How Bad Are Things On Galveston?

[69Chevy]

Something else to share:

Five months later, taking stock of Galveston's restaurants post-Ike

Yaga's opened last week. Soon on Olympia @ Harborside.....I hope.

[Fringe]

Went to Galveston for the first time since Ike last weekend. Seawall side seems pretty much back to normal but not much activity in the Strand area with the exception of the Grand Oprah House. Kind of sad to see that since that was my favorite part of Galveston. Could be years before it returns to normal, if ever.

Noticed no work had been done on the Flagship hotel. Still has no access. Anyone heard if it's going to be rebuilt or not? I know it was in pretty dismal shape before Ike.

[Porchman]

Mrs. Porchman and I scooted down to the Island today. Gorgeous weather! Here's a bit of what we saw.

The Flagship has seen better days. The driveway onto its pier is still collapsed.

While the loss of the historic Balinese Room is sad, the view east of 25th is remarkably uncluttered (save pouting children).

The Strand looks like the Strand when you first get there. Then you realize how bad things were. See the water line marked with blue tape?

Notice the new stair risers indicating how high the water rose. The buildings themselves seem in good shape. Their interiors are not.

About 1/3 of the Strand has operating businesses. One observation...bars and restaurants are making a much more noticeable appearance along the Strand. Several of them are new (at least to me) - tequila bars, wine bars. Yaga's is open. Luigi's appears to be on the verge of reopening. It also looks like La King's will be getting the soda fountain going soon. It appears the flood preserved the signs..

Other than a handful of gee-gaw shops (t-shirts, crystal objet that you didn't realize you needed), the retail operations are gone. No more outlets. No more Col. Bubby's.

We did not think the houses looked all that bad. In fact, we thought the storm may have pushed some much needed paint jobs all over the island. However, as we discovered on the Strand, the exterior may not tell the whole story. Suffering a broken toe, I did not walk the neighborhoods as I often do. Such walks often help reveal much about what's happening along those streets.

The Galvestonian lost its deck, pool and its really cool dune bridge (along with much of the dunes).

There is also much patch-up underway on other parts of the island. Seawall Blvd was spotty. Many businesses are open. MANY people going to the freshly restored beaches. That was good to see.

There was something out of place during our visit. I was not sure about it originally. Then it became very apparent. The trees...they're brined. This is what Church Street looked like today.

Broadway and so many other streets looked much the same. For me, this was the saddest sight of the visit. The charm that the old trees gave to the old island neighorhoods is gone. Some of the trees showed some signs of foliage. Many did not. It looks like winter there.

At this point, I could make some comment that I hope Galveston sees its Spring season soon. However, all the poets I studied in high school (not to mention the Mamas and the Papas) make such references trite. Besides, there are so many challenges and it seems so many unknowns (e.g. what is the future of the Island's biggest employer?). It is clearly a game-changing opportunity and challenge for Galveston to recover from Ike. I hope the people of Galveston are up to the task, because, in play with the seasonal metaphor, the Island's groundhog drowned.

[crunchtastic]

Porchman! Long time, no see!

I had the same reaction to the trees. Even some of the oleanders are struggling.

[photolitherland]

I went to Galveston for the first time since Ike two weeks ago and it was in great shape but Bolivar, not so much.

I actually think the Hurricane was a great thing for the strand and other historic neighborhoods. They are completely restoring most of the buildings downtown and a whole ton of beautiful old victorian houses were being completely restored. If you ask me, Im glad the hurricane hit. The Strand looked great too and the restorations look beautiful. Although there wasnt much going on on the strand but in a year I bet all the buildings will have completely new stores in them and it will be alive more than ever before once its restored fully.

[MaggieMay]

I went to Galveston for the first time since Ike two weeks ago and it was in great shape but Bolivar, not so much.

I actually think the Hurricane was a great thing for the strand and other historic neighborhoods. They are completely restoring most of the buildings downtown and a whole ton of beautiful old victorian houses were being completely restored. If you ask me, Im glad the hurricane hit. The Strand looked great too and the restorations look beautiful. Although there wasnt much going on on the strand but in a year I bet all the buildings will have completely new stores in them and it will be alive more than ever before once its restored fully.

How will any new businesses get insurance on the Strand? Restaurants, maybe. But any retail risks losing its inventory with another bad storm surge.

A neighbor is BOI & has told me enough about damage on the Island that I'm not glad the storm hit.

Edited April 14, 2009 by MaggieMay

[Mr. B]

Was out in Galveston this weekend doing some work on our place.

Decided to go take in the island with the nice weather Sunday after the hellashish rain storm all day Saturday.

Seawall side was very nice with many folks on the beach but the strand was depressing. Not much to get out and walk around to see as most still seemed closed except for the bar, etc that seem to be springing back up. Also didn't look to safe (sorry it is what it is) with some of the characters we did see walking up and down the street and along the streets adjacent to the strand.

Shame used to spend many a day in that section but now mostly stay on Tiki, Moody Gardens or the Seawall side.

Wish the Strand would make it back. I know its got to be tough for those folks and doesn't seem like the city can help them much.

It did seem like lots of the buildings were for sail and I wonder if maybe this is why some have not reopened as the owners of the buildings don't want the tenants at this stage, but I am only guessing and can't say for sure.

[Rammer]

Was out in Galveston this weekend doing some work on our place.

Decided to go take in the island with the nice weather Sunday after the hellashish rain storm all day Saturday.

Seawall side was very nice with many folks on the beach but the strand was depressing. Not much to get out and walk around to see as most still seemed closed except for the bar, etc that seem to be springing back up. Also didn't look to safe (sorry it is what it is) with some of the characters we did see walking up and down the street and along the streets adjacent to the strand.

Shame used to spend many a day in that section but now mostly stay on Tiki, Moody Gardens or the Seawall side.

Wish the Strand would make it back. I know its got to be tough for those folks and doesn't seem like the city can help them much.

It did seem like lots of the buildings were for sail and I wonder if maybe this is why some have not reopened as the owners of the buildings don't want the tenants at this stage, but I am only guessing and can't say for sure.

"...lots of the buildings were for sail"

Freudian spelling slip?

[Rammer]

The seawall side of Galveston looks much better than people probably imagine.

Almost all the restaurants are back, most of the motels are open, and there are people everywhere.

The most obvious casualties are the ocean extensions: the Flagship, the fishing pier, the Balinese, Hooters, etc.

[Porchman]

11,000 dead trees could cost $706,000

By HARVEY RICE HOUSTON CHRONICLE

GALVESTON

Edited April 28, 2009 by Porchman

[Porchman]

Galveston is among 11 sites on the list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" assembled by the National Trust for Historic Preservation

(CNN)

-- After Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston, Texas, in September, the 12-block Strand Historic District, with its 19th-century buildings and their elaborate cast-iron storefronts, was awash in 13 feet of saltwater, oil and debris.

The water "permeated the columns and arches, weakening the interior brick support and greatly accelerating rust," said Peter Brink, vice president for programs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In other words, the forces of nature put a historic area in jeopardy.

The CNN story continues here

[marmer]

I posted this in the "Galveston after Ike" thread; it probably belongs more appropriately here.

[plumber2]

Galveston is among 11 sites on the list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" assembled by the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The CNN story continues here

Peter Brink was one of the directors of the Galveston Historic Foundation back in the '70s. He made it to the big time.

Edited May 15, 2009 by plumber2

[cottonmather0]

I was down there this morning for the first time since Ike (my wife has vacation this week so we took the 2 year old to the beach) and it just feels weird. I couldn't figure it out until I realize that it was all of the leafless and/or dead trees everywhere. It's hot as heck and the trees are all dead and look like winter. Really eerie.

We didn't explore too much, but at least around Seawall and Broadway and the Strand, things look fairly normal. The most distressing thing to me was the condition of the Flagship, but aside from that and a few unrepaired houses and boarded windows here and there, things were better than I thought they'd be.

But the trees... just sad.

[TheNiche]

I was down there this morning for the first time since Ike (my wife has vacation this week so we took the 2 year old to the beach) and it just feels weird. I couldn't figure it out until I realize that it was all of the leafless and/or dead trees everywhere. It's hot as heck and the trees are all dead and look like winter. Really eerie.

We didn't explore too much, but at least around Seawall and Broadway and the Strand, things look fairly normal. The most distressing thing to me was the condition of the Flagship, but aside from that and a few unrepaired houses and boarded windows here and there, things were better than I thought they'd be.

But the trees... just sad.

I have to admit that downtown Galveston is coming back better than I thought it would. And aside from the destruction of buildings that were perched over the Gulf, it's hard to tell that a hurricane ever happened when you're driving the Seawall.

Tree removal is going to begin in July.

[Hanno]

My dad's boss used to have a beach house in Pirate's Cove. We went down in June to see if we could find it. We couldn't even find the street it was on - three rows of homes and a street have gone. All the dunes have gone. Trees are all dead and creepy.

It was quite disconcerning.

[IronTiger]

I heard there's also a tree arsonist in Galveston that's already torched over a dozen.

[Urbannizer]

I heard there's also a tree arsonist in Galveston that's already torched over a dozen.

Someone is burning Palm Trees in Galveston, the trees that survived Ike. More than 30 have been burned in the last two months.

[Urbannizer]

There's big news on the road to recovery in Galveston. A vote Monday means the Shriners Hospital in Galveston will likely be re-opening. Sources tell us it's a done deal, that the Shriners delegates voted to reopen the respected Galveston children's hospital by a wide enough margin that there probably will not be another vote. The vote was 756 to 482.

***

Abc13

[Urbannizer]

Hundreds of old historic trees are being torn down Wednesday in Galveston. Not everyone is happy about it, but it's a step the city says it needs to take as it continues to recover from Hurricane Ike.

The city started cutting down trees in its public park. Over the next couple of weeks, it will move on to the airport, city building and local right of way.

***

Within the next two weeks, city crews will rip out as many as 11,000 dying and damaged trees from Ike's salty storm surge.

A forester with the Texas Forestry Service, Pete Smith, is one of the unlikely executioners, deciding which trees will come down.

Even after ten months, Smith admits he would like to give the trees more time to recover, but the city is working against a deadline of September 12 to qualify for 100% reimbursement from FEMA.

Smith says the replanting of trees could start this November but, it will likely be at least ten years before we see anything resembling what Galveston used to have.

Abc13

[TheNiche]

Abc13

Maybe they ought to replant trees that can survive salt water more effectively. ...just sayin'.

[Urbannizer]

Maybe they ought to replant trees that can survive salt water more effectively. ...just sayin'.

I agree. A variety of Palm Trees would be great, but the palms in the median on broadway are ugly.

[IronTiger]

How shockingly sad. Maybe they can fly in already-grown trees?

[Urbannizer]

Here's a list of upcoming events for the Anniversary of Ike and the 1900 Storm.

http://recoverygalveston.org/documents/AnniversaryPoster_Back.pdf

[Urbannizer]

Trees on Broadway are now being removed.