lawotaku Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Hi! First post and new Houston resident. I am melting away in cookie-cutter Katy. Researching purchasing a few project homes to bring in student designers from Tokyo to redo. Any thoughts on affordable, cute and cozy cottages, industrial space, 3l4plexes etc. More importantly...any suggestions of overlooked gold mine areas? We aren't afraid of getting dirty or buying in borderline poor working family/deteriorating urban neighborhoods...but especially like neighborhoods reasonably close to college campuses, public transportation, thrift shops, racially diverse...and centrally located. Alleys are also up there on the list...we imagine purchasing a block of individual properties and creating an alternative venue of small and quirky shops catering to a young artistic crowd...similar to Harajuku, TokyoWe have no idea where to turn...any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Welcome to Houston, and welcome to HAIF.There's a lot of raw material from which to select. The Third and Fifth Wards (areas north and east of Downtown) have high concentrations of the sorts of properties you describe. There are industrial parts on the east side of Houston near the port, which are still affordable in part due to the railroads which crisscross the area.There's a large, diverse and inclusive art community in Houston. Are you familiar with Project Row Houses? Or The Orange Show?Art Cars?You came to the right place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Welcome to Houston, and haif!The first places I would ask about would be around the University of St. Thomas, or Rice University. They have artistic people around them, and it seems to be in close proximity to everything you may want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 East End by the Maxwell House factory on Navigation. Also, around Houston Avenue just north of Washington. It's kinda sketchy but should get really hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawotaku Posted April 25, 2006 Author Share Posted April 25, 2006 Thanks for the welcome and info. I will start going out this weekend to look around. What are some of the flood zones and places to avoid at all costs? Like I said before, we have a higher than normal tolerance for what is perceived to be bad...but we do not want to walk into a war zone....Will check up on the row house project...are these also referred to as shotgun houses? Do the members of this group ever get together to meet and go out on a joint hunt? Would like to get together and meet a few friends and fellow architecture/urban planning/revamp artists and designers.....Project Row House!!!! Great stuff! I will definately get in touch with them...any other HAIF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldlyman Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 (edited) Thanks for the welcome and info. I will start going out this weekend to look around. What are some of the flood zones and places to avoid at all costs? Like I said before, we have a higher than normal tolerance for what is perceived to be bad...but we do not want to walk into a war zone....Will check up on the row house project...are these also referred to as shotgun houses? Do the members of this group ever get together to meet and go out on a joint hunt? Would like to get together and meet a few friends and fellow architecture/urban planning/revamp artists and designers.....Project Row House!!!! Great stuff! I will definately get in touch with them...any other HAIF Edited April 25, 2006 by worldlyman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 These are all good responses. To expand upon Houston Avenue and First Ward, if you head further west and then north of "the tracks" there are some more "cute" bungalow-style homes that are waiting for someone to renovate them. Some new arrival yuppies have preserved a few but many of the homes and their lots are giving way to three-story townhomes. The land may be expensive, however, especially relative to Fifth Ward and the near North Side. Plus, I think the near North Side has more intriguing architecture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawotaku Posted April 25, 2006 Author Share Posted April 25, 2006 Great replies....But I have no idea of "where" the locations are. I am brand new here and have a habit of getting lost 5ft from my front door. It would be great to know where the fifth ward, third ward, the tunnel and all the landmarked locations are.......HELP! Houston is a big maze of highways, tollways, freeways.....with multiple names/numbers. I am completely LOST. I did drive near UofH and TSU...of course I was lost but look forward to learning more regarding the places that are mentioned. Any help (re actual addresses) to pinpoint some of these locations to perform a mapquest would be very very helpful... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomic Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Lowotaku,I am looking for a designer on a project on the Eastside. http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=5941I also have a line on 5 or 6 "row houses" that need to be moved. Very much like "Project Row House." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.