jpcampbell

This was taken a week or so ago (date when the photo was posted). jpc

I work @ 610 and San Felipe (next door to Clear Channel). My building is right on the feeder overlooking the freeway. I was zoomed in to 150mm, so it may appear closer. jpc I really like this photo. The contrast of the bayou trail greenery and the skyline is great. jpc

My favorite view is the one from my office window.

<yawn> You can do better than that ltawacs. Come on! Your "outside the looper" insults are getting pretty weak these days.

Indoor?

I know one of the kids that skates at this rink. The family that owns it had a permit, but they built the lights 4" higher than their permit. That is what the angry neighbor and The Woodlands are using as leverage. I was surprised TWA let them do it at all. As I said before, I think it's being a bad neighbor. Even the father of the kid that skates there twice a week told me that he would not want it next to his own house as it is very loud.

Wow, that is pretty bad. We've been in Sterling Ridge for 2.5 years and have always had great pressure. I would complain, and complain very loudly.

There is a tiny little restaurant called "Standard Sweets" on 5696 Hillcroft. It was a staple during my days at Rice. They had a veggie buffet (all you can eat) for $2.99. If you wanted to splurge and get meat, it was $3.99. It's not the best atmosphere, or frankly the most awesome food, but it's significant bang for the buck.

I could not agree more with this post. In my years here, I've worked in 5th Ward, The Woodlands (twice), 249/1960 area, I-10/Dairy Ashford, Westheimer at the Beltway, and now finally at The Galleria. There is no neighborhood near all of those places that could have been super convenient for a commute.

Agreed. The idea of a townhome or mid/high-rise may be appealing to some, but for me, I'd be miserable. I want a large single family home with a yard big enough for my kids and dog to run around in and still have enough room for a pool. If that were available inside the loop for anywhere close to what I pay now, I'd do it. But I'm not sacrificing my family's lifestyle just for my personal commuting convenience. For others, that kind of lifestyle may be what they are after, and that is great too.

I leave the house at 5am typically and return home at 6pm. I work hourly, so I don't care. I have found that the freeway speeds at 5am vs. 6:30am are about the same, but it's much scarier during the later times as there are more cars. I typically am going 80 all the way and getting passed up a lot. So, I leave earlier and have a much more pleasant commute.

What time of day are you commuting? I live 10 minutes west of I-45 on Woodlands Parkway, and I get to 610/San Felipe in 40 minutes by going I-45 to 610. I can make this time if I leave any time before 6:30am or so. Coming home yesterday at 6pm was the same. I left my desk at 6:15, down 15 floors, to the garage, and was in my garage before 7pm. My one way distance is 41 miles.

I have to say the freeways on the north side are very much improved over the past. There are very few times that my commute on I-45 slows down at all and I'm usually leaving by 6pm. Seven years ago, when I did a reverse commute from Downtown to The Woodlands, I took the Hardy every day as it was so congested and dangerous from construction. What a difference now!

This will be a fun thread to look back on in 10 years time and see how that area has grown (or not) after the freeway expansion. I wonder what the "middle of nowhere" will be then?

Congrats!! Your life just got a lot harder, but a lot more meaningful and joyful. I never wanted kids till the moment I had one. It's such a wonderful and indescribable feeling. Congrats again.

I don't consider a home an investment at all unless you live in a very special area and plan on moving to a much cheaper area later. I live in The Woodlands because my family likes it, not because I expect my home values to pop. That being said Houston has shown appreciation in a lot of areas. My parents bought a house in Timbergrove Manor in 1973 for 30K. They sold it in 1981 for about 125K. They also sold my grandmother's house in The Heights for 32K around that same time (early 80's). I looked recently on that same street and houses are going for 200K+. In 1999 we bought a house for 237K in Braes Heights. We sold it 6 months later for 246K (job change). Allison flooded the entire neighborhood, but it seems the value has rebounded and is around 300K now. I'm sure there are examples of similar appreciation others can give. I would still be very leery of considering a home as a serious "investment". We have neighbors who moved from California after making a million dollars on their home they bought 30 years ago. They paid cash for their big houses here and are living it up. Don't expect that here. However, please move down. It's a great area for many other reasons.

Interesting how the site for ABC 12 has a headline for show that says "Only on ABC13". I actually ran into her at the Clear Channel building's deli this morning. I think she does her radio show from there.

If you truly feel that the suburbs have these influences of evil or have a lack of excitement, the they probably are not for you. I would never use those words to describe where I live. I have lived in many neighborhoods inside the loop and now live in the burbs. I don't feel that one is better than the other, so I was equally as happy in all my neighborhoods. Just do what makes you and your family happy and what makes sense for you.

Speaking as a resident of the burbs who moved out there because my job was out there, I can say that a larger yard is worth the extra cost and time for us and our 2 kids. Homes are actually cheaper out here, but I do pay with time as I now commute to the Galleria from The Woodlands. But it's a small price to pay for what my family has out there during the day while I'm at the office. The extra commute is about 30 minutes a day tops, so it's no big deal.

I second that. At least it's on "WAY off topic".

Barbeque Inn was the "fancy" restaurant we went to on special occasions when I was a kid. Looking back, it's not exactly high class, but to me it was, and they just seemed to have the best shrimp in the world. I haven't been there for over 10 years, but now I must go back. Thanks for bringing that one up.

I blinked today and they had the rest of the rebar laid down. If it stops raining, I bet they pour it tonight. Drive by about 5:30am and that is when they get a lot done.

The workers are amazingly fast. I sit and watch them all day out my window. You blink an eye and an onramp is poured.

I think they can if they get a pass rush and the cornerbacks are as good as they potentially can be this year then they have a shot at taking out the Colts. Hopefully also they open up the offense a bit more. Jerome Mathis could be interesting as he is a burner that can contribute right away on special teams and potentially could help the offense a lot. Oh yeah, and the RB position needs to stay healthy and deliver. And don't forget the OL needs to protect. Wow, I just raised a ton of question marks, but I still believe!

True, it took a hit, but it is rebounding nicely. Startups are booming again and I also just read this yesterday where Austin ranks #3 for starting a business or career.