gnu

check out their news on their website:

Jun/27 - InTown teams up with internationally acclaimed design firm Duany Plater-Zyberk.

Mar/23 - InTown recognized as pioneer in revitalization of Houston Ave.

Dec/15 - InTown makes U.S. history with privately-funded cleaning of Superfund site.

more revitalization to the corner of live oak and capitol!

Somehow I think Duany would be aghast that they had a cool building like the Coke plant and couldn't find an adaptive reuse for it.

heck i think most people would think it would be neat to at least have the plant facade with their boring townhome inside.

boo!

heading there after work to see what's up (or left)

...looking forward to your usually excellent photo-demo-graphy...

Someone told me it was being demolished on Tuesday.

I will be very sad if it's true

Does anyone know?

pictures from endangered deco (GHPA)

http://www.houstondeco.org/1920s/cocacola.html

i searched a little for "family care medical" in manvel, tx but didn't come up with anything.

i agree with my original guess and others' thoughts - that from the looks of it (rooms, cielings) it was some sort of "facility"

here's the tax record, too:

http://propaccess.trueautomation.com/Clien...?prop_id=168057

i don't think it's in manvel:

found this at the city of pearland site - not that it provides any more details though...

CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION

that has to be the most "plain jane" mansion kitchen in existence.

the house seems very ummm... maybe the word is utilitarian.

the space is there but decor does not fit "mansion".

the inside looks like a 1980's community center or something (from the har pictures anyway)

Does anyone remember the old yellow pages from the 50's 60's and 70's? The front covers were all done by the same artist and they were so much fun to look at. They had quite a few characters they would use over and over every year, along with some new ones. There was the cat with the litter of kittens, the alien, the buffalo, the oil derrick, the herd of cattle and tons more. They were all hidden somewhere in the sketch of Houston. I couldn't wait for the yellowpages to come out so I could try to find them all. I tried to find something on the internet about it but came up with nothing. Does anyone remember the artist? Wish I had some of my grandmas old yellowpages.

i always looked forward to the new books with the artwork too. today's "official" yellow pages doesn't seem much better than the fifty offbrand phone books you get...esp. with all the ads.

i read an article on the drawings a few years back. now if i could remember where it was in.

also, seems like there was a website that had one of the drawings and you could zoom over it with a magnifyer to see all the details.

anyone?

From the book Houston A chronicle of the Bayou City page113 it has a picture of the dining are of the Brazos Hotel. it doesnt state the year but is quoted...."With music provided by a small chamber group on the balcony, the group dining in the outsied dining area at the brazos Hotel ws capable of dealing with the extremes of the Houston summer. "

The picture looks more like a courtyard .

Im going to see if i can take a look after work Friday and maybe take a closer look or ask around. ill post my pics here for all to see.

Maybe a rooftop courtyard?

I'm not knocking Pasadena and no one called anyone freaks. Everyone above said that the area of older Pasadena has gone to pot. This is what makes me wonder why Gilley would hang around? I could see him in the newer part like over by Beltway 8/Fairmont Parkway. Thats all I meant. I owe everyone a Lone Star that's all. Sure could use one about now.

well he IS in the "new" part by fairmont and the belt

his mansion is in the box made by vista, preston, fairmont pkwy, and the beltway.

off of lily

where is almeda crossing exactly?

i think its where petsmart and circuit city are

Staples to open their first Houston store:

"We did sign a lease at Interstate 45 and Almeda-Genoa, for the Almeda Crossing Shopping Center," said Amy Shanler, director of public relations for Staples.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4900789.html

Whats really strange is they started building a 2-3 story frame for what looked like a motel or? At least I think it was where Gilley's was. They built a huge frame and then it stood unfinished for about 2 years and I think they tore down?

Do you mean the rodeo arena that was next to the nightclub?

It stood for years after the club was closed and then burned. I don't think the arena was demolished until after the school district acquired the property.

Anybody remember Captain Harold?

I cannot think of his real name ....

Harold Gunn

Maybe it's dry within Pasadena's original city boundaries?

That's the way it is in Friendswood.

Everything that was annexed later is wet.

Not sure this is the right place to post this but the Wald sign sits on top of an old warehouse on Live Oak and Rusk (East Downtown).

Can anybody tell me more abt it? What is it advertising?

Wald moving and storage

This looks very much like the building which is still standing on the southwest corner of Washington and Durham (4800 Washington location?). It may have been a standard Weingartens store design.

The endangereddeco site you posted the other day lists it as store no. 14 (1100 quitman location)

as i proposed earlier in the thread (post 15)

but you are correct...it does look similar to the washington/durham bldg.

http://www.endangereddeco.org/1930s/weingarten.html

where was the sterling hotel going to be built?

Also looking at a "1940 WPA Guide to Texas Handbook", the map points to the "Howard Hughes Airport" as being out Telephone Rd. Is this the present day museum terminal building? or was there another airport out Telephone Rd?

that should be the same one. I think they took the Hughes name off of the airport after there was some sort of uproar over naming it for a living person.

No, he's right. The original Leo's was on Shepherd between Welch and Fairview. The awning, as mentioned, that used to lead to the front door is still there. Leo's moved to Washington Ave after years and years of being on Shepherd. Now there is a car wash or a car detailing place there. I think the only thing they brought to the Washington location was the sign.

oops. i did not know that. cool.

any idea when they moved to washington?

I haven't lived in Houston for quite a while, but the place I miss is an old Mexican Restaurant that used to be on Shepherd Drive, Leo's ...

Old Leo supposedly used to ride with Pancho Villa and he'd work the register. It was supposedly a favorite hangout of ZZ Top. It had a funky atmosphere and a fairly generic array of standard Tex-Mex but it was real comfort food too and it was always good. I think it eventually burned down ... I was shocked when I came to town and saw only an awning ... no building anymore.

I think you got the right restaurant but got mixed up on the location.

Leo's was just off washington a couple of blocks east of heights blvd.

It's where the "new" Heights Star Pizza location is.

Any favorites?

2129 Quenby (Leslie Elkins, 2003) was my favorite. It was very efficient and very open; the anti-McMansion. Maybe it reminded me the most of my own place...

1825 Albans (Harrison Kornberg Architects, 2006) was pretty cool too. I really loved the layout downstairs, but the upstairs didn't do it for me.

We walked the whole thing and it was a wonderful afternoon.

1825 albans was definately my fave and I agree with you, the downstairs layout was almost perfect.

but i am a sucker for craftsman houses with original details, so my second favorite was the 1901 bolsover house.

the woodwork was beautiful and the incinerator chutes were cool

i also loved the grounds at the other older house on the tour, 2201 Albans. the bedroom overlooking the small pool and rear garden was great. the old turquoise bath fixtures were cool too

All the houses were interesting and had some outstanding detail.

Sunday was definately an ideal day, glad I didn't do it Saturday.

Could they have picked a name worse than Bubba Burgers?

bubba burger probably paid more.

http://www.bubba-burger.com/

I went to the rodeo and the Astrodome was named "The Hideout" What's the deal with it? It looks dark when i leave work? When i went for cook off i don't think anyone was allowed in. I'm headed back tomorrow.

i think they are using it as a C&W night club/dance club called (as you mentioned) the hideout.

i don't think it cranks up until after the show ends.

Bizjournal article. (paid subscribers only).

"The University of St. Thomas has made an unprecedented purchase to ensure future expansion.

On Feb. 1 the school bought two Montrose-area office buildings and a long-time retail site where the popular Black Labrador Pub has operated for the past 21 years.

The seller was a partnership led by John Hansen of John Hansen Investment Builder, a veteran Houston developer who constructed the office buildings and renovated the retail site dating back to 1945.

It is the largest such acquisition in the university's 60-year history, and the first time St. Thomas has purchased commercial property. The institution is spread over a portion of 19 blocks and bought the adjacent properties in anticipation of future growth. "

The rest of the article says that they bought a 5 story and a 4 story building and plan to use them for faculty, administation and classrooms. They'll honor the existing leases and move in slowly as the leases expire. The Black Labrador is expected to pour beer for another 5-7 years, according to a university official.

Too bad, if they eventually turn it all into university offices and/or get rid of the black lab. That is one of the nicest pedestrian friendly commercial fronts in Houston. The developers did a great job of incorporating a nice treed streetscape while still providing front parking. When you sit outside at the black lab you feel you could be somewhere else other than Houston.

It was originally a building of the Central Church of Christ (designed by William Ward Watkin). The old church sanctuary is used as the Houston Public Library branch next door. The buildings were converted in the 80's. I think there is an article on it in a very old issue of Cite.

We always parked and went in right at Sakowitz. Sakowitz had a great little candy counter with the chocolate coins and suckers with little faces in them. But we always made it down the mall to the popcorn. If you find that time machine please let me know. Now I'm craving an Orange Julius. When I was little I thought they tasted like St. Josephs aspirin.

Used to be Charlie Thomas Ford back in the late 70's.

mmmmm....I LOVE Orange Julius!!!

http://www.orangejulius.com

i may have to head over to west oaks mall to get my fix.

I think the charlie thomas ford (name, at least) made it into the 90's.

Before it was the Park Place Grill it was the Burgerhaus for a long time. They had the best burgers. It shut down reopened as the Park Place Grill but it was never the same.

joe

ooops! yeah...you're right..i forgot about that. seems like it was burgerhaus, then new owners that kept the burgerhaus name, and then it was park place grill. the first burgerhaus incarnation was the best