Downtown(Marketsquare) (neighborhoods, restaurants, bars)

[H'ton]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

The Uptown folks did not reject the light rail plan. They supported it for the most part - it never would have advanced as far as it did without their support. However, for various reasons (including opposition by folks outside Uptown but more because METRO was far too optimistic about its financial resources), it has been essentially put on the back burner until who knows when. So Uptown is going forward with BRT that can be converted to light rail in the future (the light rail plan was the same as the BRT, just with different vehicles) - hardly the sign of opposition to transit.

I agree that the historically poor pedestrian environment, compared to downtown, hurts Uptown in many ways, even though it's been the more economically successful area from a mixed-use standpoint. However, the district is trying to remedy that, by putting in new public streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, and even pedestrian lighting - a rarity for Houston. I doubt they ever put Westheimer on a "road diet" though. That's a TxDOT road, by the way (FM 1093 starts at Loop 610).

I thought I read that notable Uptown business leaders, like Matress Mack, publicly campaigned AGAINST rail in Uptown.

[Truth713]

funny we would get on uptown with this atricle being released.Uptown's Three Infrastructure Goals - Real Estate Bisnow (HOU)

[Mr. Krinkle]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Why do you think Uptown sucks? Because there's a lot of tourists? At this point it's still Houston's only true, dense, fully mixed-use district (residential, office, retail, hotel). Hopefully Downtown will get there soon, if they can get at least a couple thousand more residential units built (beyond what's already planned).

Ok it doesn't suck that much, but I just don't prefer the area. People complain about downtown parking (which I disagree with), but the Galleria may be worse. Hell, I had to valet my car just to get to a bar in the area. Too many upscale bars and expensive steak houses, just not my scene.

[LocalPlanner]

Any busy, popular, and densely built spot is going to have traffic and (especially) parking issues - cars just take up too much space. I hear the same complaints about CityCentre and Rice Village. Crunched parking - it's a good problem to have for an area. It means people are going there. I hope we start hearing lots of complaints about how hard it was to park at Market Square!

Though of course there's actually a lot of parking downtown if you know where to look. You might have to pay for it, though. That fact seems to bother a lot of Houstonians (see previous commenter regarding the Galleria). Some folks seem to have a hard time accepting that not everything in Houston is going to stay in a big strip mall with a huge, park-at-no-extra-charge surface lot in front. Oh well, too bad for them, parking crunches don't hurt the city's appeal.

[Mr. Krinkle]

I don't mid paying $5 to park and walk around multiple places at night.

That's the thing with the Galleria.

Oh, let's go to the Galleria. Ok shopping is done now lets drive to Capital Grill for a bite to eat. Ok now lets drive to Prohibition, ah that place is too crowded so let's drive to The Tasting Room. Damn, they have outrageous prices here...lets have one and leave. Belvedere sounds interesting, but I don't want to valet again and the crowd sucks. Ok let's drive to Poison Girl for some cheap drinks...this was a horrible idea.

In the mean time I could have walked to 5 different spots in downtown or taken the train to Midtown.

[LocalPlanner]

Agreed, this is a problem with Uptown compared to downtown or Midtown. The BRT will help, as long as you're trying to get between places on Post Oak Boulevard or at least close to it. Capitol Grille will be a bit far to walk though.

[westhou]

Originally Posted by Mr. Krinkle

Ok it doesn't suck that much, but I just don't prefer the area. People complain about downtown parking (which I disagree with), but the Galleria may be worse. Hell, I had to valet my car just to get to a bar in the area. Too many upscale bars and expensive steak houses, just not my scene.

It may not be your scene but I think a lot of the people living in those expensive high rises Downtown enjoy that scene. Upscale and expensive is exactly what they are looking for.

[Mr. Krinkle]

Add a taco shop to Market Square.

Fusion Taco to open at Market Square Park | 29-95 | a Chron.com blog

[testmo]

downtown on some random weekend doesnt even seem like houston anymore. i remember downtown in the 90s. now i am struggling trying to not hit some family pushing strollers, joggers, bikers, random people walking around like they are lost making their way to lunch, phoencia, or the park. ill venture to say some saturday mornings the streets are busy

the evenings have been pretty populated for awhile now. with the bayou center, market street restaurants open late, more and more bars, and the Sundance theater it feels very different.

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by testmo

downtown on some random weekend doesnt even seem like houston anymore. i remember downtown in the 90s. now i am struggling trying to not hit some family pushing strollers, joggers, bikers, random people walking around like they are lost making their way to lunch, phoencia, or the park. ill venture to say some saturday mornings the streets are busy

the evenings have been pretty populated for awhile now. with the bayou center, market street restaurants open late, more and more bars, and the Sundance theater it feels very different.

I agree. I was at Discovery Green a few Saturdays ago and i liked the vibe. I just hope that the attempt to revive the nightlife on Main Street is successful. That area looks completely desolate at night now, Only standing as a time capsule with remaints of the old closed bars that were once hopping last decade.