gene

wow interesting! i hate that this is even such a thing! i am rooting for iPic as well!!! 

my problem is mainly with the kooky diamond crown thingy...and as stated before, unless its some kind of Stargate type portal for aliens to communicate with us or be transported with then that part is indeed dumb. haha

i got my star wars dec 17th 1045pm ticket the day they went on sale and later that day a buddy decided they did want to go afterall and it was sold out...i have already posted about how i am seeing it solo in a romantic "pod" seat with my mystery/blind date i have yet to meet haha!

BigFootsSocks and Monarch, y'all are awesome haha! and thank you so much Monarch!!!!!!!! 

haha....well if i go it alone, the way i figure it, i would spend just under 50.00 per visit (24.00 for the seat and another 20.00 for food/tip -i dont drink), so that makes it a total of 10 movies or 5 with a friend! 

i heard the first one to open will be Toulouse Cafe and Bar...it was supposed to be open already but now i am hearing sometime in december...not sure what the hold up is on all the restaurants being constructed but of course the hiring and training process will take longer than at a retail store...(and i am sure construction too but hey they have had lots of time haha!)

and in other news i found out just now that i won the iPic Theater social media/houston scavenger hunt grand prize of a 500.00 gift card!!!!!!!!!!!! yahOOoOOoOOoooOoOoo see ya at the movies!!!

So paint..........

haha that is what i was going to say...

so far i like the old look better

Oh my god that green! This isn't a hot take; that color is just the worst.

haha that is the exact color of the pops of color in my otherwise dark gray apartment (accent pillows, chair, candles etc) haha!!!

doh!

Is there anything kid-friendly about this development? Just curious?

100 percent NO.

(there is a small kids clothing section inside Stella Mccartney however where one outfit cost as much as my last vacation)  

everyone stop hating on my Target! sure it may need a facelift or whatever but i love it, especially since its just 2 lights from my home and my office and i guarantee you that everyone living at or near ROD will frequent Target alot more than any of the stores in ROD!

Oh cool! well i definitely think there is room for both an Equinox and a Ritz at this development...which gosh i went twice this weekend and it is still such a ghost town for the most part...i cannot wait for the construction to be over on this phase and everything to be up and running...i know it will bring about so much more life...this weekend's rainy weather and lack of business was kind of depressing! 

Equinox..?

Equinox is a high end gym

wow Ritz Carlton!? awesome!!! thanks for the updates guys!

omg if ever in downtown go to The Grove! i love that place!!!! it can definitely accommodate that party of 3 btw  

http://www.thegrovehouston.com/

so last night was amazing! we arrived at ROD at 5pm which was early for our 6pm screening of E.T. and parked easily on the first floor and first row in the self park garage. 

security was super nice and asked if we were going to shop or going to iPic and we said the theater so he showed us the way to the back entrance since the front was obstructed by the crane still trying to prepare the front of the building for the signage etc. Upon entry into the building there is the small iPic customer service desk with some attendants that directed us up the not yet working escalators to the second floor. (they are still doing various construction projects on the first and entry part of the second level but beyond that, the theater and bar etc are good to go although they are still working on the lounge extension on the west side of the escalators that will also have an outdoor patio area overlooking the stores of ROD) You are then greeted by a host/hostess at a hostess stand to see if you needed assistance to your theater and we explained we were early...so my friend went to the couches to work on a project while i went to the bar in the http://www.thetuckroom.com/which honestly was impressive...while small, i loved the couches, chairs, booths for dining and enjoying cocktails and just hanging out. the whole vibe was nice but chill and nice ambient lighting helped me settle in just fine at the bar. I was given a menu and was told i could order 1 appetizer and 1 entree complimentary (and 1 non-alcholic beverage) and this menu was different than the theater dine in menu or express menu. I had a meatball and cripsy potato appetizer and then the mushroom pizza and both were great and the staff was super nice and fun and all asked my name and ended up having so much fun i forgot i was there to see a movie! We had the regular premium seating so upon entering the hallway leading to the theaters there is a semi-typical looking service counter to order drinks and food and we were told we could order 1 appetizer and 1 entree but omg i was already full so i passed!) ...upon entering the theater it immediately impressed me with how large and shiny new the screen was and how intimate the theater seemed...the first two rows are the only (regular) premium seating and these are nice but regular row type seating where if you are with a group of friends you can all sit by each other etc...while some may not mind being on the first 2 rows, our seats were middle second row (tons of leg room by the way) and i felt my neck starting to ache just a bit and asked a waiter if we could move to one of the Premium Plus empty pods and he said sure, so we did!....OMG this is the ONLY way to see a movie!!! I loved the pod seating as you could not see anyone behind or next to you at all! and you could barely see anyone in front of you...IF someone had to check their cell phone or talk quietly you would never see or know which is awesome...also the way its designed, no one ever walks in front of you as each pod has its own exit to an aisle so there is never having to un-recline your seat and let someone through etc... wow that was smart designing! the one drawback is my Star Wars dec 17th 1045pm SOLO showing will be pretty intimate with some stranger who has already purchased their ticket apparently since the showing is now sold out haha! i hope that goes well! ...someone suggested the back row for future solo views and it may be best for groups of 3 or non couple groups as it truly is almost like having a private screening for you and your companion in the pods. I am already nervous about what will now feel like a blind date on Dec 17th... haha Oh and btw, as soon as we got into the pod the waiter came up and said can i get you something to drink and eat? We decided to get something afterall and ordered the cheese plate appetizer and wow it was pretty great as was the strawberry lemonade! I wont be eating today, dont worry... 

E.T. was really incredible on the big glorious screen with superb sound...i even got teary eyed when Drew Barrymore cried when E.T. "died" just like i did when i saw it on its release weekend. Loved it. 

after the movie i checked out the restroom per an earlier post suggesting to do so and wow its crazy but cool...there is a communal hand washing bathroom lobby that is beautiful but weird to wash your hands with everyone watching but yeah, wow again.

Upon leaving the theater we went out the front door and 2 iPic employees were handing out free passes for up to 4 people each to see any movie they want friday and sunday! so we are seeing the new (and i heard horrible) Paranormal Activity movie friday at 6pm and Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse sunday at 8pm which looks like an absolute blast! so excited too because we were given the Premium Plus seats for both screenings!!! Cannot wait! (anyone interested, i would swing by the customer service desk there asap and see about your free tickets for Friday or Sunday...or BOTH! these are the last days they say they are doing this and yes you can choose any movie and any seat there at their desk!)

Afterwards we went to the Bonobos party but then happened on the Wilshire party that seemed to also celebrate the Dior Grand Opening in the plaza with drinks, appetizers and live music and man i gotta say, the whole development came alive for me...(beautiful stores, cars and people everywhere etc...) i finally appreciated what this place can and probably will be. It was just a beautiful night in Houston. The best part is, as we walked around looking at stores, we went into http://www.diptyqueparis.com/and ended up talking to the girls in there so long they gave us gift bags with fragrances and candles!!! 

Yes, this a long wordy post...sorry in advance but just wanted to say i finally fell in love with ROD the way i had hoped...after all its walking distance from my home on Mccue and my work on Sage...i cannot wait for the restaurants to open so i can enjoy it even more. 

The photos, everyone has submitted, are truly superb. I, fortunately,was able to drive around downtown and look at the different projects today, but pics do these buildings no justice... you have to see them up close. AMAZING!

agreed!!!!!!!!!!! the city is looking amazing!!!!!!!!!!

you know what i just realized? i love going to the movies ALOT and go almost every week... i enjoy going alone just as much as i enjoy going with friends...

having said that, i now realize how incredible awkward its POSSIBLY going to be seeing the new Star Wars on Dec 17th alone at 1045pm in a premium chair shaped like a (seemingly romantic/couples) pod! Good luck to whomever sits next to me haha! 

*edited to add if anyone wants my seat assignment send me a direct message   

and one more edit to add this:

I KNOW i will like it way better than either of the Edwards in town because i am betting the patrons will be a lot more respectful during the movie than those that go and talk on their phones, text, run up and down the stairs and talk during the movie...OY!!! that is why i pretty much only go to Sundance USUALLY! Sundance has the best patrons and i am hoping this nicer setting and higher prices will keep the "riff raff" away...something that makes the higher price absolutely worth it for me! 

i love Sundance for the record, it really is my favorite theater in houston...but the iPic is walking distance by 2 traffic lights from my home and my job so i am going to love this even more...hopefully haha!

Lol, with the recent scaffolding atop Williams Tower I've been hoping it will get some LEDs instead of the old looking Christmas bulbs that I'm almost positive it still ha.

what is that scaffolding all about anyway? i have a view of it from my condo and its been up there forever! 

hey skwatra! thanks so much for the review and break down! i have a date with my favorite alien (E.T.) tonight at 6pm. haha! ..unfortunately i have a regular seat so we shall see how that goes being so close to the screen which i usually dont prefer! doh!

i cant wait to check it all out but yeah i drove by again last night and my gosh its all still such a construction zone mess it seems...cant believe its open. it looked like they were trying to put up the main iPic sign last night so might see that up today! 

mock service in the restaurant industry usually means a practice run with free food and drinks...so...we can hope for that haha! 

edited to add, this was found on facebook back when the scottsdale theater opened!!! (crossing fingers it will be the same for us!!

and this FREE Minecraft event is going on tomorrow (the flyer says the wrong date but it is indeed tomorrow Wednesday Oct 28th 2015!):

Here is the response i just got:

Hello again Gene,
I reached out to our IT team and they responded with: “New Houston members will be upgraded automatically on 11/5 and their free ticket will be there then. They'll show as Purple until that date.”
In regards to mock service, we haven’t sent any email messages out regarding this yet… we simply have been posting to social media pages and reporting to the media regarding the mock service. You have been receiving all emails accordingly, so no worries on missing out!

All the best,
iPic 
 

ps...i am excited to see E.T. on the big screen again!!! haha! wednesday 6pm if you want to join!

self parking is free! and wow i am shocked about the iPic opening early because there is absolutely no signage and from the looks of the windows, work is still being done (i drove by yesterday just to check it out)...so i am awaiting a response back from my contact at iPic headquarters (yes i made one because i am that excited about the theater haha!)...anyway i should hear something back today about the theater opening, movies, free ticket info etc....stay tuned! 

and one last comment...again, every time i have gone by no matter the time of day or day of the week it is an absolute ghost town...that WILL change i am sure once the restaurants, theater and gym are open in full force...but wow it is an odd feeling to drive by with workers all standing near the windows and doors bored and waiting for a customer to walk in (that is seriously what it looks like!)

edited to add...i just heard from my contact! she said that yes these screenings are happening and if you signed up for the free membership you should show you are a sapphire member and should also be getting emails about these screenings happening this week! 

Monarch, my main man,

   I'm confused.  You post all this breaking news and wonderful photos for your Houston tribe.  And for some reason, I have it in my head that you are working in the middles east for an oil co.  Do you have a very fashionable little blue and red outfit with a big 'S' and a dash of yellow in your closet?  Are am I confused for some other reason?

 

At any rate, thank you for the update.  I drove through almost every day since the opening, but clearly, missing the past 2 days and I've missed 2 openings.  Anyone know the date of iPic opening?  Security said they're moving fast, hiring, training, etc.

iPic opens Nov 6th! (some sites say nov 5th)

you can purchase Spectre movie tickets on their site now...and dont forget to sign up on their site for the membership before the opening date so you can get a free upgraded membership (sapphire level) and 1 free movie ticket! i have already purchased my Star Wars 3D ticket for Dec 17th as well!

The Jewel Box is coming along nicely! and the new interior (white wall paint, white tile and new brighter lighting) within the galleria is really brightening up the mall...gotta say i love it! (its coming along slowly and not finished but you can see what it ALL is going to look like when you go up the stairs from the food court to the second level landing...that area is pretty much finished)

its nice to see that the Galleria is trying to up their game and hopefully more exterior improvements happen soon...(or at least a good powerwashing of the facade haha!)