NenaE

http://search.har.com/engine/1529-Allston-St-Houston-TX-77008_HAR70383966.htm

 

I walked by this house and watched them take it apart and put it back together again.  Very long process.  I always wondered what the interior looked like.  Very nice redo.  

Those protruding brick columns bother me. That wasn't original, was it? I like to see the Peanut Brittle bungalow exteriors. California has quite a few.

I favor a bungalow restoration that is more on line with the original details. I'm not a fan of the violet blue exterior, either. 

Or the marble. I would have used subway tiles and rustic features in the kitchen. But the floor, staircase and other interior details are beautiful. I guess they are catering to a certain clientele. 

I love HAR for exploring properties, especially the interiors.  

It looks like the Laundromat at the corner of Enid and Coronado has closed, and some work is being done on the building.  Anyone know what the plans are?  It's a neat old commercial building.

Oh yeah.. it's nice. I didn't know about this one. Thanks for sharing. 

Whoa... a UH alumnus, nice. Hopefully, the remodel and restoration will complement the original design. 

Wow... I didn't know that Spiegel had stores, I'm just familiar with the catalog. But I have seen Vogue store signs on old b/w/photos of Houston. 

a-ha... jackassery. I love it. a new word.

University of Houston - Cullen ... UH-Main Campus... or whatever name it is referred to now... 

I see it as no accident that the timing of the new stadium is on par with the seeking of a higher university designation. I'm sure it's all part of a master plan (along with the new campus construction) to boost UH enrollment, image, and improve the overall scholastic environment. I would be worried if they weren't trying to. Not to mention, the stadium was waaaaay overdue for an update. I can't wait to attend a game, to see what they have done.

BTW - Not just anyone can get in to the Cullen campus, anymore. 3.0 - Minimum GPA, it is, last I checked. By all means, correct me if I am wrong. I think you have to look at your individual undergraduate or graduate plans to decide which Texas university is best for you. Bauer College of Business comes highly rated. I consider myself lucky to be a resident of a state with so many choices. 

One of my professors mentioned once, that UT and Texas A&M are painted as rivals, but they both share a history of gifted lands with oil royalties. He also said that UH was fighting a while back in court for their share of the Public University - Texas piece of that pie. 

Atomic Ranch magazine may be a source for inspiration. Local small nurseries (not big box stores) are good to consult. The Pinterest app has good ideas, as well. Can be very specific to your needs, for instance, search "full sun plants or "Texas coast plants". Just some ideas. Or, do a google search for 60's modern  home landscapes. Everything is so specific to zones or climate. I would stick with local stuff. Bottle brush is a fav of mine, and Japanese Yew... for bushes. 

Yeah... it needs a good wash. Has that recessed lighting feature always been there, on the Alley Theater? I never noticed it. I really like it.

I like the angled roof. Nice. yeah, more pictures please.

That's beautiful. 

I know where that cemetery is located. It's surrounded by pavement, traffic and businesses. Sad.

The area at I-10 and Gessner has improved, through the years.

There is a strip center on Long Point at Gessner that housed a grocery store at one end (became a country dance hall) and a small movie theater at the other. There were some nice tall pine trees around the theater, too. Is the bldg. still standing? 

There were some older farm house properties (white clapboard) I ran across while exploring the area a while back. I was following the fault lines that run across Spring Branch. I was traveling east on Long Point, towards Antoine. Interesting area, some nice, huge lots with a mix of house styles. 

That photo is either from the late '60's or early '70's. The building if from the 1920's when the Spanish style was popular. This is my conclusion, of course, from hints from the book, and what I've learned from research. I suspect this structure was an early apartment complex, with parking in the rear. It definitely sat somewhere in the Fifth Ward, on a busy street. I love the look of those canopies. Too bad so many have disappeared. So many buildings in Downtown had them.

Have you talked about that very old small Victorian age house that faced the railroad tracks, just west of the Sparkle sign company? It has gingerbread details.

The two things I remember from passing through as a sixties kid are the Cy-Fair High School ( blt. Early 1940's) and Carl's BBQ ( not Carl Jrs) nearby. It's also a very old business.

It wasn't this one on the corner of 71st and Sherman? http://goo.gl/maps/YRghb

 

It also used to be Stokleys, Schades, and also Simmons Food Mart over the years (nothing I see lists Wu's, but that doesn't mean much).

No. But that's the one she went to the most. I know it well...little bottled cokes, ice creams with wooden spoons and Tropicana orange juice came from there. it's for sale, BTW.

Oops, I sent you in the wrong direction... that should be - East of N. 71st.

The part that really takes me back is most of the front of the store consisting of garage doors rolled open.  I remember that when I was a kid, the summers weren't kind to the chocolate and candy bars.  

I don't remember this style. The mid sixties must have introduced a new concept, air-conditioned stores. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/10475-neat-old-commercial-building-with-turret/?hl=%2Btelephone+%2Brd.+%2Bgrocery+%2Bstore

...another previous HAIF discussion on the jewelry store bldg. 

I'm wondering what the store to the left of the turret one was... it has a curved facade, seen from the side street that is in between the two buildings discussed here. It looks like it could have been a grocery store, as well. It's very long. 

I like the look of Italian Cypress. They don't grow all over the place. Japanese Yews and Japanese Blueberry trees are nice. The last one has changing leaves, red to green, and very hardy. I had good luck with it here.  It grows to a medium height. The zone statement is so true. Pay attention to that and the shade vs sun factor. 

I've seen many trees stripped for townhouses. It's a shame, some are very old.

Here's a pic. I vaguely remember passing by it. Those flower boxes and ornamental lamps, along with that turret still look Bavarian. I remember the ice cream parlor with the Borden's cow sign down the street. It's still there, now a taqueria.

I loved going to the "little store" for cokes and laffy taffy. Dibellos was located on the corner of Avenue K and 66th in the East End. It was a converted house. The building is still there.

EastEndSusan and other EastEnders...do you remember a wooden house/ corner store called the Wu's? It was within walking distance of my great-grandmother's house...west of N. 71st, Central Park/ Magnolia Park. It was on a corner. I remember a screen door and old wooden floors. Mid-sixties. I would like to know the address, and if the bldg. is still standing.

I would have guessed the Windswept was a late fifties bldg. The clues are the medium tan brick (as opposed to the 30's-40's light, yellow-tan brick), those high, rectangular sliding windows and the ornamental screen. The forties seemed to use a lot of white brick and/or black shiny tiles. 

In reference to the last post and pics - It's original name was Harrisburg National Bank. The original structure is seen on the left, in the bottom photo. It was a popular style at the time. 1007 Broadway Blvd. 1964/ George Pierce - Abel B. Pierce, arch. (Houston - An Architectural Guide, Houston Chapter, AIA,1972).

Yes, the old bank is gone. The entire block is reduced to dirt. Construction trailers and some equipment are on site. Apparently the new owner is aware of preservation minded folks because they've installed large banners on the chain linked fences with an attempt to explain their actions. The signs said something about ...........sometimes in order to serve you better, we have to use a hammer.........

They tore down a bank to build another bank. Frost Bank this time.

And the green space at the end of 225, there is nothing to indicate a park is planned for that location, no signs or anything.

Thanks for checking on that. So typical for this city. It's a shame. No respect for good past architects. There may be just a few examples of that particular bank - modern style left in Houston. One is near the Astrodome/ Reliant Stadium., another in SW Houston.

oh no... say it isn't so.

I believe there is are remnants of one that was on the 1-10 feeder, outbound, after the beltway, before Eldridge. I could be mistaken. The slender 1950's design always catches my eye. Can someone confirm or deny this?

 Perhaps the architects could have a chat with a visual arts student.

 

 

 

 

Indeed. 

I don't like it. Like so many comments before mine... no cohesion in that exterior design. That said, I think the interior  renderings are nice. The architect did have heavy demands, a lot going on there. I would like to experience the walk through some day. But that beige... why, on an Arts building? so wrong. 

I like the letters, though. They don't bother me, at all.

http://www.dwell.com/green/slideshow/houston-weve-solved-problem

I really like these design ideas. I especially favor the one on the right. I would prefer more green space, less gravel, rock, and a private garden, though.