The Heights Information & Developments

[Panhandle78]

This is 823 Cortlandt listed at 275 k. It was built in 1893. I see homes like this sell daily to builders and you all complain. Well here is a perfect opportunity for someone. Any takers?......

[heights_yankee]

This is 823 Cortlandt listed at 275 k. It was built in 1893. I see homes like this sell daily to builders and you all complain. Well here is a perfect opportunity for someone. Any takers?......

but judging by the outside, i'm sure the inside is unihabitable. it probably doesn't even have indoor plumbing or electric lights! raze it. why not. nothing in houston from 1893 should remain standing. after all, a brilliant Allegro stucco and stone house will be just as historic in 100 years, right? i say we all go over there tonight with sledge hammers and just rip it down for fun and leave the rubble.

[sevfiv]

This is 823 Cortlandt listed at 275 k. It was built in 1893. I see homes like this sell daily to builders and you all complain. Well here is a perfect opportunity for someone. Any takers?......

Even though your post comes across as snide and irksome, I do hope that it helps to find a buyer for that home that actually wants it for a home. While most of us would love to have an extra $275k (or financing options available) for a home like this, most of us aren't in that situation.

Oh, and the link to the listing:

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

[sheeats]

Even though your post comes across as snide and irksome, I do hope that it helps to find a buyer for that home that actually wants it for a home. While most of us would love to have an extra $275k (or financing options available) for a home like this, most of us aren't in that situation.

Oh, and the link to the listing:

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

Wow. It's absolutely lovely inside (furnishings aside...). And immaculate!!! I'd love to see what's under that carpet. And I especially love the high ceilings. This is going to be a gem for someone, hopefully. And, yeah, if I had a spare $275k in my mattress I'd snap that baby up in a heartbeat, but...alas.

[Dan the Man]

I wouldn't want to live there. It's so old! It doesn't even have granite countertops or travertine in the bathroom. What would my "friends" think?!

[heights_yankee]

pocket doors are soooo 19th century.

[crunchtastic]

Wow. It's absolutely lovely inside (furnishings aside...). And immaculate!!! I'd love to see what's under that carpet. And I especially love the high ceilings. This is going to be a gem for someone, hopefully. And, yeah, if I had a spare $275k in my mattress I'd snap that baby up in a heartbeat, but...alas.

well come on over to the east side! For a lot less than that, I got 11 ft ceilings, a pocket door, bay windows in two rooms, and someone had already done all the hard work for me restoring the original oak floor. Alas, it it not the Heights, which was my first choice. I started looking there, and when I couldn't afford what I wanted and didn't have the stomach for a complete DIY project, I went east. Bonus, we have tough deed restrictions against new muti-family. No townhomes on my block, yay!!

[Panhandle78]

I am all for growth in the Heights, but this does not sit right with me.I dont know if this has already been discussed or have no clue if this is true or just a rumor.....but a waitress at the Cafe told me their lease was up in December. She said the apartments across the street will tear down the building to put a parking garage she thinks.....

If anyone knows whats going on, please tell....I really like this place.

[20thStDad]

That would suck! If those idiot apartment developers think that's a good way to integrate into the neighborhood then they are dumber than I thought. And how can they just be leasing having been there so long?

[tmariar]

I don't have any current information, but recalled Nancy Sarnoff's 2001 HBJ article, which might get you closer to the story. Here is part of it:

Paul Gomberg is in the business of keeping traditions alive. The Houston homebuilder [Premier Victorian Homes Inc.], who constructs Victorian-style residences in the Historic Heights area, has purchased one of the neighborhood's oldest family-owned businesses, which was set to close its doors after almost 80 years. Last month, Gomberg acquired the 78-year-old Yale Grill and Gifts coffee shop from its longtime owner Debbie Drouin, a member of the founding Dupuis family.

Originally called the Yale Pharmacy, Abel and Mildred Dupuis -- both pharmacists -- founded the business in 1923. For decades, the couple filled prescriptions for local customers while serving up sandwiches and Cokes at the store's soda fountain. Years later, their son Joe took over the business. In 1997, he sold the pharmacy operation while retaining the building and the soda fountain. The family changed the name to Yale Grill and Gifts, and Drouin -- the elder Dupuis's stepdaughter -- took over the soda fountain and opened a gift shop and postal office in the empty pharmacy space. When Drouin decided to sell the business this spring, she closed her gift and postal shop. Now, all that's left is the restaurant.

But Gomberg's plans for the old-fashioned eatery at 2100 Yale St. barely stray from the original concept. He plans to meld the restaurant's traditional charm with the changing demands of neighborhood customers, who range from high-powered attorneys to retired Heights residents. "Everyone knows everyone here," Gomberg says. "It's a great place to go. It just brings back a simpler time in America."

Elizabeth Wade, for example, has been dining at the soda fountain since 1960 when she first moved to the Heights. Since her 80th birthday, she's been having breakfast at the restaurant every morning. While there are plenty of eateries in the area, none have the family atmosphere that the Yale Grill offers, says Wade. "It's a place where everyone meets for fun and talk and sharing," she says. "I'd hate to think it was going to be closed permanently. I would have shed a tear."

Adding to its typical fare of hamburgers, onion rings and milkshakes, Gomberg says he'll introduce some healthier items to the menu like turkey burgers and salads. Other improvements will include old-fashioned tables and booths and a 1950s-era jukebox. In addition, Gomberg hopes to rent out about 3,000 square feet of the former gift shop space to an antique, furniture or gift business.

A keen interest in real estate and an affection for historic properties prompted Gomberg to buy the cozy eatery. When Drouin announced to the close-knit Heights community in April that the family business was going to close, Gomberg took action immediately. "I hurried up and made some fast plans and put it under contract. I told her, `You can't close it,' " he says. Gomberg took over the business on April 16, two days after Drouin retired. He leased the 19,000-square-foot, 50-year-old building from her until the sale closed this summer. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

While Gomberg isn't in the business solely for financial reasons, he believes the restaurant will someday be profitable. "I think it will be lucrative eventually, but I haven't advertised. I haven't done anything yet," he says, adding that he'll wait for the renovations to be complete before he begins to spread the word.

From an investment perspective, Gomberg says he wanted to buy the site because of the neighborhood's escalating commercial property values. Indeed, values in the Heights have more than doubled over the past 10 years, according to Sassy Stanton, a retail specialist with Insignia ESG who recently helped assemble close to four acres of land on 19th Street for a new shopping center. "Property in the Heights is easily $20 and up a square foot," Stanton says. "You can hardly pick anything up for less than that."

[goastros]

I have a friend that just enrolled her toddler in the Little Gym but she lives in the burbs. Are there any gymnastics places near the Heights for toddlers?

Little Gym offers a parents/toddlers class and it looks like something my little guy would love but driving out to Memorial/Kirkwood at the crack of dawn on Saturdays doesn't sound appealing.

[jgs1419]

We have had good luck with Discovery Gymnastics on Shepherd about 8th St. They have several classed geared toward little people. You can also rent the place for birthday parties. We did that for our 5 year old last year and it was a big hit. I hear they have a babysitting deal on weekend nights so you can drop the kids off, go to dinner and they have organized activities based on their ages. We haven't used them but have several friends that use them frequently.

[memebag]

My daughter goes to Discovery Gymnastics, too. It's OK, but we had a birthday party there and the people there acted like jerks for some reason.

[Tiko]

My daughter goes to Discovery Gymnastics, too. It's OK, but we had a birthday party there and the people there acted like jerks for some reason.

A classmate of our kids had a birthday party there, too, and we also had a bad experience with that.

Edited September 9, 2008 by Tiko

[goastros]

Thanks! I found their website but they don't list how much they charge for the toddler's gymnastic class. Anyone know the current rate? At least they list some classes during the week after work hours--that's a plus.

[SilverJK]

forget the kids! jk, is there a place where adults can use the gym? I'm looking for somewhere that has an open gym session so I can play on a spring floor.

<-- ninja

[heightsfan]

Good Afternoon

hope your day goes well!

You could also try Gymboree on Post Oak 3 blocks from the Galleria

closer to the loop.

[dcat22]

I saw a sign yesterday. Does anybody have any info about the gym???

Just posted more info on this thread: http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...showtopic=17123

[Tiko]

SO....I see on Karen Derr's blog that the constable program has begun:

http://karenforcouncil.org/blog/

Interesting.

[SaintCyr]

SO....I see on Karen Derr's blog that the constable program has begun:

http://karenforcouncil.org/blog/

Interesting.

I thought they suspended the program because of HPD complaining that it was cutting into their "turf" or something along those lines... Can someone clarify?

[musicman]

I thought they suspended the program because of HPD complaining that it was cutting into their "turf" or something along those lines... Can someone clarify?

i think it was because that the areas that don't pay for private service (but still pay taxes) weren't getting service period. this was one of those wayne dolcefino stories originally. i read somewhere about a month ago (or maybe it was a civic club meeting) saying the issue had been addressed and they were going to start it up again.

[Tiko]

i think it was because that the areas that don't pay for private service (but still pay taxes) weren't getting service period. this was one of those wayne dolcefino stories originally. i read somewhere about a month ago (or maybe it was a civic club meeting) saying the issue had been addressed and they were going to start it up again.

If you read her blog, it addresses that - this is a constable program not a sheriff's department one, so they avoided the issue.

[samiamj]

Tree staking along the Ella Blvd median from W 21 to W 26

November 1, 2008

Saturday from 10 a.m. until Noon

Bring gloves, pile drivers, shovels, strings, and stakes.

Instructions

Things You

Edited November 1, 2008 by samiamj

[tmariar]

I haven't ever been to an HHA meeting, and am thinking about going to the next one, which is described below (yay St. Arnold's).

I'll probably see if any friends in the neighborhood are interested in going with me, and thought I'd check here as well. Was thinking we could meet for a drink before or after. Who knows, maybe it will become a regular thing - for now, though, I was just focusing on the December 8 meeting. If there's interest, I'm happy to coordinate.

GENERAL MEETING IS SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH

Meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Heights City Hall and Fire Station at 107 W. 12th at Yale Street. The December 8th General Meeting is a combination seasonal social, winter beer tasting and Holiday Home Tour volunteer appreciation event. St. Arnold's Brewery, Texas oldest microbrewery, is adaptively-reusing a building on Lyons Avenue east of downtown in order to expand their capacity. There will be a representative from St. Arnold's to talk about the project and maybe bring a few samples.

[EDIT: So I forgot I already have something scheduled on Dec. 8 at that exact same time. Which is a shame because I do want to go to an HHA meeting sometime soon. I'm going to change the title of the thread, and will try to organize something when we get closer to the January 12 meeting... ]

Edited November 18, 2008 by tmariar

[longhornguy]

I have seen quite a number of what seems to be abandoned townhomes in the Rice Military area (South of Washington).

If anybody wants to take a look, 915 Detering is a good example (right by the CVS on Washington).

The windows are actually blown out and it seems the builder just left in the middle of the night and never came back to finish it. As I drove around Rice Military, I began to notice that this was actually more common than I thought. I'm not sure if they're even foreclosures, since there is not a for sale sign in front.

What do you think will eventually happen to these properties? With all the weather conditions Houston has experienced, I would imagine that their conditions are deteriorating and less than ideal for another builder to "finish it up". It seems like you would have to start over on the lot and demo the place.

I would think there are tons of taxes owed on these properties as well.

Anybody have any insight?

[musicman]

this is happening on east side, third ward, midtown, etc. harder to get loans and many developers are just giving up. there are some in midtown that were finished but now damaged since ike and just deteriorating.

[flipper]

I can't speak about these examples specifically, but I have seen the local banks that finance these types of projects eventually foreclosing on the notes and then hiring another builder they have a relationship with to come in and finish them. By then it's usually a non-profit scenario.

flipper

[margokorin]

I have often wondered the same thing about that condo across from the CVS. The downstairs is boarded up. So strange. It has been that way for a long time. I live across the street from a condo complex on Snover that was foreclosed on right before completion, which was back in December of LAST year. For a while there wasn't a fence around the place and it became a five star homeless shelter. Running water and everything. It has taken up until 2 weeks ago for the bank to do any maintence of the property. It is now on the market for 1 mil and some change and there are people looking at it everyday. I just hope someone buys it bc I am tired of looking at the mess!

[jc281]

theres some in shady acres, on...19th or 20th, just west of beall. they're quite creepy looking actually

[houstonray]

Something similar happened in our neighborhood a couple of years ago...two homes were under construction, they stopped, builder went under, and they sat framed, but nothing else, for over a year. The wood faded through rain and sun and cold and hot and then someone bought them, sheetrocked over it, put siding on, painted them and sold them for $500,000 each. I can't believe they passed inspection but I guess it qualified somehow. No WAY I would have bought those homes but of course, finished and painted, I guess no one would know.

I have a feeling that will happen to alot of these townhomes and condos and unfortunately will lead to major problems with them a few years down the road. Assuming they sell now, in this economy that's questionable I suppose.

Edited December 9, 2008 by houstonray