Houston! My Holidays, 2006.

[Bogtrotter]

Very Hitchcockian pic. Of the large cities I've visited in the states, Houston was the least interesting. Indeed it's downtown makes Atlanta seem vibrant. We spent an hour trying to find a restuarant that didn't serve fast food- ultimately we settled for a sandwich bar. We asked a security guard why is was so quiet and he told us it was saturday.. err..okay thanks. The downtown seemed very small and definitely not cosmopolitan. No mass transit doesn't help the vistors either as most of the intersting sites are in the burbs. If you don't have a car you're screwed. The skyline from a distance is imposing however and it does have a few notable buildings. But as an urban experience I can think of a dozen US cities and few Canadian ones that are much more interesting.

 

[borgos]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that Houston has no zoning by-laws.

 

[shumoon]

^ That's right. Houston is the largest American city without a zoning code. Yet, it resembles so many U.S. metropolises developed post-WWII: gas station and/or covenience store at a busy corner; malls near freeway interchanges; subdivisions tucked behind major boulevards. It makes you wonder how useful zoning codes are and how much influence developers have in writing them or getting around them.

 

[roch5220]

Houston is on the bottem of my list as well, but, there are some nice areas. The area around Rice Village is decent.

The area around Galareria Mall (a big ass one with an ice rink, of all things, on the lowest floor) reminds me a bit of Square One, as there seems to be quite a bit of condo activity (vs. minimal to none downtown). MCC is much better (being more urban and less dangerous for pedestrians - as the people driving to and from the mall/50story office building that is attached to it make it crazy).

Another note, China Town housten, a collection of small strip/plazas and a mall (or 2) is actually all Vietnamese. My wife bought some bakery items from one of the few actual chinese places, and the man seemed shocked that he had a customer speaking cantonese.

 

[roch5220]

I'll never complain about the St. Lawrence Centre again

...

Clean this building up and I find it to be quite appealing.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"Yet, it resembles so many U.S. metropolises developed post-WWII: gas station and/or covenience store at a busy corner; malls near freeway interchanges; subdivisions tucked behind major boulevards."

Take out Toronto's high-rise clusters, add the freedom to leagfrog out development ad infinitum, and there's not a substantial between here and there.

 

[shumoon]

The building formerly known as the Transco Tower is the tallest building outside of a city's central business district. It is located in the Galleria area, which you could call Houston's second downtown.

A couple miles from Transco Tower is perhaps Houston's swankiest neighbourhood, River Oaks. It is similar to Toronto's Bridle Path neighbourhood, with large homes and manicured lawns.