Why is Houston always downplayed? (Dallas, Austin: landscaping, stores, nightclub)

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

Well, if you clicked on that first list, you'd see Dallas is ranked as the second ugliest US city.

Let's consider the other cities you've listed.

Tampa is located right on the water.

Denver has the mountains in the background.

Portland has the mountains in the background.

Tucson has the mountains in the background.

Boston is on right on the water.

San Diego is right on the water.

Miami is right on the water.

Do you notice a trend here yet?

The point is that it's more than the setting of these cities. Houston could have had a much more appealing ambience if it had had the following in place decades ago:

- A ban on billboards
- No feeder roads
- Zoning
- Much stronger historical preservation ordinances

Now the cat's out of the bag and the city will have to work from where it finds itself.

These are all my opinions. YMMV.

[steeps]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

The point is that it's more than the setting of these cities. Houston could have had a much more appealing ambience if it had had the following in place decades ago:

- A ban on billboards
- No feeder roads
- Zoning
- Much stronger historical preservation ordinances

Now the cat's out of the bag and the city will have to work from where it finds itself.

These are all my opinions. YMMV.

Don't forget. Chose NOT to go ahead with a Proposed Subway system on the 70s.....

[theone33]

I cant even imagine how Houston would be right now if the subway happened back then.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by Matadora

You did:





I lived most of my life in Houston and I still have to disagree.

I still have friends in Houston from France, Germany, England, Scotland, Italy, Australia, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Palestine, India, Pakistan, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Russia, Vietnam, Thailand, Trinidad, South Africa, Africa, Mauritius and the list could go on but I hope you get the point.

Throughout my years in Houston I acquired friends from all over the globe and this is how I was introduced to their cultures and food. I am very thankful to have lived most of my life in a city as culturally/ethnically diverse as Houston.

You said Houston is more diverse than NY or LA. I said racially but not ethnically. That doesn't mean I said that Houston isn't ethnically diverse. It most definitely is. However it means it's not more ethnically diverse than NY or LA.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by Spade

You said Houston is more diverse than NY or LA. I said racially but not ethnically. That doesn't mean I said that Houston isn't ethnically diverse. It means it's not more ethnically diverse than NY or LA.

That was understood by those of us actually reading the posts.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Yn0hTnA

Nothing is impossible; the steps that Houston can take to become more of a tourist mecca basically revolve around the city investing in the public good of its citizens.

Of course Houston is good right now, but it can be better. It is better for a student to be making all A's AND be well-rounded, involved in volunteering, having a job, playing sports, etc than it is for a student to make all A's, but have no life outside of school-work. In much the same way, Houston can be good with the economy and COL, and also appeal more to visitors, and given the nature of the steps needed to be undertaken, it is indeed fully possible for Houston to become more of a tourist draw in our life-times.

I don't have as much faith as you do, but I admire your passion (+1). Perhaps you and others of your generation can help make Houston a better city for residents and visitors alike.

[theone33]

Were there maps or anything with the subway plan from the 70's? I wobder how they planned to run it.

[Jack Lance]

A couple of pages ago there were some post about the music scene in Houston and somebody asked why some acts passed Houston by in favor of other Texas Metros. I found this article that may explain why Houston is being bypassed by touring Indie Bands.

"For lovers of modern indie rock, Houston has its very own Pearl Harbor Day — October 13, 2006. The battle took place at the Rice Military nightclub Walter's on Washington, when, early in the set of San Francisco punk-folk-blues band Two Gallants, all hell broke loose.
It all started with that new bane of live music in a rapidly infilling Inner Loop — a noise complaint from a neighbor who evidently was unduly disturbed by the strummings of the two-piece, acoustic guitar and drums band.
Before it was all over, burly Gabriel M. Rodriguez of the Houston Police Department wound up storming the stage and tackling Two Gallants frontman Adam Stephens — a blond, wispy vegan who looks to weigh about 135 pounds, who may or may not have cussed Rodriguez out. A melee ensued which ended with Rodriguez Tasing two concertgoers, the dismemberment of a vintage bass guitar belonging to one of the other bands on the bill and the arrests of three other attendees and Stephens's Two Gallants bandmate Tyson Vogel. In the aftermath, about ten cop cars and the police chopper descended on the club."

Houston Has a Bad Reputation with Touring Indie Bands | Houston Press ooops

[LocalPlanner]

I'm not sure folks who try to inculcate their children with good conservative values exactly appreciate having a station like KPFT around to subvert their efforts and poison young ears. /s

Having grown up here and lived here as an 1980s teenager, I also remember being dismayed that so many big-name rock bands played Dallas and not Houston. So it hasn't been just indie bands.

Plus, it's been quite noticeable that luxury retail and hotels have gravitated much more to Dallas, and lately Austin, than Houston. One retail broker once told me that such retailers don't find Houston to have an urban environment worthy of one of their locations, whereas the other cities do. As if The Galleria isn't the finest mall on earth - how could Northpark and the Collin County centers be that much better? At least we're getting the River Oaks District, which will start to make a dent. I don't shop or stay at any such places but the message that's been sent about Houston by not having them, and being such a large and important metro, doesn't speak well for us in terms of visibility and respect.

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

I don't have as much faith as you do, but I admire your passion (+1). Perhaps you and others of your generation can help make Houston a better city for residents and visitors alike.

Now that I am in Houston, I plan to. For now, I can only do so much, being just a college student, but hopefully, I, and others of like minds can take part in the effort.

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

I'm not sure folks who try to inculcate their children with good conservative values exactly appreciate having a station like KPFT around to subvert their efforts and poison young ears. /s

Having grown up here and lived here as an 1980s teenager, I also remember being dismayed that so many big-name rock bands played Dallas and not Houston. So it hasn't been just indie bands.

Plus, it's been quite noticeable that luxury retail and hotels have gravitated much more to Dallas, and lately Austin, than Houston. One retail broker once told me that such retailers don't find Houston to have an urban environment worthy of one of their locations, whereas the other cities do. As if The Galleria isn't the finest mall on earth - how could Northpark and the Collin County centers be that much better? At least we're getting the River Oaks District, which will start to make a dent. I don't shop or stay at any such places but the message that's been sent about Houston by not having them, and being such a large and important metro, doesn't speak well for us in terms of visibility and respect.

If that is the reason, then it is strange; do they really think that Dallas is that much better than Houston, in regards to having an urban environment. Austin itself isn't really much better either; their urbanity just revolves around their downtown, not really including a lot of varied, distinct neighborhoods in their fabric. It's things like this that make me further convinced that the vast majority of people in the country truly have no idea about Houston.