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Those are good points being brought up with regards to the relative building locations from the beach side. To note, the Galveston Walmart isn't immediately on the beachfront either - it's a bit back behind the Papa John's strip center, with the building and lot sunken down w/respect to the Galveston Seawall gradient. So, any oceanfront condoes, hotels, etc, would be positioned where that strip center currently is located. Still agree, though, that the Walmart is a poor use of space.
But, it sort of goes back to what was mentioned earlier - the Texan economy being more robust compared to Florida's more dedicated retirement/tourism focus. With Galveston, the city, for a time through the 1800s, was building up more as a economic center in addition to beachside - that reflects with the development pattern that features a boulevard down the length, a similar set up to some California beach-side cities, such as Pacific Coast Highway through Huntington Beach. In contrast, Florida beachfronts are lined by huge condo walls, with the equivalent major roadways behind them, reflecting their evolution more as resorts.
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Originally Posted by Chriscross309
I saw what you are referring to, but the difference is Galveston's "Beach Walmart" is taking up real estate that would typically host ocean view condos and hotels, not big ugly Walmart buildings. The two examples in Florida I saw, were in close proximity, but still hundreds of yards away from the beach. The one in Destin was the most similar to the one in Texas.
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Originally Posted by RonnieinDallas
I looked at both on google maps. Neither are as directly on the beach as the Galveston location. I’ll give bonus points to the Panama City location for landscaping their retention pond and adding a little walkway around it. It actually looks kind of nice.
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Originally Posted by atadytic19
I had a discussion with another poster a few weeks ago about the poor use of beachfront property in Galveston and he seemed very offended by my assertion.
Houston has tons of natural amenities but they are not presented in a useful, beautiful or productive way.
The interaction with the beach is very poor. You climb up to the seawall, cross 4 lanes of traffic and get to a Walmart with a sizeable parking lot and if you don't look behind you would not say you are on beachfront property. The bulk of the buildings along the beach front don't scream beachy to me.
Yes there are a few hotels, but beachfront property is beach front property, why buy beachfront property and then build like you do miles away from the beach
You do a 180 view and the beach is on one side and the buildings across the street could be in suburbia anywhere. I would expect tons of condos,hotels, souvenir shops, beachy restaurants, jet ski places. The poster said all those things are their, but they are not prominent.
Location: New Orleans ⏩ Houston ⏩ Seattle ⏩ New Orleans ⏩ Houston ⏹
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atadytic19
I had a discussion with another poster a few weeks ago about the poor use of beachfront property in Galveston and he seemed very offended by my assertion.
Houston has tons of natural amenities but they are not presented in a useful, beautiful or productive way.
The interaction with the beach is very poor. You climb up to the seawall, cross 4 lanes of traffic and get to a Walmart with a sizeable parking lot and if you don't look behind you would not say you are on beachfront property. The bulk of the buildings along the beach front don't scream beachy to me.
Yes there are a few hotels, but beachfront property is beach front property, why buy beachfront property and then build like you do miles away from the beach
You do a 180 view and the beach is on one side and the buildings across the street could be in suburbia anywhere. I would expect tons of condos,hotels, souvenir shops, beachy restaurants, jet ski places. The poster said all those things are their, but they are not prominent.
Does Galveston even have zoning? Or is it basically anything goes like Houston where aesthetics are an afterthought? I love living in this area, I just wish it would try, actually try, to make itself more visually appealing.
Location: New Orleans ⏩ Houston ⏩ Seattle ⏩ New Orleans ⏩ Houston ⏹
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScrappyJoe
The overall winter temperature profiles in Houston, along with resulting cultivation and ecology potential, are similar to the North Florida region - particularly the Panhandle Gulf cities, but also across the state to the First Coast region around Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
The Corpus Christi area is farther south than Houston, so they have somewhat milder winters - the temperatures there are closer to Central Florida's. So, they can technically grow more in the way of tender palm and tropical species compared to the Houston area - however, with ~30 inches of rain annually, the landscape and ecology there is far less lush than what is seen with the ~50+ inch rainfalls of the Houston area.
Quite a few areas in Galveston Bay, such as Dickinson and Friendswood, also have an abundance of tall pines as well. It creates an interest combination looking at those pines combined with the palmier environment closer to the coast. Reminds me a lot of what is seen in coastal SE US cities like Jacksonville.
I agree, more or less. However, I don't think it's that the city doesn't try with landscaping in as much as the attempts often don't present well due to the small ratio of greenery relative to the concrete. For instance, the singular island median of trees just isn't enough compared to the massive expanse of huge surface lot in front of a big box store - to create more impact, the the plantings have to aggregate more such as to shift the perceptive balance.
That sunken stretch of 59@Montrose is one of my favorite freeways in the city, due to the heavy amounts of ivy and lianas that combine with the higher level pedestrian plantings to overwhelm the concrete. Also, many areas of Gulf Freeway are also enjoyable, due to an abundance of palms + evergreen trees that create a vegetative wall - an abundant component of that vegetation seems to be a unique eucalyptus species bred for the Houston area. The first link shows an area along the Broadway St. that you mentioned. The third link below is interesting because you can see the sheer growth of the plantings over a decade's time span.
Yep, 69 with the vines is a nice touch. I also like the greenery on the drive down to Galveston as well. The Broadway ‘scape is a good start, at least it seems they tried to spruce it up for visitors. I just wish Houston would put forth more of an effort all over the city. I read somewhere that Los Angeles actually planted all those trees they have in an effort at citywide beautification. I wonder why the city leaders here don’t try. And it doesn’t just have to be palms but SOME kinda beautification/green project would help our outside image so much. Maybe one day.
Location: New Orleans ⏩ Houston ⏩ Seattle ⏩ New Orleans ⏩ Houston ⏹
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atadytic19
No one said you can't go back. Lol.
Yeah, it's not ideal, but it is an added amenity that not everywhere has.
Just pointing out that the potential for more is there.
And Ronnie isn't wrong in pointing out how other places make an added effort at presentation.
Houston is very libertarian. Most cost effective use first, public use considerations.... Eh, I will think about it later
Agree with this so much. Hate seeing the wasted potential here.
Maybe the sheer size of the city is a factor.
I would say most cities are less than 250sq miles.
When you gotta landscape over 600 Sq miles that's a lot more effort than most.
A million trees goes a lot further in 50 Sq miles than in 600.
I think they try, it just might be that it will take longer to cover the vast area.
On a good note I see more variety now.
Visiting a decade ago all you would see is new Live Oak plantings.
I see more southern magnolia, redbud, sycamore, Oleander, Crepe Myrtle, Pine and other evergreens.
Texas suburbs are better in terms of being “all inclusive” where you don’t have to drive to the city for anything. But Florida’s are better designer to make you feel you’re fat away from civilization.
I prefer Florida’s model because no matters how goods Katy/Plano gets, it’ll never be Houston/Dallas.
You'll have to explain why the Houston Galleria's regional trade area is the whole metro.
I hate not having a normal mall in Katy! Driving to the nearest Macy's in Memorial City is a chore.
Costco was the same way, but with the Katy location open for the past several years, it has become more of a weekly visit (instead of a monthly/quarterly visit) due to the proximity to my house.
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Originally Posted by citidata18
BTW, Dallas doesn't have H-E-B. The closest thing it has is Market Street.
Kroger simply isn't on the same level as H-E-B / Publix.
In Houston, Kroger is tied with H-E-B. Long-time transplants and native Houstonians tend to prefer Kroger.
Dallas tends to patronize Walmart and Tom Thumb/Albertsons, despite Kroger's persistence.
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Originally Posted by citidata18
Is that a grocery store specific to Houston (I never heard of it until now)?
I was thinking a nationwide or super regional store that's most comparable to Central Market. Whole Foods would be the closest.
Phoenicia is actually a local West Houston Middle Eastern/Eastern Mediterranean specialty grocery superstore. I was surprised that they became a superstore! It used to be a renowned deli with an adjacent grocery section (like most ethnic grocery stores). They started their mainstream expansion plan in the mid-2000s, which has successfully raised its profile in the city.
They branched out a little bit out of their main cuisine to become something like the Pier 1 or World Market of specialized grocers. They entered the mainstream when the Downtown Houston location opened and moved to their current superstore space on the Alief side of the street in the late-2000s.
Kroger and HEB operate in the same markets but there is no comparison between the two. Kroger meats are so adulterated with chemical solutions that they are inedible. And Kroger has more and more become a sales outlet for cheap, cheesy, tissue paper- thin, ugly clothes than anything else. Six or eight aisles of that junk. it is an unpleasant place to shop. Whereas HEB is bright and cheerful and offers a much better selection of produce and non-adulterated meats. Canned and packaged goods are the same, no matter where you buy them. It's the meats and produce that differentiate one store from another.
Does Galveston even have zoning? Or is it basically anything goes like Houston where aesthetics are an afterthought? I love living in this area, I just wish it would try, actually try, to make itself more visually appealing.
The no zoning laws in Houston date from decades past when Houston powers-that-be wanted to encourage businesses. Unfortunately for Houston, the city has become a forest of telephone poles, electrical towers and a tangle of wires criss-crossing every street. It's horrible and the traffic is wall-to-wall at all hours. The main thoroughfares look like Bombay. In the decades leading up to the sixties, Houston was a lovely place to live. It is now urban blight on steroids. Stay away.
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