volvo99

My patience is wearing thin with all these people coming into my place of business wanting something for free because they are from Louisana

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R-O-T-F-L!!!!

Seriously though, as a former Houstonian, I don't think locals have an issue with honest people making a good faith effort to get their lives back in order. However, I do think patience will wear out soon with those who couldn't make it in NOLA and are going to be dependant on public assistance long term. It is not like Houston didn't have a major drug and underinsured problem already; this might be the wave to topple the city's already fragile indigent care system.

We will keep up because we have to. Houston always does. 30-50% in withdrawl? Sounds a little high. What's your source on that? Can't be too accurate if they can't provide a narrower range than 30-50%. And there was one fight that was totally blown out of proportion by our sensationalist local media.

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Quoted from the 09/15/05 Houston Chron

Read here

In any case, I'm sure the sensationalist nature of Houston local media, plus all the doomsday predictions from other forums will strive to provide "proof" that this is as much a Houston disaster as a New Orleans one.

With recent assessments that 30%-50% of evacuees at the GRB and Astrodome are needing medical care for drug and alcohol withdrawal, and mass student fights breaking out between local and evacuee students in local high schools, and with greater New Orleans months away from functioning, how patient can Houstonians be with thousands of unscheduled visitors making their way in the city?

Can the transportation, medical care, and educational infrastructure keep up?

Here's the full quote:

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas...And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."

That just about sums up the Bush mind-set.

Houston could have a bubble; there is simply too much available housing inventory to justify the runup in prices.

I've relocated to San Diego, the supposed epicenter of the 'bubble'.

With not enough inventory, demand is still high, even in a market with an affordability index of about 10%.

It is owned by the same group that runs Fadi's. While not truly exceptional cuisine, it is a welcome addition to the Montrose and stays open late for the night owls. Be sure to get the hot pita out of the brick oven!

A truly original piece. And one that surely cements the Montrose as a unique and progressive community. In an asphalt wasteland such as Houston, it is good to see culture and creativity colliding with the daily commute. I've since left Houston, but it will be art in the public realm such as this that makes Houston a city of possibilities.

I hear the place gets slammed on B4-U-EAT.com...

That brings up a question I was asked last week. Why is there even a need for apt locators in Houston?

My response was that is was a great service for out of town people, but I could not really see the need for an apt locator if you already know the area you want to live in.

In cities like NYC and other Northeast cities there is a huge need for apt locators as so many of the apt buildings are 5-10 units, but here where we have massive 300-500 unit complexes it seems like choices are pretty easy. You pick an area, find 2-5 complexes, search the net and go for it.

Please don't take this post as a slight on your services, I was just wondering how much demand there is for apt. locators in the Houston market.

No problem.

Quite simply, there are three kinds of people who choose my services. Those who are 1) too lazy, 2) too busy, or 3) have problems and need help.

In some aspects of the Houston market, particularly the low to mid range properties, the only real difference in properties is the paint on the building. You will find an amazing similarity in amenities, unit size, lease terms, and rental rates. After getting feedback from fellow agents and clients, I've narrowed my property list to places that have good management staff, low crime, good maintenance, and that work well with me and pay my commission on time. Those aspects, you will not find in any apartment guide.

Also, many clients have issues regarding broken leases and legal problems. They simply can't afford to apply to places that won't work with their situation. My expertise in knowing properties that do will save them time and effort.

I've since moved from a mass-market locator to a private company, filling vacancies at properties that mostly are not in your supermarket directory. Quite simply, it is a more upscale market (more commision) and the client base is more desireable to work with.

In short, my expertise in how leasing agents work the public, my knowledge of the houston leasing market, and which properties are best avoided are things you would be hard pressed to discover on your own.

haroldraranda@aol.com

The Plaza is on my daily walking route from UST to Hermann Park and back.

I've noticed this is the second week carpenters are inside hard at work.

Progress is being made.

before we waste our time on the phone and a day with an apartment locator, i figured someone here may be able to provide some insight. is this site legit?

she's not looking to buy since she's not staying here for long. she works at beltway 8 and 290, but wants to live in downtown or uptown/galleria area. uptown probably makes more sense for her.

As an apartment locator, the service we offer actually saves you the time you consider so precious. My computerised directory and experience in the market allows you to peruse offerings at your leisure, ensuring that you will know exactly what you will be looking at when you walk out the door on the way to view a property.

haroldaranda@finditaptloc.com

I work as an apartment locator. My services are FREE to you...

HaroldRAranda@aol.com

Don't be mislead....there's no such thing as free.....he's going to divert discounts and incentives that would have gone to you into his pockets....

Are you talking about the discounts and incentives I negotiate from the property manager on behalf of the renter? Discounts and incentives he might not have been aware were available to him?

Did you care to mention the footwork I do in getting to know property managers who work with broken leases and other issues, so renters don't have to waste time going to places that are not going to work with them?

Did you also care to mention how, as licensed real estate agents, we also have the ability to help the same customers we took on as renters, purchase a home in the future?

You are correct in asserting that nothing is free. However, the fee we earn is a good investment by those properties that choose to utilise our services to fill their vacancies. In today's environment, that is not a small issue.

Email me...I'm an apartment locator and I can help you with my FREE of charge service.

HaroldRAranda@aol.com

Why the Astrodome won't work...

Soccer regulations demand natural grass. No exceptions. Then, roping off the upper levels of the stadium creates a cavernous, empty feel. It would dwarf any other stadium in the league and destroy any attempt at atmosphere. Any additional work on the Dome would really be unecessary and an expense that the new team could not finance. A hotel? So what happens when there are no teams staying? Hotel occupancy is hovering over 57%, so new rooms in a new hotel sitting in a parking lot with nothing else to do would be a waste. Understand that the leading MLS franchise has an annual player payroll of 3 Million! Roger Clemons alone will make that come mid-June! So not a lot of cash for them to burn before the first match.

What is happening to the area of Westheimer west of Fountainview? It seems north of Westheimer, it appears viable with lots of store-front retail and dining, but south of it it appears a bit run down with shady nightclubs and massage parlors taking over the defunct Richmond Strip...

Are we looking at a future Sharpstown?

I've gone into the Woodlands version of the Central Market a few times now, and unless things pick up dramatically, they may be going the way of Albertson's. It is always dead slow in there, more of a tourist attraction but people just walk through and look around and then leave without buying. Meanwhile the Krogers and Randalls in the area always appear to be bustling. What gives?

Because it is an upscale store stuck in a middle class neighborhood masquerading with upscale pretensions.

They could just blow it on 2-3 Van Goghs. Irises cost the Getty Center in L.A. about 23 million alone.

It's just another champps in my opinion. Not much sets any of the two apart. I don't buy the foot traffic that ESPN is waiting for downtown. Either they haven't visited downtown Houston, or they are using some bogus numbers. The lunch crowd alone would more than support an ESPNZone and the weekend crowd downtown is pretty substantial. Plus, it's Houston, people will drive just to go to the ESPNZone downtown. Clearly they need to research the Houston market better, instead of trying to box in every market into one category.

What you fail to notice is that ESPN Zones primarily locate in areas that have an urban business/tourist mix; Times Square, Dowtown Disneyland, Baltimore Harbor, LoDo in Denver. Houston- Downtown is nowhere near the caliber of the above places in terms of foot traffic and tourist appeal.

Despite their best efforts, downtown restaurants still look empty every time I pass by.

I think the issue of economic stratification is being ignored here. While it is true that without the presence of early adoptors the Downtown and Midtown areas would be dormant, it does not bode well for the economic well being of a city if all the "prime" areas become an enclave for walk-on from 'Friends'. I take it none of you know what it is like for the armies of anonymous copper skinned labor who troll around in slow Metro buses commuting in the wee hours from the suburban slums outside the Loop.

I suppose that is why I enjoy the Montrose, and while it is succumbing to gentrification, its mishmash of cultures and socio-economic levels ensure its egalitarian nature in a city where that is disappearing.

Semipro...

I agree, however I believe the current Astrodome is too large. Another issue is to determine if the future soccer stadium would be an enclosable facility like Reliant. I think not, as perhaps it would be too small to be economically feasible.

So ideally; demolish the Astrodome, build a purpose built soccer stadium with training fields (or borrow the Texans facility), and reserve Reliant for future World Cup/ US National/ International prestige matches.

I agree that Randall's is a bit pricier than Kroger. But I feel I'm getting something more for my money: clean stores, helpful staff, the little things that make shopping a pleasure there.

I support the Midtown Randall's even though I'm closer to the Montrose Kroger; a world of difference IMHO.

Very interesting topic.

One must understand that such an experiment in Houston could work, and that besides building a team that will have cross cultural support, there must be a forward thinking stadium plan.

Ideally, a solution along the lines of Home Depot Center in L.A., which consists of a fan-friendly 25 000 seat stadium and a practice field complex. Considering how short Houston is on park space anyway, any addition where fans can not only enjoy a game in an intimate setting, along with fields where youth leagues can flourish would be a welcome addition.

As far as where to build it, does the huge Reliant parking lot have enough space for this? It is on the light rail line and is rather convenient from pretty much all of the city.

I think any attempts to artificially induce a group of people to stay in a certain geographic area in order to enhance the city's image by having real,"big city" type ethnic neighborhoods is bound to fail. The Asian's are an enterprising group and those businesses will survive the old-fashioned way, by struggling to figure out a better way. A shifting of a population does not disturb me near as much as destruction of old buildings and houses, which the city has never seemed very concerned about. I say we keep the Vietnamese signs as a reminder that this was once an ethnic community, but rather than lanquish sleepy-eyed in the face of flux, they read the writing on the wall and jumped ship together.

Correct. Besides, it wasn't like the city was collaborating with the merchants to create a "Chinatown" ethnic destination neighborhood along the likes of New York or San Francisco. Since the vietnamese are relative newcomers to the city, and have become relatively wealthy, there was not the social or economic issues of "ghettoization" that was at work in the older ethnic neighborhoods of the east coast or San Francisco.

Jobs r jobs r jobs.

True. But the city did a piss poor job luring Boeing here when they wanted to relocate from Seattle. They eventually went to Chicago.

Simply having a glut of cheap, recently built office space available is not enough to lure Fortune 500's to downtown. Having a large and influential industrial-technology company like Boeing would have been much more beneficial than ending up with a corporate caretaker for a far-flung empire of burger franchises.