J008

Friday night quick dinner out at Collinas on 19th around 5:30 I believe proved the point I have been trying to make about Children...the restaurant was full, only 1 table available when we got there, and over 80% of the restaurant was families with young children eating out. By catering too, or at least tolerating children at that early hour the place was able to do much much more business than if it had just sat back and waited for the adult dinner crowd to show up and eat later....

Granted Collina's is not some fancy restaurant - but I think families with children can help places do quite a bit of early business it would not otherwise do.

Yes and most restaurants make most their money on the 5:30 crowd. I agree with you in many respects, but restaurants are not moving to the heights for the children.

My whole point in this conversation has been, not that children make up a majority or ever will in the Heights....its not even that there are more children in the area than there were before I moved here in 2007....I accept the fact that lower income families have more children in smaller homes....My point, regardless of whether or not I have state it clearly, is that as less affluent residents move out of single family homes, many of those homes are torn down, and replaced with new, significantly larger more expensive homes, many of which now are being sold to more affluent people with children, or young professionals many of whom are planning to have children. The quantity of affluent people with disposable income, who have children is increasing, even though the net quantity of children is decreasing.

Most of the restaurants opening up around the Heights are not catering towards the less affluent apartment dwellers, or those on fixed income...the restaurants are targeting those people with disposable income...the menu prices make that clear...an increasing percentage of those with disposable income are starting to have children, thus a restaurant would be foolish not to make trivial accommodations to cater to those families with kids. I do not argue there are still far more affluent people who don't have kids than there are those who do, but I am arguing that since 2007 the percentage of affluent residents who have kids has increased considerably....These nicer restaurants are drawing from a relatively small area, of which only some can even afford to come to your place...to alienate 15 to 20% of your already small customer base because they have children would be foolish.

Its been a long time since I waited tables, but I clearly remember loathing tables with children. A four top with two adults and two children is going to get you less than half the tip (or profit) as one full of adults.

An adult only table is at least twice more likely to order appetizers, desserts, or an extra round of drinks... the most lavish kids' menu simply can't make up the differnece that is lost. If the restaurant assigns waiters sections and makes them clean their own tables it only gets worse since kids almost always make a bigger mess than a sober adult.

I agree that if you can get kids\parents during the lull between lunch and dinner (2-5pm) that it is probably a good thing, but any other time it is certainly nothing to cater to or get excited about.

Luckily, I didn't have to clean my own tables or have "sections", a kid table usually wouldn't count as a full turn so we were normally made whole, but there are few waiters or restaurants who wouldn't prefer a couple adults (preferrably smoking and drinking ones) to a table full of kids and parents.

The fact that Lupe Tortilla is ditching the sandbox is probably a better sign of the times.

I think what is trying to be said here is that there is an increasing amount of affluent families with children in the neighborhood, which I agree with.

What I think is failed to be seen is that this number would need to increase 400% for it to actually be a significant.

To I think Niche's point. Even if this number increased 400% they are simply replacing lesser affluent familes that on average have more children.

So net, the heights has to be losing children not gaining if any of these trends are to be believed.

HISD schools can not compete with the Spring Branch ones and I have no loyalty to the Heights other than its been a good place to live the last several years.

Little bit of a generalization there Marksmu.

I'd take Harvard, Travis, River Oaks, Timbergrove, Kolter, Love or half a dozen others over Spring Branch Elementary.

http://www.har.com/school/campus-Spring-Branch-Elementary-School-101920114.html

Additionally, if your kid is say 1 years old it. It is really hard to say that the "good" public schools now will be the same ones 5,10,18 years from now. I certainly wouldn't bet the house on it.

You know, I was asked to post actual data, and I did so. Niche did as well. So, what do you do? You go dig up my sarcastic anecdotal response and write a big long response to that. Then you take any establishment that fails and claim it was because kids were not welcome, without having any clue as to the internal ownership problems within those businesses. But, I guess this just keeps on proving my point. When parents have children they begin to associate with other parents, and soon enough they believe everyone has kids, even when the US Census tries to tell them otherwise.

Whatever works for you. Data is only useful to those who read it.

I think you are right on.

From the before posts you and niche narrowed the relevant kid households to 5-10% I'd say liberty kitchen probably holds 50-75 people and you might see 3 to 7 tables with children. Some see it as kid friendly someone from the woodlands may see it as kid starved. I doubt liberty kitchen has more than 3-7 high chairs so I think all the analysis is pointing to a small minority of kids in any restaurant (Berryhill on friday being an exception). The trend (household income >~$70k w/ kids) is certainly increasing but nowhere near a plurality or majority.

Though the time of day may skew your sample. If you go out at 9 or 10 to a restaurant you'll rarely see a kid out, and if you are out at 5pm you may see only kids and families out. I really think you could all be right.

Went to LIberty Kitchen last night for a drink. Great bar area. Cool, funky interior. HUGE menu and definitely set up to be kid friendly. Kids' menu items come served on old cafeteria trays. Menu also says something like "almost all of our items can be sized down for kids' meals." Nothing childish about it, though- especially the drink menu. Great cocktails mostly named after Heights streets/schools. Prices vary- some things seem like a great price for the item (fresh seafood and also a wine we had at another restaurant this weekend was $7 cheaper at LK), while some things seem a little pricey ($6 for an order of onion rings). Overall, though, seems like a very welcome addition.

I went there last night as well. I expected to see a whole page of various types of oysters and styles, but there were only raw oysters and a couple chargrilled varieties. Otherwise the menu was huge and had a lot of gastropub style fare. Was fairly busy for a sunday night.

One of many. Don't get me started on the ease with which non-profit entities can be abused to line the pockets of their offi...oh, wait, never mind. Too late!

The abuse of well-intentioned federal and state financing laws is a cottage industry run amok. It only goes to show that the powers of government (and even of the people to give to will that the government should have more power) should be curtailed, audited, and made plainly transparent for the world to see.

completely agree

In so much as it is something you care about, yeah, it matters.

In so much as it has any bearing on who can apply, and be approved for a 380 agreement, not so much.

Go read the Texas constitution link I posted to the 380 requirements, no where does it state a monetary requirement.

I would be suprised if cronyism isn't codified in there, this just being one of its manifestations.

Number 1, number 10, number last. It doesn't matter.

It does matter.

City resources are limited. Diverting resources that would otherwise go to the city's general needs for the benefit of an entity that is arguably over capitalized is wasteful.

WalMart isn't the biggest corporation in the US.

by revenue they are #1

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/snapshots/2255.html

Mostly just HCAD and Google Streetview, actually.

A person's place of residence and the circumstances of their purchase reveal a great deal about their lifestyle preferences.

Considering that six out of six of the RUDH officers that are financially vested in the community have purchased new housing stock rather than make any effort to preserve the character, traditions, and appearance of the neighborhood--even though they clearly had the financial wherewithall to do so--I think that the evidence is valid and statistically significant.

You are welcome to disagree, and I'm sure that you will; but consider that every time you and s3mk reply to me, it validates the threat that I pose to RUDH's credibility. That is to say, if it were so obvious to everyone that I should not be taken seriously, then you wouldn't take me seriously either.

Actually, you make quite a few good points in an intellectual and interesting way, though your conclusions are different than mine.

I only started chiming in again because I think the name and address and the satellite analysis of their homes is really creepy. I really don't think you are a threat to their cause but to some (me included) listing their addresses implies a threat of a different sort. Especially when your point could be just as easily made without it.

Obviously we disagree.

On another note:

You'd think since corps are people too, that it would be more appropriate to just picket RUDH's charter.

However, they advance a cause contrary to the lifestyle preferences of their leadership.

Based primarily on the TX SOS site and google maps?

I'd like to think my lifestyle is more interesting than one can deduce from those two sites.

Just to be thorough, the letter has the organization's phone number, 832-356-7834

I am going to use http://www.numbering...sis⊂=phonenr to trace it

I'm not sure if this gives additional insight, but anyway here are attributes of the organization's phone number

"

Information on phone number range +1 832356XXXX

Number billable as geographic number Country or destination United States City or exchange location Houston, TX Original network provider* Bandwidth.com Clec, Llc - Tx

*) Number portability has not been taken into account"

This is just more and more creepy. Why don't you try calling it!

I run into RUDH people all the time. They regularly hang out \ shop\ walk\ eat\ drink in the heights and as it has been so un-elegantly pointed out they live there.

If you are curious who they are, look for the sign in the yard, the bumper sticker on their car, and the businesses listed on their website.

When I had read that a good chunk of River oaks asked google streetview to be excluded, I thought it was pretty snooty, but now I can appreciate how your info so quickly goes to the lowest common denominator and then attached to a 59 pages of discussion about you.

I don't know what the internet etiquette is on this kind of thing, but it just really strikes a dissonant chord to take it so personally. Especially from people so capable of making their points with other methods.

but they can cost the taxpayers more money with a lawsuit.

Again, the city doesn't have to spend any money if that were of any concern.

Second, I thought Texas has a loser pays law that went in to effect this year.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/268436/loser-pays-texas-small-business-wins-stephen-demaura

If this applies then again their is none of your money at risk.

how do you know how much money the city will have to spend to defend this? regardless of cost, it is still taxpayer dollars that are used to defend this that are caused by this group. if it only costs a dollar, that's more than they should have to spend on this.

to your second statement, your intellect is truly dizzying, the fact is that it really is irrelevant. the fact is the members of iRUDH have a website dedicated to stopping one specific company from developing one specific parcel of land under the guise of preservation, and they are not stopping before they waste some of my tax dollars to further their selfish cause.

The city doesn't have to defend it. They can spend as much or as little as they want (or as you allow them).

Michelle is one of the biggest hypocrites I have ever encountered. Traveling on Tax pay dollars repeatedly, often times on separate flights from Barack to the same destination only hours apart....she tells us to eat healthy and does not, she tells us to care about the environment and does not, Barack says he and his family care about the deficits spending and then they take more tax payer funded vacations and campaign stops than any other president in history, wasting more government money than any president in history - the list of her hypocrisies is not hard to find with this First family. They are living the high life on our dollar. Also if her body is your idea of a fantastic physique - then I think the standard for fantastic has really fallen.....way way down.

True. If only we had the guy who said that deficits don't matter then we'd finally end this hypocrisy.

T

And here are another three officers of the organization that I have identified by utilizing information and documents that are a matter of public record. It seems that they also enjoy lifestyles that are inconsistent with their organization's stated objectives.

I feel it is a bit creepy to list people's addresses whom you don't know to make some point about hypocrisy.

I guess the next step is to go dig through their trash tomorrow (since they probably leave their trash on a public street) and see if there are any starbucks cups or receipts from big box stores.

Saw a trailer and some excavation equipment showed up on the Wal Mart side of the road yesterday....looks like they are about to start work. Can't wait to get the new WalMart - I hope it has a big gun selection!!

I only hope they finally cut their grass and clean the grafitti off of the check cashing store they are building btw yale and heights.

They're in a beautiful setting. I urge everyone who hasn't been to go see them before they're returned to Cyprus in February.

Completely agree. I really enjoy the byzantine chapel and hate to see it go. The whole chapel is a really great spot.

D'Amicos was open last night as well.

Went by last night and D'Amicos was closed, must have been a trial run.

Just wanted to mention Tacos a Go-Go is open on White Oak.

D'amicos is stocked inside so it appears to be close as well.

Went to tacos a go-go last night and it was pretty good. Tacos al Pastor with Pinapple was a bit of a suprise, but the food was good and it is a neat place.

D'Amicos was open last night as well.

Just got home from burgers at Christian's on White Oak. Awesome. The onion rings were to die for. Nice crowd for just opening. Tons of tvs (my kids went bonkers for the Formula 1 races). A real sports bar. I think it's going to do incredibly well.

Had Christians last night, that place is much bigger than I had imagined. I agree it is a real sports bar, it will be nuts during football season.

Swamplot says 11th St cafe will be a ruggles on Saturday. Sounds good to me

http://swamplot.com/the-rugglefication-of-the-heights-11th-street-cafe/2011-06-14/

not nearly as inconvenent as the construction on 11th street... but alas, that is how things happen. I drive by the 11.5 construction daily, and i've never had issues, they also are out of there by 6pm daily (from what I've seen). The COH had construction crews working heavy machinery @ 4-5AM a few times when rebuilding North Main. I actually kind of enjoy building construction, as a fan of architecture it is interesting to me to see things come to shape.

We are in the center of the 4th biggest city in the country, you WILL be inconvenienced by construction/repair of some sort on a regular basis. Imagine those who live close to the I-10 feeders!

It is not much consolation that I will inevitably be inconvenienced by something so why not a jackhammer outside your bedroom at 7am (or cement truck).

At least the building is progress, the I-10, and 11th street construction is another story. I am convinced that studemont at I-10 is actually worse than before (unless you wanted to get to Chili's and Target from there, which I don't). If I-10 at Studemont looked like 59 at Montrose, that would be an improvement.

That would be awesome to have multiple midrises along such a major thoroughfare through the 'hood. S3mh made it sound like they will only be built in the middle of the neighborhood between houses along small interior streets.

Once built I agree.

But the construction process can be horribly inconvenient, For the past couple months either a lane of Studemont has been blocked with dump trucks lined up or now 11th 1/2 is backed up with cement trucks making the street impassable at least between 630-730 in the morning. Then there are the wondering front end loaders and trucks that turn on the wrong street then race through till they figure out where they are going. If I lived on 11th 1/2 or 12th I'd go nuts.

If they could manage to keep their mess on their property then have at it, but the intrusion on other people's life is real (sunsets and birds notwithstanding)