Vertigo58

ABC 13 just confirmed on the 4PM Newscast today that Erik Barajas starts Monday with Illona.

Just an FYI:

Erik is nephew of Mike Barajas, not son.

I remember riding to the airport as a kid and going down Broadway it was wide open on both sides from just south of Sims Bayou to the airport entrance. The apartment buildings didn't get built until the mid 1960's and they were built quickly.

by the 70's those apts were mostly airline personnel and well kept up. They are discussed in length under Glenbrook Valley or similar topic? Sadly by late 70's that whole area went downhill and is major crack/AMW area to this day. Big embarassment for our city. Mayor?

That is why it is imperative that everyone learn to swim at a very early age. We were very fortunate that YMCA used to have free lessons when we were growing up in Houston. Even people that learn to swim can be drowned by non-swimmers when panic kicks in. Life Guard lessons are another addtional course I can strongly encourage.

Glad the episode turned out without injury for you or the family.

Ditto, and thank original poster for alerting the public... period. You all could have saved more lives just by telling of this unfortunate event. Thats what really matters.

Just had to cave in and get some onion rings the other day.

FYI, the Prince's at is it Kirby and 59? Be sure to view the great pics of the old locations. There is a really good one of the classic car meets they used to have on Friday nights at the Main street location (now metro station).

Lots of great memories of driving up and down this street honking at girls (sometimes hooking up), smoking, drinking and getting pulled over by the police. I really wish the old street had lived longer - I miss those days. Anyone have any pics of the old strip packed with crusiers?

We have plenty of them and most outrageous one is from one Halloween night circa 1981-2! We started driving down lower Westheimer and progressed west as night went along. Just have to SCAN them and get on here. Also have on 8mm film, people and now gone eateries are displayed quite good.

I clearly recall snapping some in front of The Chicken Coop and Club Lamour, Numbers (was Billion Dollar City Dump) and more. There were more peculiar folks strolling along that area then. Many times resembled a circus side show but thats what made it funny and interesting! Recall having to pour out a whole bottle of Boone's Farm but he let us kids go. Oops TMI (too much information)

and yep the most outrageous section was....drum roll......Montrose & Westheimer.

Like or not it's almost here. It's called "alternative" like in there must be something else to do and go besides the Galleria. Gotta think of it from a visitor's perspective.

I see these type of projects progressing all the way down Westheimer, Richmond etc. Its called change and I truly welcome it.

Houston don't be yourself is my new logo. We have gone completely cosmopolitan and that's the inevitable. Vision (I see an elevated rail going right through here in very near future). Like in Fritz Lang's Metropolis.

There's a direct link to the project as well.

http://www.westaveriveroaks.com/

Thanks!

Now I know why (I personally) am, loving this project soooo much. These guys have designed similar projects along Robertson Blvd in LA. Good karma indeed.

Welcome to the future Houston!

http://www.urbanpartners.com/index.html

Perfecto!

Just a snipet:

Listen to the sounds of bustling caf

The first demolition, and some shots of what will be York station.

Great job old chap! Excellent snippets.

Yes, after taking a drive along this stretch and seeing that sad state it's (area) presently in, its all for the best.

Let her rip!

Does anyone know of a website of this builder or developer to see status pics of progress of this project?

Can't wait until grand opening! Klieg lights, crowds and more....

Website???

What a fantastic addition to this forum and all of Houston. Thank you.

I like it. They need to start planting hundreds of those or high rise $ townhomes in Sunnyland area. We welcome it.

Just realized there is not a Welcome or Introduce Yourself section on Haif? How unusual.

But happy your here and tell everyone about Haif! and don't be bashful

I loved that place. My friends and I would always meet up there. They always treated us like rockstars. They would always ask, "are yall famous?" It was the same question everytime. Drinks good, food mediocre. It did close for a while..hell, I didnt even know it was open.

If I were you I would say hell yeah I'm famous! (especially on Haif)

Now I must go eat there, don't care what people say. In fact might just start promoting it to bring back the crowds/celebs! The paparazzi will add to the mystique. Ja! Thanks everyone for helping to "spark" interest back into another long time Houston tradition. Bon appetit! or rather Salute!

Happened to take a drive through this intersection Westheimer/Kirby and was floored!

This project is absolutely magnificent, hat's off to the developer and architects involved. I was able to sit at an outdoor place aross the street and had great views of the movement going on above. This is simply a mind boggling feat in the works. The transformation and aura of that very corner is beyond words. Like a monolithic movie set being built up.

I have my bottle of champaign ready to pop for the grand opening!

Che bella giornata!

If the area along the Gulf freeway between downtown and Loop 610 ever starts developing more than it is now, I predict this will be one of the last places developed. Mainly because the trains that come along there seem to be having a contest with each other over who can blow their whistles the longest and the loudest. Not conducive to gentrification IMO.

However, if the city made an agreement with the RR's like they made for the tracks on the westside, and if the trailer park owners ever decided to sell, that could be some valuable property: a large patch of land near the freeway and just ten minutes from downtown.

Great point and all true. The complete removal of all and any large dilapidated cheap apartment complexes is the 1st start, ie that old one directly behind Seller's Grocery Store on the bayou. There were short discussions of this area/Brookline in another EE topic. I know of at least one person that has bought 3 older homes in this very nabe renovated to original state and now lives in one & rents the others. High rent to keep out the vermin. This works, but again the old apts need to go away forever.

It opened in 1953.

I live next door so I go there fairly regularly. No doubt, there are dozens of better Mexican places in town. It's menu is extremely limited. The ceiling is too low. The polaroid snapshots all over the walls are exceedingly tacky. But I still love the place. Provenance counts for a lot in Houston, and how many other eateries do we have that date back to the Korean War?

Fantastic!

and the dates are right on of that era ie; Korean War. Polaroid pics on walls are what gives the place charm, the tackier the better. This means it was once or is still a much loved place by the long time patrons. I still say it has great curb appeal as you pass by. The area needs to be promoted big time.

I still believe it was once the "place to be" in it's hey day. I can picture fine dressed people walking in and out of that place in during that era. Like Ciro's, The Mocambo and The Coconut Grove, ala Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and more.

Thank you again for solving another long time Houston mystery!

There were 2 diffrent theatres at Almeda each in the same parking lot but on diffrent sides. One night I was there with some friends and we were waiting in line to see a movie. Soem kids came up in a fancy custom car did a few donuts and burn outs then shot across the parking lot towards the other. About half way across the car suddenly gave a lurch and there was a gring noise. Evidently they did not know or forgot about the big curb dividing the parking lot down the middle. Luckily no was hurt but I think they ended up ripping their under carriage out as well as a few other things. When we got out of our movie two hours later they were still out there with a tow truck and a few police.

Thats right! Almost forgot about the one in front of Penney's. One of the last films we saw there was TRON so that dates it to what 1982? By that time the staff just slouched around & the floors were gross. Cable TV, MTV, VHS and Beta were just beginning to take over so these small theaters were pretty much doomed. and here we are today.

Everything on that stretch of Sampson/York is so... depressing. Cratered streets, two busy freight lines, spooky abandoned buildings, and sad little houses. Hopefully the future York station will attract some much-needed attention there.

True, its all or the best. I think Ripley House is somewhere nearby? Sometimes in the case like this there needed to be something NEW no matter what it is. Most long timers fled as decades past by. Try driving around that area at night. No way Jose!

Even that old Maxwell House is in disrepair. Remember the last heavy downpour we had about a year ago? That whole wall facing Harrisburg was on the verge of collapse, had to hold up with poles. Blah.

I like East Village, or East Houston Village.

We can be called Brown End Village People.

I forget the cross street, but haven't yall seen on Harrisburg those yellow stucco-type wall signs they made? It says East End.

WHAT? In bold letters.

When did that go up? Oh well sounds better than Brown End.

Finally got some good amount of rain. Filled up the rain barrels too.

Now my yard can stop splitting down the middle with that wide seismic faultline crack that formed as a result of the heat.

As mentioned in other topics, we always get passed over and why?...........

Does the East Side/End really want a new name or is it being forced to create a name?

Doesn't make sense. Will this new name be ingraved on overhead arches as you enter, etc? It already sounds ............