usonia

Hey, I love Poppa Burger. It's the real deal. And the Sand Dollar at Main and Quitman has fantastic bargains for those unafraid to venture inside!

I'm in NOLA every few months, I was there this past weekend, and yes, things are improving in a big way. The roadways are cleaner than I have ever seen them, for one. Many positive things are happening, mostly through the efforts of community groups, schools, churches, local businesses, and hard-working individuals.

I just hope Washington Avenue doesn't become another glossed-over, sanitized yuppie enclave. I'd rather have real urban stuff like used car lots and taco stands, rather than another gaudy townhouse. Every cool part of town is becoming suburbanized with folks buying their "hipness."

The tunnel between the old Harris County Civil and Criminal (now Juvenile) courthouses has fallout shelter signs. Cool ones too, with little arrows. The tunnel runs underneath San Jacinto Street.

The "Tallest Woman in the World?" Geez,what was up with that? With all the other challenges in our community, that's something folks would really get behind! Kinda reminds me of something they'd do in Springfield on The Simpsons. Plus you would really need to put something like that up on a mountain. Otherwise it might wind up looking like our Soviet-era Sam Houston memorial. Fill me in. There must be a great story here.

Does anyone know about the renovation at 205 Bayland in Woodland Heights? This is the former halfway house which was the subject of at least a couple of Channel 2 investigations. It appears they're making it into a single family residence. Now that they've taken down the fire escape and ripped off the old siding, you can see it's a beautiful building. It will definitely be an asset to the neighborhood.

I live in a Heights brick bungalow duplex. My landlady believes it was built in the 1930's. It's a really cool place, with big windows, high ceilings, wood floors, and a fireplace. But the drawbacks are that there is precious little storage place and the "nooks and crannies" make it a challenge to keep clean. Other than that it's a great apartment and I'd much rather live here than in an overpriced townhome in one of the "yuppie ghettos." Check the Woodland Heights and Houston Heights neighborhood association websites. You can also check eBay for reproduction catalogs of 1920's homes.

There is a fallout shelter in the tunnel between the old Harris County criminal and civil courts buildings. It runs under San Jacinto Street. You can see some neat old signs with arrows in the civil courts lobby.

As a New Orleanian who has lived in Houston for several years, I've found lots of stuff to like and not to like. I love living in the Heights and I've spent many happy hours exploring other old neighborhoods. But I wish Houston would use New Orleans as an example and work harder to preserve its history. Despite rampant development a lot of old Houston still exists and it would be in the city's interest to preserve and promote it. There are some very special things here I haven't seen anywhere else. Yes, I agree with the writer, driving here is truly hellish. But the food is awesome and the arts scene can't be beat. Plus you're only a 45-minute flight from New Orleans so it's not like you're on the other side of the world or something. And you can get chickory coffee at Fiesta. Loved living in New Orleans, it's a terrific place. The reason I moved here was not because I wanted to get away, but I was offered a job that just wasn't available in a smaller city.

The Alamo Plaza Motel in Baton Rouge is still there, got some pics of it a while back. Same sort of clientele. Folks trying to hit you up for cigarettes, etc. But the place is in pretty good shape. Houston I've noticed has a lot of cool old motels. There's the Admiral across from Spanish Flowers on Main, with garages on the ground floor and the rooms above. It's intact and well maintained. Well worth a look when you're in the neighborhood.