ArchFan

I'm not quite sure what the argument here is about, if indeed there is an argument. However, it is interesting to me to reflect on how I perceived downtown Houston when I was a kid, versus now. (That would be in the early 60s.) It was the only place to buy an out-of-town newspaper. As far as I knew, the newsstand across from the Rice Hotel was the best place to go for that. It seemed like the center of creation. That was before John and Jackie Kennedy stayed at the Rice before they went to Dallas. Living on the west side of town, downtown Houston was the closest place to shop. Battlesteins, Sakowitz, Nieman Marcus, Foleys, etc. all had their main stores there. The Houston Rodeo and "Fat Stock" Show were held in the Sam Houston Colliseum downtown. The Houston Club was a big deal; I vaguely remember being treated to lunch there by my friend's dad who worked in the Esperson Building. I also remember going to the main library downtown (now called the Julia Ideson Building) and wondering why there were two water fountains, side-by-side, with the lower one having a handle labeled "colored". I drank from that one, since it was more convenient for me as a kid, but I also wondered what the label meant. So ... I can also agree that there was endemic racism in that era that people didn't think about, they just took things for granted.

On the horsey topic: I vaguely remember that there once was a rent-a-horse operation north of Memorial Drive, just west of the park (which would be on the west side of 610 today). After renting an equine buddy, one could traverse some horse trails on the west side of Memorial Park. Also, there was an official horse stable facility, I think for Harris County, nearby and just south of Memorial.

Well, you know that its not about how big your notch is, but how you use it! :-)

I'm glad you posted the pic of Bill Balleza. He's been at KPRC so many years and I always had the impression that he never aged, other than his hair going silver. But, he really does look young and skinny in that pic! Actually, for me the really old days were back when KPRC was located in a converted quonset-hut styled building off Post Oak Road, just south of where The Galleria is now. During part of that time, their lead anchor was a guy named Larry Rascoe ... and I seem to have a vague memory of seeing him deliver the news while smoking a cigarette. Certainly that's an indicator of how times have changed, if my memory is correct. I also recall that at some point, a new manager was hired, who immediately fired much of the old guard, probably including Larry. I can't remember all their names, but I was sad to see them go. I remember having a mild resentment toward their replacements for some time after that, especially since they seemed rather bland & generic by comparison at the time. I feel bad to say it, but I haven't watched the local TV news for years, other than occasionally lingering on a channel to see who's still on-air. After a while, one loses interest in the never-ending procession of stories about murder, fires, car wrecks and the like.

See if you can follow this link: http://www.sixflagshouston.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3393&sid=6ea17978b64e04bc5898487d97a5c14c If you scroll down, there is a photo and this comment about "The Weather Eye": "This ball was dismantled in 1964 and eventually placed at the entry fountain at Astroworld where it remained until 1995 when it was located in Astroworld storage." It also mentions something I didn't remember, that "Conoco" was only on one side, the other said "Texas National Bank".

On the 3rd rendering in the slideshow (via Urbannizer's link above), one can see BG Group Place majestically towering above 6HC, with the latter's notch proudly displayed. But -- what's this? In this image, BG does not have a notch, it seems to have magically filled in! What gives? Could it be ... notch envy??

I agree, that certainly improves the view from and interaction with the street. Thinking back to mid- and high-rise residential projects I looked at in the past, it often seemed like a long walk from car to one's front door. The garage-clinging units in this project would certainly have a convenience advantage in that regard. I'm not sure what downsides there might be, but I guess that would depend on other details of the design and construction. Hearing car alarms going off at night could be one.

I've never met Christof, but I've appreciated reading his posts online and would enjoy hearing him speak on Metro's progress (or lack thereof) sometime. Does he do that sort of thing regularly, how could one be alerted in advance?

This is a fun thread. I'm 60 (tho' I still can't believe it's true), so some of my memories go farther back, but others overlap with stuff people have already mentioned. OK, here are a few of mine: Sneaking into the Boy Scouts' Camp Hudson on Buffalo Bayou with our bows and arrows. Crossing Buffalo Bayou on the twin cables (one strung above the other) near Lakeside CC. Riding my bike along Hwy 6 north of I-10 and seeing coyote carcasses strung up on the "bob wahr" there by ranchers. Riding my bike on Synott Rd (I think) south of Westheimer through cotton fields and past shotgun houses occupied (or at least I imagined) by sharecroppers. Going shopping downtown or to Gulfgate before the glittering new mall "Sharpstown" was built. The huge oscillating fans we had in my elementary school before they retrofitted it for AC (in 5th grade or so). The longhorn cattle and buffalo grazing in the pasture next to my elementary school. Pizza and lasagna at Valian's on South Main, across from the Shamrock Hotel. The olympic-sized pool at the Shamrock. Delicious deli sandwiches at Nielsen's Delicatessen (pastrami, roast beef, corned beef) ... piled so thick that they were almost hard to eat. Also, very good deli sandwiches at Alfred's Delicatessens. James Coney Island downtown, back when you could buy their frozen chili "bricks" and their cheese was not extruded from a squirt gun. Locally owned supermarkets that had mouth-watering smells as you entered their doors (rotisserie BBQ chicken, hot popcorn). People keeping a horse in their backyard. Riding rent-a-horses at Westheimer Stables ... way out in the country where Woodlake is now (off Westheimer, just west of Fondren). The triangular, rotating Conoco sign on top of their building downtown, with its "weather ball" that was illuminated red or green, depending on whether the barometric pressure was falling or rising. All-you-can-eat dinners of fried chicken and shrimp at the San Jacinto Inn, down by the monument. (No A/C there, either, just fans.)

I'm a geophysicist ("geofizzyist") and technology specialist supporting O&G exploration and development.

As I recall, when this hotel was built, it was touted as being the tallest Holiday Inn on earth. Also, it actually didn't look as bad at the time, although the huge parking podium was never terribly attractive. OTOH, it did look cheaply done, but it was also brand-spanking-new at the time, which helped, I guess. One thing I've never heard discussed is why it went out of business. My guess is that it was too big and cheaply done to weather the economic downturn of the 80s. Actually, I don't recall what year it failed, although I imagine it was already in decline when it went "Days Inn". On a side note, there was another slightly older, but more upscale property nearby that also failed: the original Hotel America (in Cullen Center). It later became The Whitehall and afterwards was vacant for years before becoming the Crown Plaza. If I could vote on it, I would vote to implode the former tallest HI on earth. If some investors wanted to pump sufficient money to try making it an attractive and useful asset to DT Houston, that would be great. However, I would not be willing to gamble on it as one of them.

I agree, it seems to me as if -- to have enough space -- the Alamo would have to extend into the lower floors of the parking structure. If RS comes off "as per" ;-) the latest renderings, it will be like West Avenue on steroids. ROD and BLVD Place will be nice, but this covers more ground and will be a much more immersive experience.

I liked the Post building a lot when it was built. It struck me as having been inspired by The Alley, which opened 2 years earlier. Now, the newness has worn off and it looks rather dingy and forlorn. Actually, both it and The Alley could do with an external cleanup. Seems like concrete buildings in our climate have a tendency toward bad external mildew problems. The same goes for fossil stone (limestone) buildings, like City Hall and some of the older UH buildings.

Um, I didn't mean that HE was bare :-)

Thanks for pointing those other examples of philanthropy in Houston (which I was aware of). I guess I'm not expressing myself well, because I think we probably agree more than you think. I think arch_757's speculation captured some of the emotional motivation for my posts. On one hand, I like it that we have had some recent nice additions that do not reflect a (perhaps adolescent) need to shout "look at me!". OTOH, I guess there must still be some adolescent in me, because I sometimes wish Houston would get more glitzy stuff. Like in the days when Pennzoil Place garnered national and international attention. I think will will stop reacting to this off-topic discussion. Feel free to have the last word, if you like ... I don't mind, and I actually appreciate your comments.

Years ago, I saw Doc Severinsen at IAH after he had just exited a plane. What surprised me was that he was carrying his trumpet bare and by hand w/o a case.

I greatly appreciate the philanthropy of the Kinders, so maybe I should just shut up. Nevertheless ... I am still impressed by the contributions wealthy Dallas boosters have made to their city. I imagine that the philanthropy involved in the Crow Collection of Asian Art and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science do not pale by comparison. However, those are two very big family names, so perhaps they garner more attention. I realize that families who are perhaps not so well known nationally have made really big contributions to the arts in our city.

I haven't been there for years, but I still think this property has a great location. I guess the bad press related to "thuggy teen-agers" has hurt it a lot. It didn't strike me so much that way when I used to go to Todai, which I guess closed a while back. I think ... it could eventually be a stellar asset, as the inner city continues to redevelop. The area to the south of I-10 is obvious quite affluent and the semi-industrial areas to the east and north seem to be changing over time. I would prefer that gentrification weren't the only way to improve places, but I will take that in the absence of anything else.

When I first glimpsed the title of this thread, I got alarmed: Gallery Furniture and Donald Trump teaming up to build something in Houston? Whew, glad I misread it! To be honest, the only Trump project I've actually been in is the Trump Tower in NYC, the lobby of which I recall seeming like an extravaganza of shiny (fake?) brass. Kinda like the way Marriott hotel lobbies were built in 1980 or so, but more so. OTOH, I wouldn't mind seeing the Post Oak Dillards property redeveloped, along with the Zone d' Erotica (nee Roy Rogers Roast Beef sandwich shop).

That is great news! I've been wanting to visit Chile for years and will definitely want to check out that flight.

I live in Culberson's district and I don't feel he represents my interests. Considering that so many people don't bother to vote, I would say its not clear that he represents the majority of the people in his district. As has been said before, for democracy to work requires an educated populace. As a society, we are slipping in that regard. Perhaps worse, people don't seem to bother to vote unless they feel threatened and want to elect someone who appears strong and will vigorously oppose whatever bogeyman is convenient. This situation provides many opportunities for venal political types.

Your comment resonates with me. As a condo owner, I have had to deal with a lot of noise made by projects of the same developer. I actually know the guy and like him and I understand that business is business. But, it still is a pain.

My impression was that the OP was more interested in cultural activities, but I'll chime in anyway. The Barton Creek trail is still the best, in my opinion, despite how the watershed has built up over the years. I also enjoyed Basin Preserve. Hamilton's Pool is great, but I often remember the (apocryphal?) stories about people jumping into the water and right into a cluster of water moccasins. I always suspected that was a myth, but an Austin friend who boats on area lakes told me recently that a guy died on Stillhouse Hollow Lake (north of town) when he went into (skiing, I think) a cluster of water moccasins. Apparently they form these clusters when they are mating. Pretty creepy and a horrible way to go. I guess the chances are slim of getting into that situation and I don't want to discourage people from having fun in the water. But, maybe it would be wise to keep your eyes open for those and other hazards (like boulders just under the surface in places people like to jump in).

Thanks, I was wondering where the other buildings were from! I couldn't tell if they were just images of buildings from various other cities or an actual cityscape of one place. I see the Galleria area skyline from work everyday. It's nice, but doesn't yet have the urban-core look depicted in the rendering.

Well, I can relate some personal experience, albeit not very recent. I used to work in R&D at Chevron, about the time they were moving people downtown. I think most of the R&D work they do could be done downtown. The most likely exception would be work that requires laboratory equipment, but frankly, most of the work I was close to involved software development and/or field work that involved actually being out where the oil is. Chevron still has a very nice campus in San Ramon, CA. A very nice work environment. But, they have moved most of the upstream R&D people there to downtown Houston (well, at least the ones who didn't quit or retire because they didn't want to come to Houston). I don't have any special insider knowledge, but it seems to me that Chevron would be likely to continue downtown and not build a big suburban campus. If they did, it would be a major course change from the direction they've been going in the last 10 or so years.