Houston Does Not Know How To Use Space Correctly (Dallas: apartments, condo)

[houstoner]

Originally Posted by jfre81

And as for townhomes next to railroad tracks near I-10 - WTF? Bums can sleep next to railroad tracks for nothing. I wonder how fast people are pouncing on that, especially in this housing market.

They're located between the Heights and Montrose/River Oaks, near Rice Military along Washington, convenient to downtown, Memorial Park, and the yuppie race track that is Memorial Drive/Allen Parkway. Due to this location, they will pounce.

[Guerilla]

Originally Posted by DJboutit

Houston does not know how to use space correctly expale rice millitary area there is a 1/4 acre lot the lot big enough for 2 2500 sqft town homes but they end up building 3 to 4 1100 sqft town homes nobody want a town home that small for $450k. Another expample the new central park down town 14 acres is nothing when we have lots of parks that are 50time that. If they built the park just on the other side of 59 in the warehouse district they could have got 25 to 50 acres at a steal more room to build a nicer park & help improve the area, but they had to have it actualy down town area where there is enough parks as it is. There are so many areas around town that are really close in that if a developer but land they could get like 50 arces for a steal & help improve the area. Who ever is planing all the construction only wants to build in already over crowed areas not in areas that needs improvments thats bad that just sucks.

About the park, why do you need all that space anyway? It is suppose to be a small urban park, not Memorial Park in the middle of Downtown. Seriously, Memorial Park and Hermann Park are not that far away, and Hermann Park is just a train ride away. The Downtown Park is already improving the area if you didn't know. Four towers have been proposed around it, with one under construction.

They include: One Park Place, 501-foot residential tower under construction; Embassy Suites, proposed; Discovery Tower; office tower proposed with an adjacent parking garage; 1,000+ room Convention Hotel with condos on top, this is rumored to be a Westin Hotel.

[Guerilla]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Jacksonville and Juneau include lots of extraterritorial jurisdiction in their land area. Houston is the second-largest city in land area that does not have a consolidated government with its county. First is Oklahoma City, which has less than a third of Houston's population density.

Jacksonville, the largest city in land area, basically is Duval County, save for a few very small independent municipalities (e.g. Jacksonville Beach). If Houston consolidated its government with Harris County and all currently unincorporated areas of the county became "part of the city" it would be larger than Jacksonville, and it would likely make Houston's official population count higher than Chicago's if not nearly equal with it.

As for parks in downtown, better than surface parking lots taking up whole blocks...

And as for townhomes next to railroad tracks near I-10 - WTF? Bums can sleep next to railroad tracks for nothing. I wonder how fast people are pouncing on that, especially in this housing market.

Houston's population count would be higher than Los Angeles. Harris County has 3.9 million people. I don't want something like this to happen though.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

Houston's population count would be higher than Los Angeles. Harris County has 3.9 million people. I don't want something like this to happen though.

Well, I think the currently existing municipalities would have to either be dissolved (not happening) or Houston city limits would only extend to currently unincorporated areas of the county.

I too would not want such a consolidation. Imagine the incompetence and crookery of a combined HPD/HCSO.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

About the park, why do you need all that space anyway? It is suppose to be a small urban park, not Memorial Park in the middle of Downtown. Seriously, Memorial Park and Hermann Park are not that far away, and Hermann Park is just a train ride away. The Downtown Park is already improving the area if you didn't know. Four towers have been proposed around it, with one under construction.

This is supposed to be Houston's version of Central Park. If the City realigns McKinney and Lamar we can have Houston's version of The Mall.

Originally Posted by jfre81

And as for townhomes next to railroad tracks near I-10 - WTF? Bums can sleep next to railroad tracks for nothing. I wonder how fast people are pouncing on that, especially in this housing market.

On HGTV, one of the choices for a Chicago condo was in front of the Union Station (or was it Ogilvie Station) railyard. The microphone didn't pick up the noise from the Metra trains standing on the balcony, but both the agent and the client said it was noisy.

[Guerilla]

Houston's version of Central Park is Hermann Park. Discovery Green is suppose to be a place to relax between conventions, work, etc.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

Houston's version of Central Park is Hermann Park. Discovery Green is suppose to be a place to relax between conventions, work, etc.

Hermann Park looks more like Brooklyn's Prospect Park.

Originally Posted by houstoner

That will change. A lot of artists, musicians, and artsy types priced out of the Heights, Montrose, and Museum District have been quietly moving into the East End, Near Northside, and other neighborhoods near downtown on the north and east sides. Expect gentrification to follow in a few years. These areas will become desirable because they are the "last frontier" for diehard Inner Loopers (like myself).

And gentrification in Sharpstown will start in 5 years.

[Guerilla]

No it doesn't.

Discovery Green was not suppose to be a large park in the first place (with a zoo, etc.). It was only meant to be a small urban park with shops and restaurants (like Millennium Park in Chicago).

[EasilyAmused]

I don't see gentrification in Sharpstown for a very long time. Most of the areas that are gentrifing right now don't have the problems Sharpstown does. Stigmas take a long time to get over. Heck, very few will venture north of I-10 for the deals over there, and those are zoned to SBISD.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

I don't see gentrification in Sharpstown for a very long time. Most of the areas that are gentrifing right now don't have the problems Sharpstown does.

And what are these problems that will stop gentrification from happening? There are still a lot of people around who remember when it was a good place to live.

Stigmas don't mean so much to people moving in from somewhere else, unless they hear about them from locals, and fully half of it is hearsay and/or exaggeration. With the buzzards circling Sharpstown Center we'll have to see what (if anything) goes up there over the next few years....could start a trend...