Ideas To Help Downtown (Houston, Sugar Land: appointed, affordable apartments, neighborhood)

[Truth713]

It occured to me that on these tread we spend alot of time saying what Houston lacks, So this time around I wanted to present some Ideas for a change. I stay in the woods Height a area with a decent size party age group. Beening so close To CBD You would thinhk it would have decent foot flow of people into Downtown instead most perfer studemont. Least that is the direction of all the party age people I see walking to. So I started thinking what would get them to Head DT ?

This is just some Ideas

Reduce Bus fares to 50 cents after 8pm

Increase the number of buses in area that show active social scenes ( goal should be 20 mins between)

create a cab hub DT , most people do not want to fight thu beggers to take a cab , well let and visbale

Make the cabs agree to a flat rate for anybody leving DT after a certain time, I hate the way the drivers will not move for anything less than 20 by the bus station.. these are just random what do you have

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by Truth713

It occured to me that on these tread we spend alot of time saying what Houston lacks, So this time around I wanted to present some Ideas for a change. I stay in the woods Height a area with a decent size party age group. Beening so close To CBD You would thinhk it would have decent foot flow of people into Downtown instead most perfer studemont. Least that is the direction of all the party age people I see walking to. So I started thinking what would get them to Head DT ?

This is just some Ideas

Reduce Bus fares to 50 cents after 8pm

Increase the number of buses in area that show active social scenes ( goal should be 20 mins between)

create a cab hub DT , most people do not want to fight thu beggers to take a cab , well let and visbale

Make the cabs agree to a flat rate for anybody leving DT after a certain time, I hate the way the drivers will not move for anything less than 20 by the bus station.. these are just random what do you have

Trains to the burbs. Many want to work and dine here, but can't afford he pricetag to live close it.It took me 30 minutes From the Ball Park to 610 at rush hour yesterday with no wrecks....these quotes of 30 minutes to Sugarland from downtown are ridiculous.


Live where you work dammit!!!
There, I flared and feel better

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Trains to the burbs. Many want to work and dine here, but can't afford he pricetag to live close it.It took me 30 minutes From the Ball Park to 610 at rush hour yesterday with no wrecks....these quotes of 30 minutes to Sugarland from downtown are ridiculous.


Live where you work dammit!!!
There, I flared and feel better

In order to do that; we have to get an efficient and useful system within the core to get those people around once they're in the city. I live less than a mile from the LRT, but that thing is of no use to me.

[David Dollar]

We could turn the tunnels into more of an attraction. There could be active bars and restaurants down there. I know people will scream "Those are for Work!" hence part of the problem with the local mentality.

[Oildog]

More cabs. Too many just sit at the airports, not many just crusing the party districts.

[testmo]

the tunnels are completely dead and empty after a certain time. aren't they still closed after hours and on weekends? i don't see the tunnels really pulling a nightlife/weekend crowd.

the buy out of the Pavillions is the best bet. court some big time retailers to put in more "flagship" stores in the area. mixed use with bars/restaurants/music venues. finish the rail! they are working on it so I can't complain. they are laying the train bed where i live as I speak.

advertise the stuff going on downtown more. the average person in the burbs probably has no idea discovery green plays movies, there is a music event every week for weeks in the fall, discovery green has a farmer's market and kids activities on the weekend, there is a splash park there, you can kayak the bayou etc.

i agree with a cab hub - but you need the people first. you cant force a cabby to wait around for a fare that isn't coming when he could be banking taking burbanites to the airport.

put in some more parking towers and kill some of the land lots downtown. in their replacement sell the land or keep as park green space.

then EVERYONE in houston talk to people about downtown. go do stuff there. have a beer, go to the theater, go out to eat, support the stores and the area you want to reinvigorate. i think there is a lot more talk than participation

edit: I had to laugh when I read it so I'm going to retell it. A similar chron article was made awhile back. some person complained about the need for a movie theater in the area.... I'm thinking I may go to Sundance tonight. Dude was all angry on the internet that houston was so dumb not to have a theater downtown.

[Truth713]

Originally Posted by David Dollar

We could turn the tunnels into more of an attraction. There could be active bars and restaurants down there. I know people will scream "Those are for Work!" hence part of the problem with the local mentality.

I agree , I mean how hard is it to station some cops down there for safety , othewr than that I see no reason to close out at 5

[Truth713]

Originally Posted by Oildog

More cabs. Too many just sit at the airports, not many just crusing the party districts.

The problem with Houston cabs instead of ciricling around DT like they would in another city they post up and wait for people to come to them,

which is why I propose a cab Hub right , a ahigh profile location, visibale to open, maybe convert a parking lot or something

[FOBolous]

public transpiration. expand the light-rail system. Commuting in downtown is too confusing and parking too inconvenient. Plus Houston is to spread-out. also add some kind of attractions in downtown to give people a reason to go there...something they can't find in Sugar Land Town Center, City Centre in Memorial, or the Woodlands mall area. Simply adding stores and restaurants will not entice people to go.

I personally think Houston should turn downtown into a student life area for the students that go to UH Downtown and UH Main Campus. Expand the lightrail system and connect UH Downtown and UH Main Campus together with them connecting through a central hub somewhere in downtown. Add some nice, safe, affordable apartments, some coffee shops, and a few bars/clubs than THERE YOU GO! You got yourself a mini-college town/neighborhood.

[worldlyman]

Originally Posted by David Dollar

We could turn the tunnels into more of an attraction. There could be active bars and restaurants down there. I know people will scream "Those are for Work!" hence part of the problem with the local mentality.

There already have been "active bars and restaurants" downtown. I've been downtown at night quite a few times the past two months...and there's respectable socializing going on there after "work" especially Thu-Sat.

I don't think downtown is much the problem. Sure, it could always be improved, like any other part of town. It would be nice to get rid of the parking lot between Treebeard's and Frank's, for one.

It's just the mentality (the designators of said "local mentality") about downtown Houston that's the problem.

There's already decent stuff going on but people get disappointed because it's not Times Square or Piccadilly intensity.

Downtown is but one cluster among quite a good number of entertainment options. I drove around last night after I got off work, the feel-good-Friday driving thing. I like the activity I saw at the corner of Taft/Fairview, that new Mexico City-style eatery there. I love Houston's pockets of diverse nightlife/dining areas. They have their own unique vibe and spacing and all that.

I bet the people who complain there's nothing to do in downtown Houston after 5pm are the ones who do not go get a slice at Frank's Pizza, or have a Strawberry Mocha at Minuti Coffee or catch a flick at Sundance, watch the guitar-strummers at Molly's Pub, have a Heineken at No-Tsu-Oh, eat another type of slice at Bombay Pizza...