barracuda

I have to agree, I would think most people are capable of making it through the guided crosswalk at Alabama. There are literally six restaurants, two bars and the Continental Club within a couple blocks. The area is very walkable, and steps away from a light rail station.

Also, it's worth noting that plenty of residential buildings in Manhattan also lack ground-level retail...this isn't strictly a Houston phenomenon.

I wonder what all the Walmart employees who had their health insurance canceled last year think of this.

I think the best defense against becoming a "bum hangout" is for the park to be actively and frequently used. I've noticed the occasional bum or two at many inner-loop parks (Baldwin Park, Hermann, Eleanor Tinsley, White Oak/Stude, etc.), but these parks are all fairly active, and I wouldn't consider them bum hangouts.

I find bums to be less of an inconvenience than groups of people who walk side-by-side and block 90% of the sidewalk, even when others are trying to get by. I bet there will be more of those people using this park than bums.

If rush-hour traffic has increased on Yale and Heights Blvd, I would suspect much of it is due to folks shifting their driving pattern to avoid Studemont. But I haven't noticed any notable traffic problems in the area, other than the occasional train blocking Heights Blvd and a few construction-related lane closures.

My rental house is in the historic district, and it had no change in its 2012 market value per hcad. My actual house I live in is out of the historic district and its appraised value rose $137,000...the only "improvement" done to my house was a $38,000 pool - so roughly $99,000 is appreciation out of the district, while the well maintained shack we rent saw zero change.

Ouch, that is going to be a big tax increase for you, but I assume you will fight it.

I would note that HCAD values don't necessarily equate to market value. My HCAD appraisals have been all over the map since living here. As of right now, my HCAD appraisal is 10% below market value, and a neighbor of mine has their home listed for 67% more than their 2012 HCAD appraisal. Even if they sell for below list, there is quite a discrepancy.

I'm pretty sure I heard the boom from the demolition in the Heights.

All the Sam's Clubs in the area are located along freeways outside the loop. There is probably less of a market for bunker-sized packaging in most parts of the loop due to demographics and limited storage space.

That said, there are some large parcels near NW Mall along 610 that might be ideal for a Sam's Club. Or, perhaps they could buy the land from the Emes Place developer, turn it into a Sam's Club, and connect it to I-10 over the bayou.

Many of the trails are repaved, its looking good and being utilized heavily.

I saw some construction on the bayou by downtown, not sure if its part of the Master Plan (they don't show anything east of the Sabine Street bridge in an renderings I've seen). It appears they are building some sort of bridge or structure at bayou level, very close to where Capitol/Rusk/45 goes over the bayou. I didn't have my phone on me but next time I'll take a pic.

Anyone know what's going on over there?

There is already a bike/pedestrian bridge nearby. I'd be surprised if they were building a second so close.

http://goo.gl/maps/gSLKz

What'd be nice is a separate bridge near UH to connect the Heights Bike Trail to downtown, but I don't see anything in the plan. Right now, you have to use Main, which is under construction, or cut over to Milam (high-speed I-10 freeway exit) or Fannin.

http://goo.gl/maps/qw7b9

I caution everybody to take a look at the fabulous renderings of High Street, BLVD Place and most famously the Embassy Suites downtown that turned out to be one ugly ass building despite what the renderings showed. I LOVE this building but I was always cautioned growing up to believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.

It would funny if the develop put a cheap, ugly beige dome on top of this building, similar to the one on Embassy Suites, just to mess with people. I could see this becoming a trend.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/07/05/tidbits3.html

The tIme horizon is 30 years. It's a place she would live in for a while and then rent out until the mortgage is paid. I'm curious why you think the returns would be higher than the west side. Baldwin Park already seems built out. I don't know what else is going to make it much better. The light rail will bring in a constant flow of vagrants. Also, the neighborhoods on the other side of 59 aren't going anywhere soon. Don't get me wrong, the area looks nice. I just wonder how any of the current problems will go away.

As a former resident of the area, I'd be hesitant to buy a town home as an investment property. Not only are many of that area's town homes nearing a cycle of large maintenance expenses (replacing roofs, AC systems, water heaters, appliances, etc.), but I'd also worry about the construction quality in many of these town homes. I'd also consider the fact that many of the owners are first-time home buyers who often have no clue how to repair or maintain things. If it's a 3-story townhouse, some exterior maintenance and repairs may require a professional, unless your girlfriend carries around a 40-ft ladder and is comfortable climbing it.

The biggest problem I have with townhouse complexes is being dependent on adjoining neighbors to maintain or improve their homes. As more owners rent their units out, it becomes more difficult to maintain and upgrade the homes cohesively (exterior cleaning, repainting, re-roofing, etc.). And as Brian mentioned, the HOAs don't collect enough dues to handle large expenses, and getting all the owners on board for these items is a challenge.

In terms of renting the unit out, keep in mind that property taxes and HOA fees could make it difficult to turn a rental profit, unless she has a large down-payment to bring the mortgage + escrow payments + HOA fees + maintenance expense below the rental value of the property. Even in a tight rental market, it's tough to turn a profit on a townhouse (or any house) unless you bought it years ago or buy in a depressed market where home prices are low relative to rental prices. Note that you can't claim a homestead exemption for a rental property you don't live in.

From a livability standpoint, I find the area to be mixed. It is extremely close to the CBD and not too far from the Medical Center, and of course Montrose, the Museum District, and lots of great restaurants. Freeway access is excellent, but it is in the core of freeway congestion. Walkability is good in some respects, but just okay in others, as there are many wide roads in and out of the CBD that one must traverse. The area is very accessible by bicycle, and it's easy to head into downtown or areas like the east end or Buffalo Bayou park from the area.

And in terms of safety, I don't think the area is particularly bad. Yes, there are homeless folks perusing the area on a regular bases, but the ones I met were harmless and even friendly if you acknowledged them. But I know some people are uncomfortable around homeless folks, and I suspect that doesn't help property values. In terms of crime, I did have planter pots stolen from inside the gated area behind my house one time. I also has someone run into my garage to steel some random tools and a cheap bike pump, who then bolted and dropped half his loot when I casually walked out of the door and noticed him. But that's only two petty incidents over a 7 year period that I lived there. I never felt unsafe in the area and don't recall any significant crimes ever occurring among my immediate neighbors. Of course, most of the complexes are fortified with gates and alarm systems.

That would be the old Central Bank building.

http://www.houstonar...l-square-plaza/

I bicycled by the Sawyer Target last weekend and was surprised by the amount of traffic. Folks were circling the parking lot looking for spaces for Target and the surrounding strip mall stores. If this is any indication, the new Walmart development should probably do pretty well.

Both shopping centers do seem focused primarily on retail chains, but maybe something unique will pop up on account of the revenue potential. What I really wish is that Fadi's, Crave, and a good Indian restaurant would decide to setup shop there so I wouldn't have to drive across town. But I'll keep my expectations low for now to avoid disappointment.

City spends $6 million creates 300 jobs, $20k per job, not bad.....compared to our current federal government sticking us for $400,000 per job.....http://finance.townh...,000/page/full/

The first line in the Chronicle article indicates 250 new jobs will be created, so it's really $24,000 per job.

The article you linked to is a little misleading. Out of the $787B stimulus package, $288B were tax cuts and $224B were to extend various benefits, and $275B was designated for job creation. Using the same CBO estimates of 1.4 million to 4 million "full time equivalent" jobs created by the stimulus, the job stimulus cost was more like $196,429 to $68,750 per job.

To make the comparison even more accurate, I'd want to know how many of those Walmart jobs will be full time, and whether these new associates will make a living wage so they can avoid relying on government entitlement programs for basic needs.

We just pulled ahead by 50 votes.

A cunning plan, no doubt. Using the 11th, which serves as the demarcation between the Forbidden Zone and the Deeded South, will allow transit to go unnoticed until engaging the Germantown defenses at the weakest point. Their only retreat will be via the Quitman aqueduct into the hinterlands of the Fifth Ward. However, can you count on the Woodland Heights Reichstag to remain neutral? After all, they are ancestral brothers, and Germantown is actively being courted to join the Axis of Preservation and Self Righteousness. Such a move would curry favor with the High Priestess of Regulatory Land, and when the fog of war clears you may find her wantonly gazing eastward. And then your only defense will be the Wal-mart Castle and its ramparts of non-conformity.

Fortunately for you, there is backup nearby in the form of 20 other Walmart Castles yielding sizable supporters inside or near the perimeter of the belt-shire. Due to their loyal support of the Walmart Castles, the help of local parliament and their bags of taxpayer gold, and the backing of the $446B Royal Empire of Walmart, this invasion will likely be victorious. Perhaps it would be wise to conform with the status quo now and begin practicing your Walmart cheer, or else you may be deemed a traitor and denied your ration of Dr. Thunder.

I'm sure. No one from the Heights would be caught dead at the new Wal-Mart, they'll just send the nanny.

* Tip * Always grab a few extra bulk bags at Whole Foods. They're great for pouring in Wal-Mart brand granola.

I always get a kick out of these conflicting stereotypes. None of my immediate neighbors have nannies and many of them are of very moderate incomes. Nobody on my street had any anti-Walmart signs in their yards. But if we're going to stereotype, I will bet that many of the McMansionaires with families living in the unrestricted portions have nannies.

Such as?

Name one compelling difference between Target and Walmart.

The only thing I can think of is that when I was a kid I used to love the smell of their popcorn when my mom would drag me to Target.

People are entitled to their personal preferences, whether they are related to ambiance, merchandise, politics, etc. My father likes shopping at Walmart because his sole concern is bottom-line, yet my mother much prefers shopping at Target because she thinks they have nicer merchandise. Personally, I don't think Target is superior to Walmart, in fact, I credit Walmart for some of the progressive moves they've made as a result of the opposition they encounter when trying to build in urban environments.

I stopped shopping at Target a year or so ago because I realized I hate the feel of the place (fluorescent lights and glaring red colors everywhere) and because their CEO donates to right wing anti-gay and anti-immigrant groups. Not that I ever shopped there much to begin with. Even though I occasionally shop at Home Depot, I rarely go to Lowes. Go figure. Other than HD, I don't really shop at big-box retailers. I'm also not likely to shop at the Yale St. Walmart development, but I'm not one of the folks trying futilely to stop them.

The problem is they feature all of these items in a building that does not have the Target logo outside. Wal-Mart needs to move their HQ's to Portland or Williamsburg, NY if they ever want to be left alone.

I'm sure that is exactly the problem and that there are absolutely no sensible reasons why a person would not shop at Walmart.

Maybe they can offer discounted ticket prices to the needy with the catch that they have corporate logos tattooed to the forehead. After all, it's not a good deed if you don't flaunt it, right?

^ Might be difficult; Amazon only shows 10,224 results for 'battery fan'.

I stand corrected Red, it wouldn't be a Starbucks coffee. That whole group HATES anything that isn't a mom and pop shop. While I do tend to patron the local businesses, I don't try to prevent other businesses from moving into the Heights as they historically (and hysterically) have done in the past. What really irks me is how they try to tar and feather anyone who doesn't agree with them and label us anti-preservation when in fact, we are the true preservationists because we actually do things that will preserve our homes and keep them from the wrecking ball as opposed to the dilapidated structures they occupy. I don't have an ugly humpback and never will. I have tried to undo the ugly that was done as upgrades to my house in the 80's. I want a cute little bungalow but it does need maintenance and updating to make it livable for the 21st century. If you have driven by some of the homes owned by this group, you would see that they are in terrible shape and appear to be owned by people who think that keeping a home historically original also means they don’t have to maintain it. They are the eyesores of the neighborhood, not the new development.

The best way to preserve a Heights bungalow is to update the kitchen and baths, add some closets, a master suite, make it a bit more energy efficient, and replace the old rotting siding with Hardi. Instead of recognizing what truly saves these homes, they have decided the best way to preserve them is to prevent homeowners from making any changes that make sense through governmental regulation.

All of those changes should be doable under the current ordinance. I've done many of them myself to my restricted 1920's bungalow, albeit mine is listed as non-contributing (I guess because it's too well maintained and too up-to-date). If the HAHC disapproves the use of Hardi siding, I'd like to know where in the ordinance this is stated. I also wonder how many HAHC commission members could tell the difference between painted Hardi and wood siding if they had to. Well, they might notice that the Hardi siding it isn't rotting or infested with termites.

Consequently, the bungalows get sold to developers and wa-la, you get the gigantic humpback. We were doing just dandy without their help. Now all this makes me want to do is sell my house and tear down one not in the district and NEVER have another historic anything. They turned me from a preservationist, who spent their weekends soaking door hinges in paint stripper, into someone who doesn’t give a flip about preserving a thing. I would rather live in a cardboard box than buy another house that has the potential to be limited by this type of small minded mentality particularly when they are the type of folks you so eloquently described. I guess I'm just not a "Golden Age" thinker...

I agree that some of these rules only encourage bad design. I cringe every time I see a gigantic humpback, especially if it's on a corner lot where it can't be hidden. I don't see anything wrong with building up or out in a manner that maintains the consistency and flushness with the original structure and allows a modicum of backyard. Humpbacks look like someone just played Tetris with their house, and the pieces don't quite match up.

Yeah, it looks all neat and orderly there because that is the open area. Behind me in that photograph are the AC duct runs, which, although hung from the rafters, will still make it hard to simply roll the insulation out as I did in the photo. Today was noticeably warmer. I had to quit before noon, whereas yesterday I laid insulation until 1:00 pm.

It is good to hear that you got such good results from your retrofit. I toyed with putting insulation in my walls, but since the HAHC is refusing to allow replacement of siding...and I refuse to do it from the inside, or use foam...that is not looking very likely. I hope to get enough results from the attic insulation that it suffices.

There is one other option that I found last night that I had never thought of before. A guy added a false wall inside his house adjacent to his existing wall, and insulated that. In his case, he ended up with double insulated walls at R-30. In my case, it would be R-15, as the exterior wall would still be uninsulated. But, that is better than nothing. In my house, it would reduce square footage by only 38 square feet...hardly noticeable...and I would end up with some nice deep window ledges. Something to think about, and not terribly expensive.

Interesting idea with the false walls, that would provide some heavy-duty insulating.

I had cellulose foam sprayed from the inside walls for mine. It required drilling two quarter-sized holes between every set of studs, and the process is very messy and fills every speck of the house with loads of dust. It's also a pleasant-weather job since you need the windows open to clear the air afterwards. Of course, it required patching, retexturing, and repainting all the affected walls...not a lot of fun. But it was relatively cheap, and like begin in the attic in a hot day, you really appreciate it when it's all done.

Your attic insulation looks very neat and geometric. I added a bunch of insulation to my attic a year ago last winter (on a cold day ), and it looks pretty haphazard, but then again I have to crawl through much tighter spaces to reach mine thanks to a split attic. Prior to adding more insulation, my house would reach 82-83 on a average hot summer afternoon with the AC running continuously, or 85-87 on a really hot day. Now I can easily keep it at 77-78 (even 75-76 if I want) on a 99-degree day like today, and even then it occasionally cycles. Part of this is due to adding wall insulation, which I had professionally done. I suspect last summer would have been unbearable or would've required adding window AC units if not for the added insulation -- so it paid itself off pretty quickly. It's also noticeably quieter in the house. Good luck and stay cool.

That would be Lorraine from Mad TV.

This sounds like another example of putting commuters ahead of residents inside the loop, just like the proposed flyover for Hermann Park.