In 2004 I wrote a story for Urban Land entitled A Far West Side Story about the plan for a major redevelopment of the Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s far west side. In addition to a monstrous amount of office and housing, it was to be home of the new Jets stadium, which would also help the city attract the 2012 Olympics. In 2005 of course, London was awarded the Olympics and the far west side plans went in to flux.

The plan has been revived of late, led by developer Tishman Speyer. It has generated extensive coverage in the New York Times, including an architecure review and an editorial response. Read the responses for yourself and feel free to comment, to me or to the New York Times. And stay tuned.

Kids in Cities has become a pet topic for me, as I introduce Ellis to places like Chicago, Boston and San Francisco while considering future school choices here in Minneapolis. Everywhere I go now, I hear about choices facing young parents in cities. Should I stay or should I go?

On a visit to St. Louis last fall, I sat at Crepes in the City one Sunday morning, and overheard a young couple adamantly telling their friends that they were going to stay put after the kids were born. We were on Washington Avenue in the middle of yuppie-ville, or DINK-ville - not many kids around. I put down my latte and New York Times and asked them more. They loved the neighborhood. There is a local daycare and nearby playground. They planned to buy a larger loft when the time came and certainly were sending the kids to private schools, but they were staying in the area.

Everywhere you go, cities are having their downtown renaissance, with empty-nesters making up around two-thirds of condo buyers and young professionals the rest (it is more complex - “never-nesters” are a big part of it and tough to nail down). Eventually many young professionals get married and have kids. They are then faced with decisions involving, as CEOs for Cities puts it, “the three S’s” - Schools, Space and Safety.

Safety is tough. Often, though it is the perception of safety and not the reality. Some in-town neighborhoods are gentrifying and still have shady characters. Others are starting from scratch and there are no real safety issues to speak of. Still, parents traditionally think that suburbs are safer, despite all the time spent schlepping kids around in the car, which can statistically offset some inner city safety issues.

Space is a challenge. The big house with the yard is the default, but kids also need parks and a variety of other spaces in which to play, and the yard is a bit overrated. The playground, of course is not, and you see a lot of them popping up in our gentrifying downtowns. Several new condos marketing in New York City feature indoor play areas for kids, a trend that may spread some day. Portland, Oregon is exploring public/private partnerships in their Pearl District to create more kid friendly places as part of ongoing development, including lirbaries, schools, parks, community centers, etc.

The bigger issue with lofts is the unit space itself. With condos today built as one big room, often with no wall separating living and bedroom, it becomes quite a challenge to raise kids, much less have the privacy to make more once the first have already arrived. Condos can work for kids, but it will take a change of mindset, and a few more dividing walls, for parents to stay put in downtown. In many ways, that will simply have to be market driven.

Schools are the real challenge. Too many cities have decayed schools that wrestle with an overabundance of challenged kids and low test scores. Frankly, they scare off middle- and upper/middle-class parents. There is hope. Milwaukee has been aggressive in offering school vouchers and creating charter schools as an option for parents. By and large, there are great teachers in all school systems and there should be more partnerships between school boards and city hall, neighborhood groups, social services, daycare providers, even developers, to attract and keep families in the city.

There is no silver bullet solution. In many ways, choosing to raise kids in the city is a value judgement. There are certainly countless benefits, and there are a number of ways to make cities more attractive for children and parents alike.

Stay tuned for more on this.

For a recent family trip to the bay area, I did a little reserach and our family stayed in two vacation rentals, one in Santa Cruz and the other in San Francisco. I loved it. They were prefect for my wife, son, wife’s parents and her brother, and all it took was a little browsing of a vacation rentals website to ensure what was around us and walkable.

In Santa Cruz, we stayed in the quaint Seabright neighborhood, a few blocks from the ocean and a mile from downtown. The neighborhood was fabulous - a new urbanists dream with a wide variety of homes on small lots with a coffeeshop, bars, convenience store and restaurants a block away.

Downtown Santa Cruz has recovered well from the 1989 earthquake. Around half of the buildings were lost, and nearly all sites have been redeveloped. Pacific Avenue is a charming blend of shops, restaurants and activity to rival any college town Main Street anywhere. I cannot wait to return.

Our place in San Fran was carefully chosen for its proximity to transit and the sights. Located in the Lower Haight neighborhood, we were three blocks from historic Alamo Square and its famous row of painted ladies, as well as three blocks from the N line of the Muni for easy access in to downtown. Around the corner were two great coffee shops, a rib joint, bagel place, and a wonderful Irish pub with big windows that opened out on the street, allowing the two to become one. Our whole family sat at a table in the sunlight of the front window, sharing drinks and stories.

I highly recommend vacation rentals. They are great for families, especially since you get your own kitchen and living areas, which is far superior to a hotel. A little research, using Walkscore, for example, and you can also be in a great neighborhood, which is good for getting to know a city much better.

By reading entries on this website, it is obvious that I travel quite a lot. I stay in a lot of hotels, and usually do a little research ahead of time to ensure they are well located, in a walkable part of the city. I have also done some market studies on hotels over the years, allowing me to survey the numbers and read up on industry trends.

Between consulting and firsthand experience, I have come to understand a few things, including hotel concepts. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the Hilton Garden Inn in The Woodlands, Texas. I was there earlier this year to see The Woodlands and Ian McHarg’s work firsthand, and may I just say the Hilton Garden Inn gets it right.

From the moment you park and walk in the airy but comfortable lobby, you let out a deep breath; you feel welcome. The lobby itself has a high ceiling, couches and chairs, wi-fi service, a pantry, bar and dining room, all in one but not crowded. Breakfast is served there, and you can get a drink in the evening - not a big selection, but does the business traveler really care? We arrive at all hours, are harried from today’s airline experience, and want comfort. The lobby exudes that, and you can even pick up late night food at the pantry.

The rooms are just as comfortable, with desk, easy chair, attractive dark wood television console, large bathroom and most importantly, a nice, big comfortable bed. Hotels with a brand-name bed (Radisson with the Sleep Number, for example) are highly sought after.

The Hilton Garden Inn is not a discount hotel, nor is it luxury. It just works. When I travel, I will still stay in a variety of hotels, but Hilton, with its Garden Inn, has demonstrated that they did their homework and have created and branded a hotel worthy of our business.

Following up on a prior entry, our brave legislature indeed did override Governor Pawlenty’s veto of the $6.6 billion transportation bill. The state gas tax will increase, as will sales taxes in the seven-county metro, all to pay for road and transit improvements.

This is immensely good news, although it will cause long-term bitterness in the statehouse. Six farsighted and courageous House Republicans broke ranks to override the veto with the DFL, and it has already cost them leadership positions and endorsements. We’ll see if voters are as irrationally unforgiving come the fall elections.

At long last, perhaps Minnesota will now be able to move forward with a balanced transportation program that includes the various transit lines that have long been on the drawing board.