The Woodlands, TX

Double L · #1 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 2:18 AM**

Over the stages of my life, I have lived in three cities. Washington DC, Houston, TX and a suburb thirty miles north of downtown Houston called The Woodlands, Texas. A master planned community designed by George Mitchell, The Woodlands sets its sights on preserving nature while substantially developing urban habitat. The Woodlands was built thirty miles north of downtown Houston in the late 1970s. Built in a region of dense pine tree forests, it strives to preserve the trees. In between roads and development there lies thick regions of dense pine trees forests, seen here.

In 1993 The Woodlands was sold to Crescent real estate. Which, upon realizing the rapid rate of growth in The Woodlands, began a new urbanism project called The Woodlands Town Center. Along with other new urbanism projects its main feature is The Woodlands Waterway, which is The Woodlands version of the San Antonio riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. These are pictures from the Woodlands Waterway.

The Woodlands Pavilion is placed on The Woodlands Waterway and is the largest outdoor amphitheater in the Houston area.

glowrock · #2 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 2:25 AM**

Nice shots, Double L!

Aaron (Glowrock)

photoLith · #3 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 2:34 AM**

Im from Kingwood, we used to go to the Woodlands all the time, my dad still works there in fact. The new urbanist stuff going on there is really cool and of very high quality.

If you go the Crush Wine Lounge website, all the photos are mine, they paid me about two years ago or so when they first opened up. I was just walking around and the owner saw my camera and asked me to take photos for him.
http://www.thecrushbar.com/about.php

SouthByMidwest · #4 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 2:41 AM**

http://www.pbase.com/image/130169089/large.jpg

I think the blur actually helps this.

Good set.

KevinFromTexas · #5 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 3:29 AM**

Nice. I do like the landscape of pine trees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double L

This is nice, but what would make it nicer would be bike lanes. Being able to ride your bicycle along there would be so nice. The flat terrain around Houston, too, makes it good for bicycling.

photoLith · #6 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 3:35 AM**

^
That will be the day...

Double L · #7 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 3:40 AM**

The Woodlands has an extensive bike path system which I gave a picture of.

urbanlife · #8 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 6:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double L

The Woodlands has an extensive bike path system which I gave a picture of.

I think what was being implied about the bike lanes is referring to paved bike lanes, there would be no way I could ride my road bike down bike paths like this without killing myself.

Woodlands has always interested me because of the basis of how the overall city was planned, I have never personally been there, but I have always liked what I have seen. Feel free to post the hell out of this city, it is always enjoyable to see in here.

Double L · #9 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 6:26 AM**

Those are paved bike paths I go down them all the time. Those are just pine needles not dirt.

KevinFromTexas · #10 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 6:43 AM**

Pine needles are slippery. We used to slide down the hills in Bastrop State Park for fun on the pine needles. You'd probably get similar results on a bicycle, in fact that's something else we did there. It is nice in The Woodlands. I last visited in 2003 I believe. I still say it would be amazing to have bike lanes down streets like the one I quoted. They wouldn't even have to widen the street, just stripe it. It's plenty wide, the issue would be defining the lanes. Nothing beats the smell of pine air.

urbanlife · #11 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 7:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double L

Those are paved bike paths I go down them all the time. Those are just pine needles not dirt.

I would have to see a better picture of these bike paths, this image does look like a hard dirt path.

And the streets do look like they could handle having bike lanes running down them without causing any real effect to traffic, which it does look like that city would be quite enjoyable to bike around in.

photoLith · #12 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 8:01 AM**

^
Those paths are cement, in Kingwood, another community just like this sort of in Houston has a similar bike path system. They are always covered in pine needles like that and road biked dont handle kindly while turning with tons of leaves beneath you, so it can be kinda dangerous.

urbanlife · #13 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 9:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photolitherland

^
Those paths are cement, in Kingwood, another community just like this sort of in Houston has a similar bike path system. They are always covered in pine needles like that and road biked dont handle kindly while turning with tons of leaves beneath you, so it can be kinda dangerous.

Okay, but that still leaves the question of why there isn't bike lanes on the roads as well? Thanks for answering the question though, and I can imagine the pine needles are slippery, we have issues with wet leaves in Portland, or my favorite, the bike safety stops that are painted green are noticeable for drivers, but super slick for bikers...not sure how that is a good thing when you are on a bike.

LSyd · #14 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 1:04 PM**

this tour is a tease, we need more pics.

-

whovean · #15 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 1:48 PM**

I lived in Kingwood back in 82 i was always amazed at the amount of pine trees in the Houston Metro
thanks for the pics

glowrock · #16 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 2:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSyd

this tour is a tease, we need more pics.

-

I might be able to get up there to take some photos of my own tomorrow or Thursday, LSyd. Would you be happy with some of my photos?

Aaron (Glowrock)

MNMike · #17 Posted **Nov 9, 2010, 4:10 PM**

It looks like they have kind of gotten away from saving trees in the newer parts. I know it can be hard to save trees around development though, as the roots are disturbed and they often die later anyway.

AusHou · #18 Posted **Nov 11, 2010, 1:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Nice. I do like the landscape of pine trees.

This is nice, but what would make it nicer would be bike lanes. Being able to ride your bicycle along there would be so nice. The flat terrain around Houston, too, makes it good for bicycling.

I thought I saw bike lanes in the Woodlands when I went to a meeting there recently.

I do think the Woodlands is nice, and hopefully the poster of the pics can show some neighborhood photos. The neighborhoods are gorgeous.

As a general comment, while the Woodlands is really beautiful, there are tons of similar areas of piney woods right in Houston. One of the best areas stretches along Memorial Drive, starting just west of Loop 610 (about a mile north of Uptown/Galleria) and stretching west for about 10 miles. Although just as woodsy and nice as the Woodlands, such areas within Houston are quite expensive relative to the Woodlands, as one might expect. I could be happy either place. With the Woodlands, you have a lot of amenities and pay lower prices for homes. With the piney woods areas right in Houston, you pay very high prices but have additional amenities. So it depends on what you can spend and what your priorities are.

AusHou · #19 Posted **Nov 11, 2010, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbanlife

Okay, but that still leaves the question of why there isn't bike lanes on the roads as well?

It was just one photo of one road, so perhaps there are roads that do have bike lanes.

KevinFromTexas · #20 Posted **Nov 11, 2010, 5:38 AM**

I don't doubt there are bike lanes there, I was just jonesing for bike lanes along that one roadway. Looks like a really nice place to ride. We're planning a weekend trip to Bastrop State Park this weekend, which is in the Lost Pines region a little bit east of Austin. I'm wanting to take my bike and go for a ride on the park roads and try the hills. The last time I tried that was on a BMX style bike, and the hills kicked my butt.