Houston highly urbanizing (Dallas, Paris, Atlanta: apartments, rental, homes)

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Seems like recently Houston, that was once a large city consisting of mostly suburban housing and street planning, is turning into a huge urban core. For you out of towners that came here years ago, it most definitely is there. I see it myself when I go to Houston every few months. Seems like every time I go, there are new apartments built. And according to many studies and articles, Houston is currently facing an apartment boom. According to the article, there have been 72 projects recently opened, 85 under construction, and 61 with proposed construction. And a lot of the apartments are in that same area, being between downtown and uptown. As downtown and uptown are both business district consisting of mainly high rise buildings, in the middle it was once suburban style and lately there have been countless apartments and office buildings (even way after Greenway Plaza). I have been to many cities revolving on its urban core (New York, London, Caracas, Paris) and I see the same effect happening. That whole area is really connecting. It was once basically two separate smaller urban areas that are now connecting into one huge urban core. Everywhere from Downtow, all the way past Uptown, parts of the Southwest side closer to 59, south of downtown to the Medical Center and Northwest to the Memorial area, there have been countless apartment homes being built and they continue building them. The Eastside for some reason not as much at all. I think it's mainly because that's where all the industrial refineries, the port, and factories are. So before denying, take a trip to Houston see how it's changed since. But what do you expect from this boom?

[curbur]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

But what do you expect from this boom?

Housing and rental prices to go up and never come back down to even close to where they were before this new housing boom occurred. Traffic will eventually bottleneck inside the loop to an unreasonable level, and the city will scramble to put in adequate mass transit after the fact, as opposed to starting it 20 years ago like it should have been. I expect the way Houston is viewed around the country to eventually start to change as outsiders who come here for business or to visit family will start to take notice of the one large sprawling skyline that's developing in front of us, and we'll likely be viewed as the NYC of the south to those that already don't think that way. (Sorry Atlanta, I know that 'NY of the south' was your title for a long time, but it's not 1894 anymore.)

[deckhanddavy]

Originally Posted by curbur

Housing and rental prices to go up and never come back down to even close to where they were before this new housing boom occurred. Traffic will eventually bottleneck inside the loop to an unreasonable level, and the city will scramble to put in adequate mass transit after the fact, as opposed to starting it 20 years ago like it should have been. I expect the way Houston is viewed around the country to eventually start to change as outsiders who come here for business or to visit family will start to take notice of the one large sprawling skyline that's developing in front of us, and we'll likely be viewed as the NYC of the south to those that already don't think that way. (Sorry Atlanta, I know that 'NY of the south' was your title for a long time, but it's not 1894 anymore.)

I definitely agree with the traffic getting worse. I wonder if LocalPlanner has any thoughts on this.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

I have been in Houston almost 3 decades now, and I really have seen a lot of change in the last 7-5 years, and it picked up pace about three years ago. There are major shopping locations that will open up soon on Westheimer inside the loop, and Dunlavy and W Dallas areas. The Buffalo Bayou transformation has been great, as was the Bagby Street project. More to come.

[SouthernBoy205]

I hate that everything is getting so expensive though. I wish the prices would stop increasing so dramatically.

[curbur]

Originally Posted by SouthernBoy205

I hate that everything is getting so expensive though. I wish the prices would stop increasing so dramatically.

The dramatic rate of increase will slow down eventually, but the prices will likely never go back down to where they were 10 years ago.

[jfre81]

The stuff they're talking about in the "multiple skylines" thread about LA and Chicago is in the process of happening here. You can look at LA and see where things are headed here, like it or not. When the amenities and infrastructure are there, it will be easier to justify the rents they're asking.

[curbur]

Originally Posted by jfre81

The stuff they're talking about in the "multiple skylines" thread about LA and Chicago is in the process of happening here. You can look at LA and see where things are headed here, like it or not. When the amenities and infrastructure are there, it will be easier to justify the rents they're asking.

Eh, LA to me has multiple skylines, Chicago basically has one big one that is a cluster at downtown that then spreads out and lines the coast going north and south for the first 3 blocks off the beach after that. All the other 'clusters' they're describing for Chicago, are no different to the clusters we have in say the Woodlands, Greenspoint, EC, etc. I would argue that LA is where we're going in terms of density, but I would argue that we're already there vs Chicago if you ignore the fac that their downtown is incredibly more dense than ours.

[Texas Ag 93]

I moved to Houston as a kid in 1979 and moved away in 2001 (lived in the Heights at the time). I only go back every 1-2 years now, and every time I go, I hardly recognize the area inside the loop. My concern about all the building, specifically the apartments, is what's going to happen when the next economic "bust" occurs....and it will; it always does. All those apartments that are new and shiny now are going to look like crap after a few years, just like the ones built in SW Houston 30 years ago.

Those of us that lived in Houston remember the last really big oil bust in the mid 80s- the city was down, but not out. I really think one of the things that has always made Houston not just survive, but thrive, is perhaps one of the city's worst qualities as well: the failure to recognize its own history. Houston can constantly reinvent itself and look forward, but that's why the city is willing to tear down structures like the Shamrock, and likely, the Astrodome as well.

I really love Houston and will always consider it home, although I have no plans to move back. I have lived too many places since that offer an equal (if not better) quality of life and are much more appealing, though I am happy to see Houston doing well. I hope it continues.

[SouthernBoy205]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

I moved to Houston as a kid in 1979 and moved away in 2001 (lived in the Heights at the time). I only go back every 1-2 years now, and every time I go, I hardly recognize the area inside the loop. My concern about all the building, specifically the apartments, is what's going to happen when the next economic "bust" occurs....and it will; it always does. All those apartments that are new and shiny now are going to look like crap after a few years, just like the ones built in SW Houston 30 years ago.

Those of us that lived in Houston remember the last really big oil bust in the mid 80s- the city was down, but not out. I really think one of the things that has always made Houston not just survive, but thrive, is perhaps one of the city's worst qualities as well: the failure to recognize its own history. Houston can constantly reinvent itself and look forward, but that's why the city is willing to tear down structures like the Shamrock, and likely, the Astrodome as well.

I really love Houston and will always consider it home, although I have no plans to move back. I have lived too many places since that offer an equal (if not better) quality of life and are much more appealing, though I am happy to see Houston doing well. I hope it continues.

I swear I cringe every time someone says something like this. I think people count the chickens before they hatch.