New Orleans Po-Boys: closed?

[dbigtex56]

Tonight one of the employees of New Orleans Po' Boys spotted me in Fiesta and told me that today was their last day, and that the restaurant would not be reopening. I'm very sorry to see it go. The oyster loaf po' boy was legendary, and a traditional diner-type of breakfast could be had cheaply. (This is that sort of Googie looking 50's diner with the unique green, yellow and red color scheme.)

That section of Main Street is turning into a ghost town - the only businesses left between Alabama and Richmond are Sears and that little fire sale store.

[Guest Marty]

I remember a New Orleans Po-Boys in the Greenspoint area at I-45 and Greens road area. It was only there for a couple of years late 90's to about 2003. Could be a copy cat?

[houstonmacbro]

seems like the metro (rail) can make or break a business.

[musicman]

Tonight one of the employees of New Orleans Po' Boys spotted me in Fiesta and told me that today was their last day, and that the restaurant would not be reopening. I'm very sorry to see it go. The oyster loaf po' boy was legendary, and a traditional diner-type of breakfast could be had cheaply. (This is that sort of Googie looking 50's diner with the unique green, yellow and red color scheme.)

That section of Main Street is turning into a ghost town - the only businesses left between Alabama and Richmond are Sears and that little fire sale store.

I'm in shock! I just went there 2 weeks ago. Just hate to see a longtime business such as this go. With all the cross streets closed in the area, it definitely has limited access.

[The Great Hizzy!]

The bigger issue for them was that there wasn't much vehicular traffic in the area (still isn't) and anyone who might have considered using the rail to go there found that the stations just didn't offer quick access to the location. You had to walk at least four blocks in either direction.

It's too bad, although I've never been there personally. The good news, if there's any, is that these lots are being cleared up so that new residential would seem to be less challenging--not saying that it will definitely happen, just that you have enough in the way of continuous unused lots to build a Post-Midtown type mini-neighborhood if you had the gumption. In this, you might see the benefits of rail, as a resident would be far more willing to walk four blocks to a rail station than someone who's on their lunchbreak.

[MidtownCoog]

No way!

We eat lunch there every other week and they are always busy. A easy rail trip from downtown.

That old man is crazy. Did he kick the bucket?

That'd be the only reason I see them closing. I think his daugheter works the register.

[sevfiv]

thats too bad - i wonder what the reason is?

well, one less neat place to go in houston... :closedeyes:

[The Great Hizzy!]

We eat lunch there every other week and they are always busy. A easy rail trip from downtown.

Do you all get off at HCC/Ensemble? What is that, ,like a 5-7 minute walk or so?

[MidtownCoog]

Yes. Less than five. It's not bad at all.

You can stop in Sig's Lagoon and cool off for a bit if it gets too hot.

We did skip the first couple weeks of August.

[musicman]

The bigger issue for them was that there wasn't much vehicular traffic in the area (still isn't) and anyone who might have considered using the rail to go there found that the stations just didn't offer quick access to the location. You had to walk at least four blocks in either direction.

less vehicular traffic because main cross streets are closed. new orleans po boys is two full blocks from the ensemble/hcc station (southbouth) and three(northbound). The consultant hired by the City at the "urban village" workshop a few weeks ago said people will walk 1/4 mile to their destination. Definitely shorter than a 1/4 mile.

[houstonmacbro]

people in houston do not want to walk anywhere. much less 1/4 mile in 95 degree weather.

[musicman]

Yes. Less than five. It's not bad at all.

You can stop in Sig's Lagoon and cool off for a bit if it gets too hot.

We did skip the first couple weeks of August.

i agree not bad all all. if someone has to rest at Sig's then they must be missing a leg or something.

[MidtownCoog]

I am people!

[ToolMan]

This sucks! What's next to close...Breakfast Club?

[feufoma]

That's too bad. I just don't understand why development hasn't taken off along Main Street. If this was any other city I bet that there'd be much more going on (yet another CVS doesn't cut it). People can't walk a few blocks?? People in Houston are so warped... It's frustrating when you see what's happening in so many other places that are smaller and have less tax revenue. It's time for the city and metro to step up to the plate and offer some incentives to spur (proper, truly urban) development. Moreover, the city really needs to work with property owners in keeping the area clean. Otherwise I just see the whole area stagnating even further. I'm just not getting a very positive vibe from recent developments in Houston. A few years back and things were seemingly improving. However, it appears to have been nothing but pipe dreams.

[MidtownCoog]

Who owns the surrounding moon-scape on the southwest side of Alabama? It's super-block for lack of a better term, but it sure ain't super.

It's so Mad-Max. Those abandoned lots are such eye sores.

[WesternGulf]

All of Main through Midtown needs help. The only property on that street that could spark something as far as the area it is located in is the Isabella.

[dbigtex56]

No way!

We eat lunch there every other week and they are always busy. A easy rail trip from downtown.

That old man is crazy. Did he kick the bucket?

That'd be the only reason I see them closing. I think his daugheter works the register.

According to this article Pete Hope is 79 years old. He looked plenty alive last Friday. And if he's crazy, the world would be a better place if it had more crazy people. Check out his role in supporting The Men's Center. The man has done a lot of good for the community.

Interestingly, although Pete owns a lot of property in that area, HCAD lists the restaurant property's owner as South Main Baptist Church.

[houstonmacbro]

This sucks! What's next to close...Breakfast Club?

not with the lines i've seen there. never been during the week, but the weekends are jammed.

[MidtownCoog]

I mean Crazy as a compliment.

And yes, he looked fine when I was there a couple of weeks ago.

[RedScare]

people in houston do not want to walk anywhere. much less 1/4 mile in 95 degree weather.

Speak for yourself. I walk all over downtown, many times 8 to 10 blocks. And I do it in a suit. The "people won't walk 4 blocks" statement is a myth. Perhaps, in the suburbs, where nothing is really within 4 blocks, but not in downtown. If you doubt me, go to the next Astros home game and watch the number of people walking from Main Street and Preston Station to the game. That's 6 blocks.

And, as for blocked cross streets? Please. It is much tougher to get to Thelma's, and no one stops going there. I swear, if there is a traffic jam in Dallas, some people would blame it on the Main Street rail.

[houstonmacbro]

yeah, i guess i am thinking the 'burbs. i can't walk to much of anything.

[TheNiche]

Speak for yourself. I walk all over downtown, many times 8 to 10 blocks. And I do it in a suit. The "people won't walk 4 blocks" statement is a myth. Perhaps, in the suburbs, where nothing is really within 4 blocks, but not in downtown. If you doubt me, go to the next Astros home game and watch the number of people walking from Main Street and Preston Station to the game. That's 6 blocks.

And, as for blocked cross streets? Please. It is much tougher to get to Thelma's, and no one stops going there. I swear, if there is a traffic jam in Dallas, some people would blame it on the Main Street rail.

The Astro-walk argument swings both ways. On the one hand, you can cite people that walk 6 blocks (0.4 miles), but look at how much money that so many people are willing to pay in order to avoid walking that distance, too.

As with most aspects of humanity, people's willingness to walk various distances is a variable that has a mean and a standard deviation. There is no one-size-fits-all measurement, although for the purposes of calculating a typical market area for pedestrian traffic, 1/4 mile is a good huristic. Of course, even the 1/4-mile rule most likely doesn't translate well between a small pedestrian-oriented shop that is open 8 to 12 hours per day and an Astros game that draws tens of thousands of people at once.

[houstonmacbro]

i guess i am talking about regular ole houston 'folk' who would rather get in their car at the galleria parking garage than walk across the street to barnes and noble. i know people like that and it seems to be endemic to houston because we are so accustomed to driving everywhere.

[RedScare]

i guess i am talking about regular ole houston 'folk' who would rather get in their car at the galleria parking garage than walk across the street to barnes and noble. i know people like that and it seems to be endemic to houston because we are so accustomed to driving everywhere.

I agree that a person travelling to the Galleria will likely get back into her car to drive to the store across the street. However, that can generally be attributed to mindset. If you need to go to the store in the suburbs, your mindset is that you will be driving. Even if you only need to cross the street to the strip mall, you'll move your car over there. The Galleria has a suburban type layout, causing the mind to react similarly.

However, if you are downtown, the mind reacts differently. You are more likely to park, then walk to various destinations. I believe it has to do with the mind believing that parking is harder to come by downtown, prompting one to believe walking is simpler than driving. In a suburban setting, the mind is conditioned to believe that driving is simpler than walking. It can be overcome by designing developments to encourage walking, but often it is not.

Depending on the situation, one may prefer walking or driving. Few people are so lazy as to never walk, or to avoid going somewhere if it involves a walk. More often, the situation dictates the preference. People driving in for a game, as Niche pointed out, who have no intention of doing anything else, generally park as close as possible to the stadium. Those who plan to make a night of it, often will park near the bars and restaurants, to be closer to the final destination. Still others come by train to avoid paying ridiculous parking rates for a 3 hour game.

Considering that 40% of downtown workers take some form of mass transit, the rail likely helped Po Boys, rather than hurt it, by increasing the number of potential customers who can reach the store. Mass transit riders know walking is part of the equation. A 2 to 3 block walk from a rail stop is not going to faze them.

[musicman]

And, as for blocked cross streets? Please. It is much tougher to get to Thelma's, and no one stops going there. I swear, if there is a traffic jam in Dallas, some people would blame it on the Main Street rail.

If you're talking Thelma's BBQ they have much easier access.

[Guest danax]

However, if you are downtown, the mind reacts differently. You are more likely to park, then walk to various destinations. I believe it has to do with the mind believing that parking is harder to come by downtown, prompting one to believe walking is simpler than driving.

That's exactly my mindset when parked downtown plus walking is always an adventure there, between the architecture and human display. Walking downtown is more than getting to your destination, it's like more like paddling a canoe down the Amazon to get to your next spot, whereas in less interesting areas, it's like going from one airport to another. Might as well drive to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Midtown's problem right now is that walking there now offers no such attractions. The interesting architecture is as scant and scattered as the humans.

[TheNiche]

Depending on the situation, one may prefer walking or driving. Few people are so lazy as to never walk, or to avoid going somewhere if it involves a walk. More often, the situation dictates the preference. People driving in for a game, as Niche pointed out, who have no intention of doing anything else, generally park as close as possible to the stadium. Those who plan to make a night of it, often will park near the bars and restaurants, to be closer to the final destination. Still others come by train to avoid paying ridiculous parking rates for a 3 hour game.

A lot of folks will also help themselves to free parallel parking after 6:00PM. I've always had good luck parking at the old courthouse and walking from there. I'm just ridiculously frugal, is all. But then, I'm just part of a thoroughly-segmented market.

If parking were not a scarce resource, so that it was free or very nearly free, I think that you'd find that very few people would walk at all. This is the situation that is prevalent in the suburbs on account of having lots of land that is less expensive. This is really much more an economic model accounting for people's cost-minimization techniques than it is a matter of mindset.

Considering that 40% of downtown workers take some form of mass transit, the rail likely helped Po Boys, rather than hurt it, by increasing the number of potential customers who can reach the store. Mass transit riders know walking is part of the equation. A 2 to 3 block walk from a rail stop is not going to faze them.

Where did you find the "40%" figure? I'd be interested in reviewing your source. Does it state how that is divided between types of mass transit (i.e. Rail, Busses, P&R, Trolley, Car/Van Pooling, etc.)?

In any case, I can assure you that not 40% of downtown's workers commute via LRT past NO Poboy. Of those that did commute via LRT, most would've originally been commuting via bus routes that have since been eliminated. Moreover, the placement of the LRT infrastructure did hurt NO Poboy's accessibility. The owner was quoted in the Chronicle as far back as a couple years ago complaining about how the LRT hurt his business.

Walking downtown is...more like paddling a canoe down the Amazon to get to your next spot, whereas in less interesting areas, it's like going from one airport to another.

Huh?

[Guest danax]

Walking downtown is .... more like paddling a canoe down the Amazon to get to your next spot, whereas in less interesting areas, it's like going from one airport to another. Might as well drive to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Huh?

I'm saying that getting from Point A to Point B in a place like DT is an adventure, like canoeing the Amazon. You'll arrive, maybe sweaty and slightly winded but the trip itself could be the best part.

If you're going from Suburban Point A to Suburban Point B the same distance away, you have no compelling reason to walk so the trip is like a flight between airports; getting it over as quickly as possible.

[musicman]

The owner was just on the ch 26 news. He did state that accessibility killed his business. He heard repeatedly that it was too difficult to get to the establishment. BTW he did mention his rent is 5000/month.