A Little Bit of Houston
So I took the opportunity to walk around Houston on this beautiful Monday afternoon (that's the last time I'll ever call a Monday beautiful) I saw some great sights and got some good shots of some scenic views.
This is a shot of the outside of my lofts. The complex consists of three buildings: A main building housing the offices, pool, theatre, internet cafe, pool table, and lofts. (mine included) One other building consists of exclusively lofts and the third is a parking structure. The shot on the left is of the main office entrance (click on any image for full size)
The next thing you see when you left the lofts is Minute Maid Park. The Park is brand new and the area around it is heavily under development. It appears as though the area used to thrive, became run down, and now is starting to flourish again.
As one walks downtown, it transitions from the BallPark feeling (Toyota Center, home to The Rockets, is also in the area) to the metropolis feel. The Skyline District is the most impressive. Building are named after the major oil investors like Shell and Exxon. The Skyline District provides some scenic views and some great shade to stay cool (even though this is impossible)
As you can see, the skyline is impressive. The streets are well marked, it's easy to get around, and there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and shopping centers.
As you continue downtown, you'll come across the Theatre District, the Shopping District, and the entertainment district.
Even the architecture in Houston is great. The old buildings, reminiscent of the golden oil era, dot the skyline with elegance. The newer skyscrapers, built with money from the recent resurge of oil, gives the area a feeling of pristine, clean, nouveau downtown.
And as one continues through downtown, you arrive at an impressive theatre district, the third largest in the country. A combination of musical theatre, ballet, orchestral, and dance rounds Houston as a up-and-coming city.
The Aquarium also provides a nice backdrop. I had a chance to visit with my parents. The exhibits weren't great but the building is cool.
The theatre buildings are all impressively large and new. I can't wait to see a show at either of these venues.
And finally, on the return trip, to get to my loft, you walk through the main entrance and see this, the place I'll be spending the next week until I start work:
Note: On my walk, I lost 1.5 cubic liters of sweat. It's hot here.
posted by brent @ 2:01 PM
2 Comments:
I like the pictures of Houston. The downtown is nicely developed...a nice mix of youngish old buildings and very young new ones. One question I have about Houston's urban fabric is about grocery stores and other such services. The recent surge in urban living in American cities has brought lots of new residential units, but grocery stores are still often at the fringe of downtown areas. Do you find stuff is pretty close by or even walkable, or do you have to drive ten minutes to get to Kroger and the dry cleaners?
Pictures of the inside of your place would be fun to see. I'm thinking action shots of your couch and TV. That's a mighty fine couch. Do you have a Jason Giambi cardboard cutout in your living room?
Is that the new hub-mobile in the first picture?
-steve o.
Post a Comment
<< Home