Why this guy(not me) HATES Houston (Dallas, San Antonio: to live, centers)

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

I've said for many years that the sprawl and ensuing road construction cannot be sustained forever. At some point, it will become too expensive to maintain all the concrete and asphalt associated with not just the roads, but major freeways, overpasses, bridges, etc. We should have gone with a 'real' rail system decades ago, but that is a different topic.

I've also mentioned here on CD years ago that all vehicles now have GPS built in, even if not displayed on a screen, and the federal government is planning on taxing US citizens per mile driven on their vehicles. In fact, the latest Infrastructure bill in the US Senate contains a provision to authorize funds for a "pilot" program for that purpose. What do you think will happen with the "pilot"?

The point is, get ready to be taxed again for every inch you drive! It is coming, and it won't go away (unless the bill is changed, or defeated)... for now.

So what I mean about ending at some point, I think when everyone who enjoys living in the quiet streets of the suburbs, and acreage in the country starts to get his with the road tax, the attitudes may change and people will start to look for shorter commutes.

PS. How many of you have driven down Memorial in Memorial Park and noticed the land bridge being constructed? Looks cool, but the more I think about it, the more it becomes a joke to me... this is only my opinion, there are no cattle, or buffalo herds that need to migrate over it, so it's just to convenience the thousands who frequent the park... not the millions who have to pay for it. My point is, I live in Montrose with Third World streets, just f*ing horrible roads and sidewalks that go unrepaired, or repaired without supervision, yet this 70 Million + dollar bridge to nowhere is being built. This to me is just laughable.

Agree with a lot of this and I've been saying similar things for years on C-D about how Houston has developed. It's what happens when you allow huge ETJs, scam MUDs, and do strip annexations that should be illegal.

But about the bolded, companies can just move to the suburbs like they've been doing and create satellite offices. Or employers will continue to be pretty lenient on working remotely. There are definitely ways around this. And most suburbs now have the essentials nearby so you don't have to drive far. You'll just start to see more suburbs beef themselves up in certain spots to cater to those who live nearby, so they don't need to drive into the city.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Mattress Mack is a PR genius but he’s no saint. I much prefer him over others because doing something is better than doing nothing but let’s not call him a saint over a few deeds. It’s clear his priority is his business and he trashed the Uptown light rail (as well as the now functioning BRT) because it hurt his business for sometime. Despite the fact that it improves the quality of life of residents.

I’ll take Mack’s PR stunts over JJ’s though.

[Raider Scott]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

Mattress Mack is a PR genius but he’s no saint. I much prefer him over others because doing something is better than doing nothing but let’s not call him a saint over a few deeds. It’s clear his priority is his business and he trashed the Uptown light rail (as well as the now functioning BRT) because it hurt his business for sometime. Despite the fact that it improves the quality of life of residents.

I’ll take Mack’s PR stunts over JJ’s though.

Mack also supported Kim Ogg.....we all know what a disaster that has been.


Yes, he is no saint and does what is best for his business FIRST. This is also why he supported Turner for Mayor. Again....all for the sake of keeping in good graces with the powers that be in Houston.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by Raider Scott

Mack also supported Kim Ogg.....we all know what a disaster that has been.


Yes, he is no saint and does what is best for his business FIRST. This is also why he supported Turner for Mayor. Again....all for the sake of keeping in good graces with the powers that be in Houston.

Who is a saint?

Mattress Mack has done as much for the city of Houston (if not more) than other business leaders such as Tillman Fertitta, John Arnold, Richard Kinder, etc. - especially in terms of disaster recovery.

Of course they will act in the interests of their businesses... just as you would.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by SanJac

Mattress Mack has done as much for the city of Houston (if not more) than other business leaders such as Tillman Fertitta, John Arnold, Richard Kinder, etc. - especially in terms of disaster recovery.

Of course they will act in the interests of their businesses... just as you would.

You can argue that Tilman Fertitta has done just as much as Mattress Mack. He’s given out tons of free meals, donated a million dollars during Harvey, then another million to Lake Charles during Laura. He gave Trae’s relief gang a generous donation during the winter storms. I know during Lake Charles for Laura, the Golden Nugget was used as a shelter site during the first couple of days following the storm.

That said, both this and Mack is much more than most business owners there, but Mack specifically has voiced against projects that would increase the QOL of citizens here, not just in this specific case

[Raider Scott]

Originally Posted by SanJac

Who is a saint?

Mattress Mack has done as much for the city of Houston (if not more) than other business leaders such as Tillman Fertitta, John Arnold, Richard Kinder, etc. - especially in terms of disaster recovery.

Of course they will act in the interests of their businesses... just as you would.

Yeah but you know that deep down, Mack knows Ogg's actions have NOT been good for Houston and crime is out of control under her. Fortunately for him...he lives way outside of Houston behind a nice gated community walls and does not have to deal with the ugliness Ogg has created.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by elnina

There are:
#1 New York
#2 San Francisco
#3 Boston
#4 Philadelphia
#5 Miami
etc...

I think you meant Chicago. The north half of the city proper a.k.a. "Northside" is one of the country's most desirable places to live.

Miami isn't walkable. All of South Florida is a narrow strip of sprawl.

Not much of an economy (jobs) being a tropical playground on U.S. soil for wealthy East Coasters and a big façade of a skyline with poorly-built high-rise condos.

Houston and Chicago have in common a Downtown-centric metro with office buildings dominating the CBD skyline.

[Spade]

I was wondering if that video made it on here.

Originally Posted by Frustratedintelligence

Just accept it. Houston's sin isn't necessarily being an autocentric city, it's in being a terribly planned city and God is trying to tell you this every time He floods the place.

FACTS. To be honest, I think to an extent, they go hand in hand. But I don't disagree with much of what he said about Houston. Terrible planning led to this and it is not sustainable. Even Los Angeles to a smaller extent saw this as LA is pretty dense on its own accord. The thing is this isn't just Houston. This is pretty much any place built in America that saw most of its greatest growth post world war 2. I mean even he thought Houston was better than Phoenix in this regard.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

I think you meant Chicago. The north half of the city proper a.k.a. "Northside" is one of the country's most desirable places to live.

Miami isn't walkable. All of South Florida is a narrow strip of sprawl.

Not much of an economy (jobs) being a tropical playground on U.S. soil for wealthy East Coasters and a big façade of a skyline with poorly-built high-rise condos.

Houston and Chicago have in common a Downtown-centric metro with office buildings dominating the CBD skyline.

Eh you're kind of reaching on the Houston and Chicago having a downtown-centric metro. Chicago is definitely defined as that but I wouldn't be quick to say Houston is.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by Spade

Eh you're kind of reaching on the Houston and Chicago having a downtown-centric metro. Chicago is definitely defined as that but I wouldn't be quick to say Houston is.

To be fair, I think what Kerr was talking about is the “nucleus” effect in Houston. Houston’s entire metro definitely revolves around the “nucleus” made up of Downtown, Uptown, TMC, Montrose, 3rd Ward, Rice U, UH, Heights, etc and all of the neighborhoods in between. This is definitely a singular nucleus where the rest of the metro revolve around. Though unlike Chicago, this nucleus extends good ways outside of the official downtown.

On the other hand, DFW has a “multi polar” effect.

That being said though, Houston is seeing a lot of its growth not just population wise but also economically in the suburbs. CityCentre, the woodlands, Springwood Village, etc. so when then, it’s different.