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You know, I don't post here too often, but this film is one that I had wanted to see for some time. I had hoped that with my comments, we could engage in some rational and intelligent dialog regarding a subject that has been around for generations, and one that is a part of Houston's rich history. Instead, you remark cynically about one aspect of why the residents of the neighborhood made the decision to leave, and another poster simply wants to point out a mistake I made in the name of the Bayou. Not very engaging.

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You know, I don't post here too often, but this film is one that I had wanted to see for some time. I had hoped that with my comments, we could engage in some rational and intelligent dialog regarding a subject that has been around for generations, and one that is a part of Houston's rich history. Instead, you remark cynically about one aspect of why the residents of the neighborhood made the decision to leave, and another poster simply wants to point out a mistake I made in the name of the Bayou. Not very engaging.

saying that families didn't have a/c so they had to go outside at night and as a result caused unrest and vandalism isn't being rational IMO.

Edited by musicman
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Well, I am not sure that many people's statements in the film would be considered rational by today's standards. But, if you were paying attention during the film, you would not that what I said was a direct statement by one of the residents who was being interviewed in the film. IMO - I actually think their concern was a valid one. Think about it; what if the same scenario happened in your neighborhood?

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Well, I am not sure that many people's statements in the film would be considered rational by today's standards. But, if you were paying attention during the film, you would not that what I said was a direct statement by one of the residents who was being interviewed in the film. IMO - I actually think their concern was a valid one. Think about it; what if the same scenario happened in your neighborhood?

many of the original homes didn't have a/c either yet there was no vandalism. from what i remember, some in the film said when the apartments came in so did their problems. i guess my confusion was that when i asked you the question you answered yes. my apologies.

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A write-up from Ms. Gray in the chronicle:

Two decades after Schwarz released his film, much of the Riverside he knew was gone. From my car, he pointed out new townhouse complexes. He noticed for-sale signs.

The new block-busting isn't particularly racial. It's more economic and physical: The grand old houses are disappearing, replaced mainly by nondescript townhouses and lot-swallowing McMansions. The neighborhood is becoming both richer and uglier.

Roseneath, among the neighborhood's loveliest streets, has been busted. On har.com, Riverside's most expensive house for sale is on Roseneath: a Mediterranean-ish behemoth, complete with a home gym and hair salon, listed at $1.5 million. And a block from the site of the Bourgins' rancho, a sturdy-looking two-story house

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Actually, the A/C issue regarding a large house from that era as a one-family dwelling vs. the same structure split up into apartments would make sense, depending on how the spaces were divided. If the original building was constructed for cross-ventilation and suddenly a dividing wall cut it off, it might not be pretty inside. Even homes built here with cross-ventilation in mind had screened-in sleeping porches for deep summer nights. Not that such would justify vandalism, but it would definitely send people outside. When I spent childhood summers with my grandparents in Brownsville in the 60's-early 70's, a number of the houses I played at had no A/C, or just one window unit in the bedroom or living room. Many families would eat dinner outside on the front porch with the TV (B&W, of course!) pulled near the door where everyone could see it.

My sister went to school with a girl who lived at 2615 Riverside for years and says there were window units in the 60's, but remembers the house as always feeling cool whether any were on or not; maybe even a little damp. House is still there, according to HCAD & LiveSearch. My sister told me that the first time she spent the night, she saw some closed doors and asked what they led to - her friend shrugged and said she'd never been in there??!! To a girl living in a 2-bedroom Montrose duplex, it was like she'd walked into Collinwood or something. :lol:

Edited by Native Montrosian
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Thanks Sevfiv for the article, above, that's one for my files. Hard to believe the house on the cover page is gone, design looked spectacular. At least somewhere, as for many homes, there is an architect's blueprint ...better than "nothing" left. Many "architectural- illiterate" people just don't get it, don't understand the total design aspects of a neighborhood. "One of these things just doesn't belong here" comes to mind. I'm so discouraged to hear this happening. :(

Speaking of Collinwood, I love bad Barnabas & campy Dark Shadows, thought he was too scaaarrry when I was little.

Edited by NenaE
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What's funny is that UT tried to encroach further into the neighborhood with a psychiatric outpatient center earlier this decade. I remember the man in the blue shirt in the film suggested if the community owned the land, that wouldn't have happened. Well, in this case, UT claimed "imminent domain" and bought the Wright Morrow property on S. MacGregor. The 5 story complex would have been an eyesore and brought more traffic into the neighborhood. We fought it, because there were a few well documented incidents of escaped hospital patients running though the neighborhood, including one who swam across the bayou twice and got arrested almost in our back yard. UT finally relented and decided to place the property in the TMC "proper". It was a double edged sword though, UT sold the property to a developer who tore down the historic Wright Morrow mansion and started construction on some "luxury townhomes" starting at $500,000. In the past few months however, construction on the units has stalled, leaving an unsightly, weed grown property surrounded by a chain link fence containing freshly laid roads and water lines sprouting out of the ground.

This pisses me off. The exterior of that mansion was glorious and the property's location quite advantageous. I truly hope that they haven't abandoned the project completely given what they've destroyed in the process.

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I was unable to stay for the 3 hr. 10 min. documentary but had my husband drop me off (as he circled the MFAH) in order to buy a copy. Unfortunately, I was told, the DVD would not go on sale until after the documentary had aired and then later (the following week) in the MFAH gift store. A man heard me and introduced himself as 'Jon Schwartz,' to which I immediately replied "you're the director!" He very graciously offered to retrieve a copy from his car parked nearby if I wanted to purchase one then instead of later. I waited on a bench for his return and he asked me to hide it in my purse since it was not supposed to be available yet. I was absolutely delighted to comply and asked everyone for a Sharpie so he could sign my DVD. We chatted for only a second as the documentary was about to begin, shook hands and I left feeling great about my accomplishment. B)

What a very nice man! He made my month.

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  • 10 months later...

I noticed some new construction as I drove up Montrose today. It was on the east side of the street between Bartlett and Barkdull. It looked like they were tearing up a parking lot. It might have something to do with the religious school around there. Any ideas?

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I noticed some new construction as I drove up Montrose today. It was on the east side of the street between Bartlett and Barkdull. It looked like they were tearing up a parking lot. It might have something to do with the religious school around there. Any ideas?

The MFAH is resurfacing/expanding the Glassell School parking lot. Nothing too exciting.

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  • 1 year later...

I was at the MFAH yesterday looking at the Ife exhibit and got into a conversation with one of the attendants. She told me about a new MFAH wing/building slated to start construction in early-2011. I hadn't heard this before.

According to her, the new facility will house modern and contemporary art. When I expressed surprise about this - given that the CAM is right there - she indicated that the CAM didn't "want to play ball" so the MFAH is going forward with this plan.

The purported site is next to the Presbyterian church - where the surface lot across Binz now stands.

Can anyone confirm this? Sorry if I'm behind the times. I didn't see this posted anywhere else...

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Does this have anything to do with the Duncan Family Wing? If so, it's already being discussed in another thread.

What did she mean they didn't want to play ball? They wanted them involved somehow, did she say?

The Duncan Family Wing is at HMNS. I would venture a guess this new MFAH wing might carry the Glassell name since an enormous share of Alfred Glassel Jr's estate - about $200 million, I believe - went to the MFAH.

I don't know what the "playing ball" issue is either. The CAM is committed to be a non-collecting entity. Housing the MFAH's collection might have felt like an infringement on their mission and their independence.

Edited by Porchman
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It is far more than just rumor, but also seems unlikely that construction would be starting early next year. Here is a quote from the MFAH's 2008-2009 Annual Report:

The Long-Range Planning Committee . . . directed the planning of a new building

for conservation and storage. This facility will replace the

current MFAH storage and support buildings, which are

no longer adequate for housing the increasing volume of

the permanent collections. Final plans will be completed

during the next fiscal year.

This committee also continued its search for an architect

to design the new museum building for modern and contemporary

art. The curatorial staff has worked intensely on broad

ideas for the program of this future facility. Our goal is to

select the architect and to begin the design process in the

next fiscal year.

The "next fiscal year" to which they refer would have ended on June 30, 2010. So, with their "goal" being to select an architect and begin the design process during that year, it seems quite unlikely that they would be ready to start construction in early 2011, especially since there has been no word of the selection of an architect, let alone a capital campaign to fund the construction.

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  • 1 month later...

It's nice that the New York Times did a big piece on him. A good recognition of his work and the stature of the Houston arts community.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/arts/design/12marzio.html?_r=1

Mr. Marzio became the director of the Houston museum in 1982, after serving as the director and chief executive of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington. He proved to be a dynamic force, equally adept at raising money, attracting important donations and identifying new artistic territory for the museum to explore in its exhibitions and acquisitions.
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