Jump to content

Scott08

Full Member
  • Posts

    267
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Everything posted by Scott08

  1. Reviving the most recent dead thread about 1111 Studewood. I drive by there all the time at many different times of day and night, and I have seen absolutely NO evidence that anyone is living there, or that any retail has signed on. Pretty sure when the project started they were touting their condos starting in the "low 400's," the sign now says "starting in the $480's." I have always been very skeptical that there is a market for condos that expensive in this area, if they'd priced them in the $250-350K range I think they would have sold out by now. And I think there's a huge risk/stigma about being the first buyer/tenant of a vacant project like this. I know enough about how real estate works to believe someone is losing their azz right now. How long can a building go vacant before they give it back to the bank? Anyone have any details about this place?
  2. I miss Big Mamou already. Contrary to your thoughts, I always thought their location was a terrible problem. It seemed almost invisible driving past it, the bright lights and traffic of the gas station next door attracted your eyes. Even worse coming from the north. I loved their red beans and rice, jambalaya, and a few other items I tried, but started going less and less when their hours started fluctuating. Some of my friends I took there thought the prices were a bit high for what you got. But once they started altering the hours (breakfast/lunch only on some days, Thursday-Sunday lunch only, etc) I figured they were on their last legs. They were nice people, hope they didn't lose too much.
  3. I logged on to see the outrage that the store is opening today, and left disappointed. Walmart shoppers 1, Heights yuppies 0.
  4. Did some more reading up on the house today, there's lots of articles about it out there. Here's one from the NY Times after the restoration in 2004: A House That Rattled Texas Windows By WILLIAM MIDDLETON Published: June 03, 2004 WHEN John and Dominique de Menil built the first great Modernist house in Texas, in 1950, not everyone was thrilled. ''It was bewildering,'' said Anderson Todd, one of the few Modernist architects in Houston at the time. ''Most people in Houston knew nothing about Philip Johnson or Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier. This wasn't a house -- it was a dental office or a Laundromat.'' The de Menils put the house -- a long, flat-roofed, one-story building of brick, steel and glass -- in the fashionable River Oaks neighborhood, with its antebellum mansions and Tudor-style piles with manicured lawns. It was designed by Johnson, then a 42-year-old disciple of Mies just starting his own practice while building his legendary Glass House in New Canaan, Conn. One cabdriver saw the de Menils' windowless facade and asked, ''What is this, a clinic?'' Deliverymen pulled up to the front door, assuming it was the service entrance. Even their own children had reservations. ''I was very embarrassed,'' said Christophe de Menil, the oldest of the couple's five children. ''It was just so different. And my sister Adelaide speaks of being too embarrassed to have friends over.'' The de Menils' long, lean house is set at the end of a driveway that curves among towering oaks. The 5,500-square-foot house, with burnished black Mexican floor tiles, is built around a glassed-in courtyard, a feature the de Menils had seen in Venezuela. Now, 7 years after Mrs. de Menil's death and 31 years after her husband's, it has been returned to its original condition. The Menil Foundation completed an 18-month, $3.3 million restoration last month. ''You can feel how scrupulous the restoration has been,'' said Andrée Putman, the interior designer, who toured the house this spring. ''This was such a delicate intervention. There is a grace to it, a magnificent simplicity. You have the feeling that Monsieur or Madame de Menil could appear at any minute to take their children to school.'' The house is known for its art as well as its architecture. Shortly after its completion, the de Menils began filling it with one of the most important collections in the country -- a collection that eventually grew to 15,000 pieces in all, from Paleolithic bone carvings to Warhol soup cans. By the 60's, the de Menils had converted the garage into an office, where half a dozen registrars, curators and researchers tended to the collection. Mr. de Menil, who ran the American division of Schlumberger Ltd., the oil services company founded by Mrs. de Menil's father, Conrad Schlumberger, spent evenings in his study cataloging the collection, while Mrs. de Menil worked from a card table in one of the five bedrooms. (Most of the artworks are now several miles away in the Menil Collection, a museum designed in 1987 by Renzo Piano.) The de Menils arrived from France in the 1940's, and their house became a compulsory stop in the international cultural whirl. When Michelangelo Antonioni, the director, said he wanted to ''meet a lot of rich Texans,'' Mr. de Menil had a dinner party for him. On other occasions, Henri Cartier-Bresson stalked through the house stealthily taking pictures, and when René Magritte was in town, the de Menils arranged for some students to take him to a rodeo. The de Menils were pleased enough with the austere lines of the house, but they rejected the interiors that Johnson proposed as too severe. ''Philip felt we should have a Mies van der Rohe settee, a Mies van der Rohe glass table and two Mies van der Rohe chairs on a little musty-colored rug,'' Mrs. de Menil said two years before her death. ''We wanted something more voluptuous.'' To punch up the interiors, they hired Charles James, an eccentric fashion designer who had created sculptural evening gowns for Mrs. de Menil. James swept down from New York prepared to cause a little trouble. He took one look at the plans and insisted that the ceilings be raised 10 inches. He designed and built distinctive new furniture, including an oversize octagonal ottoman and a chaise longue in wrought iron and chartreuse silk. In an audacious deviation from the white walls prescribed by devout Modernism, James anchored the living room with a striking gray wall and made the hallways vivid pink, crimson and tobacco. ''He would arrive late, at 11 a.m., put on some army jumpsuit, and start mixing colors,'' she Christophe de Menil, then 17. ''The painters would leave at 12 p.m. for lunch, and then he would sit in the rocking chair, just filled with outrage -- where was everyone?'' By combining James's work with Johnson's, the de Menils subverted the pure, modern architecture with an exuberant, highly personal interior. In doing so, they humanized Modernism. They also infuriated their architect. For decades afterward, Johnson omitted the house from surveys of his work, even though de Menil patronage led to many commissions for him in Texas. The de Menil house is a Modernist landmark with its own personality. ''That French expression l'art de vivre -- how the de Menils lived there, with their collection and all the furnishings -- adds a layer to the house that makes it even more notable,'' said Terence Riley, chief curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. To capture the de Menils' particular spirit, the Menil Foundation, which owns and maintains the house, and Stern & Bucek Architects, which led the restoration, hired an architectural historian to collect memories from a dozen friends and family members. ''Someone once said that Charles James brought in some bibelot,'' Marguerite Barnes, a Houston writer who knew the de Menils, said in her interview. ''Nobody ever brought in any bibelot on Dominique de Menil. Her house was her own -- whether it was Houston, Paris or New York, you could walk in and say, 'Dominique's been here.' '' For all its distinctive character, the house had serious design flaws. The flat roof leaked, requiring the de Menils to keep Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubrey, partners in a leading Houston design firm, on constant call to patch things up. ''My first understanding of an architect was as the guy who fixed the roof,'' said François de Menil, the youngest son, who is now an architect himself, in New York. (The family had tended to neglect maintenance, particularly after Mr. de Menil's death.) In returning the house to its early condition, Stern & Bucek produced 50 mechanical and architectural drawings, more than twice the number Johnson had drafted. To protect wall surfaces that still had original paint, wood or velvets, the rewiring was done through the ceilings. Conservators dared not repaint walls that were completely original; those surfaces, including the dressing room doors and the pale pink hallway, became known as ''sacred walls.'' For those that had been repainted, conservators sent paint samples to a laboratory to help match the exact shades. ''It's crisper and cleaner,'' François de Menil said. ''Where there had been wear and tear, or it was somewhat decrepit, now there's a crispness.'' The restoration team wanted some elements to show their age, among them the antique jewel-colored velvets in the hallway and the buckled linoleum by the kitchen sink. ''Everyone has asked, 'You're going to do something about that scratched-up velvet aren't you?' '' said Bill Stern, one of the architects in the restoration. ''Well no! Those surfaces ensure a patina -- the age of the house is written into the architecture.'' Jane Anderson Curtis, a landscape architect, planted more than 20 towering trees, referring to archival photographs and a 1950 survey that documented every tree on the property. In the atrium garden, she used 15 varieties of tropical plants, including banana trees, fishtail palms and monkey grass. ''It's almost like a terrarium,'' she said. ''I wanted it to feel rich and diverse and layered and explosive.'' The restored house will not be open to the public. Instead, it will be used for special events and small museum gatherings. Most design problems have now been addressed, but nothing can restore the de Menils' energy and animation. Mr. Stern said he remembered the first time he saw the house: it was spring 1979, and he was a 32-year-old Harvard graduate working in the Houston office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. He received a invitation out of the blue to a dinner party Mrs. de Menil was having for a curator from the Pompidou Center in Paris. (''Two final things,'' Mrs. de Menil's assistant told him. ''This invitation is for one person, and be on time.'') Arriving precisely at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Stern found he was the first guest. He met Mrs. de Menil in the entrance hall, and soon his embarrassment turned to delight. ''I told her how thrilled I was to be able to see the house,'' Mr. Stern said. ''For the next 15 minutes she gave me a detailed tour. ''My eyes lit up -- it just had this otherworldly, magical quality. Overhead lighting had always been a problem, so in the dressing room, she picked up a lamp off the table, shined it towards a painting and said, 'Come look at this wonderful little Picasso.' '' Pink on Pink? AUSTERE Modernist design and forceful art have long given the de Menil house its magic. But as meticulous as the renovation of the house was, some of the art has been moved. Matthew Drutt, chief curator of the Menil Collection, took a decorative approach, hanging a quiet gray painting by Max Ernst on a gray wall that had formerly held such assertive works as a monumental Braque (shown at left). A pink Warhol now hangs on a pink wall; blue Magrittes hang in a blue bedroom. ''I put things where they would accent a space and make a statement,'' Mr. Drutt said. In a living room devoted to Ernst, he hung a portrait of Dominique de Menil over the fireplace (above). To some, that would have been out of character for the de Menils, who would have deemed it predictable -- and immodest. ''Some of it is fine, and some of it is questionable,'' François de Menil, a son, said. The portrait is ''the obvious problem,'' he said, adding, ''It's a mistake, but fortunately it is one that can be corrected.'' WILLIAM MIDDLETON
  5. I think more access was lost each day due to weather. When a friend of mine went on Friday, she says you could walk all the way into the flower gardens at the rear of the property. On Saturday when I went, you could walk partly down the gravel path but it was ribboned off near the entrance to those gardens because of water standing in the path. The path was pretty wet already at 1:00 Saturday, so I guess it got completely blocked off by the time you got there. I am still very happy to have seen the house up close and would go back again when the opportunity arises.
  6. Can't believe this hasn't been posted here yet, but the Menil house on San Felipe is part of this years Azalea Trail Tour running through tomorrow (11am-5pm). You can go through just it for $5 or see all of the houses on a pass that I think costs $20. I had wanted to see the Menil House for years and it's rarely open to the public, only occasionally used for museum fundraising events. I went today and it was well worth the $5. You don't get to go through the whole house, but you get a sampling of the rooms and layout seeing the kitchen and a couple of living areas, docents explain the rest of the layout. You then get to go outside to the gardens in the rear, unfortunately because of the heavy rains the last couple of days, it was not fully open because of some standing water on the gravel pathway. It could get better or worse by tomorrow. As you exit around the side of the house you can look into some of the other rooms from the outside, it looks like it probably was when last lived in. It's arguable of course, but I consider it one of THE most important modern houses in Houston. Phillip Johnson designed, famous socialite/arts benefactor owner, and interesting history makes it so. I encourage anyone who can to go take a peek.
  7. Any update on this? You've got me intrigued, especially about costs. His website implies that it's much more reasonable to refurbish the windows instead of replacing them.
  8. His/her's latest comments had me almost rolling on the floor. I guess we have different definitions of laissez-faire/bohemian, because mine is living and letting others live as they wish, and keeping the liberal, yeah I said it, spirit that was alive in the Heights 20 years ago, hell it still is. The Walmart won't change my way of life at all I suspect. The NIMBYism that the Anti's have brought in from the 'burbs are what's right wing to me.
  9. I have lived in the Heights area since 1987. You and your group do not represent me. I first moved here for the laissez faire, bohemian attitudes. I rarely step into a Walmart but in no way oppose their legal right to provide a store "near" my neighborhood, as the new store will NOT be in the Heights as I know it. The battle is over, the store is being built.
  10. I'm kind of late to the party. My area North Norhill already has deed restrictions which as I understood it in the past do a better job of policing demos and inappropriate construction with or without a historic designation. However, I am NOT for the newly passed ordinance. Is there anyone on this board from my area who is aware of a petition drive for our neighborhood?
  11. I have to laugh. Took a bike ride around the Heights area yesterday and anecdotally at least 80% of the Anti-Walmart blue signs I saw were in yards of recent construction McVics and townhouses. So the pariahs of the Historic District's pros are now protesting the pariahs of the retail business. Who says this isn't about classism?
  12. Check out the interior of the Big Mamou restaurant on Studewood. The owner turned the shiplap over as suggested, left it exposed and stained in the main dining room. Looks good I think.
  13. My USPS service in the 009 zip code is excellent. The regular carrier is very friendly and seems to know who on his route is on vacation, etc. I've had him come knocking on my door to deliver a package that needs to be signed for later in the day from when he first came by. I've been able to pick up undeliverd packages by knocking on the side door of the post office as early as 6:30 in the morning. No complaints here. PS: I recently ordered something that was shipped via Fedex/USPS combo. May be common but first time I'd ever seen it. There was a gap from when Fedex "delivered" it the main post office and when it made it to my mailbox of about three days.
  14. I just did a HAR search for "all types" of homes in the 77024 and 77055 zipcodes under $300K, and both had pages of stuff. Mostly townhouses in the 024 south of I10, a mix of stuff on the north side in 055. Not every property in either of those zips is zoned to Memorial High School, but most of them are. If schools were my priority, I'd probably opt for one of the Ethan's Glen or Woodstone townhomes as mentioned above, or one of the smaller single family homes north of I10. I don't see the property values of either dropping in the future.
  15. I've driven by that one a few times and always thought it was some kind of public building. Finding out it's a house gives me hope. I too want to see more Darth Vadar and less Tony Soprano.
  16. Mr. Cohen has passed away. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=robert-cohen&pid=131107822 . There is also an article in today's Chronicle but I can't find an online link.
  17. Not to hijack the thread, but this one across the street has been on the market over a year now I think:har listing . I think being on Memorial Drive is a hardsell to someone wanting a bit more peace and quiet. The 12943 house will never sell for that much as lot value I don't think.
  18. I started my Bally's membership there back around 1990, it was pretty hip and swinging back then. I haven't been in years because it was always too crowded when I wanted to go, and parking always seemed to be an issue. Is a new one nearby replacing it?
  19. So give us a hint. $200K? $300K? Nine million?
  20. I was vacationing last week near Birmingham, Alabama. Anywhere I go for a few days, I always search out mod type houses to look at, and I found a local reference to a 1955 Better Homes and Garden house in nearby Vestavia Hills. We went to see it and found a whole neighborhood of extremely cool mods built on hilly, heavily wooded terrain. Doing a real estate search, seems like the 1500 square footish houses are selling in the $200-300K range. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera along, so no photos.
  21. The more sleuthing I do, the more mods around town I'm finding. Seems that almost any neighborhood built during the 50's-60's is likely to have at least a few. I discovered some more I didn't know about this weekend in Mangum Manor, a very decent 'hood just outside the loop at 290. Also Glenbrook Valley, Spring Branch, Meyerland, and many more. The highest concentration of them I've seen seems to be Memorial Bend, but of course that's priced over $240K and many of them have seen the developer's wrecking ball in recent years.
  22. I recently drove around the Barton Heights area of Austin, a mid-century enclave that includes the A.D. Stengers and lots of other 50's-60's vintage mods and ranches. Most of the new construction there is of the modern variety. I didn't drive down every street but didn't see anything that looked McMansionist on my tour. Wish Houston was more progressive like that.
  23. Coincidentally, this is right around the corner from Houston's only Frank Lloyd Wright house. It is also on a big lot and was almost killed off back in the '90's.
  24. You missed the previous thread on this. Its original asking price was $595K I think so it's dropping rapidly.
  25. Anecdotally, I think lots fronting Memorial Drive there are a hard sell. My guess is unless someone buys the house to rehab it, it will eventually end up being a spec McMansion that will also take a long time to sell due to location.
×
×
  • Create New...