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Rice Village Shopping Center At 2400 University Blvd.


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I was walking around Rice Village recently (pushing a stroller) and noted how poor some of the streets/curbs and infrastructure appeared. There are numerous areas where the curbs have no ramps and you are literally forced to walk in the street or through parking lots. This is really surprising to me given the number of young families with children in the immediate area, and the proximity to the medical center (and thus likely use by people in wheelchairs.) The village is really one of the major 'public faces' of Houston to the outside world, likely to be visited by out of town families of Rice university students, and out of town medical center patients and families (I see the shuttle buses from the medical center hotels dropping them off frequently.) As such, I really can't understand the lack of investment in the roads and curbs in the village area and I'm really surprised someone hasn't brought an ADA lawsuit. Are sidewalks and curbs in commercial areas the responsibility of the city or the property owner to maintain?

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  • 1 year later...

BW3'S

My goodness this place has none of the flavor of past BW3'S I used to frequent like Rice Village, etc. It has been suburbanized.

Love their wings, etc but so far the service is still bad and the screaming children noise level was out the box this afternoon. Course that falls on the parents as it seems to be the same type of crowd that frequent's the Chili's, etc. Sit an watch as your children run around insane and throw food all over the place then calmly get up and leave with the attitude of they get paid to clean up my kids mess (Parents watched as their kid littered the floor with food and then calmly paid the bill, picked her up and left, stepping on the food as they exited the table).

We had someone's kid get up this evening and just stand at our table watching us for a long period while lifting his shirt and rubbing or scratching himself on the stomach and his folks just sat there watching. I don't know if I wanted to smack the kid in the head and tell him to go sit down or get up and smack his folks for sitting by just in oblivion of what was going on with thier kids.

Man summer has just started and it looks like parents are already anxiously waiting for school to start up again.

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Well I feel for ya CLA.

I had some good friends who also waited tables during college and they would tell me the same thing you are saying. But man the things they told me they did as revenge on those family or diners was pretty nasty.

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Friday is supposed to be the last day for Ballys on Dunstan. Say what you will about how run-down it was, but the location was great, and that second floor with the track around the perimeter, the views, and that curved staircase with the aluminum guardrails.... it will be missed. :(

post-7654-1245799803_thumb.jpg

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I started my Bally's membership there back around 1990, it was pretty hip and swinging back then. I haven't been in years because it was always too crowded when I wanted to go, and parking always seemed to be an issue. Is a new one nearby replacing it?

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I went to the Dunstan location around 1997-2000 but stopped since it was too crowded and me + agoraphobia + strangers' sweat don't get along well :P

There used to be a tiny one I began to frequent in the Braes Heights Shopping Center that catered to a slower and older set (just my style!), but it closed several years back.

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I had a charter membership going back to the summer of 87 when it opened up . I remember how really nice and clean it was the first couple of years . A few times during a weekday I remember having the whole place to myself . That didn't last for long .

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This surprises me because I am/was a member and it was always crowded.

The building isn't in bad shape, but I have no idea what could possibly fill it now. Maybe a renovation would attract some commercial tenants, but there are much more attractive options in the area.

I hope it doesn't sit vacant for years, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

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I do like BWW for the sports bar atmosphere, although this one seems to have a "closed in" feeling more than the others around the area. Actually I like the Sugarland location the best, since they seem to have more light coming in via more windows, etc.

I have to agree about Katy area parents and their "entitled" children's attitudes. As a parent myself, I am VERY conscious of my child's behavior when I take her places. I will not put up with these antics at all. I've noticed after living in Katy for the past year or so the entitlement and spoiled brat mentality of many of the kids around here. It's especially acute in the wealthier areas like Cinco. And to watch these parents with them is aggravating. So many of them will have problems later on... <_<

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I have to agree about Katy area parents and their "entitled" children's attitudes. As a parent myself, I am VERY conscious of my child's behavior when I take her places. I will not put up with these antics at all. I've noticed after living in Katy for the past year or so the entitlement and spoiled brat mentality of many of the kids around here. It's especially acute in the wealthier areas like Cinco. And to watch these parents with them is aggravating. So many of them will have problems later on... <_<

Being a Katy mom and living in Cinco Ranch myself, I could take offense with your posting, but I couldn't agree more. I could write a manual on "How to be a Katy Mom". Drive an oversized SUV while talking on the phone, a little heavy set with bermuda shorts and flip flops, bob type hair style, perfect pedicure, make sure YOUR child has the best of everything, and by all means, do not let anyone get in YOUR way!!! :D

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Being a Katy mom and living in Cinco Ranch myself, I could take offense with your posting, but I couldn't agree more. I could write a manual on "How to be a Katy Mom". Drive an oversized SUV while talking on the phone, a little heavy set with bermuda shorts and flip flops, bob type hair style, perfect pedicure, make sure YOUR child has the best of everything, and by all means, do not let anyone get in YOUR way!!! :D

Best post of the day... I am so very tired of the elite mentality out here. The wife and I are seriously looking at moving into town to get away. Of course we'll have to downsize in order to afford it, but I can't leave soon enough. I don't mean to critisize those of you here that don't participate, but most in the area do.

Edit: I would add to the topic, but don't do much in Katy. I just live here.

Edited by Gary
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Being a Katy mom and living in Cinco Ranch myself, I could take offense with your posting, but I couldn't agree more. I could write a manual on "How to be a Katy Mom". Drive an oversized SUV while talking on the phone, a little heavy set with bermuda shorts and flip flops, bob type hair style, perfect pedicure, make sure YOUR child has the best of everything, and by all means, do not let anyone get in YOUR way!!! :D

lol. The ladies you describe are our very own little piece of Dallas. Someone needs to remind them that frosted helmet hair, acrylics, and knee length demin shorts are don'ts. I know all those SAHMs watch What Not to Wear, it must not be be sinking in.

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Best post of the day... I am so very tired of the elite mentality out here. The wife and I are seriously looking at moving into town to get away. Of course we'll have to downsize in order to afford it, but I can't leave soon enough. I don't mean to critisize those of you here that don't participate, but most in the area do.

Edit: I would add to the topic, but don't do much in Katy. I just live here.

How funny! A whole new generation of people who hate living in Katy just like I did 30 years ago. It warms my heart.

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I've been here a while and it sure didn't seem like this years ago.

Funny I moved out here years ago because old katy reminded me kind of the little town I grew up in South La. But as the years have passed and we have been swamped with PTA/Soccer mom zombie hoarde it feels like I am in the middle of a California/Dallas clone zone.

I'd say it could be money but you know some of these folks don't have a pot to piss in now that these mega loans have been revoked. But the attitude of I will do what I please and my kids will do what they want still prevails.

I tell you I am a people watcher and it is one hell of a show to see.

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Being a Katy mom and living in Cinco Ranch myself, I could take offense with your posting, but I couldn't agree more. I could write a manual on "How to be a Katy Mom". Drive an oversized SUV while talking on the phone, a little heavy set with bermuda shorts and flip flops, bob type hair style, perfect pedicure, make sure YOUR child has the best of everything, and by all means, do not let anyone get in YOUR way!!! :D

I definitely wasn't trying to be offensive, as I live in Cinco myself. Just pointing out what I've observed the past 1 1/2 years of living here. A lot of these kids have no idea what the real world is like... :rolleyes:

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How funny! A whole new generation of people who hate living in Katy just like I did 30 years ago. It warms my heart.

That's what's crazy. Most of those that live here like it, and I can't understand why. Aside from the Dallasite mentality most everything is cookie cutter crap, and the traffic has gotten progressively worse.

Calgon take me away!

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That's what's crazy. Most of those that live here like it, and I can't understand why. Aside from the Dallasite mentality most everything is cookie cutter crap, and the traffic has gotten progressively worse.

Calgon take me away!

I'm so glad I don't live in your daily misery. What is slowing you down from moving? Do you need a realtor referral?

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I've been here a while and it sure didn't seem like this years ago.

Funny I moved out here years ago because old katy reminded me kind of the little town I grew up in South La. But as the years have passed and we have been swamped with PTA/Soccer mom zombie hoarde it feels like I am in the middle of a California/Dallas clone zone.

I'd say it could be money but you know some of these folks don't have a pot to piss in now that these mega loans have been revoked. But the attitude of I will do what I please and my kids will do what they want still prevails.

I tell you I am a people watcher and it is one hell of a show to see.

If only these Cinco/Seven Lakes moms knew what their daughter's do on the weekends. ;)

I really don't care for Katy that much either. Not much to do except go to parties and just hang out. And since it has been so damn hot, all we have done is swim and stay inside. I almost fainted playing basketball.

But about how these kids act, I see it way too often. They don't act much better than the hoodlums at Times Square on a Friday/Saturday night. Just plain messy. I especially hate it when I walk by the table and I see just a one dollar tip left after dealing with messy kids. Shame.

Oh and Gary is right, the traffic has gotten worse in Katy each year. I-10 isn't bad, but the side streets all suck. Plus, Katy has gotten gangsta :lol:. After I took the girl to go see Public Enemies, we went to the Sonic by Cinemark, there was graffiti everywhere by the dumpster. I've seen graffiti more and more, too.

Bored kids.

Edited by Trae
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  • 1 year later...

There's been a sign up for a while that 24 hour fitness will be coming soon...but I can't find any info online. Does anyone have an idea when they plan to open?

This surprises me because I am/was a member and it was always crowded.

The building isn't in bad shape, but I have no idea what could possibly fill it now. Maybe a renovation would attract some commercial tenants, but there are much more attractive options in the area.

I hope it doesn't sit vacant for years, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

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There's been a sign up for a while that 24 hour fitness will be coming soon...but I can't find any info online. Does anyone have an idea when they plan to open?

Wow....no news here, but that's awesome! Maybe it will take some "pressure" off the one in midtown. I wonder if they would close the smaller one at Holcombe and Greenbriar?

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  • 1 month later...
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  • 3 weeks later...

I came across this article on Cultremap. http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/12-29-10-hudson-lounge-caught-in-social-media-crossfire-tuesday-night-patrons-complain-they-were-kicked-out/

Seems like this place is getting a bad rap in less than 2 months of being open. The reviews have been so bad that they even shutdown their own facebook page. Have any of you all been? What was your experience?

Reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/hudson-lounge-houston

hudson3.jpg

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Interesting. Website says they close at 2. They say that's not true and they actually close around 12...but that because they were so many people they did last call at 11. This explanation really strains credulity, because come on, clubs barely even get started around 9 PM typically. Furthermore, the allegations of a racist door policy on the Yelp reviews precede this party they shut down. Where there's smoke there is probably fire.

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Here is what I think happened. The owner saw his club filled with black people and that is not the vision he had for his club. He figured that when the white people he intended to attract would be turned off by so many black people and it would become known as a black hangout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrWd47-TXU8

Edited by citykid09
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Here is what I think happened. The owner saw his club filled with black people and that is not the vision he had for his club. He figured that when the white people he intended to attract would be turned off by so many black people and it would become known as a black hangout.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=VrWd47-TXU8

I don't know. That video didn't really show much.... A similar thing happened to Union a while back (discussed on here), in which some people turned away at the door claimed the club was anti-gay (it wasn't), when in fact the place was just overcrowded. That said, in the video it doesn't really look all that crowded to me, so I'm not sure I buy the "we weren't staffed for 150 people" argument. If anyone actually knows when they've been closing on Tuesdays (not just what was on the website), that would be interesting to know

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In the comments of the CultureMap story, an organizer of the party says he had spoken with them several times to organize this party, and that when the place was shut down, they were told by the manager that the owner (Adam) had come in and didn't like the crowd, so he ordered the shutdown. It would be nice to hear their side of the story, but they've shut down their Facebook page, and there is no statement about the incident on their website. The statement strains credulity.

Edited by kylejack
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I had a group of cousins who were planning to attend the Hudson Lounge for a friend's birthday get together on Tuesday night. Some of them had been before and found it to be a nice, calm, laid back place and wanted to go back. They arrived around 10pm to find everything being shut down, and as kylejack said, most clubs and lounges are just getting started at that time.

Oh well, that's too bad for the Hudson Lounge. There's plenty of other lounges in town that will welcome those dollars. I wonder if the Hudson would do the same thing if their place was being frequented by the Washington Ave. "db" crowd?

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They not only closed early, but called HPD to disperse the crowd. Jeez, talk about over-reaction. A place that both appears racist and at the same time has grand pretensions of being "upscale". Why would anyone want to go to a place like that?

Supposedly the lounge posted an apology on their Facebook page but I can't pull it up.

This is from their website:

Hudson Lounge is an understated urban oasis in the heart of Houston. Serene, sophisticated, and subtly swank, we welcome you to relax on our beautiful patios, sidle up to our sleek marble bars, or groove to the beats of our carefully curated sounds while you sip cocktails or enjoy one of our delicious small dishes.

:wacko:

Excuse me while I go and barf.

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No way to know if the owner is who they think he is, but bottom line he made an executive decision to close the place using the cops. If he was indeed trying to cherry-pick patrons, then his business, like any business that is more concerned with attracting a specific bling instead of attracting a constant cha-ching will suffer eventually.

On the other hand, they say that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Look how many now know about this place.

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  • 1 year later...

I believe they are enlarging the place, which would be good because the old place had very limited seating.

I'm hoping that's the case. They're website mentions the location but that they were closed and would be relocating and would announce where in the future. You would think they would just say they're expanding the location...but who knows

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  • 2 weeks later...

Texadelphia in Rice Village closed? Damn, that was one of my favorite places (heard they didn't have a deep fryer at that location, though).

About 10 years ago or so, there was a Texadelphia in College Station (Northgate area), too, and they were a victim of high rents as well. I wish it was still around, I would eat there!

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  • The title was changed to Rice Village Developments
  • The title was changed to Rice Village Shopping Center At 2400 University Blvd.

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