Haven’t decided yet what you think should happen to the Astrodome? The preservation-minded folks at Our Astrodome hope that seeing this 26-ft. bedazzled semi just might do the trick. Starting Monday and running up to the elections on November 5, when voters will decide whether to approve — or not, and, as most suspect, doom the Dome to a more thorough demolition than what’s already happening — that $217 bond measure that would fund a renovation of the stadium into convention space, the tricked-out Dome Mobile will be rolling around town to spread the word about Proposition 2 and the world’s first domed stadium.
***
It ain’t exactly an art car. But you’ll see these boosterish stickers and a photo-op rendering of the New Dome on the exterior. Inside, you’ll be able to write stuff about the Astrodome on the truck’s “story wall” while you try to keep your balance on real — and presumably sanitized — Astroturf! The truck’s first stop Monday morning will be at Crave Cupcakes in Uptown — where you’ll be able to munch on one of those gooey promotional red velvets. You can see the rest of the scheduled stops on the local tour here.
- Introducing the Dome Mobile! [Causes]
- Astrodome coverage [Swamplot]
Drawings: Our Astrodome
City of Houston is already 13 Billion in debt, sure why not, let’s borrow more money for ambiguous purposes, we won’t have to pay it back, our children will.
Tear the outdated Dome down!! It will NOT compete with the GRB.
If the AstroDome is saved, your children will enjoy the privilege of living in a city that has a glorious living monument to the most dynamic and important period of growth in their city’s history. They will have an internationally recognizable icon and living historical structure that will give them a source of pride in the city they live in.
A parking lot will save them $8 per year and make vacations to other places that have preserved a piece of their history seem more impressive by comparison.
Houston is booming and has one of the highest quality of life rankings of any city in the world. The dome’s preservation will not diminish the quality of life in the greater Houston area in the slightest. If the Astrodome is unworthy of preservation, then NOTHING in Houston is.
RALLY AROUND THE PRESERVATION OF THE DOME!
Your children and grandchildren and great grand children will appreciate the beautiful historic monument you left them.
@Supernova, that is the most comical description if the dome I’ve ever heard, you forgot the sarchasm tags.
The Dome will be saved, all the polls are in favor of reinvention. The Dome will be preserved.
Well said Supernova. One of the best takes on the Dome I have seen. If the Dome isn’t worth saving in Houston what is?
Supernova, thanks for the laugh. don’t know what was better, the over the top claim about a dumb outdated stadium/money pit being a dynasty, or a city with poor schools, low family incomes and in very poor health with some of the highest pollution rates and commuting times as having a high quality of life.
i think you need to get out and read a lot more.
I can’t tell if @Supernova is being sarcastic or not: An internationally recognized structure? Houston has one of the highest quality of life rankings in the world? Ok, I am guessing he’s joking.
The billboard truck is a bite-size version of the plan it is promoting. Like the Dome, the truck once had a specific job that it did very well. Now, through the misguided expenditure of funds, it has been repurposed to a task that uses little of its original capability, and could be better performed by a much less expensive resource. However, the truck isn’t a perfect parallel to the Dome because it doesn’t capture the economic impact on more deserving services; for that we would need to crash it into a school.
@ joel – here’s something for YOU to read.
SAVE THE DOME!
http://www.houston.org/business/news-rankings.html
HOUSTON RATINGS AND RANKINGS
NEWS & RANKINGS
#1
BEST CITIES FOR JOBS THIS FALL
Forbes – September 10, 2013
TOP GLOBAL UNIVERSITY BUSINESS INCUBATOR – RICE UNIVERSITY
University Business Incubator – June 10, 2013
TOP CITIES FOR GLOBAL TRADE
Global Trade – August 2013
BEST QUALITY OF LIFE – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review (as reported by Rice University) – August 5, 2013
BEST DOMESTIC AIRPORT – IAH
Executive Travel – July/August 2013
BEST CITIES IN TEXAS FOR JOB SEEKERS – LEAGUE CITY
NerdWallet – July 21, 2013
OUTSTANDING PORT AWARD FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION – PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY
Railway Industrial Clearance Association (as reported by Port of Houston Authority) – July 15, 2013
BEST HOSPITALS FOR CANCER IN U.S. – UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
U.S. News & World Report – July 2013
LARGEST EXPORT MARKET IN U.S.
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration – June 2013
HIGHEST DEMAND FOR ENGINEERING JOBS IN 2013
Monster.com – May 21, 2013
BEST TEXAS CITIES FOR YOUNG FAMILIES – THE WOODLANDS
NerdWallet – May 12, 2013
BEST CITY IN AMERICA
Business Insider – May 30, 2013
TOP DESTINATION CITY
U-Haul International – April 12, 2013
MOST WALKABLE CITY AMONG LARGE TEXAS CITIES
Walk Score – April 2013
TOP COUNTIES WITH THE LARGEST NUMERIC POPULATION INCREASE – HARRIS COUNTY
U.S. Census Bureau – March 14, 2013
TOP METROS OF 2012
Site Selection Magazine – March 4, 2013
TOP METRO FOR WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS – BY REVENUE
The State of Women-Owned Businesses Report (commissioned by American Express OPEN) – March 2013
FASTEST REAL GDP GROWTH AMONG LARGE MSAS
Bureau of Economic Analysis – February 22, 2013
MOST MULTIFAMILY CONSTRUCTION – HOUSTON MSA
AXIOMetrics Inc. – January 30, 2013
TOP U.S. MANUFACTURING CITIES
Manufacturers’ News, Inc. – January 23, 2013
BEST CITIES FOR YOUR CAREER IN 2013
Payscale.com (as reported by Yahoo!) – January 3, 2013
MOBILE SHOPPING
Interactive Advertising Bureau – November 20, 2012
HAPPIEST STUDENTS – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review – August 21, 2012
AMERICA’S COOLEST CITIES TO LIVE
Forbes – July 26, 2012
BIG CITIES WHERE SELF-EMPLOYMENT IS GROWING THE FASTEST
Forbes – July 25, 2012
CITIES WHERE A PAYCHECK STRETCHES THE FURTHEST
Forbes – July 9, 2012
TOP CITY FOR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS REVENUE
The State of Women-Owned Businesses Report (commissed by American Express OPEN) – March 2012
TOP METROS OF 2011
Site Selection Magazine – March 1, 2012
LARGEST RETAIL MARKET IN TEXAS – HARRIS CO.
Texas Retail Survey – March 2012
MOST RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE LARGE METRO AREA
Kinder Institute for Urban Research & The Hobby Center for the Study of Texas – March 2012
TOP U.S. MANUFACTURING CITIES
Manufacturers’ News, Inc. – January 30, 2012
FASTEST GROWING WAGES IN U.S.
Business Insiders – January 12, 2012
TOP TECHNOLOGY JOB GROWTH
CyberCoders (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – January 11, 2012
TOP GULF COAST COUNTIES FOR NEW PLANTS & EXPANSIONS FROM OCT. ’09-OCT. ’11 – HARRIS COUNTY
Conway Data Inc., New Plant Database – January 2012
BEST CITIES FOR MANUFACTURING JOBS
Forbes – December 15, 2011
MOBILE SHOPPING
Interactive Advertising Bureau (as reported by Citybizlist Houston) – December 7, 2011
QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SOUTHERN U.S. – WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE
On Numbers (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – December 6, 2011
PERSONAL SAFETY IN U.S.
Mercier (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – December 1, 2011
TOP LOCAL GOVERNMENT GREEN POWER PURCHASER
Environmental Protection Agency – October 5, 2011
BEST UNDERGRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM – UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
The Princeton Review (as reported by Entrepreneur.com) – September 2011
NEW HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
Houston Business Journal – August 26, 2011
TOP 10 MANUFACTURING CITIES
Business Facilities – July/August 2011
AMERICA’S BEST HOSPITALS – CANCER, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
U.S News & World Report – July 2011
FASTEST GROWING MILLIONAIRE CITY IN THE U.S.
Forbes.com – July 14, 2011
FASTEST GROWING METRO AREA
Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research – July 12, 2011
GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVES (LARGE CITY CATEGORY – POPULATION OVER 100,000)
The U.S. Conference of Mayors – June 17, 2011
AMERICA’S BEST BURGER CITY
Travel+Leisure – May 13, 2011
TOP CITIES FOR IT JOBS
Modis – May 13, 2011
MOST AFFORDABLE CITY TO DO BUSINESS – WORLDWIDE
Cities of Opportunities 2011 (as reported by PwC and The Partnership for New York City) – May 3, 2011
2011 FAST CITY OF THE YEAR
Fastcompany.com – May 2011
TOP 10 MAJOR CITIES FDI STRATEGY
FDI Magazine – April/May 2011
WAGE GROWTH
PayScale, Inc. – April 12, 2011
LOWEST COST OF LIVING – LARGE METROS
ACCRA Cost of Living Index – First Quarter 2011
MOST FREE HOTEL PERKS
Priceline.com – March 14, 2011
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Parents Magazine – February 7, 2011
MOST NOTABLE HIGH GROWTH AREAS – KATY
Gadberry Group – January 5, 2011
AMERICA’S TOP SHOPPING CITIES
Forbes.com – December 13, 2010
TOP TEXAS EMPLOYER – DOW CHEMICAL, FREEPORT
Texas Workforce Commission – November 19, 2010
LOWEST ESTIMATED LAND AND REGULATION COSTS
New Geography – November 1, 2010
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The Daily Beast – October 2010
AMERICA’S BEST AIRPORTS
Travel + Leisure – July 2010
LARGEST 5 YEAR EMPLOYMENT GAIN (JUNE 2005 – JUNE 2010)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (as Reported by the Houston Business Journal) – July 28, 2010
TOP CITIES FOR RECENT COLLEGE GRADS
Bloomberg Businessweek – July 16, 2010
THE OFFICE BUILDING OF THE YEAR (TOBY) AWARD – LEGACY CENTER BUSINESS PARK AND GREENWAY PLAZA
BOMA International – June 17, 2010
BEST CITIES FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Forbes.com – June 17, 2010
HIGHEST LEVEL OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY AMONG LARGEST METRO AREAS
Kauffman Foundation of Entrepreneurship – May 2010
LARGEST POPULATION GAIN – HARRIS COUNTY
U.S. Census Bureau – March 23, 2010
TOP SELLING MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY – CINCO RANCH
RCLCO– March 22, 2010
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Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Gadberry Group– January 2010
#2
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Harris Interactive – September 4, 2013
THE SOUTH’S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS – UNDERBELLY
Southern Living – August 2013
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The Princeton Review (as reported by Rice University) – August 5, 2013
AMERICA’S ENGINEERING HUBS
Forbes – July 31, 2013
AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE
fDi Magazine – June/July 2013
TOP 10 OVERALL AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2013/14 – U.S. CITIES
fDi Magazine – April/May 2013
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CardHub – April 23, 2013
TOP METRO WITH THE LARGEST NUMERIC POPULATION INCREASE – HOUSTON MSA
U.S. Census Bureau – March 14, 2013
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Forbes – February 25, 2013
AMERICA’S FASTEST-GROWING METROS
Forbes – January 23, 2013
BEST PERFORMING JOBS AND METROS SINCE THE RECESSION
CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists – October 24, 2012
BEST VALUES IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES – RICE UNIVERSITY
Kiplinger – October 2012
BEST CITIES FOR FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS
Forbes – October 18, 2012
NEW LOGISTICS PROJECTS
Site Selection (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – September 2012
BEST GEN Y CITIES
PayScale – August 2012
WHERE THE JOBS ARE – FORT BEND COUNTY, TX
Money Magazine – August 20, 2012
TOP CITY FOR GLOBAL TRADE
Global Trade Magazine – July 30, 2012
BEST BIG CITY FOR JOBS
Forbes – May 1, 2012
TOP-SELLING U.S. MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES IN 2011 – THE WOODLANDS
John Burns Real Estate Consulting – January 24, 2012
SMARTEST AREA IN TEXAS – THE WOODLANDS
On Numbers (as reported by The Business Journals) – November 16, 2011
TOP POST-RECESSION U.S. CITY FOR YOUNG ADULTS
The Huffington Post – November 4, 2011
BEST PLACE FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES – LAKE JACKSON
CNN Money – August 15, 2011
BEST PLACE FOR YOUNG ADULTS TO GET STARTED
On Numbers (as reported by The Business Journals) – June 20, 2011
TOP BARGAIN DESTINATIONS FOR SUMMER 2011
SmarterTravel.com (as reported by travel.USAtoday.com) – June 16, 2011
MOST JOBS GAINED
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – March 18, 2011
NEW AND EXPANDED CORPORATE FACILITY PROJECTS
Site Selection Magazine – March 1, 2011
#3
BEST RUN COLLEGES – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review (as reported by Rice University) – August 5, 2013
BEST CITIES IN TEXAS FOR JOB SEEKERS – SUGAR LAND
NerdWallet – July 21, 2013
MOST NEW CONSTRUCTION
Forbes – June 20, 2013
TOP CITIES FOR JOB-SEEKING COLLEGE GRADS
Forbes –May 21, 2013
TOP 10 MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2013/14 – INFRASTRUCTURE
fDi Magazine – April/May 2013
MOST ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY AMONG LARGEST METROS – HOUSTON MSA
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation – April 2013
SMALL BUSINESS FRIENDLINESS
Thumbtack.com and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation – April 2013
AMERICAN CITIES WITH THE LOWEST TAXES
24/7 Wall St. – February 25, 2013
TOP SELLING MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES – THE WOODLANDS
RCLCO (as reported by Houston Chronicle) – January 15, 2013
TOP UNDERGRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM – UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur – September 24, 2012
TOP MOVING DESTINATIONS
Yahoo! Homes – June 5, 2012
NUMBER OF FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES
Fortune – May 2012
TOP CITY WITH THE MOST CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY
Forbes – March 16, 2012
TOP-SELLING U.S. MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES IN 2011 – CINCO RANCH
John Burns Real Estate Consulting – January 24, 2012
TOP U.S. LOGISTICS HUB
Business Facilities – August 2011
JOB GROWTH LEADER
Business Facilities – August 2011
AMERICA’S SAFEST AIRPORTS (IAH)
Travel + Leisure – August 2011
BEST COST OF LIVING
Business Facilities – July/August 2011
BEST CITIES FOR JOB GROWTH
New Geography and Forbes – May 2, 2011
TOP 10 OVERALL AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE
FDI Magazine – April/May 2011
TOP 10 MAJOR CITIES OF THE FUTURE
FDI Magazine – April/May 2011
#4
LARGE METROS WITH THE BIGGEST AVERAGE INCREASES IN WAGES AND SALARIES, 2009-2012
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (as reported by The Atlantic Cities) – September 2, 2013
TOP MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES – CINCO RANCH
Metrostudy – August 19, 2013
BEST BIG-CITY NEIGHBORHOODS – HOUSTON HEIGHTS
CNNMoney – August 2013
WORLD’S BEST SAFARI OPERATORS – KER & DOWNEY
Travel + Leisure – July 2013
BEST TEXAS CITIES FOR YOUNG FAMILIES – LEAGUE CITY
NerdWallet – May 12, 2013
RELOCATION TREND CITY
Apartment Guide – June 3, 2013
BEST U.S. AIRPORTS FOR CONNECTING FLIGHTS – IAH
Travel Leaders Group – January 29, 2013
BEST PERFORMING CITIES – HOUSTON MSA
Milken Institute – January 2013
TOP SELLING MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES – CINCO RANCH
RCLCO (as reported by Houston Chronicle) – January 15, 2013
TOP GRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur – September 24, 2012
WHERE THE JOBS ARE – MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX
Money Magazine – August 20, 2012
TOP VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY CITY
GrubHub (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – July 18, 2012
BEST CITIES FOR JOBS THIS SUMMER
ManpowerGroup (as reported by Forbes) – June 12, 2012
HEALTHIEST SMALL BUSINESS CLIMATE IN SOUTH
On Numbers – April 11, 2012
TOP GOOD SAMARITAN CITY
On Star (as reported by KUHF News) – March 11, 2012
MOST GENEROUS U.S. CITY
The Daily Beast – December 12, 2011
BEST VALUE IN PRIVATE COLLEGES – RICE UNIVERSITY
Kiplinger – December 2011
CITIES WITH THE HIGHEST ADJUSTED MEDIAN INCOME
U.S. News and World Report – June 1, 2011
#5
MOST POPULAR MOVING DESTINATIONS
United Van Lines – September 5, 2013
BEST CITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS
NerdWallet – August 26, 2013
TOP MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES – THE WOODLANDS
Metrostudy – August 19, 2013
GREAT FINANCIAL AID – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review (as reported by Rice University) – August 5, 2013
MOST PATRIOTIC CITY IN AMERICA
Foursquare (according to CultureMap Houston) – June 22, 2013
RECESSION-BUSTING MSAS AMONG BIG CITIES
Area Development – Q2/Spring 2013
BEST TEXAS CITIES FOR YOUNG FAMILIES – PEARLAND
NerdWallet – May 12, 2013
2013 BEST CITIES FOR JOB GROWTH AMONG LARGE SIZED CITIES
NewGeography.com – May 6, 2013
TOP 10 OVERALL NORTH AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2013/14
fDi Magazine – April/May 2013
TOP 10 MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2013/14 – OVERALL
fDi Magazine – April/May 2013
TOP 10 MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2013/14 – ECONOMIC POTENTIAL
fDi Magazine – April/May 2013
TOP 10 MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2013/14 – BUSINESS FRIENDLINESS
fDi Magazine – April/May 2013
TOP AMERICAN BOOMTOWNS
Bloomberg – April 24, 2013
BEST PLACES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
On Numbers (as reported by The Business Journals) – March 26, 2013
HOTTEST U.S. JOB HUBS
JobAware – February 2013
BEST CITIES FOR JOB SEEKERS
NerdWallet – January 19, 2013
TOP GLOBAL CITIES TO INVEST
Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate – January 7, 2013
CITIES WHERE PEOPLE EARN THE BIGGEST PAYCHECK
Forbes – November 29, 2012
BEST PLACES TO WORK – M.D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
Glassdoor – November 13, 2012
TOP U.S. REAL ESTATE MARKETS TO WATCH
Urban Land Institute and PwC – October 17, 2012
LARGEST METRO AREA – BY POPULATION
U.S. Census Bureau – April 5, 2012
BEST CITIES FOR NEWLYWEDS
Rent.com – March 20, 2012
2012 BEST VALUE COLLEGES – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review (presented by USA Today) – February 6, 2012
BEST BACK TO SCHOOL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT CITIES
Move.com – August 10, 2011
HIGHEST TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME IN U.S.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis – August 9, 2011
NEXT BIG BOOM TOWN IN U.S.
Forbes.com – July 6, 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
Economic Intelligence Unit (commissioned by Siemens Corp) – June 30, 2011
ECONOMIC STRENGTH
Policom Corporation – May 20, 2011
BEST CITIES FOR COLLEGE GRADS
The Daily Beast – May 31, 2011
#6
“THEIR STUDENTS LOVE THESE COLLEGES†– RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review (as reported by Rice University) – August 5, 2013
AMERICA’S BEST STEAKHOUSES – KILLEN’S STEAKHOUSE
The Daily Meal – July 10, 2013
BEST CITIES TO WORK FOR A SMALL BUSINESS
CardHub – June 2013
LARGE METROS WITH THE HIGHEST DEMAND FOR STEM KNOWLEDGE
The Brookings Institution – June 10, 2013
TOP 10 OVERALL AMERICAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2013/14
fDi Magazine – April/May 2013
TOP MOVING DESTINATION
Penske Truck Rental (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – January 15, 2013
TOP MOVING DESTINATION OF THE SUMMER
United Van Lines (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – September 14, 2012
HIGHEST HOUSEHOLD FINANCIAL HEALTH
CredAbility Consumer Distress Index – May 16, 2012
MOST-VISITED U.S. CITY FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL
Concur Technologies Inc. (as reported by Houston Business Journal) – April 25, 2012
TOP PART-TIME MBA PROGRAM IN SOUTHWEST – RICE UNIVERSITY
Bloomber Businessweek – Fall 2011
TOP CITY FOR APARTMENT DEMAND
MPF Research (as reported in the Dallas Business Journal) – June 30, 2011
#7
BEST TACOS IN AMERICA – EL REAL TEX-MEX CAFÉ
The Daily Meal – August 23, 2013
BEST U.S. CITIES FOR AFFORDABLE GETAWAYS
Travel + Leisure – May 14, 2013
BEST U.S. AIRPORTS FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL SERVICES – IAH
Travel Leaders Group – January 29, 2013
TOP SELLING MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES – RIVERSTONE
RCLCO (as reported by Houston Chronicle) – January 15, 2013
PLACES TO GO IN 2013
New York Times – January 11, 2013
HOW AMERICA GIVES BY TOTAL CONTRIBUTION – HOUSTON MSA
The Chronicle of Philanthropy – August 20, 2012
MOST ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY- HOUSTON MSA
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation – March 2012
MOST ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED BUILDINGS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – March 2011
TOP 10 MAJOR CITIES HUMAN RESOURCES
FDI Magazine – April/May 2011
#8
TOP MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES – RIVERSTONE
Metrostudy – August 19, 2013
HAPPIEST CITIES FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
CareerBliss – April 25, 2013
FASTEST-GROWING CITIES IN THE U.S.
Forbes – March 18, 2013
NEW TECH HOT SPOTS
Forbes – January 10, 2013
BEST CITIES TO FIND A JOB
Careerbliss – January 8, 2013
BEST CITIES FOR NEW GRADUATES
Apartment.com and CareerBuilder – May 29, 2012
MOST HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS
Capgemini – July 12, 2011
TOP MUSEUMS BY ATTENDANCE – MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
The Art Newspaper – April, 2011
#9
BEST CITIES TO START A BUSINESS
NerdWallet – April 22, 2013
BEST U.S. CITIES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AMONG MAJOR METROS
American Institute for Economic Research – October 2, 2012
HIGHEST PAYING MANUFACTURING JOBS
24/7 Wall St. – May 15, 2012
MOST FUN CITIES IN AMERICA
Trident (as reported by rollingout.com) – April 28, 2012
HIGHEST TEXAS COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS – FORT BEND CO.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute – April 3, 2012
MOST CLEAN ECONOMY JOBS
Brookings Institution (in association with the Battelle Technology Partnership Practice) – July 13, 2011
ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
Economic Intelligence Unit (commissioned by Siemens Corp) – June 30, 2011
TOP 10 MAJOR CITIES INFRASTRUCTURE
FDI Magazine – April/May 2011
#10
RACE/CLASS INTERACTION – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review (as reported by Rice University) – August 5, 2013
BEST HEALTH SERVICES – RICE UNIVERSITY
The Princeton Review (as reported by Rice University) – August 5, 2013
HARDEST WORKING CITIES IN AMERICA
Movoto.com – July 24, 2013
MOST FOOD-DIVERSE CITIES
GrubHub – July 16, 2013
BEST HOSPITALS FOR CARDIOLOGY & HEART SURGERY IN U.S. – ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL HOSPITAL
U.S. News & World Report – July 2013
GREENEST CITIES IN AMERICA
Causes.com (as reported by CBS Houston) – April 24, 2013
TOP CITY FOR TECH MERGERS
Upstart Business Journal – February 26, 2013
HOTTEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN 2013 – NORTHSIDE/NORTHLINE
24/7 Wall St. – January 2, 2013
HEALTH CARE LABOR MARKET DEMAND – Q1 2012
HWS Enterprises LLC – April 2012
MOST COMPETITIVE CITY IN NORTH AMERICA
Economic Intelligence Unit (Commissioned by Citigroup) – January 2012
TOP-SELLING U.S. MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES IN 2011 – TELFAIR
John Burns Real Estate Consulting – Janury 24, 2012
BEST PLACE FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES – DEER PARK
CNN Money – August 15, 2011
SUSTAINABLE U.S. METRO AREA
Site Selection Magazine – July 2011
ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE WASTE
Economic Intelligence Unit (commissioned by Siemens Corp) – June 30, 2011
CITIES WHERE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT IS ON THE RISE
24/7WallStreet.com – June 29, 2011
TOP 10 MAJOR CITIES BUSINESS FRIENDLINESS
FDI Magazine – April/May 2011
AMERICA’S MOST AFFORDABLE CITIES
Forbes.com – January 6, 2011
MOST HIGH-TECH JOBS
TechAmerica Foundation (as reported by the Houston Business Journal) – December 8, 2010
@ commongillian – Not as comical as watching this year’s teabagger party turn into next year’s rusty tromboner party.
@txdesign – the New York times does not agree with you.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/sports/houstons-astrodome-may-be-dirty-and-dated-but-it-is-irreplaceable.html?_r=0
@Supernova, you forgot to add…. Your children and grandchildren and great grand children will appreciate the tax burden you put on them by voting to keep this money pit.
@ChevyNova, not sure why you’re bringing up Tea Party, they’re a tad overboard but at least they have a clear purpose, unlike most lefties.
I sleep well at night knowing that Texas is solidly Red and due to current Texas government structure (and a little gerrimandering) will be solidly red for the next 30 years.
To paraphrase Supernova if you vote for the Dome your children and grandchildren will have the pleasure of paying for its upkeep and maintenance in perpetuity.
The Dome will never make enough money to pay for its own annual maintenance (never mind the bond itself).
If you care about not leaving an extra burden to your kids, say no to the Dome.
Texas is hardly solidly Red, just watch the governors race. Look at the demographics, Texas is 50 percent Hispanic and a grat deal of the new Anglos from out of state don’t share the Republican Redneck mentality. My parents are country club republicans and are sick at the state of the party, they loath Ted Cruz and have soured on Rick Perry, the lunatic fringe is causing a major rift in the party. Supernova don’t fret, the dome will be saved, most of these commenters won’t even vote, you’ll be the one smiling on Election Day.
Slam… Supernova goes Supernova on his/her trolls… Best slam I’ve seen in a long time! Good job on your come back Supernova. I like your style!
Don’t turn the 8th Wonder of the World into the 8th Blunder. Tear the damned thing down and move on.
Alec:
Well done! If folks can cut through all the blather here, they will see that your comment is the most to the point.
The fact that every argument against saving the Dome is entirely monetary is incredibly disheartening. You people care more about saving your children a few dollars than preserving a historic site. It’s shameful.
Yay! for crazy rants! this is why i read swamplot! (oh and I am so over the dome…and, my teenager….could care less if this city has a monument of any kind….not really what kids are into you know? quite frankly, having a monument in Houston doesn’t really effect my life either…)but, i say it again, YAY FOR CRAZY RANTING! wooooo!
save the dome and rename it the “Bum Phillips Astrodome”
Supernova: Winner
I think the people here who claim the Dome to be a historic site, the eighth wonder of the world and a world class icon need to travel more. The dome was considered an engineering achievement, not a highpoint of architectural design. It is a domed structure surrounded by acres of paved parking spaces. I don’t remember the pyramids, the Eiffel tower, Taj Mahal or the Great Wall of China sitting in the middle of a parking lot.
So an engineering achievement doesn’t deserve preservation in a town known for it’s modern engineering?
_
Also to the point about how all the arguments against the Dome are monetary, get this through your skulls, the money will be spent on this or that regardless of what you want it spent on. So it’s the Dome preservation or the Rodeo’s new horse arena but the money will be spent one way or another.
Btw the Eiffel Tower is an engineering achievement of reaching the 300+m height.
I sleep well at night knowing that in United States, teapublicans get less and less popular and RELEVANT as each day ends and that Texas is apart of the United States.
I also sleep well at night knowing that our attractiveness to immigrants and many diverse cultures is making Texas less red by the minute.
I also am sleeping better at night hearing that the latest polls suggest that the dome has a very good chance at being saved and knowing that most people are motivated but MORE than just money. Sweet dreams, CommonGilligan.
Yes, the Eiffel is also a beautiful icon of international significance that is not sitting in a parking lot. Please re-read my first sentence on post 24. My comments was not addressing the preservation issue but some of the overblown comments about how the Dome is viewed on a global scale.
The Great Pyramids and many other unique structures of historical relevance went through periods of neglect at some point in history too. If the Great Pyramids had been built in Houston, no doubt the short-sighted, tightwads who only have the capacity to see man’s travel through existence as it relates to the endless pursuit and myopic worship of the impermanent almighty dollar would have been lobbying to turn them into another few acres of desert, keeping Ancient Egypt forever about as interesting as a trip to Walmart.
@Golyadkin:
The problem isn’t that anti-Domers only think about money, it’s that pro-Domers won’t consider it at all. Would you ever tell your mechanic “I love my car so much, there’s no amount of money I wouldn’t spend to keep it forever”? No, because that’s an invitation to get swindled – the mechanic knows he can do all sorts of unnecessary work that the actual value of the car doesn’t justify. You’ll end up paying more, which will make it less likely that you’ll actually be able to afford to keep that car forever.
Same thing with the Dome; a lot of people are shouting “we’ll keep the Dome at any cost!” What do you know, along comes a very expensive, not very practical plan for a convention center no one needs. How long will that last before the next person comes along and says the convention center is too old, and we have to spend more money or tear it down?
If you really want to save the Dome, grow a backbone and say that there are limits to how much Houston taxpayers should pour into it; that’s when you’ll get a plan that benefits the community enough to be sustainable. Otherwise you are just keeping the hostage alive until the next payment is due, and that can’t go on forever.
I understand that many people in Houston and Harris County have fond childhood memories of attending games in the Astrodome with their families. I too have memories of watching Astros games there, and frankly, I liked the ‘dome better than Minute Maid Park. That said, no one from out of town EVER has asked me about the Astodome when I tell them I am from Houston. Not a single visitor that I’ve hosted here has EVER asked me to drive them by the Astrodome. The nation, and the world, just aren’t all that interested in a 40+ year old sports venue.
@txdesign Oh but where are they going to park their cars? Especially since cars hadn’t been invented yet when that monument/tomb/wall was built (great comparisons btw! :sarcasm puke:).
Bum Phillips and now Bud Adams (today) die within at week of each other, both at age 90. An omen of some kind? And I think we’re still paying off the bonds for the Dome renovations Adams demanded in the 80s. People connected to the historic Dome will all die, but the bonds live on forever.
^More lies from the uninformed; the bonds from the 1987 renovation were paid off last year.
Anybody else wanna be shown to be a liar?
It’s not like Houstonians have any other structures with any historical relevance competing for tax dollars.
Houston is rich and getting richer (see the above listings). If you have to sacrifice one pack of cigarettes a year in order to keep the only historical relevant structure ever built in Houston standing, so be it.
BTW – Quit lying, teabags, this isn’t about any fake concern you have about your child’s future savings account. Stop blaming your Walmart taste and cut-rate existence on any trumped up concern you pretend you have for your poor unfortunate quality parenting deprived kids. Why don’t you worry about what you’re polluting their future air with instead, if you ‘care’ about them. HA!
Now is the time to teach them that SOME things are not about money. Pride in your community holds value too. Money comes and goes. Boom times come and go. What’s left standing is important. Noteworthy achievements of mankind are more important than your Shiner six pack.
Lot’s of ignoramuses, totally oblivious to the relevance and history the Astrodome and Houston won’t ever get it. Don’t listen to some 18 year old carpetbagger, drop-out who rolled into Houston last night because he heard they’re hiring dishwashers at Denny’s who knows NOTHING about Houston or the Astrodome’s place in the world convince you that the Astrodome should be a parking lot because HE and his pot head buddies never heard of it. Ignorance shouldn’t be rewarded.
FURTHERMORE: I wouldn’t believe that anyone who has posted on this comment board has ANY IDEA whether the Dome Experience will make money or not. Anyone claiming that people will be paying for the dome forever doesn’t know his T from his A let alone how to predict the future. WE DON’T KNOW what will happen – the dome may even be sold to a private entrepreneur one day and turned into something way cooler than the dome experience.
The important thing is to keep it standing for NOW.
BTW, Parisians wanted to tear the Eiffel Tower down, the only thing that saved it was its use as radio transmitter. The rabble wanted to pull down Versailles after the revolution, but Louis Phillip saved it as a Museum dedicated to the Glories of France, seriously some of you need to read a book. Oh and as an Oiler fan as a kid, I have to say I find it integrating that the beloved Bum is missed by everyone and the cheap skinflint Bud missed by no one, how appropriate he died alone in his manse in River Oaks
For all the hyperbole and yelling at the top of the lings, I still haven’t heard A SINGLE valid reason to keep the ObamaDome. Just look how pathetic it sits there next to the brand new Reliant stadium.
I thought they’d swapped out The Mercury Dealer With The Bad Rug Who Shall Not Be Named for something animatronic years ago.
I haven’t heard a single valid reason why we should leave money on the table?
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@commonsense Is that your architectural review? Buy a clue already.
@shadyheightster …you are right…never had any guest – friend or family – exchange student or their family members, never had anyone ask me about the dome, to see it, nothing.
ObamaDome? Commonsense, you disappoint.
Willing to bet money that the CommonGilligans who are ready to bulldoze Houston’s most famous building have never been inside it. They see a dirty neglected old building that hasn’t been used in over a decade without any reverence or knowledge of how it changed the world and don’t have the ability to see what it could be with a little love and imagination. So ready to toss out the only structure ever built in Houston that anyone outside Houston ever heard of because it means nothing to them personally and neither does their community or their environment. Sad. Imagine-less, self-serving types leave no legacy of greatness. Don’t let them bring Houston down with them.
What does Obama have to do with the dome?
commonsense, you need to stop sniffing that stuff.
If the Dome is such a treasured icon for Houstonians, then why aren’t any of the Paper City crowd who love getting publicity spearheading a big campaign to save the Dome?
I’ve been it and fail to see how it compares in importance to a real landmark. It’s a friggin sports stadium. Tear it down and move on to the next Wilshire Villagesque drama!