No Clipping Curbs No Hitting Potholes - Houston heavy and slow - Page 2

Jelly Roll · #21 Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 4:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

houston's in-city single-family residential is badass. Think of what 10,000 of those units could do to in North Philly, would look cool blending in with the older rowhomes.

In an ideal world I would want higher density housing in North Philly. All of those first floor garages would be a nightmare.

Reverberation · #22 Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 5:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jelly Roll

In an ideal world I would want higher density housing in North Philly. All of those first floor garages would be a nightmare.

In an ideal world, we would have alleys and wouldn't need street level garages but, like I mentioned earlier, much of that has to do with assemblage where it either isn't feasible or possible to buy an entire block. Lots of the these lots evolved into this from single family use without existing alleys so they found a way for it to work. In the future though, I can picture some of the first floor bedrooms in these houses getting converted into apartments, which combined with closely spaced driveways - further eliminates the possibility of on street parking.

Shasta · #23 Posted **Dec 7, 2012, 6:04 AM**

Yay. Great thread.

Loved seeing the pic of UH from downtown. Which tower allowed you to catch that look?

Reverberation · #24 Posted **Dec 7, 2012, 1:22 PM**

I went up to the restaurant at the top of Wedge Tower.

min-chi-cbus · #25 Posted **Dec 7, 2012, 2:50 PM**

Reminds me of Beijing!

Jelly Roll · #26 Posted **Dec 7, 2012, 3:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reverberation

In an ideal world, we would have alleys and wouldn't need street level garages but, like I mentioned earlier, much of that has to do with assemblage where it either isn't feasible or possible to buy an entire block. Lots of the these lots evolved into this from single family use without existing alleys so they found a way for it to work. In the future though, I can picture some of the first floor bedrooms in these houses getting converted into apartments, which combined with closely spaced driveways - further eliminates the possibility of on street parking.

I like what they did here given the lot size and other obstacles. In North Philly lots are about half the size that you mentioned. I know of a few rowhouses in DC that have alleys and the first floor garages are in the rear of the property. Probably the best way to keep the street scape intact and still enable people to have a garage.

Thank you for posting the pictures.

waronxmas · #27 Posted **Dec 10, 2012, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

what are the commercial strips like in Houston? Similar to La or Chicago w/ long streetcar era boulevards lined with retail, or is it larger suburban auto-oriented arterials mostly like in Atlanta?

I know this is a losing battle (and off topic for the thread), but what you described is what suburban Atlanta looks like, not the actual city of Atlanta (except parts of Buckhead, since it was the suburbs not too long ago before being gobbled up) which grew up around the streetcar and has old school retail stock (though in "villages" instead of going on for miles for the most part).

/end rant

On to the thread:

Great thread! Houston doesn't nearly get the exposure it should.

atlantaguy · #28 Posted **Dec 11, 2012, 4:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by waronxmas

I know this is a losing battle (and off topic for the thread), but what you described is what suburban Atlanta looks like, not the actual city of Atlanta (except parts of Buckhead, since it was the suburbs not too long ago before being gobbled up) which grew up around the streetcar and has old school retail stock (though in "villages" instead of going on for miles for the most part).

/end rant

On to the thread:

Great thread! Houston doesn't nearly get the exposure it should.

Tell, it waronxmas! It IS a losing battle here (for the most part).

At any rate, possibly the best Houston thread EVER, Reverberation! Thanks so much.

Reverberation · #29 Posted **Dec 11, 2012, 7:30 PM**

Thanks for the comments, everyone. With regard to the retail, There are pockets of the old, linear stuff in the loop but they are mostly one story buildings. I figure that the retail will lag behind the residential by a few years as those sites aren't as abundant and are more carefully selected.

destroycreate · #30 Posted **Mar 17, 2015, 4:25 PM**

Can I just say I have a huge crush on Houston infill/townhouses? I'm kind of jealous California doesn't have more new construction like this. We've got way too much ugly 1970's architecture (at least here in the Bay Area).

pdxtex · #31 Posted **Mar 18, 2015, 1:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by destroycreate

Can I just say I have a huge crush on Houston infill/townhouses? I'm kind of jealous California doesn't have more new construction like this. We've got way too much ugly 1970's architecture (at least here in the Bay Area).

^^^i totally agree. the west coast may be socially progressive but we are behind the urbanity times. portland doesn't build stuff like that either. not en masse at least.

destroycreate · #32 Posted **Mar 18, 2015, 4:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxtex

^^^i totally agree. the west coast may be socially progressive but we are behind the urbanity times. portland doesn't build stuff like that either. not en masse at least.

Yeah SF has *some* new block-style infill...but it all kind of looks the same. We certainly don't have the huge range of townhouses Atlanta/Houston/Dallas have.