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ArchFan

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Everything posted by ArchFan

  1. ArchFan
    I'm really underwhelmed with the design of this building. But ... it's OK for people to have different opinions. Actually, I feel better to know that some people like it.
  2. ArchFan
    As a lifelong Houstonian, one of my regrets is how few developers here arrange for "good" architecture. Compared to the late 70s, early 80s. I recall that during that time, some people in Dallas were concerned that they weren't getting the same quality of design. Since then, I think they have had a lot more good design that we have had here.
  3. ArchFan
    Hanover builds attractive high-rises. I think we're lucky to have them. Their joint project (Northshore) with Trammell Crow in Austin is nice also. I had high hopes for Arabella, but it is turning out to be a bright white eyesore that I look at every day, and that bugs me. Its been said before, but an advantage of living in such a building is that you don't have to look at it.
  4. ArchFan
    I'm old enough (unfortuately ;-) to remember the original shorter building that had windows. I don't remember exactly when (probably late 60s or 70s), but they added a bunch of floors above, with fewer windows.
  5. ArchFan
    About Las Alamedas: the one in La Centerra is owned by the same man who had the one on Katy @ Voss. His son (I think) has a similar restaurant, called Las Ventanas, in the old district of Addicks on Katy and Hwy 6.
  6. ArchFan
    I remember most of those places, too. The Boston Sea Party was great, but I tend to doubt that an all-you-eat buffet with similar choices could operate today without having to charge exorbitant prices. At Good Time Charlie's (a better-than-average food court), I vaguely recall several good places ... one was a shwarma place. The giant antique music player (can't recall what it was called) was a gem. After they sold it, I hope it went to some place where they maintain it and people can still enjoy it. There is still a Christies at 6029 Westheimer, by the way.
  7. ArchFan
    Randall D would (well, might) earn my undying gratitude if he would join the ranks of developers who mitigate the visual impact of their parking podiums by incorporating cascading vines or other greenery onto their facades. I don't expect it to happen, especially in Houston, but one can hope ...
  8. ArchFan
    I particularly like the design of AMLI's building. I think maybe part of that is because it draws a bit of attention away from Pei's design next door, which always struck me as being somewhat "wrong" in the massing of shapes. I generally like his work a lot -- not so much the brutalist stuff, but the things he did after that.
  9. ArchFan
    I'm really looking forward to having decent sidewalks along Post Oak. Hopefully, Westheimer and San Felipe east of 610 will also be improved. Of course, there will still be the Russian Roulette of walking under 610 to get there ...
  10. ArchFan
    Can you give any detailed info on how fast the new apartments are being rented? I'd love for that to be true, but I haven't seen any info -- anecdotal or otherwise -- for a long time. Despite all the gloom-and-doom in the air, doesn't downtown still have something like 150,000 daytime workers? Seems like it would only take 2-3% of those people wanting to swap their commute for downtown living to fill up the rental units coming on line.
  11. ArchFan
    Since the jewelry-store heist earlier in September, RoD seems to have hired more security guards. I've walked there several times and they are quite visible. Another good thing is that they look very professional. Didn't think to notice whether they're armed, but I think their visibility should help deter crooks in the future.
  12. ArchFan
    I wonder how many bow ties Scott Z. has in his collection. I've never seen him without one on! :-)
  13. ArchFan
    I passed through the vicinity of LP and Campbell many times as a kid. Most of my memories are from 1960-1970 (and are therefore fuzzier) but some extend into the 80s. In the 60's, I remember the east end of the strip center at 9101 LP being a local grocery store that might have been called "Riley's", but it might also have been a Minimax either then or later on. My mom shopped there from time to time when my dad's office was nearby on Campbell. Also, I recall the free-standing building in front being built later and being occupied by a fried-chicken place, which I think was either a local place or a Church's (out of San Antonio). To me, the best chicken place was Youngblood's, in front of the Oak Village Theatre at LP @ Witte. OK, to further date myself :-) I also remember when there was an active farm on the land where the LP K-Mart was built. From Google StreetView, the K-Mart seems to be gone, but the farm's family plot still exists at the SE corner of LP and Pech Road.
  14. ArchFan
    The Equinox looks nice, but what are the membership fees like?
  15. ArchFan
    Its interesting to reflect on how much this downturn will will resemble the one in the 80s, which I lived through as a young professional in Houston. I think (and hope) that it will not be as destructive as that one. I remember the announcement of the Tang City Mall development, which like many others, was inauspiciously timed. A lot of decisions were made that might have been OK if the boom times had continued. E.g., Sakowitz might have survived if Bobby S. hadn't gone willy-nilly on an expansion binge at the wrong time. However, in his defense, a lot of other people have made similar decisions that failed because of events beyond their control. Having lived through these cycles in Houston, it strikes me that investment money tends to arrive in Houston late in the economic cycles, perhaps too late, and then we get red-lined for a long time. Despite the cyclicity of our economy, I think that the national/international lenders could make money here ... but, they just don't get the timing right. If they do come in, they do so too late and too timidly. When things heat up again, they have already missed the boat. I hate to be a downer, but I wonder if Oliver McMillan missed the boat in that way. If they had stuck with their original plans and also had opened ROD in 2010 or so, I think they would have been wildly successful. Now, I'm not so sure. Despite that, if they ever get their restaurants open, I will certainly patronize them. The fancy boutiques, not so much.
  16. ArchFan
    For me, the idea of having the Houston terminus at NW Mall is a major fail. Is that defunct mall or the area in general a major destination? I agree that downtown Houston is not going to be the principal destination for every single person traveling here from Dallas, but it still is central and is still the closest thing we have to a central core. OK, here's some out-of-the-box thinking. Maybe we can have a multi-billion-dollar HSR line linking Dallas' Red Bird Mall to NW Mall in Houston. I would not invest my money in such a scheme, but if some people would be so foolish, go ahead. I live closer to NW Mall than to downtown Houston, but ... seriously. I think it would be better to cancel the project entirely than to do something dumb like that.
  17. ArchFan
    I agree, and I would hate to see them "under build" that site. On the other hand, the nearby St. Regis was once branded as a Ritz Carlton and it is only 12-13 stories. However, that building was a product of the early 80s and was built as a Wyndham, as I recall. The newer RCs I've seen fit what you described, tall with condos on top.
  18. ArchFan
    Regarding the hotel: Last week, I dropped by the sales office for The Wilshire, on Westcreek north of ROD. They have a large, very nice rendering of how the various projects on the street might turn out. I chatted with the developer (a nice guy) and he pointed out a proposed hotel between their property and ROD, which he indicated would be a Ritz Carlton. Although the rendering shows it as a mid-rise (e.g., 10 or so stories), he mentioned that it may wind up being taller. Interesting info.
  19. ArchFan
    Gosh, settle down nativehoustonion (Im a native Houstonian, too). I guess we all have our own personal "filters" and have own our unique experiences visiting other places. It would be boring to visit another nearby city (like Dallas) and have it be exactly the same as where we come from. Perhaps its good that people have an inbuilt competitive instinct, but we should also be fair and be willing to give credit where credit is due ...
  20. ArchFan
    As a Houston native and booster, I would love it if they moved the HQ to Houston. However, if the execs at United are to be good stewards for the company, they need to make rational decisions based on long-term planning, but also recognizing mid- and short-term issues. In the meantime, as a long-time customer (of Continental), I am pretty disappointed in the post-merger company. I hope that they can find a way to re-instill the level of customer loyalty that I and many others used to have.
  21. ArchFan
    La Fisheria, that's good news for downtown. My 1st experience at Jackson St. BBQ was disappointing, but I do plan to try it again: went on a quiet Sunday, BBQ was somewhere between room-temperature and cold, as if partially reheated from the day before. My impression was that it would be rather good, if at the right temp. The staff was great, very friendly and helpful.
  22. ArchFan
    i walked thru yesterday (Sunday). I think I saw more security guards and valets than actual customers, though there were a few more people who (like me) who were just checking things out. Some friendly shop clerks waved at me through open doors, since the weather was nice. That said, I think that business will really pick up once some restaurants open, as well as the apartments. Personally, I will definitely patronize the iPic and restaurants. (The boutiques, no ... although I'm glad they are there.)
  23. ArchFan
    I hope so ... the Chronicle garage was hideous from the very beginning. I couldn't believe that Houston Endowment (which owned the Chron at that time) would put such an ugly wart on the face of the city it was supposed to serve.
  24. ArchFan
    By, uneven, do you mean it looks rotated slightly counter-clockwise? I've noticed that my iPhone does that, so I try to manually correct for that when I take a pic.
  25. ArchFan
    I think his name is "Frank Liu". I know of him mainly because he bought the house i grew up in, from my parents. They thought he was very nice and charming. Other than that, I have no other quasi-personal information about him. However, I have observed many local projects his company has done since then. Many of them town homes in potentially transitional areas. Also, a fair number of McMansions in other areas. He strikes me as a good businessman, but this project is different. It will be interesting to see what he does with it.
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