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Jek if you think I do not understand where you're coming from I do.
I grew up in suburban Houston, went to a top ten school in IL, did my internships in the JP Morgan Chase Tower Merrill Lynch Private Banking, a spread sheet monkey because before the crash it was consulting or I-banking or bust. I made fun of all of my friends who weren't doing Econ as a major (which to my surprise was spurious because all the people in my internship class who were from the Ivies were liberal arts majors). I was thinking about what boutique firm I would go to after I did my time at Merrill. I was an Economist reading policy wonkish mainstream liberal who only thought technocrats could fix the world.
Then I lost my job offer in Houston after college and I took the first job I could as a research assistant for a local college. I started to think that law school was my only hope out, until I cleared my head and learned to enjoy life. So what I didn't end up working consulting for McKinsey, accounting for KPMG or Ernst or banking for Merrill. Energy trading, LOL, didn't even have a chance.
I learned to enjoy neighborhoods and the people for what they really were instead of chasing the dream of living in the thick of it all. I got to enjoy all aspects of every single little enclave that Houston had to offer and it was amazing! From eating Jamaican food and hearing spoken word in the Wards, to drinking the best beer in the Heights to shopping at the Flea Market off Fondren.
All this crazy stuff, fun, eclectic stuff is un-hip in Houston for most people. But in LA it's the norm and people of all stripes are in there like I was into them in Houston. Instead it's considered stupid, reckless and not worth the time for people outside of the loop or even people inside it who hide out in the ritzy areas. What I love about LA is that you can find celebs in these places I mentioned. It's a city that doesn't dare be so exclusively glam like Houston wants to be.
I think Houston is doing a good job of developing different areas for those different types of people. You may not like all those city centres but there are plenty of people in houston that do and I'm sure the developers do their due diligence on the demographics of an area prior to starting a build. For the "liberals" as another poster on this thread so eloquently described, there are all the areas you mentioned earlier (heights, montrose, museum district, rice village, etc). There has been a TON of money invested in developing Buffalo Bayou, next time you drive by you should see all the hike/bike trails and greenery they have put in and also a lot of positive development in downtown.
Indeed. Some commenters make it seem Houston is only focusing on "town centers" when the truth is there is a manifold of development and revitalization in practically all corners of Houston.
It is just as fun for me to drive down Harrisburg as it is to drive around City Centre.
It is just as fun for me to have a beer at No-Tsu-Oh downtown popping a couple dollars into a guitar case on the sidewalk of Main as it is to have a daiquiri on the upper level patio of Monnalisa Bar at City Centre.
Why do the uptights have to declare either-or, black-or-white with Houston? There is truly a LOT going on in Houston.
Indeed. Some commenters make it seem Houston is only focusing on "town centers" when the truth is there is a manifold of development and revitalization in practically all corners of Houston.
It is just as fun for me to drive down Harrisburg as it is to drive around City Centre.
It is just as fun for me to have a beer at No-Tsu-Oh downtown popping a couple dollars into a guitar case on the sidewalk of Main as it is to have a daiquiri on the upper level patio of Monnalisa Bar at City Centre.
Why do the uptights have to declare either-or, black-or-white with Houston? There is truly a LOT going on in Houston.
I just moved away from Houston three months ago. There was a lot going on but in my opinion the model was still for the most part; the town centre (I spell it that way because that's what they're spelling it as).
I used to do both you listed but many people found that doing both was a bit odd or at least trying to be too hip.
I didn't share a different outlook until I arrived in LA and found out that the glam that Houston wants to bring on itself is just a product of TV. It's not the real LA, not even the real Hollywood. Not to say that is what Houston is trying to do per se but that it's missing the entire point of what makes the major cities, especially LA, great.
Barcelonafan, I'm sorry but you're over exaggerating a bit here. First of all, I got family in L.A. and have been going to Cali back and forth since I was a pre-teen. I'm 28 now btw, but L.A. is one of the most segregated cities in the nation. It's alot of areas that don't welcome you with open arms in L.A. even the ones you praise. Most cities including Houston have different mixtures of people all coming together in areas of retail. The unique hoods you speak of aren't necessarily a utopia of racial harmony in L.A. Just like most major cities in the US it's white enclaves in inner cities all over. This is not secluded to Houston. Actually the "bland" areas you hate aren't a result of gentrification. Areas like City Centre,Town and Country,La Centera,Sugarland, Upper Kirby never were lower income areas of Houston metro. When you all of a sudden magically make the crime go away and have these "hip" artsy areas in a city it isn't simply a result of revitalization. You had to move the people creating the crime out of the areas. Now me I hate gentrification. I'm black and I know exactly what gentrification is all about. Basically move the lower income(minorities) out and bring in the white "yuppies" in. The same group who are so liberal and progressive but don't mind taking up the areas that are "safe" now and changed for the better. This is the attitude I've seen in Houston,Dallas,D.C., Atlanta,LA, Chicago, Bay area take your pic. If you don't think LA is exclusive then you must not be a person of color? LA can be very EXCLUSIVE. I've found Houston's "glitzy" areas with the exception of River Oaks and Washington ave. to be very inclusive and that's simply because of the no zone laws. It kind of forces people from different races, different classes to come together in places of retails. Doesn't mean it's a utopia because that's far from it but it's common for different nationalities to interact with each other. The Galleria is the biggest example of this. You'll find any and everybody there. And it's still considered a upscale mall and a upscale area. Yet you'll find any and everybody there. Dallas for example you don't have that same dynamic in there Galleria or Northpark mall. Go to Buckhead Atlanta you won't see that. Also I think the people you were hanging around in Houston were squares. The people in my circle do all the things you would find in L.A.(w/ the exception of being in LA)And that is the norm for the people i'm around. The only people who find the things you like to do reckless are alot of people from the burbs. I've noticed it's 2 different Houston's. Inner Loop/Outer Loop. You said you were from Katy so that might explain some things. And that's not to say people in Houston burbs don't attract to those "hip" enclaves but alot of ppl from the burbs don't. Also keep in mind Houston is a growing growing city that is taking in alot of transplants. I run into more transplants then I do natives. So the identity of Houston is changing at an alarming rate. These bland town centre's you speak of are outside the loop. Inside the loop it's alot and I do mean alot going on that is far from bland.
Jek if you think I do not understand where you're coming from I do.
I grew up in suburban Houston, went to a top ten school in IL, did my internships in the JP Morgan Chase Tower Merrill Lynch Private Banking, a spread sheet monkey because before the crash it was consulting or I-banking or bust. I made fun of all of my friends who weren't doing Econ as a major (which to my surprise was spurious because all the people in my internship class who were from the Ivies were liberal arts majors). I was thinking about what boutique firm I would go to after I did my time at Merrill. I was an Economist reading policy wonkish mainstream liberal who only thought technocrats could fix the world.
Then I lost my job offer in Houston after college and I took the first job I could as a research assistant for a local college. I started to think that law school was my only hope out, until I cleared my head and learned to enjoy life. So what I didn't end up working consulting for McKinsey, accounting for KPMG or Ernst or banking for Merrill. Energy trading, LOL, didn't even have a chance.
I learned to enjoy neighborhoods and the people for what they really were instead of chasing the dream of living in the thick of it all. I got to enjoy all aspects of every single little enclave that Houston had to offer and it was amazing! From eating Jamaican food and hearing spoken word in the Wards, to drinking the best beer in the Heights to shopping at the Flea Market off Fondren.
All this crazy stuff, fun, eclectic stuff is un-hip in Houston for most people. But in LA it's the norm and people of all stripes are in there like I was into them in Houston. Instead it's considered stupid, reckless and not worth the time for people outside of the loop or even people inside it who hide out in the ritzy areas. What I love about LA is that you can find celebs in these places I mentioned. It's a city that doesn't dare be so exclusively glam like Houston wants to be.
I've found L.A. to be quite more douchey than Houston. Lots of a-holes working behind the counters at many spots along Wilshire, Santa Monica, Sunset, etc. I know L.A. has some cool laid back spots...but really, those areas of L.A that I mentioned are the face of it. Those areas are where a lot of mass consumerism goes on.
I recall the Gotham Hall pool hall in Santa Monica back in the day. A-hole bouncer physically barred me from entering an area while wagging his index finger. At the similar Ballroom pool hall in Shepherd Plaza, I never received such treatment, entered wherever I wanted.
I recall long ago when I asked where the restroom was at a Borders Books along Santa Monica's 3rd St., the guy behind the counter gave me a totally dirty look and practically barked, "we don't have one!" I never received such treatment at any Borders in Houston, asking the same question.
Quote:
All this crazy stuff, fun, eclectic stuff is un-hip in Houston for most people."
False. For one, I've never found a coffee house like Taft St. in L.A. Talk about truly eclectic and eccentric. The oddball Art Car Parade, now something of a national phenomenon, was born in Houston. That's still a popular event in "un-hip" Houston.
Oddball configurations like Fairview St. in the Montrose would not exist, if there wasn't a local propensity for "fun, eclectic stuff", now, would it?
Houston in comparison, really doesn't have a zoned face. It is a mix-for-all in comparison.
The Houston that I visibly see has lots of friendly, vibrant hole-in-the wall ethnic cafes from Shisha Express to Tacos La Carreta to Majaz to Darband where people are chilled yet interesting. Richmond Avenue alone is a mix-up of sexy shops where highly paid pole strippers blow some coke money and outdoor Colombian roasted chicken stands where Latino working class folks hang out! And that stretch of Richmond Ave I refer to...is outside the loop!
"Hiding out in the ritzy areas." LOL.
I am aware of things like West Ave...but I don't broadly paint Houston with that brush. It is unfortunate and deceptive that you paint Houston as merely a nouveaux canvas for City Centres and the like.
A.) The inclusion in Houston seems to be class based.
B.) One can easily make it look like they've transcended class in Houston because of the 30K millionaire effect. In other words, Houston is unique that a single twenty something with a 30k job can make it look like they're a professional. This is mostly due to the amazing fact that Houston is a very inexpensive major city.
C.) I am white, so maybe this has skewed my perception of an inclusive LA. You're right. But for the most part I have yet to see people turned away in what is supposed to be the most "exclusively glam" city in the country besides NYC.
D.) I am way more lefty than the liberals that hypocritically gentrify neighborhoods with good intentions.
E.) LA is still segregated especially in the South, but I was mostly referring to these specific neighborhoods as alternative models. And Echo Park, Silverlake, NoHo are majority Latin American migrant families. Despite this, other people manage to live just fine here and get a long with anyone else.
F.) the only hostility I have seen upfront or gathered from others is when people perceive you're being a jerk. Some of these places have a "be nice or leave" vibe. Kind of like the whole "Keep Austin weird thing". It gets a bit annoying because a lot of Angelenos (especially the hispters) in these areas think that if you're not overtly friendly than you're a jerk, In some places, it has that Barcelona/Spain vibe where if you wear a suit, you're a fascist. No kidding.
Houston has the chance to be the best metro area in the country, I've said this from the start of the revitalizing.
that the glam that Houston wants to bring on itself is just a product of TV. It's not the real LA, not even the real Hollywood. Not to say that is what Houston is trying to do per se but that it's missing the entire point of what makes the major cities, especially LA, great.
Just because Houston has got some of that West L.A. style sheen going on doesn't mean it's trying "to bring on itself...glam."
There is NO conscious effort by "Houston" to act like Beverly Hills. Houston already has its own greatness being what it is: a maverick, unique place of quirky spacing and varying street textures. You ain't gonna find no HUGE Richmond Avenue party deck collection (Sam's Boat, Sam's Place, Mazaj, Deck Haus, Concert Pub, Deck Bar, etc.) on those prim and proper L.A, Chicago or N.Y. streets!
Houston is a place of Project Row. Ensemble Theater.
Houston is a place of Super Happy Funland. Houston is a place of No-Tsu-Oh and La Carafe.
Houston is a place of the awesome medical Fannin corridor.
Yes, Houston is also a place of West Ave/Upper Kirby.
But Houston is also a place of a revitalizing Harrisburg...
Houston is a much more complex place, more so than other cities, than simply trying to pin it as this or that.
I've found L.A. to be quite more douchey than Houston. Lots of a-holes working behind the counters at many spots along Wilshire, Santa Monica, Sunset, etc. I know L.A. has some cool laid back spots...but really, those areas of L.A that I mentioned are the face of it. Those areas are where a lot of mass consumerism goes on.
I recall the Gotham Hall pool hall in Santa Monica back in the day. A-hole bouncer physically barred me from entering an area while wagging his index finger. At the similar Ballroom pool hall in Shepherd Plaza, I never received such treatment, entered wherever I wanted.
I recall long ago when I asked where the restroom was at a Borders Books along Santa Monica's 3rd St., the guy behind the counter gave me a totally dirty look and practically barked, "we don't have one!" I never received such treatment at any Borders in Houston, asking the same question.
West LA may be the face of LA, but it's not LA to most Angelenos. It's the part of LA that gives the rest of us a bad name. Yes, you're right that is what you can expect from some people out there. There is a huge divide between the two areas of the city.
Another thing worldly man, do not paint me as a this person that is making Houston out to be black and white. I love Houston and made it apparent that my point was not to bash it.
I just thought that revitalization was centering around the town centers instead of strengthening the already great neighborhoods in the inner loop and out. And I mentioned that inner loop Houston is the backbone of Houston's greatness!
I was mentioning that instead of erecting more town center like stuff, to make the areas in the Ward popular, invest in them and create more jobs.
Taft St. Coffee house is awesome! As is Boheme in Montrose. Favorite hangouts.
Just because Houston has got some of that West L.A. style sheen going on doesn't mean it's trying "to bring on itself...glam."
There is NO conscious effort by "Houston" to act like Beverly Hills. Houston already has its own greatness being what it is: a maverick, unique place of quirky spacing and varying street textures. You ain't gonna find no HUGE Richmond Avenue party deck collection (Sam's Boat, Sam's Place, Mazaj, Deck Haus, Concert Pub, Deck Bar, etc.) on those prim and proper L.A, Chicago or N.Y. streets!
Houston is a place of Project Row. Ensemble Theater.
Houston is a place of Super Happy Funland. Houston is a place of No-Tsu-Oh and La Carafe.
Houston is a place of the awesome medical Fannin corridor.
Yes, Houston is also a place of West Ave/Upper Kirby.
But Houston is also a place of a revitalizing Harrisburg...
Houston is a much more complex place, more so than other cities, than simply trying to pin it as this or that.
The point is that I am hoping that the latter will not take over the former. That the complexity you love is not just temporary.
Nice to hear City Center has gentrified memorial, I was getting worried about all the riff raff hanging around there.
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