Timbergrove Information & Developments

[Porchman]

Good Lord, why, when Doug's Barber Shop is around and centrally-located (off of 11th and the boulevard)? Doug's would certainly get my vote for one of the most valuable businesses in the Heights, and not just because it's another place to get a haircut - they're an absolutely integral part of the community.

OK. I'll try Doug's. However, I really don't want chat or anything. # 4 Trimmer sides and back, trimmers on the top...and when I want it (when my hair gets a mind of its own).

EDIT:

Until a couple of months ago, Doug's was the only place I have gotten my hair cut in the last three years. Until then, the haircuts ranged from above average to excellent. However, the last one I got there was the worst haircut I can remember getting in 40 years. A one-armed blind man having a seizure could have done a better job. Besides it looking bad, he had just smoked a cigarette and did not wash his hands and he stunk. He left my hair wet and rushed me out as fast as he could. I looked like I needed a haircut the very next day. It will be a long while before I go back in.

OK. Maybe not

[Tiko]

Where is it? I've never been loyal enough to a dry cleaner to not switch. Do they do it on site or ship it off? One thing I don't like about Heights Uptown is they ship it off, so sometimes it doesn't make it back in time. Good thing I never urgently need it.

20th and Arlington. They do it onsite, I think.

[Hartmann]

The Signature Kroger on 11th has lost my business. Their employees are some of the most flippant and uncaring I have ever encountered. Count yourself lucky to get good service at the deli (especially with that new "automated" system).

Anyway, enough bad, the most important and valuable businesses for me are:

Farmers Market on Airline

Antidote

Onion Creek

Shade

Fiesta on Studewood

Pink's Pizza

El Bolillo

My biggest want for the area is a farmers market with a little more variety, Canino and the market behind it are great for essentials but they never carry things like kale, chard, or things like that. I wish there was a way to convince the Urban Harvest folks to bring their goods a little north.

[PlaneNuts]

Although not Heights proper, Young and Restless on Ella is a great children's resale shop that has been in the area for over 15 years.

[20thStDad]

Although not Heights proper, Young and Restless on Ella is a great children's resale shop that has been in the area for over 15 years.

Definitely, we've gotten a lot of used toys from there and saved a lot of money. Give it a good wipe-down with some disinfectant and the kid never knows the difference.

[Lora]

I'm about to move to Prince Street..I'm getting conflicting reports about who the cable/internet provider is? I see the posts about Comcast service in the Heights, but when I called Comcast, the lady said she didn't know if they provided service at my address and would have to send someone out? AT&T U-Verse said on their website that their service isn't available yet at my address. Is sattelite and DirectTV the only options? Seems odd that such an established neighborhood would have such limited options for cable and internet? I'm having trouble finding anything out- any help would be much appreciated!

[Urbannomad]

Lora,

I live in the 1700 block of Beall St and while I have satellite, many of my neighbors have comcast. Comcast shouldn't be a problem, it's all aerial in our area so you could easily tell by looking at the poles, but I'm sure it's there. AT&T buried new fiber (U-Verse) back in October/November of 2008. I know this because fortunately this upgrade required moving their old box from my front yard, to across the street... thank goodness! I'm not sure if U-Verse is active yet, but the construction guy said it was all in, they just had to "throw the switch" when they were ready. That was back in November so it might be available now, guess it just depends on how much of the area is done? In the meantime you can still get DSL through ATT, that's what I do since it's so much cheaper than comcast.

Hope that helps.

[heights_yankee]

Lora,

I live in the 1700 block of Beall St and while I have satellite, many of my neighbors have comcast. Comcast shouldn't be a problem, it's all aerial in our area so you could easily tell by looking at the poles, but I'm sure it's there. AT&T buried new fiber (U-Verse) back in October/November of 2008. I know this because fortunately this upgrade required moving their old box from my front yard, to across the street... thank goodness! I'm not sure if U-Verse is active yet, but the construction guy said it was all in, they just had to "throw the switch" when they were ready. That was back in November so it might be available now, guess it just depends on how much of the area is done? In the meantime you can still get DSL through ATT, that's what I do since it's so much cheaper than comcast.

Hope that helps.

actually, the fact that we are so "established" is part of the issue. Uverse takes some infrastructure work (buried new fiber like nomad mentioned and, i have been lead to understand, a couple other things depending) and an older neighborhood makes some of that work more difficult. all through this part of town it's available in pockets but not across the board. part of the issue is they determine where the work might be valued based on zip code. my zip, 77009, is 1/2 heights and 1/2 across main/45. so they do not yet see the value in adding it to this zip code. i guess my point is, you may or may not get access to it anytime soon.

[mkultra25]

actually, the fact that we are so "established" is part of the issue. Uverse takes some infrastructure work (buried new fiber like nomad mentioned and, i have been lead to understand, a couple other things depending) and an older neighborhood makes some of that work more difficult. all through this part of town it's available in pockets but not across the board. part of the issue is they determine where the work might be valued based on zip code. my zip, 77009, is 1/2 heights and 1/2 across main/45. so they do not yet see the value in adding it to this zip code. i guess my point is, you may or may not get access to it anytime soon.

I live in 77009, east of 45 (Lindale Park). I've been checking the U-Verse website every so often to see if it was available in our area yet, with no luck. But yesterday we got a postcard in the mail offering U-Verse deals, and when I plugged in my address on the site, this time it indicated that we should be able to get it. YMMV.

[mogulette]

Just wondering if anyone had thoughts on what to do about a neighboring lot in the Heights that has been abandoned and left in unsafe and unsightly conditions for over a year. It has broken windows, open doors, trash, furniture and rats hanging around the backyard. I share alley access with this property and have, on more than one ocassion, seen vagrants wander out of there in the really early morning. We've called the city several times, and neighborhood protection, but aside from a few tickets on the door... nothing. I've even tried to contact the owner. I looked up the propety on HCAD and was surprised to find out it is owned by Intown/Lovett homes! You would think they would want to take care of this abandoned,dangerous building and trashed up lot in a neighborhood they are trying to sell other homes in!? The property is not even fenced off, anyone can access it?! Seems like it could be a legal issue.

Anyone have suggestions on getting them to clean up their mess? Maybe I'll post pictures?

[paul.murray]

Just wondering if anyone had thoughts on what to do about a neighboring lot in the Heights that has been abandoned and left in unsafe and unsightly conditions for over a year. It has broken windows, open doors, trash, furniture and rats hanging around the backyard. I share alley access with this property and have, on more than one ocassion, seen vagrants wander out of there in the really early morning. We've called the city several times, and neighborhood protection, but aside from a few tickets on the door... nothing. I've even tried to contact the owner. I looked up the propety on HCAD and was surprised to find out it is owned by Intown/Lovett homes! You would think they would want to take care of this abandoned,dangerous building and trashed up lot in a neighborhood they are trying to sell other homes in!? The property is not even fenced off, anyone can access it?! Seems like it could be a legal issue.

Anyone have suggestions on getting them to clean up their mess? Maybe I'll post pictures?

I would move in to the house, fix it up, put up a sign that says mogulette lives here, mistakenly believe that it is your land, and live there for 25 years.

[sevfiv]

I would hand deliver the tickets to an Intown/Lovett office...and post lots of pictures

[musicman]

We've called the city several times, and neighborhood protection, but aside from a few tickets on the door... nothing.

Recently learned that the Mayor has told neighborhood protection to patrol in certain areas where the amount of taxes being taken in is falling, particularly in the NE side hoods. The inspector said that they also were losing inspectors which exacerbates the issue.

[mogulette]

Recently learned that the Mayor has told neighborhood protection to patrol in certain areas where the amount of taxes being taken in is falling, particularly in the NE side hoods. The inspector said that they also were losing inspectors which exacerbates the issue.

Well that explains a bit... Perhaps I should just take over the property, doesn't look like there will be anyone there to stop me anytime soon!

I may be back with pictures too... just to give the owners some well-deserved, negative press. Thanks for the responses!

[mogulette]

Well that explains a bit... Perhaps I should just take over the property, doesn't look like there will be anyone there to stop me anytime soon!

I may be back with pictures too... just to give the owners some well-deserved, negative press. Thanks for the responses!

Just wanted to share with you all that my friend contacted the mayors office yesterday to ask about this inspector issue. She included a link to this post and got a response within a few hours! They asked for the address and said they would find out what was going on.... They also asked that we please, "go into that forum and state that it is ridiculous that we are taking inspectors out of the Heights because taxes are declining somewhere."

So there it is... We'll see what happens!

[heights_yankee]

Hey HAIFers!

I just wanted to announce a great new read for you to add to your blog list/Google reader!!

Another wonderful Heights resident and I have started a new blog for our neighborhood, aptly called The Heights Life. We think we bring a couple of different perspectives to looking at life and living in The Heights. Together we hope to offer a rich and well rounded look at this part of Houston. We hope you will find it interesting as well.

You can bookmark us or link to us at http://theheightslife.com

In this little slice of Heights living, we hope to showcase so many and so much of what makes this a great and dynamic area to eat in, shop in and live in. We hope to put in print the pride so many of us feel living in a neighborhood with a rich and full sense of community. We want to toot the Heights

[crunchtastic]

Very nicely done!

[Tricky Matt]

Looks good. Hope to see lots and lots of updates!

(Is it too early to lobby for discontinuation of "'hood" usage??)

[daveg]

You have a great blog! I just read the whole thing and will bookmark it to check out later. I like that when you mention a person you provide some background about them, not just a picture. I kept a blog for my last big trip and really should have followed that style more of introducing the readers to the people I met.

Nice work. I'm in the norhill/proctor plaza neighborhood as well.. I think.. Atleast I get the proctor plaza news letters in my mailbox

[heights_yankee]

Looks good. Hope to see lots and lots of updates!

(Is it too early to lobby for discontinuation of "'hood" usage??)

not too early. i'll consider it. it's one of my fave things to say- a tip of the hat to my love of hip hop

thanks for all the compliments, HAIFers! much appreciated.

[SilverJK]

I was happy to see the Brazilian Arts Foundation being represented. I spend a lot of time there and it is an awesome group of people.

Whenever we have our next "Samba Night in the Heights" be sure to check it out.

Curt

[tmariar]

Good luck with the blog!

[tanith27]

I'll do a shameless plug for my site here too: www.heightsbeerclub.com

Join the group on Facebook as well if you want to get the invites to our small gatherings. Art Car Parade coming up May 9th, Great Taste of the Heights May 16th, and Happy Hour coming up May 20th.

[sheeats]

Taking the long way to a friend's house this weekend, I passed Timbergrove Point on 11th. I don't recall noticing it in the past, which is odd since I love me some Country Kitchen (which is right next to it). Either way, it's a gated "community" (really more like a subdivision, since communities tend to have a park or a pool or some kind of "communal" activity/aspect) filled with the scariest McMansions I've ever seen in Houston:

http://www.har.com/HomeValue/dispProp.cfm?ADDRESS=urban%20woods&CRITERIA=Y

They're all about four feet away from each other. No yards. No trees. No driveways. Just a mass of two-story tall brick homes all on top of each other, like something out of Brazil (the movie...). There's only one entrance/exit in the whole tightly-packed maze of houses, so if there were a natural disaster or fire or something that would necessitate a mass exodus, they'd all be screwed. The streets are so narrow and tight that I can't imagine how a fire truck or ambulance would fit down them. Your windows look directly onto your other neighbors. And for a gated "community" there is absolutely nothing "communal" about it -- I kept thinking that if I drove in crazy circles long enough, I'd find at least a lap pool or something. It was like a nightmare.

Has anyone else seen these? Or did I have a bad hallucination yesterday?

[Porchman]

http://www.har.com/H...oods&CRITERIA=Y

They're all about four feet away from each other. No yards. No trees. No driveways. Has anyone else seen these? Or did I have a bad hallucination yesterday?

Who needs trees when you have streets called Urban Woods, Vaulted Oak, Yaupon Sqare, and Windmill Elm? You don't get everything when you buy in the low 100/sf in 77008, ya know?

[20thStDad]

Sounds like that mini-projects-looking gated place on the north side of 34th just west of Shepherd. Might be projects. I hope so, otherwise who would want their neighborhood to look like that?

[samiamj]

My cousin was going to purchase these Perry McMansions. However, they realize they didn't really want to live on top of an industrial park.

Funny thing:

There is a steel? factory adjacent to the neighborhod. They put up a huge banner saying they make noise 24/7. Make sure you know what you are living next to. Thus homes in the earshot of this plant went 40K less.

[heights_yankee]

Who needs trees when you have streets called Urban Woods, Vaulted Oak, Yaupon Sqare, and Windmill Elm? You don't get everything when you buy in the low 100/sf in 77008, ya know?

what the hell does windmill elm mean?

[Ross]

That's what you get when a builder looks for land inside the Loop, buys a piece of former industrial property, and puts houses on it. I had the same reaction when those places first went up - too close together, no trees, no year, really just separated townhouses in a pretty unattractive location. I guess Perry Homes was too late to get in on the Cottage Grove craze, or couldn't put enough land together to make it worthwhile.

[Yankee_in_TX]

I see nothing wrong with them. There are obviously quite a few people who want a home like that inside the loop for under $375 and are willing to give up land and being next to industrial site in return.

I'm not sure why people pile on builders for doing stuff like that. I truly believe that either they're building the perfect place for someone, or the prices will plummet and the builder will take a hit. But at some price point, those homes are perfect for someone.

If all bulders built inside the loop were wonderful free standing homes, away from industrial sites and rr tracks and on a decent chunk of land, well, people like me wouldn't be able to live inside the loop. Just my $.02 So I guess that puts me on the other side of the street from those of you who have lived there for 5, 10, or more years.