bhk

3. I've found that these homes are almost like the Delorean cars. They were cool, are still cool, and will continue to be cool - IF[b/] you are prepared to spend money to first buy, and then renovate them. As you said in your post, this is quite expensive. On a fireman's budget, I'm going to be happy to just retire in Briargrove Park. That's high "faloot" for me

Glen

I disagree. I recenly bought a wonderful 1950s modern house that didn't cost very much ($112K) and I was able to renovate it on an architect's bduget which I assure you is very much less than that of a fireman.

Ben

I'm not sure that i'd consider 'bland and unassuming' to be preferrble.  I'd prefer some creative development with character...and that's what they are doing.  What exactly do you dislike?

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The problem I have with it is that the design is a clumsy mishmash of architectural cliches. It is awkward and ungainly, not to mention pretentious. This is dramatically clear when one compares this new building to the few of the orginial buildings still standing in the immediate area. They exhibit good massing and detailing and make appropriate use of materials.

In the 1900s the 4th Ward was the first Italian community.

There were also a large community in the 50s off Wayside and Lawndale, in the neighborhood behing the Dinner Bell.  I think this hood is called Idylwood.

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FYI, it was Simms Woods which is across Wayside from Idylwood. It is like a baby version of Meyerland. The old timers said it was almost exclusively Sicilian at first.

That's great news.

When you include Mason Park Estates, Pecan Park, Country Club Estates and Forest Hill, that entire area is very underrated, and I agree that with further redevelopment east of downtown, through the warehouse district and into the East End, you could have a charming series of neighborhoods almost on the same level as those that extend west of downtown as well as in the Heights.

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I bought a house in Simms Woods subdivision which is adajacent to Houston Country Club Place. The longtime residents I have met say that HCCP and Idylwood were always nice because they were separated from the rundown subdivisions to the north laid out on the exsiting city grid along Harrisburg Road and Navigation Boulevard by their self-contained street patterns and also because large blocks of land nearby are off limits to incompatible development (Gus Wortham Golf Course, Villa de Matel Nunnery and Woodlawn Cemetary). They also have active civic clubs that try to enforce deed restrictions.

Idylwood is by far the nicest subdivision in the area and is now starting to see new development. A handful of dreadful new McMansions are replacing the original brick bungalows.

There is actually a fair amount of activity in the East End now. There is a new commercial strip being done up with a Latin theme called "Tlaquepaque Marketplace" that was written up in the Chronicle on 31 December 2004. Also a new park where Sgt. Macario Garcia Drive (aka Wayside Drive) crosses the ship channel is now past the planning stage and ready for construction since the city bought the acreage from the Trust for Public Land (Chronicle, 9 December 2004).

There is also the plan by the architecture firm Rey De La Reza to "redevelop" the entrances to the East End. This firm, you will remember, was responsible for the amusing red balls on the new bridges over the Southwest Freeway where it slices through Montrose.

Houses so far:

1 by CRS in Memorial

2 townhouses by Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson in Southwest area

1 house by William Jenkins in Southwest area

1 house by Donald Barthelme in River Oaks

1 house by Harwood Taylor in Galleria area

1 House by Allen Williams in Southeast area

Invitations have been sent to 2 additional houses and the owners have not yet responded.

I'll try to withhold judgement until it's finished, but I don't care for what I've seen so far.  It IS a behemoth...

Too bad the Jeff Davis Hospital had to come down... it looked so much better than what's going up now.

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Yeah, Michael Graves' work has unfortunately degenerated into a dreadful pastiche. The Bank looks practically the same as the tedious Jones College at Rice. BTW Graves ordered the demolition of the absolutely wonderful Jones College Master's House of c. 1957 designed by Arthur Jones of Lloyd, Jones & Morgan and replaced it with that silly thing covered in salmon colored stucco.

Too bad the building is going to be so ugly. I would prefer Perry Homes, at least they are bland and unassuming.