So far, we’ve begun accepting nominations for 3 categories in the Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate: Favorite Houston Design Cliché, Best Vacancy, and Best Teardown. Up next: a very special prize that celebrates the unique character of our very special city — it’s called the “Only in Houston†Award.
You may have noticed a few differences between Houston and many other places — especially when it comes to this city’s real estate landscape. This award is meant to celebrate an event, circumstance, development, or phenomenon of the past year that could only have manifested itself hereabouts. Or somewhere around hereabouts. Or maybe, okay, it happened somewhere else too, but it really seems like a Houston thing, anyway.
As usual, your spin can make the difference between a possibly dull and obvious entry and a compelling choice for the award. So think hard, reframe the ordinary to make it seem extraordinary (and consult the nominating guidelines if you need to). Then submit your nominations!
Inspired by posts on the Best Teardown, I nominate the THREE Starbucks at the corner of West Gray & Shepherd. I mean seriously. Everyone mocked us when there were only two so what does Houston do? We womp it up baby! If the River Oaks theatre makes it, I wouldn’t be surprised to see #4 move in there.
I’d like very much to say, sort of in the spirit of Scott’s post above, that only in Houston would a company like Barnes & Noble feel it was necessary to build a giant store within five miles of two of its other giant stores and one medium-sized store. Unfortunately, I think that kind of thing is not limited to Houston.
I can’t nominate the big crosses like Sagemont Baptist’s because I can easily see that in Tulsa.
So I’ll nominate the whole Ashby kerfuffle. Most of the elements of that seem uniquely Houstonian.
Specs at Washington might fit this category.
A struggle of old/new community identity, of living in a land of no zoning but with state zoning laws, City of Houston politics,the power of HISD…
Only in Houston do people vote not to have zoning, and then try to stop a high-rise from being built in a residential neighborhood that has no zoning to protect it from high- rises.
My vote is for the Stop the Ashby campaign.
Im going to have to vote the 3 Starbucks on one corner.
Why does Houston think the Starbucks phenomenom is so unique?
I can think of examples in Vancouver, New York, Toronto, and Seattle in which there are 3 Starbucks within a block of each other. Those cities also have multiple other brands of coffee shops that would make the total even more ridiculous (something Houston sorely lacks).
So +1 on Ashby which truly does have unique Houston madness to it.