[jfre81]

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210009.jpg

Let's go for another walk.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210015.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210017.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210019.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210022.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210023.jpg

So yeah, it's a little cloudy. Oh well. It'll rain like hell tomorrow I'm told.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210024.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210027.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210029.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210030.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210032.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210034.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210037.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210038.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210039.jpg

I'm hungry. Let's do lunch.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210040.jpg

On the cheap, that is. Yo soy broke.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210042.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210043.jpg

Works for me. The oldest lunch in Downtown Houston.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210045.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210046.jpg

All right, time to go again.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210047.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210049.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210052.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210053.jpg

No time for what?

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210057.jpg

Chooooo choo I'm a "pedestrain."

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210058.jpg

Think this guy's about ready to hit the links. Too funny not to post even though this shot sucks (out of focus).

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210059.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210061.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210065.jpg

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http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210072.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210073.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210075.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210077.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210080.jpg

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http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210082.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210083.jpg

Market Square under renovation.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210084.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210085.jpg

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http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210169.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210170.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210171.jpg

GO PACK GO!

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210172.jpg

hi i'm a widdle baby pengin will u take me home

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210174.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210176.jpg

Rest in peace you funny ol' bastard.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210178.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210179.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210180.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210182.jpg

Oh, it rained or something while I was in Books-A-Million.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210185.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210188.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210189.jpg

Well folks, that's it.





...or wait, one more stop.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210191.jpg

Thus I'm too buzzed right now for much thoughtful commentary. Maybe next time.

[ue]

i'm glad you found your shadow. it would have been catastrophic otherwise. it's nice seeing PEOPLE on the streets of houston. also, i like the water features. no, I LOVE 'EM.

[TonyAnderson]

Houston downtown has this ability at times to look 'low key' if you will. Like there's shops and all, but they don't try to bring attention to themselves.

[TXLove]

Great thread! Ive eaten at that James Coney a many of times and I have always loved the base of Penzoil. Seems there was a good amount of foot traffic also which is a thing Houston is bashed for!

[SouthmoreAve]

Good Pictures, One of my favorite threads, so far, by you.

This just proves that at least some people actually walk, shop, and eat in DT Houston. This should dispell a few myths on how there are no pedestrians in Houston.

Thanks for the photo walk!

[jfre81]

And then there was even a place or three where people live mixed in there.

Thanks

[Dan Denson]

Great thread! Ive eaten at that James Coney a many of times and I have always loved the base of Penzoil. Seems there was a good amount of foot traffic also which is a thing Houston is bashed for!

I last ate at James Coney Island when I was in high school. Downtown was very crowded back then, before shopping moved further out to Uptown and the malls. I guess downtown is gradually coming back, though, particularly on the east side of the CBD.

I love this thread, particularly the dismal weather. Things look better with sunshine and shadows, but I love the mood these photos create.

JFRE81, what time of day was this? If a weekday, looks like just about everyone was holed up in their offices, since that's still what downtown is mostly all about. Would be interesting to see some shots of morning and afternoon rush hour when everyone is going or coming from the office buildings. I know it can be a real zoo at those times, and it's fun to imagine that all those people are there to shop.

[jfre81]

I started around 2:30 or so, and this was yesterday. I generally post these same-day.

Of course, a lot of the action is below the streets in the tunnels, but at street level the retail is trickling in. There's really little lacking retail-wise for anyone considering living downtown, unless they absolutely can't live without Wal-Mart or a huge mall nearby.

There's even things to see and do at night. Now, the south/west quadrant of downtown which is really the CBD proper is dead after quitting time, and it will probably stay that way. But Houston Pavilions still has a lot of upside and House of Blues is already drawing crowds there, then there's two major sporting venues. Main Street between roughly Franklin and Rusk has a nice array of clubs and pubs. It will also be interesting to see what comes of the effort to breathe a little life into Market Square too.

I can see west of Main being more a business place and east of Main being more an entertainment place. I might have to go out in the morning sometime, even though I'm not much a morning person :p

And there will be plenty more of the dismal weather over the next week, though this weekend holds a bit of promise as far as sunshine goes. We're having an actual winter of sorts this year, but it's a good thing we're not getting the icestorms like they are out east.

[Michi]

I don't know how common-knowledge it is to people, especially folks participating on the forum, but downtown Houston has an extensive undergound tunnel system that provides access to much of the areas with the highest activity.

I didn't know about the tunnels until I moved to Houston 2 years ago and always thought that it was just that the downtown wasn't built for pedestrians and that it was in the local culture to just not walk anywhere. I think there are two truths here:

1) The downtown surface street building structures AREN'T built for the pedestrian. With the acception of Main Street, Texas Street and a few other blocks, it seems the majority of downtown Houston caters to parking access with either ramps going underground or ramps entering an above-ground garage. Lots of office space on the street level creates some pedestrian activity on the sidewalks.

2) The second truth is that people DO like to walk in Houston. They're just underground. I work downtown and frequently use the tunnels. Think of it as an underground mall/city. Any type of food in the world you want is down there. You can access all the major buildings from the tunnels and they are climate-controlled. They are a convenience, period. During lunch, the tunnels are packed, so if you were able to make the street level and underground level transparent from a bird's eye view, you'd essentially see a big city full of people walking between blocks of buildings and points of interest downtown. I typically prefer the street to get from A to B, but on those long HOT summers, I understand why people choose the tunnels.

Sure, they may not be the best component to strive to make your downtown vibrant, but Houston never did have much of a downtown residential population until recently. I think this is a new concept for planners, developers and residents alike and it will be interesting to see how Houston adapts to a new method of mobility in the coming years as it tries to densify and encourage other modes downtown other than the automobile. I think we'll continue to see more and more foot traffic on the downtown streets as the city attempts to encourage people to spend more time downtown, especially outside of the tunnels, which are arguably operational during business hours only. :)

None of my comments are meant to bash Houston, but rather give an honest perspective as to how I see the city.

*EDIT: Oops, sorry jfre, we must have been writing at the same time (didn't mean to overdo the tunnels discussion)!

[jfre81]

Don't think that would be taken at all as bashing, and you're pretty much spot-on. I'm considering a move that way myself, either in or around downtown. I'd keep the car but drive it maybe once or twice a week if that. You're a pioneer of sorts when it comes to proper urban living in this city, and it's good to know there are people like you. Houston as a whole has a lot of misconceptions about it, and perhaps none greater than pertaining to downtown.

I find it not a problem at all to walk around (obviously) even in the heat. Unless it's high noon and the sun's directly overhead, there's plenty of shade from the buildings, and any little breeze will come blowing through there nicely. Then as more retail pops up there are spots to go into, grab a water or a Gatorade or something and head back out.

[Bedhead]

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210032.jpg

Glad it's not all people shots.

I liked the reflections and the mural a lot, and all the variety. :)

[LSyd]

OMFG, people on the streets of Houston? historic, dense buildings? downtown retail? great job photoshopping ;)

-

p.s. i need to get that Texas book.

[Dan Denson]

I don't know how common-knowledge it is to people, especially folks participating on the forum, but downtown Houston has an extensive undergound tunnel system that provides access to much of the areas with the highest activity.

I didn't know about the tunnels until I moved to Houston 2 years ago and always thought that it was just that the downtown wasn't built for pedestrians and that it was in the local culture to just not walk anywhere. I think there are two truths here:

1) The downtown surface street building structures AREN'T built for the pedestrian. With the acception of Main Street, Texas Street and a few other blocks, it seems the majority of downtown Houston caters to parking access with either ramps going underground or ramps entering an above-ground garage. Lots of office space on the street level creates some pedestrian activity on the sidewalks.

2) The second truth is that people DO like to walk in Houston. They're just underground. I work downtown and frequently use the tunnels. Think of it as an underground mall/city. Any type of food in the world you want is down there. You can access all the major buildings from the tunnels and they are climate-controlled. They are a convenience, period. During lunch, the tunnels are packed, so if you were able to make the street level and underground level transparent from a bird's eye view, you'd essentially see a big city full of people walking between blocks of buildings and points of interest downtown. I typically prefer the street to get from A to B, but on those long HOT summers, I understand why people choose the tunnels.

Sure, they may not be the best component to strive to make your downtown vibrant, but Houston never did have much of a downtown residential population until recently. I think this is a new concept for planners, developers and residents alike and it will be interesting to see how Houston adapts to a new method of mobility in the coming years as it tries to densify and encourage other modes downtown other than the automobile. I think we'll continue to see more and more foot traffic on the downtown streets as the city attempts to encourage people to spend more time downtown, especially outside of the tunnels, which are arguably operational during business hours only. :)

None of my comments are meant to bash Houston, but rather give an honest perspective as to how I see the city.

*EDIT: Oops, sorry jfre, we must have been writing at the same time (didn't mean to overdo the tunnels discussion)!

Good, informative post, and definitely not bashing. What you say is exactly the way it is. Let's just hope that downtown will rejuvenate to the extent that Austin's has.

[jfre81]

And not a problem at all Michi on talking about the tunnel system. I've no issue whatsoever with these threads sparking a little discussion. This one (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=177268) surely did. I wonder what some of those people would think of this.

OMFG, people on the streets of Houston? historic, dense buildings? downtown retail? great job photoshopping

lolol

Yeah, I spent a long time in doctoring these. (As typical, these are straight out of the card, loaded into Photobucket and then posted - I'm lazy, what can I say?)

I liked the reflections and the mural a lot, and all the variety.

Thanks.

I'm more and more keeping an eye out for abstract concepts when I'm roaming along. I could've framed that one a little better.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210185.jpg

This was a little better, and while the blur was not intentional it didn't completely wreck it. Available light was getting short, and I forgot to do the adjustments I need to do to shoot in such light.

[jfre81]

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210021.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210128.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210074.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210144.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/Houston/dt2210187.jpg

A few outtakes from this shoot, if you might...

[OhioGuy]

I used to enjoy going to James Coney Island. There was one located about a mile from my apartment a little north of West Oaks Mall. Next time I'm in town I should stop by. :)