dbigtex56

I get peevish about that, too.

Perhaps a nude J-Lo vomiting water? I like some features of Market Square, such as the ceramic tiles depicting early views and historical information about Houston. I like the James Surls sculpture, but question if it's weighty enough to act as a focal point. (A history of the current design of Market Square can be found here.) Perhaps this is a bit corny, but I picture a traditional American town square, complete with a centrally located gazebo; sidewalks which cross both diagonally and at right angles (superimposed x and +); a low fence, a few trees and benches. Plain, accessible, easily maintained and versitile.

The problem is that kitties are cute. People would want to feed them, and the rats would invite themselves to the buffet.

Thinking outside the box: My ex owned a boa constrictor, which achieved a length of 8+ feet, which was a little larger than he was prepared to deal with. According to a pet shop which dealt in reptiles, Texas law prohibits the trade of snakes over a certain length. He was stuck with the thing until another friend was persuaded to take it off his hands. Bear with me. We gather these unwanted boa constrictors, pythons, etc., and fit them with radio transmitters so they can be tracked. We then release them in areas infested with rats and the homeless. The homeless will scatter. The rats will be eaten. The snakes will be saved. Everyone's happy.

There used to be a similar building on the south side of Westheimer, near Windsor (across the street from the Daiquiri Factory). It was a locksmith shop and they had a big sign saying KEYS. Wonder if it was a Rettig's, too?

Yes, I think so. It was called "Metropol" or "Metropole" - something like that. They installed circular windows on the front in keeping with the Deco/Streamline theme.

Speaking of how easy it is to make a kid happy: When I was about four, my father took the family to a soda fountain for ice cream. When it was time for me to place my order, I said I wanted a milkshake. "What flavor?" "Raspberry." "We have chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. No raspberry." "But I want raspberry!", I insisted. "We don't have that." I guess my father saw my disappointment. "Bring him a raspberry milkshake," he said. The soda jerk rolled his eyes. "Sir, we don't have..." "Sure you do," my dad interjected. "See?", pointing at the menu. "S-T-R-A-W-B-E-R-R-Y. Raspberry." Best raspberry shake I ever had.

Courtlandt Place more closely resembles neighborhoods in the West End of St. Louis than anywhere I'm aware of in New Orleans (it was designed by a St. Louis architect). Although it's gated, you can catch a glimpse through either the Bagby St. gates or the fence on the Taft St side (at the end of Lovett Blvd.) As you mentioned in an earlier post, the wide streets in Houston just don't lend themselves to the ambience of the French Quarter. However, the closest to it is along the Smith St side of Brennan's. Gas lights, a brick-walled courtyard with an iron gate, and the odors of delicious food mixed with the smell of stale cigarette butts and spilled drinks...

The Calais sits atop what used to be the centerpiece of the "French Quarter" area of Midtown. There were several buildings which took that theme in the 60's or 70's. Brennan's may have been the inspiration; not sure. The block bounded by Louisiana, Smith, Stuart and Elgin featured buildings built around a central courtyard with a fountain. They were demolished about three years ago to construct The Calais, which also attempts a French Quarter theme (how well they succeeded is a matter of personal taste). Courtlandt Square is a reference to Courtlandt Place, which is a gated St. Louis style enclave accessable only off Bagby (west of Spur 527). It's designated as one of Houston's few historic districts. Per the 1913 map of Houston, Stuart St. ended at the entrance of Courtlandt Place, prior to construction of the spur. btw, the residents bought the street (Courtlandt Place) from the city of Houston several years ago; it's privately owned, and not accessible to the public. Supposedly.

Anyone remember Allbritton's Cafeteria on Waugh (just south of the American General building)? It was a white stucco Streamline Moderne building, much like the Carnation milk plant next door. They had great traditional Texas foods - chicken fried steak with cream gravy, greens, jalapeno cornbread, cheese grits. The women who worked the steam table were appearently installed about the same time the place opened. As you made your way through the line they'd say: "Serve you." "Serve you." with absolutely no expression or inflection. They each must have uttered that phrase hundreds of thousands of times.

existing thread - merged topics.

Also noticed that there's a permit info posted on the Commerce Building (Travis Street side) for a place called Virginia Burgers.

There's a pizza place on Elgin at Brazos called Late Night Pie. Has anyone here tried them? Any good?

Absolutely correct. Ma Bell leased phones and forbade people from buying their own. Their contention was that non-Bell phones might be of inferior quality and would interfere with the phone system. If someone was to damage their phone, Ma Bell made the repairs. The charges were pretty steep. Of course, if you wanted to pay a little extra and get a 'designer' color or Princess model, Bell was all too happy to help. I think it took a court ruling, but people were finally allowed to purchase - not lease - their phones about 25 years ago.

Probably everyone over age 40 remembers rotary dial phones. The first touch-tone phone I recall seeing was in the late 60's. We were mystified as to the purpose of the '*' and '#' symbols; it was explained that they were "reserved for future use". There were few optional services on phones (private lines and unlisted numbers are the only ones I can think of), and the hell that is voice mail and automated customer service wasn't even on the horizon.

Given Houston's pattern of tearing down old buildings, I'll bet the real estate market is getting pretty tight for ghosts.

What an interesting observation/theory. I imagine HISD has compiled statistics on demographic trends (and what fun it would be to pore over them). I assume (hope) that they would consider birth rates, income, and transient populations before pouring money into building new schools. Still, I'd hesitate to use them as a bellwether, given Houston's mercurial real estate trends. An exception which springs to mind is the new HSPVA campus, to be located between W. Dallas - W. Gray, east of Taft (Fourth Ward). The surrounding neighborhoods seem solidly on the upswing. Then too, this is a designated magnet school, not one meant to serve a particular region.

Promptly at 4 AM. Four times. Oh wait...that's cuckoos. Speaking of chickadees, anyone remember this lyric? Hey, I'm Kate and I am a Taurus I love tomatoes and black-capped Chickadees

Looks like this building is nearing completion. A cellular phone company has opened in the westernmost space. The corner unit (Smith at Elgin) has a notice posted in the window that application has been made for a liquor permit for a club dba The Maple Leaf Pub. Anyone know more about it? Does it cater to Canadians?

This seemed to be a popular practice from the 'teens through the 1930's. In Rochester there was an apartment building from the 20's called (no kidding) Thelma Louise. Unfortunately it was torn down before the movie came out. A 50's apartment complex on Garrott used to be called the Pam-Roy, but the sign was removed when it was rennovated.

They're Common Nighthawks - small, swift birds with swept-back wings. You can sometimes spot them at dusk and dawn. They make a small 'cheep' sound that seems to come from nowhere and everywhere. Because they're swift! You'll also sometimes hear a solitary bird singing in a tree at night, usually in a well-lit area. I've read in the Chronicle that these are young male mockingbirds who are seeking to establish their own territory. Seems artificial lighting has changed their natural habits.

Even better, you can take the light rail from Hermann Park and exit at the Preston Street Station. Walk north three blocks and you're there - just walk down the stairs east of the Main Street Bridge. As an aside - I'm not sure how old this building is, but surely it's been majorly flooded several times. I'd want a structural engineer to give it a good once-over before investing anything.

From what I've read of Ed Wulfe's developments, I think his name deserves mention. Randall Davis has also been influential with his his projects.

I've been in Houston since '81 and for the majority of that time the City Hall clock(s) have not been fully functional. Either the neon is out, or they're wildly inaccurate - or stopped. From what I've read, they operate under some peculiar 1937 miracle of engineering - to set the time, a person on the ground would have to holler up to workmen to set each individual clock-face. I hope they'll modernize the works before re-installing the hands. Of course, the original appearance must be maintained; I'll shriek if they go digital. As an aside, I'm sorry that more buildings don't integrate large public clocks - it used to be quite common. Even at the airports you have to go peer at one of those damn electronic screens to verify the time.