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The New Juniper

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Posts posted by The New Juniper

  1. Theory adopted by Giuliani in NY. We could learn here in Houston......

    Article titled Broken Windows by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, which appeared in the March 1982 edition of The Atlantic Monthly:

    "Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside.

    Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or breaking into cars."

  2. I am new to this thread and haven't had the luxury of reading the entire thing. So, i apologize if i repeat something here. But to me, the downtown club issue has nothing to do with black/white. It has everything to do with people feeling safe. if for some reason the blacks and whites feel like they cannot hang out in the same clubs, there is more than enough room and club space for everyone to have a good time.

    No race has cornered the market on the criminal element. I would guess you have an equal chance of getting mugged by a black, white or mexican. The problem is not who is committing the crime, the problem is that the crime is being committed.

    If i am white, do i feel any safer knowing the potential rapist around the corner is white also? Of course not.

    Get the criminals out of downtown. Put more lights. Put more cops. Everything else is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

  3. Sales office tells me that abatement has already begun on the building and that demolition should start in the next two weeks.

    Also, just because the City could have gouged LaMesa (not Davis by the way) on the sale of the street doesn't justify it doing so. City has to have an appraisal done and treat it as an arm's length transaction.

    The approach seemingly condoned above is called extortion.

    TNJ

  4. I just spoke with the listing agent. One bedrooms overlooking Main Street are priced at $204,900 on the third, seventh and eighth floors. Not a bad deal. 1,191 sq. ft.

    Reiterating what Baker said above, no parking. That is what i have always understood to be the problem here.

    No parking. Buy a unit, lease a parking space. Maybe acceptable to you, but re-sale will be a nightmare b/c you will never be able to guarantee long term parking to anyone.

    My two cents.

  5. being from california I don't consider galveston beaches to be ugly. Yes florida has beautiful beaches, California decent beaches, but better rugged coastlines. Couyld galveston look better? Probably. But consider it's convenience to Houston I think it nice for them to have galveston. The beaches work and some people just plain like them. If they were so bad beach front homes wouldn't be renting year after year for thousands of dollars per week. Galveston is just a neat spot to me. Not just a beach.

    The two issues you address above can and should be addressed separately IMO.

    First, Galveston has a lot to offer in terms of land amenities and historic value.

    Second, the beaches are crap for the most part and I believe something should be done. Back in the day, and i'm talking about in the 70's & 80's, the beaches were "planed" to remove the seaweed and to give the fresh look. Evidently, (and I have been accused of being many things, but Marine Biologist or Coastal Conservationist are not among them), the seaweed helps fight erosion so they leave it.

    Problem is, leaving the seaweed is helping some of the sand stay, but forcing the people to leave (or more accurately, not come at all). I fail to believe, try though we may, there is anything we can do about the less-than-desirable appearance of the water. However, i have to believe we can do something about the way the beaches look that wouldn't threaten the coast line. It has to be possible.

    For now, Galveston must sell itself IN SPITE OF its appearance. It seems within reality to sell itself BECAUSE OF its appearance, as well as other attributes....

  6. Just wish they'd lose the narrow parking lot that faces post oak. That parking lot almost seems like a superficial add-on. It's too small to provide any real benefit or convenience. It's almost like they had to go out of there way to make the front of this development look less pedestrian friendly. I don't mind the buildings being set back from the street, but a nice extra wide sidewalk with some beautiful fountains and shade trees would be fantastic where that narrow parking lot will be. The part that faces San Felipe (I think) looks great though.

    I agree. If the goal is a new urbanistic pedestrian-friendly development, go all the way. Don't almost do it. This design is 95% there. Why uglify (new word) it with a typical Houston strip of parking?

    Glad to see they've been working over at Wulfe, if only on new pretty pictures.

  7. It is my opinion that race is not a factor at all when moving into River Oaks. Rather, it is whether or not the surrounding residents deem you "worthy" of living there. I have not ever seen anything like it. Black/white/asian doesn't matter. It is how much money you have, and more importantly, where did you get it?

    Deed restrictions commonly say "no non-whites", but all have been revised over the years. The fact that the restrictions existed is shameful, but every neighborhood in Houston has moved on. River Oaks is a great for many reasons. Location and size of lots being the two that jump out at me the most. However, a more judgmental group of people you will never find.

  8. Or, maybe he means like...

    The Houston Pavilions

    or the Cosmopolitan

    or the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Tower

    or the Memorial Hermann Tower in the TMC

    or the major expansion of Texas Children's

    or the Kirby at Westheimer development

    or the Seven Riverway

    or the Westin and Sheraton Memorial City

    or the Belle Meade at River Oaks

    or the Post Midtown expansion

    or the Edge

    or the Pointe

    or the Collaborative Center at Rice

    or the Methodist Research Institute

    or the Faculty Center Tower

    or the Outpatient Care Center at Methodist

    or the Sysco Headquarters

    or Granite Westchase II

    or the Dominion Post Oak being so successful that Whiteco is planning on adding twin towers nearby

    or the 1200 Post Oak

    or maybe the fact that 3-5 years after most everyone predicted the demise of one or more of downtown's new(er) hotels, they are doing quite well and there are rumors of some new entry brands to the downtown market?

    Very impressive response on such short notice. Seriously, not sure where you compiled the list but kudos.

  9. Prediction on BLVD Place:

    Wulff (sp?) waits too long and misses the market for the upscale hotel he has been trying unsuccessfully to court for the past 2+ years. He realizes the land prices in the market have increased so dramatically that he (gasp!) ends up selling off out parcels to other developers who are willing to actually develop the site.

    I know, I know. He has a plan and has everything under control, yet under wraps.

    I know Whole Foods is a done deal. Hanover (allegedly) is a done deal. However, nothing else seems to be moving.

    The longer nothing happens, the more this deal smells.

    Greetings and salutations.

    TNJ

  10. Gentlemen, the deal is real. All good things take time.

    Respectfully, I disagree. And I would like to disagree in a manner as to not raise anyone's ire. Rather, I just believe that condominium development does not get better with time. Contracts go stale, interest meters tick out of control, public confidence wanes, markets shift, you get my drift.

    In fact, deals like 2727 don't even remain neutral over time. Without daily progress, they get worse....

    Again, not a personal shot at the previous post. Don't even know the person. What i do know is every hour you are not "moving the ball down the field"* you are losing ground.

    TNJ

    *reference to the $^% Horns who urinated away a shot at the title :angry2: ...nice job against KSU....

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