Specwriter

blue92, if you are still reading this forum I want to let you know I had the Bulova Accutron repaired several weeks ago and it appears to be keeping time as it should. What I paid for the repair in 2020 was probably more than the watch cost in 1976 but it has sentimental value since it was gift from my father.

Understandable but, darn, she is so much fun to watch. 😞 She always seems so cheerful and happy. I wish her the best and I know which station I'll turn to when I am in Austin.

Try to find a small (one or two principal) mechanical engineering (HVAC) firm. If they don't do it directly perhaps they can recommend a consultant.

JM, what about I-10 between Houston and San Antonio? I believe it will eventually be 3x3 all the way also. I do the Houston to Dallas drive several times a year and I don't see the need for the expansion. Whatever they've been doing around Corsicana has taken a very long time.

John C. Calhoun (if this is the Calhoun the thoroughfare* was named for) was a segregationist and a staunch proponent of slavery. I doubt there is much sentiment in favor of returning to that name now. That said, I'm not a big fan of renaming things for political expedient though I can certainly see removing names of people whose actions were so odious as to cause great consternation and loathing among the population. Why the asterisk? I was told once, and am now too old to remember by whom, that the original layout of thoroughfares in what is now the central business district named those going more or less north and south as streets and those east and west as avenues. So we have Main Street and Texas Avenue and those parallel to either keep that same designation, i.e. Smith, Louisiana, Travis, Milam, Fannin, San Jacinto Streets and Capitol, Rusk, Lamar, Dallas Avenues. You are probably bored of my post but I continue: St. Joseph "Parkway" is NOT a parkway. Allen Parkway qualifies in my opinion and the Sam Houston Parkway does not. There are probably thoroughfares in the suburbs that would meet my expectation of a parkway - at least until they are lined by strip shopping centers and drive through restaurants. Are there any other kind of restaurants these days? 😬 Be safe and healthy.

Interesting. I never heard about this track before. I hope someone can give more information. I am familiar with Epsom Downs that might have taken its name from the race track in Surrey England and existed here between 1933 and 1937. It was located roughly where present day Jensen Drive (formerly Old Humble Road) intersects with U. S. 59 - the Eastex Freeway. Then we have the Sam Houston Race Park which, while still physically present, hasn't seen a race in a while. 😞

There did seem to be a concentration of people of Italian decent in the area around Assumption Catholic church (corner of Little York and Airline Drive). I attended Mass at that church with my parents in the 1960's through the mid-1970's. It seemed most of the parishioners had Italian surnames. There were also those with Czech and German last names but in smaller numbers. As Poppahop wrote, there were Italian families in the area, - farmers, raising mostly vegetables, many of which found there way to Canino's farmers market - but that was many years ago. I remember as a very young child riding in the back seat of my parents car as we drove along Airline between Little York and Gulf Bank roads looking out the window to see rows and rows of crops just across the ditch from the road. It's been a few years now, but I often met with friends on Thursdays at the Sacred Heart Society of Little York on Whitney (Knights of Columbus Hall) for pasta and meatballs lunch. There were mostly Italian-American men running the show. I believe it was a fundraiser for their charitable activities.

Great statue, great "plinth."

Servicing one will be a lot of fun - not.

Gentrification yes' but fortunately not a lot of tear-downs to be replaced by McMansions. Thankfully, most of the lots are too small for that. Almost 30 years ago I drew some plans for the renovation of twin shot gun houses on Decatur Street. This was a project by the then Greater Houston Preservation Alliance (now Preservation Houston). I believe each was sold to a young professional who probably worked nearby. It is good to see so much of the original fabric of the neighborhood being adapted and preserved to the extent that it is.

This image rocks! Thanks, hindesky.

cloud, are you talking about Clark's Hardwood Lumber Co. at 700 E. 5-1/2 Street? There is also Houston Hardwoods at 4910 W. 34th. These are not traditional "lumber stores" where one gets Southern yellow pine 2x4s etc. They have more exotic species generally. Years ago there was another specialty lumber store (also in the Heights IIRC) called All Woods/Schroeder. The corporation was dissolved in July of 1991. I visited All Woods Schroeder and Houston Hardwoods to get certain species for projects. They had/have some wonderful stuff. When I was a child living with my parents a neighbor was a buyer for All Woods Schroeder. He made many trips to South America and a few to Africa.

Last week I noticed the "marquee" on the front of Stahlman Lumber (facing Greenbriar) read that it was moving to Stafford. It seems appropriate to have a Porsche dealership in that location. There are several Porsche's in West U. and Southampton and many, many Audis. I wonder who patronizes the Porsche dealership way out the North Freeway. People in the Woodlands perhaps.

There was a Lucky 7 at the corner of Airline Drive and Gulf Bank. I don't remember the actual name (Firebird probably does) but it was owned by the Io (ee-oh) family.

There was also a Ruggles in the Rice Village at Rice Blvd. and Chaucer. I've visited Ruggles Black on Kirby between Richmond and US 59 a few times recently. The latter has some unique keto and paleo dishes but I am especially fond of their cocktails. 😋 I do not know if any of the restaurants were "related" but I would suppose there is some connection. I believe I'm way to old and no longer so mobile as to be a yuppie. I am still a professional though, FWIW. 😊