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I will list some of the buildings, statues and structures that I see as iconic.
Lets start with these
While you may find these buildings iconic, I suspect not many would agree with you. Think about the first thing that might pop into your mind when you hear about the following cities mentioned:
NYC - Broadway?
DC - monuments?
Boston - history?
Philly - Liberty Bell and Independence Hall?
SF - Fisherman's Wharf?
LA - Hollywood?
Seattle - Space Needle?
Miami - beach?
New Orleans - French Quarter?
Chicago - Navy Pier?
Las Vegas - strip?
San Antonio - Alamo and Riverwalk
etc.
Even lesser tourist draws connote iconic images (Cleveland - R&R Hall?, St Louis - arch?).
When folks hear "Houston," however, I'll bet most draw a blank or the first image that comes to mind is "oil." It is not a statue of someone on a horse or an office building "once billed the tallest suburban office building in the world."
Houston's problem is not a lack of things to do. As 26 year resident, when friends used to visit, we ever wanted for entertainment, culture or cuisine. It is perhaps the fact that the city doesn't offer enough attractions unique to the city that would compel people to visit it instead of these other places. Cities of every size have museums, performing arts, parks, restaurants, shopping, quirky neighborhoods, etc. Are Houston's unique enough to make someone who works hard to want to spend limited time and money there over other places? I suspect friends and family who visited me would never have made their way to Houston as a destination if I didn't live there.
While you may find these buildings iconic, I suspect not many would agree with you. Think about the first thing that might pop into your mind when you hear about the following cities mentioned:
NYC - Broadway?
DC - monuments?
Boston - history?
Philly - Liberty Bell and Independence Hall?
SF - Fisherman's Wharf?
LA - Hollywood?
Seattle - Space Needle?
Miami - beach?
New Orleans - French Quarter?
Chicago - Navy Pier?
Las Vegas - strip?
San Antonio - Alamo and Riverwalk
etc.
Even lesser tourist draws connote iconic images (Cleveland - R&R Hall?, St Louis - arch?).
When folks hear "Houston," however, I'll bet most draw a blank or the first image that comes to mind is "oil." It is not a statue of someone on a horse or an office building "once billed the tallest suburban office building in the world."
Houston's problem is not a lack of things to do. As 26 year resident, when friends used to visit, we ever wanted for entertainment, culture or cuisine. It is perhaps the fact that the city doesn't offer enough attractions unique to the city that would compel people to visit it instead of these other places. Cities of every size have museums, performing arts, parks, restaurants, shopping, quirky neighborhoods, etc. Are Houston's unique enough to make someone who works hard to want to spend limited time and money there over other places? I suspect friends and family who visited me would never have made their way to Houston as a destination if I didn't live there.
Dude you're beating a dead horse, the lack of city marketing has been brought up for a longtime by Houstonians.
Dude you're beating a dead horse, the lack of city marketing has been brought up for a longtime by Houstonians.
My post is not about a lack of marketing. It's about the lack of something to market. Tell me what speaks, in capital letters: HOUSTON? If all you've got to market is a meh beach an hour away along with building that was once the tallest suburban office building . . IN THE WORLD!!! . . then you don't have a lot to work with.
Houston is just one of those cities that are better to live in that to visit. No harm in that.
While you may find these buildings iconic, I suspect not many would agree with you. Think about the first thing that might pop into your mind when you hear about the following cities mentioned:
NYC - Broadway?
DC - monuments?
Boston - history?
Philly - Liberty Bell and Independence Hall?
SF - Fisherman's Wharf?
LA - Hollywood?
Seattle - Space Needle?
Miami - beach?
New Orleans - French Quarter?
Chicago - Navy Pier?
Las Vegas - strip?
San Antonio - Alamo and Riverwalk
etc.
Even lesser tourist draws connote iconic images (Cleveland - R&R Hall?, St Louis - arch?).
When folks hear "Houston," however, I'll bet most draw a blank or the first image that comes to mind is "oil." It is not a statue of someone on a horse or an office building "once billed the tallest suburban office building in the world."
Houston's problem is not a lack of things to do. As 26 year resident, when friends used to visit, we ever wanted for entertainment, culture or cuisine. It is perhaps the fact that the city doesn't offer enough attractions unique to the city that would compel people to visit it instead of these other places. Cities of every size have museums, performing arts, parks, restaurants, shopping, quirky neighborhoods, etc. Are Houston's unique enough to make someone who works hard to want to spend limited time and money there over other places? I suspect friends and family who visited me would never have made their way to Houston as a destination if I didn't live there.
Yeah I have to agree with this. There's nothing In Houston that would drive me to visit or go see or go experience. Perhaps that is down the road but there is nothing yet. A tall building? I can see that in New York or Chicago. A large obelisk? Nobody cares about that in this country outside of the one in DC. The astrodome? If the city of Houston doesn't care about the astrodome? Why should anyone else? Maybe Houston could do something along their bayous and make it iconic. This is one aspect Houston needs to work on.
Houston's problem is not a lack of things to do. As 26 year resident, when friends used to visit, we ever wanted for entertainment, culture or cuisine. It is perhaps the fact that the city doesn't offer enough attractions unique to the city that would compel people to visit it instead of these other places. Cities of every size have museums, performing arts, parks, restaurants, shopping, quirky neighborhoods, etc. Are Houston's unique enough to make someone who works hard to want to spend limited time and money there over other places? I suspect friends and family who visited me would never have made their way to Houston as a destination if I didn't live there.
Yep - agreed. Not only uniqueness, but is the food scene for example good enough to travel to? That is the type of thing people travel for - I have seriously never had any friends go to Houston for anything other than business.
While you may find these buildings iconic, I suspect not many would agree with you. Think about the first thing that might pop into your mind when you hear about the following cities mentioned:
NYC - Broadway?
DC - monuments?
Boston - history?
Philly - Liberty Bell and Independence Hall?
SF - Fisherman's Wharf?
LA - Hollywood?
Seattle - Space Needle?
Miami - beach?
New Orleans - French Quarter?
Chicago - Navy Pier?
Las Vegas - strip?
San Antonio - Alamo and Riverwalk
etc.
Even lesser tourist draws connote iconic images (Cleveland - R&R Hall?, St Louis - arch?).
When folks hear "Houston," however, I'll bet most draw a blank or the first image that comes to mind is "oil." It is not a statue of someone on a horse or an office building "once billed the tallest suburban office building in the world."
Houston's problem is not a lack of things to do. As 26 year resident, when friends used to visit, we ever wanted for entertainment, culture or cuisine. It is perhaps the fact that the city doesn't offer enough attractions unique to the city that would compel people to visit it instead of these other places. Cities of every size have museums, performing arts, parks, restaurants, shopping, quirky neighborhoods, etc. Are Houston's unique enough to make someone who works hard to want to spend limited time and money there over other places? I suspect friends and family who visited me would never have made their way to Houston as a destination if I didn't live there.
I really don't think Houston losses much sleep because of its underdeveloped tourist industry. When locals talk about diversification of the economy rarely if ever will anybody suggest that we spend any great effort developing tourism in Houston. We have some great local recreational amenities but they are for the most part what most would consider regional attractions and Houston is OK with that. After living here for 26 years I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. But all people say is Houston should do "something" with vague references to walkability what does "something" mean? and are you so sure there is something that people will accept as unique if it is built in Houston. We built the Astrodome and now nobody seems to care about that. If the Dome had been built in another city I bet it would be considered a shrine by now
If people are not impressed with the iconic structures in the city I understand , but people are often wrong or overlook the obvious, maybe it is Houston fault for not promoting these images better but it doesn't mean they are without merit just because "people don't recognize their significance.
1.NASA
2.ASTRODOME
3.BEYONCE
4.GHETTO BOYS
5.MUSEUMS
6.ROCKETS
7.ASTROS
8.TEXANS
9.4TH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA
10.Just Come and See The City Yourself
Shout out to H-Town:coo l:
Meh. None of this would make one want to visit Houston. Houston really IMO dropped the ball on NASA. Cities embrace their iconic structure, whatever it is. The reason why nobody outside of Houston cares about the astrodome is because Houstonians and the city itself does not care about the astrodome. You think people would visit Miami Beaches if Miami just ignored it and or let it stay trashy? I don't think so.
Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
3,530 posts, read 5,154,464 times
Reputation: 3145
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Lance
Again there are all kinds of iconic cities I have no desire to visit, but I doubt anybody would suggest that means there are no icons in those cities.
Restaurants ? We definitely have restaurants !
Not since 1992 when RDG + Bar Annie chef/owner Robert Del Grande was named Best Chef Southwest has a Houston chef been awarded that prestigious title. Underbelly chef Chris Shepherd won that award on Monday night in New York City, after having been nominated with fellow Houston chefs Hugo Ortega of Hugo's/Caracol and Justin Yu of Oxheart. This was a record year for the number of local competitors who made it to the finalists round; they were joined by Austin Barley Swine chef Bryce Gilmore.
Shepherd accepted the award with Underbelly sous chef Lyle Bento and ownership group Clumsy Butcher partners Bobby Heugel and Michael Burnett on stage. The chef said, "I'd like to thank the city of Houston for letting me be a part of it and showing our vision of the city through our food."
There are 3 restaurants named in that article and they are all first rate.
Actually, it's rather embarrassing that a city that thinks of itself as a nationwide culinary leader like Houston hasn't produced another chef recognized by the James Beard Foundation in the Southwest division since 1992. Did you verify that?! It really surprises me.
In the Southwest division, Houston's only real competition should be Dallas.
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