ArchitecturalPRGirl

Oh god no. She was a pain in the ass.

I used to work at Dolce & Freddo, their gelato was the s@#$! I sold liquor with coffee there when I was like 14. So mafia run. lol Dolce Vita on Westheimer next to Indika has pretty good gelato and great pizza. It's near Montrose.

I love this house! I discovered it a couple of months ago. Very Bettle Juice!

Regent Sqaure is the Allen House replacement project on Allen Parkway. It's the largest of 9 mixed-use projects in Houston that are about to start construction or are currently under way.

You're forgetting the best wine bar in Houston (and voted so by many publications): The Corkscrew. It's the Cheers of wine bars, totally laid back and non-pretentious. Red Door is opening another location directly across the street from it.

Oh yeah, it was UNFREAKING BELIEVABLE! I got to take a sneak peek tour of the hotel last night and it is AWESOME. Over the top really. I think that you all should be aware of this great new addition to Houston so here is the info on the hotel: It

I don't know, our design is pretty clever. I just got my shirt today. What lot are you in Texas Architect? We are going up Friday and a bunch of us younger peeps got a beach house together in Pirate's. June 8 might work.

Are you talking about on Travis? That's now Havana Nights and has been for a while. I don't really go there. Or are you talking about Bossa-the Cuban restaurant on Main and Texas? That place is also one of the only survivors. I had dinner there a few months ago and my fish and my date's were seriously bland, especially for $28. But they have good atmosphere.

Sambuca is very much alive. I was a cocktail waitress there for three years and actually still go there a lot. They are busy every night of the week. I agree their food used to be better, but it ain't bad. NOTE: ALL APPETIZERS ARE 50% OFF AT HAPPY HOUR AND $3 HOUSE WINE (not sure what beer specials are cause I don't drink beer) They have live music 7 days a week. The Zentenno band on Thursdays has been playing that night for the last 7 years! They are awesome. They play a lot of salsa and some other fun covers. It's like an 8 person band and people dance. One other thing I can say about that place is that the same freaking people still work that were there when I worked there YEARS ago. That says something. Good management (and no aspirations, lol)

Like I said, I understand and take into account that it was a week day, but literally every building down Main has a For Lease sign in it. They were once all thriving businesses. I work downtown so the happy hour crowd still exists, but then everyone leaves. There used to be a lot more places open later and on weekdays. As far as Washington, there are tons of townhouses in the area and MANY under construction, not to mention all of the apartments on Studemont and Memorial. There is a new mixed-use development currently under construction on Washington over near where the social used to be, and across from The Daily Grind. I agree there is a different dynamic than midtown, maybe a little older, less Woodrowsish and Pub Fiction as it seems to have a younger crowd. With three wine bars and several good restaurants putting it on the map, and with Azuma's, Benjy's, Mandola's and Red Door's new concepts coming, things will be moving and Washington will continue to grow. There's quite a bit of space for development over there. It will be interesting to watch.

I went downtown last week to take my friend out for drinks for his birthday. WE decided to go to Char Bar/Duke of Hollywood and they were closed. Warren's was closed too. So we started walking down Main street and it was all dark. Building after building had "For Lease" signs in windows, the old M Bar/Prague even had some weird paper in the windows that said something like it had been "seized." Dean's was the only place open, granted it was a work day. So we went in and besides one other guy, we were the only customers. I talked to the bartender and asked her how they were doing and she said it's really bad and they are barely hanging on by a string. She said it's way worse than when they torw up Main and put the rail in and no one wanted to go downtown cause of the mess and they held on through that. It's sad and depressed down there now. I worked at one of the first places down there (it's still open) in college and remember it when it was booming. When the traffic down travis on a Saturday night practically reached the Pierce Elevated. So the guy who was talking about it booming is very mistaken. It's going to be hard to revitalize it again when club owners don't want to take the risk and invest, and since people perceive it as being "ghetto and dead," it's a downward spiral. Look for the new midtown on Washington, that's gonna blow up in the next 2 years.

Grand opening party is Thursday night. I'm sure it will be over the top. I haven't seen it yet, but have been following the news surrounding the rennovations for the last couple of years and it's supposed to top Dallas's, and I have stayed there. I used to do PR for the Warwick and that hotel just has good bones and lots of history. In fact, my parents had their first date there at a ball. the beginning of the end. lol

Yep, they're out in full force on Washington. Totally got one last week. They are pulling people over in multiples all day long. BE CAREFUL!!!

Yes that's the Tennison Hotel that was supposed to be lofts but never opened. She described arches and that doesn't descrobe that bldg. Sounds like it's somewhere near the post office though. Maybe on the other side that was the old maternity ward (Jefferson?) that's now artist lofts? Hogg Palace. I don't know.

No not at all. Get a life:)

I was at Char Bar next to Warren's and Sambuca last night as a matter of fact. Have fun, maybe next time. Char Bar got a new Juke Box, it's pretty cool.

I have always liked Shipley's glazed the best. I never liked Krispy Kreme (too sweet) but I launched their Houston market! I always hated those meetings, starving with a pile of sugar staring at me.

Yeah I saw that in the Houston Downtown Alliance weekly newsletter. I hear it's also a wine bar? I haven't made it over there yet. How was the food? I'm not a huge fan of Bayou Place though. Maybe before or after something at the Wortham.

It happens

I'm sure you do, being a lawyer. Especially if you are a criminal defense attorney. I almost married one once.

StupidER???? Don't you mean more stupid?

Have you guys heard about the Prada time capsule store in Valentine, TX outside of Marfa? It was featured in PaperCity last spring in '06. It's freaking cool. It's in the middle of nowhere in the desert. Google it. My mom lives in Marfa, so I've been there.

Well it's controversial so I can't say. To me it's cheesy no matter what kind of star it is or where, but I'm not an architect. I like some of the logos someone posted earlier like Kirksey and HOK. I don't think the star represents anything. Kind of carnie actually. Especially when most firms want to be preceived as modern, even the old school firms who aren't as cutting edge as some of the smaller guys. Just want to know what you people think out there.

Thanks guys for your comments and insight. One last thing though, what do you think about a star in a logo and especially in architecture? Is that modern or old school? Cheesy or does it stand out? Thanks!