spiderroller

Sorry folks, but this is pathetic. I think it is simply a "summation" of the direction our City has taken over the last several years, if not the last couple of decades.

http://www.chron.com...an/6596047.html

First, I believe this statement is a joke: "Manlove said Texas' high teen birth rates are particularly driven by the state's large population of Hispanics, in whom teenage motherhood is more culturally accepted than it is in other ethnicities."

More culturally accepted? Please. That's B.S. Seems a politically-correct way to make an excuse for the number of births to kids here illegally.

Why has Houston become #1 in this category? Non-existent sex education? Is it the State's fault? The City's fault? Perhaps a detailed breakdown of the demographics of all the teen mommies would uncover and explain a lot. Personally, I find it disgusting. Being the "fattest city" in the U.S. is one thing. Being the Pregnancy Capital of the U.S. is simply horrific.

Perhaps our City and State leaders should make this a top priority beyond all the other crap they waste money on.

I'm currently working on an article about Riverside Terrace (you know, the neighborhood of stately homes on MacGregor, just off 288, that faces Braes Bayou...) and I want to do it justice. This has long been my favorite neighborhood in the entire city, not just because of the homes themselves but because of the history. I feel like so many people don't realize how or why Riverside Terrace was founded (wealthy Jewish families that weren't allowed to build/live in River Oaks in the 1930s) and it's very sad that many of the homes have fallen into disrepair. I go there to drive around all the time, just to look at the houses and appreciate the view: the bayou, with downtown's skyline in the background, is fan-freaking-tastic.

Could anyone point me to some resources for doing more research into the architects who built the homes and which homes were occupied by which families (i.e. the Finger family, the Sakowitz family, etc.)? I'm entirely unfamiliar with doing this kind of research and thought I'd ask the experts...

Don't forget all the large homes that surrounded Parkwood Park.... I believe some of those folks (Sakowitz, Battlesteins, etc.) lived in the homes around the park as well.

Since the 4th, 5th and 6th responses on the first page of this thread started to discuss better alternatives than a movie studio I will toss mine into the arena.

The studio angle originally quoted was merely a proposal nothing more. Not something etched in stone as the thread title suggests.

With tongue in cheek let's kill four birds with one stone and make mega tax revenues for the city in the meantime. A movie studio?? I dunno...sooo boring and 10-50 times more potential tax revenues can be had with other more profitable options.

What you do is make it a multiplex. 1/4 is the largest casino, hotel, filly ranch in the world bringing in enormous tax revenues. A huge base of tourist/gambler business and mainstream semi-annual/yearly convention business will be sucked away from Vegas.

1/4 is the worlds largest grow house raising enormous tax revenues from the sale and export of legalized weed (pre-Hearst).

1/4 of it will be the worlds largest maximum security prison bringing in enormous revenues from other states that send their hopeless basket cases here for eternal maintenance. Since the Huntsville Rodeo is now a memory read on for what the last 1/4 will be.

1/4 will be the worlds largest gladiator arena for the criminally insane. Taking inmate volunteers and Death Rowers from the Houston SuperMax this part of the dome will be an updated 21st century version of Rome's Colosseum. A cross between the ancient spectacle and part Mad Max Thunderdome. Three rings will be built, one of them suspended in air, rotating underneath 4 enormous spotlights.

Inmates that volunteer (and some that don't) from Houston Supermax will fight to the death in ages old spectacles of chained lions and tigers, unchained, half starved grizzly bears and a deep sea tank of tiger and great white sharks. Massive revenues will surpass that of the 60s and 70s. All the while the nation will become safer day by day.

The filming aspect will be covered here by marketing GladiatorDome DVD's to the world market. Each weekly DVD will cover the best, scariest and goriest moments of the previous week. A full box set of 52 DVDs will be issued yearly at a reduced rate to members of the GladiatorDome Club. A massive influx of worldwide orders to GladiatorDome.com will more than support this venture. Weekly worldwide televised $50 Pay Per Views will also bring in massive revenues.

I vote "approve" on that. Brilliantly adapted thought process considering multiple options focusing on MAXIMUM REVENUES!

Seems a small # of us (i.e. SMALL) have zoned in on ECONOMICS..... and... per observation.... seems a large # of foke have no clue what 'brainstorming' is...

All it takes is legalizing gambling and weed and paying off PETA...... piece of cake...

I think I'll start a new thread entitled "Astrodome to be turned into an Internet Porn Studio and will be remodeled as the largest nipple on Planet Earth".

movie studio IS the best option! just one show (Friday Night Lights) spawned a whole lot of business and income to the entire area of Pfluggerville. bring that to Houston and the city will become one step closer to fulfilling its goal: The City of Opportunity. lets see, we have world class dancers, singers, musicians, and many other culture boosting professions. now add actors, directors, and all the technology people, Houston could potentially mvoe up on the World-Class city list. tourism will go up because of the films showcasing Houston without even knowing it. Houston is a very gorgeous city and a lot of people dont realize outside of Houston or even Texas. making movies in Houston and have the world to see can and will be a very good thing to have.

The ones thinking the Dome should be a movie studio are the ones that are high.

Yea.. people from all over the world will come here... to ... what... stand behind a glass wall and watch a movie being made?

I've lived here all my life... Houston is not some "georgeous" city.... it was "georgeous" decades ago before they knocked down 90% of the buildings, built a bunch of boxes and cardboard strip centers every block, became a homeland for 90% of foreigners coming from south of the border, and every neighborhood from those days became a hood.

Compared to 1975... I'd say Houston is pretty damn fugly.

TOP 10 USES FOR THE ASTRODOME

1. Grow House (largest indoor grow house in the world... can tour and test like the Budweiser plant too)

2. Amatuer Porn Movie Studio (come on baby... let's go film a home movie...)

3. Internet Porn Studio (always wanted to start my own internet porn site)

4. Missile Silo

5. Future Home of the Houston Moose Knucklers (after the expansion of the Lingerie Football League)

6. Five Star Dome (how many full size restaurants could fit in there? visualize the TOP 100 five stars in there.. TOP 200?)

7. Food Court Dome (you got it... the largest congregation of fast food restaurants under one roof in the WORLD)

8. Children's Museum (largest on planet earth)

9. Energy Trading Dome

10. Casino

Just kinda popped in my head you know.....

WOW - A grow house. That is the best idea that I have heard yet. All these stupid, idiotic ideas involving Hotels, Movie Studios, Housing, etc.

The damn place is a white elephant and a dump. It needs to be torn down. Move On.

But Free Weed for Everyone. That is an idea whose time has come.

"Free Weed" for everyone?

Knock Knock. Hello. What actually would be "free"?

Pot sales would lead to the largest tax base in the city. Hands down. Not to mention the creation of new jobs, increased standard of living, reduced crime..... and on.. and on.....

There is no other product, nor service, that would bring in more tax revenue from the use of the Astrodome. None. Nada.

While your idea is terribly interesting and technologically advanced, if you cannot get on board with wishing and hoping that Hollywood celebrities come to Houston so that we can gawk at them and squeal like little girls when we see them at the Galleria, then you will forever be assigned to that group of Houstonians that "don't care that Houston sucks and is ugly and hot and humid".

Welcome to the club.

I keep laughing at the foke who think a movie studio is an economically brilliant idea.

Let's assume Hollywood foke would come here to shoot movies... how exactly (as compared say... to a super bowl event....) would small businesses make a fortune? How exactly would that change life for the average Houstonian?

I don't give a rat's ass if the City makes money. It would be wasted anyway.

And how many new jobs would a Texas Hollywood create here in Houston (as in new.. not transplanted people coming from SoCal...)??

No a GROW HOUSE would create more jobs.... create more tax income for the City... than anything... so... Texas should legalize pot and turn the Astrodome into a Grow House.

Oh.. by the way... where has the billions of dollars from the almost 20-year old lottery system gone? I thought we approved that primarily because the money was to go to education... schools, etc...... but.... our schools suck as much as the did when the lottery started.....

Like you can predict the future. You don't know what you are talking about. On the other hand, it wouldn't take a lot of modifications to the Astrodome to make it look like a giant boob. The Astrodome would be a great capitol for the porn industry. They could rename it the Assholedome.

I can predict the future as well as those who are predicting movies will be made in the Astrodome.

I say we melt it down to the ground, and call it "art".

Better yet... let's blow up Minute Maid Field and move the 'Stros back to the Astrodome where they belong (as long as I can bring my own food in there).

The weather in Houston is perfect -inside the dome. Anyway if Houston is good enough for the rest of the nation to seek their fortunes, it should be good enough for ugly lipped weirdos like Angelina Jolie.

The only "movie studio" concept that could work out in the Astrodome would be if the porn industry wanted to move from Southern California.

I say we turn it into a Coliseum of sorts... for criminals.... Gladiator Dome.

In the sense that the end result provides some sort of utility to the users (in this case people who like the sporting events taking place inside this structure) then the product would make perfect sense. This is because it is what the visitors of this place expect. However, if there occurs something that is not expected, one cannot reasonably be upset that things did not turn out the way they were expected. If they make this a movie studio, I believe it will be a good thing for the local economy and for the movie industry as a whole because now one would not have to rely on the things coming out of Hollywood these days. Clearly, it would also be a good thing because as was demonstrated before (several posts above), diversifying the base industries in any given statistical region, to use a term popularized by the US Census Bureau, would also mean we would be more resilient to downturns in the economy.

For even though we would like to ban together to make this happen, what would it take to get it done? Can we prevent this from going the way of the Ashby Highrise? Surely, we can get this done.

Yea... I'm sure the Hollywood foke would love to come to Houston to film. I mean, the scenery, history and weather in Houston is something every American should experience at some point in their life. Can you imagine Angelina Jolie down here filming a movie... she can take some "getaway time" and head down to the beaches in Galveston.

Just imagine for a moment how many thousands of people said, upon hearing of the proposal for building the Astrodome: "An indoor, air conditioned baseball stadium makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."

I've imagined that. Okay.

Now... just imagine what % of people questioning a stupid idea ended up being right that the idea was stupid?

I mean hell... instead of walking up to the ticket window to buy tickets... you'd walk up and buy an ounce of MILF Weed.

You could even have IRA agents inside the place to make sure all the income taxes are paid and up to date.

And it's close to the Medical Center... patients could take their Cannabis Prescription and pick it up on the way home. Just pull up to the drive thru, scan your bar code on your Cannabis Prescription, and wah-lah...... you get your medication, Global Growhouse USA gets their revenue, the IRS gets their taxes, AETNA gets the patient's claim, and the Insured gets their FSA check in the mail within a week.

How about it being a growhouse... but for small business? Instead of Philip Morris or Minute Maid owning the joint (get it.. 'joint'... lol)....... you and I purchase the Dome.... and sublease it all out to individual growers..... what a boom for new small business.... that way we create a crapload of jobs.... promote competition... and Big Business doesn't control what we get to get lit on (er... what medication we can have...)....

Julio may want to rent out a 20' x 30' space to open his small business.... while Tyrone would like to rent out a 100' x 100' "primo" suite.

And there will be QUALITY CONTROL - any julio can't just come in and plant some dirt weed. If you don't pass muster your lease is revoked and your product burned (or it can be shipped with a tariff to any Louisiana connection).

Wow.. I can really see it now... on Ultimate Houston.com........ "Best Weed".... voted #1 is Romello's Blue Iguana #4.................

Finally!!! Support for my grow house idea!!

I mean hell... instead of walking up to the ticket window to buy tickets... you'd walk up and buy an ounce of MILF Weed.

You could even have IRA agents inside the place to make sure all the income taxes are paid and up to date.

And it's close to the Medical Center... patients could take their Cannabis Prescription and pick it up on the way home. Just pull up to the drive thru, scan your bar code on your Cannabis Prescription, and wah-lah...... you get your medication, Global Growhouse USA gets their revenue, the IRS gets their taxes, AETNA gets the patient's claim, and the Insured gets their FSA check in the mail within a week.

Just showed up:

http://www.chron.com/life/photogallery/Houstons_best_BBQ.html#17844234

No one?Questions?Comments?Thoughts?

A movie studio makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I've always thought the Astrodome should be turned into a world class athletic stadium... track & field, cycling, running, skateboarding, tennis, endurance training... whatever..... good for training and conditioning too... one on one training.. all sports.....

... I've just always envisioned skateboarders and cyclists racing up and down the ramps... riding the walls around the curves..... around the upper levels....

Now a world class grow house is a brilliant idea.

we moved in 9 years later.....do you remember Ben's Schwinn Shop on Willowbend, on the other side of the tracks?

I remember that place.... right before you hit Stella Link?

If so... I remember one of my best friends took me there a a kid back in the 70s to buy parts to "build" a "homemade" bike.

Yah, Kings was the best!! You would pick up the phone to order. I think they were red phones like Batman. If you had the right table you could watch the person in the kitchen as they picked up the phone and took your order.

I would die to find a place today that made those cheese sandwiches dipped in crumb batter. I can still taste it after all these years. Their onion rings were not too far behind either.

While you are at it save me a brick from the front of Village Inn Pizza.

Okay.. will put the bricks on the list.... KINGS....... unbelievable.... yep... ordered using the phone....

.... I remember another place.. not related to Westbury Square... think it was on Kirby... think it was named "Across the Street" hamburgers or something like that... think it was the first place I ever saw someone put chili on a burger...

KINGS!!! My recollection is that their burgers seemed to be handmade too or something.. different texture to meat... not just a frozen patty slapped on a grill....

Read last week in the Chronicle or somewhere that the owner was to appear in court (again)... but his snake attorney file a motion or something because the owner was (again) out of the country or something.... I know that is probably repetitive within this thread... but...

.... when they begin tearing this place down... whenever that may be... I'm going to go over there and grab one of the old original light posts and throw it in my truck.... if you drive by there... the original lamp posts still align Bellfort and some other areas....

I'll keep one as a souvenir to go along with my stained glass looking Shakey's ceiling light fixture!

Hmm...in the 80s I lived in there were cell phones (I had one) and there was a pre 1993 BBS type internet. Remember 2400 modems and compuserve?

In general yes, cellphones had not yet become the addictive commodity they are today where you even hear someone in a public bathroom stall talking to his wife while doing his bidness. I have never been able to figure that one out and more than likely I never will.

Yep... was Prodigy in the 80s or early 90s?

My best friend had one of the first 'mobile' phones.... the kind you could actually take with you. Many people in the 80s had CAR PHONES... you know.... they pretty much had to stay in your car... some you could take the whole contraption with you.... but... I'll never forget my buddy who had the Oki mobile phone... looked like a massive walkie talkie.... we would go into a restaurant and he'd call people... and others in the place would look at him, tranfixed, wondering what the hell he was doing and what he was talking into!

I remember Mr. Anderson; he was an AP when I attended Johnston - and he was one of a kind. I remember Goonie Golf best of all.

The hamburger place with the carousel wasn't actually in Westbury Square... it was on the far right corner of the Weingarten's shopping center. On the far left was Firestone... TG&Y... Weingartens.... the barber shop... on the end was BRITTAINS. It had a carousel. Believe it is now a Blockbuster.

Gooney Golf was the best.... but have another one for you all.... Gooney Golf was next to Meyer Branch Library.... A.J. Foyt comprised a large mass of that land... was also a shopping center with a Cunningham Drugs.... but... my favorite hamburger place of all time was also on that property... and the building is still there now: it was called KINGS. Had several birthday parties there as a child.

I would tend to agree, but, all the bidnessmen doing big deals needed something to do after they ate their expense account steaks. Houston's strip clubs were very well-known.

Is that still the case?

Sorry guys... but the strip clubs in the 80s are as non-existent as the horse and buggy.... today the "strip clubs" are simply organized prostitution and nothing else.

And Rick's had no competition.

S.O.S.

Every year.

Same delusions.

They should have gone after Vick, at all costs, and immediately changed the franchise.

I would vote to change the stupid name. I would bring back the Oilers for God's sake. We've already created a cancer over these (how many now?) years......

1. Ocean Club

2. Rick's Cabaret

3. Yucatan Liquor Stand

4. Astros 1986 NL Pennant (witnessed the Mike Scott no-hitter clincher)

5. Astros vs. Mets NLCS

6. Club Proteus

7. Cineplex Odeon on Bering Drive

8. Still mostly a black and white cit

9. No cell phones

10. No internet