TonyM

how about offering something else?

I've told a few to get back down to Gray and 59 where the shelters are but they don't seem to listen too well . . .

you guys must be unlucky, or I must be really lucky. I have lived around midtown for the last 8 years, I walk everywhere. No one has ever taken a swing at me, asked me for money more then a few times before getting the picture, or threatened me in any way. The most annoying is when they start with the stories to get money for the bus, but again they always give up in less than a minute. I deal.

Yeah you must be, haha. I still love midtown, it just gets annoying. I walk a lot and even when at home I can't get away from it, I had a bum ring my doorbell and ask for money because he saw me through the window. It just gets frustrating, I don't do bothering them asking for shit, wish they'd extend the same courtesy.

Oddly enough, I did always wonder why some of the black bums never seemed to ask other black people for money. I did get my answer one day at CVS. Whereas most of us just give a quick "no I don't have anything" and carry on, I saw a bum approach a really well built black guy and ask for money. I heard some pretty thundering yelling and cussing, I guess that's why they don't ask hahaha. Just need to be forceful enough.

Much of the lot has been cleared of brush and debris. They've got a bobcat on site as well. We'll see where this goes . . .

I hate the bums in midtown that 'help' you park your car, regardless of how easy it is to fit in a spot, then ask for money to 'protect' it. What a joke.

Yeah they're the worst, it's funny because I just breeze past them on the way to my own home, yet they still want to "help" me park. Idiots . . .

Of course for those coming from outside midtown, what are you to do? You don't give the guy a couple bucks and he points out your car as the one to break into? Lots of broken glass along Pierce/Victor behind Front Porch/Komodo.

As is criticizing vagrants and the sham operations that enable them.

Sure is!

Always love the vagrants that hang out by the entrance to CVS. On my way in the always ask me if I can get them some change while I'm in there to which I reply, "Do you have any for me?" They generally have no answer.

Except for the one who went after my fiancee then claimed I wasn't a "real man" because I wouldn't give him the $3 in change she had in her hand. Apparently working and earning a living is no longer being a "real man" in the progressive, vagrant friendly society we have today . . .

Asking for money is an exercise of free speech. If you're talking about harassment or violence, we have statutes to cover those, and people should report offenses to the police.

Asking for money certainly is free speech, pestering me for money when I'm just trying to enjoy a night out is an annoyance and disgraceful. Especially after I've already answered and made it abundantly clear that I won't be catering to their demand.

As for the militant type bums, HPD couldn't care less, and quite frankly it isn't the police's job to deal with that all the time. My 90lb Chow-Chow almost got a mouthful of the last bum who took a swing at me, HPD certainly wasn't there to protect me.

Point is if people would quite giving these assholes a dollar every time they ask then maybe they'll find somewhere else to panhandle. Some for the charities, if the charities weren't in this area they'd go somewhere else. I've got no issue with the charities at Gray/59 as long as they keep the area in good shape. But anyone saying the "like having bums around" is either lying or a bum themselves.

Sidewalks are public property, not your property, so again, you're trying to impose. But anyway, SEARCH has numerous housing arrangements that they're providing.

Quite the contrary, Kyle. As a taxpaying, productive member of society my hard earned dollars went towards that sidewalk. The non-taxpaying (likely tax leeching) homeless person can make no such claim of contribution or productivity.

I can tolerate homeless wandering around if they don't utter a word to me other than "hello" and mind their own business, don't urinate on the sidewalk (as I watch most of them do), and don't give people a hard time. But considering the fact that there is only one "regular" bum I see who minds his own business every time I see him, I believe that type to be the exception and not the rule. Most do beg for money and some hassle you for it, most do urinate and defecate on the public infrastructure you say we all have no claim to, most are just drunken trouble makers. As harsh as it may sound that's the cold hard reality of it, these people are leeches and contribute nothing positive to society. Forgive me for not shedding a tear for them.

Hopefully that means a faster start?

Given the flurry of apartment activity inside the loop, it wouldn't surprise me. Strike while the iron is hot.

I'll be interested to see what all this new capacity does to rent prices in the next year as these developments come online.

Just to add to this dialogue. My townhome near Bremond and Helena was broken onto over the weekend while my girlfriend and I were sleeping. They took a bunch of stuff but thankfully we are ok. I have an alarm system but it wasn't turned on. My girlfriend's car has been broken into twice over the past two years as well.

Wow, that's one of the nicer sections of midtown. Surprising.

So now we have to call it the Southwest Interstate instead of the Southwest Freeway? That's really going to confuse Lanny Griffith.

No, can still call it a freeway. And by the sound of it, you can still call it 59 as it appears it'll maintain dual signage.

Southwest Freeway/East Tex Freeway

Highway 59

Interstate 69

All valid names for the same stretch of pavement. Just adding the Interstate part so it qualifies for federal funding and must be built to the interstate standards (interchanges, on ramps/exit ramps, etc).

Now... what is the point of resigning (aka renaming) a highway that everyone already knows as US 59?

The freeway is being reclassified as an Interstate as opposed to a Highway. Federal funding and all . . .

one of the guys at the site said the new park will be ready in March or April but that seems really far out

Considering how long and how much money it's taken the city to get this far, March or April would be really quick.

Interested to see what they do with this relic, should've been leveled years ago . . .

According to El Wiko, it's still just in pieces, in Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi. It looks like only Michigan has completed its portion.

True on the Michigan portion, runs from Port Huron (port of entry w/ Sarnia, Ontario, Canada) west towards Lansing then turns south to Indianapolis and ends there. I went to school in Flint, MI and utilized I-69 quite a bit. I occasionally drive back to Michigan and when I heard about the NAFTA Super Highway concept I always thought it would be neat to take one freeway from Houston to Michigan. Glad to see it's moving forward.

coincidentally enough running right through some of the city's most historic black neighborhoods. Funny how that always seemed to happen with these freeway plans.

What does that have to do with anything? Did you ever think that maybe those "historic black neighborhoods" also had some of the historically cheapest land values? Thus enabling far cheaper ROW acquisition? It's got nothing to do with race, it's got everything to do with the desired routing of the freeway and how cheap it'll be for the state to buy the land. Cheaper ROW will pretty much dictate the route of the freeway.

Right, but they are still act as a barrier to neighborhoods connecting downtown. You can't deny that. People just don't like walking under freeways and accross parking lots to get somewhere.

I don't think so. I live in midtown and walking to downtown is no big deal, I do it plenty . . . when there's a reason to. Fact is that without going all the way to Bayou Place/Pavilions/Flying Saucer/Stadiums there's NOTHING to do in between. The few restaurants down near Allen Center and the like are all closed in the evening and on weekends. Couple that with the fact that a cab ride is $5-6, I just take a cab to where I actually WANT to go in downtown, no reason to walk. The freeway doesn't pose much of a "barrier" at all.

Now, is it ugly and does the Pierce elevated collect a bunch of trash and vagrants under it? Yes.

Eh, the current version has more character than this.

Depends on one's definition of "character".

Character or not, this building needs a serious face lift or a tear down.

I feel bad for those who bought property near there. It's kind if sad that Midtown is the only pedestrian friendly urban neighborhood but is also the most most homeless friendly neighborhood.

It's a bit of an unfortunate coincidence of location and popularity. Midtown generally has more people and activity than downtown and is closest to most of the homeless population. The homeless know where to pandhandle and steal . . . where the people and the money are. Midtown's a shorter stumble than Montrose/Washington/Upper Kirby/etc. so that's why we have to deal with it. Is what it is, unfortunately.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Tolls-set-to-go-up-in-September-3703675.php

Unless Commissioners Court intervenes, rates at main-lane toll plazas on the Sam Houston, Westpark Tollway, Hardy Toll Road and the one toll booth on the Fort Bend Parkway inside Harris County are scheduled to increase Sept. 8 from $1.30 to $1.40 for EZ Tag users and from $1.50 to $1.75 for cash customers.

I don't have any issue with this, the tolls need to keep pace with inflation like anything else. No way we're going to get any nice new roads without paying for them. Predictably, there's outrage in the Chron's comment section. To the whiners I say, "if you don't want to pay a toll don't use a toll road". Nobody said it's mandatory . . .

Exactly.

Additionally, Merriam's defines liberalism (as it pertains to politics) as follows;

a political philosophy based on a belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties

Which part of that should I be ashamed of?

Hahaha, I wonder if Merriam's allowed the DNC to write that for them.

As for what part you should be ashamed of, I suppose you and I have different definitions of "progress" and the "autonomy of the individual". If the definition you posted is the true defintion of liberalism than this country's democratic party has severely perverted that.

The reason you only see American/domestic cars as police cruisers is because the domestic OEMs are the only three who make police packages. If Honda offered an Accord police edition it would certainly be considered. However, there is more required for a police package than just black steelie wheels and a police color scheme: uprated suspension to handle abuse, redundant systems (sometimes dual oil filters, etc.), provisions for installation of aftermarket police equipment like radios, computer, etc., enough space to package all the equipment and still be functional.

Oh, and it has to be cheap.

For example, the police Charger has a column mounted to shifter to accommodate the IP mounted equipment police require. A console shifter woudln't work.

Anyway, these are just some of the considerations that factor in. Couple that with police cars historically being domestic and that's why you don't see Honda/Toyota/etc. wasting their time trying to market a vehicle that they'd have a REALLY tough time selling.

I used to work in automotive in Detroit so just a bit of background for you all.

The car companies have to supply a common police platform for all 50 states. While RWD is desirable here in the sunbelt, for rainy & snowy climates RWD is horrible. Fords AWD platform has a definite advantage over RWD or FWD.

Not true, I lived in Michigan, they run RWD up there as well. The Michigan State Police actually do an annual test (considered the benchmark test of police cars) of all the police package vehicles available and RWD generally always gets the nod as most recommended. If you know how to drive, RWD is just fine in the snow. Having the wheels that provide forward motion not be the same wheels the provide steering is generally preferable.

100% agree. The only way to preserve is through action not inaction. I remember 5 or more years ago the very topic of the streets was on the evening news. I had (falsely) assumed that these streets had been restored and protected, but apparently that is not the case. This is pathetic. The church is private property, the streets public. Taxpayer monies should be spent on revitalizing a historic public street, rather than a private building. While both are prime examples of what happens when you defer maintainence, the onus is on the city for letting the brick streets fall into this state of disrepair. In essence, local government is the proverbial slumlord of the streets.

Agreed, action is needed. A proper roadbed would enable the bricks to live on, at present, things are crumbling, the bricks are shifting, it's tearing up vehicles, not good.

The church is city property now, per HCAD it's owned by the City of Houston. To me the onus isn't on the city, it's on the 4th ward TIRZ board of directors. It's their job to reinvest the incremental tax revenues in neighborhood improvements. Instead, we've got I-beams blocking Andrews St. I like the new library, it's very nice looking, we just need some better streets so people can get to it, haha.

Yes, it did get off track, generally about the time that posters began deriding people for sitting on their porches. Getting back on track, I agree that propping up gutted church walls with government funds IS a waste of money. Unfortunately, we see these attempts at placating constituents from time to time. Of course, it happens with many other groups as well. In Congress, I believe they are called earmarks.

As for the neighborhood itself, this is the friction that gentrification causes. I certainly understand your point of view regarding derelict housing limiting growth of home values. However, I can very much see the other residents' point of view as well. From their perspective, they "were doing just fine in their unpainted houses until these uppity new homeowners built those townhomes smashed up against each other, and increasing traffic. NOW, those same newcomers are trying to push us out completely!"

I recognize that gentrification can be slower than you would like, especially when recessions hit. I do not begrudge your wish to see the neighborhood fully gentrify, as it will increase your home value, and bring more useful businesses to the area. I really only jumped into this thread when the tone moved toward complaining about how the residents enjoyed their properties. Property rights cuts both ways. The right to build townhomes in supposed historic neighborhoods coexists with the right to sit on one's porch all day or not paint the house, whether willfully or due to poverty. It seems hypocritical to only support one aspect of property rights. That is what drew my narcissism reference.

I've posted before that I worked summers for a construction company in the 4th Ward over 30 years ago. I dreaded driving through there at night. There was nothing historic about it then, and nothing now. The history of the 4th Ward is long gone. I do not mind its gentrification at all. But, I am opposed to running the original residents out. I do not mind letting market forces work. I do mind taking away one's right to enjoy their property.

Point taken and I don't have any disagreement with anything you posted there. Well said.

And I actually wouldn't mind the whole propped up church thing if we could horse trade for street improvements! They're getting really bad, really really bad. And even worse now that Camden is moving some fairly heavy loads over them. It's a shame too because the bricks on Andrews, Robin, etc. are historic (produced and laid by freed slaves). However, it's getting so bad now that some bricks are being damaged. There's a reluctance to tear them up due to calls for preservation, but I say that in order to truly preserve them before they're worn beyond preservable condition is imperative. I think taking all the bricks up and using them in crosswalks or intersection would be a really neat way to pay homage to the history while satisfying the need for improved streets.

Heh. Quitter. Sure hope you aren't a lawyer. No one likes a lawyer who gives up when the facts are against him...especially your client.

Or any profession, haha.

And for those of y'all that continue to lump ALL wrecker drivers into the same barrel, calling them all scum, etc. That's like saying ALL priests are pedos, all cops and mexicans are raging alcoholic wife beaters, all blacks are thugs, or all muslims are terrorists. It just doesn't work that way people, so give it a break.

Correct you are. Just stating my opinion (and maybe a little venting) that tow truck drivers should earn their right to be called first responders. I've seen them be pretty reckless, that's all.

Tow truck drivers are like lawyers. Everyone loves to hate them until you're in a jam and then they're your best friends.

Haha, too true.

I guess we'll see.

I don't think Gray and 59 is a fair comparison. I drove by there every day for a year (my wife worked on Brazos and Crawford) and rarely saw anyone. of course with the shelter and kitchen there people probably gather later in the evening, but IM doesn't have any programs like that.

They are building on an empty lot, and adding conference space. If you're thinking this will be like SEARCH, it is not.

Alright then I'll take your word for it. Really it doesn't directly impact me, I'm just hoping for the sake of any surrounding businesses that it doesn't become a problem.

There are several new townhome developments that are currently being framed out. The vagrants are an irritation but not a major issue. Every week people go through my trash, or ask me for a handout, or ring my doorbell trying to "sell magazines." The only thing that really pisses me off is when, har har, they piss on my property. But to be frank, you just develop a blindness to it. I just don't know why these service providers are so keen on holding such high dollar property. Maybe it's part of an investment strategy as much as for the space.

True, I think those of us who live in the area learn to live with the panhandlers. What I fear, is that people who come to midtown to spend money and enjoy themselves in the new developments and aren't familiar with or knowledgeable about inner city landscape get hassled and don't want to come back. I have certainly seen it happen while sipping a beer at Komodo and while it is somewhat humorous to watch, it's not what I want people's image of midtown to be. I don't think anyone really enjoys being asked for money while they're eating dinner on the patio at Blackfinn, Cyclone's, etc.

We'll see what happens. Anything is better than empty/rundown lots though.