RustyB

Hey, I probably saw you there! I was the goofy guy with the mean look on his face, wearing combat boots and cargo shorts, taking pictures. I also learned something new...so it was a constructive visit: http://www.amigoenergy.com/web/page.aspx?pg=company_news&ch=company_news_2

I didn't mean to mix the two, but when a couple of others posted above about a jail being built on the site, they were referring to an email from a person that apparently DID turn that obscure, one line from the Chron article into a threat which I felt was BS. I went back and read the Chron article twice...I still can't find a line that says anything about putting a jail on the site if we don't get the stadium. But the email worked...it really seems to have lit a fire under some people to push for the stadium to get built here. I don't like that. And it was BS after all. The same person that turned the one small quote in the Chron article into a scary email, sent out another email saying that Garcia says the County has NO plans on building a "JAIL" or inmate processing facility on the site. I really do hope that it does bring good things to EaDo. I'm just being selfish because I don't want to live right next door to a stadium...I don't care if it's soccer, baseball, or basketball. We'll probably just move to another neighborhood if it turns out to be a problem. I was just hoping the immediate area would go in a different direction. That area of EaDo already has a big enough problem with loitering, litter, traffic, crime, surface lots, late night/early morning noise, etc. I can't imagine anyone would want a stadium built right next door to their home out in Katy. But my girlfriend and I are apparently the only ones here who don't want it. So like they say, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. And if everyone in the area is so passionate about getting it, then maybe I shouldn't fight it. Considering how excited some people are about it, I'm afraid if I speak up about it too much, they'll cut the brake lines on my car.

Apparently!

Believe me, I read the article a long time ago. Mystery NOT solved for me. I guess it's just over my head. The article simply says: “The public is aware that we're looking at potential sites for an independent crime lab operation. We're looking for potential sites for a joint city-county (inmate) processing facility,” The "alarming email" I received, essentially says:if you don't fight to get a soccer stadium built next door to your home in EaDo you'll get a JAIL and vagrants and crime and economic collapse. The email might be 100% true, but I personally think it is complete BS and was written as a political scare tactic. But that's simply my opinion...for what little it is worth. And as for BRINGING vagrants, crime, and economic collapse, I take it this person has never actually been to EaDo. (just kidding...well...not really)

It does seem a little strange...I'd almost believe that it's just a rumor started by people in EaDo who are trying to scare the other few residents into WANTING the Dynamo stadium to be built here in EaDo. But I guess an inmate processing facility is not something we'd hear too much about until construction starts...we'd just wake up and it'd be there one morning. EaDo has enough problematic places that need to be dealt with...a "jail" doesn't need to be added to the list. But I could see the logic...as close as EaDo is to places like Discovery Green, the area is somewhat cut off from Downtown because of the GRB...Chinatown is pretty much dead, for example. But I think this creates an opportunity for EaDo to become a nice residential/mixed use area. That's why I'm personally VERY much against the stadium being built in EaDo. I'm going to fight it all the way. But many of my friends here think it will be a magic bullet that will inject a huge amount of economic prosperity into the area over night. That could be true, but I think it's ignorant. And if they build it here, I pray that I'm proved wrong. Funny, because these are the same people trying to get Club Next booted out of the neighborhood. I just don't get it??? Boot out Club Next, and bring in a Soccer stadium???? Maybe we can have our cake and eat it too...keep Club Next, build a Soccer stadium, AND build an Inmate Processing Facility next door...people will be flocking to the area to live and spend their money!!! Oh yeah, and for the person who asked "who is Garcia" and for those wondering about the/an "alarmist email"...Sylvia Garcia is the Precint 2 County Commissioner, and according to an attorney working in the interest of getting the stadium built in EaDo, Sylvia was completely unaware that residents of EaDo actually WANTED the stadium built here. But as far as I know (and I know very little) this attorney may be the person who started the rumor of a "jail" being built here IF the stadium isn't built...sounds like complete BS to me. Stadium OR jail??? FYI, to whom it may concern (from an "alarmist email"): http://www.co.harris.tx.us/agenda/2010/02-09-10ag.pdf "Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Commissioners Court of Harris County, Texas, will be held on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in the Courtroom of the Commissioners Court of Harris County, Texas, on the ninth floor of the Harris County Administration Building, 1001 Preston Avenue, Houston, Texas, for the purpose of considering and taking action on matters brought before the Court." To request an appearence before the court: http://www.co.harris.tx.us/agenda/requestForm/index.asp I personally think EaDo is going to just fine on its own, without any of this garbage. For example, the owner of the Kim Hung grocery marketwants to spend 1 Million bucks to re-model his store, and says the stadium will make this possible. I think he'll do just fine without it...I see more and more people going there every day...and he's been making changes lately to make it nicer. He's a great guy, and I want him to be successful. He's brought back Budweiser in 18-packs...so maybe I can finance his re-model personally after all? I think things are moving FORWARD in EaDo finally, not backwards, and we don't need a soccer stadium to make it happen overnight. Not in my backyard. From what I hear, the Dynamo's have it pretty good where they're at. I think they're just jealous they don't have their own MMP, Reliant, or Toyota Center. Sorry, but the truth is, although it's impressive to hear that pro soccer has 17,000 fans at their games and all of these tailgaters that might buy a 99 cent bag of ice at the gas station before the game, I don't personally know a single person in the United States that's actually watched a pro soccer game in person or on TV...let alone anyone that wants to live or do business next to a soccer stadium. My high school football stadium in Texas City held over 10,000 people. Maybe they should get their own stadium next to downtown Houston, and it will bring an economic boom to the area due to snowcone sales? Sorry...too much coffee this morning.

That would make too much sense. Heck, I'm not sure what's wrong with them just using an open field and everyone just bringing lawn chairs and ice chests. j/k I went to an indoor women's soccer game once several years ago where my friend was playing. I think I was the only one in the stands.

People really do seem to get in/get out for the Toyota Center/MM games pretty easily. (It's those stragglers that go cruising around downtown that get annoying when you're trying to get home. ) I think the soccer stadium would have been a good way to fill up some of that dumpy no-man's-land in the SouthEast corner of Downtown...kinda between the hospitals and the Toyota Center garage, and between 59 and around LaBranch. That area sucks.

I think that would be cool...even if it's a long ways out. Right now, if I want just a couple of items from the grocery, I have to drive to Kombat Krogers. Kim Hung market is fun to visit and buy questionable items, but they don't have Bud by the case (or beer brewed this century and not covered in filth), or Kroger brand toilet paper. And the only decent food options are Huynh's, a pizza from Lucky's, and the Oh My! Pocket Pies truck for lunch...or a bike ride down to Thiem Hung's for some really good stuff. I just don't think a stadium would bring anything to the party when it comes to development...in EaDo OR Downtown...other than maybe ANOTHER B.U.S. bar. No way soccer fans are going to be going downtown to eat or spend any money before/after a game. People don't really even do that for MM or Toyota Center games either...they come...park...watch the game...leave...in masses. Look at the Toyota Center...it's still just the lonely China Garden sitting next to it...and even it is pretty much walled out by the massive parking garage. And I didn't believe it until I moved from Downtown to EaDo...but the GRB might as well be the Great Wall of Chinatown. I've been here several months now, and I think we've returned to downtown to eat like three times (Little Napoli's, Byrd's, Cabo's)...and DROVE all three times. We're not really any further that we used to be from those places...but they might as well be in Katy or something. Too bad they didn't build the GRB OVER the streets/sidewalks, to still allow pedestrian and auto traffic to pass through. But at least the neighborhood is quiet and there's no traffic. At least, until 2:00am, and it looks like a scene from Apocalypse Now on the streets around Club Next.

I was happy to see the news today...I've been hoping they'd keep the stadium out of EaDo. I'd like to see EaDo go a different direction...more residential and maybe some new shopping areas/restaurants like in the better days of old Chinatown. We've already got ugly sprawling surface lots for Minute Maid Park, and the people that come in to Warehouse Live and Club Next that treat our street like a toilet (literally). A soccer stadium across the street? No thanks. I'd probably move as soon as construction started.

Aw, man...that's very disappointing. At least the current crappy Market Square is not totally useless, in the fact that you can see clear across it. But I guess all those dog owners that live around Market Square will like the fact now their dogs have a place to "walk". This would be really cool...if it were in 1986 San Leon.

FWIW - Last week there was some dudes taking measurements in the little lot next to la Carafe.

We walked over to Hyunh's last Saturday for lunch, and finally tried it. Food was not bad. Service was VERY excellent...more like a big restaurant than a mom-n-pop place. They kept our ice tea glasses filled, which is a big plus for me when eating Vietnamese food...since I'm usually burning myself up with peppers and hot sauce. Prices seemed a little more than the smaller Vietnamese places, but I guess paying for more of a "restaurant" style atmosphere was understandable. We didn't try the desserts....my girlfriend wanted a dessert from Thiem Hung's afterwards. Thiem Hung is going through some changes...same people, but I think ownership has gone to the younger kids there, Minh & Kim...SUPER nice couple! I could eat there every day if I had the time and money...I LOVE that place! Cheap, too!! Oddly enough, I still haven't tried the Vietnamese restaurant inside the mall....I'm always late getting out for lunch, and feel weird about eating in there when I'm the only customer in the entire building. I usually just go into the market and buy beer. There's also a food stand inside the market, which I intend to try. There's a sign on the store's beer coolers that says,"please pay for beer before drinking"....so I guess I'll buy some beer...buy some food from the stand, and hang out with the old guys always lounging about at the tables next to the beer coolers while I eat.

Funny all these posts about Calliope's...I drove past there a couple of times and kept meaning to go eat there...but kept forgetting! So wednesday I made a point to pull over in front of the place, and write myself a reminder to stick on my desk to go eat there soon. I just hope the location doesn't kill their business...seems like one of those places you just find by accident...and probably never find if you just work downtown and would never turn down that street...or take a second look at that old strip center. I'm looking forward to checking it out...it seems we eat Vietnamese food 3 out of 4 times that we go out with all of the great places in the area...and shrimp or roast beef on french bread will be a nice change of pace from chargrilled pork and pate!

That would be nice! It also seems that many of the people that get off the Greyhound walk over to the Metro bus station (after getting a Big Mac, ), where they can catch a bus to anywhere in town. I know that's a really dangerous intersection, as they leave the bus station they just walk against the lights right out onto Gray. I've came very close to hitting someone many times. Not to mention all the people getting into cabs or getting picked up along Gray in front of the station, who mindlessly walk out into the street while loading into the cars. You really have to be careful. Relocating the Greyhound station to someplace with better loading/unloading areas, instead of being closely surrounded by busy streets, would seem like a smart move. Of course, I guess they figure it needs to stay close to the Metro bus hub. I've been approached a few times by guys saying they just got out of jail/prison, and if I could give them some money, anywhere within several blocks of the station. They weren't the usual bums that constantly bug you downtown...they were ex-cons, and not ashamed to tell me that. Kinda scary. I try to avoid the area when walking, but the ex-cons have approached me even in front of my bank (Amegy) and asked me for money. When I talk about Downtown Houston with any of my suburban friends, one of the first things they ask about is,"that scary bus station". I'm pretty sure it's not going to be a popular area for development as long as it remains there. I shouldn't complain, since it was there before I moved down the street from it Downtown, but for the future of Midtown...it would be nice to see it moved and the area cleaned up.

Great picture! Man, I'm so regretting not checking out the Humble Tower apts now, instead of moving to Houston House. But as long as our building holds up, I guess it will still be "close enough" to HP, so I'll stick around for the cheap rent and great view. I doubt Houston House will be sold anytime soon, and surely they won't raise the rent, seeing as how it seems half empty anyways. Now, if we can just keep the tenants from demolishing the place with their cars... I can't wait! I hope HP has some worthwhile shops. I don't drive much, so some decent shops within a few blocks of Houston House would be GREAT.

I regret that I didn't give the Humble Tower a shot when I moved downtown. I was trying to save a few bucks, so it was #2 on my list. Moved to the Houston House instead. The rent is super low, and I have a great view of dowtown, but would rather be living there than just looking at it through the window. Houston House is in the middle of nowhere. It's for sale, so I guess I'll be looking for a new place soon...hopefully Humble Tower will have something I can afford!