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ArchFan

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  1. ArchFan
    UtterlyUrban, I just watched the video and well ... perhaps I might have critiqued it in a softer way, but I see what you meant. It reminded me of the speech Bobby Jindal gave a few years back, in which his speaking style reminded people of how an adult would talk to kindergartners.
  2. ArchFan
    Thanks for clarifying that term. I've always heard it used in a pejorative way, but the specific meaning was never entirely clear. Seriously, there could be many possible interpretations, some of which are unpleasant to contemplate! :-)
  3. ArchFan
    IIRC, I think The Village Theatre was still nice at least into the early 60s. As a kid (in the 50s-60s) I went there several times. However, I do remember that later on there was a porn theatre in Rice Village ... its certainly possible that it operated in the same building, but I can't recall that with certainty. If so, it wasn't the only formerly nice Houston theatre to go porn for a few years before shutting down for good. I also remember The Jones Apothecary which had a number of locations in Houston. On their signs, the letters "ONE" in Jones were made larger, such that at first glance they appeared to read "The ONE Apothecary" Alfred's had really good deli meats and luscious, thick sandwiches. To this day, my mouth waters at the thought of them. While in grad school, I bought beads at The Bead Shop for experimental use. And, of course, there was Weingarten's. In the 50's, my parents rented a house on Darcus Street in Southside Place (adjacent to and just west of West U). The owner offered sell it to them for $5000. I wonder what that lot would sell for now! :-)
  4. ArchFan
    I applaud Dallas and Dallasites for trying to do something beyond the bare minimum. And ... well, while I don't care for this particular Calatrava design, I think that it is something that local people will feel proud of and will also be the subject of many postcard-type photos promoting the city to outsiders. That is not a bad thing. Aside from that, there is still the argument as to whether it was money well-spend, regardless of how much of it was funded from taxes vs. private philanthropy. As for the Hartman Bridge, I like it. Unfortunately, very few residents and virtually no visitors ever see it. So, while attractive, it does nothing to promote the city.
  5. ArchFan
    I agree that it would be nice to see the Target property redeveloped as a whole by someone/something that thinks about the overall whole of the development and how it fits in with its neighbors. But ... well, this is Houston, and based on past experience, I don't pin my hopes on that wish. To those who are offended by it, I apologize for being negative, but my expectation is that it would be another mishmash, just like what is coming out of Cypress Real Estate Advisors' sale of their properties. I.e., well, we are in Austin and it coulda turned out a heckuva lot better if the 2008 recession hadn't happened, but (according to them) well it's only Houston and we need to unload our investment there while the market is high. I live, walk, and work in the area, so I hope I am overly pessimistic. I think I am more optimistic than MikeRichardson, who's opinion I respect ;-) but I am hoping that we are both overly pessimistic ...
  6. ArchFan
    I don't follow the Allen Center / Brookfield threads very closely. But ... from what I've read, I get the impression that they have been very indecisive ... and also, therefore, have missed many opportunities. Frankly, I wish a less risk-adverse outfit had bought Allen Center.
  7. ArchFan
    Randall Davis and possibly one other. Let's just say that one or both may just be in the conceptual stage right now.
  8. ArchFan
    I have heard that the Target on San Felipe is a very profitable store and that that makes it unlikely they will let go of that property anytime soon. OTOH, it seems to me that they have way more land tied up in parking lot than they will ever need. Perhaps they would sell off the excess land before they would close the store and sell that land?
  9. ArchFan
    To me, it does seem that RD has done some kitchy stuff, but nevertheless I have enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) some of it. I have never followed the topic of which architects he uses, but that would be interesting to know. That said, I do know of one firm that was involved with him, once. I think it was a painful experience for both parties.
  10. ArchFan
    I love how fast this thing is going up. It's fun that -- even tho' I see it every day -- I am still aware that its growing. Unlike some other projects that seem to take forever. It will be interesting to see how the Westcreek developments unfold. I'm not sure how many of the projects I've heard of will actually happen. Two of them are condo towers, one is an office tower, and one is a hotel. I think the patio homes people mentioned a few months back are a long-dead concept, perhaps because they were considered to be "under-developing" the site, what with all the high-rise stuff going up next door.
  11. ArchFan
    That sounds about right. Someone (they, or at least family members) eventually opened another Las Alamedas in Cinco Ranch. The setting is different and they have altered the menu, but the food is good and reminds me of the original location. They also opened a place in Addicks called Las Ventanas, which strikes me as a bit more casual, but is also good. As with any place that aspires to be "interior Mexican" here, they both have to walk a fine line between authenticity and appealing to Anglo-Texan tastes. Fortunately, they both seem to also draw a large number of affluent Spanish-speakers from Mexico, which I guess helps them avoid having to turn the menu into Tex-Mex in order to stay in business.
  12. ArchFan
    Yeah, I don't want to be mean to the OP. But, her post doesn't like that of someone married to a higher-up at XOM. If I lived near the new XOM campus, the only reason I would worry about a hurricane would be if I had large pine trees near my house!
  13. ArchFan
    Yeah, that was my favorite about this building when I was a kid and it was still a reputable-looking biz address. It lent a type of aesthetic flair to the building that was not (and is not) common in Houston.
  14. ArchFan
    I too get the retro vibe from this design. It mainly reminds me of so many 3-winged hotels (often Hyatts) from the 60-70s with circular revolving restaurants on top. Even the 1957 Dallas Statler Hilton has that general shape (minus the revolving restaurant). However, the big, undisguised parking podium does make it seem more uniquely Houston. That said, I don't hate it. At least the details of the facade are more interesting than those of The Spires next door.
  15. ArchFan
    On second thought, I can see intermediate stops as being something they might eventually add, over time. Perhaps once they build up ridership for nonstop long-haul service, they might add some service that includes intermediate stops. However, it seems like they would have to lay the tracks through such places at the outset. But ... aside from Bryan/College Station, I can't think of anyplace (sort of) between Houston and Dallas that might warrant a stop. It's been 20 years since I've ridden the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka, which itself has 19 million people. As I recall, that particular train had only one intermediate stop, in Kyoto, which has 1.5 million inhabitants and a huge tourism industry.
  16. ArchFan
    My expectation is that they will only have stops at the two end points, downtown Houston and downtown Dallas. I admit that it would be nice for us if we could leverage this project to get high-speed commuter rail between downtown Houston and IAH and The Woodlands, but I think their priority is minimizing the travel time between the endpoints. Incidentally, Dallas won't need a reciprocal stop at DFW since in August they are opening high speed (well, up to 65 MPH) light rail service between DFW and their downtown. Tokyo is the center of a dense metro area with 35 million people, the world's largest. I'd be reluctant to use it as an analog for either Houston or Dallas, with metro populations of 6-7 million.
  17. ArchFan
    On the horsey topic: I vaguely remember that there once was a rent-a-horse operation north of Memorial Drive, just west of the park (which would be on the west side of 610 today). After renting an equine buddy, one could traverse some horse trails on the west side of Memorial Park. Also, there was an official horse stable facility, I think for Harris County, nearby and just south of Memorial.
  18. ArchFan
    Well, you know that its not about how big your notch is, but how you use it! :-)
  19. ArchFan
    On the 3rd rendering in the slideshow (via Urbannizer's link above), one can see BG Group Place majestically towering above 6HC, with the latter's notch proudly displayed. But -- what's this? In this image, BG does not have a notch, it seems to have magically filled in! What gives? Could it be ... notch envy??
  20. ArchFan
    I agree, that certainly improves the view from and interaction with the street. Thinking back to mid- and high-rise residential projects I looked at in the past, it often seemed like a long walk from car to one's front door. The garage-clinging units in this project would certainly have a convenience advantage in that regard. I'm not sure what downsides there might be, but I guess that would depend on other details of the design and construction. Hearing car alarms going off at night could be one.
  21. ArchFan
    I agree, it seems to me as if -- to have enough space -- the Alamo would have to extend into the lower floors of the parking structure. If RS comes off "as per" ;-) the latest renderings, it will be like West Avenue on steroids. ROD and BLVD Place will be nice, but this covers more ground and will be a much more immersive experience.
  22. ArchFan
    Um, I didn't mean that HE was bare :-)
  23. ArchFan
    Years ago, I saw Doc Severinsen at IAH after he had just exited a plane. What surprised me was that he was carrying his trumpet bare and by hand w/o a case.
  24. ArchFan
    I haven't been there for years, but I still think this property has a great location. I guess the bad press related to "thuggy teen-agers" has hurt it a lot. It didn't strike me so much that way when I used to go to Todai, which I guess closed a while back. I think ... it could eventually be a stellar asset, as the inner city continues to redevelop. The area to the south of I-10 is obvious quite affluent and the semi-industrial areas to the east and north seem to be changing over time. I would prefer that gentrification weren't the only way to improve places, but I will take that in the absence of anything else.
  25. ArchFan
    When I first glimpsed the title of this thread, I got alarmed: Gallery Furniture and Donald Trump teaming up to build something in Houston? Whew, glad I misread it! To be honest, the only Trump project I've actually been in is the Trump Tower in NYC, the lobby of which I recall seeming like an extravaganza of shiny (fake?) brass. Kinda like the way Marriott hotel lobbies were built in 1980 or so, but more so. OTOH, I wouldn't mind seeing the Post Oak Dillards property redeveloped, along with the Zone d' Erotica (nee Roy Rogers Roast Beef sandwich shop).
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