mkultra25

4 minutes ago, trymahjong said:

It didn't seem to take much for those Nextdoor discussion threads to turn dark.

It never does, regardless of what the topic at hand is. 

On 4/21/2024 at 1:57 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Additionally, RREC will be addressing immediate challenges with two existing buildings:
 

• 5607 Morningside Dr.: formerly occupied by The Ginger Man which closed permanently in 2020 due to unprecedented challenges faced during the pandemic. The condition of the building does not meet current code requirements for occupancy.
   
• 2507 Times Blvd.: formerly occupied by Beautique and Mecox, the building suffered extensive damage after a devastating fire last summer. Due to the compromised structural integrity caused by the fire, the building is not occupiable.

In order to prevent these buildings from becoming a challenge to the safety and wellbeing of Rice Village patrons and visitors, we will begin the process to demolish both buildings in the coming weeks.

We have been able to recover some treasured memorabilia salvaged from The Ginger Man, including beer steins and original signage, and will make available for the public to bid on at a later date. More details to follow.

At the risk of putting my cynicism on full display, I'm calling BS on this. I can't speak to the condition of 2507 Times, but I find it hard to believe that 5607 Morningside did "not meet current requirements for occupancy" when its sole reason for closure was the pandemic, and it has been vacant since then. Exactly what changed in the interim to render it a neighborhood menace comparable to the befanged Ashby High-Rise Monster? Rice seems to have gotten in the habit of relying on the time-tested appeal to health and safety as a figleaf to tamp down criticism when they're intent on razing buildings and they know that such actions won't be welcomed by everyone.   

Wish I'd known about the memorabilia auction before it took place. At least they're donating the proceeds to a reputable charity, although if they are referring to the "original signage" that I think they are, I'd have preferred that particular piece of memorabilia to be given back to the general manager who designed and created it. 

6 hours ago, IntheKnowHouston said:

The same can also be said for smoke shops and hot chicken restaurants. 😄

There's a correlation between all three, in a very specific order:

1. Pick up Rx at dispensary

2. Pick up vape at smoke shop

3. Use 1. with 2. as intended

4. Immediately develop powerful craving for hot chicken sandwich

On 4/18/2024 at 9:11 AM, Renaissance1999 said:

The beef people have with each other on this forum is a great side piece entertainment hahaha

You should've been here when the Heights historic district was being implemented. Or when the Walmart on Yale was built.

Can't remember if this has been posted here before, but in case it hasn't:

Historic River Oaks home built for George R. Brown asks $10 million

1 hour ago, Earlydays said:

My wife was born there in 1946....we'll be married 57 years next June.

I was born there as well, a couple of decades after your wife. 

There once was a time when there was a pretty good chance that if you asked any native Houstonian where they were born, the answer would be "St. Joseph's".

23 hours ago, mollusk said:

 

Let's see... two Bentleys, a Land Rover, three Porsches, something low and Italian Swedish that's not a Volvo, and no Audis.  Eado's long vacant building rehabs are getting pretty upscale. 🥷

FTFY - looks like a Koenigsegg CCR/CCX.

I've used Kelsey for more than 20 years. My PCP was based out of the Tanglewood location until he retired several years ago. To my mind, one of Kelsey's advantages was that it was owned and operated by a group of physicians. You are probably aware of this already, but a couple of years ago Kelsey was bought by United Healthcare and they are now operated by United's Optum subsidiary. Probably the only thing worse than a healthcare provider being owned by a huge insurance company is being owned by a private equity firm. While I can't say that I've noticed major changes as a result of the change in ownership so far, I have noticed some little things that IMO are not for the better, but I'm not 100% sure if some of those can be attributed to the difference in styles between my former doctor and the one I'm seeing now. For now, I'm continuing to use Kelsey, but I'm keeping a close watch for anything that seems suboptimal, and won't hesitate to switch providers if I think it's necessary to do so. 

Not sure where you've been seeing negative feedback, but if you haven't already done so I'd encourage you to do a search for "Kelsey" on the Houston subreddit. There are some pretty eye-opening comments there regarding a decline in the quality of services and billing issues.

5 hours ago, Specwriter said:

Again, assuming you are not referring to the country western singing and songwriting family or the family of the former president (Billy was a bit of a character I'll admit 😀), why is the Carter family considered infamous?

Well, there is a third option... ;-)

22 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

A 1920s photograph of the "new" Jefferson Davis Hospital designed by Alfred C. Finn and Joseph Finger.  The "star architects" of Houston.

1920s? From the cars visible in the foreground, I'd say the earliest year this photo could be from is 1977.

23 minutes ago, hindesky said:

Saw my first Tesla Rusty Bucket Truck in person.

It's almost inevitable that the Cybertruck will go down in automotive history as "the Pontiac Aztek of the 21st Century".

It's probably a tall order for NC State to get past second-seeded Marquette, but if that were to happen, and the Coogs beat Duke, it would set up an Elite Eight meeting between the Coogs and the Wolfpack.

It sure would be sweet if the Coogs punched a ticket to the Final Four by beating NC State. The only downside would be how many times we'd have to watch replays of the closing seconds of the 1983 championship game. 

18 hours ago, Ross said:

That's the home of T W House Jr. http://www.houstontimeportal.net/t-w-house.html

The picture is looking to the South/West. This is the block bounded by Smith, Louisiana, McKinney, and Lamar. Block 144 SSBB. Address was 1010 Louisiana. 

Image 29 in the 1907 Sanborn maps.

That block is now the site of the Allied Bank Building(now called Wells Fargo, but I've never been able to call the early 80's buildings by their current names)

Find a grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50070125/thomas-william-house

House was demolished in 1936.

T W House, Jr. was the older brother of "Colonel" Edward Mandell House, one of Woodrow Wilson's closest advisers from the time Wilson won the Democratic nomination for President in 1912 until the aftermath of World War I and the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.

Findagrave - Edward Mandell “Colonel” House

20 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

I never looked hard enough at this beautiful garden and fountain.  I don't know who Dorothy Hudson is, but LeRoy Melcher is a commercial real estate developer. Smaller company with only a handful of properties but he has been in the business for a while.

LeRoy Melcher Jr. died from lung cancer in 1981 at the age of 42. I'm guessing he was treated at MD Anderson, as I believe his mother Lucile was responsible for this fountain built in his memory. His father, LeRoy Sr., was the founder of the U-Tote-M chain of convenience stores. 

On 3/9/2024 at 9:47 PM, Highrise Tower said:

I've always wondered about this very old Hermann Park street sign.  This is located on Holcombe Blvd at South Braeswood.

While the sign looks old, it probably isn't original and built in the 1910s/1920s?

I didn't realize there were any of those signs still in use. I'd be surprised if they were any older than the late 1960s/early 1970s. Fifty-odd years is a pretty good run for wooden signs exposed to harsh conditions like Houston summers and tropical storms, and this one's clearly seen better days. 

5 hours ago, BEES?! said:

I take any and everything posted on Reddit with a massive grain of salt.

I need to watch this board meeting to understand the context (And I've been so busy I haven't gotten around to it...), but it sounds like OP of that Reddit thread heard some anti-transit groups making comments on the floor at the meeting, the METRO board didn't reply to them, and so now s/he's extrapolating that to mean that the METRONext projects are in danger because the board's "silence [on the comments] speaks volumes". People are over there getting whipped up into a massive frenzy and you get the usual regurgitated Reddit talking points/ unhelpful sarcasm in the comments, and anyone with common sense gets buried in the hysterics.
🤦‍♂️
 

Rabid, frothing hyperbole originating from highly questionable assumptions on Reddit? I can't believe it!

That's quite a radical change. Wonder what drove the decision to relocate? I doubt it's financial, as they own the property on Rutland and they're a tax-exempt charitable entity. 

The "Satanic Panic" rears its horned head once again. I hope this isn't the advance guard for other ill-conceived notions from the 1980s making an unwelcome resurgence.  

16 hours ago, EastwoodEnvoy said:

The site seems much more responsive than before the maintenance. Thanks!

Agreed, particularly when loading pages with a large number of images.

18 hours ago, IWantTransit555 said:

I heard that 4014 "Big Boy" is returning to Houston this year.

UP hasn't announced the 2024 schedule yet, but they do say that Houston is one of the anticipated stops.

Union Pacific Steam Schedule

Every time I see the name of this development, I think "gee, that's not a place I'd expect to see a gender reassignment clinic". 

Interesting - they've got another store not very far away, on N. Victory. Wonder if this new one is intended to replace that one, or if they'll continue to operate both? The one on Victory always seems very busy with a full parking lot, so I think the area would have no trouble supporting an additional location.   

19 hours ago, hindesky said:

Best comment ever about that particular incident: "His name is Cortland Innegan, because he got the F beaten out of him".

5 hours ago, JLWM8609 said:

So between this, the elevated I-10, and the NHHIP, there will be continuous construction along I-10 from Voss Rd. to Waco St. over the next decade or longer. Yippee! /s

I can't say I'm surprised. Remember, there are entire generations that have been born, lived, and died without ever knowing a time when the Gulf Freeway wasn't under construction somewhere.