Properties vol 4 2016 downtown

DOWN TOWN

By David Theis

David Theis is a long-time Houston writer. He is the editor of the anthology Literary Houston and author of the novel Rio Ganges.

“DOWNTOWN WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.”

or downtown Houston, Super

Food and drink were everywhere,

Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 was

including in some bars that today we’d

the best of times, and the worst

label as “pop-ups;” they were just there

of times. But mainly the best.

for the Super Bowl. The exuberance

On the minus-side, the late-1990s boom

along Main Street was free to the

in the Market Square area bar and

general public, but other events either

restaurant scene had ended, done in by

cost noteworthy sums to get inside, or

the street demolition and construction

were invitation only. The Playboy Party,

that preceded the opening of the Red

held in The Corinthian, was described

Metrorail line, itself a bright spot to

by one dazzled national scribe as “the

be sure. Sophisticated and exciting

most glorious, mind-blowing bacchanal

restaurants like Tasca and Zula had

in recorded sports history.” Paris Hilton

shuttered after three-to-five-year runs,

was spotted making the rounds. This

while the nationally recognized tapas

frenzy surrounding the 2004 Super Bowl

restaurant Solero had been converted

was as glamourous, or at least TMZ-

into a dance club, where calamar en su

worthy, an event as Houston had hosted

tinta had been replaced on tabletops by

in decades. (Houston’s first Super Bowl,

the high heels of dancers.

in 1974, was a relatively low-key affair.)

In fact, the new light rail was carrying

Visitors and ordinary Houstonians were

more

to

having a grand, exhilarating time. Locals

Downtown—and now some of the

would bump into friends at Main and

partiers had to be patted down for

Prairie, exchange looks and phrases of

weapons before entering their clubs. The

amazement at the scene, and then say—

rougher crowd that was coming in for

over and over again—“Downtown will

the clubs made Downtown a no-go zone

never be the same.” It would never go

for most others. So, the rebuilt streets

back, in other words, to being as British

were beautiful (especially Main Street

novelist Martin Amis described Houston

with its paving bricks and its newly cozy

in his essay on the making of Robocop

proportions), the light rail was beautiful,

2 (which was filmed here): “The main

but the scene had gotten ugly.

(Downtown) precincts are deserted after

club

goers

than

foodies

6pm — for this is a modern city, and no But that was okay, people told themselves

one is seriously expected to live in it. You

in early January of 2004, because the

work in it.”

Super Bowl was coming to the rescue.

By the end of January the Downtown

Except, of course, Downtown did fall

streets would once again teem with life,

back asleep. Within hours, it seemed,

surely even more vividly than before.

of

Janet

Jackson’s

baring

of

her

breast during the halftime show, the This prediction proved to be true. The

scene began to wither and die. Most

streets were three deep with revelers.

celebrities had moved on before kickoff,

Large stages with hi-definition screens—a

of course, and the bars that didn’t close

bit of a novelty in 2004—and superb sound

immediately after the game reverted to

systems featuring local and national bands

being danger zones. Downtown seemed

lined Main Street, with each performer

closed for most business, and maybe this

putting on a tremendous show.

time it would be for good, new light rail and all.

xcept, of course, Downtown wasn’t dead—not

of Downtown residential in Houston. Developer Finger

by a long shot, and Super Bowl is here again.

says of the previous Downtown, “At five p.m. you could

And this time Downtown Houston is seeing

shoot a cannon and not hit anyone.”

just about the best of times, period.

Novelty is an apt word here because until fairly recently, What’s different this time around? Almost everything,

native Houstonians seldom thought about setting foot

says Downtown District Executive Director Bob Eury.

Downtown, much less living there. Barry Mandel,

“There was a quickening before the last (Super Bowl).

President and Park Director of Discovery Green,

The same thing is happening now, but it’s not Super

Houstonian by birth and resident of One Park Place,

Bowl driven. It’s driven by the Downtown economy.”

says, “I’m a fourth-generation Houstonian. We were told never to go Downtown. Sometimes we would park

This sentiment is widely echoed. Now Downtown

in the underground parking of some arts venue and go

is real and self-sustaining, thanks to waves of

up to see a show, but that was it. The fact that I’m living

infrastructure investment and development. The

and working Downtown amazes me sometimes.”

rebirth of Downtown began in 2008 when civic leaders joined forces to convert 11-plus acres of surface parking

Marvy Finger has a similar thought. He grew up a

lots into Discovery Green, a very active, (as in highly

few miles away, and would ride his bike Downtown to

programmed), park located across the street from the

attend one of the movie palaces that used to thrive here.

George R. Brown Convention Center. An estimated 1.5

He’d seen the theaters and most of the retail be lost to

million annual visitors are drawn to Discovery Green

suburban development, and says “If you’d told me you

to view its public art, enjoy its concerts, shop at its

were going to build on the east side of Main Street I’d

flea markets, play on its playground, and relax on its

have thought you were crazy.” But now, in addition to

green space. (Disclosure: the writer is married to the

One Park Place, he’s building apartments a few blocks

programming director at Discovery Green.) The public’s

further north, across the street from Minute Maid Park.

overwhelming embrace of the park started a chain reaction of development. Developer Marvy Fingers

As impressive as it is, the new residential development

built his One Park Place, a 37-story, 340-unit apartment

is spread out over a considerable area (the east side of

tower across from the park. It was both the first new

Downtown, near Discovery Green and the convention

housing built in Downtown in many decades, and an

center; around Market Square Park to the northwest,

immediate success, reaching high occupancy rates

and also in the southern edge of Downtown), and by

almost right away.

itself won’t create a 24-hour neighborhood, except perhaps in small pockets.

One Park Place was followed by the development of several office towers. To stimulate more residential

But, at times at least, even more people will be staying

development, and to make Downtown into an actual

Downtown for short visits than living here, thanks to

neighborhood, in 2012 the City of Houston established

an impressive wave of hotel development. As recently

the Downtown Living Initiative, a tax incentive

as 2000, there were only 1,800 rooms in four hotels

program that saved developers up to $15,000 on

Downtown. With the addition of the 1,200-room Hilton

each individual housing unit built, up to a limit of

Americas (itself a Super Bowl-deadlined project in

2,500 units—which was quickly reached. As a result,

2003), the room count went up to 4,000-plus. Today,

numerous multi-family projects are underway in

thanks to the recent opening of several hotels, that

previously residentially challenged Downtown. Eury

number will reach over 8,000 when the 1,000-room

says that total units available have risen from 2,600

Marriot Marquis (which, like the Hilton Americas,

(before the incentive) to 4,000 today, with 2,260 more

is a connected via skybridge to the George R. Brown

units in the works, in a total of eight projects.

Convention Center) opens in late 2016. So between residents and guests, some 20,000 people may be

It’s difficult to overstate the importance—and novelty—

Photo by Katya Horner, SlightClutter Photography | The Cistern

staying Downtown at any given moment.

here will be plenty to lure

Square Park has helped generate its

these folks out onto the

own, mostly residential development,

neighborhood’s

with two apartment towers nearing

streets,

sidewalks, and green spaces,

completion.

especially during Super Bowl. Inside the gated (but free) Super Bowl Live

Beginning at the western edge of

Fan Fest area east of Main Street,

Downtown, 160-acre Buffalo Bayou Park

temporary stages will feature local and

is the biggest green space of all. Buffalo

national recording artists. Discovery

Bayou is the waterway that caused

Green itself, which has been described

Houston’s founders, Augustus and John

as “ground zero” for free Super Bowl-

Kirby Allen, to locate the city that they

related events, will offer Future Flight,

had imagined as “the great commercial

a NASA–created Virtual Reality ride

emporium of Texas” where they did.

(apparently the first VR ride anywhere)

The spot where the Allen brothers

which gives riders a taste of space

descended from the small boat that had

travel, and then, after an actual 90-

carried them inland from Galveston is

foot drop, deposits them virtually at

marked by Allen’s Landing, a few blocks

NRG Stadium. Besides the Super Bowl

northeast of Market Square Park. But

events, Discovery Green features an

it’s Buffalo Bayou Park, a bit farther

ice-skating rink and two illuminated

west, where visitors can profitably get

art installations; Firmament, a canopy

in a few hours of relaxation. The park

glowing

created

stretches for 2.3 miles, but the eastern

by Burning Man artist Christopher

with

LED

lights

edge is in easy walking distance of

Schardt, and Enchanted Promenade, an

Downtown, and is in fact virtually

allee of tall, glowing (by night, at least,

part of the neighborhood. This area of

but also impressive during the day)

the park, known as the Water Works

peonies sculpted by French light art and

section, features perhaps Houston’s

design studio TILT. (Discovery Green

most appealing children’s play area,

will also host several national television

brilliant views of the skyline, and,

broadcasts, including a 10-day visit from

most impressively, The Cistern, a long-

Fox Sports.)

forgotten underground water storage area that has been opened to the public.

Downtown has two other important

(You’ll need a reservation to enter, and

green spaces. Market Square Park lies

you can make one at buffalobayou.org.)

in the historic heart of the city, and was home to the original city hall. The park

Again, all of this green space, which has

was redesigned and developed in 2010 to

completely transformed Downtown,

include a café and programmed events,

has been either created or significantly

and has been packed ever since. Market

redeveloped since the 2004 Super Bowl.

“THERE WAS A QUICKENING BEFORE THE LAST (SUPER BOWL). THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING NOW, BUT IT’S NOT SUPER BOWL DRIVEN. IT’S DRIVEN BY THE DOWNTOWN ECONOMY.”

ll this exploring will give you both an appetite

converted some the street lanes from Avenida de las Americas

and a thirst. The Market Square area has several

into a public plaza, and installed several restaurants, including

restaurants, including relative newbie La Fisheria

a branch of the popular Grotto Italian restaurant, a deli, Bud’s

(213 Milam Street), venerable Market Square Bar

Pitmaster BBQ, and Kulture, the new restaurant from Marcus

& Grill (311 Travis Street), Latin-inflected Batanga (908 Congress

Davis, owner of the locally renowned, African American-themed

Avenue), with an outdoor patio so big and inviting it feels like

Breakfast Klub. Just steps away, the new Marriot Marquis features

an Italian plaza, and Conservatory (1010 Prairie Street), the

an offering by one of the city’s most celebrated restaurateurs,

beautifully designed underground dining hall and beer garden.

Mexican maestro Hugo Ortega’s Xochi. The hotel will also feature

(Here’s hoping that the Downtown branch of the excellent Local

the two-story Biggio’s Sports Bar, connected to Astros Hall of

Foods is open by Super Bowl.) There are many other choices as well,

Famer Craig Biggio, and a total of six new restaurants.

including bustling and soulful Frank’s Pizza (417 Travis Street), a social leveler which feels like the beating heart of Downtown.

And that’s not all, as they say. In the One Park Place Building, facing Discovery Green, much lauded French Chef Philippe

The Market Square area is also home to many of the bars that the

Verpiand has just opened the beautiful but casual Brasserie du

World’s Most Interesting Men and Women would want to drink at.

Parc. One Park Place is also home to the city’s United Nations

Taking advantage of the little that’s left of 19th Century Houston,

of food, Phoenicia Specialty Foods, with its always hopping Mkt

well-established local bar owners have created amusing, soulful

Bar—truly a mandatory stop for anyone looking to experience the

boîtes, including OKRA Charity Saloon (924 Congress Avenue),

city’s international flare and vitality.

Moving Sidewalk (306 Main Street), The Nightingale Room (308 Main Street), and world-class mescaleria The Pastry War (310

No matter how hard we try, man and woman don’t live on

Main Street). (Look up the origin of the name to see how deeply

bread and booze alone, so the city’s internationally recognized

the owners have burrowed into Mexican history.)

performing arts organizations hold court in the Theater District in the northwest quadrant of Downtown. Until January 28th,

The Convention Center District is also home to an impressive

Houston Grand Opera will be reprising the opera that put HGO on

number of restaurants—a statement that wouldn’t have been true

the world map, Nixon In China. During the Super Bowl, the Alley

just months ago. In a wildly successful effort to become a more

Theater will offer a new play by Sarah Burgess, Dry Powder. Other

inviting space, the George R. Brown Convention Center has

organizations will offer Downtown performances as well.

Photo by Visit Houston | Jones Plaza During an Event

“THERE IS A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPEND SINCE THE LAST SUPER BOWL THAT MAKE DOWNTOWN FEEL LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD.”

sk a longtime observer

in oil prices, but they’ll find “the vitality of

list of things that have happened since the

what visitors will think

the city super impressive.”

last Super Bowl that make Downtown feel

of

Downtown

changes

like a neighborhood. When you see people

(especially when compared

But long-time residents Dan Tidwell and

from the Houston Ballet School (in the

to the last Super Bowl), and you’ll get

Jamie Mize, former owners of Treebeards

Theater District) walking over to Frank’s

variations on the same answer. “Downtown

restaurant (still a good Market Square

for lunch, you know it’s not just the people

is a neighborhood now that has grown

lunch option), make the most eloquent

in the clubs (or the office towers) who are

organically,” says Discovery Green’s Barry

and personal claim. Over recent decades,

here now.”

Mandel. Resident Barbara Friedman says,

they have followed area developments as

“Last time Super Bowl was a show. We

closely as anyone. Sitting in Honeymoon,

Tidwell agrees. “People ask where we’re

have more substance now; it’s not just for

perhaps the most all-around useful of

going to retire. We say, ‘we’re staying

the event.” Central Houston’s Bob Eury

the Market Square places because it’s

here. What we’ve worked for for 40 years

muses that people “will come thinking that

a combination of bar, coffee house, and

is happening now.”

Houston is on its knees” because of the drop

restaurant, Mize says, “There’s a whole

Photo by TK Images | Jamie Mize and Dan Tidwell