HeightsGuy

I'd love to see a variety. I think a large Lupe Tortilla (or similar) would be good for young families. If they could rehab some old homes on busy streets like 6th and 11th, that would be cool. Those would make great sandwich shops or coffee houses with breakfast. There are some areas on the west side that could definitely use some development where they could build new.

I have mentioned this before but I think the Heights needs 2 things:

1) A bakery/breakfast place. I like DaCapo's but their hours suck and they're breakfast selections are very limited.

2) A place for ice cream/ dessert- a cute gelato place or even an Amy's . I went to a place in Austin last weekend that had gelato and other deserts. THey had a nice patio area and it was packed at 9:30 pm. I think a place like that would do well in the 'hood.

Heights_Yankee, I don't understand the bakery/breakfast comment. The Heights is well represented in both catagories. For breakfast, there are dozens of tex-mex joints that serve awesome american and mexican breakfast (Teotihuacan yum), there's Texas Cafeteria, Onion Creek, Eleventh Street Cafe, Andys, Java Java Cafe, Yale Street Coffee House, I could go on if I could remember anymore off the top of my head. Some of those places also have baked goods, but the best bakery that I know of in the Heights is the place across the street from Caninos on Airline. You won't fine a better Tres Leches anywhere.

This might be out of line, but I dont understand why churches like Lakewood and the new catholic church in downtown spend millions upon millions to build their churches. Seems to me that a simple church with adequate facilities would serve the same purpose as a mega church with expensive architectural designs to it.

They sure look pretty though.

Well, to a certain extent this isn't true anymore with the use of "modern" building materials, but one of the arguments for the high cost of building churches has always been the longevity of the structure.

After getting really mad about this Friday night when I first heard, I've had some time to think about it, and now it all becomes clear. I don't know if anyone else has made the connection, but what do Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, and Clinton Portis have in common? All were 1000yd rushers for Denver that were NOT picked in the first round. Terrell was a 6th round pick. Under Shanahan, Kubiak has coached in a system where they succeeded without spending valuable picks on running backs. I guess we should have seen it coming.

I am suprised they are building another Cinema. There have been 2 cinema's in there over the years and none have lasted. I guess they are going state of the art with stadium seating (which is the norm now). I will like it as I recently moved a few miles aways.

The mall really has transformed. I used to "hang" there as a middle schooler in the early 80's and the place was a dump. I did not know it then, but it looks 100% different and it is hard for me to believe it is the same place.

Metro National is an awesome story. I turned down a job with them 3-4 years ago. I sometimes wish I would have thought a little harder.

With the recent violence at the Edwards Marq*E, I think it's a perfect time to build a theater in that area.

Is it me, or is Houston flooded with seafood Restaurants?

For shame;), that's like asking if Boston is flooded with clam chowder.

This is great! A bowling alley is perfect for downtown. What I don't understand is the "upscale" bit. What is it that makes it "upscale"? Are ties required? Is that just the usual marketing baloney?

I don't understand why it shouldn't be all ages until 9 or whatnot. If the Pavillions is going to be successful, it is best to have places to attract a wide variety of people. There's no reason kids shouldn't be downtown.

I think it's a great idea. Think of it this way - Lucky Strike is to upscale bowling what Slick Willies is to upscale billiards. Plus, bowling will always have a retro feel to it. So yes, marketing baloney;)

Edit: I just read the Houston Press version, which, Editor, makes a shout out to your website, and I take back what I said. The poor guy probably walked away with 3/4 million dollars. If he was so sentimental, that kind of money could easily get those houses moved a few miles away.

Houston Press article

Trust me, I feel for the guy, but the author does juice the story up a bit. Does anyone know the history of the area? Has it ever been a thriving neighborhood? I'm not that much younger than the owner, and I don't ever remember a time when that immediate area was anything other than the light industrial it was/is.

HeightsGuy, just in case you were not aware of this -- if you don't have any checked luggage to pick up at the domestic baggage claim in C, you can catch any of the parking shuttle buses from Terminal E. To get there, take the sky bridge toward Terminal D and the TerminaLink station in the middle of E (right across from the Continental Presidents Club). Turn left just past the security checkpoint and you'll exit the secured area into the E departures lobby. There are elevators and escalators to go down to the international arrivals area just ahead. Go down one level and then right out the doors into the pickup area where the rental car and parking shuttle buses stop. It's very fast, and I do it all the time. I've never had a long wait there for a parking shuttle, and on the plus side, the shuttles tend to be less crowded than those picking up at C.

Of course if you have a checked bag to pick up at the C baggage claim, you're stuck making that long walk, or taking the TerminaLink train which can cut a few minutes off the walking if you arrive in the far east side of E.

Excellent, thanks ssullivan, I'll give it a try next week. I was talking about this yesterday to a coworker, and they said that if you have a flight departing from the far side of Terminal E, it's actually faster to take the permalink over to E.

I have lived through all the construction over the past few years, and I guess I just got into a habit. I picture the escalator you are talking about, you can see it as you walk through the area. I assumed it just took you to the International terminal and you had to have an international flight ticket to get anywhere.

LOL So move on with yourself already. (I guess you're impenetrable to dictionary defintions too.)

Just can't give it up, can you? Have to put in one last dig huh? Even after I asked twice to move on and said sorry. Now I take it all back. Please, go look up allusion, think about my use of the word nightmare above and see if you can put two and two together.

Goodness, unhappy and with a temper too. Who woulda thunk it? Speaking of passive-aggressive...

(1) Who said anything about bashing? I did not accuse you of bashing. Nor do I think I did any bashing. The reference to your spreading bile was about your negative posts that have nothing to contribute, except to try to spread your unhappiness. You demonstrate you are clearly not attempting to contribute to a mutually beneficial conversation by your statements to the effect that you are impenetrable to facts or argument or reasoning. (And we've seen you say this in other threads as well.) (And you have certainly demonstrated that you are indeed impenetrable.) Why would you waste your time here if you are so insistent on being impenetrable, if not to just spread your unhappiness? Fair presumption, no?

(2) You tell us that your statement that "the terminal can be a nightmare" was an "allusion". An allusion to what? That does not even make sense. Perhaps you meant illusion? ;-)

A little perspective, please. That's all I'm saying. If a walk from the gate to the shuttle indeed ranks as a "nightmare" in your life, you must have lived one pampered comfortable life indeed. ;-)

Yes, I meant allusion. Anyway, I asked if we could move on, but you don't want to. I'm sorry.

You are obviously determined to be unhappy (and I'm not just referring to Terminal E). It's a shame you are intent on spreading your bile.

Wait a minute, that's enough with the passive aggression dude. First of all, you were the one that started it. All I said was I felt the terminal can be a nightmare, which is an allusion by the way. The next thing I know you are bashing me with "whaa whaa's", and then all of a sudden I am spreading bile? Look again at the thread, show me the point where I started bashing you before you started bashing me.

Dude, just because everyone stuck up for you against Coog in the park thread doesn't give you free run on everyone that doesn't agree with your rosy view of the airport. I said iy once and I'll say it a final time. IT IS MY PERCEPTION OF THE TERMINAL. Sorry you don't agree, can we move on please?

Yes, indeed you have the right to ASSUME anything you want. But your assumption would be wrong. I do indeed know that business travel can be a nightmare. I just think it's laughable to call a walk from your gate to the shuttle a nightmare (and I think you need to pick up the pace a little there buddy; I cannot imagine it has ever taken me 20 minues to make that walk). Fighting your way to Logan airport in rush hour, yes, that could be a nightmare. Flying on a 100% full flight can be annoying but I'd say less than nightmare status. Not knowing when or if you might make the flight because of weather etc. can certainly be a nightmare. But a walk from your gate? Get a grip, man. Would you really prefer having to change planes at a hub airport so that you can get to a smaller airport or smaller terminal in order to avoid your nightmare stroll? NOW, we're talking a nightmare... changing planes at a hub, especially late on a day when there are snowstorms around the country.

The facts of life are such that if you are arriving at a major hub airport (not just IAH), chances are pretty good that you might have a long walk from your gate. You guys living in Houston have the luxury of options. If the greatest nightmare of your life is the dreaded walk to the shuttle, quit yer whinin' and fly into Hobby or Terminal A. And here's another useful tool that many experienced business travelers use... carry-ons with WHEELS ;-)

You MIGHT have a reasonable argument that Terminal E should have had its own entrance/exit, but given the property and operational constraints, it's understandable that it does not. For one thing, the primary focus of the design of Terminal E is international arrivals - they of course go through the new FIS building.

You know what Matt Foley, you're right! The next time Continental drops me off at gate E20 at 10pm when they could have just as easily parked at gate E1 since it's 10pm and no other planes are in sight, I'm just gonna turn my frown upside down and pick up the pace just like you say. You're such a motivator.

Now go back to your van by the river and leave me to my dislike of Terminal E.

Calling me out??? You do live in your own little world there, don't you? One minute you think I work for Mr. Finger and now you think I work for the city... I'm really a double/triple undercover secret agent. I work for both of them AND the CIA.

No I do not work for IAH. Why do certain people presume that only those who work for an organization ever defend it or present facts about it? Odd. Very odd.

And yes of course you have the the right to your own perceptions.

And yes, I've seen before that you can be quite impenetrable to facts.

And I also have the right to mock your pereception that a walk from your gate to the shuttle at a major international hub airport (something that is far from an unusual requirement at major international hub airports) is a "nightmare". ;-)

OK, then I have the right to assume you're not a business traveler and do not know what it's like to work an 8 hour day in Boston, fight your way to Logan airport in rush hour, jump on a 100% full flight that may or may not depart at 6:55pm because it snows 9 months out of the year in Massachusetts, and arrives in Houston at 10pm. So, yeah, it is a freaken nightmare to have to walk another 20 minutes after that loaded up with a carry-on and laptop.

And, God, I can't believe I'm agreeing with MidtownCoog on something.

Wahh, wahhh, wahhhh. This "nightmare" of yours is entirely within your control. If flying into Terminal E is such a freakin' nightmare then just fly on airlines that fly in and out of Terminal A, or Hobby Airport. Sheesh. I understood that you didn't like the "20 minute walk". With the destinations and flight frequency that living in a big city with a major hub airport affords you, come some inconveniences (relatively minor in this case).

And I return to my main point: if this constitutes a "nightmare" at Bush Intercontinental (the 9th busiest airport in America, 17th busiest in the world), then things must be working pretty darned well.

Do you in fact work for IAH, cause you sure seem intent on defending their honor. Put lipstick on it if you want, but Terminal E is still a pig. Yes, blah, blah, blah, I love Houston, and Continental, blah blah, but I have a right to my own perceptions, and your facts will never penetrate my perception that Terminal E is way too big to not have it's own entrance.

OK, just had to comment on this one.... ;-)

And that constitutes a NIGHTMARE to you? Maybe you'd be happier living in a city like Tulsa. ;-)

Nope, would just be happier to have an airport that doesn't require a 20 minute walk from gate to shuttle bus. I don't need pretty, I need functional. In that regard, lil ol Terminal A beats the rest of IAH hands down.

You can easily get to Terminal E if you have a ticket for a flight that leaves out of Terminals B, C, D, or E. You can walk between Terminals C, D, and E without ever leaving the secured area, and Terminals B, C, D, and E are all connected behind security by the TerminaLink people mover.

You can technically get to E from the north concourse of A as well, by using the bus transfer service that is operated there to allow passengers on Delta and Colgan/Continental Connection to connect to Continental and Continental Express.

OK, just had to comment on this one....

The words easily and Terminal E should not go together. As pretty as the terminal is, it can be a nightmare sometimes. There is nothing quite like spending a long day in another city, only to arrive back at 10pm and pull into gate E20. When you get off the plane and figure out where you are, it makes you want to give up, grab a chair at the gate and just fall asleep there instead of making the trek back to the shuttle buses in Terminal C.

Have y'all seen the Property Commerce website for Sawyer Heights? It has changed yet again, alot less retail space and lots more "food" locations. BUT, on the NE corner of the property, can someone explain what all those buildings are? There is a parking GARAGE in the middle of it?!? Apts? Condos? It certainly has changed from the original plan which included a bunch of retail outbuildings with space for dozens of smaller businesses, and now there seems to be alot less.

From what I see, this certainly doesn't look like what they described as "THE inner loop shopping destination" before they broke ground...

It gets curiouser and curiouser! :-)

That's just so weird. I continue to think the area is starving for more retail. I drive up Shepherd on the way home every day, and since they built the Ross on the corner of Shepherd and 11th I've never seen the parking lot anything else but completely full. I went in there last week at 7pm on Tuesday and could barely make my way around inside the place.

I've already stated my views, and I still agree with you Midtown Coog.

Again, what if we took the money and spend it on Buffalo Bayou. Between Buffalo Bayou, Eleneor Tinsley, and Sam Houston parks, you have over a hundred acres of parkland. Add to that all the work being done to the bayou all the way to Allens Landing park. That is what you call a "jewel" park, not some 9 square block themepark.

According to Sandra Gunn, this is the description of the 6 wards.

"The First Ward is the area to the northwest of the downtown central business district (CBD). Located in what would today be called the

That's not the point. It's the surrounding area. There are still more po folk in The Heights than the tony Whole Foods crowd.

You are forgetting Whole Food's other demographics. Trust me, there are enough Vegetarians and Eco-Friendly people in the Heights to support a Whole Foods. On a sunny Sunday drive through the Heights you can still see hacky sacks bouncing off Birkenstocks in abundance. Myself, I would love to see a Whole Foods take over HEB's old space on 11th.

Really? It looked to me more along the size of the San Felipe location. I probably just haven't looked at it close enough. I've never been a fan of any big box grocery department. Every time I've ever grocery shopped at either Target or Walmart I get a feeling in my gut that I spent more than I would have at a traditional grocery store.

I want to like the place, I really do, but Nundini has pretty much everything this place has. The only reason I find myself going there is for a prasek fix. Other than that the place seems kinda barren. Great idea though, but would love to see them go for more of a Texas Chezk-German feel.

Biggest thing to watch out for in regards to 70's housing is aluminum wire. Not the end of the world per se, but it is very unforgiving if messed with. If the previous owner was a handyman type and replaced fixtures or added ceiling fans, etc., have the wiring checked out for overheating issues. If you do buy a house wired with aluminum think twice before attempting any diy electric projects.

Oops, Redscare beat me to the punch!

Does anyone know if UHD has plans to build housing downtown for some of its students?

Not likely. UHD fits a specific need. It's for people going back to school long after graduation, not 18 yo HS grads. If you want the classic college experience (such as dorms/frats/etc.) UH Central is 5 miles away.

that's because those aren't their names. the 49ers were what people who came for the gold rush were called. the team names were never 1849 or 1776.

this should stay Houston 1836 i would hope. it also follows the style in Europe, goes more with soccer. 36ers doesn't sound right if you ask me.

but then again, i don't hear myself saying, "hey, you want to go to an 1836 game?"

Oh, whatever, that's like saying I can't call myself Rob because my birth Certificate says Robert. 49ers of the Gold Rush got the name because the migration was in 1849, and the 76ers are named that because Philly was the center of the Revolution that if you didn't know was in 1776. The fact that the "49ers" already were a noun when the football team took the name does not discount the fact that at some point someone started calling the 1849ers the 49ers. When Philly came up with the name, they went ahead and shortened Spirit of 1776ers to 76ers up front. The fact that Houston didn't do this to begin with does not stop us from calling them the 36ers, or the Sixers for that matter.