I don't think "high regard" is quite the word for how helixes are viewed. They serve a very definite and useful purpose: a big change in elevation in a compact space. But they come at a price: trains out of sight for a long time, and issues with pulling power or derailments unless the helix is quite expertly constructed and the grades are very gentle. As I've pointed out, I lived with an 18" radius helix that rose 12" on my last layout. Trains took about 50 seconds to climb it. I didn't like that, and I didn't like the limitations on pulling power it imposed. But... it gave me a spectacular deep rock cut scenic feature and a city scene on an island that was high up at eye level in the middle of the room, both of which were wonderful.
After living with it, I decided the negatives outweighed the positives, so if I could avoid it in the future I would (and I have).
It's like anything else. It has it's plusses and minuses. You have to decide if you like what it does for you.
For me, I would have to get the grade down to 1.5%, and that would make the climb time so long that it would really bother me.
