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citykid09

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clear lake is pretty dull, centered around NASA so you have a bunch of middle class families, what do you expect?

It depends where you go. I have worked in the area for 18 years, while living closer to Hobby and Gulfgate. I found myself hanging out just as much in the younger hang outs in Clear Lake, in addition to downtown, of course. There are plenty of pubs and clubs geared to younger crowds, like Molleys, Shirlocks Pub, Cellar Bar, Third Base, Seabrook Beach Club, etc., etc. Of course there are the old-timer places too that I avoid.

There used to be a pretty cool place for live music: it was essentially a barn that some musicians over the years had continued to expand with the help of other musicians, with a large stage with huge PA and lighting systems, and tons of old couches, knooks, crannies, and other places to hang out. It was a donation based thing and there was always kegs of bear ready to go. There would be tons of local band playing there all the time. Anybody ever heard of it? It used to be refered to as "The Barn"

I dont care too much for the Boardwalk scene, it's too commercial and void of "real" character. But the old side of Kemah across the channel has some pretty nice holes-in-the-walls with seafood type places. Anyways...

I still prefer downtown and montrose. But it seems I have spent just as much time and money in the bay area all these years. It's not bad at all...

I am not a fan of CL... atleast not right now since I'm only 23. It is the epitome of middle-class surbian life. Though I will probably be living there in about 10 years to raise my 2.4 kids. So now, I make the long 30 mile commute there every day, ugh.

I can say the same things about Memorial, River Oaks, WestU and Bellaire. But then, I would be full of it if I did. The bottom line is like any other part of Houston, you just have to know where to go. There is plenty of young-thangs in thongs, places to booz-up, and have a good time, if that's your thing.

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I"m not saying CLC is Vidor. I've worked in CLC for 15 yrs. I don't live down there. But one of the few times i went out at night, I had the KKK experience.

Our secretary is a life long resident of the area. she confirmed that unfortunately they did migrate to the Seabrook/Kemah/Santa Fe area after they left Pasadena (70's/80's). I know there are racists everywhere that just can't be helped. But when we were eating at Seabrook Classic Cafe that night, there was a "meeting" going on. There definitely was a scared look on her face. i've been to that place so many times for lunch with no problems whatsoever.

OK. I have to respond to this. You see, when I was hired on in 1986, I didnt know the area, and I found the nearest apartment I could afford...it was callled Bay Park Apt. on NASA RD. 1 in Seabrook. It didnt take me long to "feel" out of place. I am Hispanic, and being raise in McAllen, this feeling was very new to me. But, the feeling was not of racism...it was just of standing out. So in 1987 - just one year later - I moved to the Hobby area: Closer to downtown and not to far from work at JSC.

For years - in fact - up to about a year ago - I would tell everybody that I would NEVER live in Clear Lake, and definietly not Seabrook.

What has happened is that, over the years, and after spending so much of my life in this area, I have noticed that - basically - I was wrong. There is actually a diverse population here, most definitely at JSC, you see Middleeastern, Asain, White, Black, Hispanic (every flavor), and I even know several Iranian and Iraqi Engineers. I even hear Russian spoken at the pubs around the area. Not only that, but after so many years of partying in the area, i have noticed that the same diversity exists in the residential area. So when it came time to move to a bigger house to accomadate our 2 girls, guess where we went? I ate my words and hear I am - we closed on our house last month, and are very happy we did. I really dont feel out of place here. If I did, I wouldnt be here.

We still love downtown and spend much time in the central Houston area. That will not change.

The only problem now is that some of my old drinking holes are now closer to home!!

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I have always thought of that area as full of refinerys, and polluted, not as a place to visit. I also thought of the are as "country" and swampy, kind of like Louisiana.

You are exactly right citykid, it is full of refineries, you don't need to come down there, it is totally NOT worth the trip, stay and fun over on the westside.

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  • 5 months later...

FYI. A crane is up at the condo tower location. Actually, It's been up. So I guess the foundation is being built now. 40 floors, or something like that. I wonder if more are going to be built on the lake there.

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OK. I have to respond to this. You see, when I was hired on in 1986, I didnt know the area, and I found the nearest apartment I could afford...it was callled Bay Park Apt. on NASA RD. 1 in Seabrook. It didnt take me long to "feel" out of place. I am Hispanic, and being raise in McAllen, this feeling was very new to me. But, the feeling was not of racism...it was just of standing out. So in 1987 - just one year later - I moved to the Hobby area: Closer to downtown and not to far from work at JSC.

For years - in fact - up to about a year ago - I would tell everybody that I would NEVER live in Clear Lake, and definietly not Seabrook.

What has happened is that, over the years, and after spending so much of my life in this area, I have noticed that - basically - I was wrong. There is actually a diverse population here, most definitely at JSC, you see Middleeastern, Asain, White, Black, Hispanic (every flavor), and I even know several Iranian and Iraqi Engineers. I even hear Russian spoken at the pubs around the area. Not only that, but after so many years of partying in the area, i have noticed that the same diversity exists in the residential area. So when it came time to move to a bigger house to accomadate our 2 girls, guess where we went? I ate my words and hear I am - we closed on our house last month, and are very happy we did. I really dont feel out of place here. If I did, I wouldnt be here.

We still love downtown and spend much time in the central Houston area. That will not change.

The only problem now is that some of my old drinking holes are now closer to home!!

I hadn't noticed this post.

I personally like Clear Lake a lot. Of all of the suburbs, it is my favorite. The others just seem so manufactured, wheras NASA Parkway always struck me as somewhat more organic. Besides, I like the smell and the seagulls. That said, I can do without the Kemah boardwalk.

Its only a shame that most of it will be wiped out one day. Hurricanes are a whole lot more dangerous to this area than they used to be because of subsidence.

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i have commuted there for graduate school for the past 3 years and i think clear lake is extremely dull.

Unless you have a 38 foot Cigarette Racer or a nice Yacht to cruise around in on the weekend. Parties at the Turtle Club are LEGENDARY. Fourth of July in Clear Lake is something I always look forward to. The Christmas Boat Parade is a good time also. I have never had a bad time in Clear Lake or Kemah.

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Its only a shame that most of it will be wiped out one day. Hurricanes are a whole lot more dangerous to this area than they used to be because of subsidence.

So you're just assuming that Clear Lake will be wiped off the face of the Earth? While Galveston Bay poses a threat, it's not quite the same threat Galveston island faces in the hurricane season. Miami has an even greater chance of being destroyed. Should we feel sad for them and just shake our heads and say "What a shame...?"

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So you're just assuming that Clear Lake will be wiped off the face of the Earth? While Galveston Bay poses a threat, it's not quite the same threat Galveston island faces in the hurricane season. Miami has an even greater chance of being destroyed. Should we feel sad for them and just shake our heads and say "What a shame...?"

Well, I'm not sure what to make of your question, but I assure you that I use the term "wiped out" loosely. Some areas will be devastated. Seabrook will be wiped out, as will Kemah, parts of Bayview/Bacliff, and nearly all of San Leon. My mom's family rode out Carla at their home in Bacliff (situated at the highest point for miles). She tells the story of how there used to be a Mexican restaurant in Seabrook with a massive bowl on the roof...I think she said it was called the Chili Bowl, or something like that. The storm came through and wiped out everything in that area, sweeping the Bowl miles inland.

My grandfather, meanwhile, rode out Carla on the shrimp boat that he'd built in his back yard. It was the family's livelihood at the time, so he took it upon himself to protect it. By the end of the storm, he was sitting in a prairie two miles inland from Dickinson Bayou, where he'd tried to anchor the vessel. Granted, the devastation wasn't complete and utter (except in the areas I mentioned above), like in coastal Mississippi after Katrina...but it was severe. Damn near everything flooded, and a lot of homes were destroyed in place by the wind and water. Since then, subsidence has been substantial (5+ feet in some places), and that is a great cause for concern.

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Well, I'm not sure what to make of your question, but I assure you that I use the term "wiped out" loosely. Some areas will be devastated. Seabrook will be wiped out, as will Kemah, parts of Bayview/Bacliff, and nearly all of San Leon. My mom's family rode out Carla at their home in Bacliff (situated at the highest point for miles). She tells the story of how there used to be a Mexican restaurant in Seabrook with a massive bowl on the roof...I think she said it was called the Chili Bowl, or something like that. The storm came through and wiped out everything in that area, sweeping the Bowl miles inland.

Yes, I understand that hurricanes are deadly and destructive. My point was simply that you were giving in to the inevitibility that Clear Lake will be destroyed and will cease to be. You're insinuating pre-emptive pity for the region which is odd. I don't feel pity for the people of San Franciso because they will one day have a terrible earthquake again like they did 100 years ago. That just doesn't make sense to me. Take preventive measures to lessen the damage and then just live your life and make good decisions.

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Yes, I understand that hurricanes are deadly and destructive. My point was simply that you were giving in to the inevitibility that Clear Lake will be destroyed and will cease to be. You're insinuating pre-emptive pity for the region which is odd. I don't feel pity for the people of San Franciso because they will one day have a terrible earthquake again like they did 100 years ago. That just doesn't make sense to me. Take preventive measures to lessen the damage and then just live your life and make good decisions.

I never said that it would cease to be. It didn't cease to be after Carla...just severely damaged.

I take preemptive pity less upon the people that choose to live there and more for the things that will be lost to which I have a personal attachement. In principle, though, I agree with you regarding the treatment of persons who make a concious decision to live in risky areas.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's some good news for Clear Lake:

________________________________________

All Clear Sounds for $150M Project Start

LEAGUE CITY, TX-Deerwood Development Group Inc. of Englewood, CO has cleared the last hurdle for the 67-acre, mixed-use RiverBend on Clear Creek. In recent days, city council has agreed to entitlements that will let the developer break ground later this year.

The planned urban development overlay zoning will provide Deerwood Development with flexibility on the $150-million project. The development site is located along FM 518 and close to Interstate 45, about halfway between Houston and Galveston. The zoning will allow 30,000 sf of retail space, 34,000 sf for restaurants, 280,000 sf of office product, an 80,000-sf hotel and 48,000 sf of dense residential development on top of the commercial components. The overlay zoning also allows development of an entertainment pavilion and parking garage.

http://www.globest.com/news/528_528/houston/145293-1.html

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  • 4 weeks later...
Anyone know anything about these Armandwilde townhomes going up near the Mansion on Space Center and Nasa Rd 1? How's that area as a place to live? I'm wondering if there's any decent grocery shopping around there?

Didn't know anything was going up there (the townhomes).

as for grocery, there is an Arlan's Market about a mile east down NASA 1. its ok, i would shop there for little things only because i could walk there. open til midnight every night.

for better meat/fruit selection, and cheaper prices, i would go to HEB on El Camino and Bay Area, a couple of miles away.

that's not a bad location depending on what you want. at the edge of Clear Lake proper, not far from Kemah, and right across from the lake and a public boat ramp.

when NASA parkway is complete, you should be able to get to I-45 in 10 minutes (less without traffic).

does anyone have pictures of these new developments in the clear lake/league city/kemah area? Please post.

there was a second crane up at the Endeavour site by the end of May. I'll on the lake this weekend so i'll check it out. not sure if i'll be able to take pictures

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I saw the Clear Lake topic here, so I thought this would be a good place to ask. Where, in the Clear Lake-Seabrook-Kemah area, is a good seafood market to buy fresh fish and shrimp right off the boat? I have had someone recommend Captain Wick's, but are there any other places any of you who live in or visit that area would recommend? It's hard to find good seafood here in Central Texas. Catfish is good, but is not seafood.

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I saw the Clear Lake topic here, so I thought this would be a good place to ask. Where, in the Clear Lake-Seabrook-Kemah area, is a good seafood market to buy fresh fish and shrimp right off the boat? I have had someone recommend Captain Wick's, but are there any other places any of you who live in or visit that area would recommend? It's hard to find good seafood here in Central Texas. Catfish is good, but is not seafood.

Go to the other side of the Kemah Boardwalk channel...on the bay side of the bridge. There are a bunch of small mom-and-pop seafood houses where you can get things fresh. The only thing is that as you drive there...the whole area smells extremely fishy and shrimpy...but then again, that's what you are looking for.

There is a a restaurant I just noticed that seems to be right underneath the bridge...and you park right under the bridge support structures. I dont recall the name. Is this place any good and worth going to? I have gone to Pappdeux many times, but want to start exploring the area for seafood restaurants. Any suggestions anyone?

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  • 4 weeks later...
Isnt the lake really an extension of the Gulf and so has always been connected to the Gulf? If so, how could it be crystal clear given that the water in the Gulf isnt clear. By the way, looking at the pictures, water really doesnt seem brown. It isnt clear, of course, but I thought that it's as brown and muddy as flood water and it surely isnt like that (unless the pictures didnt capture the true colors)

Believe it or not, nearly every bayou, creek, stream and, yes, the Cleer Lake used to have clear water flowing in them. The proliferation of sewage treatment plants, flood control districts, commercial fishing and shipping, industrialization and urbanization have changed the visible condition of the water to what you see today.

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Believe it or not, nearly every bayou, creek, stream and, yes, the Cleer Lake used to have clear water flowing in them. The proliferation of sewage treatment plants, flood control districts, commercial fishing and shipping, industrialization and urbanization have changed the visible condition of the water to what you see today.

I have heard that as well but do not believe it. "Flowing" water cannot be "clear" in this part of Texas. The sediment is too fine and erodes too easily. Moreover, sewage treatment plants are regulated so as to put out water that is theoretically safe to drink (although I personally won't take that gamble). At the very least, it isn't brown water.

I will believe that the water used to be clearer than it is today (because of channelization of inlets and the resulting tidal effects), but I seriously doubt that it was ever clear.

As a general rule of thumb, rivers south of the Brazos are clear/green and rivers east of the Brazos are red/brown. It all has to do with the kind of sediment that they carry.

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  • 5 months later...
Rose's Seafood on the Seabrook side.

Correcctamundo!

Roses is my rock of gibraltor, has been since we were teeneeboppers. I took a beating after Hurricane Alicia but kept on ticking. Remember how smashed up the area got? There was a whole house laying sideways next to Rose's from what I saw in a photo. They have the most fresh seafood and reasonable prices anywhere, thats why they rule! Anyone that is unfamiliar with the area should go to Rose's then on the way back around Maribelle's restaurant and head straight ahead along the long and winding road past all the neato beach houses keep going about 2-3 miles past the little old park on the left and turn right to go to Maas Nursery. Even though its a place that sells cool stuff and plants it is like going to a tropical paradise. Simply out of beat with time locked away from hustle and bustle. They play soothing ocean sounds as you meander around. This is the clsoset any one get to a California beach effect in this area.

On a second thought, does any one rememeber what ever became of J Larkin's wild beach club on Nasa Rd one in the 80's??? That was our major party pad then there was "Band on the Lake" at the new Hilton (now famous for running over deadbeat husband's) ala Carla Harris. Just reminicising...

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  • 5 months later...
I have heard that as well but do not believe it. "Flowing" water cannot be "clear" in this part of Texas. The sediment is too fine and erodes too easily. Moreover, sewage treatment plants are regulated so as to put out water that is theoretically safe to drink (although I personally won't take that gamble). At the very least, it isn't brown water.

I will believe that the water used to be clearer than it is today (because of channelization of inlets and the resulting tidal effects), but I seriously doubt that it was ever clear.

As a general rule of thumb, rivers south of the Brazos are clear/green and rivers east of the Brazos are red/brown. It all has to do with the kind of sediment that they carry.

True, in part, but Clear Creek and the various bayous that empty into Clear Lake are not full fledged rivers and their watershed is mostly black gumbo soils. Before sprawn and industrial fishing, pollution from oil drilling in the Clear Creek Watershed, it was a greenish color but clear. In some places upwater of the tidal zone the water is still green and clear. In the reports given by early settlers, clear lake was clear to 6 ft depth (I can look up the reference if you like, if I can find it). The presence of grasses throughout the entire bay system kept is clear of most silt, once fishing and industry came to the area, the grasses were long gone, and the bay browned up.

Even in the book "Plugger" about a legendary fisherman in the bay system, he reported in the 1940s the bay was nearly crystal clear all the time and speckled trout and redfish roamed all over the grassy flats in Clear Lake.

Sadly, the development continues along Clear Creek itself, which is one of the last wild waterways in Texas. Having boated all up and down this magnificently beautiful river-like creek, it is sad to thing yet another bulkhead will rip through the banks and create eeven more eyesores where such immense beauty lies already. The debate surrounding the Corps of Engineers flood control plans for Clear Creek and channelizing (i.e. make it a ditch like SImms Bayou) have been raging for years too, and either way, someone is going to flood, its a lowland creek for crying out loud.

I wish they'd leave it alone.

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True, in part, but Clear Creek and the various bayous that empty into Clear Lake are not full fledged rivers and their watershed is mostly black gumbo soils. Before sprawn and industrial fishing, pollution from oil drilling in the Clear Creek Watershed, it was a greenish color but clear. In some places upwater of the tidal zone the water is still green and clear. In the reports given by early settlers, clear lake was clear to 6 ft depth (I can look up the reference if you like, if I can find it). The presence of grasses throughout the entire bay system kept is clear of most silt, once fishing and industry came to the area, the grasses were long gone, and the bay browned up.

Even in the book "Plugger" about a legendary fisherman in the bay system, he reported in the 1940s the bay was nearly crystal clear all the time and speckled trout and redfish roamed all over the grassy flats in Clear Lake.

Sadly, the development continues along Clear Creek itself, which is one of the last wild waterways in Texas. Having boated all up and down this magnificently beautiful river-like creek, it is sad to thing yet another bulkhead will rip through the banks and create eeven more eyesores where such immense beauty lies already. The debate surrounding the Corps of Engineers flood control plans for Clear Creek and channelizing (i.e. make it a ditch like SImms Bayou) have been raging for years too, and either way, someone is going to flood, its a lowland creek for crying out loud.

I wish they'd leave it alone.

If there's still green-tinted water further upstream, probably just upwards of where tidal influences cease, then I'd imagine that subsidence probably is the primary contributing factor to turning Clear Creek brown. Given that the Buffalo Bayou, San Jacinto River, and Trinity River dump so much silt into the Galveston Bay system, it is exceptionally difficult for me to believe that water was clear anywhere except in the shallow marshes, which could not possibly have existed throughout the entire bay system. Redfish bar used to be one of the shallower stretches of the bay, and I have read that ranchers used to be able to run cattle along the oyster beds between Smith Point and San Leon. Despite it being one of the shallower spots, there were oyster beds, not grasses.

Also, while I agree that Galveston Bay and many of its tributaries have been dramatically altered, you might try looking to somewhere more like Double Bayou, Lost River, or East Trinity Bay for wild waterways. There are actually plenty of wild waterways in this state, but you have to go off the beaten path to find them...obviously.

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Correcctamundo!

Roses is my rock of gibraltor, has been since we were teeneeboppers. I took a beating after Hurricane Alicia but kept on ticking. Remember how smashed up the area got? There was a whole house laying sideways next to Rose's from what I saw in a photo. They have the most fresh seafood and reasonable prices anywhere, thats why they rule! Anyone that is unfamiliar with the area should go to Rose's then on the way back around Maribelle's restaurant and head straight ahead along the long and winding road past all the neato beach houses keep going about 2-3 miles past the little old park on the left and turn right to go to Maas Nursery. Even though its a place that sells cool stuff and plants it is like going to a tropical paradise. Simply out of beat with time locked away from hustle and bustle. They play soothing ocean sounds as you meander around. This is the clsoset any one get to a California beach effect in this area.

On a second thought, does any one rememeber what ever became of J Larkin's wild beach club on Nasa Rd one in the 80's??? That was our major party pad then there was "Band on the Lake" at the new Hilton (now famous for running over deadbeat husband's) ala Carla Harris. Just reminicising...

We would go to larkins on fridays in the '90s for 50 cent drinks from 8-10, when all of the bartenders played in The Hunger, we would drink our fill then stumble over to Molly's and drink beer the rest of the night. Larkins got torn dowan and a Krogers I think and a strip center were rebuilt, Clear Lake has never had any really good nite life, Diggers, Betty B's, no place really last I guess molly's has been there for years

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  • 11 years later...
On 8/1/2006 at 5:13 PM, TheNiche said:

I have heard that as well but do not believe it. "Flowing" water cannot be "clear" in this part of Texas. The sediment is too fine and erodes too easily. Moreover, sewage treatment plants are regulated so as to put out water that is theoretically safe to drink (although I personally won't take that gamble). At the very least, it isn't brown water.

I will believe that the water used to be clearer than it is today (because of channelization of inlets and the resulting tidal effects), but I seriously doubt that it was ever clear.

As a general rule of thumb, rivers south of the Brazos are clear/green and rivers east of the Brazos are red/brown. It all has to do with the kind of sediment that they carry.

Yes "clearer" is the word, I grew up in Seabrook, still live in Seabrook and the old timers have said that oyster reefs changed after the first dredging of the Houston ship channel, Houston ship channel had a very narrow width so ships did what my boss called "the Texas Chicken" when passing each other.. I worked at Henry's Seafood on the point as a kid late 70's and early '80's.. everyone thinks the water was polluted by industrial traffic but it wasn't its brown from silting 

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6 hours ago, Pyrotek40 said:

Yes "clearer" is the word, I grew up in Seabrook, still live in Seabrook and the old timers have said that oyster reefs changed after the first dredging of the Houston ship channel, Houston ship channel had a very narrow width so ships did what my boss called "the Texas Chicken" when passing each other.. I worked at Henry's Seafood on the point as a kid late 70's and early '80's.. everyone thinks the water was polluted by industrial traffic but it wasn't its brown from silting 

I doubt many of the old timers were around in 1914 or so when the channel was first dredged. One of the bigger causes of the loss of oyster reefs was uncontrolled dredging of the reefs for road building material. In Baytown, until the 70's, many of the side streets were oyster shell, and this was the case for many towns on the coast.

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