A metro as large as Houston and no major amusement park? (Galveston: real estate, amusement parks)

[kcmo]

This has always bothered me so I thought I would ask. While google earthing around Houston scouting photo locations, I ran across the giant field that was once Astroworld. The last time I was in Houston I could not get over that fact that six flags tore down astroworld. I figured it would be some office park or something. Here we are in 2012 and it's still a field.

So I looked at some threads about what happened and many people are saying that people don't go to amusement parks anymore. That's crazy.

Here in DC there are several major amusement parks within a couple of hours and all of them draw very well (well except Six Flags America). But Kings Dominion, Hershey Park, Bush Gardens are relatively close by.

I would expect a metro the size of Houston in a much warmer climate to have at least one park. Heck most major metros have their own amusement park.

I've always been kind of a roller coaster fan, so I enjoy amusement parks. Seems odd Houston doesn't have one.

[HtownLove]

Is there a question in here or did you just come to tell us we don't have an amusement park.

If its the latter then we already know

[westhou]

We now have the Pleasure Pier in Galveston. It may not be as grand as Six Flags but it is something.

[texas7]

In it's heyday, Astroworld was a great place and a lot of people have fond and great memories of childhood (and adulthood) visits but the last few years it was open, the crowds got trashy and thuggy and it was really no longer the place it once was. It was dying on the vine and nobody really complained about it UNTIL they decided to take it down and then everyone was so shocked and saddened yet most of them had ceased to patronize it many years before. Pleasure Pier is only a pier of rides so not meant to accommodate mega-crowds and they charge $10 just to walk on it and look around - lots of complaints about that but I think that is meant to weed out those who want to just hang out and avoid it turning into an undesirable place for families which is what the pier wants to attract.

[jdw7337]

People around here seem to prefer water parks, community pools, and splash pads to Theme Parks due to the climate. I live basically in the middle of nowhere on the very edge of Houston and I'm near a water park, a community pool, and about a half dozen splash pads. When people want an amusement park they go to The Kemah Boardwalk or The Pleasure Pier. This is just how Houston is.

[MrsL1215]

I miss Astroworld so much!

My mom used to take me once a year, and the year my friends and I got our licenses and could take ourselves, it closed.

[Dopo]

Lakewood church doesn't want competition

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

Is there a question in here or did you just come to tell us we don't have an amusement park.

If its the latter then we already know

Just making sure .

Mostly I guess I was wondering why nothing ever replaced six flags, a lot of parks have issues with teens (thug element) etc, but tearing down the park seems to be an extreme way of dealing with that. I thought it was a case of the real estate under the park becoming more valuable than the park itself, but if that was the case, It's hard to believe it's still grass today and a new park with more room didn't open up somewhere else.

Whatever I guess. Not all cities have large amusement parks.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Just making sure .

Mostly I guess I was wondering why nothing ever replaced six flags, a lot of parks have issues with teens (thug element) etc, but tearing down the park seems to be an extreme way of dealing with that. I thought it was a case of the real estate under the park becoming more valuable than the park itself, but if that was the case, It's hard to believe it's still grass today and a new park with more room didn't open up somewhere else.

Whatever I guess. Not all cities have large amusement parks.

there have been attempts.

Nothing has happened so far.

multiple reasons. Many threads about it.

Loss of funding in bad economic times is a major one.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Lakewood church doesn't want competition

???? And this is related to astroworld how????