NancyB

It looks like the crosswalk will lead from the Westin and the Med Prof Bldg to the Mall, but this is just from looking at it from the outside unfinished. I plan to do some walking around inside the area soon ( I take my dad to the Hosp for transfusions bi-weekly). I am curious about the layout of everything to do with the hospital area since he has quite a few hospitalizations and appts. there and I need to be familiar with changes.

My concern is that the crosswalk may be a "crosswalk to nowhere" for awhile. I suppose the economic situation could delay construction of the retail at the mall which the crosswalk will connect to eventually. Also, it seems like the progress of the Westin slowed. Just wondering if anyone knows what's going on.

Also, by the way the intersection of Gessner and Barryknoll is scheduled to be closed for week starting Monday.

I drove around in the Village Plaza at Bunker Hill after shopping at HEB today. I noticed some progress being made toward opening some more of the restaurants, etc. They have started the Petsmart which is right next to the Circuit City. (Wonder what will happen to that building?) There was a giant moving van in front of the Circuit City and two guys looked like they were waiting for someone to come let them in so they could move stuff out - maybe fixtures? The HEB will have a few shops with separate entrances along the front of the store. One sign that I noticed was for a Nail/Spa thing. The Academy is complete and looks like it may open soon. Directly out toward the freeway from Academy will be the Freebirds, on the end of one of the retail strips. They have the permits in the window and there was a sign on the feeder announcing hiring and opening soon. Next to Freebirds in another Nail/Spa thing. I think it was called Bora Bora. The Olive Garden is pretty much finished on the outside and is located out in front of Academy but not entirely visible from feeder. The Olive Garden on Gessner has a big sign in the lobby showing the inside decor and drawings of the new building. Opening in June I think. The Denny's and the Five Guys and Fries Hamburger place both have their permanent signs up now. Once all these restaurants and retail open this is going to be one crowded parking lot!

Anyone know why Las Alamedas Mexican Restaurant is "temporarily closed"?

There will be another CVS built at the northeast corner of I-10 and Gessner. There is already one at

I-10 and Voss (?). I just wonder if they really need one there, as a lot of the same stuff they sell can be purchased for a lot less at Target across the freeway. I know Target is not nearly as convenient, but prices are pretty important these days. What do you all think of CVS in general as a place to shop?

I currently have 6 cats, 2 inside and 4 outside. All of them born here or just appeared.

The 2 kittens inside were most likely dropped off here by someone and I placed them with HPPL so I am the foster home. But I am totally in love with them and secretly want to keep them. They are Tammy, nickname: Buttercup, and Toby, nickname: Meatball. I also call them Sweetness and Wildness. I take them to Petco every Sat. for adoption day.

Outside I have Jackie, born on my patio to a feral mom I called Mitzi. Her nickname was Little Jack Panda because I thought she was a male at first. Also had her littermates for awhile: Trixie, who I gave to a neighbor, and Twinkie, like the pale yellow snack cake, who was found killed by a dog.

Then there is Buster, who "busted in" on the feral mom and kittens staying on my patio and started staying here instead of next door where he started out. He just showed up there one day and that neighbor was good enough to have him fixed. He is very attached to me and very insecure around strangers and noises.

Then there is Kiki, Jackie's older sister, who started out being called Freckles because of her spotted nose. She was my first baby and will still occasionally sit on my lap. And recently another one showed up here, probably about 3 yrs. old and I call her Cookie as in "one tough cookie". She holds her own as the new kid in the yard and one of her eyes is damaged from some previous encounter. Thankfully all are fixed and I'm hoping no more show up. Its been a real experience for me as a person who didn't even like cats about 3 years ago before all this started.

Hey kids I have been away since 1980 would y'all tell me whats over at Katy and Silber maybe ,huh huh huh ??????????? Ed Shaver, scrubba

The Marq E Entertainment Center is at I-10 and Silber. It has a Movie Theater and several restaurants such as Cafe Adobe and Dave and Buster's I think. Also a Comedy Club and Night Club. They tried to make the center retail as well but most of that failed. Can't think of any stores that are left. They are planning to remodel the place and are building some new strip center on the edge of it which has a Panda Express.

Hrm... i wonder how it will do.

Yes, I wonder. There is another Asian Market, Super H, right down the street from there at Blalock and Westview in the former Randalls. It is a pretty big place and always crowded. It has an Asian food court inside and a dept. of cooking utensils etc. and huge produce section. Everything you could imagine in the way of imported Asian goods. It even has a little French Bakery.

I lived in Glenbrook Valley on Dover Street from 3rd to 6th grade in the early 70's. I loved the house. It was a modern custom built (not by my folks) and had a front courtyard with big plants. There was this really cool print wallpaper in the bathrooms and the entry hall had a closet door with butterflies inlaid in the see-thru panels. Part of that time, I walked home from school across a busy street and sometimes stopped at a 7-11 on the way. I played outside until way past dark. (I guess I'm describing what childhood was like for a lot of us city kids back before so much crime and when there were only a few TV channels/no computers) We did get broken into once and I think that's when my dad had burglar bars and a gate put on the courtyard. I'd love to drive by sometime and see what its like there now.

The Kroger on Hammerly and Long Point is in the same boat. Hasn't been updated in ages. Their produce and dairy departments are terrible. I think they might stay open though because many people who live in the apartments walk there. I'm wondering if they will close the HEB on Gessner and Kempwood. It's pretty crappy as well.

The new Bunker Hill HEB is awesome!

We must live near each other because I shop at these stores too. Remember when the Kempwood HEB first opened it was so different than it is now. It was more upscale like the Albertsons it replaced. They have even removed about half of the produce section and put in palates of stuff like cereal and soft drinks in its place. As for the Kroger, it used to be an Apple Tree ages ago so it has a unique floor plan. I never buy meat there but I have bought milk etc. But if you really want to go ghetto, try the WalMart Neighborhood store. I do most of my shopping there only because its the cheapest, so when I go to HEB or Kroger I feel like I'm going upscale!

I can confirm that the crosswalk from the "hospital/hotel side" of Gessner to the "mall side" is still a crosswalk to no where. I just hope it doesn't stay like this indefinitely with the economic downturn starting to affect Houston now. After all, why build more retail when there are vacancies in the mall itself? So depressing. Hope I'm wrong.

Passed by the vacant Fiesta building on I-10 @ Blalock this AM and saw "For Lease" sign down, lights on inside and a few pickups by the doors. Anyone know if its been leased?