Signage

Houston Landmarks
05/22/12 12:44pm

Taking Down the Letters on the Alabama Theater Sign

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Retail, Signage, Upper Kirby
16 Comments

Going on now: “The owner of the company taking down the Alabama theater sign letters says ‘the plan’ is to restore them and put them back,” tweets the Chron‘s Nancy Sarnoff, who was no doubt sent several urgent messages from passers-by wondering what was happening to the totem on Shepherd Dr. just north of West Alabama today. And an email property owner Weingarten Realty sent to Preservation Houston says that’s legit: “We are replacing the neon and painting the Alabama letters. In order to paint the letters we are removing them and will re install them.”

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Commercial Real Estate
05/01/12 4:28pm

What To Expect at the Sign of the Q

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Real Estate Marketing, Restaurants, Signage
5 Comments

Pulling into the Pei Wei parking lot on FM 1960 just north of 290 for lunch yesterday, Swamplot reader David Hollas came upon “a whole bunch of commercial real estate signs that reminded me of that tasty sandwich place called Quiznos.” Looking closer, he realized the signs belonged to Houston commercial real estate company NewQuest Properties. Hollas notes “the logos are nearly identical.”

Photo: David Hollas

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Old Sixth Ward
04/16/12 1:29pm

Bayou Trail Bike Route Signs Built for Two

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Signage
12 Comments

These signs, in versions specially designed for both taller and shorter readers, are now posted on the north side of the recently revamped Buffalo Bayou trail just before it ducks under Memorial Dr., a reader informs Swamplot. Just in case the message isn’t clear: This trail is a bike route. Two sets of double signs are posted, for trailgoers in each direction.

Photos: Swamplot inbox

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Gardening
03/05/12 4:32pm

Mysterious Oak Beheadings at the Yale and 610 Burger King

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Landscape, Signage, Sunset Heights
17 Comments

A graduate of the crape myrtle school of chainsaw insta-pruning appears to have gotten a little creative with the oak trees surrounding the Burger King at Yale and the 610 North feeder sometime over the last 2 weeks. The oak trunks are still standing tall, but all its broccoli-like heads have been knocked off. Is this the work of a rogue landscaper, or a concerted action meant to send a message to any other oaks that dare raise their leaves near power lines, feeder roads, or fast-food signage? “Its the most bizarre thing, and one can only presume it will get more odd appearing once they start to sprout out,” a Swamplot reader notes. “I know there are regulations to plant parking lot trees, but I guess there are none to make sure that they remain? There must be a story behind this odd act, but I can only drive by and drop my jaw each time I see it.”

More closeups of the oak hackery, and a “before” view, courtesy of Google Street View:

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Galleria
01/17/12 9:45am

Allen Stanford’s Stamp Finally Being Removed from the Galleria

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Leasing, Office Buildings, Real Estate Marketing, Signage
8 Comments

Workers began taking down the engraved stone Stanford Financial Group sign embedded in the facade of the company’s former headquarters building at 5050 Westheimer last Friday, reader Andrew Tyler reports with this tweeted photo. Federal law enforcement officials raided the building and Stanford Financial offices in Galleria Tower II almost 3 years ago; company founder Allen Stanford was arrested 4 months later. In July of 2010, Woodlands-based Black Forest Ventures bought the 3-story, 71,000-sq.-ft. structure across the street from the Galleria for $12.5 million.

Photo: Andrew Tyler

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Quicklink
06/24/11 2:44pm

Attack of the Traffic-Sign Zombies

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Signage
No Comments

ATTACK OF THE TRAFFIC-SIGN ZOMBIES All-things-automotive blog Jalopnik takes uh, credit for the continuing wave of streetside zombie warnings gracing local newscasts nationwide, two-and-a-half years after the publication of their original how-to: “[There’s] no reason to demonize us here at Jalopnik. . . . The reason road signs are still being hacked is because hapless lowest-bid Department of Transportation contractors aren’t protecting their screens from zombified hordes with a simple Master-lock. And we’ll continue to spread that important message until they secure their damn signs — no matter how much the idiots at local news stations call us a ‘hacker website.’ They’re stupid enough to think that’s some kind of an insult. That said we still must remind you kids not to try this at home.” [Jalopnik; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Fox26 Viewer Amy

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Galveston
05/02/11 10:28am

Galveston, You Have Been Warned: Zombies Will Come from the North

by
Hazards, Signage
15 Comments

Following up on this shocking reader-submitted photo of a TxDOT electronic sign spotted Friday morning from the northbound Gulf Freeway near the Galveston Causeway, a local investigative news team springs into action: “At last check, FOX 26 News was not able to locate any zombies on the mainland.” Keep tuned for updates.

Photo: Fox26 Viewer Amy

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Downtown
03/15/11 6:20pm

Downtown LOL Hacker: That Sign Looked Like Shit Before I Got to It

by
Graffiti, Signage
9 Comments

Denver Hopkins tells abc13 he’s the brilliant mastermind who spent 30 seconds at an open, unlocked keyboard attached to a downtown electronic construction sign over the weekend, changing the message from “Poop” to “;> LOL.” What harsh punishment will the Texas Dept. of Transportation seek to inflict on this sign hacker? He turned himself in this afternoon to the TxDOT offices at I-10 and Old Katy Rd. to find out. TxDOT spokeswoman Raquelle Lewis told Chronicle reporters yesterday that messing with the sign carries a fine of “up to $500.”

Video: abc13

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Comments
03/15/11 4:44pm

Comment of the Day: Catch Me If You Can, Sez ‘Poop’ Hack Perp

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Downtown, Graffiti, Quicklink, Signage
8 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SEZ ‘POOP’ HACK PERP “I BROKE NOTHING!!!! THERE WAS NO LOCK!!!! THEY’RE TRYIN TO COVER THEIR A$$3$!!!! THAT’S CRAP!!!! But seriously, let them try to find me. I guarantee they won’t. I’ll give you a hint. I bounce around the world 9 times before I actually connect to the internet. If they wanna try to track my IP, they’ll be in for a long and hard journey. Also, as for cameras, I’d love to see the video! Bring it on! When you do things that can get you in trouble, you can’t be afraid of the consequences.” [theguythatdidit, commenting on What Dirty Little Secret Was This Downtown Sign Hiding?]

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Downtown
03/14/11 12:15pm

What Dirty Little Secret Was This Downtown Sign Hiding?

by
Graffiti, Signage
32 Comments

Note: Updates below.

Successive photos of the results of a hack made to the lighted construction sign parked across from the Hogg Palace on Louisiana St. just north of Prairie over the weekend. The pic above shows the message displayed on Sunday night. What’s so funny, really? Maybe something to do with the message on display the night before:

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Comments
08/03/10 4:14pm

Comment of the Day: Heck, I Could Name That Ol’ Tractor on the Corner from a Mile Away

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Memorial Heights, Quicklink, Restaurants, Signage, Washington Corridor
No Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: HECK, I COULD NAME THAT OL’ TRACTOR ON THE CORNER FROM A MILE AWAY “Ford 9N. 1939 model I believe.” [nx99, commenting on The Smoke Is Back at Washington and Heights, but It Smells a Little Different This Time]

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Proposed Developments
07/27/10 8:05am

The West End Walmart and the Disappearing Variance

by
Retail, Signage, Streets, West End
23 Comments

Will construction of a new Walmart off Yale St. just south of I-10 and the Heights require any variances from the Planning Commission? This sign appeared over the weekend across the street from where Koehler St. ends at Yale, just south of Dirt Bar. It appears to refer to the proposed extension of Koehler St. to Heights Blvd. shown on the Ainbinder Company site plan for the property. That’s not for the portion of the property Walmart will be occupying, but for an adjacent tract.

By Sunday night, though, the sign had been taken down. According to Kent Marsh of planning firm Marsh Darcy Partners, it was removed “erroneously” and should be reinstalled soon. Meanwhile, a separate set of signs are up along Koehler and on the other side of Yale, closer to where the Walmart is likely to go. But they appear to be for the Yale St. pad sites in the Ainbinder plan. And they aren’t for variances:

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Bellaire
07/26/10 1:56pm

Swamplot Street Sleuths: Just Needed a Coat of Paint

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Downtown, Homes for Sale, New Construction: Residential, Signage, Townhomes, Washington Corridor
1 Comment

Got a question about something going on in your neighborhood you’d like Swamplot to answer? Sorry, we can’t help you. But if you ask real nice and include a photo or 2 with your request, maybe the Swamplot Street Sleuths can! Who are they? Other readers, just like you, ready to demonstrate their mad skillz in hunting down stuff like this:

We’ve got some answers to your questions:

  • Downtown: The mystery of the missing Houston Pavilions signs (shown — or rather, not shown — above) is solved . . . in rather unexciting fashion. The development’s management office explains the lettering is being painted, and should be reinstalled in short order.
  • Bellaire: Noting that other lots just west of Bellaire High School have a similar shape and size, subprimelandguy provides a matter-of-fact explanation for the triple-deep lots on the south side of Maple St.:

    Mimosa (and the adjacent smaller lots on the south side of Maple) ends short of the Loop simply because that was the edge of the Bellaire Oaks subdivision when it was developed in the 50’s. The larger lots are in a different subdivision likely developed by a different developer, and of course at that time the Loop didn’t exist for Mimosa to extend out to.

    None of you took the bait on the reader’s second question: Should a triple-size lot always command a triple-size price?

And what about that monument to eternal redevelopment at the corner of Washington and Jackson Hill?

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Bellaire
07/20/10 6:11pm

Swamplot Street Sleuths: The Case of the Missing Houston Pavilions Signs

by
Downtown, New Construction: Residential, Signage, Townhomes, Washington Corridor
8 Comments

Got an answer to any of these reader questions? Or just want to be a sleuth for Swamplot? Here’s your chance! Add your report in a comment, or send a note to our tipline.

  • Downtown: A reader wants to know why the backlit signage that used to be attached to those fancy Houston Pavilions multi-story hole-in-the-middle bridges over Fannin and San Jacinto streets Downtown is — gone! “You can see the remains of little black studs that supported the letters. Probably not a big deal at all, just something I noticed the last couple of trips [and] thought I would share.”
  • Bellaire: From just outside the Loop, we have interest in the “extremely long residential lots” on the south side of Maple St., just east of S. Rice Blvd. (Map here.) Each property, bounded by a storm drain to the south, is the equivalent of 3 lots deep, a curious reader notes. And asks: “1) Why does Mimosa end before W. Loop? 2) Is a triple lot property 3x the value of single lot? What shapes their value?”

One more puzzle for you to solve:

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