dbigtex56

51 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

What did Richmond Ave look like when those brick sidewalks were brand new? I've been wanting to look at the history of how that happened

I lived on Richmond Ave in 1982-1983, and if I remember correctly it was about this time that sidewalks and trees were installed. A few months (or a year or two?) later the street was torn up to repair the notoriously leaky water mains. Again, my memory is a bit fuzzy because there was more than one renovation of Richmond Ave.
It might be difficult to differentiate between the original makeover (the parts that were spared) and the portions that were rebuilt. 
 

17 hours ago, editor said:

Do people smoke crack anymore?  Didn't that go out of fashion in like 1987?

These people do. However, they don't strike me as being especially trendy sorts.

1 hour ago, 79ta said:

How does one get a 360° unobstructed view of downtown from a single fixed location?

Smoke and mirrors.

Glad to see the parking garage will be razed. 
Despite the best efforts of the owner, street people found their way in and used it as headquarters for stashing stolen goods, smoking crack, and Lord knows what else.

On 9/7/2022 at 3:56 PM, gene said:

is it possibly because it has been sold or because Soundwaves is sticking around longer?

It appears to be for sale. I can't imagine that Soundwaves, beloved though they may be, is a business that would have the influence to negotiate a binding long-term lease. 
Best-case scenario: it will be sold, and business will continue as usual (unlikely).
Worst-case scenario: The property is sold for land value, the existing building is demolished, and we have another vacant lot in the heart of Montrose until God knows when.

On 9/6/2022 at 12:28 PM, hindesky said:

They have had a tree trimming company trim some of the trees that the heavy equipment could hit.

Those are some beautiful trees, and I hope they hire someone whose approach is more a tree surgeon and less like a butcher.
CenterPoint (and previously HL&P) is notorious for using unskilled workers who take town limbs helter-skelter.

An addition this portion of W Gray could use is shade trees. That stretch on the north side of the street from Waugh Dr to Dunlavy, to the best of my recollection, doesn't have a single tree. 
New sidewalks are dandy but who wants to be broiled under the relentless Texas sun, and baked from the hot asphalt parking lots? 

On 9/2/2022 at 3:32 PM, hindesky said:

His original restaurant is tiny and I guess he outgrew it and will be moving to the old Osaka Sushi location

That location was outgrown before it even opened. Even if I was the only customer it still felt jam-packed. I'm glad that it's turned out to be a success and the new former Osaki looks like a more suitable size.

3 hours ago, clutchcity94 said:

Hallelujah! I almost got mugged at that gas station while filling up once. Do we know what it’ll be?

A brewpub called "Mugs". Sounds ominous....

Do I understand this correctly?
We give TXDOX a few billion dollars, part of which is used to buy a fairly new apartment complex as if it was a Happy Meal.
"Hmm," says TXDOT, "guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought. But we'll toss it in the trash anyway. Not that it's in the way or anything,,,,"
Someone pipes up, "Or maybe low income people who need it could have it."
TXDOT shrugs. "Whatever. Who cares."
And the people rejoice at TXDOT's altruism and sensible use of their tax dollars. 
 

2 hours ago, hindesky said:

The house at the corner of Francis St. and San Jacinto St. is boarded up.

Love those windows, and I imagine that the interior might contain some solid woodwork, fixtures, and hardwood floors.
Seems unlikely that any effort will be made to salvage anything.

The first eight episodes of the series "Mo" have been released. The comedy/drama was created by and stars Houston comic Mo Amer. a Palestine refugee, and was filmed in and around Houston.
It has received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Set aside a few hours to binge; I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the writing and how Houston is incorporated seamlessly into the storyline. I hope it's picked up for future seasons.

Can't get the links to Google Maps to work.

On 8/23/2022 at 3:40 PM, hindesky said:

This how I knew they had started working on the site.

What a great view!

This will be the first building on that lot in 40+ years.
When I moved to Houston late in '81, it was occupied by a decaying car wash that looked like it had been abandoned for years. 

On 8/18/2022 at 9:54 AM, phillip_white said:

I think the facade may be complete by then, but there's no way they have all of the units finished out in 2 months. Before NYE, maybe. I would guess Spring 2023 for first move-ins.

Do all of the units have to be finished before people move in? 
I notice that the southern half of the building is progressing more quickly than the northern half. It might be to their advantage to complete and lease these units first. 
People would probably prefer the units with a skyline view. By opening in phases, income could be generated, and the units lacking skyline views would be rented before the units on the northern side are available. 
This is just speculation.

On 8/24/2022 at 11:14 PM, hindesky said:

ABC13 also did a story about the vote.

https://abc13.com/houston-affordable-housing-project-nhp-foundation-issues/12162475/

"While some council members did not want NHP Foundation to build the unit, they said they were pushed into a corner, and without approval, the city could have lost the funding altogether.

The money came from the state's General Land Office, and the city council said they weren't given much time to discuss this, given the state's deadline."

Thanks a bunch, Texas General Land Office (George P. Bush, Commissioner). 

1 hour ago, Hans Gruber said:

Wasn't this Fu Kim?  The address was 2615 Fannin?

Yes! That's the name!
How did I forget that unforgettable name? It still makes me giggle.

There was another Chinese restaurant in Midtown which was part of a sort of Chinese mall. It was located on the superblock where Camedon McGowen Station apartments now stands, and it included the aforementioned restaurant, a grocery store, and other assorted small shops.
Does anyone remember the name of the mall and the restaurant located there?

9 hours ago, dguet said:

There was once a large Chinese restaurant in Midtown (I think Fannin or Main Street) that covered a city block and large parking lot. It had bas-reliefs of dragons on the walls that entered the property. The building was multistoried (two stories?) which included the large restaurant and banquet halls. They had Dim Son style service on Sundays for brunch/lunch.

It closed sometime in the '90's and the property was razed and rebuilt. I don't remember the exact location, but it was south of the area where Rich's Gay Bar (2401 San Jacinto) was previously located. It might have been the site where the Camden Apartments are built.

Have been trying to remember what it was called. Anyone know?

The bad news: I don't remember the name of the restaurant.
The good news: I remember the exact location because a friend painted the bas-relief figures on the fence surrounding the building. It was located on the southeast corner of Fannin and McGowen streets, across the street from Kim Tai. 
The current building is a Catholic Charities' property which houses various health clinics.
edit: The October 2007 Google Maps photo for this address shows a vacant lot. 

On 9/6/2021 at 11:32 AM, phillip_white said:

There's a waste water sign on the fence that says something along the lines of Q3 2022 completion (I think it was Oct, but don't remember). Still very fast considering the size of the project  

They've made tremendous progress (it's been less than a year since ground was broken).
I wonder if they'll meet that goal and when the first occupants will move in.

This advice is coming a bit late, but take the time to see if any tree branches overhang the power lines on your street or your service drops. 
If so, call Centerpoint Energy and request a tree trim.
Ultimately, the decision is theirs (I'm not sure if they'll go on private property to trim limbs that may affect service drops), so if you think it's still a hazard, consult an arborist.
I used to work for HL&P and every time a hurricane was imminent numerous calls would come in from people requesting that tree trimming be done TODAY (in hurricane force winds?).

 

On 8/10/2022 at 7:06 PM, Texasota said:

Hmmm. Why did they bother to "keep" the building exactly?

It might have to do with setback regulations. Existing buildings are 'grandfathered' and do not have to alter the building's footprint to comply with modern setback and traffic visibility laws. 

On 5/12/2021 at 2:11 PM, staresatmaps said:

There's another thread about this somewhere.

Was unable to find that thread. If someone can, please ask moderators to combine topics. 
There appears to have been no progress made in the past three months. Any news on when (or if) work will resume?

Wow! That's some serious cantilevering going on there.
I like it.
Also, apparently they own the c. 1920's house next door, and I'm delighted they decided to save it. So many architects/developers in Houston wouldn't have bothered.