Washington Avenue Information & Developments

[tanith27]

Just saw this in a chron article. New Bullritos coming to Shepherd/Washington area.

"He opened the La Porte restaurant in September and plans to open 10 more Houston-area Bullritos in the next 18 months. The next location is planned for Shepherd Drive near Washington Avenue."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6421432.html

[jc281]

some other thing i ran across

http://www.block7wineco.com/

[sowanome]

some other thing i ran across

http://www.block7wineco.com/

Nice to see the site is up and running.

[smurf]

Just saw this in a chron article. New Bullritos coming to Shepherd/Washington area.

"He opened the La Porte restaurant in September and plans to open 10 more Houston-area Bullritos in the next 18 months. The next location is planned for Shepherd Drive near Washington Avenue."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6421432.html

Another burrito fast food chain to join MacDonald's Chipotle down the road on Shepherd coming to the neighborhood. Looks disgusting! I prefer my dive Tex-Mex places with good tortillas.

[cosmic08]

Another burrito fast food chain to join MacDonald's Chipotle down the road on Shepherd coming to the neighborhood. Looks disgusting! I prefer my dive Tex-Mex places with good tortillas.

They will have some competition with El Rey being so close and popular. Plus Freebirds is about a mile away

Edited May 14, 2009 by cosmic08

[diggity]

Mission Burrito will probably their more direct competition as it's already so established in the area.

I just don't really like the name Bullrito!

[EMME]

Mission Burrito will probably their more direct competition as it's already so established in the area.

I just don't really like the name Bullrito!

agree

[citykid09]

In Houston, a Party Corridor

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/05/31/travel/31surf600.1.jpg

Benjy’s is among the new arrivals on Washington Avenue.

By YASMIN GHAHREMANI

Published: May 31, 2009

A DRIVE down Washington Avenue in Houston reveals mere remnants of the decay that pervaded this three-mile strip just a few years ago — a bail bondsman sign, a lone pawn shop and a handful of vacant lots hint at what used to be. Sites like these once dominated the street, but today, Washington Avenue has been transformed into one of Houston’s most popular nightspots.

Full Article: http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/travel/31surfacing.html

[musicman]

with the joint health dept/TABC crackdowns they've been doing in midtown, i'm sure articles like this will attract attention.

[N Judah]

Well, as they say, "there goes the neighborhood"...

I also think the Benjy's building is really, really ugly.

[musicman]

It's rare when Houston is highlighted in the Travel section of The New York Times. Sure we've appeared there before, but it's been associated with one of our varied and short-lived ad campaigns: Remember “Houston Proud”? How about “Houston, Expect the Unexpected”? Or the recent “My Houston” campaign? Houston has a history of spending millions of tax dollars grasping for the one logo or brand that will bring droves of visitors to our great city. Advertising campaigns cannot create the excitement that entertainment districts provide and limited advertising dollars should be spent supporting homegrown venues such as Washington Avenue.

Most major cities have districts where locals and visitors enjoy food and music. A few examples are Miami's South Beach, New Orleans' French Quarter, Austin's Sixth Street, Denver's The LoDo, San Antonio's River Walk and so on. Unfortunately, Houston has a history of being antagonistic towards most spontaneously grown districts. Here are a few examples: The Richmond Strip was such a place in the early 1990s, but many of the venues, which routinely held outdoor concerts, were cited under the city's Sound Ordinance and otherwise hassled to the point that most of them went out of business.

full article

Edited July 20, 2009 by musicman

[sevfiv]

All I can say is...dramatic!

[TheNiche]

Four issues:

1) the 'Scene' relocates over the course of years but it never ceases to exist, regardless of where it develops, so how and why is Washington Avenue the best geographic location to nurture it?

2) As much work as needs to be done on Washington Avenue to make it a permanent tourist destination, how do you keep that work from interfering with business (just like the Red Line construction did on Main Street, per the commentary)?

3) What happens when the improvements trigger an escalation in the price of real estate such that the bars and clubs can no longer afford to do business in that location?

4) How do you silence the NIMBYs of Sixth Ward?

[sevfiv]

The "scene" is fickle and never lasts.

And as long as people are acting recklessly in and around the residential portions of OSW, the residents should keep their voices heard. Maybe instead of NIMBY this particular situation could be called SPIMBY (Stop Pissing/puking/prostituting In My Back Yard)

[TheNiche]

And as long as people are acting recklessly in and around the residential portions of OSW, the residents should keep their voices heard. Maybe instead of NIMBY this particular situation could be called SPIMBY (Stop Pissing/puking/prostituting In My Back Yard)

It'd probably be in the public interest to block off all but one street leading into Sixth Ward, let's say the intersection of Lubbock Street and Houston Avenue, and erect 10-foot-tall iron fences all along the neighborhood perimeter. Then install access gates, a guard booth, and a large monument sign with a back-lit fountain or waterfall forced into the design. And there could be deed restrictions, and a towing company, and an HOA with an architectural review committee. Maybe they could hire a consultant to come up with a new name for the neighborhood, probably borrowed from New Orleans, and with some element of the name that conjures up a verdant paradise or an exotic aesthetic.

Having provided them insulation from urbanity and neighborhood-level control over their restrictions, there'd be so much infighting that we'd never hear from them again and could get on with the business of running and building a city.

Edited July 20, 2009 by TheNiche

[citykid09]

This may sound stupid to some, but why not build an entertainment district from scratch? Developers could by out a large area of land, clear it out and build a true urban entertainment district without having to worry with people not wanting it in their neighborhoods. The developers could build and design their own streets and have 3-4 story buildings that house clubs, bars, etc. If I had the money I would like to build a district like that from scratch. It would look similar to the Woodlands town center.

[diggity]

This may sound stupid to some, but why not build an entertainment district from scratch? Developers could by out a large area of land, clear it out and build a true urban entertainment district without having to worry with people not wanting it in their neighborhoods. The developers could build and design their own streets and have 3-4 story buildings that house clubs, bars, etc. If I had the money I would like to build a district like that from scratch. It would look similar to the Woodlands town center.

because you need large population density for these projects to be successful. Any area where you can get huge tracts of non-developed land where there is little to no residential population is going to be a tough sell for people to travel to. Usually there is a reason the area/land hasn't been developed and can be had for so cheap.

The Marquee Center out of I-10 and Silber is pretty close to what you are talking about and it hasn't been much of a success.

It's easier to look for good demographics and build there then try to get the people to come to you.

[N Judah]

Either

Provide on-street parking along the entire street, thus ameliorating the parking problem and making it more pedestrian friendly and neighborhood-like

or

Pave the whole street in cobblestones to discourage through traffic. Anyone who wants to get downtown can use I-10, Allen Pkwy, Memorial, etc.

Here's a snapshot of what I think it could ideally look like:

[brian0123]

This article is dumb. The methods it mentions as ways of "saving Washington Avenue" will never occur in time to "save it". First, parking at one place along Washington Avenue serves no purpose in getting elsewhere along the strip (Washington Avenue is crazy long, and as they mentioned, there are already lots of garages on the east side). Second, Metro cannot run down side streets (or the current rail line) without major infrastructure improvements to those or clearing major legal hurdles with the rail company (which leads to the last problem)... A Management District will not be able to form and create any street improvements in time before the new "it" part of town opens.

Face it, there is no way to "save" Washington Avenue. Our Main Street is a perfect example of why the methods mentioned will not work. For example, our Main street already has the infrastructure in place (mass transit, tons of parking options, etc), a Management District, and is easily accessible from anywhere... however, it lost its image as the "it" spot.

[diggity]

Provide on-street parking along the entire street, thus ameliorating the parking problem and making it more pedestrian friendly and neighborhood-like

On street parking is already allowed on many parts of Washington and it has done little to improve the parking problem.

The city could consider many options if it really wanted to get serious about it.

Parking structures along with modes of transit along Washington could be very effective. If they closed a portion of the blocks heading east/west on weekends, they could also have bicycle taxis similar to downtown.

[N Judah]

Adding more parking on-street will help any parking problem in the same way that taking away on-street parking will make it harder to find a place to park.

But the point is that I think it would be great to have it done in a way similar to the picture I posted. It can be part of a multi-faceted solution.

[ToryGattis]

Downtown was the *perfect* place for such a district - walkable, shaded, plenty of people come down from their buildings right after work (not to mention to/from the sports stadiums and convention center), tons of parking, next to the theater district nightlife, few residents to upset (and they probably live there because they *want* street life) - yet it faded for reasons I don't understand. That's where it needs to be, and that's where it could be nurtured back.

[RedScare]

Downtown was the *perfect* place for such a district - walkable, shaded, plenty of people come down from their buildings right after work (not to mention to/from the sports stadiums and convention center), tons of parking, next to the theater district nightlife, few residents to upset (and they probably live there because they *want* street life) - yet it faded for reasons I don't understand. That's where it needs to be, and that's where it could be nurtured back.

Rent. Nightclub owners look for cheap rent. Others follow. Landlords get greedy. Niteclub owners move on. Space stays empty until landlords get over themselves. Because landlords raise prices as they see the area get popular, but do not lower prices as the area moderates, it is doomed to repeat as each new area develops. It WILL happen on Washington Avenue.

[musicman]

Pave the whole street in cobblestones to discourage through traffic. Anyone who wants to get downtown can use I-10, Allen Pkwy, Memorial, etc.

Here's a snapshot of what I think it could ideally look like:

There are industrial businesses on the Washington strip that still require access by large vehicles. Not sure the snapshot is a realistic possibility.

[TheNiche]

There are industrial businesses on the Washington strip that still require access by large vehicles. Not sure the snapshot is a realistic possibility.

Agreed, but maybe Center Street needs to be the focus, then.

And for the record, I'm not at all against these kinds of improvements being made to Washington Avenue. There are going to be lots of boutiques and other high end retail even after the Scene has moved on, and parking will persist as a problem for some time to come. I just don't think that the stated reason to justify the improvements is a credible one.

[citykid09]

Either

Provide on-street parking along the entire street, thus ameliorating the parking problem and making it more pedestrian friendly and neighborhood-like

or

Pave the whole street in cobblestones to discourage through traffic. Anyone who wants to get downtown can use I-10, Allen Pkwy, Memorial, etc.

Here's a snapshot of what I think it could ideally look like:

That was exactly what I was imagining. But with the way Houston sets up standards like each business has to have a certain amount of parking and the buildings have to be so far from the streets, how could anything like this ever get built? But what you showed in the picture is what I was thinking about. That is the type of district I would be attracted to for entertainment. Its somewhere where you can park once and club hop without having to go get the car again and drive to another venue. To me downtown is the place to be. There are a lot of clubs down there, but unless you like the urban culture, its probably not for you.

[Yankee_in_TX]

If and when it looks like Washington is going to become a collection of retail and eateries and some bars, sure.

Errrr, but I agree with other posters - right now it is mostly the latest hot spot for bars and clubs.

Besides, don't people who visit here want the museums, theater, MLB, NFL, NBA, symphony, Galleria, etc?? Not sure what Washington could offer that would draw tourism...?!

[TheNiche]

That was exactly what I was imagining. But with the way Houston sets up standards like each business has to have a certain amount of parking and the buildings have to be so far from the streets, how could anything like this ever get built?

Don't forget that you don't always have to knock down and rebuild in order for a neighborhood to develop. Pre-existing structures are grandfathered, exempting them from modern ordinances. The consequences with respect to parking play out all over Washington Avenue as well as greater Montrose and parts of the Heights.

To me downtown is the place to be. There are a lot of clubs down there, but unless you like the urban culture, its probably not for you.

What's that?

[ricco67]

If and when it looks like Washington is going to become a collection of retail and eateries and some bars, sure.

Errrr, but I agree with other posters - right now it is mostly the latest hot spot for bars and clubs.

Besides, don't people who visit here want the museums, theater, MLB, NFL, NBA, symphony, Galleria, etc?? Not sure what Washington could offer that would draw tourism...?!

Most tourists are being pointed towards Midtown, The Village, Highlands, or Galleria. Washington isn't very much on their radar unless they spend about 2 weeks here.

As far as a parking situation, I still think if someone builds a big garage (with the first two levels of office/retail), they will make a killing! I'm sure a nice sliding scale rates for residents, daytime, and clubber clients should be implemented and still make money.

[N Judah]

That was exactly what I was imagining. But with the way Houston sets up standards like each business has to have a certain amount of parking and the buildings have to be so far from the streets, how could anything like this ever get built? But what you showed in the picture is what I was thinking about. That is the type of district I would be attracted to for entertainment. Its somewhere where you can park once and club hop without having to go get the car again and drive to another venue. To me downtown is the place to be. There are a lot of clubs down there, but unless you like the urban culture, its probably not for you.

Well, it definitely wasn't made from scratch...a neighborhood like the one in that picture can take decades to cultivate. When you spoke of your single-developer entertainment district vision, I immediately thought of Victory Place.

But no matter who builds it or how it is built, I think what you describe can still happen in downtown/midtown. My biggest qualms with downtown are the extremely wide one-way streets and the fact that there are entire blocks with nothing but blank walls facing the street. On Washington Ave if you walked around, the lot sizes are so narrow that even if someone inconsiderately put up a brick wall facing the street, it is only maybe 10-20 feet wide at the most until the next storefront.

I found what I think might be my perfect urban environment the other day, even though it is only maybe half a block long. A couple of days ago when it rained I walked from Preston St Square north across the railroad tracks and then east along a freeway. I was looking for a hamburger place in a historic building that had announced its presence on this site last week. The restaurant was closed (oddly for a Saturday night at 7pm) but the block it was on was very quaint and out of the way. The buildings were right next to the street but with sidewalks wide enough to walk along and there were a couple of small restaurants and a club. If I had a camera I would have taken pictures. Whatever setbacks or rules exist there, I consider them successful.