Finding a High-Rise Apartment in a Walkable Neighborhood
By Peter H. Brown (Pedestrian Pete)
Pedestrian Pete’s rich aunt recently passed and left him with a sizeable inheritance, or so he imagined. With an annuity of $10,000 a month, he started looking for a high-rise apartment in an attractive urban neighborhood. The insert in the April 2026 edition of PaperCity — “Sky High Guide” — was just what Pete needed with a listing of choices from 46 different high-rise projects. There are over 10,000 units to choose from, ranging from 800-square-feet to 5,000-square-foot penthouses, and prices are all over the map, from $1,500 a month to more than $9,000.
One thing that amazed Pete is the new marketing definition of “amenities.” A decade ago, the PR marketing folks touted “freeway access,” a work-out room, a pool, maybe a doorman, and covered parking. Today, that standard stuff won’t cut the mustard. Aside from elaborate pools, zen gardens, health spas, starchitects and even “room service,” a major selling point in the PaperCity promotional spiel is “walkability.” Astonished, Pedestrian Pete thought most people couldn’t spell the word. Now it has become a major marketing factor. The basic life-style priorities, at least among the well-to-do, now include “walkability.” But what does this actually mean?
When you read the fine print, “walkability” varies. Only a few of the 46 developments are actually located within an interesting (if not exciting) truly pedestrian area. Even though Central Market may be a few blocks away, no one really wants to live in a land isolated by broken sidewalks, dangerous street crossings, barren parking lots, blighted buildings and those awful overhead poles and wires.
Pete’s Advice to the PR folks (nothing to brag about):
A nearby Sam’s Club; who would want to walk to a Sam’s or a Costco, and lug all that stuff back on foot?
Proximity to a single institution, such as a school, church or library; not enough!
One or two well-known restaurants doesn’t do it either.
A strip shopping center a few blocks away is not a big deal.
This underscores Pete’s gripe with the touted ‘walk-score’ ratings, which use the density of shops, restaurants, offices and residential buildings rather than the density of actual pedestrians on foot.
Pete gives high scores to projects which tout proximity to rail transit, nearby B-cycle and Zip-car stations.
If Buffalo Bayou is in your backyard or Hermann Park nearby, you should have a high walk score, regardless of the number of fast-food joints.
Downtown, although emerging as a walkable area with mixed-use infill, won’t reach its potential until we connect the tunnel system to street level sidewalks and redevelop the many vacuous surface parking lots.
True walkability means a location in the midst of street life, within a 5-minute walk (a quarter-mile) of many desirable destinations, and, as we shall see, only a few of the 46 high-rise projects got Pedestrian Pete’s attention.
Pedestrian Pete’s “Walkability” Shortlist:
River Oaks District — Grade: A+
Its amazing walkable street grid is lined with of real mix of interesting uses, including a luxury movie theater. This place’s something special.
Pete’s best addresses: The Wilshire , The Arabella and Gray House . Expensive, except for SKY House , but the city’s best in walkable urbanism.
Upper Kirby District — Grade: A-
Kirby Drive was rebuilt as a higher density, mixed-use promenade street, with proximity to Whole Foods, many shops, office buildings and restaurants. West Ave, and several big mixed-use projects are underway. NO OVERHEAD UTILITY POLES AND WIRES!!
Pete’s best addresses: The Kirby Collection (a large mixed-use project itself), Avenue Grove (very mixed-use, has its own park) and Hanover River Oaks (only if you don’t scrape those majestic live oaks!)
The Museum District — Grade: A-
Maybe the next densifying hot spot? Originally laid out with small boulevards, pocket parks, and a very walkable grid, the mixed-use stuff in coming. The walkable destinations are superb – numerous museums, emerging retails, incredible Hermann Park, and adjacency to Midtown.
Pete’s best addresses: The Southmore (Hines’ tower with its own park), The Mondrian (great design, on hold) and more coming.
Regency Square — Grade: A-
Another exemplary big mixed-use project, with a superb street grid, across Allen Parkway from Buffalo Bayou Park.
Pete’s best addresses: The Sovereign and a lot more coming.
Downtown — Grade: B+
A lot of choice, interesting walks in all directions, but too many “dead zone” parking lots in need of redevelopment.
Pete’s best addresses: Market Square Tower (the Theater District, Market Square, and a lot of downtown urbanity). There’s no place like Downtown!
Rice Village — Grade: B+
The area, originally designed for cars, is morphing into a bona fide pedestrian zone.
Pete’s best addresses: Hanover Southampton .
Post Oak Boulevard/Uptown Park — Grade: C+
Like Rice Village, the original footprint, designed for cars and not for people, is hard to overcome, evidenced by numerous beautification schemes fallen short. Pete checked out Post Oak Boulevard; like Montrose; it’s just not a fun place to stroll, a lot of noisy vehicular traffic means too few pedestrians.
Pete’s best addresses: Astoria by Randall Davis, Hanover Post Oak in BLVD Place, Belfiore in adjacent and very walkable Uptown Park, expensive and almost sold out. (That tells us a something! It’s not just the building, it’s the urban context.)