Houstonians, Are The Entertainment Options Growing With The Rapidly Growing Population? (Austin: real estate, apartments)

[Schumacher713]

In the past 5 years Houston has changed faster than I have ever seen it. There is a lot more to do now.

[crono_clone]

Originally Posted by marcopolo2000

I disagree. For example, the locals in places like New Orleans are ALWAYS extremely helpful when it comes to offering advice about places or things (non-touristy) to check out when I'm visiting. Its like they really want you to enjoy their city. Same goes with San Francisco the times that I've visited. I can't, for the life of me understand why anyone wouldn't want a tourist to enjoy Houston. Especially, considering the fact that Houston isn't thought of highly nationally.

Come on now, any "disdain" we show on a board for Houstonians should be taken with wink and a nudge and only the slightest bit of seriousness

I've been on both sides of the coin and it's always been a local's prerogative to show "disdain", just like it's a tourist's prerogative to be as loud and obnoxious as possible I wouldn't take any of it seriously as it's all in good fun.

I doubt you'd ever find anyone in here actually be hostile to a tourist and give them directions to a crackhouse. They only do that in Paris.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

That's not true.

Yes it is. You may find kids in the Quarter getting drunk or locals shopping on St. Peters but you won't find nearly as many local adults near Bourbon past midnight. I'm not a native but a local and I don't get caught on Bourbon unless I'm showing someone who's never been.

Originally Posted by crono_clone

But that's also one extra person on the road during traffic, one less parking space, and one less seat at the bar for you. There's a trade-off that locals just aren't going to be happy with, especially since this city isn't particularly built to deal with tourists (just look at what happened during NBA All-Stars Weekend).

Just my opinion, which I already admit is selfish on my part. I wouldn't be opposed to us building a central entertainment district (I already consider the Galleria to be Houston's "tourism central" and avoid it like the plague) built specifically for outside visitors, but that's the rub -- it has to be built to handle them. So far none of our existing entertainment districts handle tourists very well, which is why we look at them like inconveniences.

Maybe the Super Bowl coming to town will change that? We'll see, I guess.

Houston doens't deal with tourists like other cities. In Houston, you can tell someone isn't from around the area when they are going 20mph on the feeder or taking pictures in the Galleria. However, there's plenty of people who just moved to Houston for work and have trouble driving around and I think that's more of a problem versus someone going to Houston for vacation. Tourists annoy me when they drive the wrong way on streets, get drunk and sloppy, take photos of stuff blocking up the sidewalks, ask stupid questions, etc. This mainly happens to the residents/employees of the Quarter and CBD though. Houston residents don't have many one-on-one interactions with tourists.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

That's not true.

Yes it is. You may find kids in the Quarter getting drunk or locals shopping on St. Peters but you won't find nearly as many local adults near Bourbon past midnight. I'm not a native but a local and I don't get caught on Bourbon unless I'm showing someone who's never been.

Originally Posted by crono_clone

But that's also one extra person on the road during traffic, one less parking space, and one less seat at the bar for you. There's a trade-off that locals just aren't going to be happy with, especially since this city isn't particularly built to deal with tourists (just look at what happened during NBA All-Stars Weekend).

Just my opinion, which I already admit is selfish on my part. I wouldn't be opposed to us building a central entertainment district (I already consider the Galleria to be Houston's "tourism central" and avoid it like the plague) built specifically for outside visitors, but that's the rub -- it has to be built to handle them. So far none of our existing entertainment districts handle tourists very well, which is why we look at them like inconveniences.

Maybe the Super Bowl coming to town will change that? We'll see, I guess.

Houston doens't deal with tourists like other cities. In Houston, you can tell someone isn't from around the area when they are going 20mph on the feeder or taking pictures in the Galleria. However, there's plenty of people who just moved to Houston for work and have trouble driving around and I think that's more of a problem versus someone going to Houston for vacation. Tourists annoy me when they drive the wrong way on streets, get drunk and sloppy, take photos of stuff blocking up the sidewalks, ask stupid questions, etc. This mainly happens to the residents/employees of the Quarter and CBD though. Houston residents don't have many one-on-one interactions with tourists compared to other cities.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

Well, I happen to know more than just a few locals myself, and they've told me stories about what has gone down in the quarter, even during Mardi Gras.

I'm not saying that many frequent the district, but to say they never go there isn't true.

Relative to the amount of tourists, its safe to say locals avoid the Quarter (mainly Bourbon) at night like the plague.
The same goes for Times Square and every other tourist trap in the world.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

Relative to the amount of tourists, its safe to say locals avoid the Quarter (mainly Bourbon) at night like the plague.
The same goes for Times Square and every other tourist trap in the world.

I suppose it really depends on the New Orleanian. Some don't really seem to be all that anti-tourist. In fact, what better way is there to meet and mingle with people from all over the world?

Times Square is a completely different monster. Starting in the 90s, it's become a hollow and Disneyfied version of itself, and that has turned off the locals, but you can still see them hanging out there; especially poorer Manhattanites. The French Quarter still has much more charm and history to be appreciated.

[chris_ut]

Moody Gardens has a nice aquarium.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by marcopolo2000

I disagree. For example, the locals in places like New Orleans are ALWAYS extremely helpful when it comes to offering advice about places or things (non-touristy) to check out when I'm visiting. Its like they really want you to enjoy their city. Same goes with San Francisco the times that I've visited. I can't, for the life of me understand why anyone wouldn't want a tourist to enjoy Houston. Especially, considering the fact that Houston isn't thought of highly nationally.

Let me rephrase my statements. Im stating alot of locals in tourist friendly cities are annoyed by tourist near tourist traps cuz you don't get a true sense of the city when your confined in the tourist traps. Of course the workers in the tourist traps are very friendly and show alot of hospitality cuz tourist traps thrive off that. But most locals would rather you venture outside those traps. I got alot of friends from Nola so anytime we go we go with a native and we hit up areas outside the Quarters. Visit their families n what not. I got fam from the Bay Area in every place we went to was opposite of a tourist trap. Many locals avoid it thats all unless their street performers or work at these places.

Originally Posted by annie_himself

Yes it is. You may find kids in the Quarter getting drunk or locals shopping on St. Peters but you won't find nearly as many local adults near Bourbon past midnight. I'm not a native but a local and I don't get caught on Bourbon unless I'm showing someone who's never been.

Houston doens't deal with tourists like other cities. In Houston, you can tell someone isn't from around the area when they are going 20mph on the feeder or taking pictures in the Galleria. However, there's plenty of people who just moved to Houston for work and have trouble driving around and I think that's more of a problem versus someone going to Houston for vacation. Tourists annoy me when they drive the wrong way on streets, get drunk and sloppy, take photos of stuff blocking up the sidewalks, ask stupid questions, etc. This mainly happens to the residents/employees of the Quarter and CBD though. Houston residents don't have many one-on-one interactions with tourists.

In Houston it's hard to tell whose a tourist cuz its so many transplants. The only time I notice alot of tourist is at the Galleria or near downtown hotels. Or if im at stop light and tourist is looking for directions big mistake. And your right I can tell your from out of town btw you drive. Lol, just show car centric Houston really is. Btw Florida has the worst drivers. Everytime I see FL plates its always horrible driving or very slow.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

I suppose it really depends on the New Orleanian. Some don't really seem to be all that anti-tourist. In fact, what better way is there to meet and mingle with people from all over the world?

Times Square is a completely different monster. Starting in the 90s, it's become a hollow and Disneyfied version of itself, and that has turned off the locals, but you can still see them hanging out there; especially poorer Manhattanites. The French Quarter still has much more charm and history to be appreciated.

The people worth meeting usually don't hangout near Bourbon at night. I don't remember the Quarter in the 90s but natives tell me it was much more authentic, not as many T-Shirt shops, and cleaner (Bourbon). That's what has turned off the locals there too.

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

In Houston it's hard to tell whose a tourist cuz its so many transplants. The only time I notice alot of tourist is at the Galleria or near downtown hotels. Or if im at stop light and tourist is looking for directions big mistake. And your right I can tell your from out of town btw you drive. Lol, just show car centric Houston really is. Btw Florida has the worst drivers. Everytime I see FL plates its always horrible driving or very slow.

Exactly! People drive horrible everywhere, doesn't matter which plate you have on the car.

[worldlyman]

Originally Posted by WhichWayDoIGo

I've spoken with a no. of people about Houston some years ago, and they all touted the COL, but said that, for a city it's size, it won't 'bowl you over' with it's entertainment and nightlife. They all did say the city wasn't void of it - a city of that size couldn't be void, obviously - and you can definitely find things to do, but it's more of a 'business city'.

Now, it may still be that way, but this was about four years ago, and was wondering if there has been any noticeable improvement?

There will be those condescending Anal Urbanist detractors that say that Houston is "lacking" as far as entertainment but never really explain why considering America's 4th largest city is REPLETE with multiple SUBSTANTIAL and DIVERSE shopping areas, dizzying VARIETY of ethnic commercial zones, concentrated Theater District, Museum District, MULTIPLE nightlife areas of varying streetscapes, dandy adjacent shopping/dining areas like Old Town Spring and Rosenberg, to name a couple...as well as numerous annual events ranging from Art Car to WorldFest to FotoFest to GalactiCon to Rodeo to International Festival...having the third largest yacht marina and such.

Improvements are always on the go in Houston. Look what has returned to Main St. downtown as far as pub life recently...yet the same naysayers proclaim "downtown Houston is dead." This renewed action has not surprised me. Those refurbished storefronts in downtown were merely awaiting the nocturnal rounds again.

When certain detractors say Houston is "lacking" in "entertainment", they are mere condescending, entitled spoon-fed idiots who think every large city MUST be formatted or built like those tacky and touristy "On and Off" tour bus cities (i.e. London, New York...) to be considered "entertaining." Yet Houston has a Chinatown with GREATER late night dining options than the Chinatown in London! Go figure. Entertain that, if they will.