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