PapillionWyngs

How about the Velvet Turtle? It's now the Colorado Bar & Grill (uh, and Boobies)

I loved the Velvet Turtle! They had wonderful food, and the best chocolate mousse in Houston.

That's the 31,000+ square foot one. I meant the larger one- someone said it was 60,000 square feet.

Shotgun mansions?

Is the 60,000 foot one for sale? Is in on HAR?

Shotgun mansions?

Hey guys, this topic is started in one form or another every year or so, but I was strolling through the mall today, and figured I'd give this another shot. I'm wondering if anyone has any old pictures or information about stores in the galleria in the 1980s, or the 1970s. Specifically, I'm trying to recall what this "prank" store was called, that used to be located near the post office in the 80s, down the hall from where the haircut place Visible Changes is now. It was against that far wall though. I remember buying a "fart machine" there when I was in elementary school, but they had all sorts of crap like that - they specialized in it!

Anyways, I more or less grew up in that mall in the 80s, yet I have very few memories of the actual stores. I do remember the old carpeting, and I do remember ash trays fixed to the old school railing throughout the mall. I remember the old movie theaters. Yes, there were two. I remember the old wing of the Galleria that housed McDonalds across from the movie theater.

Anyone have any information on a store list from back in the day, or possibly photos of this era. I've seen the few that exist towards the bottom of this page ... http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/search?q=houston+galleria ... but someone out there must have better ones, or at least some memories of the 1980s in that mall. Thanks!

And do you remember the bowling alley, pool hall and games up neart the top? Nobody seems to remember them but me.

Yes, that one was a "teenage hangout" for Milby High School students.

Yes, indeed it WAS a hangout for Milby High School Students - I was one!!! Class of 1973!

Why don't they just practice in the Astrodome? That would have been better in the first place.

As far as I know, they were all on S. MacGregor Way. I remember them being pointed out to me, and they were not that far apart from each other.

I stopped by MCIA this morning and no one who was authorized to check out plans was there. I'll stop back by this afternoon or tomorrow morning hoping for better luck.

I stopped by the house and snapped some pics. Two are posted here and more can be found here http://tinyurl.com/2pead5

This house is in pretty good shape considering that it is a forclosure. I think it has ton's of potential. Very few modifications have been made over the years. The original sconces in the living area, hallway and master are very striking. I also really like the rocket shaped door hinges. There was lots of formica, included on the walls too.

What is that big black thing in the picture above my post?

I know that there was talk of drones being flown out of Ellington - but that's a different subject, I guess. I guess I would be talking about government drones.

So sad. It was a beautiful hotel in its time. When are we just going to "remodel" exisiting structures and quite tearing down beautiful buildings. It made me sick to watch that. The outside of the hotel looked like a brand new hotel. What a shame.

That's the house the Piney Point Mayor and Co. bought in secret for the new town hall. They got busted and proven wrong about their claims of no rental property available. So its being auctioned off

Are you SERIOUS?????

HCAD has it valued around 1.7. million. Apparently it is an estate of someone who passed away, and the trustee is paying the taxes - $14,000+ to Harris County alone!HCAD has it valued around 1.7. million. Apparently it is an estate of someone who passed away, and the trustee is paying the taxes - $14,000+ to Harris County alone!

It's out. Contained to one floor. Sprinkler system credited.

Was that Los Troncos restaurant?

I remember that restaurant. I was 15, my first boyfriend, the Preacher's son, took me there. That's where I had my first drink, and some really good seafood with some type of tomato concotion on it.

I never ate at The Velvet Turtle - but I remember it well. It was south of Hillcroft on Hwy 59. Now it's some big flashy strip club. (COLORADO?) The old English looking hotel was further south - Royal Coach Inn. Was the disco called Ruggles?

That 's it!!!!!!!!!!

It's just that it's been many years since I've heard anyone talk about having gone bowling. Just like it's been a real long time since I've heard anyone talk about having gone roller skating. There's only two bowling alleys over here, one in Beaumont and one in Port Arthur. There used to be more but they all closed down, just like drive-in movie theatres and many roller rinks did.

We have two bowling alleys, a roller rink and a skating rink in Clear Lake.

And the food is how ...? Just so-so? Or outright bad?

Somebody else needs to answer this question for you.

Let me put it this way - my husband loves original mexican food, and he always got Carne Asada.

Never ate it all, but I got 50% off for working for the company.

Are they the same as Little Monterey? I used to see their cheesy, aweful commercials all the time last year (*not so much this year), and heard their food was dreadful ...?

Yep, Monterey's Little Mexico.

Anyone list The Velvet Turtle?

Everything was to die for from the gazpacho to the chocolate mousse. It was on the Southwest Freeway before you got to that hotel that I can't remember the name of and it had a swinging disco in the 70-80's. Big old English looking Place.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...908122006-1.htm

Curt Glowacki, formerly with Monterey House, jumps to Outback Steakhouse.

Then he came back around March-April, and they started laying off people.

I was the third.

For a history on Riverside you need to see if you can view the documentary This is our home, It is not for sale. Talks about racism, white/jewish flight, and the exploitation by realtors and developers. Made in the late 80's, it is still very much relevant today.

It has been on TV before and either Rice or the MFA have screened it recently.

I lived through that. We had three families that were our best friends, and they all lived on Laurel Drive. The widower HAD to live in a home designed by a famous architect, because in the middle of the house was a glass room. It wasn't an atrium, just a round room, made of clear glass. It had a "conversation pit" and a bar in it - and it was my favorite room (not for the bar, because I was in elementary school.

The man who owned it was George Gartner - and he owned an equipment company. I wonder if it is still there today? The one that I LOVED next door, another family friend, was demolished and McMansioned.

We would go visit them, and they had the signs in their yards, and so did their neighbors. I remember we were at Dr. Oliver's house, and someone knocked on the door and asked him if he wanted to sell his home for twice the market value. He said no. They said, "it's because I'm black, and he said "no - I love this house, I raised my children in this house, and I plan on living here another 20 years, then moving to Conroe. He did.

A lot of the signs were just to keep people from constantly bothering the owners who didn't want to sell - not because the buyers were black - he stayed there after the "block was busted" - that's what they called it - and I asked them was it the street that was broken, or what - I didn't see anything but new neighbors. But these people loved it there, and wanted to stay. A lot of them weren't racist, and they stayed. Some were. But it was the most beautiful area I have ever seen - excluding part of River Oaks (the part near the CC).

Bowling alleys, movie theaters, game arcades....It sure sounds like the Galleria didn't start out as the "upscale" place it is today.

Well, it was on the top floor - partially hidden, and VERY tastefully appointed. There were backgammon boards, a bar, etc. My college friends and I would go there before and after Annabell's or the Galleria Roof. No kidding, my college boyfriend's family had a chauffer and he would take us anytime we wanted to go to the Galleria (about 8 blocks from BF's house). He got a kick out of making heads turn and making people wonder who these 18-20 somethings were.

I mentioned this bowling alley on here AGES ago - and no one said a peep!!!!!!

Glad someone remembered.

I loved that mall. Worked in National Shirt Shop in the summer of 1970, then Graham's Men and Boys from Christmas of 1970 every summer and holiday until about 1976 - whenever it closed.

I remember one whole day at the mall - I think I was all of 13, my Mom dropped me and my best friend off when it opened. We had lunch at either Woolworth's or Joske's, and I bought my first pair of penny loafer's at Baker's. They gave me the shiney pennies to put in them. I felt like I was a grown up. Then we walked across the bridge to see a movie - don't remember which one. Then we came back and went to Newberry's for makeup - even though I wasn't supposed to wear any until I turned 15!

this article mentions the documentary of the neighborhood (This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale)

The film describes how Houston's prominent Jewish families, such as the Sakowitzes, Battlesteins and Fingers, moved there in the 1930s because they were banned from River Oaks.

Then, in 1952, wealthy black cattleman Jack Caesar moved in. A bomb was detonated on his front porch, but he stayed.

As black families moved in, the film describes, many whites fled to the suburbs.

In the early 1960s, white residents who saw potential for an integrated neighborhood tried to stabilize it by posting signs that read: "This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale", which is also the film's title.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/busine...ds/1488322.html

It was a beautiful neighborhood, and I hated seeing those signs. Some of my family's best friends lived there - we were there 2-3 times a week in the 50's and 60's. One couple moved to Ft. Worth, one to Conroe, and the other widower passed away - the stress of the racial tension in the neighborhood at the time.

"Move-in ready. Great for possible add-on or new home building site."

I guess the realtor wants to cover all the bases. This is a beautiful home. I love the MC Ranch feel and it seems to be very nicely maintained. It's definitely not a new home building site. I wish he'd take that last line off as it's totally unnecessary. People in the market for a lot to build on shouldn't want to pay $600K for it even there, and people who would want the house shouldn't think that it's in bad shape enough to tear down.

Jason

Houses in that area are going for that much? Good Grief!