txn4art

Gulfgate HEB is a good ways away. I could see another one being built, especially with the UH status change/ growth and EE development.They should do it. The good thing about HEB is that they poll neighborhoods of each targeted area, to see what they want in a future store. 

Well, HEB didn't poll anyone in EaDo or the close-in East End neighborhoods when they reset the merchandising of their Gulfgate store a couple of years ago! Seems like the HEB Big Bosses wanted that location to compete with nearby Sellers Bros., Fiesta and all the small Hispanic supermercados..The resulting lack of selection in every department means that many of us who live in the East End now drive to Midtown or Montrose for weekly grocery shopping.

As far as quality produce, meat, seafood at the new Walmart on I-45@Wayside -- no thanks!

The building that burned this evening was once known as the Magnolia Glen apartments. It has been vacant for a decade or do, but last year there were plans afoot to convert it into some sort of SRO residential facility. When I drove by a few days ago, it didn't look as if any work had been started.

My neighborhood (not Montrose) has a number of sidewalks that have been heaved by oak roots.  There have been a variety of different work arounds - metal grating, curving the concrete around the tree, a new yet more gentle hill o' concrete, gravel, and diamond plate.  Regardless, even though it's on city right of way, we as homeowners have the duty to maintain the sidewalks by ordinance; if we don't and someone gets hurt because of the foreseeable problem, it will be time for a chat with the insurance agent.  Likewise, the trees in the ROW are also ours to maintain, but can only be removed via a permitting process (though I believe the city will come out and cut down a dead one).

Yes, if you call or 311 or contact COH at 311 online about a dead tree on the ROW next to the street, the city will remove it. However, they don't grind the stump -- that expense is left to the property owner.

My neighborhood (not Montrose) has a number of sidewalks that have been heaved by oak roots.  There have been a variety of different work arounds - metal grating, curving the concrete around the tree, a new yet more gentle hill o' concrete, gravel, and diamond plate.  Regardless, even though it's on city right of way, we as homeowners have the duty to maintain the sidewalks by ordinance; if we don't and someone gets hurt because of the foreseeable problem, it will be time for a chat with the insurance agent.  Likewise, the trees in the ROW are also ours to maintain, but can only be removed via a permitting process (though I believe the city will come out and cut down a dead one).

Yes, if you call or 311 or contact COH at 311 online about a dead tree on the ROW next to the street, the city will remove it. However, they don't grind the stump -- that expense is left to the property owner.

A spokesman for the city of Houston says it’s typically the homeowner’s responsibility to fix and repair sidewalks .

He said the exception is if the city has to do work to repair a road, sewer or water line.

There is a proposal before city council that would give residents the chance to partner with the city to get their sidewalks fixed.

According to the city spokesman, the city would fix the sidewalk and then bill the homeowner through a payment plan.

I believe this proposal was brought up before the city council last year. Why has there been no action taken on it?

Update to my original post: I called AT&T and, after 15 minutes on hold, reached a call center rep with an unidentifiable foreign accent. She had absolutely no idea why a customer would consider tree limbs resting on a cable a problem, but agreed to set up an appointment with a service tech from the Houston office. He came out, assessed the situation, and set up an appointment with the AT&T tree-trimming contractor. The contractor came out and did a real hack job on my tree, but at least the cables are now in the clear.

@Purpledevil: Thanks for your report on calling 311 about getting trees trimmed in the easement. I'll get to work on solving that problem next.

Import shops that had affordable, unusual, handmade one-of-a-kind items -- home accessories, dishes, jewelry, party decorations, etc. Cargo Houston in Westbury Square was the best. Cost Plus/World Market and Pier One are still around, but they have mostly mass-produced, overpriced stuff of mediocre quality.

Brown Bookstore originally stocked books in all subjects before specializing in technical publications.

At one time, there was a medical book store on Main near the corner of Holcombe; I believe it was in the same building as a large, important-looking restaurant whose name I've forgotten.

The Museum of Fine Arts used to have a tiny bookshop in the Law Building. Currently, there's an extensive selection of books on art and architecture.in the gift shop in the Beck Building.

This is what I don't get... how do so many places just East of Downtown remain not only undiscovered, but undeveloped??  By now you would think that enough people would be demanding better retail options in neighborhoods like Woodleigh, Dissen Heights and other sections of Greater Eastwood.  I lived in Dissen Heights for 3 years, and enjoyed it, but once you've lived in the convenience of Montrose, it's hard to relinquish that. 

"Demanding" better quality retail and actually getting it are two different things. Ongoing promotional efforts by the East End Management District and other entities haven't convinced major grocery stores and commercial property developers that area residents spend many millions annually on food, clothing, home goods -- but they're shopping in other parts of town.

Of course, there's a new Walmart at I-45 and Wayside, but it's still a Walmart. I live in the Eastwood area and most of my neighbors shop for groceries at HEB and Kroger in Montrose or Randall's and Fiesta in Midtown.

Barrett has a long way to go to be considered  one of Ch. 13's most sexiest Female anchor/reporters.

Check some of the posts on her Facebook page.

The easement at my back property line has poles with electric and utility lines. A tree in my back yard has two large branches resting on the phone/TV cables. Electric lines that are located some distance above the utility cables were cleared a couple of years ago by the power company's tree trimming crew. However, they didn't prune anything near the cable.

The reputable tree company I use refused to remove the branches from the cable due to possible damage, liability, etc.

AT&T is my landline and internet provider (I don't have cable TV). The only information their non-local call center person could tell me was that AT&T doesn't prune trees, but they would be happy to give me a great deal on U-Verse.

It looks like the family living directly behind me has cable service. However, they have refused to speak to me in either Spanish or English in the 8 years I've lived here in the Broadmoor section of Eastwood.

Any information on who to call about removing the tree branches will be appreciated.

I guess I'll be getting my news somewhere else then.  I have honestly tried to watch her but she does not seem very "put together", at least not enough to be in the anchor seat.

 

She should look to Melanie Lawson or Ilona Carson for wardrobe tips.   Honestly, Barrett looks like she's ready to go bar hopping with friends.  She's clearly not 25 so why try to act it?

 

I've been a 13 watcher since the early 70s but when she comes on, I am compelled to change channels.  I will continue to watch Tom and Don in the mornings though.

I feel the same way about Ms Barrett's appearance. The men on the news set are wearing coats and ties -- she should wear something that's business-appropriate and not a sleeveless knit top.

The stretch of Elgin next the UH campus needs some serious concrete work. Portions have sunk several inches and the asphalt patches-on-top-of-patches have broken down. Its condition certainly doesn't reflect well on the importance of the University to the city. Dr. Khator and the Chancellors really need to pressure COH so Elgin gets on the street repair priority list.

I wish Demond Fernandez well at his new job in Dallas.

KTRK CH.13 is my go-to station for TV news. However, I find it difficult to appreciate recently-hired news anchor Natasha Barrett's fashion sense. Yes, it's hot here and yes, the station wants to appeal to a younger demographic, but those sleeveless tank tops and long, flowing locks just don't come across as a polished, professional look.

I would like a clear explanation of the new, highly-touted technology used for processing the contents of a "One Bin For All" container. How many recycling firms are able to deal with materials that are heavily contaminated with all kinds of nasty stuff, not to mention bacteria, viruses, mold, etc?

Is COH falling for something that's too good to be true, like the infamous Red Light Cameras?

Yes, I recycle and all my neighbors do as well. We've had the big green bins in Eastwood area neighborhoods for at least a couple of years.

All traffic lanes on both Montrose and Hawthorne were open yesterday afternoon, so getting in and out of the Disco Kroger parking lot was a snap. The building site is now piles of rubble surrounded by a fence.

As I remember there was some bad blood here on the forums surrounding Niche's departure from HAIF, which is why this is in Way Off Topic. Not sure how many of you stay in touch with him, but I know many of us knew him personally. Anyhoo, he's still in Vietnam, and is settling in DaNang with his wife Yen. He was married earlier this month in what sounds like an epic village-wide, week-long party in the countryside where his wife's family lives; his parents made it over for the event.   And.....a baby on the way due in early November! 

I've got his email if anyone's interested. 

I never met him but always enjoyed his posts. Do you know of he still owns property in Eastwood?

I think it helps show that there is a demand for more pedestrian facilities.

 

I for one would love to see Westheimer rebuilt as a more pedestrian friendly street with wider sidewalks and fewer traffic lanes.

Sounds great, but Montrose traffic is bad now with two lanes in each direction.

The downtown Foley's was a lot more fun, even though not as upscale.  So many departments with such a variety of things that one could not find available in a single store elsewhere.  At Christmas, the moving mechanical displays in the street-facing windows were fascinating for kids. 

Yes, they were wonderful! What a shame that show windows have virtually disappeared, as well as the art of creating fantastic displays. They still exist in upscale stores in NYC where there's foot traffic-- Tiffany and lLord & Taylor come to mind. And no -- a glass wall overlooking the mall or street is NOT a show window!

Another Houston store that had amazing mechanical window displays on a very small scale was Allan and Caspersen Jewelers. I think they were located on Milam Street. I've heard that these mechanical displays were periodically exchanged between jewelry stores in different U.S. cities and today are sought after by collectors.

Sakowitz was one of my mother's favorite stores in downtown.  She says Sakowitz had a restaurant or tea room that was a frequent haunt of hers on shopping trips. Even my father who worked downtown ate there on occasion.  She recalls a dessert composed of a ball of caramelized ice cream sprinkled with pecans.  Yum!  Of course she was pregnant most of the years that she shopped downtown in the 1950s.

 

Another thing she remembers was a Nieman-Marcus store in downtown Houston.  This store was a few blocks from Sakowitz on the same side of the street, my mother recalls. She said she went to a bridal show there and won a $100 drawing.    She thought Niemans in Houston was bought out by another store way back when.  

The restaurant at the Sakowitz Main Street store was called the Sky Terrace. Each day during lunch, models wearing the latest styles would circulate among the tables. I was maid of honor in a cousin's wedding and hosted a luncheon for her there.

Neiman Marcus opened its first Houston store in the mid-1950's. It was located in the 900 block of Main Street in a space formerly occupied by The Fashion, an upscale apparel store.The Kirby Theatre (since demolished) was in the same block. Neiman's moved into its Galleria store in 1970.

After graduating from college, I briefly worked in the Sakowitz advertising department. That store's owners desperately wanted for it to be regarded as a fashion leader equal to -- or better than --  Neiman Marcus. It never quite happened.

It looks like these were taken at the "new" Sakowitz store in the 1100 block of Main before it opened. It replaced an older Sakowitz store that was located further north on Main.

This is beautiful. The botanical gardens should go along this area of the bayou

There are larger trees and a more rolling terrain above the bayou at the proposed Gus Wortham Golf Course site. Plans for the G.W. site also include a public park.with special features,such as a place to launch canoes or kayaks in the bayou.

I hate to revive an old thread, but does anyone know of someone reputable who actually works outside the Heights that does on-site work?  Sash guy apparently won't do it

I'm looking for someone to restore the large, original wood windows for a 1930's bungalow in the Eastwood area. Sashes are still in good shape but cords and a few panes need replacing. For various reasons, it's not something I can put on my DIY list.

This is why it is important for the City of Houston to do away with archaic rules, and why I'm glad they have done so, so that more properties become viable as a place to locate a grocery store.

 

The NIMBYs failed at stopping light rail in the East End. They wanted an underpass, but gasoline in the soil scuttled the plan, so METRO will now be getting something more like what they originally wanted. In Houston and in most other parts of Texas, the developer is king and almost always gets most of what he wants.

A final decision by Metro on the Harrisburg light rail "underpass vs. overpass" issue hasn't been made --  or at least publicly announced -- yet.