I’m still not sure what I think about this story from Friday, which proposes Seven Wonders of Houston. I guess I don’t necessarily object to any of them, though I feel like the Astrodome is a Wonder of Ancient Houston, rather than a Wonder of Modern Houston. But while I like many individual choices, I somehow don’t feel terribly excited about them as a group. I haven’t figured out yet why I feel that way. I’m torn between thinking this collection should be things you’d want to show off to a visitor (which in my mind at least excludes the I-10/Beltway 8 interchange), or things that somehow define the character of Houston on some meta-level (which definitely includes the interchange). Maybe what we needed was a better definition of what a Wonder should be.
There’s also this vague feeling that the true wonders of Houston exist not just in locations, but also in events. That manifests itself in the belief that the Art Car Parade should have been included somehow. I’m still working that one out, too.
Finally, I definitely think that this list needs a little David Adickes. I realize that the Giant Presidential Heads are eventually destined for another city, but in some sense the here-today-gone-tomorrow nature of their existence just makes them all the more Houston-ish. If it were up to me, I’d bump the Dome and replace it with the Presidential Heads.
So that’s where I am with this. I drafted this a couple of days ago and never got around to publishing it, but after reading Ken Hoffman’s take on it, I figured I may as well go ahead. What did you think about this story?
I didn’t authorize anyone to tell me what the seven wonders of Houston were.
Apparently the Chronic has alot of time on their hands. Must be a big party scene down there.
Seven wonders of Houston, hm? I would define that as sights I would take visiting relatives to see.
What do you take them to see?
I like the Orange Show, NASA, the Menil collection/compound, the River Oaks theater and/or the Alabama BookStop, Lai-Lai’s and the nearby grocery store, the view along Main near Rice (including the traffic circle), and the Williams tower.
Under those guidelines, I might well include the “proto-ruins” that the I-10/Beltway 8 interchange display — that construction has long resembled a falling Roman ruin to me.
What about you?