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Midtown Real Estate


Globalarb

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subdude...

yes, the price is the same monthly, no matter how many you rent...

The netflix queue is the important factor in helping rapid delivery...that way, it's not like you return a movie and then select a movie...you just have a constantly running list.

Netflix certainly hurts the instant gratification factor...

My advice to all - sign up and try it for a month...the first month is free anyway!

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  • 2 weeks later...
yes, you're right, i distinctly remember waiting over three months for 'wild strawberries' on netflix and then having it get lost in the mail when it finally (supposedly) was sent.  at least with blockbuster, if they don't have it, they don't have it, and you don't get strung along. 

but anyway, i now live within walking distance of something called 'Reel Video' which i think midtown houston would appreciate a lot more than it would a blockbuster or a Video joe.  Reel Video is basically a higher-end concept video store, owned by Hollywood Video, with an absolutely phenomenal selection of harder to find movies as well as having some of the more mainstream titles.  So it's owned by a major corporation, so at least it's not sleazy and there's some kind of accountability, but it has this huge variety i don't think you'll easily find anywhere else. 

so, yeah, if they got a reel video built, i bet everyone would really enjoy it.

I'm sure I can come up with one or two instances where i was completely hacked off with some aspect of blockbuster...i've never had that problem with netflix...maybe i'm the only one.

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Here is the article:

Nov. 11, 2004, 9:04PM

Blockbuster makes bid for Hollywood chain

Biggest players in rental market could be a match

By DAVID KOENIG

Associated Press

DALLAS - Blockbuster, facing new attacks from big retailers and online operators, has offered $700 million for rival Hollywood Entertainment in a bid to combine the two biggest players in the movie-rental industry.

Blockbuster, the biggest in movie rentals, said Thursday that it had communicated its interest to No. 2 Hollywood Entertainment but that there have been no substantive talks on terms of a deal.

Blockbuster was spun off by Viacom last month. There are 115 Blockbuster locations and 61 Hollywood stores in the Houston area.

Hollywood Entertainment is already in a deal to let its chairman and chief executive and a buyout firm take the company private. The agreement, however, allowed Hollywood to solicit other bids, and the CEO said he welcomed Blockbuster's offer.

The deal would give Blockbuster, which already has 9,000 outlets worldwide, more than 1,920 Hollywood Video stores and 600 Game Crazy specialty stores. But it could also raise antitrust questions.

In 1999, a plan by the two companies to rename Hollywood stores under the Blockbuster banner was stopped by the Federal Trade Commission, but analysts say a merger of the two largest movie-rental firms stands a better chance now.

Stacey Widlitz, an analyst for Fulcrum Global Partners, said regulators would probably block Blockbuster's plans if they considered the movie-rental business as a distinct industry, but not if they lumped rentals with retail sales of DVDs and games. Widlitz said the combined company would control about half the U.S. rental business but only about 20 percent of rentals plus retail sales.

Dallas-based Blockbuster said it offered $11.50 per share, a 17 percent premium over Wilsonville, Ore.-based Hollywood Entertainment's closing price Wednesday of $9.80 per share, and would assume about $350 million in Hollywood Entertainment debt.

The deal would trump the pending bid of $10.25 per share for Hollywood Entertainment by a Los Angeles buyout firm.

Retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores sell DVDs so cheaply that they tempt movie renters. In addition, Blockbuster now faces competition from subscription online rental operators such as Netflix.

John Antioco, Blockbuster's chairman and chief executive, said in a statement that the proposed deal "better positions Blockbuster to compete in the rapidly changing home entertainment marketplace, while simultaneously benefiting consumers as well as Blockbuster and Hollywood Entertainment shareholders."

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How do you people feel about a sado masochistic club opening in your neighborhood? There's one that is about to open up right on Main street . . . right across from the Midtown superblock. I wonder how Camden feels about that. I'm personally against it. Like many other people, I feel that you are free to do whatever you want . . . within reason . . . what ever "floats your boat". But "not in my backyard." I'm still ticked off by all the male prostitutes masterbating in front of my kids. They are welcome to walk the streets, or hang out on the street corners, but there is no F-ing reason why they have to masterbate in public! With Montrose so near, I'm curious why this new business chose Midtown.

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How do you people feel about a sado masochistic club opening in your neighborhood? There's one that is about to open up right on Main street . . . right across from the Midtown superblock. I wonder how Camden feels about that. I'm personally against it. Like many other people, I feel that you are free to do whatever you want . . . within reason . . . what ever "floats your boat". But "not in my backyard." I'm still ticked off by all the male prostitutes masterbating in front of my kids. They are welcome to walk the streets, or hang out on the street corners, but there is no F-ing reason why they have to masterbate in public! With Montrose so near, I'm curious why this new business chose Midtown.

Gee, thanks for providing the graphic detail. Not. Bear in mind that this site is accessible to children, so keep it clean, please.

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My apologies. I was pretty upset when I posted. . . was just venting. My in-laws were visiting for the holidays last year, and got the same show that my family gets on a regular basis. It wouldn't be so bad, if the prostitutes found a dark alley, or faced a buiding when they "self manipulate." But everytime it happens, they're at full throtle and hopping around and grunting like a damed monkey.

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I'm actually one who has vented aggressively about these problems in Midtown. And I had my aimless battle with the all-knowing 'houston_jack' several months ago. As a resident of midtown, I do believe that the problem has seen a significant reduction over the past few months - and that the police have been more active in identifying offenders, gradually having an impact on the number of 'johns' frequenting our neighborhood.

Clearly, I'm not happy about the advent of another club/venue opening in midtown, but i'm confident in the right dynamic that is taking place.

Regarding the meat rack, I'm assuming they're closed down since I rarely see any activity at that bldg. I'll be thrilled when i see it destroyed.

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I've always thought that adult businesses should have SOME zoning, put them into a section where everyone go to to and do their one stop shopping (so to speak) and attract that particular element (Porn-Mart?).

But of course, you would have a bunch of NIMBY's coming along saying, "NO! not in MY neighborhood!" so as long as you have that type of clientel, you're always going to have those kinds of businesses opening and around town.

Ricco

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Regarding the meat rack, I'm assuming they're closed down since I rarely see any activity at that bldg.  I'll be thrilled when i see it destroyed.

According to a report on the news the other night, the Meat Rack is the sexually oriented business planning to located on Main near McGowen. Apparently they're planning on relocating over there.

I'm not opposed to such a business existing but I think they need to be someplace else. Choosing a location right on the rail line in an area that's just starting to redevelop does not demonstrate good social responsibility on the part of the club's owners.

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I'm not opposed to such a business existing but I think they need to be someplace else. Choosing a location right on the rail line in an area that's just starting to redevelop does not demonstrate good social responsibility on the part of the club's owners.

Not to be glib about it, but I doubt somehow that the owners of these businesses consider it part of their social responsibility to locate elsewhere so as to contribute to the success of development projects.

I suppose these kind of businesses are drawn to relatively sparsely populated areas such as Midtown. If Midtown ever develops a large, stable population then these businesses would probably move along. I think trying to put them in one designated area would be a big mistake, since any such area might rapidly be overtaken by crime and prostitution. Didn't Boston try this idea years ago? Since they won't go away, it seems like it would be better to keep them dispersed and controlled.

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