august948

On 4/18/2022 at 5:37 PM, dbigtex56 said:

The 2 1/2 story building to the west of the demolished bungalow (1509 Westheimer?) has an unusual narrow third story running from the front to the rear of the house. 
Was this building previously used for some other purpose?
Could this have been part of some primitive cooling system? I've always been puzzled as to what purpose it served.

 

Streetview shows railings along both sides so I'd guess that was balcony on each side of the narrow third story.

50 minutes ago, Texasota said:

Well that's more than enough. Can we roll it back to the picture of Ruchi's at this point?

We can, but looking at a Mexican restaurant makes me hungry.  Back to more parking for Pappa's.

21 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

Well when Shepherd is extended to the Sahara, let me know.

No need.  The Sahara comes to us.

https://www.click2houston.com/weather/2020/06/29/the-dust-came-but-why/

1 hour ago, editor said:

What's the coffee situation?

Is this like one of those places where just any old rando, such as myself, can wander in with a laptop and do work?

It is as long as you stick to the first floor and basement.  Did that myself today for about an hour and a half.  Had just finished a large coffee from the Nook before going to the Ion so I didn't check out the coffee, but Common Bond is there and probably could serve up some caffeine.  The workspace component is a membership thing behind locked doors, but you can get a day pass for $25.  Among the perks is free coffee.  Noticed when I was browsing the membership details online that workspace company (Common Desk) has other locations here, in Austin and in DFW.  One of those options was POST Houston so I went over there after my stay at the Ion to check it out.  All are available to you if you have a membership.

31 minutes ago, Amlaham said:

Its to show that just because you can walk somewhere, doesn't make it "walkable." Let's agree to disagree on the term "walkable." My final example, theres a reason why areas that have larger sidewalks with street facing retail have more people walking around (midtown, downtown, medical center) than in areas that just have a sidewalk with businesses not catering to the "walker" (Bellaire, westheimer west of the galleria area, etc). Do you really not understand what makes a place "walkable" and get people to actually walk around (especially on main streets)  

Not quite sure what you mean by businesses catering to the "walker".  Shoe stores, perhaps?  Is the intent here to induce demand?

At the Ion right now to do some work and check it out.  Only first floor and basement are open to the public.  Vibe is industrial in this area.  Has a stairway/sitting area very similar to the one in the UH student center.  Handful of people here in the lower level where there are tables with power outlets.  Not a bad spot for some work if it stays lightly used.  Can see it getting crowded and noisy if it becomes popular.  Parking is fenced and guarded.  Some outdoor seating for nice days.

3 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Well you have to swim first!

Why swim when you can take a motorized vehicle of some sort to get there?  Seems like this might be a good application for those flying cars on Shepherd.

6 hours ago, texan said:

Abbott recently proposed a $1 billion transfer into Tech's endowment to quell people who want to open the PUF up to more universities as a more realistic option. Probably the same thing happening for UH.

Is that within his power as governor to do this or does it require legislation?  Proposals happen all the time so I've learned to ignore the words and wait for the action.  Is action imminent or is this something that's just being bandied about?

3 hours ago, Amlaham said:

By your definition, the Sahara desert is walkable because you can walk there. 

I suppose it can be if they put in sidewalks..but the heat and sand can be a bit of an impediment to walking as it stands.  It's not a particularly interesting place to walk, though.  Are we suggesting that this spot is comparable to the world's largest desert?

2 hours ago, Texasota said:

What exactly is your issue here? You know full well that when people use the term "walkable" they typically mean a lot more than just being physically able to walk somewhere. 

Regardless of terminology, a parking lot would be a huge waste at this location and exacerbate the wastefulness of the CVS development on the other corner. Right now, this can be an unpleasant (and unsafe) intersection to cross on foot. A parking lot does nothing to change that, a building at least potentially could help. 

No issues here.  Pappa's or any of the other landowners in the area can do whatever they feel is best for them and the land they own.  As for a parking lot being a huge waste, that would only be true if it isn't used.  I would think that land prices at this location would be such that the businesses there wouldn't leave land fallow for long.  So, if a parking lot does turn out to be the use here (something that isn't clear to me to be the case) and said lot doesn't get used, it's more likely that it will be redeveloped sooner rather than later to something more economically viable.

6 minutes ago, TheSirDingle said:

https://stories.uh.edu/2022PresidentPubLegislative/index.html

Speaking of government funding, UH intends to ask the state for a $1 billion permanent endowment during the 2023 legislative session. At first providing an extra $40-$50 million/year disbursement to the UH system, with the potential to grow it like the other state funds. 

This in addition with UH's current endowment of $1.103 billion (2021) will allow for a much needed boost in funding, especially for its goals to be a top 50 public university, and an invite into the AAU. 

Also, should allow for easier funding of campus buildings and ultimately higher quality projects. Should be a treat for us Haifers in the future. 

They've been trying to do this for years.  Has something changed that makes it likely to happen?

8 minutes ago, hindesky said:

They had a lot of roads blocked for a charity walk.

Stopped by the Nook today for some coffee while my son was doing some group work at the architecture school.  Noticed a sign saying they are closing that little section of street where people park in front of the restaurant strip early May.

1 hour ago, Amlaham said:

It seems kind of contradicting to walk on street lined parking lots. The side of some highways have sidewalks, doesn't make it walkable. I think its pretty obvious the street/ businesses have to cater to pedestrians for it to be walkable. When people walk/ choose to walk, its for the experience, the window displays, shade from trees, safety, etc. No one wants to walk between parked cars and dodging flying cars at the entrances of these parking lots. 

If you can walk there, then it's walkable.  Whether or not you find it an interesting place to walk around is a completely different thing.  I'm sure, though, if the market is there then those parking lots will be eventually replaced by retail of some sort.  But, if they've been tearing down retail space to build parking lots then it seems now is not that time.

I hadn't heard that they have flying cars there.  That sounds awesome.  Are they fixed wing or vtol?

3 hours ago, Texasota said:

No, but it has to have things to walk to. Parking lots take up a lot of space and don't really count as things to walk to.

No, but they do count as a way for people to get into an area so they can walk around.

2 hours ago, Some one said:

Before you know it we're gonna hear transplants refer to 59 as "The 69".

Cause if you're on it during rush hour you're screwed?

5 hours ago, editor said:

That makes sense.

In case you, and others, don't know, the reason that people from California say "the" before the names of freeways is due to history.

California had freeways before the federal interstate highway system was established, do they didn't have numbers, just names.  For example, The Seaside Freeway.  When the numbers came along, "The Seaside Freeway" became "The 710." 

It sounds weird to me, too.  And as more Californians spread around the country, I've heard "The" in Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona now.  Ick.

Turns out we might have been building the wall on the wrong border.

14 hours ago, Amlaham said:

If its a parking lot for Papa's, people can't just park here and walk around. Plus there's already tons of parking in the area. Also, across the street where CVS is, used to be street level retail thats now a suburban style building. Trader Joe's has its front style parking as well. So the intersection is going to look anything but walkable. 

Depends on if they police the parking.  Or, you can have a meal at Pappa's and then walk around.  Does a street have to look a certain way in order to be walkable?

1 hour ago, Amlaham said:

Fingers crossed its not more parking on a street thats getting rebuilt to be more walkable 😅

Why not?  People can drive there and then walk around.  Win win.

2 hours ago, mkultra25 said:

I've seen Rice students refer to the light rail as "the Metro". It makes perfect sense if you consider that this usage is not uncommon in other locales with rail transit, that the people calling it "the Metro" are most likely not from Houston, and that the railcars all bear prominent "Metro" signage, but to native Houstonian ears it still sounds a bit quaint. But what do I know, I still cringe when I hear "the Montrose".

Every time I hear "the Metro" I think of this...

2 hours ago, monarch said:

^^^ this edifice looks like it's going to be HUGE...

I heard a rumor that it's being built by UT engineers.

1 hour ago, emmanume said:

I'm gonna bring a basket of apples and see what I can buy...

45 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

Sounds like Sammy is arguing for this to go ahead and be extended all the way to Alvin with separate ingress and egress to downtown so that it is more effective at achieving its goals.

Consider me . . . wholly ONBOARD!!!!!  What a great new way to get to HOU!

Onboard with that as well, though the closest I ever get to Alvin is when my wife plays that d@mn song over and over during Christmas. 😉

3 hours ago, EspersonBuildings said:

Ponchos Mexican Buffet in Bellaire.  I remember from late 70's/early 80's.

Pancho's was awesome.  Last time I ate at one was up in the Woodlands about 10 or 15 years ago.  Not sure if they're still around.

33 minutes ago, samagon said:

I don't have a problem with it, overall the cost to build is really low because most of the ROW is already there. access from one side of the ROW to the other is already severely limited because of the RR, so aside from having a freeway in their backyards, this really won't affect the local community.

I just have a hard time understanding the stated reasons for doing it.

but I guess the actual answer of "we already own 99% of the needed ROW, and we have some extra concrete laying around, so why not?" isn't good enough, so they have to say that this is going to help with hurricane evacuations, and regional mobility.

I mean, I guess what I'm saying is that I have a hard time seeing how adding a 4 mile stretch of freeway between an already clogged i45 and an already clogged 610 loop is going to relieve any congestion?

other recently completed projects in the very near area give me pause that this is going to achieve the outlined goals at all, reference this thread 

 

The stated reasons look like boilerplate language for pretty much any road project in the metro area.  This is going to take some of the pressure off I45 and 288 from the south side and give an alternate route into and out of downtown (and UH) from the south loop.  It seems like low hanging fruit that should have been done long ago.

1 hour ago, samagon said:

so I guess most of the ROW acquisition is outside the loop. looking at the google maps satellite view they've already acquired most of the homes a long time ago. it looks like there's also a number of businesses as well.

I am curious how this project accomplishes any of the things it is stating it will accomplish?

• accommodate regional population growth (what is the defined region, and how does this accommodate that?)
• reduced traffic congestion within project area (again, what is the project area defined, and since when do freeways reduce congestion?)
• increase north/south mobility.
• increase hurricane evacuation capacity.

unless the freeway is going to be expanded to connect to BW8 and beyond, I don't see how this can accommodate regional growth, or north/south mobility, or hurricane evacuation capacity.

thanks to induced demand whatever congestion they reduce on day one of the project being open will be back within 3-5 years.

Worst case scenario it's an alternate for UH students coming from the south and southwest.  Plus a shortcut into downtown.  They've already got the row, might as well go ahead and build it.  What's the real problem here?

19 hours ago, hindesky said:

How does this strike you?

https://amazingspaces.com/locations/greenway-river-oaks/

 

Amazingly tall.