dbigtex56

Could the renaming of Hathaway to Westheimer be related to the continuation of Montrose Blvd (north of Westheimer), which occurred at about the same time?

There are a few brick streets in Houston. Eagle Street (just north of Sears, on Main) is still brick. The Cherryhurst section of the Montrose jealously maintains its brick streets. The 4th Ward still has a few brick streets; some people say that the African-American residents who built them integrated unique ancestral patterns into their design. At any rate, they are (IMHO) very attractive. In other cities, brick paving is still used in areas which are subject to heavy vehicles and traffic, such as bus stops. Obviously, constructing brick streets is labor intensive, but they seem to be more durable than blacktop. Thoughts?

A fond memory: one of his neighbors built a MacMansion and had the gall to erect a brick wall which extended beyond the property line (across the sidewalk; clear to the curb.) He had the gumption to take on City Hall and win. Mr. MacJerk had to remove his wall from public property. Pretty good legacy.

If all else fails, clothespin them to your bicycle fender, so they strike the spokes. It makes a real cool motor sound.

Very gracious of you to share.

Thanks for remembering and reminding. While nmainguy and I never met in person (that I know of) we shared mutual friends and experiences. He was a man of passionate beliefs. I admire his courage and have profited from having known him. Not forgotten.

You're right - the northern portion of the Superblock is reserved for the Houston Fire Museum. So far as I know, the remainder is still privately owned, and probably scheduled for development. Would have made a dandy park.

As usual, great photos, kylejack. Thanks!

Unfortunately the Superblock, unlike Market Square, is privately owned. It would have been a great asset to Midtown, if it had been purchased by the city and developed into a park twenty years ago. Unless a very rich generous person steps forward, the cost of the land is prohibitive now.

That's the way I remember it, too. The black paint was already shabby when I moved to Houston (in '81), so I've never seen it at its best in that color. A fresh coat would certainly make a dramatic statement. I wonder what impact the heat-absorbing qualities of black paint would have on utility costs.

Good question. Victory over hunger, obesity, diabetes, vacant lots, agribusiness... (just off the top of my head.)

My parents kept a sizable vegetable garden; corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, lettuce, peppers, Swiss chard, rhubarb, beets, parsnips ... At the time, I didn't enjoy working in it. Seems plants thrive only if someone (i.e., me and my siblings) maintains them. I would have preferred to be a juvenile delinquent, but my parents felt otherwise. I know the literal meaning of "a hard row to hoe." And it's true. There's no substitute for food fresh from the garden. Every time I buy a tomato at Kroger, I die a little.

That's the point: the design HAS been made to be more pedestrian friendly rather than sticking the store in the middle of acres of blacktop; perhaps because people talk about it. Edit: I've requested that moderators move the last several posts to the Whole Foods thread.

That style of architecture (with the random placing of rounded stones on the exterior) seems to have been popular in the late 50s. There are a few examples in the Montrose area (a couple of apartment complexes on W Alabama are most prominent.) Is there a name for this look? I've heard the term 'Organic' used, but that seems to be a stretch. Bedrock/Flintstones? At any rate, improved landscaping and the proposed alterations may perk the old girl up.

Thank you. I'm glad that you 'get it'. I'm not interested in insisting on my right of way; if I see a car has been waiting for a break in traffic, I'll wave him ahead. And I do try waving, shouting "hello? HELLO?" before banging on someone's hood. That's a last resort for the truly clueless. The car that broke my leg was at a dead stop when I entered the crosswalk, then inexplicably decided to creep forward. While he was on his cell phone. While looking only to the left. And now I must insist on eye contact, because having your leg broken sucks. Excellent advice. Driving is transportation, not a competitive sport. When it becomes a contact sport people get hurt - or killed. It's Spur 527. The accident happened on W Alabama, about a mile west of the Spur. Personally, I see no connection.

Very imaginative, liked the music. Each seems to capture something of that unique elusive 'Houston' quality.

Sued? Really? So far as assaults, cars have license plates. Drivers can be traced. And I will press charges.

There are more pedestrian-friendly designs than dodging cars in acres of blacktop. Maybe if more people talked about it, we'd see more of them here.

Exactly what profession are you talking about?

('56 Cadillac, Renault Dauphine, '60 Dodge, '56 Oldsmobile....) I was staying in the Sheraton August 1983, just as Hurricane Alicia hit downtown Houston. HL&P employees weren't permitted to go home as we were expected to work even during the height of the storm. A fellow employee staying at the Sheraton reported that his room's window blew out.

I think Heightsite's question is more concerned with the effects of the increased traffic on the neighborhood than avoiding traffic.

If you adhere to the terms of your lease, it won't affect your credit. You may want to check to see if there's a proviso that you're responsible for the entire term of the lease, and not just a re-letting charge.

I've been a pedestrian in Houston for nearly thirty years, and have been struck by cars three times. Each incident required medical attention. Each time the driver was 100% at fault. Lest you think this is some moneymaking scheme on my part, in only one instance did the driver's insurance pay my medical bills. I cannot count the number of times I've waited, and watched cars speed across the crosswalk 2 or 3 seconds after the light has changed. Almost NEVER do drivers check to their right when making a right-hand turn from a stop sign. "Look both ways" applies to cars, too. I've taken to banging on people's hoods to alert them that I'm crossing in front of them, after the second accident. If they scowl, screw 'em. I don't feel like getting my leg broken again. Yes, there are careless pedestrians; but even the most cautious is no match for the [deleted] arrogant drivers who think they're entitled to speed or 'stretch' (run, actually) a red light. I agree with Samagon: "This guy got off easy with just a ticket for running a red light, he should have gotten attempted manslaughter, especially with kids involved."

I think you mean Spur 527, which was built nearly 50 years ago. That's a mighty long trainwreck. Its reconstruction a few years back did little to change traffic patterns. I lived one block off W Alabama (near the Spur) from 1985 to 2008, and think the removal of the traffic light at Garrott St was a big mistake, as was eliminating the bicycle lanes. Motorists started treating it as a quick shortcut, with speeds to match.

Is this a reference to NY's Republican candidate for governor, Carl Paladino? His explanation for forwarding graphic emails was that this was the way the construction industry works.link