houstonmacbro

Perhaps, because it particularly poignant when families have to bury have to bury a child at the Holidays.

I think that is the saddest part.

I've looked at a few over the years.

Me too ... worked for DC Metropolitan Police for a bit. Man, some of the photos I've seen make this look like a Disney rendering.

Sorry I don't have anything subjective to add to the investigation, but feel even more sorry for this person's family and friends (and all the family and friends of others who are victims of crimes).

Anyone know why this huge piece of land behind the marqe is empty?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=ho...&iwloc=addr

Lock, I've always wondered about that too ... isn't it bordered by rail to the north though? Maybe that's why?

hopefully these captured reality.

Wow. The ice rink is beautiful.

Another DOOOOHH!!

I thought that was the one we were talking about?!?!

I didn't realize there were two, so close together. They were just a couple of blocks apart.

I did too at first until I read the 1st description again closely. In fact, I cannot picture where that was and might have to do a drive-by to jar my memory.

There was also the South Main RV Park located at 10100 S Main St.

For inquiring minds. Can you elaborate on what you thought was "really interesting"? I know that the development team is working hard (as I see the same cars parked at the trailer day after day), but do you think this thing really has a chance? Did they throw out dates? Phase descriptions? Tenants (signed or otherwise)? Moving dirt is a good first step (which shows that they have some financing for the soft/hard costs up to this point), but the real commitment of resources is evident by the installation of the infrastructure (IMO).

Well, they had t-shirts, development plans, the mayor of Pearland, the lady who is heading up Nano World, and city councilmembers from Pearland. They are definitely digging out the canal and apparently gaining traction in moving forward. It was interesting to me to see the plans, see the progress being made on construction, and visualizing the final development and the presidential park.

I don't live in Pearland so do not know how it will take with residents there, but if it is anything like the anchor Woodlands Waterway (or whatever it is called) this place is going to be a hit with residents, businesses, and visitors to the Houston region.

I went to the groundbreaking on Thursday. It was really interesting and they have already started digging out the canals. Had a chance to meet the developers too. Really cool people with Historic Real Estate.

I'm at the central library now. I'm not loving it.

The library has much quicker internet access than I have at home. There are approximately 60 stations grouped on the ground floor, most of which are usually occupied. That's great.

What's not so hot is the utter lack of supervision. Some of these patrons are loud. Not just a little conversation here or there; I"m talking full-out singing along with whatever Youtube video they're repeatedly watching, thrashing around, etc.

There's a group of young men, commenting LOUDLY on the freaks at a porno site. Their descriptions are crude, but vivid. And LOUD.

Oh, good. Someone's ring tone has drowned out the tone-deaf diva sitting next to me.

Closer supervision, HPL?

Okay, that is just not cool. When I used the library during the aftermath of Ike, it was not like that. People were quiet and respectful and I used the 2nd and 3rd floors with WiFi on my laptop. It was really a nice experience.

Sorry to hear about the masses on the first floor. I did notice it was like a cattle-call when they would open and people would rush the machines.

Nothing like public porn viewing.

I was thinking possibly a dog park. I remember a year or two ago their being talk of having a dedicated dog park in Midtown since Baldwin has been turned into a unofficial dog park by the residents.

I figure, although small, could be a perfect little dog park if fenced in and given a few shade trees.

I kind of like the idea of small parks where you can just curl up with a book or sit and enjoy the weather in peace, instead of throngs of people at larger parks.

They need to change that Macy's though. Bring in a Bloomingdales, or simply add more shops. It's weird how The Galleria has two Macy's.

It does?

In 2000, I visited the Museum for the first time. It was a cool experience...I remember the Planetarium was showing "Where in the Universe is Carmen Sandiego" and the McDonald's was pretty cool. It was unlike any McD's I had seen. For one thing, the restaurant offered snowcones, but what I'm trying to recall is that it had some science-themed combo meals (like a "Mars" themed meal). Unfortunately, the next time I managed to get back to it was in 2007, and it had been gutted and changed since then (to a fairly non-descript McD's). I'm really trying to remember those meals...as I never had them. Can anyone help? Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Help!

Sorry ... can't help. Haven't been to that museum since I was a child.

I like the retractable roof idea. Is that being done anywhere already?

The transit routes you mentioned is pretty cool too.

Methinks bums add character to a place.

I dont know if this has already been posted but whatever, here ya go anyways.

From the Nashville Business Journal

November 24, 2008

Houston Embassy Suites Hotel set to break ground in March

Houston Business Journal - by Jennifer Dawson Reporter

American Liberty Hospitality Inc. plans to break ground in March on a 262-room Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Houston after securing construction financing.

Amegy Bank and two other lenders in Texas provided more than $30 million in construction financing for the 19-story hotel at a time when bank funding is very difficult to come by.

Houston-based American Liberty Hospitality, which has been working on the project for two years, will build the full-service hotel at 1515 Dallas Ave. at LaBranch. The property is expected to open in fall 2010.

The hotel site is located near the George R. Brown Convention Center, Hilton Americas-Houston and Discovery Green park. The proposed hotel's proximity to the convention center garnered tax breaks for the developer.

The City of Houston has an ordinance in place that gives back 50 percent to 100 percent of Houston's portion of the hotel's occupancy tax on an annual basis over seven years. The ordinance is designed to encourage the building of hotels within walking distance of the George R. Brown.

Nick Massad, president of American Liberty Hospitality, says the project will help attract more convention business to Houston.

The new all-suite hotel will have 6,000 square feet of meeting space, a rooftop swimming pool, restaurant and a street-level caf

I just wanted to know what everyone thinks of the new lighting on the crown of the Continential Building. Personally, i miss the blue lighting with the Continential logo but i still like the new lighting because its a little more pronounced. Does anyone know why they stopped the blue lighting?

I'll look the next time I am down that way. I loved the blue with the faint Continental logo imprinted inside.

So, what else should the district do to improve?

Smaller classes, better instructors, a VISION and EXPECTATION for what they want for their school and students (excellence), better parent-teacher-student partnership building.

I think you also missed one of the newer Spring HS named Wuensche (sp?).

Maybe that's why so many of them don't get built.

I honestly think the price points are off. I mean, I guess there are people that can afford $300,000 plus 1 bedroom condos with enormous monthly maintenance fees, but honestly I don't know very many of them. I suspect this was a spec project that simply didn't pan out when the numbers were added up.

I prefer Sudoku on my iPod touch and the news in my NetNewswire news reader.

Another one bites the dust:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/6081958.html

It always amazes me that people still read the paper. I know that sounds odd, but I mean actually read a physical paper from end to end.

No one ever talks about implementing socialized medicine (certainly not Obama or mainstream Democrats)... which would involve the US government dissolving the entire private health insurance industry in favor of a single-payor system. This simply would never happen in the US, so you are essentially building up a Straw Man to beat down on this issue.

And I think this is key. There are a lot of doctors, hospitals, and drug companies that would go berserk if that ever came to pass.

Me too, but I get a mix anyway because I like both, with spicy sauce.

The sauce was yummy. Tell me ... exactly what are those veggies? I thought it was spinach, but then I wasn't so sure.

And yes, Doozo is so fantastic.

I enjoyed the pork a bit better than the veggie.

I'm excited about HP, but there's something that I'm more excited about...

Healthy competition. Houston Center is now going to have to up its game to keep the lunchtime patrons. So much so that they'll seriously have to think about expanding their hours to evenings and maybe even weekends. Then they'll also have to diversify their retail offerings to lure people away from the one or two good ones that HP has. We've set the stage for a restaurant and retail war for downtown Houston, but it's a war that everyone is going to win.

I really wished they were open on weekends. I've always thought they could have those electric helicopter competitions in all that open air space they have. That could be a big draw.