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New Forum Category for Washington Ave.


museum chick

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We used to visit a friend of my grandfather's that had a plumbing shop on Washington Ave., at the site of the present day Wabash Antiques. It was the Edward's Plumbing Company. The building is extant but it has been modified to it's present configuration. The plumbing parts showroom and service counter was were the present corner storefront is. Mr. Edwards in later years lived in the back part of the building and leased the front to Crestwood Cleaners.

On our visits, Mr. Edwards would send us kids a block or so up Washington to the Camp Logan Drug Store to get ice cream. The druggist would know to put the charge for these fountain treats on Mr. Edwards tab because of Mr. Edward's german shepherd "Rex", who would accompany us and wait outside until we were finished.

Why not name the area the "Camp Logan Corridor"

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The forthcoming Blue Label Lounge @ 4500 Washington has a website.

Any place that has a website that says it's for the "to see and be seen crowd" sounds horrible.

This place will be a fad for wannabe socialites and topless dancers for a few months and then it will die a slow death.

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Any place that has a website that says it's for the "to see and be seen crowd" sounds horrible.

This place will be a fad for wannabe socialites and topless dancers for a few months and then it will die a slow death.

I'm with you on that, their website made my stomache turn a little.

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We did El Tiempo the weekend before last. It was marginal at best and they sure have a sorrry excuse for a top shelf rita.

But I really don't see "Washington Ave." needing its own forum. It's still a tacky little street at best.

any how much was that rita?

i don't think it's tacky per se, but the sucky midtown crowd appears to be moving here.

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I was too afraid to even look at the price, but I did have three of them. I kept thinking the next one would be better.

As far as tacky, any "strip" with that many abandoned buildings and barbed wire fences is tacky in my book.

There are pockets of progress, but it seems a bit premature to sell "Washington Ave" as a destination in itself. And we use to hit the music venues on Washington in the early 90s, so I think I am a good judge of tacky.

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Any place that has a website that says it's for the "to see and be seen crowd" sounds horrible.

This place will be a fad for wannabe socialites and topless dancers for a few months and then it will die a slow death.

"and topless dancers". Where is this place? :P

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gaveuponthecitycoog.

15 miles away, and downtown every single day of the week. Unlike many 'Houston from Afar' ex-pat "experts" I know. Thank goodness for the Web. But it truly was a hard choice leaving the homeless beggars behind. Sometimes that just really gets to me - NOT.

I do think it's important to point out that I am a fan of tacky. The kind of tacky that evolves naturally like so much of Houston has. I'm just not feeling the love with Washtington Ave, that's all. Especially if it's about to go "trendoid".

FWIW, they do have great chicken chalupas at El Tiempo. But for a "drink" place they should have better drinks.

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There appears to be a growing 2 part Washington Avenue. There is the section from Heights to Westcott that is the tired, predictable "hip, trendy" transformation. The infusion of money is welcome, but the crap going in is a disappointment.

Then there is the section from Heights to downtown. This section has been slower to develop, and has seen more reuse of the existing buildings. It has a more earthy feel. If this trend continued, with lower Washington filling up with laid back shops and bars, leaving upper Washington to the "see and be seen" crowd, I would be a happy camper. An example of this can be seen in Blu Label, advertising "see and be seen" on Upper Washington, and Beavers, advertising "laid back" on Lower Washington.

It remains to be seen if this actually continues. One of the reasons the "hip" joints open is the obscene amounts of cash they drop in the register, since it is important to impress those you do not know by throwing money around. One can only hope the laid back joints survive.

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see and be seen" on Upper Washington

I agree about the end closer to downtown. Good use of the old brick buildings in a couple of parts.

The entire concept of being seen on Upper Washington is crazy.

In the 90s it was "Don't Get Shot on Washington" as we ran from The Vatican after the Pixie's concert dodging tow trucks and shotgun blasts.

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There appears to be a growing 2 part Washington Avenue. There is the section from Heights to Westcott that is the tired, predictable "hip, trendy" transformation. The infusion of money is welcome, but the crap going in is a disappointment.

concur. and having to valet next door to a taco truck is ridiculous. head to the darkhorse!!

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Guest danax
This is the tacky I speak of.

But isn't this what "Houston, be yourself" is all about? Obviously some people are attracted to these juxtaposed scenes in transitional areas like Washington, and those same folks end up leaving when a place becomes settled and sterlized, once the "atmosphere" is gone.

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But isn't this what "Houston, be yourself" is all about? Obviously some people are attracted to these juxtaposed scenes in transitional areas like Washington, and those same folks end up leaving when a place becomes settled and sterlized, once the "atmosphere" is gone.

ultimately IMO the people are what makes the place worthwhile. the good places have a nice set of regulars. i think patrons go to the west washington places just because they are popular, not because of the juxtaposed scenes. it's the midtown scene all over. when the "new" place opens, they move there. for places to have regulars, it must be easy to access.

i know one of the warren's bartenders was complaining sunday because few regulars were there. she called around and people were saying that parking sucked. i guess there was a festival or something.

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I am starting to think so. So the question is, "is Washington Ave. being itself"?

Reading many of the replies in this thread the answer is "No, it's being trendy".

But if "being trendy" is being yourself, then it's Houston. Even Houston has to have a home for the trendoids. We always have and we always will.

Not that I ever had any thought one way or the other about it being trendy. I just said it was a bit tacky with sub par top shelfs and not worthy of its own sub-forum.

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Forgive me if I am repeating anything that has previously been said, but I don't think it would be a bad idea for Washington Avenue to have its own forum. I live in the area and I am very interested in what's going on there. In fact, my main reason for checking this site, is to get updates on new construction in this area.

As it is set up now, I have to check the Montrose forum, the Heights forum, and sometimes the Downtown forum to get find discussions on the Washington Avenue area. What would it hurt to add another category?

I'm all for it.

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Boognish, agreed! There's much to discuss about this stretch, which to me encompasses, east to west, the northwest edge of downtown to the eastern edge of Memorial park, and north to south, I-10 to Memorial Drive. That's a pretty substantial area. As to some of the discussion above, not sure why the whole area is being labeled by one bar's marketing, and that bar isn't even open yet! Why not talk about the center it will be in, which appears to be much better than the typical strip center that goes up in Houston. Or how about the newest one which was just in the Chronicle last week, to be put up at 4600 Washington -- again, with more of an urban style than the typical suburban strip center we're used to. I think that's where Clark Motors was (note the moving sign at that location). I for one am excited about the overall development albeit sometimes disappointed by individual elements.

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A St. Louis-style deli will be replacing the antique store at 1920 Washington, next to the Corkscrew wine bar. Not sure when it will be opening yet, but I will keep you posted on their progress.

What is a St. Louis Style Deli? Does it have something to do with BBQ?

Could this be the location for Monica Pope's Beaver's

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What is a St. Louis Style Deli? Does it have something to do with BBQ?

Could this be the location for Monica Pope's Beaver's

Well apparently St. Louis' delis are the protocol for true Italian-style delis. I guess a lot of Italians settled there. Not really sure. Not really sure what the differences are between say an Arthur Avenue Italian deli in the Bronx and one in St. Louis. And it isn't Monica Pope's new place, that's on Sawyer in an old building that was a bar called Beaver's. She's gotta a lot of remodeling to do with that place. A bunch of vagrants hang around there too. I pass by it everyday.

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And it isn't Monica Pope's new place, that's on Sawyer in an old building that was a bar called Beaver's. She's gotta a lot of remodeling to do with that place. A bunch of vagrants hang around there too. I pass by it everyday.

i just speculated about this in another thread! a friend of mine used to live on that little street behing beavers ice house. hey- she made upscale dining fly in a pretty skanky part of town. i think this one will be easy...

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Any place that has a website that says it's for the "to see and be seen crowd" sounds horrible.

This place will be a fad for wannabe socialites and topless dancers for a few months and then it will die a slow death.

Actually the place is going to be a very high class lounge from what I hear...I have heard nothing but good things...Hell they had Ginsler design the place...That says enough.

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I agree about the end closer to downtown. Good use of the old brick buildings in a couple of parts.

The entire concept of being seen on Upper Washington is crazy.

In the 90s it was "Don't Get Shot on Washington" as we ran from The Vatican after the Pixie's concert dodging tow trucks and shotgun blasts.

Well this is 2007 and it is the hottest area booming for the better...Everything coming up on washington is grade A and helping that area a great deal.

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