barracuda

Lol...I hope this park doesn't just become a bathroom for homeless people. But until the surrounding area takes off, there probably won't be many non-homeless people using the park except on weekends or before/after nearby events. I've been to Herman park on weekdays where the homeless seem to outnumber the few people strolling through the park.

Maybe some of them went downtown. I sat outside at Mia Bella last night and saw at least 6-8 homeless trudge by. Downtown was kind of dead last night, so at times, the homless seemed to outnumbered the non-homeless.

This is good news, even though La Quinta is typically a suburban style hotel with a wrap-around parking lot. The east side of 59 is really lacking in new development, and this is better than the current vacant lot.

That area is likely to flood next time a heavy rain strikes. The shanty town will probably end up washed down the bayou.At least they picked a pretty billboard to live under

Yeah, it's not surprising that Bossa closed. It was horrible! It was by far the worst restaurant in Houston, and expensive at that. Glad to see a different restaurant has taken it's place, but hopefully it's not the same owners/chef.

So is this the north or south side of Gray? That intersection is already a homeless hangout. Perhaps with this building, they will stay inside rather than sit on the sidewalks in makeshift camps (with their trash strewn about).

Let's make the homeless useful and send them to Iraq

It seems odd to me that for people living in Midtown, where $300k+ townhomes are the norm, the primary concern when grocery shopping is saving a couple cents on cans of vegetables. I've never found Randalls to be more expensive than Kroger if you use a free Randalls card, but maybe there are some unusual items I don't buy. I like the Midtown Randalls for the sake of convenience. The amount of money spent on fuel would outweigh any savings, at least for me.

People are passionate about their grocery stores! Who knew... I've never noticed Randalls to be that expensive, especially when it comes to Organic products. They beat Kroger and Whole Foods hands down when it comes to the O Organics brand. They don't have much organic produce though, which is why I make occasional trips to Whole Foods... I certainly hope they don't close down the Midtown store, it's so convenient and always busy.

Yes, it is getting overbuilt, at least in terms of townhomes. I'm afraid it's going to be another townhome ghetto. 30 townhomes seems like way too many for that block.

No, the Galleria area is about 50-60 feet above sea level. I don't think a subway will ever be built in Houston due to the cost. However, the light rail should eventually reach the area.

I'm highly doubtful but hopeful the developer includes some retail in that block, like a book store or coffee shop. This side of midtown needs something besides more randomly designed 3-story townhomes. Right now, there's really nothing within walking distance around here...even the post office on Crawford/Hadley is distribution only.

Maybe we could offer a bunch of homeless folks free grub or a few bucks a day to stand outside and protest.

It is a total waste of space. The horrific CVS on Gray/Bagby is only a mile away. It would make sense to build more stores if they were building walkable, urban-style buildings. But CVS clearly has no interest in doing so in Midtown, despite the wishes of the local community. I only hope the next few dozen CVS stores in Midtown aren't as hideous as the store on Gray. That won't be a very inviting for the folks riding the light rail. It's amazing how short-sighted this company is.

That's the point of Whole Foods. People shop there to buy healthy natural, healthy products. I would bet that most WF shoppers do use razors, they just buy them somewhere else.

I don't think getting a Whold Foods in Midtown is realistic for at least another couple of years as more development ensues. But I think it's possible long-term, especially along one of the major downtown-midtown roads like Fannin, as it could get a lot of rush hour traffic plus pedestrian traffic from the rail and area residents. The problem might be the lack of business during the weekend. Also, I've noticed the quality at Midtown Randalls has increased quite a bit lately. Their fresh bakery breads are awesome, and they started carrying a lot of house-brand organic products. They still need to offer more organic produce however.

It appears to be on the triangluar piece of land just north of Post Property. It would abut the side road that goes alongside the freeway and turns into Bagby. I drove by recently and noticed the land being cleared.

I noticed a brochure a month or so ago...the Rushmore Lofts have 18 units ranging in price from 974 square feet ($125K) to 1730 square feet ($214K). Each unit is two stories. Granite counter tops, red oak hardwood floors, gated community. They appear to be putting the finishing touches on now...I imagine they'll be completed soon.

I think that's true for some, but I bet most of them really do want a job and they're just afraid or they feel incapable. It reminds me of my grandma who we had to move out of her house and into an assisted care facility. She absolutely did not want to go and give up her independence. But now she has lots of new friends and she likes where she lives. I think the homeless would be extremely happy in time with a job and a decent place to live. I think many of them fear giving up their independence, and they just need help and encouragement to get back on their feet. The mentally ill just need help.

It's a shame we even have this problem in America. Just a tiny fraction of a percent of the money we spend on highways in this city would be enough to fund work programs and build rehabilitation centers and mental health centers for all the city's homeless. I wrote a letter to Mayor White just the other day complaining about this issue (and I never write letters to public officials). I suggest everyone reading this who lives in Houston should send a letter to a representative requesting that more resources be directed towards helping the homeless get off our streets. As long as they remain, our city's image suffers, as does our goal of making downtown and midtown a more liveable place.

I agree with 27...people should be able to enjoy themselves when they go to a park and not be panhandled or have to worry about unsanitary conditions created by the homeless. Quite frankly, I think the homeless situation in Houston has gotten grossly out of hand. Like, I'm sorry their life sucks and they lack the determination to better themself against some odds, but most of us weren't handed our money on a silver platter either. I've had to work hard just to get where I am today, and I still have bills and debts to pay off. Stop begging me at every highway underpass and gas station! The new park could be a significant improvement for downtown, but it will go unused if it ends up being desecrated by hobos. They should go to the Salvation Army, get cleaned up, learn to read, and appy for a menial job for god's sake.

I'd guess that the Midtown Randall's is doing alright; you just happened to go during a slow time of day. I think if you went to any grocery store at 8:30 on a Friday night, you would see the same thing. People tend to grocery shop right after work or during the day on weekends. I don't do major shopping at Randalls because they're expensive (all the Randalls are), but it's great for picking up a few things, and they always seem fairly busy to me.

A new Whole Foods Market opened in Manhattan this year on 24th and 7th avenue. It's extremely crowded all the time (as is the one on Alabama and Kirby here in H-town).

It may be on the corner of Chenevert and Hadley -- there is a 4-story structure under construction now. I couldn't figure out what the heck it was but that probably makes sense. It's not a very large complex though, probably big enough for 4 or 5 lofts if they're multi-level units.

Nice digs midtownguy. I'm in a Perry home too (I recognize those cabinets) http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/s...icons/icon1.gif. I'll have to take some pictures when I get a chance.