hokieone

Either way, there is not a need for another fitness club downtown in my opinion. I work out at Larry North and it is not crowded - busy sometimes, but never "packed". There are quite a few options as is between the Y, Larry North, Houstonian Lite, some other one on main, the Houstonian Club I think its called (whichever one has tennis courts), and then the immediate surrounding area that includes FIT. A 24 hour fitness would only be accomodating those that already have a member ship there and use the excuse "if there was one near work, I'd go during lunch" uh, no they wouldn't. its just an excuse. Denny's only works on weekends/ late nights in my opinion. You can get a million other options in the tunnels on weekdays and for probably cheaper. If I'm starving when I get to work, I can go straight down and get 2 eggs, toast, and sausauge for $2.50. I'm not going to hike to Denny's for that and pay more while I'm allegedly working. On weekends, late night - probably.

I actually like the building, but hate the way it sits there as a vagrant strong hold. I would love to see it redeveloped and I actually think the digital clock could look really cool as people pass through on I-45. At the same time, its sometimes hard to fault someone if they were to knock this down and build a smaller building that was being used. It could be perfect for a conversion to an apartment building with retail on the bottom, but that's the dream with every project right?

Yeah because right now the biggest problem to Houston's downtown is too many people, just like times square. I mean, I think i get pushed off the sidewalks daily around here. I agree those type of stores/ venues are not the type to make it easy for people to live downtown - you don't exactly need to go to the Nike town store everyday. However, you have to start somewhere and getting people to visit downtown is not going to happen with a Gap. For people that live downtown - they probably just want more bodega/ eatzi type places and eventually some more soft retail that is open on weekends - such as a bookstore. Obviously the bars are already there.

You know, before I ever saw a HOB, I thought it was basically the same thing as a Hard Rock - meaning not that cool. But once I went to the one in Chicago, I realized its a really cool place. There was no one playing the night we went, but they have a bar/ lounge area in each that is the "Foundation Room" and it was a very laid back, cool atmosphere. I think it will be a cool thing to have downtown and if you add that to the Meridian, Warehouse Live, Verizon Wireless and even the Toyota Center, there will be 5 great music venue's in the downtown area. Think about around 10 years ago, not a single one of those was around.

This has got to be one of the stupidest controversies I've heard of recently. Anyone in Houston offended should just leave then. I mean, how could a person who lives here get offended by using the year the very city they live in was incorporated? That guy who wrote into the Chronicle is an idiot - I know that's not a very constructive comment, but "anti-immigrant?" I just don't even see how that makes sense. In some of these p.c. arguments I can at least see one side of the fence, but I just don't even see it in this one. Do the British shudder everytime they hear the 76ers are playing? its not like the team is called the Houston "Thank god we won independence from mexico" Its not a blunder and that anyone would even call it that is also stupid. I can understand if someone doesn't like the name out of just simple personal taste, but being offended by it is really a low point in the new political correctness world we live in. By the way, the Chronicle blogs were talking about how most soccer teams also have a secondary nickname/ mascot - I guess one of the options was "La Pachanga" - which means "the rowdy party" in spanish. Which I actually kind of like, but I'm sure now someone will write in and say that its a bad stereotype of how hispanics do nothing but party or that we party because we beat mexico in 1836 or something else equally idiotic.

Running up on the sidewalk is less likely than a METRO bus just outright running a red light. That is more their specialty. Once cameras go up everywhere, i'll be curious to see the effect on the bus drivers. Time and time i see them pick up some people at a stop, the light changes, they just go anyway. Its a pretty safe way to operate in a downtown area.

For some reason everyone thinks that the Angelika doesn't count because it doesn't show things like Big Momma's House 2 or the newest big budget films. It shows more indie or dramatic movies, which I think is nice for a downtown setting, especially with where it is in relation to the theatre district. However, I think there might be room like 5 years from now for another theatre of about 12 screens to show the more mainsteam movies. ESPN zone wouldn't be bad, I don't really like their food and its pricey, but it would fit in with a house of blues and also would be a great pre game place. The one in DC is close to the MCI center and gets a good push during game days. The toughest thing I think will be not replicating the Galleria stores and as the articles have all said, bringing in business on non work days/ hours - House of Blues will and probably an ESPN zone would too. The Randalls in midtown is not that far (although i think it sucks) but its also hard to justify an entire supermarket in downtown until more people actually live in downtown. 3K residents is not going to do it. I don't like to usually count the chickens before they hatch, since there's been no groundbreaking yet - but it would be interesting to go back through the 18 pages of this thread and pull out all the naysayers about this project. 2007-2008 should be a great time for downtown, sort of the next step in the evolution that we've seen over the last few years. by that point the park downtown should be done, Pavilions will open, the Sakowitz building will probably have retail as well. It should be good.

is the baggage claim area in terminal C going to get any kind of makeover? It still has the look of the previous incarnation and also needs a little work. I know baggage claims are never the most glamorous areas simply by the nature of its a disaster area, but with E and C both in there, the monitors that say who goes to which carousel are probably from the Atari era. Just think that visitors see the rest of the gates, think this place isn't that bad, then see the baggage claim area and think the place is a dump. Especially since it usually takes forever to get the bags out. I thought Newark's was a decent balance of the two, its obviously the same disaster logistically, but at least visually it wasn't as dumpy. I know, this is where everyone says "that's why i don't ever check my bags"

Terminal E is by the best visually. However, the biggest pain in the ass in landing there on domestic flights is the fact that you have to walk to Terminal C to pick up your bags. When I get delayed for some reason, Fox Sports grill is there to grab a couple of beers at. I do like picking up some Pappadeaux on the way out of E just so I don't have to eat that garbage Continental usually serves on their flights. Let me think a imitation BBQ sandwich in a plastic bag or some Pappadeaux - easy choice.

I kind of don't understand the general negativity from people on the park. I read through that document and I think that it sounds like a pretty good idea of what all a park that is a centerpiece would encompass. I agree there will be arguments about who gets contracts for such and such portion and the bid for certain things, the tenants will probably suck for a few of the ideas, some will get left out in the end, but overall its got to be something that will bring people into the park than just people that live within a few miles. Grass and some benches is probably the main idea of a park, but what does that do to draw people in? yes, the ideas do sound Kemah-ish, but what is so wrong with that? Its meant to be something pretty touristy/ accessible to everyone. When is the last time everyone here went to Tinsley park just to hang out and enjoy the green space on a saturday afternoon? i love that park too, but very different priorities are in place for each one. I for one look at the template and think its a good set of ideas. I know making it complicated will definitely delay things, but I wouldn't mind having a park like that to enjoy, especially this time of year when it is so nice outside. Only thing that I saw a little lacking on was athletic type things. Tennis courts would be a great addition, even its just a few. I saw they addressed basketball and volleyball, but there aren't that many tennis courts around dt that I know of.

They did at least re-do the food court area, which is the main reason the place exists currently. New carpet, added the plasma TV's. I also use Larry North gym which is one level up. Its funny to go there after work around 6-ish and the entire mall is basically closed and/or empty. the only things I think open later are the Longhorn cafe and Sbarro. Everything else is done by like 3. Its got a long way to go, but they decided to first work on the thing people are actually using, which is the food court area. Makes sense to me. Tenant mix is a big problem. An Aeros merchandise store? About 10 glorified gift shops? The bookstore in there is horrendous too. Its more of a newstand than anything, I see people in there usually just to buy magazines. The Dozo dumplings is probably the most popular thing there, thinking about it makes me want to head over there today.

DC passed a smoking ban including bars now. When is Houston's smoking ban for only restaurants up for review again? I think the "hurts the hospitality industry" argument is getting less and less as now New York, DC, Dallas, Chicago, and all of California ban smoking in bars and restaurants. Yes, that is not all the major cities in the US, but I would love to see us also step up and ban it in all places next go round. USA Today Article

My personal vote would also be in the east end, somewhere in the region bordered by 59, leeland, rusk, and scott. Seems like a huge potential, and would really get the area kick started I think. On the same side as toyota center and minute maid would be nice, but I still haven't really seen either one of those really have much of an impact on their immediate areas, so i don't know how a soccer stadium would fit in there either. 25-30K max, and I would rule out the idea of a track because tracks actually make the field farther away. Most colleges ripped out the tracks of their stadiums because of this very reason.

Unless Bud is an idiot (which he may be, I think more of an a-hole than an idiot though) he will not fire Jeff Fisher. Fisher is probably one of the top 10 coaches in the NFL and his team is young right now. If the Texans were to luck into Fisher, they would be very fortunate. That being said, Fisher also has Floyd Reese as his GM, a much more capable GM right now than Casserly has shown to be. Just look at the Titans draft choices over the years and you'll see that Reese has a good head for the game.

Its close to the proposed 2727 Kirby project, which is the Paige parkes building, basically across the street. Kirby at Westheimer is going to be a really cool corner in a couple of years. I always have liked the plaza where taco Milagro is, you have the other side where River Oaks grill is, the rendering above will be on the other corner and the 2727 plaza won't be far off. Who knows, maybe it will eventually fill in all the way down to Highland Village. I guess not entirely possible since central Market takes up a huge amount of space, but still will be cool.

Only thing that could slow Jimmy down is his ego. Would be willing to bet he would want to wear both hats of head coach and GM of personnel decisions. I don't necessarily have a problem with that because Casserly has been a joke to date, but at the same time, the head coach/GM experiments haven't always gone that well - Holmgren in Seattle, Gruden in Tampa Bay (yes I know they won a Super Bowl, but haven't been good since then). Saban is still to be determined.

Yeah its a horrible looking site as is. I've been wondering for the last 3 months what is the deal with the site. I know we all would like either residential or an office tower, but its really not that big of a site as is. Not to mention a pile of rubble that will be replaced by a site with retail on the bottom floor is actually not bad.

Yeah what they really should do is put in an Atlantic Station rip off in there. That would look fantastic. This is a nice looking project as is. Not everything needs to me multi storied. Keeping it one storied will make the open area in the middle even nicer I think and more open. Won't feel cramped. I like it.

Is this going in where Jalapeno's currently is? It looks awesome.

The sooner they start on this building, the better in my opinion. I think it could be nice as a loft building, plus that section of downtown could use a jump start. Its a great location close to the rail and midtown. If this actually happens plus if someone could ever do something with the Central Bank building, the view of downtown from I-45 would get much, much better.

Amegy didn't "take over" a lot of Southwest Bank of Texas buildings, they are the same buildings because all Southwest Bank of Texas did is change their name. They have two main corporate buildings, the one in downtown that used to be the city of Houston's close to Main (the black one you can see from I-45) and also the one on San Felipe. Other than that, the rest of what they have in downtown are branches, not actual corporate offices. Amegy has also been bought now, but I don't think that will change too much of their landscape.

Beck's in the tunnels is about $11 for fries, a burger and a drink. The Mesquite place on Milam is one of the better values in my opinion.

Uhh, what is the deal with that building anyway? I love the sign of "new building coming soon!" I hate seeing that building and pretty much that whole strip there. Its pretty disgusting on the whole, same story on the other side of Main too. Its amazing what one or two blocks of difference make. And the rubble lot close to Topz burgers is another thing that just amazes me in terms of the lack of any progress at all. Coog, I thought you were going to check the building out? I saw a young couple today walking around with a folder brochure from Kirby Lofts, almost asked them what they thought of the place.

It is a good location, good outdoor seating, and also tunnel access as well. Too bad the actual place is overpriced and I don't think they have that much on their menu. I never have liked it as a chain, but still have to admit I'm glad to see it in downtown. They did a good job with picking their location and making the restaurant fit into the street level.

You know I was tempted the other day to just go into their open house. Whoever is running it appears to be kind of stupid, since they have put signs up everywhere saying the web site is kirbyloftsonmain.com and all that brings up is something saying the domain name has been bought. I noticed the place one day when I was at lunch at Stallone's and it looks like they are putting a Wolfgang Puck Express in the ground floor level as well. Is it a for lease building or a condo building?