Original Timmy Chan's

you're too young so don't try and lead a discussion on this subject.

I'm also too young to have seen Wienerschnitzel in Houston (but definitely old enough to remember Weiner's if that makes a difference.) I've lived here for 37 years. Or maybe we just didn't need them on the SE side, because we already had a JCI.

Only places I've seen a Wienerschnitzel are down in Corpus, in Amarillo, and on the West Coast. Never had one. How does it compare to JCI?

I don't have stats to back it up, but I believe the bayou is probably as clean as it's been in decades. Buffalo's not clean enough to swim in by EPA standards, but it's much better today than in years past when it was no more than an open sewer for Houston. I don't know if there are any streams in SE Texas that meet EPA standards for swimming...maybe someone with more background than myself can chime in.

I think that's the first time I've heard of our famous heat and humidity being described as an aphrodisiac.

As the girl in the Nelly song sang it, "I am getting too hot, I'm gonna take my clothes off."

Summer is a GOOD thing!

To give some perspective on the matter, land at the corner of Fannin and Braeswood might transact for $120 per square foot; land south of OST, east of Almeda, and north of Holly Hall might transact for $35 per square foot, if that. (Disclaimer: My figures are from 2008-2009, FWIW, before I got laid off from a firm that was looking at acquisitions in that submarket.)

Wouldn't those prices make it more likely for development to expand east of Almeda? Just taking the case of a 3-ac tract the difference in land price is about $11 million...or enough to pay for at least two machines that go "BING!" Or is that side of Almeda just not hip enough for hospitals to go there?

Actually, I know there are at least a few medical-related offices right on Holly Hall east of Almeda.

Yes. It already has, actually, with the Leland Anderson Campus (see map), developed in the 1980's.

There are no psych barriers for psych wards.

True about the Leland Anderson Campus. In addition to the pyschiatric hospital, isn't that site also home to both the DeBakey HS and a YMCA?

After looking at your TMC map and considering it a little more, it makes more sense that the TMC's next frontier would be the area between Almeda and 288, south of OST and north of Holly Hall. That area appears to have the only large vacant tracts in the area...in addition to a hodge-podge of small warehouse-type development.

Any chance Uncle Drayton will ever allow the railroad parallel to Almeda to be shut down? I don't know if trains ever cross OST anymore. Every once in a while I'll see two or three railcars being moved north of Holly Hall.

How about a more realistic question (or is it more far-fetched?)...

Will TMC development ever spill eastward across 288? The only corridors I can see it happening are along OST and Yellowstone, with everything else being residential. Question is, would it ever happen? Or is there too much of a psychological barrier there?

The Edwards Theatre in Greenway Plaza is now charging $10.25 per adult ticket.

Don't forget parking. I think last time I was there, they had just increased to $3 to park there.

We often drive to the Edwards Greenway theater because most theaters out in the suburbs are usually full of irritating teenagers that talk constantly or people that bring little babies and kids that whine throughout the movie.

My wife and I actually stopped going to Edwards and starting hitting the Cinemark in Pearland for the same reason. In our experience, Edwards was always packed and concession lines were long, while the Pearland theater was usually empty.

Another plus for Pearland...their tickets are a few bucks cheaper.

Surprisingly, even though we live inside the Loop, the Pearland theater is only about 2 miles further than Edwards.

Over the last couple of days I've seen references in the paper to a proposed "South Loop TIRZ" in the vicinity of the Astrodome. I've seen a couple of references to the proposed South Loop TIRZ as being "huge" or "sprawling."

Does anyone know what the rough boundaries of this proposed TIRZ are?

Huge can mean different things to different people...is this "huge" TIRZ comprised of 2 acres, 200 acres, or 20,000 acres?

As a South Loop resident, I'm interested in what could be coming, and just how close the improvements might get to my neighborhood.

10-4

If they're still charging the stadium tax, what is the money being used for?

The tax revenue is being used to pay back the bond debt that was used to pay for Enron Field, Reliant Stadium and Toyota Center. We'll be paying that for quite a while.

If I understand correctly, we're still paying for the debt incurred for Astrodome seating "improvements" that Bud Adams demanded back in the late 80's.

Just like most consumers, governments don't save up cash for big ticket items...it's credit cards/bonds, baby!

As skwatra implied earlier, Pita Pit probably is much better at 3 AM than it is at noon, sober.

Hmmm...maybe I should stop going around sober at noon?

But I like fish AND seafood!

Hmmm...Maybe Pita Pit suffered from poor brand linguistics? Maybe if they were the Pita Palace (or Shawarma King...)

I ate at that Pita Pit on Westheimer and Fountainview once...I thought it was pretty miserable, especially for the price they charged. There are many, many more options around that part of town for better food at a better price. It seemed to be an Anglicized version of shawarma...kinda like eating a burrito from McDonald's.

I was also a Beverly Hills Bear...lots of great memories at that school.

Thanks Brian...

I also hear that almost all the homes along Wheeler (in front of these dorms) have been demolished in preparation for the SE Light Rail line.

Maybe the City of Houston will now turn their attention to the only team in town that's going to the post-season?

LET'S GO COOGS!!! Time to get the Bayou Bucket back to its rightful home on Cullen Blvd.

We already have toyota center for the aeros and the new YMCA for the women's b-ball team.

If you recall, the Comets spent their last season at the AstroArena. That same facility also hosted the Rice Owls while Autry Court was being renovated.

The old AstroArena is one step above a YMCA gym...which puts it about two steps above the old Autry Court.

The new dining facility will display the Fresh Food Company concept that is popular at campus eateries across the nation. This food-service model is focused on meals being prepared in front of customers and being freshly prepared upon request.

“The renovation will upgrade a 39-year-old dining facility into a Tier-One culinary experience for our students, faculty and staff,” said Emily Messa, vice president of University Services. “With the renovation, we will have the largest Fresh Food Company in the nation.”

I see Aramark is bringing the back the food service model formerly known as a 'short-order grill'. LOL, that's some Tier 1 marketing bullshit if I've ever seen it.

When I was at UH in the early 90's, we had the short-order grill in OB. They made some great sandwiches and hamburgers over there. In the mornings you have made-to-order omelettes. Most of my friends didn't know this because they ate nothing but cereal.

Sometime in the 90's, the Towers dining area changed from cafeteria style (which I loved) to the "mini-restaurant" idea. That's when you had the Little Kim Son, the Blimpie, and I don't know what else was in there...but what's the difference between the new "Tier 1" dining experience and what they went to in the mid-90's.

I don't think you could get cafeteria-style food after my first couple years at UH. They opened up the Chik-Fil-A, Whataburger, Wendy's, Blimpies, etc. in all the dining halls. At that point in time I'd stopped eating on campus...just ramen and tuna supplemented with a daily 99-cent Whopper...but seemed to me like they took away any possible chance of eating healthy on campus at that time.

...the phrase "Tier 1" has completely lost its original meaning and has come to mean whatever anybody wants it to mean.

The latest definition has something to do with attracting venture capital to the area and they even assigned a per-year dollar amount needed to get to "Tier 1" (as if it were really that easy). And now being "Tier 1" can be about high-end living and sportsmanship, too.

OK, maybe you have a point. UH is getting a "Tier 1" dining experience now!!!

http://www.uh.edu/uhtoday/2009/11nov/111709moody-dininghall-renovations.html

REGENTS APPROVE RENOVATIONS

TO MOODY DINING HALL

In late April, construction will begin on Moody Towers dining hall and the revamped facility will begin operations in August.

Photo by Pathik Shah

A new dining concept is cooking at Moody Towers.

Soon, the University of Houston community will experience a new dimension of campus dining thanks to an $11 million renovation of Moody’s dining facilities. The UH System Regents recently approved this major project that will completely transform the dining hall.

In late April 2010 construction will begin on this project, and the revamped facility will begin operations in August. It will connect Moody Towers with the new undergraduate residence hall that also will open in fall.

The new dining facility will display the Fresh Food Company concept that is popular at campus eateries across the nation. This food-service model is focused on meals being prepared in front of customers and being freshly prepared upon request.

“The renovation will upgrade a 39-year-old dining facility into a Tier-One culinary experience for our students, faculty and staff,” said Emily Messa, vice president of University Services. “With the renovation, we will have the largest Fresh Food Company in the nation.”

Looks like it's on the north bank of Sims bayou just west of 288.

There was some site work going on this past weekend. Just looked like some clearing work...maybe some dirt work.

That's based on my 70-mph drive-by inspection technique.

Is anything going to change with North MacGregor Way/South MacGregor Drive from Almeda to Cambridge?

I wouldn't think so since it just continues as N/S Braeswood south/west of Holcombe..

Something's going to change on S MacGregor between Almeda and Cambridge...but I'm not smart enough to figure it out yet.

Looks to me like S MacGregor will become a 2-way divided street? That's based on the paving they've built, along with a piece of pavement they're building to connect N MacGregor to S MacGregor (in front of the Hermann Park GC/just west of where Brays Bayou crosses MacGregor).

They're building a bridge right now for what will become the new eastbound lanes of S MacGregor. I believe what is currently being used as eastbound lanes will be converted to westbound lanes soon.

Anyone know what the plans are there? Am I close to being right? I don't know that I've ever driven MacGregor west of Cambridge, so I don't know what goes on over there......

I went to a wedding there about 10 years ago...I didn't realize the history at the time. Since then, I've heard lots of in-laws talk about the Groovey Grill. It was definitely the spot around TSU for a long time.

I used the bridge this morning too!

I regularly use Cambridge to get to the Krogers on OST/Cambridge...I've never before used Cambridge between OST and Holcombe. That's a nice piece of road. It's night and day compared to Cambridge between the South Loop and OST (the stretch I usually drive).

I think there are some serious sinkhole issues happening on Cambridge south of OST. It's a hell of a roller coaster ride, with lots of "birdbaths" in the street holding water for many days after a rain. I hope the City replaces Cambridge before it swallows up a car!

Well then this goes back to my original point. If they are using "Tier 1" to justify things they do across-the-board in the same way they are throwing around "learning/scholar/research community" to justify building Calhoun Lofts then I am not enthused. You can't spin your way into the upper ranks. And in the meantime, other schools are improving themselves too.

Don't forget the UH motto..."In Time." Rome wasn't built in a day, neither will the learning/scholar/research community. I will say that when I was in school in the early 90's, a similar "community" was in place in the Quadrangle. Several of the Quad dorms were Honors Program dorms, in which Honors Program students were given priority. We had some non-Honors students in the dorms, but it was mainly Honors students. I thought it was quite a success. We were not always the most diligent and studious students, we had a hell of a great time too. It was kinda like being in one of the colleges at Rice, except without all the multi-sided dice!

No mystery here. The school spelled it out in a report about their initiative. "Tier 1" (to them) means ~$100 million/year and in return they will bring venture capital $$ into the local economy.

Well, we hit that level ($100 million in research) this year! TIER ONE BABY!!! DONE!

What's next?

You're still not understanding. Becoming "Tier 1" entails whatever its proponents want it to entail, as its original, literal meaning has been lost. It did not always mean asking for ~$100 million/yr from the state legislature and building high-end dorms in the meantime. I even heard a girl say that U of H should build a new football stadium "so we can play Tier 1 teams."

To me, the ends justify the means.

Use whatever slogan necessary, as long as it results in greater alumni giving, better corporate support, and more support from our state and local governments.

"Tier I" is a pretty amorphous term, but it is being used (successfully, in my opinion) to push UH to a higher level, both in public perception and in reality.