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jtmbin

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Everything posted by jtmbin

  1. jtmbin
    Agreed!
  2. jtmbin
    Barney's New York has been here already. They were located in the space now occupied by Chanel. They closed when Barney's went into bankrupcy.
  3. jtmbin
  4. jtmbin
    The Sean John Couture line has won incredible reviews from every major fashion critic in the last few years, icluding last year's Designer of the Year. Most people, and I'm assuming that includes most people on this thread have never seen any of it in person. You won't find it at Foley's! It is a very sophisticated line of clothing that has NOTHING to do with the hiphop sportwear that you see at department stores. It also cost a fortune, say $3,000 for a typical jacket, like all couture does. If you don't know the difference between Armani A/X and Giorgio Armani Black Lable or the difference between Polo and Ralph Lauren Purple Label, then you just don't understand. To suggest that "couture won't fly in Houston" is to reveal a complete ignorance of the significance of couture in Houston, and the importance to the fashion industry of the buyers of couture in Houston. I suppose names like Lynn Wyatt, Becca Cason Thrash, Diane Farb, Caroline Farb, Frann Lichtenstein, etc. etc. mean nothing to you, but these are just a few of the hundreds of Houston women who buy couture. These people spend well into six figures on couture evey year, some of them every season. It may not matter to you or anyone that you associate with, but couture does "fly" in Houston.
  5. jtmbin
    Agreed, the library's Jones Building is especially awesome at night when it's all lit up inside. The library's 1926 Juila Ideson Building next door is one of the most beautiful buildings in Texas. Drive by the library's newest building at 7405 Stella Link between Braeswood and Bellaire, it's also a fantastic building. Those three buildings are all completely different styles of architecture and from different eras but are all excellent examples of architecture that is/was contemporary for its own time. The county and many people who are in the postition of making decisions about what gets built are stuck in a 19th century time warp and won't come out. Most of us prefer cars from 2005, not 1945. We rather use a Pentium4 or G5 computer than an IBM Selectric typewriter to get our work done. We prefer a microwave to rubbing two sticks together to warm our food. We prefer a cellphone to a telegraph, but when it comes to buildings - so many people can only find comfort, beauty, and legitimacy in design types from 100 or more years ago. I don't get it.
  6. jtmbin
    Both new courthouse buildings are dreadful. Nice? For tens of millions of dollars, buildings that represent "justice" in Houston and Harris County should be better than just nice. They should be more than just warmed over office buildings. They are not really a disappointment because I expect nothing less than mediocrity from the county. These buildings were both huge wastes of tax dollars. The county could have simply leased or purchased an existing building downtown (the Enron building would have been just fine) and accomplished several things for the city, not the least would have been reducing the vacancy rate downtown. For the record, I hate these two buildings. The newest domed one is by far the most offensive because it trys so hard to fake significance. More tax dollars down the drain.
  7. jtmbin
    True. Some people are constantly griping about the increases in property taxes, even thought those increases are directly tied to increases in the value of their property. Funny thing is I've never heard anyone complain because they sold their property for more than they paid for it. Real estate is an investment and like stocks, art, any other investment the goal is usually to increase its value. Paying taxes, increased taxes when value increases in just part of the game. I've never met anyone who truly wishes their property value/investment value would decrease.
  8. jtmbin
    I t would be refreshing if some of the people who comment on this board actually had a clue. There are apartments in this city that rent for more than $10,000.00 per month. I don't think they are rented by "trash". People choose not to buy for reasons that someone who is naive enough to think that "buying" real estate is the only "smart" thing to do can't understand. This forum would surely benefit from an actual moderator who would actively limit the discussions to respectful communication. Some of the members of this forum are clearly not capable of engaging in civil discourse. It's tiresome. Why must we be subjected to so much idiocy?
  9. jtmbin
    AMEN
  10. jtmbin
    Builders keep building at a furious pace for the same reason that individuals keep buying single-family homes at a furious pace - low interest rates. Most of the big apt. developments are flipped to apt. management corps. or REITs within a year of their completion. These projects are still considered to be good long-term investments because they are being financed at incredibly low interest rates which allow the owners to weather low occupancy and to afford the "free months" promotions in the short-term. When interest rates do rise, single-family home sales will drop and these apartments will benefit from an increase in non-home buying renters.
  11. jtmbin
    welcome to the club. If you never leave Houston and never read about anything happening anywhere else, Houston seems like a great place. I was born and raised here, but I travel extensively and the reality can be a bit harsh. There are lots of good intentions here, but the populace never demands excellence. Mediocrity in the development of public spaces is not only the norm, but considered good enough - as long as something happens, people seem to be satisfied. Note: It's not about money. We spend hundreds of millions of dollars in Houston on public infrastructure, but I would argue that it's money not very well spent. Minute Maid, the Toyota Center, Reliant 'world", the expansion of I-10 West, the Montrose bridge over US59 etc. etc. all come to mind as missed opportunities to do great things. Likewise the private developers simply follow suit and do just enough to get by and make a few bucks. Not since Jesse Jones, Roy Hofheinz, or the expat Gerald Hines has this city had a visionary developer. You'll excuse me for not including Tilman Fertitta, but the jury is still out on whether his legacy will be one of greatness or not.
  12. jtmbin
    I guess this would be the "McGowen Green" Property? Apparently dreams of a midtown super park/new central library on the Sperblock have given way to drumroll please, yet another giant apartment complex. YeeHaw! Maybe it's old news, but it's news to me that construction is iminent. From http://www.nreionline.com/mag/real_estate_...ouston_ignites/ "Houston-based Camden Property Trust, a multifamily real estate investment trust (REIT), is planning a 500-unit development on a 5.5-acre parcel in the center of the neighborhood. Developer Yancey Hausman, in partnership with Point Center Partners, has announced plans for a 100,000 sq. ft. mixed-use development that will include 27,000 sq. ft. of first-floor retail and 75,000 sq. ft. of commercial office space. Occupancy of Point Center Midtown is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2005."
  13. jtmbin
    They are confusing Rain Forest Cafe with the late Planet Hollywood which was located in the Galleria. That awful place went out of business worldwide. It was not the Galleria'a fault. By the way, I've never understood people's complaints about parking at the Galleria. I never have a problem parking there. It is surrounded by parking garages. There are dozens of entrances and exits from those garages. There are at least 5 places to valet park if that's your thing. Almost all of the parking is protected from the rain and the heat. And it's all free, except for valet. What's the problem.
  14. jtmbin
    Why should court houses not look modern? According to who? These buildings are skyscrapers! They ARE modern. They should NOT be skyscrapers trying to look like ancient Roman/Grecian statehouses. Have you been inside the Criminal Courts building? There is absolutely nothing "imposing" about it. It's just an office building. A big boring, non-imposing, non-majestic, non-important looking office building and that's a shame.
  15. jtmbin
    The entire complex of new court buildings is pathetic. Boring. Derivative. Cliched. Poorly planned. Lacking any sense of grace or grandeur. Completely void of any architectural significance. In other words, a typical Harris County project. As long as Houston and Harris County officials continue to disallow consultant contracts to "outsiders" (out-of-town architects who don't contribute big bucks to local politicos), and refuse to consider design competitions for major projects, we are doomed to having our tax dollars wasted on more mediocre buildings.
  16. jtmbin
    It's just the condition that results from having no competition. Why bother?
  17. jtmbin
    Great, every email counts
  18. jtmbin
    At the behest of some readers, including Martha Seng, AIA-Houston President, the Houston Chronicle is considering FINALLY hiring a columnist to serve as architecture/design critic. It's been embarassing and unfortunate that the country's fourth largest city has been without such a voice in its most read and most influential newspaper. I'm told that the editors are considering the desire among its readers for such a column. If you believe that this city deserves/needs/ought to have this position created and filled, drop an email to the Chronicle. Write to James Campbell, the reader representative at readerrep@chron.com. Do it soon! Do it now!
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