4 ms·

Green Acres: What if Houston were known for its parks instead of its stripmalls?

27 points by benbreen 11y ago

gojomo 11y ago
I grew up in Houston. This would require a technology for air conditioning the parks.
- meatysnapper 11y ago
  Shade and water would go some way towards that. To your point though, the big desert cities (whether in Texas or Arizona or elsewhere) would not exist without AC.
  - oneJob 11y ago
    Houston,,, not really a desert:http://web2.airmail.net/danb1/annualrainfall.htm http://web2.airmail.net/danb1/annualrainfall.htm I lived in both Arizona and Texas, and the issue is only supersonically the same. But even given that, I must agree with the spirit of the parent comment remark. Though, having spent some time in both Tucson and Phoenix, I'd strongly argue that the heat island affect just makes a bad situation worse. Replacing concrete with parks is a win virtually 100% of the time in that regard. Not to mention quality of life. The out door shopping in AZ and CA is much more pleasant than that of the strip mall experience.
    - oneJob 11y ago
      Also, supersonically=superficially and affect=effect. Jeez. My bad; autocorrect is not a crutch.
  - twcooper 11y ago
    Houston is more of a swamp than a desert, but it's a hot swamp.
    - msandford 11y ago
      Yeah I moved 1000+ miles from Florida to Houston. It got 5 degrees hotter and 10% less humid. West Texas is a desert, Houston definitely is not.
  - cylinder 11y ago
    Shade does not do much for the humidity.
grishas 11y ago
Nitpick mode: on cat article.txt | wc 134 6494 39992 So almost 6500 words and only 1 map and 1 photo. You'd think if you were writing about Houston's parks you might, you know, show them to us?
- saryant 11y ago
  Brays Bayou: http://swacdn.s3.amazonaws.com/1/75bf6780_braysbayou45471_1100x1100.jpg http://swacdn.s3.amazonaws.com/1/75bf6780_braysbayou45471_11... Hermann Park: http://www.hermannpark.org/media/uploads/pages/.thumbnails/hermann_park_2825-tom_fox__680x400-680x400.jpg http://www.hermannpark.org/media/uploads/pages/.thumbnails/h... Buffalo Bayou: https://silvereagle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/slideshow-09.jpg https://silvereagle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/slideshow... Discovery Green: http://pagethink.com/media/uploads/project-gallery-images/lg_arch_of_discgreen_16.jpg http://pagethink.com/media/uploads/project-gallery-images/lg... Memorial Park: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/MemorialParkHouston.JPG https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Memorial... George Bush Park: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/70118114.jpg http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/70118114.jp... Grounds of the Menil Collection: http://theredlist.com/media/database/muses/couples/art_culture/dominique-and-john-de-menil/030-dominique-and-john-de-menil-theredlist.jpg http://theredlist.com/media/database/muses/couples/art_cultu... Sesquicentennial Park: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Buffalo_Bayou_at_Sesquicentennial_Park.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Buffalo_... Mason Park: http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/22/13/06/4764076/7/rawImage.jpg http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/22/13/06/4764076/7/rawImage.jpg
- prawn 11y ago
  Especially if there are Creative Commons photos of the subject available, which you'd assume to be true for public spaces. Seems wasteful to put so much effort into writing up an article and then not fully dressing it.
dakotasmith 11y ago
Hermann Park is within walking distance of my home in Houston. Living by such an amazing space has done wonders for my mood, and my opinion of Houston. The park is wonderfully anachronistic. It seems plucked straight out of some european city, or at least the east coast of the US. I think that owes a lot to it using the original plans from the 1910s. Growing up in Texas, most of the parks you see are basically undeveloped land, set aside for public use. A playground might be the only feature of some parks. This is completely different. Where I live in Houston, I can ride light rail to downtown or a baseball game. I can walk to a wonderful park. The museums are stellar (if you haven't heard of the Menil collection, please look it up). I rarely have to even get on a highway, except when I'm heading out of town. The climate is miserable in the summer, thanks largely to the humidity of being a city built on top of what once must have been swamp land. However, the rest of the year is moderate. I share this because before moving to Houston I would not have assumed any of these things.
- saryant 11y ago
  For anyone who wants to see what Houston has to offer food-wise: http://www.underbellyhouston.com/houston-love/ http://www.underbellyhouston.com/houston-love/ Great food isn't surprising given that it's the most ethnically diverse city in America: http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2013/07/01/195909643/tx2020-houston-racial-ethnic-diversity-americas-future http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2013/07/01/195909...
zxv 11y ago
I remember when there were woods and stables around the inner loop 160 freeway in central Houston 50 years ago. A few woods remain, and couple of stables remain, even around the loop. City parks are wonderful, but they don't replace what I know Houston for - the wilderness. It's still here but a little farther away. Sure, it's sprawling and crowded, and crazy at rush hour. But any day of the year, if you want to go camping or go horse riding, well hell, if it's not raining go -- and if it is, put on a raincoat and go. If you like camping, about an hour south, there's overnight camping at Brazos Bend state park. George Observatory is also there. http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend Theses are the things I know Houston for.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
ericclemmons 11y ago
As a native Houstonian, this article was a fantastic read on the history that I never knew. Just last year, my family moved _back_ into the loop (walking distance to several parks) and haven't looked back. This quote perfectly sums up the problem Houston has had: > We could get high-quality job applicants to land at Intercontinental Airport,” said Fowler. “But on the way into town the wives would look over at their husbands and say, ‘What are we doing here?’ ” Finally knowing how the city is layer out has taught me to: 1. Get away from the airport and downtown, unless it's for work, drinks, and a ball game. 2. Find one of the park + restaurant pockets and relax, walk to great coffee (Blacksmith), and Uber home. 3. Rent a B-cycle to connect between the culturally rich areas. Within the loop, they're only 1-2 miles apart. 4. Visit museums. Each one seems to be nestled by a park, nice homes, and good food. Like most cities I've visited, when I go alone, I get a tilted opinion of it. But, with someone who knows the area, you'll be the best it has to offer. Lastly, despite being an oil and gas town, there's a huge medical community and a bustling Node/JavaScript/Ruby community. The open-source crowd is extremely supportive and we consistently help find work for new comers and Iron Yard graduates.

27 points by benbreen 11y ago

gojomo 11y ago

I grew up in Houston. This would require a technology for air conditioning the parks.

meatysnapper 11y ago
Shade and water would go some way towards that. To your point though, the big desert cities (whether in Texas or Arizona or elsewhere) would not exist without AC.
- oneJob 11y ago
  Houston,,, not really a desert:http://web2.airmail.net/danb1/annualrainfall.htm http://web2.airmail.net/danb1/annualrainfall.htm I lived in both Arizona and Texas, and the issue is only supersonically the same. But even given that, I must agree with the spirit of the parent comment remark. Though, having spent some time in both Tucson and Phoenix, I'd strongly argue that the heat island affect just makes a bad situation worse. Replacing concrete with parks is a win virtually 100% of the time in that regard. Not to mention quality of life. The out door shopping in AZ and CA is much more pleasant than that of the strip mall experience.
  - oneJob 11y ago
    Also, supersonically=superficially and affect=effect. Jeez. My bad; autocorrect is not a crutch.
- twcooper 11y ago
  Houston is more of a swamp than a desert, but it's a hot swamp.
  - msandford 11y ago
    Yeah I moved 1000+ miles from Florida to Houston. It got 5 degrees hotter and 10% less humid. West Texas is a desert, Houston definitely is not.
- cylinder 11y ago
  Shade does not do much for the humidity.

grishas 11y ago

Nitpick mode: on cat article.txt | wc 134 6494 39992 So almost 6500 words and only 1 map and 1 photo. You'd think if you were writing about Houston's parks you might, you know, show them to us?

saryant 11y ago
Brays Bayou: http://swacdn.s3.amazonaws.com/1/75bf6780_braysbayou45471_1100x1100.jpg http://swacdn.s3.amazonaws.com/1/75bf6780_braysbayou45471_11... Hermann Park: http://www.hermannpark.org/media/uploads/pages/.thumbnails/hermann_park_2825-tom_fox__680x400-680x400.jpg http://www.hermannpark.org/media/uploads/pages/.thumbnails/h... Buffalo Bayou: https://silvereagle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/slideshow-09.jpg https://silvereagle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/slideshow... Discovery Green: http://pagethink.com/media/uploads/project-gallery-images/lg_arch_of_discgreen_16.jpg http://pagethink.com/media/uploads/project-gallery-images/lg... Memorial Park: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/MemorialParkHouston.JPG https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Memorial... George Bush Park: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/70118114.jpg http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/70118114.jp... Grounds of the Menil Collection: http://theredlist.com/media/database/muses/couples/art_culture/dominique-and-john-de-menil/030-dominique-and-john-de-menil-theredlist.jpg http://theredlist.com/media/database/muses/couples/art_cultu... Sesquicentennial Park: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Buffalo_Bayou_at_Sesquicentennial_Park.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Buffalo_... Mason Park: http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/22/13/06/4764076/7/rawImage.jpg http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/22/13/06/4764076/7/rawImage.jpg
prawn 11y ago
Especially if there are Creative Commons photos of the subject available, which you'd assume to be true for public spaces. Seems wasteful to put so much effort into writing up an article and then not fully dressing it.

dakotasmith 11y ago

Hermann Park is within walking distance of my home in Houston. Living by such an amazing space has done wonders for my mood, and my opinion of Houston. The park is wonderfully anachronistic. It seems plucked straight out of some european city, or at least the east coast of the US. I think that owes a lot to it using the original plans from the 1910s. Growing up in Texas, most of the parks you see are basically undeveloped land, set aside for public use. A playground might be the only feature of some parks. This is completely different. Where I live in Houston, I can ride light rail to downtown or a baseball game. I can walk to a wonderful park. The museums are stellar (if you haven't heard of the Menil collection, please look it up). I rarely have to even get on a highway, except when I'm heading out of town. The climate is miserable in the summer, thanks largely to the humidity of being a city built on top of what once must have been swamp land. However, the rest of the year is moderate. I share this because before moving to Houston I would not have assumed any of these things.

saryant 11y ago
For anyone who wants to see what Houston has to offer food-wise: http://www.underbellyhouston.com/houston-love/ http://www.underbellyhouston.com/houston-love/ Great food isn't surprising given that it's the most ethnically diverse city in America: http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2013/07/01/195909643/tx2020-houston-racial-ethnic-diversity-americas-future http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2013/07/01/195909...

zxv 11y ago

I remember when there were woods and stables around the inner loop 160 freeway in central Houston 50 years ago. A few woods remain, and couple of stables remain, even around the loop. City parks are wonderful, but they don't replace what I know Houston for - the wilderness. It's still here but a little farther away. Sure, it's sprawling and crowded, and crazy at rush hour. But any day of the year, if you want to go camping or go horse riding, well hell, if it's not raining go -- and if it is, put on a raincoat and go. If you like camping, about an hour south, there's overnight camping at Brazos Bend state park. George Observatory is also there. http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend Theses are the things I know Houston for.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

ericclemmons 11y ago

As a native Houstonian, this article was a fantastic read on the history that I never knew. Just last year, my family moved _back_ into the loop (walking distance to several parks) and haven't looked back. This quote perfectly sums up the problem Houston has had: > We could get high-quality job applicants to land at Intercontinental Airport,” said Fowler. “But on the way into town the wives would look over at their husbands and say, ‘What are we doing here?’ ” Finally knowing how the city is layer out has taught me to: 1. Get away from the airport and downtown, unless it's for work, drinks, and a ball game. 2. Find one of the park + restaurant pockets and relax, walk to great coffee (Blacksmith), and Uber home. 3. Rent a B-cycle to connect between the culturally rich areas. Within the loop, they're only 1-2 miles apart. 4. Visit museums. Each one seems to be nestled by a park, nice homes, and good food. Like most cities I've visited, when I go alone, I get a tilted opinion of it. But, with someone who knows the area, you'll be the best it has to offer. Lastly, despite being an oil and gas town, there's a huge medical community and a bustling Node/JavaScript/Ruby community. The open-source crowd is extremely supportive and we consistently help find work for new comers and Iron Yard graduates.