COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE CRY OF THE INSTITUTIONAL FUNDRAISER “It’s all well and good to have a foundation, but what’s the fun of being a billionaire if you don’t have some buildings with your name on it?” [Robert Boyd, commenting on Midtown Arts Center Interim Design Review: How Do You Like It Now?]
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COMMENT OF THE DAY: WORKING IN THE EAST END, ATTENDING MIDTOWN “. . . In the East End, there is Talento Bilingue, Frenetic Theater, Box 13, El Rincon Social, Super Happy Fun Land, Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex, Kalinen Contemporary, and probably some things that I’m missing. That’s a pretty good set of arts spaces, but it’s very spread out (from near 59 all the way out to Broadway). What is definitely going on in the East End is that a lot of artists have living and/or work spaces there (even though they have exhibits, both El Rincon Social and Box 13 are primarily studio spaces). But that’s not the same as being a destination for people to see art/performances. Whereas the Midtown/Museum District arts area is much more compact –– only 1.5 miles from the Midtown Arts Center to the MFAH — and in between you have the Continental Club, Inman Gallery, Bryan Miller Gallery, Art Palace, Devin Borden Gallery, War’House, the Houston Center For Contemporary Craft, Lawndale, the Ensemble Theatre, the MFAH — and that’s just on Main St. . . . If I was a scrappy young arts group looking for a physical home, I’d look out in the East End before Midtown. You just aren’t going to get things like Super Happy Fun Land, Frenetic Theater or Box 13 in Midtown.” [Robert Boyd, commenting on Midtown Arts Center Interim Design Review: How Do You Like It Now?]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE FLEA MARKET GROWTH CYCLE “Canton Trade Days would not have lasted this long if it was a ‘secret.’ I used to go there twice a year, spring and fall. It was fun stomping around on the grounds amid tables and tents full of so many varieties of ‘stuff.’ Then, the owners started building all these covered pavilions, permanent structures with concrete floors and tall tin roofs. Naturally the vendors love them but rent is higher. So naturally the vendors have to charge more. So naturally, being a buyer, I’d buy less. And so on and so on etc. It’s not so fun anymore. But . . . I’m sure that there will always be those like the author of the above article who will discover the flea market and think it’s wonderful, thus establishing a family outing tradition for a number of years until it’s no longer fun for them. And so on and so on etc.” [PYEWACKET2, commenting on Headlines: The Chinese Drywall of Ashford Place; Oldest and Biggest Outdoor Flea]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: CLEARING OUT THE ENERGY CORRIDOR “Seems like there is one come down in 77079 almost everyday. Prices are really getting up there too.” [Candor, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Queensbury Clearing]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THAT HOUSTON SOUND “I used to live 750 feet from 610. And before that, I lived 1,000 feet from active railroad tracks and kept my windows open at night. The sound that eminated from these sources would definitely exceed City or State standards, but is exempted. I had no right to silence and nor did I care. I even sort of miss the trains and the booming noises from the hump yard a mile to the south. I wish we had that in the Boulevard Oaks area and the Museum District. It’d make them a little more authentically Houston.” [TheNiche, commenting on Headlines: Noise Ordinance Complaints; Galveston’s Coming ‘Maginot Line’]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS AT KIRBY AND WEST ALABAMA “Ulta Cosmetics is taking the ground floor of the former Borders space and Texas Children’s Hospital is taking the upstairs.” [Keep Houston Scenic, commenting on Borders Activity Report]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: PLEASE HELP THE HOMELESS — TO BUY WHAT I’M SELLING “. . . I characterize the problem as a social blight and attribute my interest, concern, and thought toward it primarily because the long-term homeless are not engaging in society as consumers. They are a dead weight. I cannot sell them things, and the people that give them things are made less able to afford to buy my things. Homelessness is a problem because it interferes with the fulfillment of my greed.” [TheNiche, commenting on The Secret Homeless Caves Under Downtown]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WE’RE FROM STUCCO, AND WE’VE COME TO TAKE YOUR HOME “Just an obervation: almost every teardown pictured lately has an italianate townhome or house behind it. Is stucco the new grim reaper for Houston real estate? I mean, it’s not as bad of an omen as the angry french fry, but seems to be more prominent as of late.” [Stating the Obvious, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Beverlyhill Bullies]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: SANDWICHES TOOK THEIR IDENTITY A point of History: Quiznos “Q†logo established in 2004. NewQuest Properties was founded in 2001, and has only had its current logo. [Houstonian, commenting on What To Expect at the Sign of the Q]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE RICE MILITARY MARCH “I walk around in Rice Military and between the old homes, new townhouses, ditches, curbs, overgrown lots, old pea-gravel concrete, newer brick-u-luxe pavers, electrical and cable boxes, new mailbox clusters, construction vehicles, and general chaos, there is hardly any contiguous sidewalk in any block in any direction.” [Miz Brooke Smith, commenting on Where the Sidewalk Takes a Little Break]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHEN THE BULLDOZERS HEAD FOR SHARPSTOWN “. . . The Heights used to be pretty shady too. Times change. Neighborhoods change. Sharpstown’s day in the sun is coming, but it’s still a ways off. It’s not hard to look at the wave of redevelopment that has poured out from the center of Houston and realize Sharpstown is the path of growth. Back in the 80′s West U houses were being bulldozed by the dozen. Soon lots of folks were priced out of West U and the bulldozers turned to Bellaire. Now they are turning south all the way to the South Loop. Meyerland is in play too. Right now the primary western barrier is the edge of the Bellaire HS zoning map. As Meyerland continues to improve though, the childless pioneers who don’t care about school zones will be the first to start the gentrification process in Sharpstown. Eventually . . . critical mass. If the neighborhood associations were smart, they’d start their own tax district and ear mark all the proceeds for demolition of the junkiest properties. Demo some junk. Demo some more junk. Hold the land as it appreciates. Sell it to a developer who has a plan to build that you like (not just the highest bidder). Pour the land sale money into more demolition. Rinse. Repeat.” [Bernard, commenting on Headlines: Selling the Astrodome in Pieces; Felix Mexican Restaurant Sign Mystery]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: DELINEATING THE HOUSTON-KATY BORDER DMZ “I always thought George Bush Park was an appropriate boundary between what should be called ‘Houston’ and what should be called ‘Katy.’ However, this requires suffering a weird ‘interzone’ considering the feeder roads and Park Ten. Still, Park Ten has a feel of neutrality to it. Might still work.” [Katied, commenting on A Peek Inside Houston’s New J. Crew No. 2]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: BEWARE ALSO THE KEG PARTY AT THE HARRINGTONS’ HOUSE ON SATURDAY “Loved the article, or should I say press release, in the Kingwood Observer about the river beach party hangout for teens. It should really help build awareness of, and traffic to, the spot. Great marketing effort!” [PaulP, commenting on Headlines: Fire Station Rehab; Hermann Park Apartment Building’s Loose Python]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED “This is awesome! This is what makes Houston entertaining. With no zoning rules in place, our residential landscape is essentially open to a free for all when it comes to building. Residents have little or no protection against what can go up right next to them. SO what do you do to protect your current neighborhood, you get creative and fight back. Just as the developer has as much of a right to build there, the community also has the right to reject or stop it any legal way they can.” [MericaRulz, commenting on A List of Gentle Ashby Highrise Protest Methods]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHAT THOSE TRAVEL WRITERS ALWAYS SAY ABOUT HOUSTON “Another colorful replay of the ‘ugly, random, full of food’ description. Any reputation is better than none at all.” [Dana-X, commenting on A New York Post Reporter’s Lost Houston Weekend]