Comments on: Comment of the Day: Bookstop Full Stop http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/ Houston, Texas real estate development, home buying, landscape, and design Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:10:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: kjb434 http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33312 kjb434 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:02:14 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33312 Yeah, Mayor White doesn't care about Houston anymore. He's too busy covering up is bad record to look good for the rest of the state. Yeah,

Mayor White doesn’t care about Houston anymore. He’s too busy covering up is bad record to look good for the rest of the state.

]]> By: finness http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33310 finness Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:48:20 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33310 jgiff re: Ashby Highrise. I am not sure that battle is really over. I suspect Bill White just want to stall till he is out of office. To many people with too much money are on both sides and he has other offices to run for. jgiff re: Ashby Highrise. I am not sure that battle is really over. I suspect Bill White just want to stall till he is out of office. To many people with too much money are on both sides and he has other offices to run for.

]]> By: EMME http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33309 EMME Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:48:10 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33309 I hate parking garages. I get dizzy driving up and down the floors. I hate parking garages. I get dizzy driving up and down the floors.

]]> By: jgriff http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33306 jgriff Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:43:19 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33306 <i>Rice Village is a great example of a walkable area. Parking is a nightmare. Once you find a spot, you don’t give it up. You park and walk to all your places even if it’s two or three blocks away.</i> I was thinking the same thing. The parking garage at Rice Village makes it a walkable area. You don't need massive surface lots so you can put a lot of shops close together. Without the garage most of your walking would be through parking lots. Rice Village is a great example of a walkable area. Parking is a nightmare. Once you find a spot, you don’t give it up. You park and walk to all your places even if it’s two or three blocks away.

I was thinking the same thing. The parking garage at Rice Village makes it a walkable area. You don’t need massive surface lots so you can put a lot of shops close together. Without the garage most of your walking would be through parking lots.

]]> By: kjb434 http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33305 kjb434 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:40:21 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33305 I'm with you EMME on that one. Every time I've been to ROSC, I park somewhere and walk to all my destinations. And a lot of people did that. I think what mt was referring to was that if/when the ROSC is expanded and enlarged (going up), the potential for many more people in the area will absolutely required more focus on pedestrian patterns. This is why the large parking garage in back is critical. They park their car, forget about it and spend there time walking to where they want to go. The larger shopping center with more selection encourages the shopper to stay longer. Rice Village is a great example of a walkable area. Parking is a nightmare. Once you find a spot, you don't give it up. You park and walk to all your places even if it's two or three blocks away. I’m with you EMME on that one. Every time I’ve been to ROSC, I park somewhere and walk to all my destinations. And a lot of people did that.

I think what mt was referring to was that if/when the ROSC is expanded and enlarged (going up), the potential for many more people in the area will absolutely required more focus on pedestrian patterns. This is why the large parking garage in back is critical. They park their car, forget about it and spend there time walking to where they want to go. The larger shopping center with more selection encourages the shopper to stay longer.

Rice Village is a great example of a walkable area. Parking is a nightmare. Once you find a spot, you don’t give it up. You park and walk to all your places even if it’s two or three blocks away.

]]> By: jgriff http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33302 jgriff Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:36:51 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33302 <i>Pretty much all Houston politicians take great wads of $ from builders.</i> I guess it didn't work for the ones who were trying to build the Ashby highrise. Pretty much all Houston politicians take great wads of $ from builders.

I guess it didn’t work for the ones who were trying to build the Ashby highrise.

]]> By: EMME http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33301 EMME Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:32:56 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33301 I don't understand what is "unwalkable" with the center the way it was. I don’t understand what is “unwalkable” with the center the way it was.

]]> By: kjb434 http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33294 kjb434 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:59:25 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33294 "Pretty much all Houston politicians take great wads of $ from builders." I'm guessing this is your opinion since you aren't providing any facts. “Pretty much all Houston politicians take great wads of $ from builders.”

I’m guessing this is your opinion since you aren’t providing any facts.

]]> By: finness http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33292 finness Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:48:13 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33292 mt says "If you don’t like the scale of the building or the lack of protection of historic structures in the city, call the mayor and the planning department." Right. And then what? Pretty much all Houston politicians take great wads of $ from builders. Furthermore, it is the admitted goal of this mayor to get as much high dollar residential as possible in the city which has the added benefit of pushing the lower income folks out into the 'burbs. This is simply good fiscal policy 'cuz the rich folks pay more in taxes. Calling, writing letters, protests - and we have seen many - will do nothing to steer Houston towards a city that actually plans. mt says “If you don’t like the scale of the building or the lack of protection of historic structures in the city, call the mayor and the planning department.”

Right. And then what?

Pretty much all Houston politicians take great wads of $ from builders. Furthermore, it is the admitted goal of this mayor to get as much high dollar residential as possible in the city which has the added benefit of pushing the lower income folks out into the ‘burbs. This is simply good fiscal policy ‘cuz the rich folks pay more in taxes. Calling, writing letters, protests - and we have seen many - will do nothing to steer Houston towards a city that actually plans.

]]> By: kjb434 http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33281 kjb434 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:28:47 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33281 jgriff's point makes the most sense. The reality is that most of the people that are going to shop here are not in walking distance. Even if the place has dense apartments with great walking access. Just like as the post midtown. Most of the people going to restaurants don't live there and have to drive. Same thing goes for the retail that is going to open at the West Ave project. jgriff’s point makes the most sense.

The reality is that most of the people that are going to shop here are not in walking distance. Even if the place has dense apartments with great walking access.

Just like as the post midtown. Most of the people going to restaurants don’t live there and have to drive.

Same thing goes for the retail that is going to open at the West Ave project.

]]> By: jgriff http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33276 jgriff Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:37:14 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33276 <i>Sorry, but a massive parking garage does nothing more than force people to walk from a garage to a store.</i> I'd rather walk from the garage than from my house that's 5 miles away. Sorry, but a massive parking garage does nothing more than force people to walk from a garage to a store.

I’d rather walk from the garage than from my house that’s 5 miles away.

]]> By: joel http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-bookstop-full-stop/2009-06-25/#comment-33270 joel Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:51:47 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=10112#comment-33270 they're just using buzzwords folks. they care about money as they should, they're a business. if they can make more money claiming urban density then they'll go that direction but i don't see this happening and there's certainly no plans. i'm just surprised that river oaks needs a new oversized bookstore. don't people know these places are being phased out thanks to the internet they’re just using buzzwords folks. they care about money as they should, they’re a business. if they can make more money claiming urban density then they’ll go that direction but i don’t see this happening and there’s certainly no plans.

i’m just surprised that river oaks needs a new oversized bookstore. don’t people know these places are being phased out thanks to the internet

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