon' feel when you drive DT, which is kind of cool, but really limits the lines-of-sight that I am used to. It is a little disconcerting, since I have always used the capital and a few other buildings as driving guides, and now they are hard to locate .

Architecturally, I don't mind the variations in style or even whether something is 'current' or not...I do hope that the DT construction avoids the 'bling' look of neon and too much glass/steel...I think the more subdued look better suits central Texas.

[FueledByBlueBell]

Even though I live in the 'burbs I love having the new high rises for all of those reasons stated above. I see what people are saying about gentification but I think that having this many people downtown can only be a good thing and enrich the community.

[twange]

Originally Posted by ATX Homeboy

I just don't like the way they look because they cloud my memory.

Well, here you go, these should help with your memory. No big, scary buildings:

[atxcio]

I love the highrises. I love that I've been able to watch our skyline change dramatically every year for the past few years. Who would want to live in a city that is stagnant? Besides excellent reasons given by the OP, I'd add a couple more:

1 - I think to maintain any semblance of a "progressive" or "green" city as Austin grows, it needs to grow vertical. Otherwise, the increase in population will translate to 100% sprawl as it does in other TX cities. At least with these residential towers, some small percentage of that will stay central.

2 - The tall towers in the CBD replaced surface parking and underused low density lots. Not trees or nature. Now, I know that south of the river that has happened (with the Barton Springs Road buildings).. and I don't agree with that. But for the CBD, the towers are fantastic. Even if they aren't 100% utilized, they are worlds better than a concrete surface lot downtown.

3 - For those who would pine about our old skyline... our old skyline sucked. Let's be honest -- it was a stubby, 80's styled eyesore. Now, we have the ONLY skyline in Texas that is truly defined by 2004 and newer towers. We've got the tallest building built in Texas in over 20 years (Austonian). I think that's great!

4 - Finally, Capitol view corridors have been preserved. None of the new talls, as far as I know, were built on protected view corridor lots.

BTW, to whomever was hating on Frost... that building has won many architectural awards and a lighting award. It's recognizable and modern (by Texas standards). The only problem I have with it was that it wasn't built taller. But, we had to start somewhere I guess...

[TexasHorseLady]

Whatever awards the Frost Tower might have won, I still, whenever I see it, think "Fortress of Solitude". Sorry, that's the impression it gets.

For the person from Boston, that's the problem. People come to Austin from elsewhere, and then proceed to want it to be wherever they came from, rather than what it is, and try to change it to be that thing rather than enjoying the differences that it offers. That's how we've gotten into the mess we're in, and the downtown condos (and a building called the Austonian that confuses newcomers into thinking that we're not Austinites, were Austinians) are just a major symptom of that very basic problem and attitude.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

For the person from Boston, that's the problem. People come to Austin from elsewhere, and then proceed to want it to be wherever they came from, rather than what it is, and try to change it to be that thing rather than enjoying the differences that it offers. That's how we've gotten into the mess we're in, and the downtown condos (and a building called the Austonian that confuses newcomers into thinking that we're not Austinites, were Austinians) are just a major symptom of that very basic problem and attitude.

What mess are we in? I thought we're doing pretty well, otherwise how would we be so highly rated all the time?

Also, the downtown buildings ARE Austin IMO. You can pretty much point the highrise boom to Will Wynn, who developed the Frost tower and facilitated most of the others that followed -- and he's from generations of Central Texans. The new buildings reflect some longtime qualities of Austin: environmentalism, progressiveness, and maintaining desirability and vibrance of our inner neighborhoods. Perhaps the only trait of Austin that they don't reflect is the slacker and/or laid back quality. But, with the oversupply (if there is one) and accompanying price drop, perhaps we'll see some affordable DT housing out of this.

[CptnRn]

I too love all the new high rises downtown. I think they are all attractive and the Frost Bank is one of the most beautiful and impressive buildings I have seen anywhere.

I don't think there is all that much hating. What little I hear expressed has its roots in fear I think, fear of change. People are content with what they know, it makes them feel safe, but they fear change and anything that is different, it makes them insecure.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Whatever awards the Frost Tower might have won, I still, whenever I see it, think "Fortress of Solitude". Sorry, that's the impression it gets.

For the person from Boston, that's the problem. People come to Austin from elsewhere, and then proceed to want it to be wherever they came from, rather than what it is, and try to change it to be that thing rather than enjoying the differences that it offers. That's how we've gotten into the mess we're in, and the downtown condos (and a building called the Austonian that confuses newcomers into thinking that we're not Austinites, were Austinians) are just a major symptom of that very basic problem and attitude.

That's why I like the Frost Building... because it reminds me of a "superhero" type building.

And the problem isn't people "wanting" Austin to be like where they were from. My liking (or not liking) the hi-rises isn't going to build them or tear them down. I visited Austin, parts of it reminded me of Boston, other parts didn't, I liked it, and I moved here. The "problem" is people wanting Austin to be more like they were from and then doing something about it. Or complaining about it.

The hi-rises are there. I like them. I don't have the nostalgic "I remember when Austin was like...." and, quite frankly, I'm not sure that attitude is helping either. Complaining about how much better Austin used to be is kind of the same thing as complaining about it not being something you wish it were.

[CptnRn]

I like both the name Austonian and the look of the building. It is Austintatious and wonderfully attractive and interesting. I admire the design.