dbigtex56

I,, too, have been an election worker a couple of of times. Things went smoothly until some Republican yahoo voted in the Democratic primary, "Guess what?! I just voted for Obama, and I'm not even a Democrat!" I asked the election judge if the voter should be prosecuted, and she said that although he technically had broken the law, we'd overlook it for now.

In the early 80's someone in Montrose had a flashy red Mercedes roadster. At least they had a sense of humor; the licence plates read GAUCHE.

This probably makes sense in some investor's mind. All I see is that several fewer inexpensive housing units are available and a storefront is gone, and we'll have a gaping hole in the streetscape until someone decides what to do with it. That can take years - sometimes decades.

Thanks for clearing that up, @mkultra25 Love the line "....a measure of design desperation over how to cope with windowlessness, an anxiety perhaps shared by the occupants" Having worked in a windowless building, I feel confident that the anxiety was shared. It was modified during the energy crisis circa 1980, and had insulation five feet thick. Everyone had a pounding headache by the end of the day: I heard later that it was declared a 'sick' building and all that insulation was emitting toxic vapors.

I'm still unclear as to how this would work. In which direction are the cars angled? or does it switch from one block to the next? Unless these are one-way streets this could put a driver going the wrong way at a severe disadvantage.

Please tell me what 'it' is. (I hope that "it" is something flattering, but will accept criticism, too.) :)

I hope that the new owner is familiar with the concept of edging. That area between the street and the sidewalk is a mess.

Where was this picture taken? I can't find anything similar on Google Maps for 1212 Waugh Drive. Also, are they installing that sign on the esplanade? Is that even legal?

This is what much of 'old' Montrose' looked like in the early eighties. The fence, the trees, the lush gardens instead of a lawn... Perhaps landscapes such as these were responsible for the songbirds that seemed to be everywhere. Those two-townhouses per lot barely have room for landscaping. Maybe that's why the number of songbirds seems to have dwindled.

The USA has two borders. Mexico and Canada.

Maybe. I never ate there, but found this desciption (courtesy Buzz Magazine) Buzz resident Chuck Zagst wrote in about one of his longtime favorites, Hebert’s Ritz, specializing in steaks, seafood and a popular shrimp remoulade. Run by Clifton and Lula Hebert, “The Ritz” was a large, white, two-story house at McGowen and San Jacinto, in what now is known as Midtown. “Their bone-in rib eye, warmed saltine crackers, and trout almandine were the best,” Chuck wrote. “When you sat down, they served warmed saltine crackers in a serving dish lined with a cloth white napkin, and butter on the side. The butter was served in individual squares. Trout almandine was also served as a boneless filet in the oven. The almonds were very thin-sliced and were toasted to a dark brown. The fish was also cooked in butter.” Hebert’s Ritz was around for over 40 years before closing in the mid-1980s.

Glad that this gorgeous building is leasing out.

How ironic that someone wants one of the most distinctive and colorful establishments in that part of town to be replaced by townhomes. Suggested name: The Court at Stepford.

This project will have to be spectacular if MPR Consultants want to atone for their neglect of this lot, which seems to indicate an indifference (at best) for its neighbors and the neighborhood in general.

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child" - King Lear

Very nice. Where was this taken?

I think JUstin was the name of the telephone exchange. From Rice History Corner: I had never heard of JU (or J8) numbers. But after scanning ads in the 1954 City Directory for Houston on ancestry.com, it appears that “JU” in Houston was “JUstin”. There’s an ad for the Hugh Wilkin Lumber Co., 2302 Danville, on the page labelled “I 238” (page 40 of 413 on ancestry.com’s copy) listing the phone number as “JUSTIN 5454”.

Really sorry to hear that. They were nice people, and served good food at reasonable prices.

No offence, but this side of the building looks like it's staring and screaming in silent horror.

As parking garages go, it's not bad. It shows imagination. I've definitely seen worse.

I know what you mean. There are either fewer gay people in Montrose now, or they're just less visible (or both). At one time when Cruise-y (or Disco) Kroger was open, it was almost inevitable that I'd run into a friend, neighbor, or acquaintance when shipping there, but even that was rapidly fading by the time it was demolished. Montrose has a few gay bars left, and the reputation of being "the gayborhood" but the reality is that the days of it being a magnet for gay people have passed. As its reputation became more respectable, the influx of people have raised the rents beyond what many young (or not-so-young) gay people can afford. I don't have an answer to your question, but would welcome any suggestions people might have.

The same could be said about facelifts, too. While in progress they're not pretty. Still, if part of the procedure involves gouging one of the patient's eyes out, or inverting the nose, I'd have reservations. It seems possible that the results might be peculiar and unattractive.

Agree. Even better would be if they'd chosen some less significant hapless building on which to inflict their inept renovation.

The building has a certain MCM appeal (love the perforated blocks on the facade) but I imagine that it must be a wreck after being vacant for so long and having a small fire a couple of years ago.

Me, either. It spurs unpleasant memories of the Gawd-awful Z-Brick that was popular a few decades ago (I understand that it has improved somewhat).