The next HGAC Livable Centers Study Community Workshop 2 is happening Wednesday June 16, 2010, 6:30-8:30pm at the MD Anderson YMCA, 705 Cavalcade. See the flyer below…
HGAC Northside Liveable Centers Study Flyer Community Workshop 2
According to this article in the Houston Chronicle, http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7027794.html , the Near Northside is on the cusp of a boom. We’re on the edge of immanent redevelopment that seems to be following the light rail extension as it is being built. This was all a matter of time. The Near Northside, with its vintage stock of wood frame houses, proximity to downtown, and some old-neighborhood character, was like a sitting duck for redevelopment. In fact, I would imagine that most of the changes the article mentioned were only just biding their time, waiting for the light rail to break ground before they went forward. I’m sure there are more changes already in the works since the rail construction began.
Isn’t it about time? It seemed to me that the Northside had been neglected for decades; neglected by outside forces, but mostly neglected by ourselves. I remember thinking when I was younger that I needed to move out of the Northside in order to have a happier, safer, more comfortable life. It wasn’t until I got the chance to travel when I realized that the Northside already had all the qualities of a livable, walkable community that I liked about New York and Chicago.
Other neighborhoods are also on the verge of a lot of changes that are coming with the completion of the light rail extensions. The East End will likely see bigger changes and faster redevelopment than the Northside. The new row houses (town-homes), bars and restaurants along Washington Avenue has already changed the entire look and function of that corridor. With the increased density of these areas, Midtown will likely see a second surge. I think that as Northsiders we need to make sure that the changes that are on the way can benefit us, and that we can take advantage of the opportunities that are already becoming available.