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Harrisburg Blvd.


Guest danax

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Guest danax

The weather today was too nice for sitting in freeway traffic so I took the surface streets home; Washington-Franklin-Harrisburg.

Once on Harrisburg, the first thing I noticed was the Maxwell House sign with the dripping coffee is gone. :unsure: Anyone know what happened here? Are they replacing it perhaps with a big Kraft Foods sign instead ? I sure hope not. We have too few quirky semi-neon signs left.

This next thing that was different was not too far down the road. I'm surprised it leaves so little room for parking in front. It almost appears to be........pedestrian/transit oriented development :ph34r: . Nah, can't be. It must be just someone developing this that doesn't know any better.

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This one here appears another mile or so east. Yes, just a typical suburban strip job, although the pseudo-architecture and color scheme might not cut it in Katy.

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Crossing 75th I found this sign. Harrisburg Pavilion, definitely not to be confused with Houston Pavilions. The art on the sign looks strange and very uninspired. Oh well, better than the 5 acres of metal recycling that used to be there.

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I also saw several recently cleared lots and a few for sale. Lovett Commercial has a few pieces on the blvd. They seem to be strip mall specialists and have one almost finished on Harrisburg. Their big parcel at Lockwood and we can guess it'll end up as an even bigger strip center ("lifestyle center").

These projects are nothing terribly exciting but, considering that less than 5 years ago you couldn't find a single thing new going up within miles, they are signs that one of the oldest streets in town is on the verge of being reborn again.

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the first one i noticed during a bike ride quite a while ago.. i think they actually took part of the original structure to make some of the larger structure you see in the pic. behind the facade the roof is rounded on the left portion....i believe the right portion is new construction though.

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See the white Queen Anne style house in the background that is way more of interest to me! Can you go back and take zoom-in's of it? I would love to lift and move to my property but my back would go out. :lol:

there are some great somes in that area. you should take a drive around since you're so close.

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there are some great somes in that area. you should take a drive around since you're so close.

Correct you are! Another forgotten historical section of our city as far as historical turn of the century homes is concerned. There are many behind this intersection that still have leaded glass windows, original Victorian crestings above and other cool detail. That bldg that was renovated next to the old Star Mission was tossing out some historical photos and furniture one day. I quickly swooped in and could not beleive they could be so callous.

Ok I am straying from topic, peace!

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The weather today was too nice for sitting in freeway traffic so I took the surface streets home; Washington-Franklin-Harrisburg.

Once on Harrisburg, the first thing I noticed was the Maxwell House sign with the dripping coffee is gone. :unsure: Anyone know what happened here? Are they replacing it perhaps with a big Kraft Foods sign instead ? I sure hope not. We have too few quirky semi-neon signs left.

Kraft sold off the harrisburg plant to the Maximus coffee group a few months back. supposedly they will keep the cup part of the sign. maybe they are reworking it to say Maximus instead of Maxwell?

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Guest danax
3yyrlna.jpg

Check out Harrisburg many many years ago.

You can tell that the forest once filled that area. I've heard Central Park was known for its owl population in the early 20th century.

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Kraft sold off the harrisburg plant to the Maximus coffee group a few months back. supposedly they will keep the cup part of the sign. maybe they are reworking it to say Maximus instead of Maxwell?

For East End skyline, the cup's run is over

The neon coffee cup perched high on the side of a 16-story coffee roaster in the East End has dripped its last drop. But it was good while it lasted.

For at least 20 years, the glowing Maxwell House cup served as a beacon, a friendly welcome home to residents of the city's port-area neighborhoods. Now it's gone

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heck..you'd think they would want the free advertising...

maybe maximus will come up with something new that will be cool for the next 20 years.

i guess a neon percolator would be a little dated ^_^

RIP

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heck..you'd think they would want the free advertising...

maybe maximus will come up with something new that will be cool for the next 20 years.

i guess a neon percolator would be a little dated ^_^

or maybe a 3-d cup with steam coming out of it.

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Guest danax

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if they could just locate the old rotating A-H busch eagle sign....maybe that would work :P

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If they painted the tower red, green and white and changed the letter A to E, it would be very popular with the locals. :rolleyes: Interesting that the flag above is the one most like the Maximus bird and was being used in 1836 when the Republic of Texas was founded and the future emperor of Mexico, Maximilian, was 4 years old. Also interesting that the name Maximus is so similar to Maxwell.

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If they painted the tower red, green and white and changed the letter A to E, it would be very popular with the locals. :rolleyes: Interesting that the flag above is the one most like the Maximus bird and was being used in 1836 when the Republic of Texas was founded and the future emperor of Mexico, Maximilian, was 4 years old. Also interesting that the name Maximus is so similar to Maxwell.

A better note would be with "some of the locals - not all". Let's not generalize please.Not everyone that lives here is from Mexico and everyone is or should be fully aware of that. I am sure you didnt mean it literally. Whole other thread right.

The Texas flag would be most appropriate and very pleasing to the beholder. Yes!

and lets stick to the Harrisburg Blvd topic please!

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Back to the original topic. The 2nd pic, the shopping center closest to the railroad heading east near Wayside. I'm glad that thing was built. For years (maybe a decade?) there was nothing there. While I might disagree with the plaza name, I do hope that there will be some businesses that do move in.

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Back to the original topic. The 2nd pic, the shopping center closest to the railroad heading east near Wayside. I'm glad that thing was built. For years (maybe a decade?) there was nothing there. While I might disagree with the plaza name, I do hope that there will be some businesses that do move in.

Right! It's one of the best things to be built in that long overlooked area in years. Kind of reminds me when I visited San Diego on several occasions. Has that terra cotta old Spanish style appearance. Even the landscaping is nice, palms and colorful bouganvilla cascading over the sides. Sadly the train will cutoff those leaving and entering. No one would ever know there once was a Prince's Drive-In restaurant there once. :lol:

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Guest danax
Sadly the train will cutoff those leaving and entering. No one would ever know there once was a Prince's Drive-In restaurant there once. :lol:

A Domino's Pizza place better think twice about locating there......they'd be delivering cold pizzas waiting for the train :)

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Right! It's one of the best things to be built in that long overlooked area in years. Kind of reminds me when I visited San Diego on several occasions. Has that terra cotta old Spanish style appearance. Even the landscaping is nice, palms and colorful bouganvilla cascading over the sides. Sadly the train will cutoff those leaving and entering. No one would ever know there once was a Prince's Drive-In restaurant there once. :lol:

The Prince's Drive-in restaurant I remember was on Wayside and Avenue T (or Ave. U).

I thought the location you are thinking of was a hardware store.

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The Prince's Drive-in restaurant I remember was on Wayside and Avenue T (or Ave. U).

I thought the location you are thinking of was a hardware store.

You could be right Princes may have been just next to it. I remember still seeing the torn, faded canvas draped over the suspension poles and there still were order menus in the little windows. The train will be a real issue for anyone trying to get in or out.

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I'll take the bird over a barren tower, although anything dripping from it would be in poor taste. :o

The tower is such a beacon for the area. It needs lighting. Hopefully they'll come up with something artistic.

LMAO :lol: thanks, i needed a good laugh this morning.

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Another good history lesson I thought was interesting:

Harrisburg was surveyed in 1829 and formally named Harrisburg by its founder, John Richardson Harris.

Harris named the town both after himself and after Harrisburg, PA, which had been named for his grandfather. :)

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You could be right Princes may have been just next to it. I remember still seeing the torn, faded canvas draped over the suspension poles and there still were order menus in the little windows. The train will be a real issue for anyone trying to get in or out.

@ 50s/60s there were 3 Princess Drive-Ins in the wide East End area:

Cullen @ I45

Harrisburg @ RR tracks where new strip center is located

N Wayside @ Ave T [by bridge over bayou/ship channel

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@ 50s/60s there were 3 Princess Drive-Ins in the wide East End area:

Cullen @ I45

Harrisburg @ RR tracks where new strip center is located

N Wayside @ Ave T [by bridge over bayou/ship channel

You just solved another East End mystery! We only knew the location at N Wayside and Ave T as "Stephen's Drive-In".

They must have bought out this one specific location from the Prince's chain. I recall going there hundreds of times as teenagers but this was in late 70's-80's. Now I'm hungry! :lol:

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