sheeats

More info from Houstonist about the Lake Plaza redevelopment plus a new campaign from the Houston: It's Worth It crew about an art project that's going to be part of the refurbishment:

Houston: It's Worth It and the Hermann Park Conservancy organization have partnered up to get Houstonians to share these memories with the rest of the city just in time for park's centennial celebration. As part of the $15 million renovation of the Lake Plaza, HIWI and the Conservancy are asking people throughout the city to contribute a few words about why Hermann Park is "especially unique, surprising, or just generally charming." The most eloquent, witty, or just plain offbeat entries will be etched into stone for a public art project that will be on display at the park. Other chosen entries will be displayed on LCD screens at the entrance to the park during the celebration, which is slated to take place in March 2009.

Entire article is here: Set In Stone.

Very exciting!

I also heard from their PR firm that they're adding weekday tours, in addition to their regular Saturday tour. Yay!

This place is really nice. I drove by it Saturday on a way to a party. I don't know why people think it won't be a success.

I fully agree with you that it will be a success; I just don't care for the aesthetics of it.

FYI - The Cost Plus World Market is no longer open at the Town & Country location. Suppose the freeway interchange construction just killed it. It's a mattress store now. The one on Richmond & 610 is still there. Don't know about the 1960 store.

Yeah, sadly Cost Plus closed in February of this year: Heads Up!

Now the closest location is by the Galleria, and god knows there's enough traffic to contend with on this side of town without purposely driving twenty or thirty minutes over to some more traffic just for Cost Plus. I was seriously bummed about their decision to close, although I really doubt the legitmacy of their claim that "construction" forced them to close. It's not as if light rail was being installed out front or something. What a cop out.

There's a good interview with Jason Castro (not the singer...) today on Houstonist:

http://houstonist.com/2008/06/13/interview...tros_2008_1.php

"What's the first thing you think of when you hear Houston Astros?

A great organization with a long successful history."

And the times that I've driven by there, there has been almost no traffic, so from my experience, the street they're on is not really a through street, which is also nice for them. Or am I wrong on that?

It wasn't always a "busy" street. Even today, I wouldn't call it "busy" like I'd call Westheimer busy. But for a little side street, it gets a lot of traffic from people detouring around the traffic at I-10 and the Beltway, going to the post office (which has a pretty brisk business), and shortcutting in general to get to the back of Bed, Bath & Beyond and Fuddrucker's and Pappasito's and all that other stuff that faces I-10 but has a rear entrance from that area.

My concern is that when City Centre is finally finished and there's a lot of traffic heading to and from the development, that street will become much busier than it already is and those brownstones literally dump you out right onto the curb of that street. There's a small sidewalk, but no room for anything like trees or any real buffer from the noise or constant traffic (think about the headlights shining in at night, etc). I wouldn't want to live there, is all.

But I did drive by this last night and it's really looking good. And I think those brownstones are in a pretty good location. I think I saw a neighborhood (along w/ the post office) across the street that won't be going anywhere. Plus, it seems as if people with a lot of money in Houston don't always care what's across the street, to a certain extent. For Houstonians, it's more about location. How else can you explain some of the positions huge houses and expensive townhomes are placed yet still dwelled in?

That neighborhood isn't so much across the street as it is behind a huge brick wall. I mean, yes, technically it's across the street -- but not accessible from City Centre unless you go all the way around by Memorial Middle School or by Bendwood Park. The other more established neighborhoods are separated from City Centre by the Beltway. Not exactly pedestrian-friendly. At least they've recognized the fact that most people will drive to City Centre instead of walking, and salvaged the old T&C Mall parking garages for that purpose.

But this is not a good location for the price.

This was my point exactly. $800k is a little ridiculous.

FYI... Article today on the Houstonist about the brownstones: Room With a View

I went to Rummel Creek Elem, Memorial MS and then Spring Forest MS after we moved, and finally Stratford. I had many friends whose mothers were SBISD teachers and begged to be transferred to Stratford from Memorial. That school was toxic, in terms of the pressures that the kids and their parents put on each other to keep up with the Joneses. I loved Stratford; it was a microcosm of the real world from top to bottom. I received an excellent education and went on to a very good university, had the opportunity to play in a nationally-recognized symphony orchestra and -- perhaps most importantly -- was exposed to people from all walks of life.

Stratford hasn't changed all that much in the 10 years since I was there, and the few changes have been for the better. I'd recommend it to anyone shopping around for high schools.