barracuda

Keep in mind that a wood door need to be varnished every 6 months or so if you want it to last awhile (and even more often if it's fully exposed to the elements). I've neglected to keep mine varnished regularly, but it still looks okay since it's set back and rarely gets wet from the rain.

So is this the north or south side of Gray? That intersection is already a homeless hangout. Perhaps with this building, they will stay inside rather than sit on the sidewalks in makeshift camps (with their trash strewn about).

Let's make the homeless useful and send them to Iraq

It seems odd to me that for people living in Midtown, where $300k+ townhomes are the norm, the primary concern when grocery shopping is saving a couple cents on cans of vegetables. I've never found Randalls to be more expensive than Kroger if you use a free Randalls card, but maybe there are some unusual items I don't buy. I like the Midtown Randalls for the sake of convenience. The amount of money spent on fuel would outweigh any savings, at least for me.

People are passionate about their grocery stores! Who knew... I've never noticed Randalls to be that expensive, especially when it comes to Organic products. They beat Kroger and Whole Foods hands down when it comes to the O Organics brand. They don't have much organic produce though, which is why I make occasional trips to Whole Foods... I certainly hope they don't close down the Midtown store, it's so convenient and always busy.

Yes, it is getting overbuilt, at least in terms of townhomes. I'm afraid it's going to be another townhome ghetto. 30 townhomes seems like way too many for that block.

No, the Galleria area is about 50-60 feet above sea level. I don't think a subway will ever be built in Houston due to the cost. However, the light rail should eventually reach the area.

I'm highly doubtful but hopeful the developer includes some retail in that block, like a book store or coffee shop. This side of midtown needs something besides more randomly designed 3-story townhomes. Right now, there's really nothing within walking distance around here...even the post office on Crawford/Hadley is distribution only.

This seems to happen regularly. I don't think it's coming from downtown though, as it seems to come from southeast of downtown. I think UH may have a fireworks display after games at Robertson Stadium at their Central Campus (45 and Spur 5). Sometimes I hear marching bands preceed the fireworks. I've only noticed it happen on Friday and Saturday nights. It's really loud whatever it is.

Maybe we could offer a bunch of homeless folks free grub or a few bucks a day to stand outside and protest.

It is a total waste of space. The horrific CVS on Gray/Bagby is only a mile away. It would make sense to build more stores if they were building walkable, urban-style buildings. But CVS clearly has no interest in doing so in Midtown, despite the wishes of the local community. I only hope the next few dozen CVS stores in Midtown aren't as hideous as the store on Gray. That won't be a very inviting for the folks riding the light rail. It's amazing how short-sighted this company is.

So let me understand. You're uncle received $6 million for his permit, and yet you can't afford to buy a king crab? Tell your uncle to share the wealth!!! A quick look on "the internets" discovered that the king crab industry peaked around 1980 and then the bottom fell out, possibly due to over-catching or maybe even natural cycles. As a result, regulations were put into place to safeguard the remaining populations of king crab. Today, king crab populations remain steady as a result of the regulations, although they have never recovered to the 1980 peak levels. My take on this is that I'd prefer the preservation of the king crab, even if it means a more expensive dining experience, rather than the wholesale slaughter and eventual extinction of the species. Way to go EPA!

I think the goal of the Bush administration is to make it increasingly more difficult for the EPA to perform its job. No rational person can support this administration's disdain for science, whether that person works for a chemical company or an environmental firm. I can understand the perspectives of both sides and the need for solutions that are acceptable to both, but dismantling the EPA won't help anyone. I don't think this has anything to do with reducing the budget deficit. Today's deficit tally stands at a frightening $8,571,721,847,212, so the $100 million cut does nothing but showcase the blatant disregard this administration has for actually running the government. There is an interesting article at Salon that looks at some of the effects of these cuts (Brownout at the EPA) "Adds Dwight Welch, a union official who represents EPA employees, "The closures seem like part of a general trend of hostility towards science by this administration. They don't want to hear the facts on everything from global warming to raising drinking water standards."

I agree. Why do we need the Republican-created EPA? Corporations should be left to their own devices and not have to concern themselves with environmental regulation. Nobody has ever really been harmed by pollution anyway. Hey, I don't mind a little DDT on my produce, lead in my gas, sludge in my drinking water, or PCBs in my seafood. Why does the EPA have to ban these things??? It's just big liberal government wasting our tax dollars, as usual. With Bush's track record, I'm sure these cuts will be hugely successful in protecting our corporations for years to come.

I agree. The (1) 25' setback and (2) requirement to provide off-stree parking explain a lot in terms of the suburban development in Midtown. Fixing these should be top priorities on the redevelopment authority. If they can't change the restrictions b/c doing so would constitute zoning, then let Midtown residents vote on it, and I'm sure people would vote overwhelmingly to eliminate them in favor of urban development.

SoCal is not exactly a pedestrian paradise. L.A. is like a bigger version of Houston. L.A. has fewer trees, but it does have a few large hills, though you rarely see them b/c of the pollution or morning fog. At least that's how it was the few months I spent there. Houston has much better food and more bearable traffic, IMO. I think Houston will feel somewhat familiar, except you may be shocked by the suffocating heat in the summer, but also by how much more you can get for your money here. I suggest Midtown or Montrose for convenience and at least a smidgen of character. Uptown is nice and sterile and feels very new, but it's too commercial feeling for me, and it has the worst traffic in the city. Downtown still lacks amenities like grocery stores, but it's getting better and it's your best choice for true loft living. You'd be close to Minute Maid Park and the Toyota Center, as well as all the performing arts centers and the Angelika theater. The trails along Allen Parkway run through downtown now, so you can bike, run, etc. along the bayou easily from downtown. Most of the Katrina evacuees migrated to the southwest part of town in an area called Sharpstown. Most of the crime that migrated from New Orleans has been isolated to a few apartment complexes in that area. I live in Midtown, and although I've never experienced any theft or crime, there is the occasional homeless person walking around begging for money. There's also a friendly string of homeless camps beneath the Pierce elevated that separates Midtown from Downtime to welcome you when passing through. Welcome to Houston.

I use Southland Hardware on Westheimer. It's between Sheperd and Dunlavy. I'd rather shop there for basic things. Home Depot and Lowes are so big it's hard to find things.

Please, it's embarassing enough having people think our airport is named after him. Let Dallas have it!

Sad news. Although their selection has waned recently, it was better than the megastores that censor the music they sell (like Wal-Mart). Now Soundwaves is all that's left of the independents. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3634291.html On a blue note Cactus' closing is another thorn for fans of independent music stores By MICHAEL D. CLARK Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Cactus Music & Video, one of the few remaining large independent music retailers in the country, will switch off its neon lights for good March 31. The store, on the corner of West Alabama and South Shepherd, wasn't specifically done in by a nationwide music industry slump or rent increases or the usual stimuli for a business shuttering. After more than 40 years of selling music, owners Bud and Don Daily, both in their 70s, decided to retire. (click on link for full article) *merged with existing topic - edited out copyrighted material* dbigtex56

That's the point of Whole Foods. People shop there to buy healthy natural, healthy products. I would bet that most WF shoppers do use razors, they just buy them somewhere else.

I don't think getting a Whold Foods in Midtown is realistic for at least another couple of years as more development ensues. But I think it's possible long-term, especially along one of the major downtown-midtown roads like Fannin, as it could get a lot of rush hour traffic plus pedestrian traffic from the rail and area residents. The problem might be the lack of business during the weekend. Also, I've noticed the quality at Midtown Randalls has increased quite a bit lately. Their fresh bakery breads are awesome, and they started carrying a lot of house-brand organic products. They still need to offer more organic produce however.

I hope this megawalk idea is just a joke. It is, right? Plastic, maybe you shouldn't leave the confines of your cozy house. You might accidentlally experience the world outside. I nominate megawalk as the worst idea of 2006.

It appears to be on the triangluar piece of land just north of Post Property. It would abut the side road that goes alongside the freeway and turns into Bagby. I drove by recently and noticed the land being cleared.

Great photographs! Thanks.

Uptown is great for shopping, but it doesn't offer the urban, pedestrian-friendly environment that Downtown has. Downtown just needs more development, especially some residential towers and street-level retail. It's improving (albeit, slower than we'd like). http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/m...politan/3322833