ZeroTX

I mentioned it specifically in this thread:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=5940

...along with their website URL, but nobody made a comment. I've driven by it hundreds of times, as my mom lives in that neighborhood right there off W. Airport, directly across the street from this temple.

What I wondered, however, was whether this place is open to the public or if it is only for buddists?

-Michael

I may be wrong.....but previous actions by the diocese toward Galveston show otherwise.

I would be in favor of it. People would still refer to St. Mary's as St. Mary's Cathedral, just as people in St. Louis still refer to the old cathedral as.. well, as the old cathedral, even though it hasn't been one in a century.

Galveston is not central to the Archdiocese and it is not where even a large percentage of the parishioners live. Houston is now the 4th largest city in the U.S. with over 5 million in surrounding areas (which I don't think includes Galveston). The Woodlands or Katy or Sugarland are bigger communities than Galveston and one of those isn't even officially a city.

So, it would make more sense to be the Archdiocese of Houston, as it would have national recognition, whereas Galveston is seen as a little island pseudo-vacation spot.

-Michael

First of all, our church is not founded by any preacher, it was founded by Jesuschrist and we are the restoration of the primitive church, second, the church has capacity for 4,000 maybe more, and it did not cost $20,000,000. Not even close. Feel free to email whenever you would like at Mendozagray@yahoo.com, I would be more than delighted to answer your questions, any questions.

Why does your website not have an English version? I am offended that I cannot participate in your church due to my inability to speak Spanish.

-Michael

Is that right there at HWY 6 @ I-10?

Nope. 290, exit Kickapoo Rd (just past Fairfield), turn right, 5 miles.

-Michael

This thread is worthless without pictures.

As a Catholic, though, I am excited to hear of this maintained traditionalism. I'm actually a new Catholic (converted from Baptist in 2005), but I pretty well despise the modernism and I especially despise the ultra-modernized structures. To me, the greatest church is an old European gothic-style made of stone with real gold-leaf in the interior and a high altar!!

-Michael

Okay, technically not Houston, but hey, considering how far out the city limits go, it's not far ...

This is a chapel located on a retreat center near Kickapoo. We were there scoping out the site for a youth retreat and the gloomy weather and leaves made for (I thought) a cool picture. The sign by the chapel reads 'Oldham Memorial Chapel'. I don't know who Oldham is, nor anything about the history of this simple structure.

Equipment used: Canon Rebel XTi + EF-S 18-55mm lens Settings: 1/40, F8.0, ISO400, handheld

This is a copyrighted image. Please don't hotlink or use outside of this forum w/out permission.

Any thoughts or knowledge of this church? Know of any other cool ones like it to photograph?

-Michael

Okay, let me complicate this post with some additional challenge:....

How about some small churches, historical churches, run down and abandoned churches, churches that are still open, but look unique or eclectic in some way. Rural churches falling down, rotting, urban churches in ruins or thriving, despite their small stature and unpleasant location.... Things that will make for interesting photos, of course... thought-provoking ones.

I'm not trying to be lazy, I just don't get around Houston much other than home -> work and back (Spring to Jersey Village via I-45 and BW8. I never get into the "inner city" or rural areas and my career doesn't allow me to even leave during lunch

Thanks,

Michael

It's not the 1980's where you put the old Pentax K-1000 camera up to your noggin it's all point and shoot now

It's really not. Perhaps the Pentax K1000 isn't as commonly used now, but the best pictures still come from SLR cameras.... they've gone digital ya know... it's not 1997 anymore, either Swivel screen viewfinders need not apply!

Compare camera capabilities with samples at http://www.dpreview.com

-Michael

Ahh, there's plenty of places to stop... lots of the great downtown pictures you see are taken from the rooftops of other buildings... and I would guess most of the modern ones are photoshopped to remove undesirable objects from the frame.

I guess I can't say much...... I took this one out the window... though, I was a passenger and I was just fiddling with the camera. Would have been an amazing shot if we'd pulled over and I spent a bit more time on it. This was March 2005, through a car window (sorry about the reflection) and the camera is a Konica Minolta DiMage A200 (recently replaced with a Canon Rebel XTi):

-Michael

You know, you guys *could* pull over places and take pictures.... just a thought

-Michael

Hi guys,

Is anyone familiar, intimately or otherwise, with the Hotel ICON downtown? I know it is an old early 20th century bank building that they rennovated into a hotel a few years ago. I would call the style, sorta french parlor-ish, but the overall feeling is very plush and LOTS of character. It is a luxury hotel that doesn't have the "sterile" feeling of a Hilton or Marriot.

So, what's the rest of the story? I know it hasn't been a bank on a long, long time... what else was it? Who owns it? Was it used as a hotel before the ICON?

I really stumbled upon it when looking for a downtown hotel to stay in for our wedding night. The ICON was a lot neater than the Hilton or Hyatt, so I chose a small suite for us to stay in. It was awesome. Like no place I've ever been and the service was great... people stumbling overthemselves practically to make sure you're a pleased customer... especially in the restaurant downstairs. Best restaurant experience of my life, too.

Here's their website:

http://www.hotelicon.com

So, anyone have the scoop or some good pictures? I was a bit "occupied" on my wedding day, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time outside our room

-Michael

Hey! I know the owner of this house. He's a friend-of-a-friend. Nice guy. Did every bit of the restoration work himself. The interior is beautiful and has been featured in a national magazine.

Below is my picture of the house, taken at night. I can probably scrounge up a couple of interior shots if interested.

-Michael

Oh yes, the inside of the St. Louis Cathedral is gorgeous. It is floor to ceiling tile mosaics. Millions of tiles in thousands of colors. The mosaic work took some 70 years to complete and there are three distinctly different chapels located within the church itself, along with the main church. Each of the 3 chapels is uniquely decorated with tile and mosaics.

My wife has been to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as well as several other Italian and UK churches, and she felt this was easily in the top 5. The construction is stone, not concrete (late 1800's build) and the scale is just huge. Look at the front view -- the yellow dot on there is my wife sitting on the steps of the church.

Thanks for the recommendations! I knew about Annunciation... I have several inside shots of it already. The others I haven't been to yet, but plan to

Do you guys think they will tear down the old Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral? I thought the historic society was going to have it declared a historical monument?

-Michael

Downtown out the top of a sunroof (sorry, it's shrunken down).... The former Enron buildings... and my former employer, too. heh.

Hi all,

I'm new to this site... but I'm glad I found a source for finding architecture to photograph. My favorite thing is churches. Big, small, I like them all. I've photographed mostly Catholic churches -- primarily because they are usually a) open ornate and c) most of the big churches (e.g. cathedrals) are Catholic. However, I'm also interested in protestant churches for photographing. I will definitely be visiting the Episcopal church noted in another thread here.

However, does anyone have a short (or long) list of "must photograph" churches in the Houston vicinity? This could include Galveston and pretty much any place I can drive on a Saturday from my house in Spring. If it's not a Catholic church, then any info on hours, etc, would be nice as most non-Catholic churches are not unlocked for worshippers except during services. My preference is beautiful AND historic, but merely beautiful or merely historic are both just fine!

I only recently purchased an SLR camera, so my pictures are all very "work-in-progress" in nature to this point. In fact, some of them were taken with a really, really cheap $99 2.0megapixel Kodak.... but it's a learning process, right?... I figure if I can learn at "home" (Houston), all the better! I don't have much invested yet in lenses, but I want to get out there and photograph some stuff

It's too bad we don't have structures with the history, beauty or scale of this....

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Missouri... summer '05

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Missouri, fall '04

Please pass them on!

-Michael

http://www.houstonbuddhism.org/

Chung Mei Buddhist Temple, located in Stafford (Southwest Houston), off Beltway 8 @ W. Airport Blvd, or you can exit W. Airport from 59 and turn east, toward the Beltway. It's on the Houston/Stafford line. They have a HUUUUGE fenced property right off W. Airport and as best as I can tell from a distance, the building is quite beautiful... however, there's about a 10 acre yard from the road to the building!

Anyone have close-up pics? Are we allowed on the property to take pictures?

-Michael

I think this would be one, it is St. Mary's in Plantersville, TX (a few miles north of the Renaissance Festival grounds):

History of this beautiful church: http://www.smsj.org/mt/smsj/father_eds_desk/000007.php

Pictures (by me, sorry, they are not great):

All photos by me, ZeroTX Please don't hot-link or use outside of this forum.

-Michael