Downtown Houston Tunnel (Miami: living in, law, shop)

[astrohip]

I've only been in them a handful of times over the decades, primarily for specific use (getting from one bldg to another). I'd like to explore them a little more now that I have time. What do y'all recommend? Best place to start, must-see areas, etc?

Thanks!

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by astrohip

I've only been in them a handful of times over the decades, primarily for specific use (getting from one bldg to another). I'd like to explore them a little more now that I have time. What do y'all recommend? Best place to start, must-see areas, etc?

Thanks!

It's a good excuse to go into the lobby of Pennzoil Place, which somehow keeps its "futuristic" look 30 years after the fact. Start there.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by jfre81

It's a good excuse to go into the lobby of Pennzoil Place, which somehow keeps its "futuristic" look 30 years after the fact. Start there.

30 years ? That building was probably designed closer to 50 years ago...

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

30 years ? That building was probably designed closer to 50 years ago...

It was completed in 1975. I thought it was more 80s.

Says even more for the design. Pritzker Prize '78

[bu2]

Originally Posted by elnina

Right. Open weekdays only. And yes, it's a great place if you work downtown, especially in summer because it's air conditioned.
You can grab a quick lunch without wasting time to find parking space or get all sweaty running around in the Summer heat.
Talking about running - lots of people just go for a power walk during lunch time. It's a great break from sitting in an office...

The classic case of the NY Times parochialism. Reporter came down here in the 80s and wrote in an article that downtown Houston was virtually empty. He didn't see anyone at noon on the streets on a July day. If he had bothered to ask anyone, they would have told him that everyone was in the tunnels.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by bu2

The classic case of the NY Times parochialism. Reporter came down here in the 80s and wrote in an article that downtown Houston was virtually empty. He didn't see anyone at noon on the streets on a July day. If he had bothered to ask anyone, they would have told him that everyone was in the tunnels.

In the 80s they saw a cluster of office towers surrounded by three or four dozen city blocks of surface parking. That photo still gets around from time to time.

This downtown tunnel thing isn't really that unique. Chicago's is referred to as the Pedway and links much of the Loop area underground with the Red and Blue lines which are underground and don't use the elevated "Loop" above the streets. If anything is unique about Houston's tunnels, it's how it has generally sucked out all the street level life. The Pedway doesn't do that here. I spent much of today in and around the Loop and saw more people on the streets than I've ever seen in downtown Houston on the surface. Weather? It was 43 degrees and probably upper 20s wind chill. Not exactly pleasant, though it did warm up and the wind let up a little at times. In July, guess what, it's hot, humid and not exactly pleasant.

When your streets are empty, they're empty. Other cities have tunnels or skywalks without rolling up the sidewalks on the streets. To think this is normal because Houston does that, that's "parochial."

Today's DT Houston is a little less empty on the street mainly because more people actually live downtown now, and there are actually people to be seen on the weekends when the tunnels aren't open.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by jfre81

In the 80s they saw a cluster of office towers surrounded by three or four dozen city blocks of surface parking. That photo still gets around from time to time.

This downtown tunnel thing isn't really that unique. Chicago's is referred to as the Pedway and links much of the Loop area underground with the Red and Blue lines which are underground and don't use the elevated "Loop" above the streets. If anything is unique about Houston's tunnels, it's how it has generally sucked out all the street level life. The Pedway doesn't do that here. I spent much of today in and around the Loop and saw more people on the streets than I've ever seen in downtown Houston on the surface. Weather? It was 43 degrees and probably upper 20s wind chill. Not exactly pleasant, though it did warm up and the wind let up a little at times. In July, guess what, it's hot, humid and not exactly pleasant.

When your streets are empty, they're empty. Other cities have tunnels or skywalks without rolling up the sidewalks on the streets. To think this is normal because Houston does that, that's "parochial."

Today's DT Houston is a little less empty on the street mainly because more people actually live downtown now, and there are actually people to be seen on the weekends when the tunnels aren't open.

Its parochial if you think hanging out on the streets in Houston's July heat and humidity in your business clothes is normal!

And while the Houston tunnels aren't unique, they are unusual and unusually long-about 6 miles.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by bu2

Its parochial if you think hanging out on the streets in Houston's July heat and humidity in your business clothes is normal!

And while the Houston tunnels aren't unique, they are unusual and unusually long-about 6 miles.

The worst of summer here is pretty much the same as Houston. It just doesn't last for four or five months solid. Instead it'll be some other sort of less than optimal weather.

That said, the Pedway under downtown Chicago is five miles, not counting the subways and the walkway connecting them. It's pretty comparable to what Houston has, but without the relative lack of street-level traffic and retail. Again, that's improving.

In the 80s, the NYT was spot on. If they were supposed to ask and find out that everyone's milling around in a subterranian shopping mall, that doesn't make the observation of empty streets inaccurate, does it?

They saw a bajillion cars parked on 100 acres of asphalt around a bunch of mostly new shiny modern skyscrapers, so it's obvious humans were present somewhere.

[TFW46]

I used the tunnel daily back in the early 1970s. The air-conditioning was loud but awesome and there were small shops and eateries there, but that was pretty much it. The floors, walls and ceiling were carpeted in red to look futuristic and, when it rained, the ceiling leaked.

Still, it was very nice for those days -- but nothing like the photo that elnina posted. Wow, that almost makes me want to fight the downtown traffic to check it out -- almost.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by bu2

Its parochial if you think hanging out on the streets in Houston's July heat and humidity in your business clothes is normal!

And while the Houston tunnels aren't unique, they are unusual and unusually long-about 6 miles.

Chicago's pedway is about 5 miles, I think.