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Midtown Atlanta is pretty, as is Virginia-Highlands. Uptown Dallas is also pretty, remarkably upscale, and lively. I've also seen pictures of Bishop Arts (wow!) and visited Downtown Fort Worth (fabulous).
However, in Houston I can't think of a single spot where you can walk around and have a community feel. Everyone says Montrose, the Heights, and Midtown, but from what I can see on google maps, even in those areas the restaurants and bars are almost always completely separated from each other (blocks apart etc), rather than together in a Main Street, urbane or village-like fashion. Even Rice Village feels a bit shopping center-esque to me.
I keep wondering why the people of Houston haven't risen up and stood up to the big developers and politicians who have systematically ruined their city (a giant skyline surrounded by parking lots next to the mall...why???) and threatened to physically run them and their families out of town, or worse, if they don't start working to make Houston beautiful. People must have a breaking point with the ugly sprawl.
I honestly don’t get how you can boost Virginia Highland and shame Montrose. I admit there’s no Midtown Atlanta or Uptown Dallas equivalent in Houston but I fail to see how Virginia Highland is so much better than Montrose. The sidewalk/road infrastructure is slightly better but the urban experience in Virginia Highland is not so much better that you can boost it and put down Montrose as a “place you can’t walk around and have a community feel.” They honestly seem like pretty similar neighborhoods and both have their fair share of strip malls and have pocketed urbanism yet are very beautiful neighborhoods.
As for saying there’s not a single spot you can walk around, that’s just blatantly false, and cruising around Google Maps isn’t going to be the same as actually being there. I already said Atlanta is ahead of Houston here but to say Houston has 0 of these areas is just a whole different problem itself.
I was just in DFW and spent time near Legacy West/Plano a few times over the past few months. My thoughts below are just my opinions.
First,
I'm amazed by all of the growth in DFW. The area around Legacy West is nice, although it does lack a little bit of character. Nothing wrong with that, as a lot of people like modern, clean and easily accessible areas that are walkable. I noticed a lot of townhomes/condos/SFH's sprinkled throughout not only in Legacy West, but also on the opposite side of the freeway near Benihana. I thought that was a nice touch.
I reside in suburban ATL now and I would say the closest thing we have to Legacy West would be either the Perimeter or Buckhead. Buckhead is more walkable and densly populated, but Perimeter more resembles the large corporate buildings w/ attached parking garages model that Legacy West/Plano area adopted.
As others have mentioned, I think ATL faces some distinct challenges due to topography versus DFW or HOU. ATL is built in a forest with rolling hills/ dense tree cover. We're literally at the foothills of the Appalachian trail and mountains are visible from any high rise rooftop in the city.
I think these natural barriers aid in creating density around West Midtown/Midtown/Georgia Tech/Downtown/ soon to be Centennial Yards and areas around the Eastside Beltline Trail.
The existence of natural barriers could also help with creating/adding to a denser Buckhead/Perimeter area in the future. I see this as a positive as the existing "urban/walkable" areas hopefully will continue to become more urban. Most if not all of these areas have access to heavy rail.
Having said all this, I believe DFW/HOU will be more urban overall in the future, (due to sheer growth) but ATL's urban areas could grow to become more densely populated and feel more organically "urban" in the future.
All great cities/urban areas and incredible growth going on in all 3!
I was just in DFW and spent time near Legacy West/Plano a few times over the past few months. My thoughts below are just my opinions.
First,
I'm amazed by all of the growth in DFW. The area around Legacy West is nice, although it does lack a little bit of character. Nothing wrong with that, as a lot of people like modern, clean and easily accessible areas that are walkable. I noticed a lot of townhomes/condos/SFH's sprinkled throughout not only in Legacy West, but also on the opposite side of the freeway near Benihana. I thought that was a nice touch.
I reside in suburban ATL now and I would say the closest thing we have to Legacy West would be either the Perimeter or Buckhead. Buckhead is more walkable and densly populated, but Perimeter more resembles the large corporate buildings w/ attached parking garages model that Legacy West/Plano area adopted.
As others have mentioned, I think ATL faces some distinct challenges due to topography versus DFW or HOU. ATL is built in a forest with rolling hills/ dense tree cover. We're literally at the foothills of the Appalachian trail and mountains are visible from any high rise rooftop in the city.
I think these natural barriers aid in creating density around West Midtown/Midtown/Georgia Tech/Downtown/ soon to be Centennial Yards and areas around the Eastside Beltline Trail.
The existence of natural barriers could also help with creating/adding to a denser Buckhead/Perimeter area in the future. I see this as a positive as the existing "urban/walkable" areas hopefully will continue to become more urban. Most if not all of these areas have access to heavy rail.
Having said all this, I believe DFW/HOU will be more urban overall in the future, (due to sheer growth) but ATL's urban areas could grow to become more densely populated and feel more organically "urban" in the future.
All great cities/urban areas and incredible growth going on in all 3!
Good post! I will say you're selling Legacy West short. It's definitely overall more walkable than Perimeter Center
What hurts Legacy West is that the Dallas North Tollway bisects it and the City of Plano didn't build any pedestrian exclusive crossings over the freeway (so you can only walk along the roads).
^^i have warmed to all three, adding a lot of 200~350' in recent years.
They are, (all) robust, attractive & (gradually) urbanizing.
There's an advantage to having a long sprawly core.
Atlanta packs wayy, more (people) in it after dark than Texas.
Georgia is adding more nuke power. https://fortune.com/2022/10/14/nucle...ioactive-fuel/
The transit picture for continued unabated growth is problematic for all 3--
vs the political winds/ to get many more people out of their cars.
Dallas--Houston high speed rail project has lost momentum.
But Texas wind & solar has exploded: w/ so many available wind power,
they actually have to turn many turbines out during peak winds,
as the grid to move all that electricity to DFW and Austin isn't finished.
In any case, it bodes well for a huge expansion of EV.
Last edited by odurandina; 01-28-2023 at 01:04 AM..
True, but Houston's core is wayyyy larger so maybe long term like 10-20 years if the momentum stays it can possibly get ahead of Austin. Houston needs a solid plan for development like ( for example )like by now there should be tons of mixed use and vibrancy along the metrorail from UH Downtown to the TMC. When L.A extended its light rail to santa monica, everything from downtown L.A to santa monica blew up with tons of mixed use, residential, cool shops, restaurants, parks etc and its still building lots along the line and its only been open for almost 6 years. Midtown Houston should be vibrant all day not just on nights and weekends. If the peojects in dallas that have been postponed start construction soon, i feel it will probably stay ahead of Houston in the short term. Although Houston is booming like crazy with all of the big developments, it still seems like by the loop being so big it will take awhile for it to be the city it deserves to be.
Then based on your theory of rail enhancing urban development, Dallas/DFW is ahead of Houston and Atlanta. Houston has one rail line.Atlanta has two lines. Dallas has 5 rail lines plus a streetcar line and is building 6th light rail line right now.
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