Reefmonkey

1 hour ago, BeerNut said:

https://buffalobayou.org/visit/destination/buffalo-bayou-park/

Rules and Regulations

• Scooters and skateboards are prohibited.
• Motorized vehicles prohibited off roadways & beyond parking areas.

 

Violating city regulations for scooters on a trail as their very first activity in our city - kinda sends a message about what their attitude is going to be vis a vis respecting and working with city authority, and pretty typical for these "disruptive app" companies.

Pleasant Bend: Upper Buffalo Bayou and the San Felipe Trail 

In the Nineteenth Century, by Dan M. Worrall.

 I also agree with Earlydays on Blood Rich by Jane Wolfe about the Sakowitz family from the 1800s to the 1980s oil bust and Oscar Wyatt. The infighting in the 70s and 80s between Robert Sakowitz and Oscar Wyatt reads like a story arc from Dallas with JR Ewing. 

I got acquainted with the Live Oak Grill on Hempstead Road and Dacoma when my office was out there from 2012-2013, enjoyed a few lunches. And my daughter has gone to a few events at Speedy's Fast Track recently, so during the last one my wife and I decided to get lunch and have a couple drinks at the Live Oak while we waited for her instead of driving all the way home only to turn around in a couple hours. It's always intrigued me that this rather large house from 1915 has survived for over 100 years while the area around it has been industrial for as long as I can remember, (the story of the house can be found here: http://www.liveoak-houston.com/our-story.html) and I was curious to see what the area immediately around it looked like before. The earliest aerial photo of the area only goes back to 1953, and the area around the Live Oak house appears to be residential, though much smaller houses on smaller, closer together lots. Those houses were all torn down sometime between 1966 and 1973. It's hard to tell when those houses were built, as the topos don't depict any structures until the 1946 one, not even the house that is now the Live Oak Grill in the 1932 topo, even though we know the house was there at the time. I have to assume the houses are pre-war vintage, because it doesn't seem likely that a bunch of houses 20 years old or less would have been torn down like that.

Another thing caught my eye, just northwest of the Live Oak Grill house on Hempstead Rd was a large structure that almost looked like an ampitheatre to me at first. It's clear as day in the aerial photo from 1953, and the 1957 topo labels it as a drive-in theatre. It's not on the topo before that, from 1946, so built sometime between 1946 and 1953. It's still there in the 1966 aerial, but by the 1973 aerial it's gone.

Any oldtimers here remember that drive-in theatre?

Nope, not in the book 

Bought this book this weekend to give my mother for Mother's Day or her birthday next month, and spent the afternoon looking through it. What a great resource, more than just a simple listing of notable closed restaurants with blurbs about their histories, the front section of the book is a great general history of Houston's restaurant scene going back to the Allen Brothers. Plus I loved the inclusion of recipes for favorite dishes from many of the restaurants listed, intend to try several. May have to buy a second copy so I can keep one for myself.

^^^^The Dunning-Kruger Effect displayed in real life^^^^^

2 hours ago, arche_757 said:

@Reefmonkey I should have stayed out of this discussion altogether, as I really don’t care either way.

 

I should add you seemingly took a defensive approach with my comment(s).  I understand that the Galveston sub-forum has devolved into some ...tense replies here and there.  I’m not here to challenge your opinion, or that of others - everyone is welcome to express what they think.

Sorry if I misinterpreted your intent, brotastic dudebros tend to stretch my patience. But I was also hoping to provide an explanation once and for all of why the lack of a Crystal Lagoon in Galveston isn’t due to Galveston city fathers’ lack of “vision”, but due to real geographical limitations,  for anyone who’s really interested. 

16 hours ago, arche_757 said:

Yes I’m aware of those developments.  They’ve been around for years.  I think the assumed “large manmade body of water” was a Crystal Lagoon or similar.

A Crystal Lagoon is basically just a very large beach entry swimming pool, filtered and chemically treated like any other swimming pool. Which is exactly what Moody Gardens's Palm Beach and Schlitterbahn's Kristal Cove, Kristal Bay, Wave Lagoon, et al are. What is it you guys are thinking is so special or magical about a Crystal Lagoon compared to what is already there? The only thing really difference is the size, with some Crystal Lagoons being large enough to do water sports in. Okay, lets look at the practicality of having one of those. Once you get west of the Moody Gardens complex (around 99th Street), the island narrows significantly. It's pretty obvious there is no room for a Crystal Lagoon gulfward of FM 3005 (among other issues), and the distance between 3005 and Stewart Road is about 1500 feet, and already has a lot of developments between the cow pastures which would limit the contiguous land that could be bought up. Bayward of Stewart Road the island is crenellated with multiple coves and inlets, and much of what appears to be solid ground on a map or satellite imagery is actually wetlands, and the solid land that is there is mostly already occupied by vacation home subdivisions. As soon as Stewart Road ends, you hit Galveston Island State Park, which spans the island from beach to bay. After that, the island gets even more narrow. And you have subdivisions like Jamaica Beach, Indian Beach, Sea Isle, with maybe a parcel or two of land in between them, but none big enough for one of these water sports-capable Crystal Lagoons and the infrastructure and the parking that would be needed for them. And who is going to want to pay to do watersports on some tiny little sterile confined body of water where type and size of craft and speed is going to be heavily restricted, when the freedom of navigation of West Bay is right over their shoulder? So basically, again, we're talking about a big beach entry swimming pool, and why would someone drive out past 12 Mile Road to go to a new one when they could go to Schlitterbahn or Palm Beach practically right after I-45 dumps them on the island?

See, this is where having actual knowledge of the island exposes brotastic "vision" as unrealistic pipe dream.

11 hours ago, arche_757 said:

The idea of a large body of water that is manmade that is inviting and perhaps a part of a larger resort setting would be good for Galveston.  Instead... we’re getting that in... Texas City!!  

http://www.moodygardens.com/attractions/palmbeach/

https://www.schlitterbahn.com/galveston

11 hours ago, Elseed said:

 

Maybe I didn't articulate it perfectly but AnTonY gets it. Galveston has so much potential. It has potential to be a Savannah or Charleston or whatever it wants itself to be.

The problem is people like you who have no vision, no pride in your community, and quite frankly, "no swag" want Galveston to be the same or at best a poor mans Mobile, Alabama ( No offense to Mobile). If people like you were with the Allen Bros in 1836 all you would've saw is a mosquito infested swamp not a thriving port city that they envisioned. You probably called Tillman a fool for wanting to build a boardwalk even after the original got destroyed, but he still did it; visionary. You would've probably be against spending millions in developing Discovery Green in Downtown Houston but somebody thought it was a great idea; a vision. Whatever Galveston does it MUST be world class. Its got too much going for it not to be: close to a major metropolis, beaches, charming urban city center, historically preserved buildings, close to at least 4 other major cities (N.O., S.A., Dallas, ATX), theme parks. Having nothing less than the best or should I say aiming for nothing less than the best is really doing Galveston a disservice. So there you have it. Oh, but one thing that is clear as day is; this whole topic has really gotten your panties in a bunch lol. Its OK snowflake we're on the same team. No need to be a NIMBY.

You and Antony can socially groom each other all you want, but you still have no idea what you are talking about, either about me or Galveston. I never said I was anti-development, I welcome quality, sensible development;  I merely  asked you to elaborate on your vague assertions of "crystal clear blue lagoon" and "Hamptons-type" development and you couldn't. If you can't do that, then you're the one without any "vision". "Vision" isn't "yeah, let's develop more, and make it something swag," vision is actually having a detailed and sustainable plan. Vision isn't trying to copy someone else, which is all you've been able to offer with your "let's be like the Hamptons and Miami", you want Galveston to be a lame wannabe Hamptons or Miami instead of something unique. And at the most basic level, knowing what is already there is a prerequisite for vision, and you don't know jack, you didn't know about Beachtown, didn't know about Palm Beach at Moody Gardens or Schiltterbahn. So the more you try to camoflague your lack of vision or knowledge in made up straw man mischaracterizations of me or use of moronic dudebro insults like "no swag" and "snowflake", the more transparently pathetic you are. As for anyone having their "panties in a bunch" over this thread, it's been lying dormant now for almost a month, you're the one who revived it with your juvenile chest-thumping macho rant, so simmer down, son. The fumes from your Axe body spray seem to be going to your head.

Such a tragedy and loss of our world's heritage.

It was undergoing some kind of fairly significant work, was covered with scaffolding, I'm hoping it was a simple construction-related accident and not something sinister, and I know some bronze statues had been removed for safe keeping during the construction, hopefully other priceless artifacts were also removed.

Still, best venue in Texas is the Bass in FW.

I’m guessing j Cuevas was a victim of Autocorrect. 

1 hour ago, CaptainJilliams said:

 

We visited the JFK Assassination Museum, it was very nice! I wouldn't say Houston has a museum quite like that downtown, but we do have Sam Houston Park and The Heritage Society (granted those houses could use some upkeep and maintenance). Most of the museums in Houston are centralized in the Museum District near the Medical Center. 

 

The Majestic Theater is also very nice, but again, I would say that the Houston Theater District is superior to the one in Dallas, just in terms of venues and performances the city hosts.

 

And in terms of Neiman Marcus, I have to be honest in saying I didn't even know one existed downtown. That being said, I have to question whether or not having that store downtown is a significant draw for locals or tourists. True, Houston doesn't have a major retail store like that downtown (correct me if I'm wrong), but we do have GreenStreet and The Shops at Houston Center. By themselves, they aren't anything too impressive, but at least there are renovations/expansions planned for both venues. Furthermore, most of the high-dollar retail is concentrated in Uptown Houston with the Galleria.

Yeah, I've been to the original Neiman Marcus several times, it's nice and all in a mid-20th Century downtown department store way, but I keep hearing retail is dead, I'm not sure how important downtown department stores are to a vibrant urban life anymore. Up until a few years ago Houston still had the original downtown Foleys, and Macy's closed it because it wasn't making enough money. I agree about Houston's theatre district being superior to Dallas'. Dallas' only really nice downtown venue is the Meyerson, but it is only for symphony and other musical performances. I don't understand why they built it the way they did, but it was extremely short-sighted, which is why if Dallasites wanna see the national touring production of Hamilton, they've gotta go down to the Music Hall at Fairpark, which is a dump.

And I'm not saying this to diss Dallas, it was my college town, I visit friends there a lot I actually like it, I could live there again. I always see Dallas and Houston as two equally good, slightly different cities, I've always thought the back-and-forth rivalry was silly.

On 4/4/2019 at 12:34 PM, AnTonY said:

 

Of course it has, people are too busy dancing around the answer and bloviating to infinity rather than acknowledging the point and its nuances. Reefmonkey did this a lot, and it really kills the quality of discussion.

Smearing me in absentia to try to distract from the fact that you're making a fool of yourself in yet another discussion - you're a gutless tool.

On 3/11/2019 at 1:52 PM, nate4l1f3 said:

Serious question because I don’t know, but if there are occasional gators in the bayous what’s stopping them from attacking a kayak or canoe?  Have there been incidents of this in Houston? 

I've kayaked near alligators many times. Most of the time they've ignored me, occasionally have swam away. I don't think they see a human in a boat as food, though maybe something big enough they don't want to mess with.

I've been noticing the construction for months now, but didn't really register beyond usual road maintenance stuff to me, until I was down there yesterday, and they were far enough along that I noticed something different, the protected lanes in the center of the median. I was trying to figure out if they were bike or pedestrian lanes (which seemed weird to have in the middle of the road), knew they couldn't be light rail because of the way they were being laid down and the trees that were being planted were too close to them. Looked it up and found they are dedicated express bus lanes. Still seems like the trees are too close to them. I'm wondering what people think of the utility of having these center bus lanes, if it is practical and will really benefit traffic/speed and use of buses in the area?

https://theboulevardproject.com/the-project

I've always thought if the Buccaneer Hotel hadn't been demolished in the late 90s, it would have been a prime candidate for the boutique hotel/luxury apartments-in-historic-building trend of this century. A great location with a great view and great architecture as well. I've never mourned the Flagship, even though I don't go on the pleasure pier because it's overpriced and cheesy, I think it's an asset to Galveston, and the Flagship was an eyesore, but I do lament the loss of the Buccaneer.

On 3/19/2019 at 11:05 PM, samagon said:

is anyone badmouthing Texas? is anyone badmouthing Texas because of straws?

 

the reality is, plastics pollution is the biggest environmental issue we face. far greater than climate change (whether you believe in that sort of thing or not). 

 

these plastics are getting into our food system. if that doesn't alarm you, it should.

 

I agree, your drinking straws are probably not having a huge effect, especially when you consider where most of the plastics pollution is coming from. overall, for the sake of our food chain (and not eating plastic), plastics need to go away. completely.

I have to agree, that while I don't discount climate change, it is a very serious threat, unfortunately in the public's eye it overshadows a lot of extremely serious environmental/human health threats, like plastics, endocrine disruptors, oceanic dead zones, deforestation, fresh water depletion....

Ah, looks like you edited out the "deep in your heart" histrionics and replaced it with a completely baseless accusation of reasoning errors. I'd say let's have a show of hands as to which one of us is off base here, but the replies and likes in this thread have already established that.

9 hours ago, AnTonY said:

 

 

It's not that anyone has been wrong about this, just that there's a sheer lack of vision. It's one thing to learn and understand that information through a Master's level education, but it's a completely different ball game when it comes to taking that information, and connecting it all together as pieces of the grand plan.

 

Troll is an overused word, by the way, which reeks of compensation and defensiveness in the face of defeat.

That’s pure gibberish. And you ARE wrong here. You haven’t actually articulated a “vision “ or “grand plan“, your idea echoes the shortsighted  “rain follows the plough” cargo cult-type reasoning that lead to the Dust Bowl. You’re displaying blatant confirmation bias; because you don’t like the look of the prairie and because you don’t want to “lose” an Internet argument, you’re scouring the web for information that you interpret as supporting your position while overlooking and attempting to minimize any contradictory information. But  again you fall back on accusing people of “defensivess” for calling you out on your BS. “Troll” may or may not be overused, but in your case it’s warranted. 

Maybe AnTonY can get EIseed to chime in on his side: "Nah dudes, AnTonY's idea would be totally awesome. Like a cross between South Beach and the Hamptons. Maybe add a crystal clear blue lagoon. It's kinda lame as it is.You guys just have limited thinking. Not wanting to tear up natural habitat to make it 'better' is very old school Texan thinking. You have no imagination. It would be epic."

3 minutes ago, Luminare said:

 

Have you ever listened to yourself in a recording? Its actually really interesting to just listen to yourself and what happens between what you say you are confident in and what you aren't. Whenever I listen to myself speaking about something that I know, with confidence, and with authority than my voice actually tends to go deeper. When its something I know less about, with less confidence, and less authority it starts to go higher. Voice does matter. From radio announcers to singers (men and women), a broader more wide ranging, confident voice is not only more appealing to the ear, but also sounds more confident. We are biologically wired to pick up on these things. So when you say that some don't like her because she doesn't sound confident, I believe them. Not exactly surprised. If she were to speak with authority then she wouldn't have a problem, but she doesn't exactly command authority.

Maybe she needs to take a page from Laverne Hooks

Well, reddit is a cesspool of trolls and misogynists, so that wouldn't surprise me if people there were using "needs a deeper voice" as dogwhistle (and an obvious one at that) for "needs to be a man."

10 hours ago, AnTonY said:

 

The discussion may be academic, but ideals do change.

 

 

Nope, no reductionism, you're just too busy flexing to grasp the nuance that relates to the simple fact. While there are indeed several factors at hand, soil, by far, remains the most important factor when it comes to why the prairie here even exists. It's not hard to figure that out, just simply look at where the prairie covers, then look at the annual rainfall map: the prairie goes all the way into Louisiana, into areas that are wetter than the Piney Woods....throughout the year (making the seasonal cycles moot).

 

And even in regards to seasonal cycles....the areas closer to the coast in the prairie are cooler and wetter during summer (where rainfall is needed most) than areas farther inland (which may get more winter rainfall ... a time of year that is irrelevant when everything is dormant). 

 

And like I said, even the far western areas of Houston and Texas Gulf are still wet enough for forest. There's such a thing as "dry forest," you know.

 

 

 

Oh gee, I don't know, take the obvious stepwise format to the earthwork and plantings? 🙄

 

For all your throwing around the stupid word “flex” to describe my comments, all you’re doing is talking circles around the issue to try to distract people from the hole you’ve dug for yourself, just like in the Galveston water topic. Whoever said was right, you’re just a troll. 

Okay, give us a number of how much you think it would cost to convert all the prairie prairie soil into soil suitable for forests.