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Lol,first of all their are plenty things to do in Houston as far as adult theme activites. The thing Houston lacks is a major tourist attraction. That doesn't mean it's nothing to do it just means your a boring person. 2nd when I visit other cities I don't look for the nearest theme park. I'm 28 with no kids. Theme parks are nice and Houston metro could use one but it doesn't need to be in the cities core. If Houston want's to focus on an attraction for residents and tourist they should build a huge entertainment district. And I say center it around Buffalo Bayou. I think Houston can learn something from The Woodlands. The Waterway is a smart and innovative work of art. I look at old pictures of Houston and they use to do things right by the bayou. Why not transform that area into a entertainment district. I doubt it since it's so close to the jail/courts. But I feel like it's alot of potential there. I mean parts of it is just sitting there. A rest haven for the homeless. Other then that I don't know why ppl like Deja states that Houston is stubborn. Projects like this have nothing to do with the residents. If it were that easy then cities in the states would be much horrible since everybody would have a say so.
And maybe im missing something but Houston already has an aquarium and it's pretty nice too. Why build another one? Do you all even explore the city you live in?
I didn't say the residents. I meant the powers that be. Houston is stubborn and slow. We've known for a good while now that we've needed a better transportation system. Nothing can be built in a day but it takes forever for someone to wise and and start a plan. Usually it's when we reach the point of no return. They wait until the freeways are clogged with more residents that they can manage and as far as slow. Construction is ridiculously slow.
Houston works for what it is so there's never a huge push for creating a decent tourist attraction.
the houston aquarium is nice for someone that maybe has never stepped foot inside a real aquarium. it was embarrassing when it first opened and landry's had the audacity to call it an aquarium. whenever i hear houstonians recommended the aquarium to visiting out of towners i cringe
but now that it exists an actual aquarium will never be built. with the expansions at moody gardens in galveston that is the best we have
redlion - they are transforming the bayou downtown. they have plans and have already started further up the park. its some ridiculously expensive park plan and will be awesome once complete. the woodlands waterway? are you serious?
The majority of people I see in this town are families with little kids, even in the 'hood. I live on the west side, and I'll grant you, it has a more suburban vibe than, lets say West Dallas and Waugh.
Just ride the Bellaire bus on a Saturday morning, nothing but 5-6 moms with about 2-3 kids each and they are going to Sharpstown mall. Any Wal-Mart west of Gessner after 9am on a Saturday is nothing but moms and dads with elementary school-age kids running around. And the junior high/high school world is huge out here.
Houston just doesn't strike me as an Austin with a 6th Street or South Congress with fifteen million bars playing rockabilly and the sidewalks crowded with drunk*** college student wannabe hipsters and 30-something people with money trying to relive their college days (although Lower Westheimer approaches that some weekends). A theme park would be perfect, but I don't think it needs to be in the center of town. Put it on 71 or 290 so the Austin people can go as well. Houston is a "family-friendly" town, or at least tries very hard to be.
Most of the people I hang with have no kids and were all early 20's to late 20's. And I find myself believe it or not in social events with alot of single young people with no kids. Anytime were out in a lounge or club I don't hear people screaming about a theme park. If Houston is a family friendly town does it really need a major theme park that bad? Since it already is family-friendly? It has plenty of attractions for families to go to. And again with the Austin comment, Austin social area's are more concentrated and are not all out popular spots in the whole city of Houston. If you compare the Inner Loop more to Austin's city core it's more comparable and honestly to me Houston's social life offers more variety it's just not all neatly packed like Austin. Trust me i'm in the mix every other weekend so I know exactly what i'm talking about since I've experienced both Austin nightlife and Houston's nightlife.
Quote:
Originally Posted by testmo
the houston aquarium is nice for someone that maybe has never stepped foot inside a real aquarium. it was embarrassing when it first opened and landry's had the audacity to call it an aquarium. whenever i hear houstonians recommended the aquarium to visiting out of towners i cringe
but now that it exists an actual aquarium will never be built. with the expansions at moody gardens in galveston that is the best we have
redlion - they are transforming the bayou downtown. they have plans and have already started further up the park. its some ridiculously expensive park plan and will be awesome once complete. the woodlands waterway? are you serious?
Is the Aquarium top notch? Nope but I wouldn't call it a dump. Yeah they could expand on it but I enjoyed it for what it was when I went. I mean it's no Georgia Aquarium but it's a little something extra to do.
I hope so because if it's not following the formula of what The Woodlands has done then it will be a big let down for me. And you laugh at the thought of The Woodlands Waterway but that area is the center of Woodlands entertainment district. You have upscale apartments/lofts/ hotels/ pubs/clubs/restaurants/ shops/bars/pedestrian friendly/a nice park/ Koi Garden and Koi pond/Kayaking/very pleasing to the eye all along the waterway. The Woodlands has already made that area it's main attraction. So Downtown Houston has to catch up with TW.
I'd rather not have Casino's. Too many urban poor will go and waste the little money they have trying to strike it "big." I just think we are better off without them. Would love a major Amusement park......... Also, what type of plans do they have for Buffalo Bayou? Any renderings and project status?
I just can't understand the reasoning behind the argument of ".....well if you bring casinos you also bring all the vices that come with them...."
Houston already has drugs, prostitution/sex industry, run down neighborhoods, etc. This is nothing new.
We had our chance at the amusement park thing, and it ultimately failed (although you could argue it was more of Six Flags failure). Its time we gave casino gambling a chance now.
Sure the degenerate gamblers will likely make it their second home....but may as well do that here rather than in Lousianna. I take the bus to Lousianna about once a month, and I can tell you this: Just because gambling is not in their backyard, the addicts will still find a way. MANY people I talk to there go several times a week. I was talking to this one lady last week who said she takes the bus there every other day.....brings about $30 with her to get her fix.
Or we could just keep paying the poor mans tax and play the lottery.
I had fun at Astroworld back in the day.....I was even a season pass holder for a few years. But lets see.....what would I rather do during Houstons looooooooong summer: Stand in 100+ degree heat waiting in long lines all day next to sweaty obnoxious tourists who cannot control their kids so I can get on a one minute ride.....OR, sitting in a nice comfortable casino sipping free drinks and watching the reels decide my fate
People don't think about that. All the undesribles that gambling attracts. The low lifes, the hustlers, drugs dealers, pimps, runaways, sex traffic.
To minimize the impact on locals, they could try to do what Singapore did when it allowed casinos to set up shop:
Quote:
When gaming was legalized in Singapore, the city-state’s government implemented strict requirements in an effort to deter local residents from entering casinos.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. found out how strict.
According to MarketWatch.com, the operator of the Marina Bay Sands was fined $286,800 for several failures in enforcing the country's tough casino-entry restrictions, the Casino Regulatory Authority said late Wednesday in a statement.
Resorts World Sentosa, operated by Genting, was asked to pay $140,000 in fines for similar breaches, the regulator said.
Singapore has just two casinos, whose combined gaming revenues could surpass the annual $6 billion in revenues produced by the Strip.
The incidents took place between May and October of last year.
Under Singapore law, casino operators must ensure that Singapore citizens and permanent residents entering casinos pay fees of $100 a day and $2,000 a year.
The casino’s operators must also ensure its customers are at least 21 years old.
There wasn’t a statement from Las Vegas Sands on the fine.
I just can't understand the reasoning behind the argument of ".....well if you bring casinos you also bring all the vices that come with them...."
Houston already has drugs, prostitution/sex industry, run down neighborhoods, etc. This is nothing new.
We had our chance at the amusement park thing, and it ultimately failed (although you could argue it was more of Six Flags failure). Its time we gave casino gambling a chance now.
Sure the degenerate gamblers will likely make it their second home....but may as well do that here rather than in Lousianna. I take the bus to Lousianna about once a month, and I can tell you this: Just because gambling is not in their backyard, the addicts will still find a way. MANY people I talk to there go several times a week. I was talking to this one lady last week who said she takes the bus there every other day.....brings about $30 with her to get her fix.
Or we could just keep paying the poor mans tax and play the lottery.
I had fun at Astroworld back in the day.....I was even a season pass holder for a few years. But lets see.....what would I rather do during Houstons looooooooong summer: Stand in 100+ degree heat waiting in long lines all day next to sweaty obnoxious tourists who cannot control their kids so I can get on a one minute ride.....OR, sitting in a nice comfortable casino sipping free drinks and watching the reels decide my fate
Exactly.
Though I can't believe someone would go all the way over to LA with just $30 to get a fix every other day. Lady save it and just spend one whole day there. Every other day with 30 bucks is crazy.
But it is a fix. It's like a old person's arcade. The ones you see practically glued to the penny machines. You can't win decent on a penny machine. They just go like teens go to an arcade and play a game. May as well keep that money at home in TX.
The people of Texas might be for Casino Gambling, but the Lege would never permit it. The religious among us will keep it shut down forever.
I don't think you have to be religious to object to casinos. The communist bloc countries used to send gamblers to gulags. They viewed gambling, prostitution, drug use, et al as social evils for reasons having nothing to do with religion. I'd say atheists have more reason to object to gambling, given that if you have only one life to live, gambling is not the most productive way to spend it. Degenerate gamblers who are also religious at least have the excuse of believing in some kind of afterlife (or rebirth) to which they are looking forward.
Has anyone got any info on if any of these cities have fallen into the doom and gloom that people keep talking about if Casinos come to town? Anywhere where the Mob took over?
There was a third party study commissioned by the US Dept of Justice back in 2001. The study looked at the impact of casinos on communities in Mississippi, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Cutting through to the heart of the question, the study found that the benefits were not as great as suggested by promoters and the negatives were not as bad as suggested by detractors.
Changes in crime rates varied by city-to-city. Larceny generally increased but for the most part there were no discernible trends. Similar for divorce and suicide, although there was some increase in suicide rates. Where there was a statistically significant impact was in bankruptcy. In 7 of the 8 areas studied, bankruptcy rates increased significantly (and at a higher rate that non-casino linked control communities studied).
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