Specwriter

'Reefmonkey' date='Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 12:03pm' Cafe Artiste off Mandell and West Main I remember Cafe Artiste. I had lunch there once in the early 90's with one of the interior designers at the firm where I worked. I really don't remember much about the food but it was a cozy place. Something is there now too that looks like a bistro of sorts. I'll drive by this afternoon and see if I can figure out what exactly it is now.

I remember Dan Ammerman as having a style of presenting the news that was sober and almost stern. Of course, that was a lot closer to the norm during his time on the air. I doubt people who weren't alive then would know what to make of that now although they might find it a refreshing change. I can not imagine Dan Ammerman calling a colleague by his or her nickname or using hand motions (so popular with news anchors today) to emphasize a point. I don't know which I find more annoying, the vertical chop or the two-handed horizontal sweep. It kind of makes one appreciate radio. Anyway, Mr. Ammerman seemed like a true professional.

sarah_9, who took the measurements for the custom suit and how was it done? How satisfied were you with the result? I buy bespoke dress shirts because they fit so well, the tailor I use has a huge selection of fabrics, and the price for the shirts is not much more than one would pay for an off-the-rack shirt from Brooks Brothers or Nordstrom's. As for trousers, jackets, and suit coats the price difference between truly custom and buying off-the-rack and having it altered is tremendous. Imagine several hundred dollars for a pair of trousers and upward of $1,500 for a suit! As "they" say, "The clothes make the man."

I have to comment. I lived on Joplin Street near the Park Place Pharmacy at one time and did go in occasionally to buy greeting cards and things like that. Our health insurance plan already dictated that we would have our prescriptions filled at Eckerd's. The owner, Mr. Harris, was also a neighbor of mine on Sims Drive in Garden Villas at a later time. I ate lunch at Huston's once in the mid-90's. Even then it seemed "frozen in time." I do remember that the hamburger I ordered tasted just like those I had at my grandfather's drug store. My father is a retired pharmacist and his father was a pharmacist also. My grandfather owned a classic "drug store" on Old Humble Road (now Jensen) which had a lunch counter and soda fountain. My first memories of anything are of time I spent at the drug store. Within a year of my grandfather's death in the mid-1960's my father sold the store as it were. He kept the property and rented the building to other interests but sold all the inventory and fixtures and went to work for one of the local chain pharmacies in Houston. He said he much preferred to have a steady pay check than to have his name on the front of the building. Considering the fate of most one-shop business of all types over the last forty or so years his decision seems to have been a wise one. Conversely, two of his classmates from pharmacy school had very successful stand-alone stores. One owned a drug store which had a lunch counter and sold all manner of sundries and gifts. The other owned three small apothecaries, i.e. sold only prescriptions, over-the-counter remedies and medical supplies. Maybe it is just as well I only went into Huston's the one time. The feeling of nostalgia when I was there was almost overwhelming.

If you are familiar with the synagogue for Congregation Emanu El on Sunset Blvd. you can see how a very modestly informed reporter or broker could confuse the work of Mackie and Kamrath with Frank Lloyd Wright. Speaking of looking "Wrightian," there is a Unitarian church on Bering Drive that must have been designed by a avid admirer of FLW.

So Mr. Cohen is the villian who let the Chequer Imports building crumble to the ground. Was he related to the Cohen for whom the house above was named? If so, how ironic and unfortunate.

I lived in two different apartments at Broadway Square in 1988-1989. Believe it or not they were very well maintained and managed. We moved to a rented house a few miles away in 1990 when our first child was born. Beginning almost immediately, and over the next few years, our occasional trips down Broadway to Hobby Airport showed us the rapid and deep decline of that complex. When we saw all the fences go up around the parking areas and the HPD storefront placed in one of the apartment units we knew how fortunate we had been to have moved out when we did. Here is an example of how really well things were run just before it all went to Hell in a handbasket: One afternoon I noticed that the disposal in the kitchen sink was not working properly. I called the manager's office and reported it. Within thirty minutes a maintenace man was at the door. I let him in. He checked the disposal and with out saying another word left and came back with a brand new one which he proceeded to install over the next ten minutes. As he left he told me to call if there were any problems with the new disposal. About a half hour later the manager called me and asked if the repair had been affected and if I was satisfied with it. She did not ask and I did not have to tell her that the maintenance man was courteous, clean, and efficient. How quickly things must have changed.

The renderings remind me so much of the "high-minded" urban planning projects of the 1950's and 60's. Perhaps we need to start a new thread titled "Mid-century outdated." Does anyone really build this stuff anymore? I'm sure it's a no-go as it is represented.

Insurance may be exactly the reason driving the owner's apparent desire to demolish the buildings. It must be less expensive to insure land (with or without trees) than to insure several vacant buildings. Remember, some of the structures were legitimately (I believe) condemned because of their condition. All in all it is a pity though.

Lockmat, you ask the $1,000,000 question. Evidence suggests that location is practically everything. What is the real estate agent's mantra: "Location, location, location." Surely it would have been less expensive for the developer who is finishing the project at Kirby and Westheimer to build that same building "down the street," i.e. on the old Astroworld site. The logistics alone would have saved a considerable amount. But he didn't. He chose to build where he thougth he would have a better chance of selling/leasing his project. I think it has more to do with synergy than the absolute "niceness" of the neighborhood. I cite as examples areas of the Heights where high-end exists right next to hovel. Also, in my neighborhood near the Menil, you will find $750,000 townhouses across the street from apartments that rent for less than $500/month. Yet both of these areas have the things that are attractive to both economic segments of the population. The Fiesta grocery store at the corner of Alabama and Dunlavy is a case in point. It has low prices on staples (bread, milk, etc.) but also has a decent selection of wines, cheeses and other higher-end foods. A new townhouse development at the corner of the 610 Loop and 288, Rolgom Place, is suggestive also. The buildings look nice allthough a little more could have been put into landscaping. One can certainly argue that the location is convenient to the Medical Center, Downtown, and Greenway and the prices listed seem reasonable but it doesn't look like there have been many takers. True we are in a substantial economic downturn but this place looks virtually empty months after completion. Why? I believe it has to do with the lack of "synergy" in the neighborhood. Where is the closest grocery store? Where are the restaurants, jogging tracks, parks? Wouldn't it be great if something could happen with the Astrodome and the Astroworld property to begin to establish that synergy? There is plenty of shopping opportunity around the Kirby/OST intersection. It is not difficult to get to the Rice Village from there either where there are plenty of restaurants, specialty shops, a sports bar, and even a theather. I see a lot of potential. Let's hope that "actuality" happens.

I'm generally not in favor of naming streets for living (or recently deceased, for that matter) persons. You never know what they might do, or have done, to shame themselves. In this case though I am all for it. Milo seems to be a great guy. He certainly gives the impression of loving what he is doing. That fact that he has done it for over 60 years supports that. Besides, half the effort of renaming this street is a fait accompi. I know who Travis, Fannin, Polk, and Lamar were. I would protest loudly renaming those streets or any part of them. I'm not sure which Hamilton the street was initially named for. Could it be Alexander Hamilton? I doubt it. I also don't have a problem with the fact that the portion of Calhoun downtown was renamed. The more American history I read the less I respect John C. Calhoun. I don't think it was wise however, to call the street St. Joseph Parkway. In the first place it does not meet the definition of a parkway. Where is the park? Allen Parkway is definitely a parkway. MacGregor is a parkway and a small part of NASA Parkway (formerly NASA Road 1, formerly FM 528), immediately in front of the West manison, is a parkway - though not most of it. Further, the thoroughfare fits the description of a street. Other streets running parallel to it are called avenues most notably, Texas Avenue. St. Joseph Avenue has a nice sound to it. Congratulations, Milo. You are deserving and the fact that the street named in you honor was already leaning that way is evidence of that fact.

Would it be incredibly foolish to leave a good job now? I sympathize with your dilemma. The situation in Houston is better than most places but there have been lay-offs around town. To paraphrase an old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who knows what you know." If your skills set is unique or remarkable, and you can get the right employer to understand that, it would be a big advantage. Check the Houston AIA chapter's web site for job postings. You might just find the right thing. Even if you have only been out of school for a few years you know that the market for architects and designers is a very fluid thing. Join a site like Linkedin and let others know what you are considering. Emphasize your special experience. Are you strong in graphics? Have you worked on healthcare or educational projects? Those are the two strongest markets right now. Are you willing to work in a "niche" position? A few years ago I decided to learn and concentrate on specification writing. That has helped me get three jobs lately - the most recent one was returning to the first employer after the second one had a large lay-off late last year. I met many great people who came to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. Many said they would stay and I considered that an advantage for my home town. New Orleans is a wonderful city and will, one day, be better than ever before but I do sympathize with your situation. Good luck.

I saw it last weekend for the first time. It was indeed good. In particular I liked the interview with Ramsey Gillman and Alan Helfman, two second-generation automobile dealers in Houston. The show reminds me of two other favorite "magazine" shows about Texas, "The Eyes of Texas" and "Texas Country Reporter." This is a great state with many, many great stories which Ray Miller, Ron Stone, and Bob Phillips did a great job telling. Best of luck to "Post Cards from Texas." I hope it has a long run.

I just received a post card I bought off eBay. It is an image of the YMCA building from about the time it was first built. The image is not a photograph. It looks more like a print of a watercolor. It is very neat and I'm glad I have something to remember the 'Y' by. I used to work out there when my office was nearby. I even used to get my hair cut at the barber shop on the first floor. Lately I've been going to the Trotter Y on Augusta.

Ralph Goodman Elementary (nee Hidden Valley Elementary) at the corner of SH 249 and Deer Trail in the Aldine School District is one of my favorite Mid-Century Modern schools. The classrooms were arranged around court yards and the folded plane roof is also neat. There is (perhaps was) a planting bed with a low brick curb in the middle of the entry lobby with skylights above it. I wouldn't be surprised to find a guardrail around it now if it is still there at all. I went to Hidden Valley Elem. when it was nearly new. I started kindergarten in there in 1966 and went through fifth grade. Both of my children attended Ed White earlier in this decade. It is one of identical triplets built for Clear Creek ISD in the late 60's. I do not know if the school was built (or dedicated) at a time after the tragic demise of Ed White in January 1967 or whether it was renamed after it was built. For a nearly 40-year-old school it is in pretty good shape. Being older it is also smaller and has fewer students than the new elementary schools in the district. I think that is a plus. If you really want to see a nice example of a Mid-Century Modern (higher education) school take a tour of the San Jacinto College campus in Pasadena (the main campus). It is evident that the board was not scrimpy when it came to the quality of the buildings. The curving stair in the middle of the library is especially nice.

I am an architect (and a construction specification writer in particular - thus the user name) and rsb is correct. The precise technical term is "metal studs" (or "light gage metal framing system" if you include the bottom and top tracks and other accessories). This is the case even though the material is almost always steel. And, yes, I caught the joke. Clever. But I digress. . . No one has mentioned yet that Spec's on Smith Steet has a "food department" that has fresh produce as well. True it does not have all that a Whole Foods or Central Market has but you could certainly drop by and get what would be needed for a meal or two. I think they may even sell a few sundries like bath soap and toilet tissue. In any case there is a CVS up the street for that. I get lost and frustrated in these huge super stores. Also, when I go to Target, or Home Depot, or Super Kroger to pick up two or three things they are invariably in opposite corners of the enormous building. I'm lazy. I'll give up huge variety for convenience. Price is something I'll budge on a little but not too much. I definitely would not drive five miles to save 50 cents for example. Another grocery store that seems convenient to downtown/midtown is the Fiesta on Dunlavy at West Alabama. It seems to be somewhat different in character and merchandise than the one at Alabama between San Jacinto and Caroline. It was voted best by Houston Press in 2003 for what that is worth. One thing they do not seem to have is a reasonable selection of cold cereals that adults might like (unless you are a big Capt'n Crunch fan). One other that bears mentioning is the Lucky 7 on Fairview at Taft. Is it still there? When I went there periodically in the early 90's they always had pretty good produce at a decent price. It wasn't bright and shiny but I never felt like I had to run out of the place before I caught cooties or something. I think the standard for people living downtown will be to use what I will call a "walk-to" grocery store. If it is close enough for the average person to walk to and carry home only what fits in his or her recycleable shopping bag or fold-up cart then it does not have to be as big as a suburban grocery store. True one would have to make more frequent trips but that might be a good thing as we would all be eating fresh food and less processed stuff. It sounds so urban and chic. Of course, most of us would make a weekly or semi-monthly trip to SuperTarget or Walmart to get the good prices on household items or other things. I'm in my late 40's but I think I will see the day when living "downtown" for anyone who wants to is all the good things it can be.

jakdad did not say whether the car lot was open. I was browsing at Red McCombs Ford in San Antonio on a nice Sunday afternoon about 22 years ago (I believe the law was written to let one shop without being harrassed by the sales force). I saw a tall gentleman with rusty red hair park his brand new Ford Bronco at the locked gate next to my car and step over the gate (they weren't that high). Sure enough it was Mr. McCombs. The Spurs had just signed David Robinson (OMG, has it really been that long?) and I congratulated him on that and the fact that Mr. Robinson had committed to serve out his time in the Navy. As you can see more than 20 years on he (David Robinson) is a man with class. I know various sports fans and former customers of Mr. McCombs may have different opinions of him but on that sunny Sunday in San Antonio I found him to be a classy guy also.

Take it from a 48-year old car buff Bob Marco Buick was along the west side of the Gulf Freeway somewhere between Broad and Woodridge possibly where the Home Depot is now. It was also owned at one time by former Astros player Enos Cabell though I can not remember if it was called Cabell before of after it was Bob Marco. I believe that dealership also sold Peugeots at one time. Also on that land was a Lincoln-Mercury dealership. It was directly on the corner of the access road and Flowers Street across Flowers from the present Houston Auto Auction which was formerly Bill McDavid Oldsmobile. I don't recall the L-M dealer being named Leeland though. We bought a brand new Mercury Tracer there in 1988 (bad tale for another thread) just before Jack Criswell Lincoln-Mercury closed for good. I understand the owner lost a lot of money in his oil investments and had to close the dealership as a result. It probably was not making much money itself at the time considering that most new car dealers were moving farther out. There was a Leeland Lincoln-Mercury dealership that opened on the North Freeway in the late '70s between West Mount Houston and West Roads on the west side of the freeway. Of that I am certain because my parents lived in the Hidden Valley subdivision right across W. Mt. Houston at the time. Ivan Frizzell's Pontiac dealership faced Woodridge (it was on the west side roughly where Lowe's is today - ironic that I was just there yesterday) between Winkler and the Gulf Freeway. Later it was an AMC/Jeep dealership but I can't remember the name of it. It seems like it was something Smith and also might have had a different name later. Ah, Chequer Imports - I've watched over the last several years as the unique roof slowly caved in. I don't believe Checker automobiles were ever sold there. For the longest time, even after it closed, there were signs for the Italian marques Alfa Romeo and Lancia. There was also a sign for the British TVR a very low production (some would say "cottage industry" sports car. Were it that I had that wonderful building (restored, of course) on some property somewhere. I could keep a half dozen of my favorite cars in the service bays and have a nice library filled with all my car books and scale models in that wonderful glass cylinder with the pleated roof.

It is a shame to hear about the fate of Kahn's Deli. My father worked as a pharmacist for the old Jones' Apothecary back in the 60's. There were periodic meetings of all the store managers (once every two months or so if I remember correctly) that took place in the evenings after the drug stores closed. Dinner was served at the meetings and it consisted (almost always) of sandwiches from Alfred's. They were set out on large trays and the Jones employees were invited to take the leftovers home. That is how I was introduced to what a proper deli sandwich should be. Perhaps it is possible to buy a restaurant and copy its recipies but it would appear that there is an intangible element in play also. It is a further shame that the reputation of Kahn's may be diminished if the new owners can not maintain that which made it so memorable in the first place - the goodness of the food.

Nationally/Worldwide: Edward Durell Stone, Gordon Bunschaft Locally: Howard Barnstone, Preston Bolton

Before Don Massey then Stewart Cadillac occupied the site at Main and McGowan, Mossy Oldsmobile was there. There was an Oldmobile dealership under another name prior to that. It was one of those that moved out along the freeways in the late 60s and early 70s. I believe it was either Sam White or Sam Montgomery Oldsmobile. Old photographs and city directories indicate that automobile dealerships moved south primarily along Main, Fannin, and San Jacinto as the city grew. Beginning in the 60s these dealerships began a migration to the "suburbs," i.e. along the freeways. Of course there were some earlier "outlying" dealers such as Knapp Chevrolet on the corner of Washington and Houston Avenues and Tommy Vaughn Ford at Shepherd and 11th. Who remembers Jimmy Green Chevorlet which was on the corner of Shepherd and Westheimer where the Randall's is today? More to the topic of what would be an appropriate use for property in this location, when I first went to Berlin I noticed a Rolls-Royce/Bentley agency directly on Unter den Linden (the Champs-