jdbaker

One of the houses he lived in as a boy is part of the University of St. Thomas.

Here's a link to a pic: http://www.stthom.edu/Visitors_Community/M...ings/hughes.aqf

Hughes Tool had a big sale of office furniture in the early to mid 90s. Howard Hughes' office was still there, in tact. Supposedly he almost never used it. They were looking for a buyer to buy all of it together. Don't know what happened to it.

I heard he attended the old Montrose Elementary, where HSPVA stands now.

At the time of his birth, his family lived in the Beaconsfield at 1700 Main.

Can anyone chime in about this place - www.riselofts.com ?? the prices look extraordinarily cheap compared to the ohter places such as the cosmopolitan and the mosaic. And i am trying to figure out why is the case since they look comparably nice.

Any info about the:

(1) place itself

(2) location

(3) etc

Would be very helpful. Thanks.

They are cheaper because they are "used." They were apartments first, now Post is converting to condos. When you buy a new condo -- in Houston -- you pay a huge premium. It's a lot like buying a new car vs. a used car.

When I first moved here, I needed to get a cable for my new TV and I saw in google maps that there was a Radioshack downtown. And since I didn't know the bus routes well enough I thought the simplest thing to do would be to take the metro rail downtown and get what i needed. Unfortunately I never found the radioshack. Either it was underground in a tunnel somewhere or in the Park Shops or whatever, but wherever it was I couldn't find it from the street and I just gave up.

As jdbaker said, the fact that the Pavilions will be visible from the street is a definite plus.

The population of the offices downtown during the working day is greater than the town where I grew up.

There just has to be enough demand for retail, as long as it's good quality and easy to find. I find a lot of the retail that is currently downtown is either hidden in a tunnel or really sketchy.

What's in the Park Shops anyways?

Case in point. The Radio Shack that you were looking for is in the Park Shops.

Park Shops used to have household name stores, and they left because the demand isn't there!

The park shops close at 6pm. They're also nearly invisible from the street, making them highly inaccessible to those who are not intimately familiar with downtown. I believe the aforementioned reasons -- and not a lack of demand for downtown retail per se -- explain the current state of the Park Shops.

Sorry about the address. It is actually 3510 S. MacGregor Way. Now as far as the property on Oakmont I couldn't find the address but it is probably 3208. Here is what it looked like this afternoon:

I have a small collection of the three MacGregor mansions / estates that I have digi-pict so far. If you would like to see them go here:

Flickr / Old Houses

Chris

This one is great, but the one next to it -- a 1930's Modernist -- is amazing. It's one of my favorites houses in the entire city.

Nope, that's it. Digitalcowboymagic just got the address wrong, which explains why it wasn't popping up in HCAD when I plugged it in. I'm glad to see that the interior isn't as in bad a shape as I thought it might be!

And yes, I'd buy this one, too.

It's a steal. I saw it the day it came up, and I really thought it would be pending by the following day.

I don't know anything about the one on Calhoun, but I used to drive past the one on S. MacGregor with some frequency. It has been in poor condition for a long time and at one point got tagged by the City for allowing the weeds to get high...and I'm not just talking about high, I'm talking about WILD. I wouldn't be surprised if they put a lein on it and cut the grass themselves.

From some angles at certain times of the day, I could almost swear that I could see straight through the building as I drove by, as though the back wall might've collapsed...or it could've just been built with a lot of rear windows, I can't tell. But if you do happen to come across anything about this mansion, please let us know. Ever since some remuddlers painted a brick mansion at S. MacGregor and Bowling Green a shade of pink, this one has become my favorite in that area.

The top one is currently for sale in the $500,000-$600,000 range. It's on two acres and a hell of a deal in my book. If I had the cash on hand I would buy it in a heartbeat.

The top one is currently for sale in the $500,000-$600,000 range. It's on two acres and a hell of a deal in my book. If I had the cash on hand I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Actually, I think I'm wrong. It's looks to be a different one, but nonetheless here is the link: http://www.har.com/3267977

Did anyone happen to notice who the leasing company is on the sign out front?

The building is owned by Harris County, but it is leased to someone else under a long term (e.g. 50-60 year) ground lease.

As a Midtowner, I can tell you that more shopping and eating options in the area will be much appreciated.

With all the residential development in the area, the commercial development is lacking (or lagging). All in good time, I suppose. There is finally a CVS going in down the street. I know the Forum generally detests full blocks being swallowed up by a convenience store, but if you had to drive ten minutes to buy deodorant, you'd be singing a different tune.

Agreed. More CVS's > Greater livability > More population density > More luxury dining and retail offerings.

if by "rough" you mean lots of kids who are black or hispanic, yes.

musicman, do you happen to live in the woodlands or kingwood? several of your posts about "thugs" and "rough" seem to indicate you have no idea what you're talking about, but you see young minorities as rough thugs, instead of just kids being kids.

how many "thugs" do you think are going to go downtown and pay to park just to stand around and "not shop"? how many thugs do you see at Bayou Place - none. How many "thugs" do you see near downtown, period - only at the bus station, and more than thugs, you just see poor minorities.

If you have a real issue, man up and say what the issue is. Don't puss out and use codes like "thugs" and "rough" when, i'm guessing, the only "rough" "thugs" you know are those you see on TV.

Being someone who lives near those you seem to refer to as "thugs" and "rough", I assure you, you have very little to be concerned about. "They" aren't going to mess up your high end bowling alley. I've never seen any "rough" "thugs" at an ESPNZone (and I've been to a few.) I've never seen any "rough" "thugs" in the city theaters in SF or Boston or Chicago, so your fears are either overblown fears of crime, or fear of minority youth - neither of which you have to be concerned with at HP.

You obviously don't spend a lot of time downtown and you obviously have no idea what the hell you're talking about. I live downtown. Before that I lived in inner-city DC. I'm confident in my ability to discern "thugs" from middle class African-Americans and Hispanics. Downtown Houston is exceedingly safe on weeknights, however, the people who line up outside of TOC Bar and the like every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are predominantly of the Thug variety. How do I know this? Well there was the Murder that took place following a dispute at TOC Bar. There was also the shooting inside M Bar. And of course there was the day they fished a body out of the Bayou behind the Pink Monkey. Incidentally, the parking lots surrounding these bars charge $10-$15 for a parking space. As for movie theaters, well, one of my classmates was stabbed outside a popular DC movie theater near the US Capital, but she lived. Of course this was well after the neighborhood "gentrified." Does that count? Now, instead of accusing people of being racist, why don't you just go back to ESPN zone and have some wings.

$100 per hour seems a bit too high. According to a website I saw, the one in Las Vegas charges "$4.95 - $7.95 per game and from $55 - $75 per hour. Shoe rental is $3.95." The prices were a little lower for the Philidelphia location. I am sure Houston won't be this expensive either. I for one am really looking forward to bowling there... I think it will be a lot of fun and something different to do. Regular bowling alleys are fun to go to sometimes... but they are just so... well... they are just so bowling alleyish. he he

They had a lucky strike near me in DC. As some have pointed out, Lucky Strike is not a conventional bowling alley and it is very expensive compared to a conventional bowling alley. Thus, if you're looking for an AMC lanes downtown, this is not it. It's more a cocktail lounge with bowling.

Calling on Plastic. Where are you Plastic? This is a thread for ideas about the Galleria staying open 24 hours. Do you think it would work? Thoughts?

Best post ever! I can't stop laughing.

This completely sidesteps the question of which losers moved downtown expecting to enjoy quiet solitude, but, I suppose THAT question belongs on another thread.

I'll address it here. I live downtown. Before living in Houston, I lived in central DC. I consider myself to have a very high threshold for dealing with noise. I'm fine with the levels of noise typically produced by sirens, gunshots, 3 alarm fires, and 5 am street brawls. I'm confident that neither Warren's nor Market St Grill could produce enough noise to disturb my night even if they wanted to. However, I am not fine with bass that vibrates through several brick walls and into my loft at 3am. Hearing music at 1:00am is fine. Audible noise all night long is not an issue. Feeling my pillow vibrate at 3:00am is where I draw the line.

I hate to disapoint you, but they have stores in urban locations such as upont Circle in DC, and they do not sell CDs. Joe Muggs does have good coffee though.

People still buy CD's?

While there are numerous posts as to what may constitute the "perfect" downtown living environment, perfection is not required for people to live downtown. People adapt to their environment. And, most do not sell their cars, even if they enjoy using them as little as possible. In that vein, having a grocery store less than half a mile away is tolerable, if not perfect. Target less than a mile away is also tolerable. Furniture and household goods, being stores that are visited much less frequently, are likely not on many "must have" lists, but dry cleaners and a clean corner grocery would be.

Exactly. I've been living downtown for the past year. I think downtown is already a great place to live. I also think a lot of people have it backwards when it comes to evaluating livability. People tend to compare downtown to some hypothetical "perfect urban environment" where happiness hinges on the ability to secure all necessities by foot. I find it more useful to compare downtown to Katy or any other place where people who work in Houston live. Using this approach downtown offers the following:

1. The best morning and evening commutes in the city

2. Easy access to all major freeway

3. Access to Memorial

4. The ability to avoid using freeways

5. The lowest crime rate in Houston (based on zip code)

6. No "apartments" and no possibility of "apartments" in the future

7. A private downtown parking space

8. Rail access to the medical center

9. Target, Randells, and CVS within 2-3 miles

10. Proximity to the Uptown, Rice Village, Washington Ave

I just noticed the signs. They could have been there all along except they weren't faded so I thought they were new.

This block should have been the definitive Houston Park. Everytime I drive by, I imagine this block lined with highrise/midrise residential and mixed use buildings. It had the potential to create cohesive neighborhood stretching from the southern edge of Downtown through midtown and then following the metro line all the way to Hermann Park. Very, very sad.

Thanks for the feedback. Im going to head by there tomorrow and have a look around.

2016 Main's maintenance fees are over $.80 psf. They do, however, include electricity. In nearly all circumstances you're better off renting downtown given the current rental marktet. I've heard good things about Humble Towers, which is all rental. Houston House is very livable and has a sort of dysfunctional charm. Also, check Har.com for residential leases. I believe there are a few units for lease in the Bayou Lofts (owned) for around $1100.

I have never been down there before. I know they are open only on the weekdays prob why i have never been down there! Where are the entrances for the tunnels I would like to see what they look like even if its not that great. I probably have the same look ol' face as that lady?

You're not missing a lot. They look and feel like a narrower version of a circa early 1980's airport terminal cocorridor. Certain portions have cockroach problems, while others leak a good bit. All in all they're awful.

People be doin that at school, too. I was just bull-rush right through them. Then they be walkin so slow.

I think I might adopt this approach as well.

New thread because the other's didn't want match up with the actual topic.

I've been rather curious to know if this will be done with the additional developments going on downtown. While I know the Cathedral is basically in the "outskirts" of downtown, HP, the Finger Property, along with other developments, do you think an expansion might be likely?

I know there are a few on here that think the tunnel would retard the ability for people to actually be outside. But there is something to be said about walking in comfort from one side of the city to another.

I don't think the issue with the tunnels is that they affirmatively preventing people from walking outside. Rather the problem is that the tunnel allow people the option of walking "comfort", which in turn leads to food and retail establishments that are forced to close at 5pm. But for the Tunnels, the business crowd would be forced to eat at street level, and unlike tunnel tenants, street level establishments have the option of remaining open after 5pm. It is reasonable to believe that many businesses currently located in the tunnel would find it worthwhile to remain open for a few extra hours to capture the residential / evening event crowd. In short, the tunnels cannibalize potential street level development potential.

On a slightly different note, does anyone actually like the tunnels? I find them to be anything but comfortable. They're dimly lit, crowded, and confusing even to the frequent tunnel user. Even in August a 5-10 minute walk outside really isn't really that bad compared to spending you lunch hour in a dank tunnel.

The Savoy was built in 1906 and was Houston's first residential highrise. When it was built it featured electricity, steam heat, dumbwaiters to the basement in each apartment, a unique building-wide refrigeration system, and a roof terrace. It went downhill over time and in the 1950s it became a boarding house. In the 1960s it was purchased by Allen Field as part of a planned office-hotel-apartment complex called the Savoy-Field. The offices were never built, but the hotel wing was opened in 1966. The apartments in the original building closed in 1976, and the hotel closed for good in about 1988 after being used for South Texas College of Law Students (hence the Barrister Club on the ground floor). Until recently there were brass "S-F" plaques embedded in the sidewalk.

Original Sayoy

Savoy-Field rendering

Thanks. That's exactly what I was looking for.

Having recently purchased a unit at the Beaconsfield, I'm very intrigued By the Savoy. Built within a few years of one another and located within a few blocks from one another, the Savoy looks to be the Beaconsfield's abandoned twin. For those of you who are not familiar with the Beaconsfield this would mean 11ft ceilings, fireplaces in every apartment, huge windows on three sides of every unit. All of this leaves me wondering why there is so little interest in the Savoy? Additionally, I'm hoping someone here might know a little about the history of this building, as I've been unable to find anything. Thanks.

Hands on, eyewitness accounts are always appreciated. Thanks a lot, Old Geo.

I too attended the Townhall Meeting. Mayor White made a few additional statements that some of you may find interesting. First, he stated that residents can expect a bona fide grocery store in downtown sometime within the next two years. Second, he said there are several other "concrete deals" (as in nearly certain) in the works for downtown aside from Houston Pavilions and the Fingers project. All of this is obviously rumor and innuendo from the mouth of a politician, so take it for what it's worth, but interesting nonetheless

I think they wanted a prime "corner" location and it seemed to fit the bill.

I'm sure that if you lived downtown and you felt crappy, getting out of your loft to go a block as opposed to several blocks, would be more appealing. now the question is, will it be 24hrs? If only another residential tower/loft would open up! that would certainly provide more people for the area.

Ding. Ding. Ding. We have winner. ^^

As a downtown resident, I couldn't be happier to hear this. Several people mentioned that there is already a CVS a few blocks south of MBar, which is true, but it's not that simple. This type of redundancy is essential for a bona fide pedestrian neighborhood. Case in point, I live seven blocks north of the Main St. CVS, but I rarely walk there. It's a 15-20 minute walk, which translates into a 30-40 minute round trip, making it walkable (if barely) but less efficient than driving to the CVS on West Gray. The Mbar/Walgreen location is only three blocks away. This translates into translates into a 10-15 minute round trip, which is quicker than driving to W.Gray. It does sound like a big deal, but it is. The tipping point is somewhere within those extra 4 blocks.

Why does this matter? First, I would pay 5-10% more in rent for this conveinece, and I suspect I'm not alone. Not using your car can become very addicitive. Second, this means one more person (that isn't homeless or club hopping) is on Main St after business hours, which in turn makes all those other Main St. store fronts a little more valuable. While bars and resteraunts are great, it is impossible to understate the value of having everyday necessities within 5 minutes of your front door.

Any word on the reason for the closure? Perhaps this is an early sign that the downtown market is starting to mature a little bit. Of course it could also have to do with that shooting a few months back.