Hunter

On 6/8/2017 at 2:09 PM, uscats35 said:

 Phase 1 was supposed to be completed by this fall is there any update as to if this project is on track to make his timeline for the first phase ?

The financial backers pulled out. The project fell apart. 

There was another post where until the 1980s, many of the downtown-area roads were just layers of asphalt on top of brick, oyster shell, and dirt, and they were torn out and totally rebuilt.

Some of this did include streetcar tracks, apparently.

Some of the tracks are still in place. When the temps are just right you can see them here and there on the old right of ways. But the majority of the tracks have all been torn up. Now many of the right of ways are still in place and some are even hiking and biking trails now. It is fun to walk them. Just be careful a few of the trails go through some pretty rough areas. 

I have always wondered why the new Metro rail line did not just follow the old Street car right of ways. Woudl have been so much easier and caused a lot less problems. 

In the 70's My sister and I use to love going there. The place had such a magical charm to it. Many years later when I joined the military I got to spend some time stationed in various places around Europe and I kept thinking that many of the cities looked so much like Westbury Square. It really hurt my feeling when I finally came back to Houston to find the place pretty much destroyed and what was left in ruins.

I love that pic! Oh, the memories with my grandmother...I always got one of those mouse balloons, seen in the background. It always made me sad to see all of those miniature trains sitting on the side, not running, in later years. Wonder what happened to them.

I have been wondering the same thing. I was once told that they were sold to a fellow who was going to use them but no one seems to know his name or when he was from.

I'll do you one better, you can tour it yourself a few weekends from now for the Art Crawl. It is stop 13. http://www.artcrawlhouston.com/

Awsome thanks. I will mark my calander and see if I can get away that weekend.

So anyone have any new pics of this wonderful place for us all to see?

If memory serves me correctly, it was not a Twin cinema when it first opened.

No it was one huge screen for a long time and then some time in the mid 80's it was split into 2 screens. At first they just divided the big screen right down the middle and you could sometimes see the other movie on the other half bleeding thru. And up until the place closed you could still hear the other movie easily if you sat to close to the dividing wall. My sister and I spent many a long day there at one of their summer movie camps. Up until they divided the screen they use to have a big curtain that woudl raise up to revel the screen at the begining of the movie as well.

You guys can laugh all you want, but naming something the "Tolerance Bridge" is certain to make Houstonians more tolerant!

Of what? The name??

Interesting design but I am afraid that I am a little more conserative in myy designs.

Well cameras were kind of big and clunky back then.

Not to go into to much detail but we dumped our subscription some time ago after the Cron started publishing articles that were very missleading, not accurate, only talking about one side of the story and so many other things that my lady and I dissagreed with. Now we read all of our news online.

I know someone who lives there now and she says she hears weird things all of the time.

To this day, it was (pre-redevelopment) the creepiest place I have been to in Houston so far.

I have so been wanting to get back in to the building and do another investigation and interview some fo the residentsd. Many of them seem to closed mouth whenever anyone starts talking about weather itr is haunted or not. I was once contacted by one resident who wanted to talk about some things but one day he stopped returning my messages or answering his phone. I would love to add some pictures to my collection of what the place looks like now that people actually living in the building.

I know that I put these up somewhere else on this board but here are the semi finished pictures of the inside again.

If a T-38 can accidentally land at T49 (LaPorte) instead of EFD I think the answer must be yes.

They had to tow him back to EFD down Fairmont Parkway and SH3.

When did that happen?

It kind of looks like an old rentention pond that is slowly filling back up. I will see about getting out there and talking a look as soon as I can.

I think Houston Electric can only be purchased from the author at his Web site. I've never seen it for sale at any of the major bookstores.

I have a copy of that book in my libary at home!

Please do keep us posted. It would be such a shame to see it destroyed.

I have been in that building once. I was so impressed. It is to bad that they are just letting it fall apart. I have always wished that I could purchase it and restore it back to its former glory! But alas I have trouble just making it from check to check some times. The curse of being a partent with 2 kids in todays society!

When I was much younger we use to live in the neighborhood on the other side of main street. We use to sit on our roof and watch the races and listen to the roar of the crowds and cars on a warm summer night. Thanks for the memories.

Who can I talk to in order to confirm this and get more info? Do you have a City contact? I'm working on a project in the area, and this is news that I need to follow up on.

I appoligize for taking so long to respond to this but I do not get online much any more due to a heavy work load.

I am really not sure if it is public knowledge yet but I have seen the plans. The date is not set yet as far as I know but the top echelon is serious about this deal. It actually sounds like a good idea to me. except for a few things that I feel should not be move to the new location. So who do you work for if you are not a reporter? Send me a PM and we can talk more.

Just a little heads up. The city of Houston Health department is planning to move from thier old building on North Stadium and build a new building where they can bring the whole department closer together.

The new location will be where Astroworld/Waterworld was located withthe main entrance near the Metro park and ride loading area. So far the new design will include 3 buildings. Main adminstration, Lab and parking with some addition areas here and there. NO pictures yet. This plan is not finalized but it is in the works and moving ahead full speed. I will post more as I learn more or someone else may know more.

Better yet why did the 3 story building across from sears get razed? The one where wal-greens was. There was an old pharmacy and they had fountain drinks and ice cream. My dentist was on the second floor.

You are thinking of the old Ables Pharmacy! I use to spend many a happy day going down there for the drinks and ice cream floats and to get my parents meds. The owner of the shopping strip sold the whole building and the Walgreens bought it. The rest of the story you can only guess. Many of the local residents tried to stop walgreens from destroying the building but noone wanted to listen. Money won out in the end.

I know they're rennovating JDH but does anyone know if they've completed it yet? and if its too late to maybe....umm... go take pictures....yeah

All you can take pictures of s the outside now. The main building is completed with residents residing in the place now. The only building that has not been really touched is the old boiler building out back. The rest of the property is private property now. I am afraid about the only way anyone will ever got to see the inside will be to either become a resident or know a resident who will take you inside. Or look at my pictures that I took as they were renovating the old girl.

What did this big house look like? Can you describe it a little. I spend a great deal of time in the area and if it is still there I will try for a picture of it.

Was brain surgery performed here?

No! When this place was open medicine had not progressed that far yet. Now they may have done some of that at the secnd Jeffdavis Hospital that use to be on Allen parkway.

I have heard of it but there is really very little of it left anymore. What is left has been incorporated into Sylvan beach The rest was sold off and developed years ago. There us to be a book about both places but I have not seen it in ages.

Was there an English colony here on Buffalo Bayou in the 1600's? If so, it is unknown to history at this time

I have heard some say that it was German and some English and since there is no solid records I guess we will never really know.