Houston, October 2004

Peter: 22nd Oct 2004 - 13:41 GMT

Wow, as always... but man, that last one really moves me.

borutz: 22nd Oct 2004 - 18:56 GMT

these photos do fill me with a feelign of lovely looks. i am thinking these photographs are of a very pretty sort and glad i am that you were for post them on this website. thank you! tell me more about this houston city if you will?

ian: 23rd Oct 2004 - 08:44 GMT

borutz,

Houston is an industrial city of ~5 million inhabitants on the Gulf Coast of Texas, in the US. The major industries ar oil and gas refining and exploration, and oilfield services. It is also a major port city. The eastern half of the city is basically a huge industrial complex, probably the petrochemical complex in the world, sprawling along a ship channel. The 2nd and 3rd photos came from this area.

Houston also has a very significant biomedical/basic science research community. The first photo is of a laboratory building under construction at my university.

Houston is the archetypical "New American City" based on the automobile. The city lacks a traditional urban core in any meaningful sense of the word, and is instead comprised of concentric rings of suburban developments, tied together by a massive highway system. Mass transit options are limited by European standards. The climate is also inhospitable to walking/cycling -- it's upwards of 30C for most of the year and extremely humid.

As you may expect, we have major problems with air pollution.

The city is very healthy economically, and the cost of living here is extremely low. Most people are able to afford a suburban house. However, I'd say the city lacks any amount of charm or beauty. Basically, it's an industrial city for working families.

Many people will disagree with my characterization of the city. It is true certain areas in the inner-city are very nice, and you can live a happy and enjoyable life here.. but I believe, that on the whole, it's probably not a place most people would move too if they had a choice.

Peter: 23rd Oct 2004 - 15:57 GMT

ian- wow. this comment is what this site is all about. thansk for taking the time to say all this- id have to agree that alot of what you said very much describes houston... very well thought out.

thanks again! you really make some amazing photos, in this regard. as always, do feel free to post here and host your photos anytime. ive sorted out some hosting issues, so its all good :)

borutz: 23rd Oct 2004 - 17:08 GMT

hell ian,

thank you for the explaining! these photos are so pretty and almost work well for hte braking of my heart. i love seeing such photographs of the parts of america which perhapos i will somedaysee in person? so pretty. i thank you, sir, for seeing these photos for the sharing of ours, here.

also and i do apologize for my bad english, i am not yet one hundret persent fluent in your language but i work hard at it and seeing your art on a place like this works for the helping to me maybe speak better and at the same itme for the seeiong of such loely photographs of your lovely city in america.

i am hearing alot about this presidential voting coming up soon in november! what do you say of this? in my country, people are very much angry with how america works with george w. bush. do you make a vote for him, or some other john kerry or maybe the splitting of the vote ralf nadur? i am eager to see the enterprise by which the american goverment does operate. i am not sure, as i do not know for well as an american, that u would vote for george bush. i think he is not a very truth filled leader of youre country. do tell ,e ow you does feel about it as being an american?

yes! please let me know. i would be the happy to tell my other friends of my country how a real american citisen does feel about this matters!

and as always thank you IAN for your words of advise. i do am love to see how the americans do see the world in regards to teh politiks.

Marc: 17th Apr 2005 - 07:22 GMT

Houston as Babylon of the oil empire.. a karmic blackhole built on the graves of a million dinosaurs and plants. so much energy in one place spent on desecration and the subsequent care and feeding of petro-resurrection men + women. and when it rains it floods like a sumbitch.

elaine: 17th Apr 2005 - 07:56 GMT

Ian, so you don't work for the tourist board, then. I loved your exposition, imagine if that was the kind of information you could get for the asking, just in general in life?