Jump to content

marmer

Full Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,467

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Everything posted by marmer

  1. marmer
    As promised, from _Ephemeral City_:
  2. marmer
    I thought someone posted a bunch of pictures just before demolition. I have a floor plan drawing and a coupla pictures in the book "Ephemeral City." I'll look and see if what I have can be posted within fair use. Marty
  3. marmer
    Thanks! My favorite example in the 1999 edition of the Guide is the R.C. Duff House on Milam, which is taken from way down the block, probably because of the apartment construction across the street. Marty
  4. marmer
    Many of the photos in the Guide do not look like they were taken with permission. I say this because a lot of the houses are photographed from non-favorable locations and angles, usually from the street or sidewalk. Frequently the text describes exterior details which are completely obscured. I imagine it would be a difficult task to get permission for all the single-family houses in the book, let alone all the other structures. I could be wrong, but did they even try? Marty
  5. marmer
    This was also the first place I saw Casablanca, and several other Bogart and Hitchcock movies. It was also the last place I saw 2001 and the only place I've ever seen the Wizard of Oz in a theatre. That was back in the day when they were doing classic double features every day (c. 1982) I've been one of Fred's customers since he was across the street, and I had a great time in his store last Friday. He played some stuff for me, we talked about stuff we liked; I spent probably an hour there, bought two CD's and a DVD, and left with lots more ideas for future purchases. Not to speak out of school, but he's a little worried about what a B&N across the street would do to his business, though it seems he's doing great now. But I've always known him as Fred. If you want to see an example of someone who truly cares about what he sells and his customers, and makes a thoughtful effort to take care of people and make knowledgeable recommendations, then you need to check him out. Especially if you are in the least bit interested in jazz or classic vocals. His store is exactly the kind of business that I think is worthy of some kind of "cultural fabric" tax break program. Marty
  6. marmer
    Yeah, and they need "residential" to make it an upscale destination. Last I looked the ROC was bounded on all sides by upscale residential. And that sidewalk dining -- just what we need in 90 degree weather! Smell those diesel fumes! This is just like what p***es me off about the Village development. Killing perfectly viable businesses, which have been making money for dozens of years, by artificially raising rents due to "market value." I think I'm going to go to Allrecords and buy some music from Fred while I still can.
  7. marmer
    Well, yes. That's why I used the word "cultural" and why I'm suggesting a government-driven solution. From a dollars-and-cents perspective it probably never makes sense to subsidize small mom-and-pop businesses or try to maintain the charm of an early suburban shopping district. Not from the point of view of tax revenues and not from the point of view of property owners. Only if you consider the shopping experience (and similarly, the dining experience for certain restaurants) to be part of the city's fabric and the public good. And what I'm proposing would really only protect established, successful businesses from forces beyond their control, not prop up failing concerns or prevent redevelopment of undeveloped or badly neglected areas. I'm sure the ones whose family businesses would be obliterated to build the apartments are already shuddering. The renderings are kinda pretty. Not particularly in keeping with the scale of the Village, but pretty. But there are a bunch of pretty apartment buildings in town (and some not so pretty) and only one Variety Fair. There was also only one World Toy and Gift, and one Village Theatre, and one Jones Apothecary and one Rice Food Market, and even one Weingartens grocery store. Hard to say that the Village is better off without them now. Marty
  8. marmer
    Give major tax breaks and subsidies to small businesses after they have established themselves for, say ten years, and make it even sweeter after twenty years. Pass ordinances to protect the leases of those businesses if they don't have their own structures. Unfortunately, that's not true. Neither the River Oaks Theatre, the Bookstop, or Variety Fair is hurting for business. They are in danger from market forces that are external to their business. You and I could go to movies at the ROT and shop at Bookstop and Variety Fair every day and it wouldn't make a difference if their owners want to use the land for something else. I'm _really_ worried about this, speaking as someone who's lived in Houston since 1980. Without any real evidence, my gut tells me that the following will not last the next decade: Brazos Bookstore Murder by the Book Audio Video Plus Houston Shoe Hospital Most of the Village on University and Rice Boulevards Sandman Center The older businesses at Bellaire and Bissonnet Sorry, but I have real trouble with the idea of free-enterprise being the best solution in these cases. If we lose these plus the ones currently in danger, we will have sustained a major loss of our cultural fabric, particularly if they are replaced by housing or big-box retail. Marty
  9. marmer
    Ugh. The more I think about it, the more I think that this is exactly the reason NOT to allow property owners to do anything they want. I'm sure that no one really thought that Weingarten Realty would deliberately destroy one of the nicest shopping areas in the city, and the last functioning pre-war movie palace. Especially since we're not talking about a blighted, dilapidated area. This is a cultural venue, not just an old building. The ability to see a movie in an environment that is the last surviving reminder of the way that past generations saw movies is something that you can't recreate anywhere else. Doesn't anyone else wonder what Houston was like before you were born? It's not just about the facade. It's about the lobby, and the snack bar, and the stairway, and the seats, and the carved relief panels, and the overhead details. And to give up the Pea, and Jos. A Bank, and Three Brothers, and Archway Gallery for a *Barnes and Noble*? Ummm... why don't they just change the Bookstop's name? And there's a perfectly fine Barnes and Noble on Holcombe which is about five minutes away. To say nothing of Borders just a few blocks away. Ya know what? Developers are stupid. How many super-size stores have opened and then failed less than five years later? Planet Hollywood, anyone? or Incredible Universe? Maybe the Menil Collection could be redeveloped into a CVS. It's private property, after all, and it's about the right size... Marty
  10. marmer
    In fact, there was a fairly generic first-run multiplex just down the street on Gray in the late 80's/early 90's. It got torn down and redeveloped. I remember very well back in the early 80's when the River Oaks used to show daily double features of classic movies. Once in a while they'd have a week-long run of a foreign or indie movie, but usually it was double features, often with some common theme, like Casablanca and Key Largo, or 2001 and Silent Running. They would publish a free tabloid-style schedule every month. That's where I saw my first Hitchcock movies, among others I can't really express well enough how cool this was. Being able to see these movies in a theatre, with popcorn and a big screen, was amazing, and something I now sorely miss. And the cost of admission, corrected for inflation, was about what a movie rental is now. Marty
  11. marmer
    There was one in the Brazosport area for a few years, complete with throwed rolls, but it closed about four years ago. It was spelled "The Potatoe Patch" (with the trailing "e") Marty
  12. marmer
    Yes. It was. I went to Rice from 1980 to 1985 and the Village is a lot different now. Weingarten's was indeed at University and Kirby, near where The Gap is. It was a very bad grocery store in terms of selection, but for a time it was open 24 hours. In my early Rice years before ATM's, cashing checks here was one of the easiest ways to get cash. Just down University across Kelvin was a free-standing Eckerd's. Next door to that was a shopping center built around the Village Theatre, which showed porn movies. The tenants were the University Men and Boys Shop, which sold polyester-y old-men's style clothes, and the World Toy and Gift Shop, which was run by cranky old ladies and had pretty much every toy made from 1955 on. There was also a gas station at the corner of University and Kirby, right by Weingarten's. IIRC both the gas station and the Weingarten's building stood empty for a surprisingly long time before construction of the Village Arcade development started in the mid-90's. PS. There was also a Weingarten's where the Fiesta at Dunlavy and Alabama is, and one on W. Gray across the street and just down from the River Oaks Theatre. Again, IIRC, the W. Gray one was one of the last and nicest ones they opened. Marty
  13. marmer
    Noticed today that a Bailey Swenson house featured in the AIA Houston guidebook was in the process of being razed after a bad fire. It was on N. MacGregor just west of the Mease hospital; if I remember correctly the Guide said "Swenson's version of the French manorial style had a definite 40's swing." It had a round turret in the front, with a shallow tile point at the top. Pretty house in its day. Hope it isn't replaced by something gross. Marty
  14. marmer
    I remember Steak n Shake from the 70's. It's a priority for me to go to them whenever I'm in the Midwest. They're all over the place in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, and as someone posted, they've made it back to Texas in the DFW area. Braums is another North Texas staple (burgers, ice cream, some dairy and bakery products) that would be nice to have down here. Now on to the serious early 80's reminiscing. Another former Del Taco: Goode Company Hamburgers and Taqueria at Kirby and Westpark. Hamburgers by Gourmet on Kirby and on Alabama near University of St. Thomas. The Kirby HBG was torn down and replaced with a strange adobe-mission looking little building for a restaurant called Padre Pollo. They had _roast_ chicken and semi-Mexican style side dishes and decor. Good and cheap, but it didn't last long. It later became Kirby Grill, which was a pretty decent Cafe Express kind of place, and now is a Castle Dental, I think. Zeke's Hamburgers on Kirby where Beck's Prime is now. Ruby Red's Steakburgers on Main at Greenbriar, with peanuts at the table for throwing shells on the floor. Neal's Ice Cream (various locations). First place I ever tasted Mexican chocolate ice cream (with cinnamon) Chicago Pizza Company on Mandell where Cafe Artiste is now. Pretty good thick crust pizza. New York New York Pizza, Westpark at Gessner. It also had deep-dish pizza, and the restaurant featured an old NYC subway car inside. Jenny's Hideaway on Alabama near the Menil parking lot. Probably the first and most successful conversion of that old house into a restaurant. Harlow's Hollywood Cafe on Hillcroft. Late hours and chocolate cheesecake for dessert! The Bowery downtown, more or less where the Alley parking garage/Birraporetti's is now. Ditto on the late hours and chocolate cheesecake. and of course, Jamail's Grocery on Kirby next to House of Pies. The original upscale grocery store in Houston. Marty
  15. marmer
    Lots of people (incl. me) like Star for deep-dish pizza. If you want thin crust, NY Pizzeria, Fuzzys, Romano's, Collinas, and Antonio's Flying Pizza on Hillcroft are all good choices. Fuzzys and NYP do a big per-slice business, if it were me choosing I'd probably choose Romanos or Antonio's. Many pizza snobs turn up their noses at Cici's, but I find it to be surprisingly good for a pizza buffet. Especially with kids. Mario's in Galveston on the Seawall always impresses me. Marty
  16. marmer
    Little green tree frogs, in your outdoor plants. I got lucky today and saw one on my window, between the screen and the glass. Marty
  17. marmer
    The neon sign left when Prudential did. It's never been there while MD Anderson had it. The absence of that sign doesn't mean anything about the future of the building. Marty
  18. marmer
    My former girlfriend worked for Tenneco in that building in the mid-80s. Nice building, back in the day. Nice girl, too, but that's another story. Marty
  19. marmer
    Re: monorails. I was at Antonio's Flying Pizza last night (Hillcroft just south of Westheimer) and I saw a Bob Bailey-ish picture of a DIFFERENT monorail on the wall there with other old Houston pictures. I did a quick Google search and the only pic I can find is the 1956 Arrowhead park one posted previously. The picture I saw was of a much more angular car than that one suspended below the rail, without a driver's compartment above. Anyone have any more info? Marty
  20. marmer
    I hear that on my patio from time to time, and there are no birds in sight. It's little green tree frogs (not the common toads) They hide in the leaves and they are very hard to spot. Marty
  21. marmer
    Oh, and the last time I was in San Antonio there was a kiddie park on Broadway on the edge of Breckinridge Park, similar to the ones described here. OLD rides incl. a carousel from 1918. Marty
  22. marmer
    In reply to various bits: Yes, what is now Splashtown was originally opened as Hanna Barbera Land. I never went while it was HB land but they must have had to do some serious remodeling to make it into a water park. The all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant on Westheimer was Boston Sea Party. Yes, the train cars were Victorias Station. There was one on South Main which later became Antones. Anyone remember Pipe Organ Pizza? Marty
×
×
  • Create New...