torvald
-
Posts
717 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by torvald
-
-
whilst looking for street parking to return library books there was a sign that said "visitor center parking only". after visiting a few from smaller towns during mini roadtrips. i wanted to see what this one was like. i was pretty shocked at how upscale, luxurious and fancy it was.
no kidding and no sarcasm, i promise. their houston merchandise is consigned from local shops and they had plenty of brochures on some odd things i didn't know about until then. they had a vistor film in a little theatre and large scale rotating exhibits. the employees were friendly too. i am usually not so sappy about things, so i guess i was really surprised and impressed.
http://www.visithoustontexas.com/plan_a_visit.asp?PageID=289
http://www.visithoustontexas.com/our_visit...center_ipix.asp
as pro-houston as i am (verbally to folks), i was humbled that i didn't know about it. after checking it out, the library drop was just on the other side... hooray for small victories.
-
I just can't believe how popular coffee has become. It's not exactly a new beverage, having been around since the 9th century. I can see hanging out in a coffee shop as a social activity, where the coffee is secondary to the conversation and just being around other people. But the Starbucks near me has a drive in window, and it's not unusual to see cars lined up in the middle of the day for the chance to buy one of those exorbitantly priced coffees...
agreed, at least with quickserve coffee. there are probably only 2 places in town that i would pay that amount for coffee... not only is the coffee awesome, i realize it's table rent and it's worth it to me to break routine, even on a budget. there are better ways to get caffeine than a starbucks drive through... i've never had a starbuck's coffee and i drink more coffee than anyone i know, usually making it myself but not beneath getting a cheap canned coffee either.
-
ok. silly question... was riding the metrorail and noticed the "smith lands" stop between the medical center and 610. where did the name come from? a google search only shows the metro site for "smith lands houston"...
-
1
-
-
I would prefer that they renovate the low-rise modernist building that already occupies this tract and raze the old hard rock for amenities.
That said, it is certainly one of the nicer designs of the current high-rise building boom. Still begs the question: Who the heck is buying all of these $$$ condos?
agreed. i am really irritated that this building is going to be demolished. i've always liked it.
was going to start a new topic but alas, it's mentioned here back in may, so i'll save the rant.
-
Cyclone is bigger and faster than Coney Island's.
When it was first built, but reprofiling over the decades left the Texas Cyclone in a rather emasculated state. These days the Cyclone at CI is much, much more intense.
-
I never thought the county had anything to do with it. It's all financial with Six Flags, Inc. Dump a losing property that's not worth renovating $$-wise, sell it off for land value, improve your stock value and position yourself for a buy out.
NYSE symbol PKS
Actually, the county has a LOT to do with why Astroworld is closing. A lot of information about the parking fiasco is at http://saveastroworld.com if you care to read it. In summary, negotiations for solving the parking problem broke down on Sept 6 and less than a week later Six Flags gave up and decided to sell.
It's a misconception that Astroworld was doing poorly. it was a profitable property. The problem is the company at large has too much debt from many blunders (buying and then having to sell parks in Europe, Ohio, etc) that they need cash and fast. Selling Astroworld was one of the few options they had available to get some quick money to pay interest on their debt.
Another company could be successful with an amusement park in Houston.
-
This pic just brought back memories, I remember this at AstroWorld I think in the late 80s or early 90's when I was a kid. I remember the part that goes up and down as being much bigger though. It use to go very slowly up to the top so you could look out and see all of Houston. I still have pictures my parents took from going to the top. what ever happened to it?
The picture is not working but some of you know what I am talking about. It was kind of like the dungen drop, only it did not move that fast.
here is a link to the picture: http://www.sixflagshouston.com/photos/Hist...Photos/hofheinz
Astroneedle was deconstructed a few years ago due to foundation problems, it had been in the park for thirty years since opening day. Originally the plan was to send to the Mexico City park but alas this never happened and the tubes of the ride have rusted and rotted in "the boneyard" next to employee parking. From the Texas Cyclone lift hill you can see pieces of the ride off to the right.
-
i will say that i know of a few folks totally saddened by the closing. the metrorail made it easier to get down there and my kiddo actually mowed lawns to save for his season pass and is really wild about rollercoasters (whether the water near them smells like "piss" or not, i guess).
i think the deterioration there up to this point just makes them selling it off, just more sad. remember the sleigh ride, excalibur, marvel mcfey?
http://www.sixflagshouston.com/photos/Hist...l-Photos?page=1
i am wondering why some folks in this thread keep thinking that disney would be interested in building a park here -- forgive me if that is a naive question. i guess they did just open a park in china...
-
in the trees?
well, there it was mountainous and the terrain was so varied you couldn't always tell where its coming from. there were just random peeps and you never really figure it out and its horribly annoying. we lived near a national park and it was really dense.
hmm, i guess it was a silly reply as its totally flat and i haven't seen a frog since i've been here -- sorry -- !
-
thank you dbt56, i guess i should have been more specific about what sort of names -- like loueva, alexia, etc -- usually women's names in the brickwork or plaster above the door. thanks again.
-
sometimes, in northern country, it's frogs.
-
so, arson then? did the fella say why? i don't like those corrugated metal lego looking houses, it would be a little better if they actually had some variety --- seems like there's dozens of them.
-
saw the portion of one of subdude's previous community posts (included below) interested in what future the structure has and what caused the fire? rode my bike past the bethel baptist and saw some work being done...
<< An early-morning fire gutted historic Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 801 Andrews, in the Fourth Ward on Monday January 24. The church, built in two stages in 1923 and 1949, was the home to one of Houston
-
1
-
-
With the number of versions of this legend, there probably is some truth to it, although I doubt any of the stories are the exact truth.
how would you verify such things concerning that story without looking like a weirdo? since i do like the more undocumented side of buildings/sites sometimes verification is an issue, as i am only curious on my own behalf and the stories usually aren't so unsavory.
-
The stories just keep getting better and better...
"discovered several young bodies wrapped in plastic in the back" would be the polite clue to the story i am mentioning. the fella who mentioned this to me is usually pretty reliable and i would not assume that he would not say something like that if there was no reason/evidence. i mentioned at a pub that i didn't like it in the empire cafe building and my friend and some regulars had words on whose story was accurate...
-
one of my main loves of buildings & architecture is nostalgia. i like the urban tales & myths -- construction, odd factoids, quirky first hand stories, whatever. when i say this to folks i usually get a few good stories, from "my dad used to go there and this would happen..." or "i read in the paper once..."
recently, someone mentioned to me (this fits in the urban myth category) that there was a crime committed in a dry cleaning shop that was located at the current location of the empire cafe on westhemier. as i don't know what it was called or the time period that it was a dry cleaners,so it is hard for me to look into it. the crime was serious enough to make the papers (if it actually occurred) and i wouldn't want to write what it was otherwise.
-
so i actually went inside the other day and they have kept the original windows & wood flooring and that made me quite happy. i am all for preserving things and keeping them useful! some interesting mod furniture too...
-
has anyone seen the kuhl-linscomb (kirby @ w. alabama)? they started off as one large store in an upscale strip center and now they have expanded. instead of tearing down a whole street of houses (vintage 2&4plexes which are really great), they bought every house on the neighboring residential street (about 6), painted them the same color and put a large number on each door. every house is a different "department" of the store. although not every company could afford to do this, i am glad that with their resources they chose to. it lends to something that this board discuses often, walk friendly vs. car friendly shopping, with a parking lot just in front of the main building.
i ride my bike down this street everyday (now that the bike lane has been removed from w. alabama) and appreciate the houses getting to stay around. the only thing i dislike is the white burglar bars on the bottom floor of each house, it might look modern from the inside but it looks a little ghetto from the outside, since the houses are so dark.
st. thomas also does this, buying property in the neighborhood and restoring most of them instead of tearing them down. actually, they just bought the 1940
-
1
-
-
dont worry, when something happens to this building, it wont look like that rendering.
i surely hope not, while taking the lightrail past that building today, i had that rendering in mind -- it would be a shame. not only would it be horribly out of place, most of my favorite downtown buildings are near this one. they could certainly do something mod to it with less work, on the outside at least.
-
If it was around 30 stories it sounds like it was the old Days Inn.
-
whats with downtown and creepy 50's style high rise abandoned hotels anyway?
they are absolutely awesome! I would love any stories about the savoy (or the central square building, for that matter) either as a forum or member message post. please & thanks.
-
The Pig used to be the best darts scene in houston. I think I was 18 the first time I went there, so that would be umm yeah about 18 years ago.. hehe.
so where are the good places for darts now?
think i've only been to the harp, rudyards & the gingerman.
-
I think that one is kinda cool. Why does everything have to look like cutting edge 21st century? The world would be quite boring if everything was new, fresh and up to date.
agreed!
-
yesterday, i noticed that they finally tore down the former pub/club on the corner there -- the mismatched one that looked as if it were from a grimm's tale. i never took a photo of it because it irritated me so.
its been empty for a good while and housing scary folks & lots of neighborhood mischief. does anyone know what's "going up" there? i can only assume something is since it has been empty for so long.
does anyone remember that place for some reason i think it had pig in the name --or maybe it's that nursery tale it reminds me of.
-
1
-
Take A Walk Down South Main St.
in Historic Houston
Posted
i agree! i think i may have some old postcards/flyers from the area too. i'll post them here if they serve as good additons to whats shown above...