woolie

Yup. I've been over there a few times. It took me a few days of reflecting on my most recent experience to fully describe the "creepy, uncanny valley" aspect of City Center. At the end of the day, it's just another shopping mall, but in the shape of a "traditional urban center." But it's just a thin veneer, and doesn't reflect any core values or commitment to the concept of the city. It's appropriating this image to give people certain expectations and associations, when in fact no such thing exists. In a real public space, you have rights (expression, photography, association..), and any special rules that exist were created by an ultimately accountable public agency. None of that exists in a shopping mall, even if it looks like a high street. Further, in a real city, the land is subdivided, and it becomes much harder (or impossible) to restrict certain types of businesses, hours open, etc. In a shopping mall, it's a single landlord that can set rules for the entire complex -- "take it or leave it." So everything always feels so sanitized and bland.

Good news, but update the title to be more specific...

<insert comment disparaging the suburbs here> <insert comment stating urbanity requires fragmented ownership>

Well, makes me sad to quote a six year old post. But a modern 8 story 400 unit mixed use (probably) building is nicer than another boutique hotel. I'd rather see residential than hotel. Get another thousand units in the area and we might start to see a critical mass, like in Post Midtown.

Close the street, make it a pedestrian plaza between two buildings with retail and restaurants/patios on both sides. Easy choice. If the rest of the sides have no retail, whatever. One fourth of the perimeter on the right side is more than enough.

These may help clarify your mind. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/eligibility.htm Temporary Assistance for Needy Families http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/hcsd/tanf/tanfeligibility.shtml Women, Infants, Children http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/howtoapply/eligibilityrequirements.htm Housing Choice Vouchers http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv/about/fact_sheet

I bought a book last week, "The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City" that has a chapter on Houston that is a slightly updated version of that article (which is from 2006). But yeah, these guys are being willfully ignorant of Houston's history. "Queen Sheila" (a racist trope if there ever was one.) I wonder if a guy named "Tony" had ancestors piled into a Lower East Side tenement building -- which 100 years later is some very expensive housing. Somewhat ironic.

The best part is that they're not even complaining about any specific behavior that infringes on their property rights, or being harassed in the street, etc. They're just upset that they imagine someone is getting some kind of government assistance. Clearly, the posters have never taken any government assistance. Not student loans or grants, no public funding for universities, no mortgage interest deduction, nothing. And certainly without any help from parents or relatives. Totally by their own thousand dollarsing bootstraps.

Wow, these guys are pretty butthurt about their elected officials representing the interests of their constituents. It must make you mad that they keep getting re-elected. Maybe you should move to Katy, where you won't be offended by any non-white people enjoying their porches during the day.

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.

I love this building. Haven't been there lately, though, since they moved a Fri afternoon seminar to the new BRC building.

This could be the world's greatest CVS.

I have a new policy of 'liking' all Awacs comments.

lockmat -- Would it be possible in the future to also post pics of the renderings and contractor signs?

House does lots of silly things. Like, hold the AG in contempt because they're pissed at DOJ for blocking unconstitutional voter ID laws. Hopefully this won't make it past the Senate.

They have forms up for foundations for four new townhomes on Jackson/Drew, as well as many more at the other site I posted above. New spec townhouses is a very exciting development. This hasn't happened in years.

Well, I was in Boston a couple weeks ago. It had been on my list, but not so much now. Even with all the family I have in that part of the country. I can't imagine people being any less friendly or helpful than there. Also, pretty sure I couldn't handle the snow and seasonal changes. Anyway. Go on an adventure in Hawaii for a couple years. If it doesn't work out, and I end up in the Bay Area, that's fine as well. I'll have some notches on my life experience belt and hopefully some great photos. I don't want to look back in 50 years and wish I'd moved around more. We've decided against kids, and freedom to move at will is a major benefit of that decision.

The only friends we have here are coworkers and family. Everyone else I know moved away a long time ago. Besides that, my wife and I keep to ourselves. The only other socializing I do is online. Anyway, I'm gonna move this to a different thread later today. Edit: Also, I grew up in a rural area. I'm familiar with not fitting in and dealing with random aggressive acts from people who "don't like the way I talk."

I once took a photo once that was posted on one of The Daily Show blogs. I don't know if you can submit things directly, though

I've been looking to move *somewhere* for a while. As I said above, I've been to San Francisco many times and loved every single visit, and that was always the basis of my plans. I've always lived in Houston, ready for a change. I'm flexible on location -- anywhere but here. Anyway, we went to Hawaii (Big Island) last year (best research conference EVER), and my wife fell totally in love with the climate and environment, and has been talking about it ever since. We're going to Honolulu later this year, and will make at least one more trip to Oahu before we start making serious commitments to the this idea (selling house, jobs, etc.) I'm aware of the cost. I've already been bracing myself for years for SF prices; Hawaii is about the same. The rentals I've been looking at in Honolulu are in the ballpark of what my home ownership costs are here, albeit for less space and lower quality. The tax differences complicate things -- but fortunately my wife is a CPA and is running tax/budget projections. I could also change from an academic to an industry job, which would increase my income significantly. Finally, lots of frivolous discretionary expenses here that could be cut out (nice car and many other toys.) I can be somewhat of a romantic, but my wife is a meticulous line-by-line planner. Everything will be carefully laid out and all the financial decisions analyzed before we commit. I've heard about the race issues. It takes alot to offend me. Where I work, we have a big world map with labeled pins for each person's origin. Less than half are in the US. It will be much harder to find many things -- but as long as I have my cameras, a good laptop, and internet, I'm a pretty happy guy. And yes, we're both in our 20s, and sure, we could go and it might not work out. If I end up in California after burning out in Hawaii, worse things have happened. Edit: For rentals, something like this would be my dream. http://www.hawaiirea...nolulu-HI-96816 Although something like this is more realistic: http://www.hawaiirea...nolulu-HI-96816 http://www.hawaiirea...nolulu-HI-96826 I'm not really looking at Waikiki. From my explorations so far, I'm mainly looking at houses/duplexes/garage apts in Maunalani Heights, or a condo near Downtown. Ideally, 2 bedrooms because we'd expect many visitors. But if I had to do a 1 bedroom to make it work, ok.

Update: My wife proposed a plan that sets the wheels in motion for a 2014 move to Honolulu. We want an adventure, and we're still young and foolish enough to make it work.

Woolie's Law. Every five years, one floor is added to the average apartment infill complex.

The developers should start hanging out on the site during morning commute time with shovels in their hands to get the neighbors riled up.

Hey, it's more than six stories! I count seven! Maybe The Prophecies are coming true.

I enjoyed the pun, but it's made me reflect on the meaning of the word "meter." A Geiger Counter is so named because it counts the number of times a gas inside a sealed tube becomes ionized by radiation, which is an amazingly cool phenomenon when you think about it. The chamber has electrodes at either end with a high voltage difference. When one of the gas molecules is struck by radiation, a pair of ions is created (a positively charged gas molecule, and an electron) which accelerate towards the electrodes. The electron gains sufficient energy to ionize additional gas molecules, creating an avalanche of ionization events, and generating enough electrons to produce a measurable spike in current. Each time this happens is recorded as a count -- the expected 'clicking' of the Geiger Counter. Anyway, an excuse to read back up on this stuff in the middle of the night.