brian0123

There's a new restaurant where This Is It used to be. It's called Cafe Layal.

Looks like they answered my question. They just put up some "coming soon" signs for a pizza place called Piola http://www.piola.it/ Glad to see there will be more food options in the area.

This thread hasn't been touched in awhile so I thought I'd report that there is finally something else going into the mix (no clue what it is). There have been construction crews working in the place (fairly large) next to the hair salon. Anyone have any info on what's coming?

Yeah, I refuse to go to Washington because of its ridiculousness. I bought in midtown right when Washington was booming (used to rent along it) because I saw the monster it was going to turn into. I love midtown and know that it's not going anywhere ( train, redevelopment authority and management district, it's super easy road access right into downtown, proximity to museums and Hermann park, etc). My wife and I are going to raise our kids here... so I'm in it for the long haul.

Figured I'd update this thread I started. I went to Hearsay last week for dinner (awesome food btw) and the manager started chatting my wife and I up on the cool building. I mentioned I live near "The White House" on Elgin and said I saw I sign on it, but was wondering when they'd start construction on the new restaurant. He said they are going through design approvals, and the fact that it's a historic building is making it take longer. They cannot move any interior walls, but said he hopes construction will start in a couple months. He said the place is going to be really fancy, with separate dining rooms throughout the house. They will have a valet pull up in the front of the house.

Sure. The Chronicle did an article about the Continental Club the other weekend: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7037727.html Construction was in full swing this past weekend when I went by for Tacos. They will be the 3600 Main Shops. Here are the highlights: WHEN THEY WILL ARRIVE Planned openings for the 3600 Main Shops Early June: My Flaming Heart (apparel, jewelry and folk objects) and Sig's Lagoon (music, posters and gifts) July: Natachee's (restaurant) and Shop-O-Rama (vintage collaborative). August: Big Kat's (barber shop/tattoo parlor) and Kat's Meow (hair salon) September: Coffeehouse As for Bagby, it's being planned by Midtown and I believe it's supposed to start in 2011. It's going to be a total makeover (new street, sidewalks, ramps, etc.).

How so? We bought our townhome in Midtown 2 years ago and have only seen improvements (new restaurants like Raku, Saint Danes, McGowen Street reconstruction, etc.). They are about to add a lot of retail by Continental Club and totally redo Bagby as well.

Considering the fare is actually $1.25 and my wife and I ride it... I'd have to disagree. In fact, my family just visited us on Friday and we all rode the rail to the hmns.

I would argue that downtown has always been a "hotspot" since it was the heart of the "club scene"... just like Midtown and Montrose are still hotspots. They never died... they just mature into something better.

I think you just created my favorite graphic EVER on this forum. Made for a good laugh at the end of the day.

I love the impact this building is having on the skyline view from Midtown. Can't wait to see what it looks like w/ the sky garden in place.

Rode my bike the other day past the sign for the variance request for Midtown Grove. It's right next to the condos this group recently built. I was curious and found the planning commission meeting on COH website and the developer mentioned that these would be new condos right next to their current development. It's located here. I did a little more digging on HAR, and on the Chenevert Condo page there is the following image. Looks like a lot of stuff is going to be going in at this southern part of Midtown!

So I just drove by this place an can't believe how quickly these are going up. They have one block of apartments on one side of Bagby, a parking garage on the other side (and it looks like they will surround it w/ more apartments), and then more apartments one block away from Bagby. The one thing I was wondering is what are they going to do about parking for the two blocks of apartments w/out a garage? I don't see anywhere they could possibly build a skywalk between the blocks. Are people living on the 4th floor one block over going to have to walk across Bagby everytime they want to get to their car?

I met one of the owners of Big Woodrows about two months ago and she mentioned they were moving to this location. I told her I was excited because I live a couple blocks away, and she said that's why they want to move to the area... "So your friends and you can walk over and have drinks... then walk home." She was a very sweet lady and said they were going to start major renovations on the building soon.

I understand the need to consolidate, but why such a strange location? I-45 is already a mess. I would hate being an Exxon employee that has to get to work at this location (especially w/out a park-n-ride/hov system, etc. leading to it).

That's awesome news! If it's the lot I'm thinking of (along McGowen between La Branch and Austin)... I met the developer (http://parradesigngroup.com/) for this last year who said he was going to build it in 2010. He said it would have retail on the bottom w/ residential and office on the second floor w/ balconies looking down onto McGowen. The sidewalk was widened along there during the McGowen rebuild to work with the development so it will look really nice once it's built. I'll have to go check out the rendering today. Here's the old meeting on it (La Plaza de Midtown, first thing talked about in section D)... HTV

There was an article in the Chronicle today outlining some new developments in the Midtown area that sound incredible... Houston Chronicle In short: 1. Big white mansion at Elgin @ Austin will be renovated ($3 million cost) into a new upscale restaurant, lounge, and event center 2. Old Boy Scouts of America building at Bagby and Victor: Work on the Boy Scouts building will begin in February. The $20 million project will include Moor's Restaurant and Tapas Lounge, serving mainly Moroccan and Spanish cuisine and be leased and operated by Hicham Naffaa and Ali Bendella, owners of Coco's Crepes, Cava American Bistro and Cielo Mexican Bistro. The building, scheduled to open in October, will also have banquet space and Chopra's offices. 3. Parking garage w/ retail: Across the street, Chopra owns land on which he plans to build a seven-story public garage with street-level retail. (NOTE: I believe this is the lot at Bagby and Victor across the street from Christian's Tailgate) Here's a Google view of the areas being talked about: Old Mansion Boy Scout building and new garage w/ retail across street

Yes, the antique store is open. There are no apartments above the store (I think you're referring to the ones above the Continental Club). Regardless, I'm talking about the lots next to the Continental Club. If you draw a rectangle on a map around Main, Winbern, Travis, Stuart... those four blocks. Then, include the Ensemble Theatre on the other side of Main, along with HCC's central campus two blocks away (about to undergo a lot of improvements to make it their flagship campus).

Yeah, this area is going to be booming in a couple years. It's going to get really interesting once the city soon sells their lots where the code enforcement building is at.

I think it might be the parking garage for the apts. I read somewhere that the garage will have a walkway over Bagby to the apts.

Any updates? Does anyone know if this thing sold?

I'm not sure what there is "to do". The fact is that we live in the most walkable, easily accessible neighborhood in America's fourth largest city. We have the best access to mass transit and freeways. You cannot have a walkable neighborhood in the middle of everything and not have people walking around. Yes, I'd love to see something done about the flophouses... but Houston has no zoning.

Because we are a civilized society. Also, you already pay for them indirectly when they go to an ER. You also pay for the added police where they are clumped together. Then, when they are arrested for trespassing, you pay for them in our jail system. If we spread them out and had more breathing room for them, it wouldn't put as much of a strain on our resources.

The idea was not to move the people. The idea is to have the organizations spread out a little more (the people will follow). I have no problem with Search and other organizations in the neighborhood. They try to identify the people that really do want the help and help them. The issue is that they could probably spread into other neighborhoods as well, so additional neighborhoods can share in helping these people. What's wrong with opening shelters in Bellaire, or Katy, etc.?

That's great. I find that the constables do a great job... they just need to know where the problems are at (even Batman needed a spotlight to know when trouble was happening:)). Vigilance is key, and it takes active neighbors like you to help keep the neighborhood great. BTW, I actually live right down the street from you (Anita @ Austin)