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Old Posted Oct 3, 2010, 4:06 AM
Fred the Fop Fred the Fop is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewAtlantisMiami View Post
Houston's skyline is more than second tier. With the number of buildings that it has that are over 500 feet tall, it has had a lock on third behind New York and Chicago for over 20 years now.

Los Angeles had a boom in the late 80s and early 90s, which gave it the tallest building west of Chicago, but it wasn't enough to give it the third biggest skyline in the country such as Houston had.
If you're discussing sheer numbers, Houston deserves 3rd place. But if you are discussing the innovative nature of the designs, impact on architecture, the way the buildings improve or compliment the neighborhood they are situated in, etc, then it would make for a more interesting thread.

I am not knocking Houston or Miami, or any other city. I just can't be impressed by the sheer numbers of 400 or 500 + feet tall buildings. Look at the ugliness of many of the high rises in Hong Kong or Shanghai.
What IS impressive about Hong Kong and Shanghai, is the vibrant street life.
Houston, like many other American cities infected by sprawl and the "curse of the car", seems to me, city devoid of street life. All these downtown shots, and the park shots, where people are supposed to be out and about, I can' see barely a soul. The crowds, the hawkers, the pulse of street life, That's the mark of a truly great city. The park scenes posted a few posts above mine are an exception, but even that is not a good indicator of street life, because it's a forced, artificial gathering. Houston's skyline is cool, but it's disconnected from what's on the ground. I guess that's why skylines never impress me. Even New York's.

Last edited by Fred the Fop; Oct 3, 2010 at 4:37 AM.
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