COMMENT OF THE DAY: SALVAGE ARMY COLLECTIONS, DOOR TO DOOR “It would be great if there was an organization to address this need. I’ve done some drive bys of the listed demos and seen everything from old clothing, furniture, fixtures, windows, cabinets, doors, everything get piled up and thrown into the roll-offs. Historic Houston and Habitat Re-Store seem to let the opportunities come to them rather than seek them out. Is there a way to get the word out to the masses that there is a way to reduce the waste and that salvage is an option?” [mstark, commenting on Demolition Strip Search]
Sign up for the Newsletter
Comments
COMMENT OF THE DAY: AND THE NEXT NEW HOT SPOT WILL BE UNCLE JOE’S CLUB ON HILLCROFT “. . . My problem is that it is getting harder and harder to find places that are ‘unbeautiful.’ I want a bar, not a drinking experience. It’s not a hard formula: old building + inexpensive spirits – interior design planning = bar. I guess I’ll just have to stick to Uncle Joe’s and stay away from downtown altogether from now on.” [Brad, commenting on Leon’s Lounge Takes a Turnover Break]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THIS TIME, SOME REAL GROUNDBREAKING AT TANIGUCHI’S ASIA SOCIETY HQ “Construction has begun! It’s been a while in the making but it appears that progress is now rapidly occurring. I first noticed activity on the site about a week ago and as of this morning there were at least two construction trailers and several earth-movers on the site. Much of the two plots have already been cleared.” [Ned Dodington, commenting on More Images of the Asia Society Headquarters Design]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: 77019 FIXER UPPERS “I have a property in the 77019 area. I am undecided on what to do with it. I expect the property value is in the land rather then house in this instance above. $525K sounds about the going rate in that area for the house above. For the land alone my house sits on I could easily take half a million for it. It raises real questions, since anything I did to the property would not add to its value, if that makes sense. Just recently for instance I noticed that Croix are building on a lot which previously had a fabulous little bungalow on, which was in excellent condition and well restored, sadly Croix demolished it because the value was in the land itself. Sadly also the seller looks to have let it go for less than the land was worth. The house value becomes confusing in the whole value thing. I’ve noticed that builders even the ‘build on your own lot’ people are reluctant to help, give any advice, or take on the work – they want the land, it’s as simple as that. Rather than give it to those people I will probably end up restoring the property and living in it, but whatever is spent on it, it will not add anything to the value of the property which is a sad thing.” [David, commenting on Redo, Rinse, Repeat: Brun Bungalow, Makeover Magnet]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: OAK FOREST OAK SEEKS HELP WITH MOVE “A neighbor of the Woodcrest demo is seeking help relocating a 100-year old red oak that is scheduled to be part of that demo. If anyone has the resources and/or machinery to do so email me or post here and I will put you in touch with her. mmatt_chew at h0tmail d0t c0m.” [mek ju, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Memorial Plaza]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: A TASTEMAKER’S EDUCATION “I will confess, anonymously, that I once tasted the Menil Museum. Architecture school will cause you to do strange things…sober.” [Guy Incognito, commenting on The Very, Very Good Friends of Hermann Park]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO APPRECIATE FINE ARCHITECTURE? “Wow, I’ll never look at a disheveled person straddling, hugging, and kissing the corner of a building or monument the same way, ever again.” [TheNiche, commenting on The Very, Very Good Friends of Hermann Park]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE ISLAND HOME “. . . In my home we use the island for kids art and crafts, having guests for drinks and or dinner, homework and home working, watching tv, etc. All this on top of the normal eating and food prep duties. In this way the island and the kitchen in general are taking the place of rooms such as a dining room, office, library etc that might have been included in an older home. In that case I think a good argument can be made that the room and the island can be expanded to fill some of the space that would have been taken up by those now obsolete rooms.” [Jimbo, commenting on Island Living: Inside the West U Cottage That Didn’t Get Away]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: FAST FOOD TOWNHOUSES “I’ve been in Houston for 3 years and I’ve noticed how many expensive townhouses and condos back up to fast food restaurants and other potentially noisy businesses. It would drive me nuts but I would also look around the neighborhood before I purchased or rented something there. I can’t imagine having to listen to the Jack-in-the-Box drive-through traffic all night long. ‘YA WANT FRIES??'” [Apartment dweller, commenting on 2520 Robinhood Vs. the Merry Men of Hans’ Bier Haus: It’s Come to This]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: MORE SIGNS OF WHAT THEY’RE THINKING ABOUT IN MONTROSE “There are several more signs on Taft: I really want a baby, just not now. On Westheimer, there’s a sign across for Bj’s that says: I think I’m a bad artist. On Mandell, there are several more signs: I really want to win the lottery and I sometimes think about men. I have photos, just not with me.” [Candace, commenting on Wanted in Montrose: Rock Hard, Built by Apple]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW STAGING SELLS HOUSES “Reminds me of house shopping a couple years ago. We were looking at a house in Brenham, as a weekend home. Pretty normal decorating scheme, until we got to the master bedroom. Purple walls, gold trim, lots of dangling gold items from lamps and headboards, pillows everywhere, a purple & maroon shag carpet–my wife & I looked at each other, and both mouthed “New Orleans whorehouse†to each other. . . . We ended up buying the place!” [SH snooty, commenting on Remembering the Purple Bedroom of Her Teenage Years]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: AND ON ANY RAINY SUNDAY “Well, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are coming up, an opportunity for the Annual Unscientific Anecdotal Take A Whiff Holiday Bingo. First thing in the morning on these two holidays, open your windows or step onto your porch or balcony, face the southeast, and take a big sniff of the air. 99% guarantee you’ll get a strong odor of Eau de Ship Channel. After 20 or so years of this I’m convinced that the plants take advantage of the holiday (no one manning the phones at TCEQ) to flush the toilets, as it were, and let the emissions fly.” [Miz Brooke Smith, commenting on How the TCEQ Helps Houston Air Stay So Fresh and Clean]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHEN SWAMP LIFE GIVES YOU SWAMP LEMONS “I guess it’s a ‘turning lemons into lemonade’ thing. When you live in a swamp, you may as well excavate enough fill to raise the houses above sea level, then turn the excavated surrounding lands into moats around your McCastles.” [J.V., commenting on Favorite Houston Design Cliché: Vote for One of These Official Nominees]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: LOCATING THE ASHBY HIGHRISE IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE “I’m not continuing an argument, but I’d really like to know. If the Ashby project had sailed through permitting and there had been no opposition at all and it went forward as Buckhead intended on their original timetable, where would it stand now? Would it be started? Completed? Vacant? Highly occupied?” [marmer, commenting on The “Only in Houston†Award: Vote for One of These Official Nominees]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHY THAT GARDEN ON SUL ROSS SEEMS SO PEACEFUL NOW “bye bye 1749 sul ross. my home for 9 years. to be torn down to expand the neighbors garden. 9 year totals:
- “4 roomates
- 7 noise complaints ‘weve been called out here before sir’
- 1 night of fun with boxes of fake movie snow
- 2 car break-ins
- 1 front yard fistfight with real blood on the movie snow ..best comment “wow, looks…looks like a movieâ€
- 1 fugitive running through the property to be nabbed by the HPD
- 1 ‘electrical event’ when a falling tree slowly ripped out the power and fried a ton of appliances”