woolie

If people really cared about mercury at all, we'd shut down all the coal power plants. Ironically if we care about nuclear pollution as well, again, we'd shut down the coal plants. Not only do coal plants release most of the mercury around today, they are also responsible for most of the man-made radiation dose you receive. Coal contains trace amount of uranium. It's strange, since people are terrified of nuclear power and prefer coal to nuclear. Commercial nuclear power in the US has never released any significant amount of radiation -- including Three Mile Island -- and actually releases far less radioisotopes than coal plants.. only minute amounts of very short-lived noble are released during normal operation, and the amount is trivially insignificant compared to background radiation even for people who are standing next to the reactor itself. Blah blah blah... I've gone off on a tangent again. I played with mercury myself as a kid (although I never touched it directly.) It amused me once when there was a very small amount (a few grams) of mercury was spilled at a local school and the entire school was evacuated and shut down for a while. Anyway, yeah, the minute amounts of mercury contained in the bulbs are no big deal anyway. The real danger comes from biotically concentrated mercury in fish and other meats, primarily sourced from coal ash.

I think it's inevitable, it's entirely possible cars might yet again become a luxury in our lifetimes.

I still believe terminating many of the bus routes at LRT stations was a bad idea. The LRT will generate enough ridership on its own without forced transfers. Metro's goal should be to make the transit system as effective as possible for everyone. These numbers support that, but they don't change the fact that LRT investment is necessary to continue to build competitive and attractive transit options for the future. LRT should absolutely be down all major corridors and connecting all major centers, but I don't think we should stub all the bus routes that cross it either.

I have nothing against the people who buy million dollar condos, it's just hard to see that life from my perspective. And we're both professionals. Maybe in 30 years we'll have so much money we won't blink at a $15k mortgage, but not now...

People can usually spot a pasted moon. Probably best to just leave it off.

The approach and take off paths are already over downtown and the entire central city. Last time I flew into Hobby, we banked dramatically at few thousand feet for 270 degrees over downtown, came in directly over Kirby Dr., directly over the Med Center, and then landed. It's awesome at night.

UH has both large sections and small sections. You can carefully choose your schedule to be in mostly smaller classes. After my freshman year, I was never in a class with more than 30 people.

it looks a little like the one off Houston Ave. just before 45.

There is a song called "Houston" in the second Katamari Damacy game. It's not bad.

maybe it will be one of those nailbiter projects where the renderings are announced on the day they break ground.

Montrose1100, You'll make new friends in college. You can still keep in touch with old ones. Don't put yourself through that kind of hurt. You will constantly feel ostracized and alone, afraid. It will not be a comfortable experience. Undergrad should be the most exciting years of your life. You discover who you are and what your interests are. Even if you don't choose your career as an undergrad, the experiences in your young adulthood -- the first years of independence -- will shape the rest of your life. Don't waste it. Sexuality is such an integral part of our identity (even if it doesnt outwardly manifest itself into typical gender/orientation stereotypes), that it's unconcealable and you will never truly be friends with someone who won't accept you on arbitrary, moralistic grounds. Anyway, I'm straight, but people have many times assumed I'm gay because I tend to be a little overdramatic, loud, friendly, I talk with my hands and have a few other mannerisms, etc. I've always been extremely political liberal, and in high school that had me lumped in with the other 'dreamers and outcasts.' Since then I've typically had more gay friends than straight friends. So I've heard many of the variations of these and other stories, about being a gay (or otherwise 'different') adolescent. Life is hard enough as it is; don't make it harder. (edit: i don't know why I put someone else's name earlier... brain fart.)

You know, I like skyscrapers and high-rises, but I just think all of the new high rise residential in Houston is just completely overpriced. In particular Mosaic. I understand the appeal and the views, etc., but it's hard for me to justify it as economical... price per sf. is just killer. And condos you have to factor in the maintenance fee -- for life. At least for the foreseeable future I'm priced out of anything like that. I think midrises and well designed townhomes are great, though, and much more affordable. You don't loose too much density, really. the high rises are so skinny and have low FAR's per floor. I'd rather see European style blankets of 6 story buildings... build enough of them so that the construction talent is local and stays, bringing down costs even more. I like what I see with the current "mixed use" development plans -- the renderings for Regent Square, BLVD place, the other one on the old Ford Dealership, etc. I imagine most of Houston's arterial streets steetwalled with those some time in the future. Who knows... high rises might get slaughtered by changes in the economy. High interest, higher raw materials prices, higher fuel costs, etc. A midrise with the same average density can be built much faster and more cheaply. I think once gas starts to peak and the ____ really hits the fan, it'll be the triumph of the midrise. Land prices in Houston really only support high rises as 'statements.' If you actually want to build housing for actual people.. midrise all the way. /end rambling. 2727 is fantastically expensive anyway. and I think it's hideous.

Here's an interior shot I took. One side of the first floor is currently operational and contains exhibits and a meeting space. The other 3/4ths of the building are still being renovated. You can explore them if you ask nicely and sign a liability waiver. You can go up to the conning tower, which is awesome. Stand on the outside of it and watch the jets land and take off. The day I went, a Southwest pilot was retiring, and buzzed the tower at 100ft before his final landing.

Of course I agree with you. Inner Loopers Unite! But if we're going to be strictly technical, almost all of Houston, including inside the loop, is suburbs. All that differs is the age. Personally I think Houston's nicest areas are inside the loop or near it. Hyde Park. The Heights. West U / Shadyside / Southgate. Bellaire. Etc. But they're far too expensive for someone expecting to pay Pearland prices. You need to think $300k not $150k, to start, even for a starter bungalow. Of course I think the premium to be in the cultural and economic center of the entire region is absolutely worthwhile... but some people might not think the proximity is worth anything. If I had to pick an outer area, it'd probably be Clear Lake, as close to the water as possible. There are some older areas that have a small town feel. I think on the whole, the Southwest (Sharpstown) is more exciting, closer to the city, more diversity, easier to buy into... but if I was going to live in the 'burbs I'd require a major amenity for it to be worthwhile. The only thing in the Houston region that could fit the bill is water access. My parents own a small lot on the water in an old subdivision, and it's great to just go and sit out there and watch the water and boats for hours.. even if there's nothing currently built on the land (my dad bought it in the 70s when there was NOTHING out there. there was a cottage but it fell into disrepair and was demolished recently. They're probably going to build out there in the next few years.) The water is a killer feature that nothing else matches. Sailboats are awesome.

The original terminal is being renovated into a museum. It's worth a trip.

the original terminal at Hobby Airport is now a museum. It's in the process of being restored. You can even go up to the conning tower, out on the roof, the tarmac, etc. It's alot of fun to sit and watch the jets take off and land.

Stephen Fox would know...

It has some quaint aspects, but it's just not the city to me. It was a small town at one point, but today it's mostly subdivisions. There's a couple of cute blocks downtown, but the center of the town is really Wal-Mart. I just feel suffocated here. I lived on Hermann Park for 5 years before this, and I spent every weekend in central Houston in high school before that. I hate being away from my favorite restaurants, stores, places, etc. I guess all the suburbs are equally boring to me, because I've already been a regular at my favorite restaurants and stores for many years.. everyone knows my name there. Also I work in the TMC and my girl works in San Felipe Plaza; the commute is a real pain in the ass. Midtown isn't as exciting as Montrose, but I wanted to be within walking distance of the train to get to work. Anyway, our place is in lower midtown nearer the museum district (it's catty-corner to the Fiesta, on Eagle St. I started a thread about my search for an apartment here ). It's a bit more lively than upper midtown near the CBD.

It's mostly single family residential. Very high dollar stuff. There may be deed restrictions keeping some of it from being developed into high rise... but I think if you wanted to buy some land for high rises immediately adjacent to the TMC, if you had enough money, you could find a plot. There is one residential unit on the TMC campus; the Favrot Towers. It's basically one step above a dormitory for residents, post-docs, etc. Limited to TMC professionals and students. (it's very expensive for the size of the units.) There are a number of high rises in the area (1400 Hermann, Park Lane, Warwick Towers, Museum Tower, Mosaic), but only one immediately adjacent to the TMC (The Spires.) All of the multifamily residential is South of Braeswood.

It is a shack of a restaurant built from recycled materials, a crumbling parking lot, and the outside smells like sewage. You walk in through an obnoxious kicker bar with plenty of plant workers drinking starting at noon, and suffocating cigarette smoke. The benches in the bar are built of stacked bud light cases. You begin to wonder about the efficacy of hepatitis vaccines. The hostess guides you through the narrow corridors to your table. It is the best tex-mex in Houston, hands down. Everything on the menu is great. My favorite is the heart-stopping pile of cheese and meat called the Sobroso. I hate La Porte. It's the most boring and lifeless of all Houston suburbs. I've been living here with family for the past year. I'm moving back to Midtown on Tuesday, and I haven't been this excited in months. But I'll try the restaurant. Also, Comprehensive User Submitted Houston Restaurant Reviews http://b4-u-eat.com/

Disney is not necessary. We have the far superior Renaissance Festival.

Parking in the TMC is even more expensive than downtown, and there's no street parking either.

I joined for a year.

I'm really disappointed that anyone would even mention any kind of national chain, when the home grown dining options are so fantastic. My favorite casual places Barnaby's on Fairview Niko Niko's Cali Sandwich (banh mi, vietnamese) on Travis near Elgin Empire Cafe Don'Key in Pasadena Tan Tan in Bellaire Chinatown House of Pies

TMC already has a library; http://www.library.tmc.edu/. It's a private library (not open to the public) owned by TMC institutions. It's across the street from the Baylor fountain. There's also the Rice Fondren library within easy walking distance.