Downtown Houston Locales?? (modern)

[thebeginning]

Hey guys! I've been looking for some spots to shoot modern and contemporary portraits (mostly seniors) with a metropolitan look. Are there any areas in downtown Houston that work well?

I'm going to be driving down there soon to check it out, but I'd love to have some guidance as to which areas to look into.

Looking for:

Modern Architecture
Interesting/Artsy Architecture
High-class streets (NYC shopping look)
Courtyards

also:
Little shops you can walk in and take photos (indie coffee shops perhaps?)
Edgy/Urban walls
Graffiti
etc.

NOT looking for parks and pretty natural areas. I already have a list or two of those, and plenty of that around where I live :)

Thanks!!

[Steelsun]

Try Sam Houston Park, behind the main library. You get some nature with the high tech skyline as a background.
Then meander to plaza, next door to city hall - tall cylinders of metal in reflecting pools.

On the east side of Downtown you have the new Discovery Park - cool colored walls on the garage entrances, a neat metal kinetic water sculpture, and the skyline under construction.

We don't have much "high-class" streets in Downtown - for that you'll want to hit Post Oak & The Galleria (but they will probably chase you off).

[venchka]

The Wortham Center. Behind the buildings & down the stairs. Waterfall. Skyline looking up the waterfall. Turn around. Ferris wheel at the Aquarium background. Hard Rock Cafe next door. Lots of possibilites.

[dpena]

smith at w gray is a cool small place where there are outside tables and nice sidewalks with busnieses coffe etc....