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editor

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Everything posted by editor

  1. I couldn't find an existing thread about this one, but if it exists, let me know and I'll smoosh them together. Demolition began a couple of weeks ago on the abandoned parking garage on the block bounded by Main, Saint Joseph Parkway, Fannin, and Pierce. I walk by this garage most weeks when I go to church, and it's been locked up for at least two years. The other half of the block is a surface parking lot for Metrocops. This photo is from this past Saturday, February 3.
  2. Agreed. From what I've heard, the problem is mostly the neighborhood groups opposing trains down the main east-west streets. Is that true? Maybe now that there are noises about Allen Parkway being pedestrianized, the train could go down there, then north and south along Shepherd. It's not much, but it would be a start. Considering the perceived temperament of people in the Heights, I'm really surprised they haven't been clamoring for light rail.
  3. https://www.ridemetro.org/newsletters/metro-connections/2024/January/two-decades-on-track-metro-celebrates-20-years-moving-houston
  4. There's also a bit of graffiti starting.
  5. Maybe it's to evoke fluffy, happy, jazzy clouds of relaxation, or something. Like Cole Porter wrote: "a trip to the moon on gossamer wings." It seems like most of the recent hotel (and other) brands seem more about how the companies want you to feel about a product, and are substantially disconnected from the actual product. I don't see a Moxy Hotel dressed up like Betty Boop giving a cop a kick and some lip after driving a bank robbery getaway car.
  6. Awesome. Since it's so easy, you won't have any trouble including sources when you make similar statements. My wife spent an hour in the rain plugging 100¥ coins into those machines. Thrill of the hunt, I expect.
  7. Calling them "vending machines" is using a broad definition of vending machine. They're more like the old gumball machines you used to see in the front of supermarkets. Those old enough to remember those also remember when they eventually started spitting out little toys in plastic bubbles instead of gumballs. This is exactly what a gashapon machine is. Gashapon are not unique to Akihabara. They are very common all over Japan, and are positioned just like the way old gumball machines used to be — near the entrances or stores and by actual vending machines. If you're going to make statements of fact like that, it would be helpful if you linked to a campaign finance report showing how much the Pappas family donated. Otherwise, it's just rumor-mongering.
  8. So are there two locations now, or three? Your response doesn't add clarity. If there are currently two locations, then saying "second" location is correct. Just because it's not the second ever location does not mean it's not a second location. When McDonald's opens it's 100,000th location, it counts active locations, not every location that has ever opened and closed. The second criticism is inconsequential. It's a feature article, not breaking news. They get written ahead of time, and are bumped or postponed — sometimes repeatedly — by more interesting content. Sometimes a features reporter will write a bunch of stories all at once and they get scheduled to run in the future to cover times when they're on vacation or otherwise unavailable. It's called "evergreen." Overall, "so much" nitpicking about nothing.
  9. Beignets will become even harder to find in Houston, but King Cake will continue to expand in availability.
  10. The new Outlaw television network is now on KEHO-LD/Houston (on 32.7), and KUVM-CD/Missouri City (on 34.6). it describes itself as "classic western movies and TV series." So far, "classic" seems to mean "old, but new enough to be in color." Between Outlaw on 32.7 and 34.6; Grit on KPXB/Conroe (49.8), and KFTH-DT/Alvin (on 67.3); GetTV on KPRC-TV/Houston (on 2.5) and KFTH-DT/Alvin (on 67.2); regular weekend western movies on KTXH/Houston (20.2); and the regular western shows on the KYAZ/Katy-KPRC-TV/Houston MeTV/MeTV+ melange, no one with a television should ever want for cowboy shows in Houston.
  11. From Austin to Anchorage, U.S. cities opt to ditch their off-street parking minimums https://www.npr.org/2024/01/02/1221366173/u-s-cities-drop-parking-space-minimums-development
  12. If by "vibe" dining spots you mean "gimmicky," then yes, I've noticed that most restaurants that open in Houston these days are mostly about gimmicks.
  13. I confused how he can owe back taxes. Except for when it's closed, I don't think I've ever walked by and it hasn't been absolutely packed. I don't know what kind of marketing that place does, but it works.
  14. I don't think that's universal. I've seen the heads of cathedrals moved around more than once. Not in Houston, though.
  15. Not being a Northsider, I'd rather not make a change that makes it worse, so what you you guys suggest for the new description?
  16. editor

    Dark Mode

    Interesting idea. There's one specific technological barrier to implementing such a thing, but I'll add it to the list to consider once that is cleared.
  17. There has only been one "official" HAIF meeting, and that was a moderators event when the web site was sold about five years ago. But there have been probably a dozen unofficial HAIF meet-ups organized by people on HAIF. It's been my observation that if a HAIFer sets a time and place, other tend to show up.
  18. editor

    HAIF+

    You love HAIF. We all love HAIF. And now there's a way you can show you love for HAIF. Just like your grandmother slipping a check inside a birthday card, you can express your love of quality Houston information by slipping HAIF some money. And just like your grandmother's love, it costs just five dollars! HAIF+ is all the HAIFy goodness you know and love, but without any banner ads. Benefits of HAIF+: With no banner ads, HAIF pages load faster. You support HAIF directly, rather than enduring internet network ads, which end up paying us as little as 0.001¢ (Yes, that's one one-hundredth of a cent!) You feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing you helped support Houston people running a Houston web site for people in Houston, rather than a trillion-dollar global advertising platform disguised as a "social media." No punching of monkeys required! HAIF+ has just two simple plans: $5 per month $50 per year Get HAIF+ To get started, send a message to @editor, or e-mail editor@houstonarchitecture.com. Because we're just ordinary schmoes like you, the available payment methods are: Cash Personal checks PayPal Apple Pay Apple Cash Frank's Pizza gift certificates If none of those work for you, give us a shout at @editor, and we'll work something out. Seldom Asked Questions: Q: Why should I sign up for HAIF+? A: Because you love HAIF, but hate ads. Q: Why can't I just use an ad blocker? A: Because then you are taking away from HAIF. Running HAIF isn't cheap. It costs many hundreds of dollars each month to keep this web site online and available for the people of Houston, near and far. If you use HAIF without viewing ads, or signing up for ad-free HAIF, then you are deliberately helping to bring about the demise of HAIF and make Houston a worse place for yourself and your neighbors. Why would you do that? Q: But I can't afford five bucks! A: Then you should probably work on other things in your life to improve your situation, rather than wasting your time on HAIF or any other web site.
  19. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2023/cleveland-downtown-empty-offices-transform/ Our year-long project studying how to revive downtowns has identified three keys to success: First, to focus on a few blocks at a time (what urban planners call a “node”). Second, to make it as easy as possible to convert old office towers for new uses, via tax incentives and expedited permitting. Third, to offer unique amenities for residents, workers and tourists. Cleveland did all three in the area around Public Square.
  20. A couple of weeks ago, Victory (711 Main) added branding to the front door, and occasionally puts a sandwich board on the sidewalk. While I don't understand what's happening here (it's supposed to be "elevated comfort food," but most of the reviews talk about hookas), I hope it does better than the previous occupants of this space. It's been through at least three, maybe four different tenants in the last 2½ years.
  21. The new Vietnamese Martyrs church is going to be dedicated this coming Wednesday (December 13, 2023). As a work of architecture, it's not special. But it is interesting for having the stained glass windows, stations of the cross, and other elements that were part of the 1911 Sacred Heart Co-cathedral downtown before it was demolished.
  22. I'll give you Goldstrømmen. But Andes Café's virtue is that it brings together the flavors from a dozen other more regionalized restaurants across Houston in one menu. Does that count as a strong "concept?" I'm not sure. I guess it saves on gas driving all over town. I haven't tried Chòpnblọk yet, but it's described as "West African fusion." Great, but when I see "fusion" in a restaurant description I think "we've run out of ideas." It'll be nice when Houston builds up a base of (better distributed) west African restaurants first so that we can taste and understand the basics before having it go all tex-mess. Or if the intent of this "fusion" is to make west African food more palatable to Western tastes to give us an introduction to the cuisine, then they should be more helpful. Writing "Ghanian style" or "Liberian style" on a menu doesn't tell me anything. How am I supposed to choose between the two? It's a food court. If I'm confused, I'll just turn around and there's a dozen other options from other vendors right in front of me.
  23. According to an ad in the Chronicle today, Havana Air is going to start flights between Houston (IAH) and Holgun (HOG), Cuba. The service starts December 16.
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