PureAuteur

I always love going to Roznovsky's Hamburgers when I'm in that area (T.C. Jester and 34th). I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this place yet. They always make consistently good food. I know these places have closed, but does anyone remember Don Jose Mexican Restaurant from the late 80s and early 90s, and also Pistol Pete's Pizza? Anyone remember what streets those places were on?

I'm not sure why this thread is called "Save Washington Avenue", as if it's in danger of something happening to it. The only thing happening to it that I can see is that it's moving in a positive direction, so I don't see why it needs to be saved. Anyways, based on what has been said, I think the parking options are fine as they are, if we want the area to be more of a community that is walkable and geared towards the people who live in the residences surrounding it. I think Washington Avenue is organically moving in this direction anyways at a rapid pace, so I see no sense in adding more parking options so that people from the suburbs can feel more comfortable driving into town and making it their nightspot. This would be in contrast to the pedestrian-friendly community that it is becoming. I also feel that a lot of the bar owners opening up on Washington don't have a clue, and are treating the street like it's the Richmond Strip, which was more of a car-oriented district that focuses on valet parking and parking lots, while Washington is poised to be based more on foot traffic and to become a residential community that includes the night life, which Richmond was not. Less parking options will encourage more people to move to the neighborhood, which should be a good thing for Houston, if we want more movement into the city and less sprawl. Besides, seeing all those parking lots with the $10 signs on a Saturday night is annoying, and they are an eyesore, really detracting from how the area is organically growing. They give Washington Avenue the feel of going to a sporting event or a concert or festival, whereas I feel it should be a happening area, but without that kind of commotion going on. It should definitely be more relaxed, but that won't happen when you have these club owners treating it like it's the Richmond Strip. Hopefully they'll finally get a clue, and move their clubs elsewhere, and let the bar/club owners who recognize and want to be a part of the new Washington Avenue community stay there for the long term.

Thanks for that good information. I may check out Nox one day just because my roommate knows the owner, so it wouldn't be hard to get in, but I've heard that the place has way too many guys and not enough girls, so that would deter me from going there more than once. How was the music at Ei8ht? I usually prefer places that have really good djs and play a unique variety of music, with 70s dance to current music, and then every now and then an extended long song just at the right time. I also like a mix of popular mainstream music and stuff that most people have never heard before.

I went to the Flat over the weekend over off of West Gray and Commonwealth, and apparently the same owners have a place called Block 21 on Washington and Sawyer. The reason I mention this is because at the Flat, they have the best frozen mojitos I've ever tasted, maybe even the best mixed/frozen drink I've ever tasted, and they serve the same ones over at Block 21. They aren't very strong, so you can enjoy a few of them in one night. If you are in the area, I strongly recommend trying them out. I plan to check out Block 21 this weekend along with the Drinkery, which some of you have said is good.

Is Benjys a restaurant or a bar? I heard that it closes at 9 or 10pm. There was discussion about its happy hour further back in this thread. It looks like that's all you get there is happy hour. Anyone know how their drink prices are?

I'm okay with those places too; definitely not a waste of time. Just because the women aren't your Reign-lounge types doesn't mean I wouldn't find them attractive or want to talk to them. I like all kinds of places, really. I'm just trying to find a good place to go that's in the dress-up, lounge category where the place isn't dominated by obnoxious dudes on steroids with an over-inflated sense of self-worth. They should develop some kind of douchebag index for Washington kind of like the heat index in the weather report. They should have a special radio station on the dial that updates it constantly so when I'm cruising down Washington, and I hear "the douchebag advisory for Ei8ht Lounge has been lifted, waiting line to get in is low to moderate with a 20% chance of needing to tip the bouncer to be let in," then I can park my car and be good to go.

Yeah, that's pretty much the kind of place I want to avoid. I guess you guys are right, you can't have a totally DB-free lounge on Washington, but the most you can hope for is a decent mixed crowd.

I think it's possible to have a night spot that draws a lot of cute girls without having douchebag guys. Kobain is kind of like that, based on the few times I've been there. The only problem is that I want some music and more of a mingling atmosphere, which is why I'm looking for a lounge. I think that if the owner of a place wants to, they can figure out ways to keep douchebag guys away while keeping the beautiful women around. It's all about how you set your place up. I'm going to try out Block 21 this weekend, as someone suggested. Isn't that place further down close to Drake?

Anyone know of a classy lounge on Washington that isn't pretentious? So far I've been sticking to the bars like Pearl Bar and the Lot, because I'm not into waiting in lines or paying covers/tipping doormen to be let in.

Anyone know what the Social is like now days? I haven't been there in about 5 years when it was the only club in that area. Also, anyone know of a good bar on Washington to watch the fireworks for 4th of July?

I think this thread has gone off on a tangent. Everything from post #296 forward should be placed in a new thread in one of the off-topic sections.

I'm sure all the hard working people who live in those other neighborhoods that can't afford Greenwood Forest appreciate what you think of their neighborhoods.

That was a good video, and I agree with his position. Given Houston's growth over the last decade, I'm surprised at how little violence there is in the city. It only seems to be a problem, because the media presents things in a way to get to our emotions, and then also the younger generation these days looks more hostile than previous generations, so there is this vibe present of potential for violence.

They need to quit expanding the size of Houston out into the farmlands. It just adds to traffic and pollution. I could understand if the land had geographical uniqueness, but it's just open farm land with little to no trees. All of Fry Rd. is flat and boring. Instead of building where there's lots of open land, redevelop land that is inside the Beltway 8 on 290. The land where Bridgeland sits should be open natural space.

If their male counterparts are all at Reign Lounge, they'll be forced to pick up younger guys. Hmmm.

You got it! I'll probably go to Reign at some point, despite what you just said. I just like to check out new places and see the vibe for myself. I was just eager for someone to report back what kind of crowd it had, since I've been anticipating its opening. I mostly prefer bars that are classy but not pretentious, which is why I like Kobain the most so far.

I work close by, and I don't like to live more than a few minutes drive from work, so that's why I'm out here in Champions. It's a nice area, but lacks the vibrancy of the city. I'm 28, so I'm at the prime age for the Washington Ave scene. I'm about to figure out an exit strategy, so I can start looking for a new job inside the loop and be where I need to be.

So Reign Lounge is finally open. Anyone who lives close by care to go there and check it out and give us a critique? I want to know if it's a cool place before I make the trip from Champions. I don't want to go if it's completely lame. Then again, it's not like there aren't options nearby. I'm guessing that Reign's web promotion and the fact that it was opening weekend made for the heavier traffic. It'll eventually die down though. The good thing about having a bunch of lounges and bars in the area is that you won't have one single place drawing huge crowds all the time, once its initial hype wears off. I always stay away from places the first 3 or 4 weeks after opening, because all the douchiest guys in town swarm these places at first, then move on. It's almost like they do nothing but sit at home and wait for night time so they can go out.

Those are libertarian/constitutionalist principles. If that's the case, these are people I'd want to live around. I like people who want to handle their problems themselves, rather than people who are always trying to phone their lawyers or call up government hotlines.

Are you sure that was a political sticker and not the brand emblem on the car?

I agree completely. I'd love to have a condo or townhome off of Washington. I'll take a condensed strip of bars and lounges over a several mile strip (Richmond) with one dance club every quarter mile or so where you have to drive from one place to another. Ideally I'd want to live right in the center of activity somewhere between T.C. Jester and Studemont.

I'm not even sure what it means to be a liberal anymore. As the two major political parties become more and more similar and more and more like one split party, you have to come up with a new spectrum, new terms, or new definitions to account for the alternate views and ideologies. Then I also believe that everyone has their own unique set of views, which can sometimes run all over the spectrum. I bet a lot of Heights residents who put those Democratic signs in their yards were just people who were upset during the entire 8 years that Bush was president and associate him with the Republican party and thereby establishing their political identity with whatever is opposite of that. If these people are liberal, then this is surprising, since I would say Bush was the most liberal president in my lifetime (born 1981)(not counting Obama). Ironically, both parties are pretty much the same in practical terms, which I just started to realize a few years back. Well, whatever the Heights people are or where they fit politically is far less important than the fact that they are some nice, cool people.

Did they reach a decision?

Are we talking left or right in terms of lifestyle, or positions on political issues? I'm of the belief that the entire left vs. right spectrum is out-dated because I think other political theories and paradigms are emerging (i.e. constitutionalism (can't fit into the left vs. right spectrum)), and the definition of what it means to be either conservative or liberal in the context of that particular spectrum change over long periods of time. I would also say the Heights doesn't have a political leaning. I'm sure you have a solid mixture of those who follow the status-quo (Republicans and Democrats) and those who are anti-government and those who support other parties and ideologies. Its residents simply share the common trait of being city-dwellers. From all the time I spent in Central Texas I'd say the people in the Heights are more like the people in smaller towns like New Braunfels, very friendly and community-loving.

I don't think Washington will ever be like Richmond. It's a different style of nightlife and not a continual thoroughfare like Richmond. Also, it lacks the big parking lots that Richmond has.