Stunning Photos of Hermann Park

SouthmoreAve · #1 Posted: **Jan 27, 2010, 1:00 AM**

Houston is really put down in terms of overall aesthetics and attractiveness. Even to a point where Houston is ugly, period. Hopefully, with this thread I can showcase Houston's natural scenery, as well as some urban photos, and help reverse the misconception.

But, I chose to inlcude the greater area of Hermann Park, which includes, but is not limited to: Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo, the Texas Medical Center, Rice University, and the Museum District. In my opinion, the most attractive area of Houston.

IF anybody else wants to post photos of these areas, and other areas nearby, feel free to do so, and help make people see that Houston is indeed nice!

(Try not to wander off by posting photos of Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, etc)

I'll start off with these 6 images, and I'll keep posting when I find some good ones/can.

A little taste of the TMC.

Flickr Trasksmith

Theres quite a few bridges here, so expect to see various images with them.

Flickr Alaq34

What did I just say! OF course, I'll try to post different ones. Just to keep this intresting.

Flickr b2tse

Look! Wildlife!

Flickr kinjotx

I also like this statue of Sam Houston. Expect more of him..

Flickr Trasksmith

Theres the TMC in the background, and some scattered high-rises in the Museum District. It's pretty cool to know that there's towers that can pop up mostly anywhere in Houston.

Flickr CustomMinds

Links(in order):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trasksmith/4276444741/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/b2tse/4289201911/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trasksmith/4272070434/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/customminds/4302110115/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kinjotx/4294254546/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alaq34/4193499245/

Dan Denson · #2 Posted: **Jan 27, 2010, 3:06 AM**

These are beautiful photos. There are many areas of Houston that don't match the stereotypes, and which are rarely seen here. If I can get away from Austin long enough to get to Houston for more than a few hours, I'll do a photo tour of my favorite areas.

Bring 'em on...

TXLove · #3 Posted: **Jan 27, 2010, 4:40 AM**

Beautiful! Love that 2nd photo of the bridge! WOW

SouthmoreAve · #4 Posted: **Jan 28, 2010, 1:05 AM**

In my last post, the last photo has Uptown in the background, not the TMC.

More photos....
Lovett Hall in Rice University

Flickr LightAtDark

Japanese Garden, I'll frequent this area as well.

Flickr DavidFRoss

The Water Wall at some commons area in the TMC

Flickr soonerpa

Some shaded area in Hermann Park

Flickr MattBHarding

Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightatdark/1104296176/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidfross/3413709414/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soonerpa/3841069471/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbharding/4189508185/

VivaLFuego · #5 Posted: **Jan 28, 2010, 3:55 PM**

Beautiful areas indeed.

In addition to the few large parks (Herrman, Memorial) there are some gems of neighborhoods in Houston whose residential streets compare favorably with those anywhere in the country. The climate allows for a certain year-round just-slightly-sub-tropical lushness that is unique and beautiful, and the metropolitan area itself is located at the nexus of 3 distinct types of terrain (swampy/bayou to the south&east, evergreen woodlands to the north, and the gently rolling plains to the west) providing for much visual interest in a relatively small area.

All that said, it's exceedingly difficult to make Houston's retail/commercial stretches look attractive, and I think that's where most of the ire is drawn. If one can stick to the core business districts (Downtown/TMD) and the residential side streets in pre-war neighborhoods, Houston is as attractive as the best of them. If looking at commercial and retail, it's probably one of the worst. Rather than draw a conclusion based on average, I'm content to go along with focusing on the positive =)

SouthmoreAve · #6 Posted: **Jan 28, 2010, 9:42 PM**

More of the Japanese Garden

Flickr Vimfur

"After the Rain"

Flickr Vividity

Memorial Hermann

Flickr Soonerpa

Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41394922@N04/3998999933/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vividity/2484985696
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soonerpa/4145154938/

Dan Denson · #7 Posted: **Jan 29, 2010, 5:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Beautiful areas indeed.

In addition to the few large parks (Herrman, Memorial) there are some gems of neighborhoods in Houston whose residential streets compare favorably with those anywhere in the country. The climate allows for a certain year-round just-slightly-sub-tropical lushness that is unique and beautiful, and the metropolitan area itself is located at the nexus of 3 distinct types of terrain (swampy/bayou to the south&east, evergreen woodlands to the north, and the gently rolling plains to the west) providing for much visual interest in a relatively small area.

All that said, it's exceedingly difficult to make Houston's retail/commercial stretches look attractive, and I think that's where most of the ire is drawn. If one can stick to the core business districts (Downtown/TMD) and the residential side streets in pre-war neighborhoods, Houston is as attractive as the best of them. If looking at commercial and retail, it's probably one of the worst. Rather than draw a conclusion based on average, I'm content to go along with focusing on the positive =)

I actually agree with your appraisal.

There are some really nice, newer commercial districts, but it's hard to miss the ones that are not attractive. It's really similar in many of the country's cities. E.g., Austin, which has a great reputation, has some of the worst looking commercial strips you can imagine (e.g., Burnet Rd., N. Lamar). But yes, we should focus more on the positive.

VivaLFuego · #8 Posted: **Jan 29, 2010, 4:25 PM**

^Right... judging Houston based on what I see riding the #73 bus wouldn't be fair, just as I would get annoyed if someone went to Englewood and used that as their image of Chicago. Luckily most of my time in Houston is concentrated around the Rice Village/Southamptom/TMD/Herrman Park area, which is very pleasant. I wish more of Houston's commercial areas resembled Rice Village (an area in the Heights is the closest I can think of, maybe it was 19th St?) rather than the typical strip mall/vacant lot hell that constitutes most Houston commercial streets. I'd really like to see Midtown (re)developed to provide basically a continuous block of 'nice' city, up towards downtown and also to the north and west into Montrose and Greenway, and eventually connecting to the south and east around UH. Here's hoping the University Line helps with all that.

SouthmoreAve · #9 Posted: **Feb 1, 2010, 10:13 PM**

Cold Weather has not been kind to the golf course....A view from Montage, This must be nice to wake up to when its lush and green.

Flickr CyberToad

Somewhere in Rice Univ.

Flickr Lightatdark

Some nice trees

Flickr Graustark

View from the reflection pool

Flickr Davidfross

More of the Japanese Garden

Emmiegrn

Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertoad/4320522443/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightatdark/1104334844/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/graustark/3234055266/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidfross/3410106681/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmiegrn/2322065138/

SouthmoreAve · #10 Posted: **Feb 2, 2010, 12:10 AM**

Some photos of the Houston Zoo, by SSC's own Reverberation

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show....php?p=4676651

latennisguy · #11 Posted: **Feb 2, 2010, 2:09 AM**

I miss Houston and Hermann Park. Saw so many free concerts at the Miller Outdoor Theater. This is also one of the few areas with great people watching.

Dan Denson · #12 Posted: **Feb 2, 2010, 3:24 AM**

I hadn't realized how devastated the vegetation is from the freezes earlier in the month and in December. It rarely looks like that in the winter.

SouthmoreAve · #13 Posted: **Feb 2, 2010, 9:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

I hadn't realized how devastated the vegetation is from the freezes earlier in the month and in December. It rarely looks like that in the winter.

I know, it's quite disheartening. Houston usually stays green with a little yellow even in the dead of winter, but its just all brown now.

The good thing is the green seems to return pretty quick in Houston. Most of the green has returned here in Pasadena.

Dan Denson · #14 Posted: **Feb 3, 2010, 5:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthmoreAve

I know, it's quite disheartening. Houston usually stays green with a little yellow even in the dead of winter, but its just all brown now.

The good thing is the green seems to return pretty quick in Houston. Most of the green has returned here in Pasadena.

I envy you since it's usually green down there with a lot of flowers around the city. Austin typically browns out in the winter since it's usually colder here. This winter is really depressing, as the 10-degree weather in early January wiped out a large number of tropical plants.

Metro Matt · #15 Posted: **Feb 3, 2010, 5:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

I envy you since it's usually green down there with a lot of flowers around the city. Austin typically browns out in the winter since it's usually colder here. This winter is really depressing, as the 10-degree weather in early January wiped out a large number of tropical plants.

Partly because Houston is some what situated in the Piney Woods region of Texas & the South, where Austin is in the Hill Country. Pine trees rarely turn brown unless they're dead or dying. They are considered ever greens.

SouthmoreAve · #16 Posted: **Feb 6, 2010, 6:37 PM**

Flcikr papatang

The rest all Flickr atbaker

Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7575713@N04/2748849536/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atbaker/4327117178/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atbaker/4326378447/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atbaker/4326382079/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atbaker/4327113648/

Complex01 · #17 Posted: **Feb 6, 2010, 7:52 PM**

Just awesome. Houston looking good as always. Very kewl...

SouthmoreAve · #18 Posted: **Feb 14, 2010, 2:07 AM**

Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26850644@N02/4347359061/
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/mattharding2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/graustark/4349557289/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11423291@N03/4349182126/

jfre81 · #19 Posted: **Feb 14, 2010, 2:13 AM**

Seriously, some people are just devastated that we don't have "four seasons." Personally I could do without the dead winter look. I'm thinking about waiting until spring shows up to shooting any more pictures of places that are supposed to be green.

These are some great shots. I have a few decent shots of Hermann, but these are better.

SouthmoreAve · #20 Posted: **Feb 23, 2010, 2:44 AM**

A lot of people actually complain how Houston's night skyline sucks(and it kind of does), but one needs only to look at the TMC Skyline to get a dose of great nightime lighting.

Behind the statue, there's some public art, I might post more pictures of that later.

How peaceful.

Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/long-mai/4378683930/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/italoneira/4377519073/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/italoneira/4378277832/