Trophy Property

http://www.murphybrothersexposition.com/

This is the carnival operator that will be in the dome for two weeks. I believe tickets are $20, since that's what they are listed for on Ticketmaster.

I might go just to check out the Carnies and the Riff Raff.

I too saw the word Sex in the link and almost did not click it. I am at work !!!!

I do like the bowling alley idea for Bayou Place. As sevfiv pointed out, there will be a "high-class" bowling alleyin Houston Pavilions. But I think it was only going to be 15 lanes or something like that. Doesn't sound like my kind of bowling alley....I'd like to see one where: a) smoking is mandatory, or at least encouraged, it has more bowling lanes than Chuck E. Cheese has skeeball lanes, and c) it's unpretentious (I'm OK with it if it's described as "low-class" bowling...that's what it should be.)

Totally agree. Chi Chi Bowling Alley's are for wimps. We hit the Bellaire Lanes when we go. I once saw a woman vomit all over her ball as she was throwing it. It was pretty sick but funny as hell. It was $5 pitcher night. GOOD TIMES. >

uhh...haha

about bowling...yes!

but isn't one already slated to go into the pavilions? (a "high-class" one?)

And we all know that project is 100% going to happen. (insert sarcastic emoticon).

Actually I did not know about the bowling alley in the pavillions. I thought I was pretty brilliant for coming up with the bowling idea in Bayou Place. Maybe a Bowling Alley with Hooters girls serving beer and snacks.

Here you go.

Pink Pussycat

Those pictures are amazing. So when did the Pink Pussycat move to Richmond. I actually stepped into that place a few times in the early 90's before it changed hands. It was gross, but for some reason that did not stop me from going more than once.

the only thing that can save them is starting pitching. its not only getting Roger, but Backe and Oswalt healthy.

we're still in much better shape then last year, i haven't seen a tombstone in the chron yet.

Getting one hit at home is not a good way to play either. This team has made a 180 degree turnaround. In the wrong direction. They need to bust out of this slump and quickly. I still have a little faith.

I did not know that bit of history.

I always wondered why I feel compelled to get nekkid when I'm in that gazebo. I thought it was just the $%#@ing strong a$$ drinks they pour there!

I love Warren's. We used to hit that place once a month or so. I once hooked up with a girl in the gazebo. I was really drunk and she was sort of a big woman. In fact my buddies named her the "beastmaster." Since she was freinds with a buddies girlfriend I was forced to see her again and again.

Oh to be young.

This post has totally been hyjacked. I take full blame for that. > > >

Back to the regular post. What about a Bowling Alley in the Bayou Place. I think that would bring in some folks.

I don't really think that the Park shops or whatever it's called now can really be a much more successful retail destination than it is now. It was designed according to the original plan for Houston Center that was later abandoned - ie to serve thousands of residents living in condos that were never built. That is why it has so little street presence, because ground level was intended to have nothing but parking. The owners have done their best, and it is better than it was, but I think its prospects are still limited.

I 100% agree with you. It is not feasibly to tear it down.

Is the Hermann Park Zoo located in Midtown? I went there as a kid. Is it still open?

Ok, not to be a smart ass here, but the Hermann Park Zoo is located in Hermann Park.

Houston Zoo

There is no zoo in midtown, inless you count some of the people partying down there on Friday and Saturday nights.

Tearing it down would be a good start. It was a failure the day it opened-unless you like fast food.

Thats an original post !! Way to put some thought it in.

Lets tear down the shops and then put up the Pavillion. Make lots of sense to me.

It has been a few months for me I guess.

We venture over for dumplings or Twisted Fork now and then.

Maybe I'll check it out this week.

Twisted Fork is gone. There is a new concept opening there. I cannot remember the name right now but it is a PF Changs Knockoff from what I hear.

Here's a larger pic.

I notice a Quizno's in the picture. Isn't there a Quizno's in the same cetner as Ibiza. I have not been over there in a while. Did they move locations or are two operating withing a qurter mile of one another.

Mainly the look and feel. It needs to shake it's 80s funk.

Better interior lighting would be a good start. It's serves well, but seems like it could be made into a much more enjoyable experience.

And bring back Brooks Brothers! J.A. Bank just does not do it for me.

Have you the seen the most recent renovations. I think it looks much nicer and the 80's funk seems gone to me. I am not sure if the renovations are completed yet, but I when I was over there a month ago it looked much better than it had in years.

I think J.A. Banks is a good fit. I find Brooks Brothers a bit too pricey for my likes. Their product is far and away more supiorior to J.A. Banks, but out of my range.

Getting warmer. The Shops At Houston Center.

And they still stink as much now as they did when I worked in Two Houston Center. So much for the renovation.

http://www.theshopsathoustoncenter.com/

So lets say you owned the Shops at Houston Center. What would you do to make them better? What wouls have of made your expeience working at 2 Houston Center any better?

So The Park Shops will be cut off from the Downtown Park directly, but will have a high-rise in front of it? Does that help or hurt The Park Shops?

I was expecting at first that The Park Shops would be a boundary to the Park (partially because of the name "Park Shops"), because they're revitalizing the Shops.

The name is actually the Houston Center Shops. Was changed years ago. But I still call it the Park Shops at times too.

Welcome Back, Clemens!!! Here's da Chronicle...

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/disp/story...nt/3916966.html

Astros have not won a game since Clemmens announced his return. They are fading fast. Ugggh. You can't get swept at home by the team in front of you in the standings.

Lets hope there is still some 2005 magic left. They need a turn around quickly.

but they do have at least one company partnership. The Gulfgate Starbucks is an Urban Coffee Opportunity store - a partnership with Magic Johnson.

http://www.johnsondevelopmentcorp.com/starbucks/index.html

There are many Coffee Kiosks / Vendors that may not be Starbucks per se but they still sell Starbucks coffee. But if you see a store with the name Starbucks on it then it is owned by corporate.

I thought Starbucks didn't franchise....so it said on there site a couple years ago. That's why I bought some stock, I haven't really kept up with the company

You are correct. Starbucks does not Franchise. They are all corporate stores.

I read an article a few months ago that discussed serious ethical issues with doctor owned hospitals. There were debates about doctors funneling patients to their own hospitals to run up fees. Don't remember if they mentioned this one as an example, or if that has anything to do with this project, but I thought of this place when I read the article.

I could tell you some stories. Early in my career I manged professional buildings. For a few years I ran a building that was connected to a Dr's Hospital. The un-ethical behavior was out of control. I was pretty much clean, but I had to step away from a few deals and wash my hands. The Dr's group would open lavish offices and run it through the hospital. The more you admitted to the hospital the better your digs were.

I also worked for Columbia / HCA in their heyday and they had some shady accounting going on there. I was 26 and pretty new nothing at the time, but even then I knew there was some bad stuff going on. The people that ran those hospitals were money grubbing bottom line dirt suckers. That is not the type of hopsital I want to be in when the ____ hits the fan.

My opinion, hopsitals should be non profit. Pay the people who work there well, but lets try not to de-fraud medicare to boost the bottom line.

HCA was Enron before Enron was evil !!

OK, now you are starting to freak me out a little. I too went to 2nd Craptist (I just came up with that one) from Pre-K through 8th Grade. I obviously was not a fan. But that is a totally different post....

I graduated HS in 1989 so that gives you an idea of my age. How old are you? We might just know each other.

I like the anonominity of this site, but if you are the same age we might have to take it offline and see if we know each other.

Did you ever have Mrs Casteneda (sp). She was my 6th grade teacher. She was as mean as a snake (if you are friends with her by some chance, I am just kidding...)

Do you remember the big fireworks show they did every year on Flag Day with the extremely intricate designs -esp. for that time? I think they launched them from fields along Westheimer between Blue Willow and Beltway 8. I remember people would line up all over Westheimer at that area to watch -esp. by the church with the bells on top. We could watch from our backyard and the reflections from the fireworks on the office buildings right there were very beautiful too.

Did you grow up near there too? It's been fun reminiscing. I'm sure I'll think of 10 more things once I log off -lol.

I do not remember the fireworks. But we moved to Briargrove Park from Briarmedow in late 1983 when I was in 7th Grade. They might have stopped it by then.

7 months ago my wife and I moved into Walnut Bend. We fought moving that far out, but have grown to love the area once again.

Did you ever ride your bike on the Sam Houston Tollway before it was completed. WE used to get up there and rige all the way to 59. It was pretty much completed for months before it was actually opened.

Strip clubs are for losers. That is the last thing we need downtown.

I resemble that remark.

Nothing like playing poker in a strip club with a big bottle of grey goose and a few packs of smokes.

Signed,

Lou Sir

me too!

I knew there were other freaks (with dreams) out there. A few random houses along Westhiemer would be better than the grubby Class C- buildings already there.

Land of no Zones has its privledges.

Houston passed a partial smoking ban in restaurants and covered bus shelters which went in to affect in September 2005. Restaurants can still permit smoking in bar areas, but it must be seperate from the dining area correct?

I was at a sports bar/restaurant last weekend, and they had an ash tray at every table and people were smoking. I've noticed this at a lot of restaurants. Is the new law being enforced?

I am a smoker (when drinking) and I have yet to encounter a problem getting my cancer fix. California on the other hand is a smoker's nightmare. No smoking anywhere indoors. Even the crazy bars and clubs. It sucks, but you adapt.

I guess it does not suck for the non-smokers. In fact my buddies in Cali love the law. They now can go home without smelling like an ashtray..

panjo's pizza at town and country

howard johnsons...great wednesday nite fish frys..all u can eat..yum

vallian's pizza...in the to go area you could carve stuff on the walls still my favorite pizza and my first

price's hamburgers on bellaire 5cents!! with secret sauce..

cellar door bbq

gaido's

kaphan's

I think this was discussed before, but wasnt there a Panjo's on Westhiemer where some strip club no sits. For some reason I remember it being right there.

Anyone remember the Dark Horse Bar. It was on Richmond (now one of the many Sam's bars). My Step father was a small investor and an oft visitor.

I always dreamed that when I made it big, I would buy out the entire "eagle" structure at the top of the building and make it my giant penthouse... seems someone already has my dream.

My dreams are smaller than yours. I always wanted to buy one of those old 2-3 story buildings that look like they are built on stilts. Underneath is parking and then there is 10-20k SF of rental space. These are usually class C buildings. My goal was to gut it and turn it into a party house. Plenty of parking for the guest and plenty of open space for Disco dancing, hot tubbing, and break dancing. It would have rocked. Too bad I grew up and never made it rich.

UGH! Cheap is right.

Last time I was in the Life building was 2005. I thought it still had a solid retro feel. I guess it was way way more retro before they redid it. Yes, the atrium is the best part of the building.

For the use of that building (high density) the layout is perfect. I think it is 5 stories and has some 300k of net Rentable area. Considering the size of the atrium that is pretty amazing to me. They pack the people in those buildings. There are many floors with 4 offices and the rest is cube space. It sucks if you work there, but great if you are paying the rent.