lilyheights

I've become a bit jaded about the whole thing since starting this topic months ago after seeing so many pictures, news segments, billboards, etc. I've even seen the ads on more mainstream, non-Houston websites. But I still don't intend on going. I do think it's a bit stomach turning for me. I noticed they have BodyWorlds brochures in the food court at Houston Center downtown. I accidentally got a glimpse of one before eating some Chick-Fil-A before the Astros game last Friday, though by the time I got my food, I had forgotten about it.

That's my point: the ads are not an accurate representation of the exhibit's look and feel...bad ad campaign or whatever, the ads turn one off. I'm glad I saw the thing w/o focusing on the ads b/c the exhibit was a valuable experience.

I saw it a couple of months ago and went to the lecture the other night.

It isn't any more gross than a wax replica or the skeleton in the biology lab. It is very respectful and scientific, imo.

I saw the ads after seeing the exhibit: those aren't really a good representation of the feel you get seeing the exhibit. I guess they try to be a little more sensational b/c they're ads...

There was a child of 7 or 8 in the exhibit when I went. Didn't seem to be bothered and she was asking questions. Seemed like some learning was going on.

You did this so some portion of your gene pool shall survive? Smart.

No, we're just too stupid or smart or something to move from Houston. So, we're all still here, spread out in different areas of the city...

I didn't mean that whining is bad...all the civic assocs. do it from time to time b/c it works. Perhaps I should have used the word advocate or something...

If you travel north of the North Loop on Yale, to your left is Garden Oaks, to your right is Independence Heights.

Other than the difference between the houses, residents, and incomes that are there right now, what is the difference that makes Indepence Heights "across the tracks"? It is quite close to the Heights, Garden Oaks, etc... what's the deal here?

and why is it that Garden Oaks gets a sound wall from 610, but the less affluent neighborhood doesn't? Did Garden Oaks pay for that wall (i don't think so). Do poor people like the sound of 610? (i don't think so).

Garden Oaks probably organized a committee to get the wall put in and whined a lot. That's how things get done. If I lived in Independence Heights, I'd start making noise to the city...

It will depend on the specifics, but we plan to stay.

Most of our neighbors in the Heights stayed for Rita. We all checked in with each other before retiring to our houses to wait and see. They're good people to have around. All my family is scattered at various non-storm-surge locations in the city, too. So between shelters, neighbors, and family, we'll find a way.

It was scary, though.

I am not one who runs from the possibility of not having electricity. Safety is the concern, obviously. We need to make sure we have the necessary supplies and such.

Interested in reading other replies.

NOLA is 38 miles inland...but it is a bowl. They were fine (for the most part) until those levies broke...it wasn't the wind that got them.

Safety is hard to buy at any price. Honestly, people = crime. Check into everything but know that things change over time. You're right to check...by being a concerned parent and an active citizen you can help make the best of any situation.

If the homeowner's association or civic association is active, that is a good sign.

The crime stats don't show a whole picture. They show reported incidents. More reported incidents could mean more crime or more reported crime -- since nowhere is crime free, the reporting may mean a concerned citizenry -- that could be better than a group of apathetic citizens who report nothing and look good on paper. So, check it out with that in mind.

^^

Or St. Agnes. Don't forget about the girls.

Also, you might want to make sure that there isn't a problem with the loads on the electrical out back. HL&P had to replace parts of the lines back there. They kept getting too hot, melting and then we'd have brown outs or black outs. They fixed in pretty short order, but it took three or four instances. The loads plus the west exposure created melting wires...eek.

Makes me wonder if Michael Barry is the landlord of the fiveplex?

I just want to clarify that not everyone living in the five plex is a problem. Just stupid guy and stupid guys customers that call to him from the street, get their stuff, and then walk around inhaling. The other tenants don't make a whole lotta money, but they're not making any trouble for anyone either.

Maybe they don't have the manpower, but I'd like them to give up the minor vs. major crime idea.

On NPR, they ran a story on a county that is performing DNA sampling at all crime scenes. They are solving rapes based on the information gathered at the burglary scenes. This department was suprised by the finding that the burglary was an indicator that the person is likely to be involved in the more serious one. Now that they recognize it, they can act on it.

In my experience, HPD treats burglaries as minor despite this correlation. (I ask those officers that give me that impression: how did they find the Galleria rapist recently?). The huffing guy was just using and selling last week. This week he's trying to enter a woman's house while she's at home with her daughter. Why does it take people becoming potential victims of more serious crime for it to matter...I, for one, don't like the idea of being the sacraficial lamb to make HPD take someone seriously.

Manpower shortage is no excuse for over simplifying your thinking about crime into minor and major categories.

First, contact your city councilman and ask them to inquire with the police about why officers don't feel like they should enforce the law. Selling inhalants on the street is very likely a crime, as are trespassing and breaking-and-entering. Be polite, but firm. Start with a written letter, and follow up with a phone call. The cops may not take you seriously, but the department tends to jump when council members start making inquiries.

Ok, this sounds good. I will get my neighbors to do the same.

Second, talk to HL&P about getting a streetlight installed right there. Power companies are usually more than eager to install new streetlights for free where people want them. I know the incident you spoke of happened in the afternoon, but you don't want this turning into a 24-hour operation.

I am going to look into this. Unfortunately, however, it already is 24 hours.

Third, this sounds like a good opportunity to start a neighborhood watch. I believe there's some organization within the city or possibly even federal level that helps you with this. If all of that is too formal, then try to organize a few neighbors to start hanging out in the place that guy hangs out -- kind of like the guys standing along the fence in King of the Hill cartoons. It sends the message that it's YOUR turf, not his. Bring a radio and a cooler so you can stay longer and attract more people. Heck, bring a hibachi. Even if it's just two people, it's enough. Bring a camera and start taking pictures of his customers. As long as you're standing on the sidewalk or in the street you can legally take pictures of anyone you want whether they like it or not. And if it makes them uncomfortable, then they'll move on.

We all watch them; they see us watching them. I think they're so strung out they don't care very much. I'm still going to encourage the watching b/c even strung out humans don't like to be watched by nature. It might help a little, if not enirely solve the problems. Maybe a diary of activity too? I think the only thing they're bothered by are police cars...

I guess that's the crux of what I'm saying -- you have to make it uncomfortable for this guy to continue his business. Yes, it's inconvenient for you. It's easy to say "someone" should take care of it, meaning the police. But think of it this way -- this kid is lowering your property value. Every huff that takes place on your block takes money out of your pocket. Your home is your biggest investment. And is having a barbecue on the sidewalk and meeting the neighbors really the hardest thing you'll do this summer?

If that doesn't work for you, I bet your fellow HAIFers can come up with some more aggressive tactics.

All ideas are welcome...

yep and 9 times out of 10, will end up on eternal hold :( :(

I noticed that when I tried to call about the time he and his clients were trespassing on the vacant house across the street.

I didn't want to mention this on here and mess up our pleasant discussions with negative things, but after yesterday I'm at a loss of where to begin. I need to know what to do.

Back story:

Yesterday, either the inhalant selling young man or one of his band of customers was arrested for trying to break into the front door of one of the houses across the street in the late afternoon when she was at home with her daughter. This is an escalation from the usual using and selling activities.

The cop:

The cop came and arrested the guy for trespassing or something unrelated to his usual activities. After he had the guy in the car, we asked him our burning question, "What are we supposed to do when we see this stuff going on?" (As porch sitting community member, we all see stuff.)

The cop was nice, but had nothing to offer. He said I should get with my homeowner's association and put pressure on those people (motioning to the five plex where the bad guy lives). I was confused for a minute and then realized that the cop was suggesting that I put some sort of deed restriction pressure on the homeowner to make it uncomfortable for them to live there?

I explained to the cop that we don't have those kinds of deed restrictions. And, he said there was basically nothing they could do, since we can't go this deed restriction route?

My thoughts:

Now, no one cares that the five plex is there and that lower income people live there. We just don't want this one law breaking guy and his friends fragrantly standing around using inhalants.

And what is this idea of law enforcement via deed restriction anyway? This is such wrong thinking, imo.

Questions:

Who should I write about this?

Who should I call?

What should I do?

I know my neighbors are waiting for the same direction...

All things considered, League City sounds like a good bet for you, then. I haven't tried commuting from that area in a northerly direction, so I can't tell you how bad traffic might be. He'd be taking SH 146, by the way, so Interstate 45 really don't matter...he might get stuck for a few minutes each morning at the stop lights in the Seabrook area, but my experiences there have never been too hellish. Generally speaking, the eastern portion of I-10 is free sailing...and that's if he even needs to use it.

I-45 north is pretty traffic packed in the mornings. I watch it as I can, zooming by on the south bound lanes from the Heights to NASA. Looks no fun...but then all the 'burbs encounter the same commute and 45 seems marginally better. If you can take it, no problems. Just try to drive it during rush hour if you want the real story. I think the outbound traffic in the afternoon is worse than the morning commute.

I was thinking big leaks, not the type that can be caught by a pan. My mother's washer leaked a whole lotta water a couple years ago, damaging the floor, ceiling, electrical, downstairs wall and some of the downstairs floor. It would have been much less serious had the washer been downstairs (which it is now).

I see the problem to be washers in general, not the location.

We have a very low priority item to retrofit a washer and dryer into our master closet upstairs. We did some preliminary research into ways to avoid ruinous leaks. I don't think it will be a big deal. The convenience of having a w/d upstairs and downstairs should be an improvement.

Between shut off valves, overflow drains, pans and other devices, you can work out a system that controls the potential leak and potential damage.

As your mom, my dad, and anyone else who had a leak can attest, it is probably a good idea to use these measures no matter the location of your washer. And they'll work as well upstairs as downstairs. (We have another low priority item to do these things for the downstairs w/d.)

Most houses have a a/c on the second floor or in the attic which is another potential leak source that one manages to mitigate. The same stuff can be applied to the washer or your hot water heater.

That is being built by a friend of mine and her husband. He's a builder and they wanted to live in the Heights so they found the lot and tore the shack that was there down. It is a FINE-ass house-but not for sale.

They'll be our new neighbors. Tell them welcome and that the project looks very nice. I hope they inspire whoever bought the house a couple of doors down and the person who eventually buys on the corner.

The shack that butts up against the HEB on the opposite side was torn down yesterday. I went to get the mail and saw a pile of rubble where a house used to be....I heard there will be two houses on that lot.

I do not like to see garages on the facade of a house. Nothing about a garage makes it worthy of the showcase that is the facade of the house. This indicates either lazy design or lack of space. We have alleys that the garage can face. Keep our streets lined with something worth looking at.

We live in a sfh taking up most of our lot. I admit it isn't an ideal to me even though I live in it. If it were attached, however, I would not live in it. I do not like the half million dollar properties in our old neighborhood that share a wall. It seems like you should be able to at least get the space we have between the houses for that much.

Three stories are a bit too much to me. I know people have this, but I don't want that.

Since you asked: When I've looked at homes, one thing that is important to us is cabling for data and such. There are common oversights that plague new builds. Please at least talk to people who know (not onlythe electrician) about hookups before determining where to place them. Get them to tell you the best way. Electricians and data cable installers have very different ideas about most things as do entertainment system people and alarm system installers. Mechanicals like these are important b/c you have to live with them.

I also prefer variety that is consistent with what's around it. The craftsman movement was good at offering variety but remaining within the design parameters. Vics do too. So, don't make everything look crazy different but you don't have to have everything look all the same, either.

I agree with you. ^

I think if Sharpstown were to change the names of its still surviving neighborhoods to anything that didn't have the word Sharpstown in it, buyers would consider it. Westbury isn't any better, really, but it doesn't share the stigma of that name. We should call the area around St. Francis, the Oaks of Bellaire or something...

Case in point, the chron's this week section online titles the section that includes sharpstown as Alief and swhouston. Sharpstown is a bad word in many people's minds.

"don't worry... we'll eventually move to the suburbs... i hear that i must "chase the good schools," although based on what i've seen in Houston (i went to SBISD, HISD and Humble ISD) doing so is futile - what's good now will not be good in 15 years."

IMO choosing a closer-in school may be a good idea. Schools in gentrifying neighborhoods may become better as riff-raff moves outside of the schools' attendance zones.

I agree. There is a big shift in schools in certain areas. I think those are sustainable changes, since the people digging their heels in are bent on not chasing schools.

People in the 'burbs who move for good schools will move again and abandon the current schools they built. Houstonians who are the "I'm not moving from here and I'm gonna make it work" type, tend to create sustainable improvements: Travis Elementary; Oak Forest Elementary...just to name a couple.

I grew up close by...it has always astounded me that an area this close to town has escaped redevelopment...it would seem that with all of the low rent apartments, etc. that much of the commercial properties and apartments could be bulldozed and redeveloped.

I live in a redeveloping area in the Heights and realize that areas have to reach a point sometimes where the area is so rundown that redevelopment is attractive. I would think that this area has reached this point as land values have to be attractive to land developers looking to make plays on its proximity to the galleria.

It can not be much longer before there are some massive bulldozes going on and redevelopment to start happening. With gas prices going as they are...living closer to the city is going to start to take on more and more of a premium. I am seeing lots of redevelopment in areas going on near downtown that I never thought would happen.

So here is my million dollar question...what is scaring off the developers...don't tell me the gangs, etc...because I remember Midtown before it was "Midtown" and it was probably worse.

I'm waiting, too. Come on tell me? I grew up there and stayed after the decline. My dad still lives in the area and there isn't anything really bad happening in his immediate area. Maybe that's it? Not dead enough?

Or, is the concentration in the neartown areas and the Heights (where I live) getting in the way? Is the Heights' success pumping up the northern suburbs first...we'll get to Sharpstown after we finish Oak Forest?

Or, maybe it is that the area between the Galleria and Sharpstown is a no man's land. There is no way for people to bleed over to the Sharpstown area when they start looking at homes in other places. I feel like Oak Forest, Garden Oaks and such get a large number of new buyers who shy away from Heights home pricing...

I could be completely wrong, but I'm just pondering out loud.

sorry..i didn't understand that Kwal paint has a special product.

good deal then, if you have experience with it, I will support your recommendation

Lol. The product could be pointless and no better than anything else...I'll let you know. My desperate need to paint once, use many has me set up as a willing victim.

I am all for supporting the little guy too - especially versus the big box stores. i just wanted them to know that "Porch Paint" wasn't necessarily a unique product to Kwal Paint. Other "little guy" paint stores probably have it too

I'm sure you're right, but I really trust my interior paint provider. I'll have to contact them again b/c I can't remember the details, but they said that Kwal sells a porch paint that is extra-specially good. It issupposed to be something unique and Definitive knew that Kwal has the stuff.

Since my run-of-the-mill porch paint lasted .5 seconds, I'm going to try to follow their advice.

I think Kwal paint is actually on Durham just north of Washington and before 1-10.

Somewhere around the railroad tracks

btw, most paint stores and home improvement stores sell porch paint...but I can't vouch for one's quality over any other one.

That's the one. It is on Durham, just south of th rr tracks.

I am planning to repaint my porch. We asked our interior paint people and they said Kwal has the right stuff. This is a self-serving pursuit. We want to repaint the porch one time for many years of use.

Also, I find that independent stores will explain all the ins and outs of doing the job properly and for best results. I'm sure HD sells a perfectly good product. I like the customer support I get at the smaller places -- so I pay for it when I can.

that green fake grass capet is call "astroturff", which became famous and renamed as such after being installed in the Astrodome in 1966... that's a piece of Houston history you removed

How big is the crack? You should be able to patch it and then paint over it. It may not be perfect, but I'm sure it will look better than what you started with. I'd go to Home Depot and ask them what to do.

I heard that Kwal paint on Shepherd has some pretty durable porch paint. Just another possibility.