Houston, part two

stepper77 · #1 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 2:04 AM**

A good downtown skyline before we head on to other things...

Texas Medical Center

Hermann Park

This looks more like a Lego house than the Federal Reserve

I am generally a planning proponent, but, the anything goes development gives Houston a certain charm all its own

What's that beast over there?

Uptown/Galleria

The downtown skyline and...the Incredible Hulk...

Because I can't just pick one angle...

A break from the vertical...

The Heights

Reminds me a little bit like home..

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Part One

dharper6 · #2 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 4:14 AM**

Excellent tour...you must have really had a lot of time. This is the first set of photos of Uptown I've seen here that shows it well (glad you didn't show the incredible traffic congestion that it's known for). Your Williams Tower photos are just amazing. I've never seen a building (built in modern times) that appeals to me more. I also like those new condo towers in Uptown.

daithi · #3 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 5:27 AM**

Wow! You sure did cover a lot of ground! Great threads! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.

Shasta · #4 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 4:35 PM**

Nice spread of my two hometown areas. I am a native Houstonian but now am a Masshole!

The residential area in Uptown is called Tanglewood. I grew up there but it looks like a very different place now. That used to be all single story ranch style homes. Now it is McMansion central.

Thanks for showing me some live oaks!

TexasBoi · #5 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 5:39 PM**

Quote:

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2...ston252oc6.jpg

A friend in Houston told me that's the density like here in this shot you see in Houston is now becoming more common to see inside the loop now.

denveraztec · #6 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 6:32 PM**

Thank for the pics of the Williams Building, it is my favorite and the largest building outside of a downtown in the country. It's spotlight/searchlight is great to watch during storms. Sad to see all the scraping and mcmansions in the Bellaire area where there was once some great old homes. Wonderful photos and thanks again!

Texas Tuff · #7 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 7:04 PM**

Very nice pics, you really did a great job. Those Williams tower shots were very nice and I also really liked the Medical Center shots and Hermann park (one of the best urban parks in Texas IMO).

TXLove · #8 Posted **Jul 20, 2008, 11:35 PM**

really enjoyed this set also great job Stepper!!!

kcexpress69 · #9 Posted **Jul 21, 2008, 1:39 AM**

You did a great job covering a city of this magnatude!! Well done!!

skyline · #10 Posted **Jul 21, 2008, 1:55 AM**

Superior shots!

vjhe · #11 Posted **Jul 21, 2008, 4:46 PM**

Wow, great job covering the city. Was it hot enough for you? And to think, it was only June.

Anyway, anyone who has been at this site for any amount of time is quite familiar with what is WRONG with Houston, but there are some pleasant things about it as well and these photos show some of them. Thanks for posting Stepper77.

OhioGuy · #12 Posted **Jul 21, 2008, 5:58 PM**

Awww, it's too bad the waterwall wasn't running when you were at the Williams Tower. It really is spectacular!

Glad you were able to make it to Herman Park. Did you also venture over to Rice University, which is right next to Herman Park? The tree canopies in that area are gorgeous. I love me some live oaks!

Thanks for the great photos!

(and now the world knows the identity of the illustrious stepper77)

stepper77 · #13 Posted **Jul 22, 2008, 3:37 AM**

Yes, the heat and humidity was trying from someone accustomed to the moderate temperatures of the Bay Area (it barely broke 80 today!), but, once I accepted I would be sweaty all day from head to toe, I got on just fine. Plus, a Diet Pepsi with ice helps

I was REALLY disappointed the fountain at the Williams Tower was shut off. Is it only on at certain times of the day or year?

No, OhioGuy, I didn't get a chance to walk around Rice University, though I wanted to. But, I had taken the light rail to the medical center and walked up to Hermann Park from there. By the time I got that far, it was like three in the afternoon and I was done with the heat. I just decided to pick up the train and head back downtown and get indoors.

On my way to the airport (IAH), I drove on the surface streets via Shepard, Little York and Aldine Westfield. Pretty much everything north of the 610 seemed pretty dreary. Mostly desolate strip malls and empty asphalt lots. But, outside of that, I think Houston has a lot going for it and certainly deserves more credit than it gets.

bilbao58 · #14 Posted **Jul 22, 2008, 3:58 AM**

I'm impressed! You pretty much gave a tour of my everday Houston. That photo with the Wendy's and the hideous condo behind it is right in my hood.

Xeelee · #15 Posted **Jul 22, 2008, 1:23 PM**

Nice pics.

10101000 · #16 Posted **Jul 22, 2008, 2:34 PM**

Awesome

dharper6 · #17 Posted **Jul 23, 2008, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by stepper77

Yes, the heat and humidity was trying from someone accustomed to the moderate temperatures of the Bay Area (it barely broke 80 today!), but, once I accepted I would be sweaty all day from head to toe, I got on just fine. Plus, a Diet Pepsi with ice helps

I was REALLY disappointed the fountain at the Williams Tower was shut off. Is it only on at certain times of the day or year?

No, OhioGuy, I didn't get a chance to walk around Rice University, though I wanted to. But, I had taken the light rail to the medical center and walked up to Hermann Park from there. By the time I got that far, it was like three in the afternoon and I was done with the heat. I just decided to pick up the train and head back downtown and get indoors.

On my way to the airport (IAH), I drove on the surface streets via Shepard, Little York and Aldine Westfield. Pretty much everything north of the 610 seemed pretty dreary. Mostly desolate strip malls and empty asphalt lots. But, outside of that, I think Houston has a lot going for it and certainly deserves more credit than it gets.

There are quite a few neighborhoods north of Loop 610 that are very nice, but they are all west of the route you took to the airport. Excellent tour. Glad you had a nice visit! Please come back between mid October and mid April and you'll love the weather.

KevinFromTexas · #18 Posted **Jul 23, 2008, 6:28 PM**

Very nice.

dharper6 · #19 Posted **Jul 31, 2008, 12:13 AM**

I was in Houston recently and drove around for about an hour on the way out of town. I went through the Med Center, Hermann Park (saw the Mosaic towers!), the new park downtown, and Uptown. I was really impressed with the positive changes I saw. Everywhere I drove I saw landscapers tending to flowers and other landscapes along public rights of way and in office parks, workers cleaning streets and medians, mowing, etc.. In the Uptown area, some entity is spending many thousands of dollars on flowers along the rights of way. I don't know who. I also drove the length of the rail line that extends from downtown to the Reliant Stadium area.

I was in a bit of a rush so didn't stop to take any photos. Maybe next time!