barracuda

The multitasking of apps is much better (double-tap and swipe up to close). Also nice is the ability to require a passcode only after a certain amount of inactivity. I changed mine to 15 minutes so I'm not constantly having to reenter a passcode if I was just using it a minute ago. Overall the interface is a lot sleeker and more consistent.

The big brick box at 1111 Studewood is expected to be completed by year end: 2-year construction nears an end for Heights lofts.

There are still a handful of affordable garden-style apartments closer to the Museum district just south of 59 (between Montrose and Graustark). Like the others said, check the yard signs as most of them don't advertise.

Not necessarily. There are property tax exemptions for homeowners over-65 as well as for surviving spouses. The over-65 exemption can be significant over time, since the school taxes are capped unless the homeowner makes improvements to the home. I have a couple elderly neighbors on my block who were capped years ago when property values were far less, and their overall tax rate is now a fraction (e.g. - 1/6) of those with only a homestead exemption.

For those of us who fly United frequently, it may be a good thing if this merger is blocked, or else we lose a Star Alliance member. US Airways is often my backup domestic airline in the event of exorbitantly priced UA flights, since I still get elite benefits and FFMs. Plus, I don't think consolidating more airlines can possibly lead to better airfares.

It'll be interesting to see if anyone still feels this way about walking or mass transit when the local population doubles or triples in size.

So only one street in Houston has high particulate pollution, and that's due to a high degree of truck traffic? It sounds like we're doing quite well then since the problem is isolated away from where most folks live.

Who's vision for the area? According to HCAD records, McDonald's real estate corporation owns the property for the location at Westheimer and Commonwealth. They seem to do a steady business at that location. I don't see how it relates to the closing and demo of a nearby Wendy's franchise location that seemed to be empty most of the time.

To add to Red's point, California cities make appearances 29 times on a list of the 75 most polluted cities by the American Lung Association. Houston shows up once, under ozone, and so does almost every other large city that experiences warm summer weather (New York, LA, Philadelphia, D.C., Dallas, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and San Diego, for example). L.A. is in the top 5 most polluted list for every category. I certainly will always want cleaner air and believe there is room for improvement, but there seems to be a big discrepancy between the perception and reality of our air quality. It would be interesting to see a study on pollution-related respiratory issues for Houston versus other cities to back up your claim. Chances are that these folks you speak of will be worse off in most other large cities based on the ALA data.

Judging from the number of people now doing CM in the summer, the heat isn't an obstacle for many people.

Maybe because they're two independent businesses?

I'm still baffled by these decisions. The ordinance clearly states that HAHC shall issue a certificate of appropriateness for additions taller than the existing roof structure so long as: a. The addition does not encroach into the front half of the existing structure, measured from the front facade of the existing structure to the farthest point of the rear of the existing structure from the front facade b. The plate height of the addition does not exceed 1.25 times the plate height of the existing structure; and c. The roof of the new addition does not deviate from the roof pitch of the existing structure. There are other requirements regarding materials, etc., but nowhere does it state a 67% or 75% setback from the front. It's as if the HAHC is imagining new rules on the fly rather than following their own rulebook. If they want to change the ordinance, they should put it to a real vote. It's not as if drawing up architectural plans is cheap; people need to know exactly what to expect to ensure a smooth and quick approval process. Otherwise, let's nullify this ordinance and disband the HAHC.

The skyline view is clearly a selling feature of the house on Dart. That said, that area is very transitional, and most of the new neighbors are moderately-priced town homes that are nowhere near the $1.5M range. You said that ground-level views are very important. Well, the house on Dart house overlooks a parking lot surrounded by a barbed wire fence. That and the high price relative to the neighborhood are probably the reasons it is still on the market.

As mentioned earlier, 22 Waugh is an existing address. So unless something is changing, this is the location. http://goo.gl/maps/0NQZj

The only problem with that line of argument is that it can be applied across pretty much any establishment. The Heights is in the middle of a large city filled with redundant businesses. No one needs more retailers or restaurants, but many people will be happy to have them close by.

The street view matters in the case of bungalows with front porches facing the street. However, 515 Ridge street is walled off from Ridge street like a fortress. As such, I doubt the view at ground level makes much difference for those interested in this house.

In other news, an average of 25 children die annually by suffocating on plastic bags. Both problems are easily fixed by parental guidance or washing in the case of reusable bags.

In the spirit of the historic ordinance, I think it'd be preferable to buy a Victorian-era steam train for the trip to Walmart and back, with mule drawn carriages as backup in case the steam engine breaks down.

I could be wrong and am not suggesting this is a well thought-out law, but it's likely those full-time D. C. school maintenance and custodial employees making $11.75 also receive good government benefits that trump the benefits available to Walmart employees who would make $12.50.

Thanks...oddly enough I was recently wondering how we compared to L.A. after seeing their skyline flyover on some TV show. Downtown L.A. looks really sparse from some directions, such as this one:

These are great examples of how additions should be done. From my perspective, the exterior physical materials are less relevant to making the house "historic" than the style and proportion of the house. The biggest problem with the historic ordinance is that it forces additions to take on strange and ridiculous camelback proportions that would never have been built when the homes were originally constructed. On the other hand, these additions are far less noticeable and don't stick out like a sore thumb. Even better, they provide a house with better flow and allow the homeowners to preserve more yard space by centering the house rather than pushing most of the addition awkwardly to the back yard.

I think part of the reason is that positive press tens to snowball until every rag that publishes a "best cities for ___" list wants to include them. Portland has focused on things like green space and biking trails and received kudos for those. Of course, you probably won't see Portland on lists touting racial/ethic diversity or great places to find a job. Charlotte could have similar metrics and in fact be more practical and affordable, but it isn't considered cool and doesn't have the press mindshare that Portland has.

I count at least six of those transportation options available in Houston. Your comments seem at odd with each other...we need density in order to justify more mass transit options, yet you oppose projects that increase density.

On the surface, it doesn't look like they are singling out Walmart, but then there is a grandfather period for existing big-box stores whereas the Walmarts would be new. Living wages for larger employers is an interesting idea, particularly if it helps shift the burden for social safety nets from taxpayers back to corporations like Walmart that have plenty of profit to share with their employees. I'm certainly not a fan of subsidizing the tax system so corporations can eke out more profits while putting their employees on food stamps. On the other hand, this kind of law puts the enforcing municipality at a disadvantage to neighbors with no living wage policy.

It may just be an illusion, but the far side of the grove (north-west side) appears to go slightly higher than the other side in the rendering.