jpcampbell

This was taken a week or so ago (date when the photo was posted). jpc

I work @ 610 and San Felipe (next door to Clear Channel). My building is right on the feeder overlooking the freeway. I was zoomed in to 150mm, so it may appear closer. jpc I really like this photo. The contrast of the bayou trail greenery and the skyline is great. jpc

My favorite view is the one from my office window.

<yawn> You can do better than that ltawacs. Come on! Your "outside the looper" insults are getting pretty weak these days.

Indoor?

I know one of the kids that skates at this rink. The family that owns it had a permit, but they built the lights 4" higher than their permit. That is what the angry neighbor and The Woodlands are using as leverage. I was surprised TWA let them do it at all. As I said before, I think it's being a bad neighbor. Even the father of the kid that skates there twice a week told me that he would not want it next to his own house as it is very loud.

Wow, that is pretty bad. We've been in Sterling Ridge for 2.5 years and have always had great pressure. I would complain, and complain very loudly.

There is a tiny little restaurant called "Standard Sweets" on 5696 Hillcroft. It was a staple during my days at Rice. They had a veggie buffet (all you can eat) for $2.99. If you wanted to splurge and get meat, it was $3.99. It's not the best atmosphere, or frankly the most awesome food, but it's significant bang for the buck.

I could not agree more with this post. In my years here, I've worked in 5th Ward, The Woodlands (twice), 249/1960 area, I-10/Dairy Ashford, Westheimer at the Beltway, and now finally at The Galleria. There is no neighborhood near all of those places that could have been super convenient for a commute.

Agreed. The idea of a townhome or mid/high-rise may be appealing to some, but for me, I'd be miserable. I want a large single family home with a yard big enough for my kids and dog to run around in and still have enough room for a pool. If that were available inside the loop for anywhere close to what I pay now, I'd do it. But I'm not sacrificing my family's lifestyle just for my personal commuting convenience. For others, that kind of lifestyle may be what they are after, and that is great too.

I leave the house at 5am typically and return home at 6pm. I work hourly, so I don't care. I have found that the freeway speeds at 5am vs. 6:30am are about the same, but it's much scarier during the later times as there are more cars. I typically am going 80 all the way and getting passed up a lot. So, I leave earlier and have a much more pleasant commute.

What time of day are you commuting? I live 10 minutes west of I-45 on Woodlands Parkway, and I get to 610/San Felipe in 40 minutes by going I-45 to 610. I can make this time if I leave any time before 6:30am or so. Coming home yesterday at 6pm was the same. I left my desk at 6:15, down 15 floors, to the garage, and was in my garage before 7pm. My one way distance is 41 miles.

I have to say the freeways on the north side are very much improved over the past. There are very few times that my commute on I-45 slows down at all and I'm usually leaving by 6pm. Seven years ago, when I did a reverse commute from Downtown to The Woodlands, I took the Hardy every day as it was so congested and dangerous from construction. What a difference now!

This will be a fun thread to look back on in 10 years time and see how that area has grown (or not) after the freeway expansion. I wonder what the "middle of nowhere" will be then?

Congrats!! Your life just got a lot harder, but a lot more meaningful and joyful. I never wanted kids till the moment I had one. It's such a wonderful and indescribable feeling. Congrats again.