102IAHexpress

5 hours ago, KinkaidAlum said:

Chicago isn't a failed city. That's just a talking point from biased sources.

 

Biased sources? Okay, so I'll assume not biased sources are liberal sources? Fair enough:

http://progressive.org/dispatches/rahm-emanuel-failing-chicago/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/chicago-police-spike-in-gun-deaths-represents-clear-failure-criminal-justice/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-gowins/chicago-public-schools-are-failing_b_5488973.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-chicago-aldermen-and-corruption-kass-1215-20161214-column.html

1 hour ago, mfastx said:

 

Try using Google maps to see the most optimal route for your trip during the weekend.  There's plenty of buses that operate on weekends in Chicago in your neighborhood.  You could also walk a couple blocks (gasp) and use the rail.  There's plenty of routes in Houston that don't operate on the weekend as well, so I don't see your point there.  

 

There's actually not a lot of buses on the weekend. Not sure why you think there is? Yes there is rail, again not sure why think it's a couple of blocks away. The Red Line  station on  State Street and Grand Street is the closest stop near my lake shore and ohio street address, which is about 3/4 of a mile away.

Regarding Houston's metro buses that don't operate on the weekend, yes there are some park and ride buses from the suburbs that don't operate on the weekends however, and correct me if i'm wrong because i may be wrong, but all of Metro's local routes operate on the weekend. Chicago cta buses on the other hand have lots of local routes that don't operate on the weekend. For a transportation system that almost prohibits you from operating a car within downtown Chicago and practically forces you to ride public transportation or walk, having so many local routes not operate on the weekend is woefully substandard.

How it all ties into the retail district is that people have choices in how they reach those shopping districts or how they choose to ignore those districts and instead  shop online. Why would a Houstonian drive to a retail district in downtown when they could drive to a better one in the Galleria with plenty of free parking and security? If i lived in downtown (which i did for many years) why would i want to walk for half a mile in the heat to reach a retail district filled with panhandlers? I suppose i could get into my car and drive within downtown to the proposed district but once i get in my car i can easily reach any district. Anyways, we have a retail district already in downtown and it's privately funded. It's called the tunnels. It's awesome and unique, embrace it.

7 hours ago, mfastx said:

 

Couldn't disagree with you more about Chicago.  Their public transportation system is miles better than Houston's.  I've been there many times to visit a friend of mine who lives there and my experience was totally different.  Chicago is a hub and spoke system that radiates out from downtown in all directions.  It's extremely convenient and much superior to Houston's system, obviously.  Ridership numbers will say as much.  Calling Chicago a "failed city" is ridiculous.  

 

I'm just going to assume you're being sarcastic and trolling us lol. 

For example I live in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago. You can think of it of their Med Center. Huge hospitals, Northwestern Med, Law and Business schools are here and just a few steps from the Navy Pier; the most visited attraction in Illinois. So not exactly a remote area of Chicago. So lets say i want to ride the CTA bus outside my apartment today (Sunday). Wait i can't, it doesn't even operate on the weekends. Only on weekdays and only during rush hour, and only for a couple of hours of rush hour. So please tell me how that's better than Houston's Metro?

http://www.transitchicago.com/bus/121/

Chicago's public transportation has to be the most overrated system i have ever ridden. And yes it is a failed city. The city is bleeding population growth and bleeding citizens literaly. Outside of the gleaming towers in downtown the city is a disaster.

Anyways, I'm just going to assume you're being sarcastic because you don't know anything about public transportation.

10 hours ago, monarch said:

^^^ @102IAHexpress much obliged, for such great imput/insight upon chicago's transportation and retail infrastructure.  however, i am most curious at to your statement regarding the GALLERIA vs THE MAGNIFICENT MILE.  i would love to know just what makes you think that the "GALLERIA puts the MAG MILE to shame?"  i was always under the dire impression that the MAG MILE was one of the pre-imminent shopping street/districts of this nation.  the one high-end / ultra luxurious retail avenue by which all others are to follow. is this not correct?  basically, for as long as i can remember, houston's GALLERIA/UPTOWN district is always being called upon to model itself after the MAG MILE of the RODEO DRIVE district in L.A.  what are you seeing that makes the GALLERIA area better?  i was under the impression that the MAG MILE harbored the most magnificent array of stores and retail in this nation.  now do not get me wrong here, i do know that DUBAI, UAE harbors the most magnificent malls (MALL OF THE EMIRATES vs THE DUBAI MALL) on this planet. and just each one of these brilliant malls could very easily put houston's entire retail district to shame instantly.  (please trust me on this, i have been there many many times.  i have even stayed at hotels at both malls, and i have NEVER EVER seen anything like them no where).  nonetheless, i am now curious as to what the very reality is.. if you are willing to share your insight upon this matter.  what makes our GALLERIA district better that the MAG MILE in chicago?  maybe we are not as deficient as we are being led to believe vs chicago.....

A few reasons. The high end stores at the Galleria are better. On the mag mile we're talking Gap, Under Armor, Disney Store, Apple Store, etc which are all fine stores but pretty much available in every major city. The Galleria however has all those plus more high end stores from Italy, France, NYC. Also, i think access to mag mile via public transportation is not as good as access to the Galleria via automobiles. For high end shopping you really don't want to be in a "walkable" area for too long and be dependent on public transportation for security reasons. Nothing screams rob me, more than walking around with a high end shopping bag on Chicago's streets. And then there's the weather. Outdoor shopping in Chicago is way too cold most of the year. We're in May and the lows today were in the 30s and highs in the 40s. So yeah, the Galleria is way better.

10 hours ago, bobruss said:

So get your facts straight before you start making judgement calls on us down here. We like our train and it has one of the highest riderships per mile in the country. Its been very effective and it is responsible for the growth all along Main from Northline to NRG.

I've been living in Houston for more than 30 years. I recently moved to Chicago because my wife is a doctor and we decided to pursue an opportunity at Northwestern Medical.

I will most certainly make judgement calls. Houston's overall mobility is better than Chicago's. Public transportation inside Chicago's loop (their downtown) is really only accessible via CTA buses. There are tracks and stations around downtown but, it does only that, it goes around in a loop around downtown, hence the name. Auto traffic for commuters into the Loop is horrendous at all hours of the day and night. I have not been on the commuter rail (METRA) yet since i live in the city so i don't know if it's good or bad, however i often read news alerts about METRA disruptions due to various reasons. Regarding retail districts in general, The Galleria puts the Magnificent Mile to shame. The mag mile is a joke, yet the city of Chicago is all too willing to dump money on that street in lieu of much needed attention on the south side. The most visited Chicago attraction according to Yelp is the Navy Pier, again pretty much a joke. The privately owned Kemah boardwalk is more fun. Overall Chicago is a failed city and a specific section of the city; the Southside, if it were a country would be considered a failed state due to its violence, decay, corruption and a lack of caring. The parts of the city that are livable are dying as well due to high taxes. So yes, I will make a judgement on Houston. Houston is winning. Houston, please don't become like other liberal cities. Stick to a mass transportation mobility plan based on buses and stay away from subsidized retail districts. In my opinion Houstonian's  will continue to prefer Amazon.com for most of their retail and will go to a high end district like the Galleria for their high end needs. Houston if you're reading this, please don't buy into the fallacy that the Metro rail has spurred downtown development. It has not and nor will it ever.

On 5/4/2017 at 10:32 AM, bobruss said:

Patience! I can remember not too long ago, which is a feat in itself, how everyone was clamoring about the wasted money for the Main Street rail.

They said it would never lead to development and the money should have been used in a way that would actually do some good.

The last time I rode the rail to downtown, it seems there were very few empty lots and over a billion dollars of construction development and improvements made for the general public. It took less than 20 years for there to be three major high rises built and two of them are on the east side of Main street. Several new hotels opened on Main and probably close to 10,000 apartment units built directly on Main. There are now 3 major projects projected for Main street and more perhaps to come.So just relax and be patient. Now that the infrastructure is in and the hotel and high rise is getting built it will happen. It just doesn't happen overnight.

One day you'll be walking down Dallas Street, looking in shop windows or dining in one of the restaurants and stop and say, "wow where did all of this come from?" It always seems to have a more lasting effect if it happens at a natural pace instead of just being rolled out in a cookie cutter fashion.

It will come!

It was wasted money. For many years It barely added additional ridership levels compared to the preexisting bus routes that the main street rail line replaced yet at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, failed businesses along its construction path and pedestrian deaths. Also no one on this forum has ever been able to show me evidence of development along the downtown portion of the red line attributed to the rail line itself. Instead what is more likely is that tax breaks given to developers who developed in downtown is what actually spurred development in downtown.

Regarding the retail district proposal. Just more wasted money. I live a couple of blocks from Michigan avenue and retail shopping is not doing that great here. Shops are closing. A big Crate and Barrel that has been on the magnificent mile for 27 years is closing and is being replaced with the worlds largest Starbucks. no joke.

I also agree that I would rather have 10 conventions. But one of the problems with future Houston conventions, especially big ones, is that Houston is one of the few cities with two large public conventions centers competing with each other. NRG Center owned by the county hosts the Offshore Technology Conference, The Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows, Nutcracker Market, Houston Auto Show, etc. GRB is not just competing with other cities, but within its own city as well.

The national press is eating up the new hotel and swimming pool and in general are gushing over Houston. Hopefully this might finally be a turning point regarding Houston's national image.

Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/sc-super-bowl-host-city-houston-travel-0131-20170122-story.html

NY Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/business/the-super-bowl-returns-to-a-transformed-houston.html

18 hours ago, Naviguessor said:

What's not up the standards?  The Pool Bar?  I wouldn't expect that that would be open very often at all...and, certainly not during the day, in winter. 

The signage is not up to standards. As a guest you should not have to call the front the desk to find out where the gym is for example.

The pool bar not being open was a disappointment, not sure why it maters for Houston whether it's winter or not?

I recently moved to Chicago (wife was a doctor at Methodist but got offered a job up at Northwestern) and i was surprised to meet someone up here who two weeks ago went on a vacation to Houston/Galveston then down to south padre. Surprised because i have always been told that Houston is not a tourist destination. Anyways, our "winter" in Houston is considered absolutely balmy by many up north and if they traveled down here and stayed at the aLoft and saw the pool bar closed they would also be disappointed and probably not come back.

Wife and I stayed here over the weekend. It was okay. nothing special. But for the price, I can't complain too much. But compared to other aLoft's I've stayed at i'm not that impressed. There is no signage inside the property. As a guest you have no idea where anything is. Every SPG hotel I've stayed at, includes a booklet or binder inside the room about the property describing amenities, area attractions, etc, except this one. The elevators have not been updated either, so as a guest you wouldn't know which button to push for the gym for example (I heard it's on the second to top floor but I'm not sure). The interiors are typical aLoft design. The pool looked nice, but the pool bar was not open yet.

On 12/28/2016 at 6:37 PM, bobruss said:

There are always people who like to be negative about change. They said the same thing about the Main street rail line , and how it wasn't going to attract development. Look at it now. I think they said the same thing about Enron Field when it was planned downtown. Now its turned into a bustling residential and hotel neighborhood. Its usually people with no vision for the future and are stuck in the past, I love it.

I don't think the issue is change. Nobody (from what I remembered) was enthusiastic or had fond memories about the undeveloped area around GRB and therefore negative towards change. The issue is public money to finance private enterprises which sometimes raises negative concerns. Discovery Green is a very nice park. I'm glad there is development around the park. But did the Marriott Marquis break ground because it was near the park or because the city offered $138million in incentives? Is new residential poping up around Minute Maid  Park because it's a great public development project or because the city offered tax incentives to developers to build residential in downtown? Is there any private development along the ride line north of downtown?

Scathing article in today's chronicle regarding the latest harrisburg rail overpass delay. Article is on Houstonchronicle.com not chron.com. The writer called it a nightmare. People are quoted as saying they want to leave their neighborhood. A board member admitted it was not managed well.

Hate to say it but this portion of the line is a disaster.

Definitely a different appearance. Chase is a hideously ugly building that has aged poorly. The only reason why I "like" this building is because it's a supertall and the tallest in Texas. But having a building equal in height could be interesting for sure.

Just curious as to why you think it has aged poorly? Is the building in disrepair or has it suffered from neglect that has not been disclosed? I have worked on the 73rd floor going on 6 years now and I think it's one of Houston's more beautiful buildings, inside and out. Tourists queue up sometimes to take pictures on the 60th floor. I also see tourists take selfies outside with the tower in their background. Seems like an iconic, classic building.  

Count me in on wishing for a twin tower building being built one day. Not a similar or fraternal twin, but an actual twin tower.

I went during lunch.  They are on their "Sneak Peak" menu prior even to soft opening.  Needless to say, they are still learning here and the food could use a bit of work.  I have been to most of their locations though and they will clean it up.  Good build out of the interior.

I don't know if the district is currrently in a soft opening, or sneak peak, or fully opened but my co-workerd went yesterday. She said the service was terrible. She only ordered a salad but it took 50 minutes for it to arrive. They did comp it for free and included a free coupon for a future meal. I doubt she's returning though, her salad looked pitaful. Bummer, I was hoping this place would be good.

I find your consistent and predictable negativity almost... inspiring.

 

Jackson St. is good. Is it the best bbq in the city? No. Is it better than Pappas (or anything else downtown)? Yes. By quite a bit. Prices are pretty reasonable too.

Negative?

I was just agreeing with what ArchFan said. He found it disappointing but wants to try it again. He liked the staff.

What are we supposed to do when we talk about our experiences at a restaurant? Lie?

Jackson St. is Awesome!, (does that make you feel better?)

It's not better than Pappas by quite a bit. By saying stuff like that you're doing a disservice to good bbq and to readers who take this forum seriously. It's about the same quality as Pappas (but lacks a drive thru and with less reliable hours) and maybe a little better than Otto's downtown locations. I would say Otto's has a much broader menu than just bbq, but they call themselves otto's BBQ, so just comparing otto's bbq and Jackson st. bbq, then Jackson st's is better than Ottos.

La Fisheria, that's good news for downtown.  My 1st experience at Jackson St. BBQ was disappointing, but I do plan to try it again:  went on a quiet Sunday, BBQ was somewhere between room-temperature and cold, as if partially reheated from the day before.  My impression was that it would be rather good, if at the right temp.  The staff was great, very friendly and helpful.  

Yeah I agree about Jackson St. I've been a couple times. Eh. Nothing special.

The restaurant is a typical bbq restaurant setup, meaning it's counter service. No hostess, no waiter waiting on you. Yet they have one of those iPad point of sale machines at the register that forces you to click on "no tip". I'm not stingy with tips at a typical restaurant, but come on, this is counter service. And who is receiving this tip?

Went today with 6 co-workers. It was very busy; ordered at bar got our burgers in 10-15 minutes. Everyone loved the place, clean, TV's were on, parked one block away. Walked to the Chase Tower afterwards which probably burned one onion ring off.

 

This place doesn't need any luck or help - it's going to do great business. Plus it's right there off main, looks further on a map, walking outside you can easily see Hooneymooners, ect.

 

Good to go. Wish CT all the best.

Allison Cook of the Chronicle just reviewed Christian's Tailgate Downtown. You can read the review on chron.com, but it's not very good unfortunately. She graded their burger a D but said good things about the onion rings.

Speaking of the old Co-cathedral, do they use it for anything? Do they have plans for it?

Not sure about the old co-catherdral church building but the old co-cathedral offices are currently being used by Annunciation during this construction phase.

 

It's also worth noting that a building actually had to be torn down to make room for the Foley House.

Yes the old rectory was torn down. But the plan from the beginning was to refurbish it not raze it. For lots of reasons i won't get into, the refurbishment plan was no longer viable. But i will say that one complexity that did not exist a hundred years ago is that today there has to be a much more defined space that seperates the living/sleeping space of the pastor and the church offices. The eventual plan is to have a seperate rectory and a seperate church office. Our pastor is a saint and would never hurt or abuse anyone but the seperated space is a must in today's world and the new plan accomidates that better.

Once the decision of razing the old rectory was made then the Foley House plan made a lot of sense. Foley house gets preserved, that city block gets cleared away for future city of houston development. The church gets a new office, etc...

The parish could have razed the old rectory and built new construction instead, but it should be noted that they chose instead the harder task of litteraly moving a building and restoring it that otherwise would have set empty.

Yes, we are not HISD indeed.

More money for ministries like feeding the poor, clothing the naked, healing the sick, serving those in prisons, etc is not a bad thing. The Church is in the business of saving souls not maintaining empty palaces.

To say nothing of the fact about the skilled tradesman and architectural artisans that the Archdiocese will employ to maintain other historical buildings on the island with the money from the sale of the palace.

There are lots of architectural destroyers in our city. The Church is not one of them.

 

• http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/For-sale-Bishop-s-Palace-in-Galveston-4587943.php

 

Here is an article about Bishop's Palace sale.  The Archdiocese gave GHF one month to come up with $3,000,000 or to Match highest bidder.  No small task for any non-profit organization. 

 

What exactly is your complaint?

Earlier your grievance was that the archdiocese tore down the clayton building.

In this case they are no longer able to maintain bishop's palace as a museum and would rather sell it and use that money for other ministries and other repairs and maintenance for other buildings on Galveston.

The Clayton Building was just torn down on the exact same block. Just to repeat.

I am aware. I go to church on that block.

That's one building. Not exactly a pattern of demolishing buildings.

Quite the opposite, the church has a rich history of preserving buildings for centuries. Can we preserve all of them? No. But I can't think of any organization that has done a better job preserving architecture.

I'm talking about "our architecture" as in our local structures. The neglectful treatment of our regional architectural treasures is what I am referring to.  The Clayton building which was demolished in March is irreplaceable.   But, typical in the church's local thinking. 

You have no idea what you're talking about. But you are free to have that opinion.

As for facts. The city put a clause in the deal that would require Annunciation to maintain the hisotrical archecture of Foley House for at least 30 years. And even if Annunciation wanted to raze it one day, the city would have the option to take it back.

http://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic//CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=4927&MeetingID=106

What is strange to me is how this Catholic organization (Annunciation) is allowed and trusted to take these significant homes to preserve and keep them  while Incarnate Word Academy, just earlier this year, on the same block, has no problems dismissing and destroying Nicholas Clayton's Building, claiming that it was obsolete.  What is to say that these old homes won't soon be determined that they "obsolete" and torn down? I am sorry, but trusting the Catholic Church with our architecture never works out well for us in the end.   

Foley house is a good fit at Annunciation. Foley was a parishioner of Annunciation, his family was very active and generous in the early days of the parish. I think he would be happy that the parish was putting the home to good use.

Not sure why you think the church is on some demolition free for all? Does the Catholic church have some history of not preserving it's buildings that we don't know about?

The Foley house move will give us better office space, teaching space and will give the pastor and msr. better living space. I teach RCIA at the Parrish and currently we have to meet inside the church because we don't have proper classrooms.

anyone interested in learning about the faith or better forming their faith I invite them to our adult education course this Thursday night.