Casual Observer

Alamo plays current movies during the week - 6 to 7 different ones nightly. They usually run a classic or a cult-classic in there too. On the weekends they have marathons for cult-classics, and they get b-list or one time a-list celebs to come in and promote their film that's being shown (almost always an older cult film). They also do sci-fi stuff too. They're renovating an old theatre on I-45 north, just south of FM1960 on the west side of the feeder. Here's the website for all the info about the Drafthouse:Alamo Drafthouse

I have to commend and criticize my favorite movie theatre all at the same time: The Alamo Drafthouse @ West Oaks Mall. Now, while I love that the Drafthouse serves food with the movie, I hate how out of my 10+ visits, they've yet to prepare a meal to my liking - much less to the description found in the menu. Also, I love how no children under 16 are allowed in the theatre, and most nights you'll only find couples on dates there - but I hate how the wait staff still finds a way to make more noise than 20 children could. Finally, I love how they play wacky old tv commercials, b-flicks, and other cult favorites before the movie, I however hate that last call for food comes just 30-40 minutes into the show. So its a wierd situation for myself to recommend to all, a movie theatre that I hate to like.

This is what I've noticed in most innerloop neighborhoods also. Nothing seems "kid-friendly". The neighborhoods themselves feel to "adult-only" I don't think there's anything wrong with the suburbs. If someone wants to live in Fairfield - what do you care? Did you really think that the freeways were going to stay 2 lanes in either direction forever?

No, but living inside the loop on a budget of just 50k versus a family with a budget of 100k means that one child will grow up in an inner-city neighborhood with all the same ammenties and comforts of suburbia, as where the other will not. I'm all for density. I just don't understand the retarded logic of thinking we have to stack everyone on top of everyone else. No family, anywhere, likes living like that. With a family you need space - even if it is only 1500 sq ft. Besides, I might never live inside the loop now because I refuse to pay triple what a house is worth just because of location. That is bad money management if I've ever seen it.

ghostbusters?

What do you mean by "traditional"?

I would be interested if it were something in the sorts that two senior members debate a hot topic on the board. While debating, they can use all the posts as talking points. Some of the conversations I wouldn't mind hearing: Fate of Shamrock Hotel Fate of Astrodome Katy Freeway Project Impact Grand Parkway Project (for you Pineda!!) Main St. Corridor News Maybe once a week have the discussion. The thing is, I doubt I'd take the time to upload it into my iPod, but rather will play in right here at home. Either way, I'm interested.

lol.. you people and your "wagons".

So far it sounds like the inner Westhiemer corridor is where you want to be, but unfortunately that commute is going to be hell. The only positive is that its a reverse commute, and so you'll always have the traffic to your back. Sadly, in Houston - that still doesn't mean much.. Welcome to H-Town!

That's nice and all.. but I'm about to close on a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage - a 2500sq ft, one story brick sitting on a 10k sq ft lot - all for about 150k "drive out" price in Sugarland. How about you spot me 200k, to add to my 150k, so I can get the same deal somewhere over by Briargrove (west of Tanglewood) eh? Oh, you don't have 200k to throw around either? Well then - welcome to my world.

The county provides sheriff deputies as law enforcement correct? If so, that could easily be swapped out with HPD. Also, since its Montgomery county, I'm sure a deal would have to be worked out for M.C. Sheriff Deputies to be allowed shared jurisdiction over the annexed areas. As for Fire & EMS, someone stated on here a while back that those guys are in a firefighter's union, so I wonder how the city would get around that? In Kingwood, they were all volunteer, so the city just commendeered their stations and put HFD trucks & personnel in their place. I also know that there were strict guidelines put on the FIRE/EMS and HPD personnel there about response times and minimum staffing. So I'm sure thats something else the Woodlands would demand. I don't agree with it, as I think Houston has more than enough problems south of the north belt. I think we should be focusing on everything inside the belt, before we worry about more stuff outside the belt.

I think we had this conversation about 6 months ago, about condensing the threads.. Let me go look at the existing threads, and then I'll get back to you.

1. West University, Bellaire, & Southside Place 2. The Villages off I-10 (in small print below list the 5 villages)

Do tell..

I'm not saying that I agree with annexation, especially some of Houston's past tactics, I'm just wondering if neighborhoods like Willowbrook, Kingwood, or Clearlake saw the writing on the wall - or if the city swept in like a thief in the night. If they did know(?), then maybe they could have done something(?).

Larry Dallas, I don't know if Tree Frog would be considered Sharpstown. Here's Why: Sharpstown Map. I would think Braeburn. Poor Braeburn is fighting to keep from becoming the next Sharpstown. With all the more recent renewal efforts poured into Myerland, Westbury, & Maplewood, I think it has a chance. The true problem is that with all the apartments along Fondren, the Belfort ghettos to the south, and of course good old reliabe Alief to the west, its going to be an on going fight to preserve that neighborhood. I hope that eventually the renewal will spread through Sharpstown. I sometimes think though, that US59 running through the middle of it will prevent that from happening.

The following is strictly OPINION.. Highest Crime & Lowest Income Areas of Houston (in no particular order): CENTRAL 5th Ward Denver Harbor SOUTH CENTRAL 3rd Ward South Union Sunnyside South Park NORTH SIDE Acres Homes Inwood Independence Heights SOUTHWEST SIDE Gulfton West Sharpstown Alief Again, this is strictly my opinion, and its based on common knowledge, talking with HPD & HFD, and personal experience.

You bring up a good point. I could name at least 10 edge communities that if they were a suburb to any other city would have incorporated by now. I wonder why the reluctance here in Houston. Here's a few that over the last 50 years I think should have incorporated: Sharpstown Clearlake Kingwood Champions Willowbrook Copperfield Misson Bend/Glen Oakforest Greenspoint Cinco Ranch I'm sure there are more, but these are just the ones that when I pass through I wonder "why?", or rather "why not?".

Well, with that said (about imitators..), I think Pineda's idea about the airport is brilliant. I would back that one versus the street one, and only for the same reasons you have Red.

Pineda - I admire your passion for the Grand Parkway Project, but I have to ask: Is anything you and your group doing making a difference in the placement & building of the GPP? I don't mean to come off as negative, but I'm truely curious if you've had any success fighting the government on this issue?

I wish Houston would concentrate on getting everything inside the belt first, and on the southwest side, everything inside highway 6 first. Then Houston can worry about the Woodlands. Furthermore, if I were the Woodland's, I'd have incorporated myself by now to keep the "tax-wolves" away.

Ethan - calm down.. you're yelling at a computer screen. Pineda - that's a kick ass idea. I think that would be a great greeting to the people who arrive here for the first time maybe on business, or just visiting family. I think it would probably have the most impact there also.

I would just lump West U & Bellaire into a forum together. I doubt they'd each get enough traffic to warrant their own thread. I think the same for the Villages of I-10 also, just lump them all together.

Great neighborhood.. when compared to South Park.

If so, your first block is covered! Hey Ethan - I'm not bashing your idea, just looking at it realistically. Houston is a working man's town - not a neon-babylon like LA. We just don't breed stars here.