Headlines
03/02/12 8:30am

Headlines: The Rise of the Super Commuter; Hermann Park Zodiac Heads

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Photo of Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals, Hermann Park: Molly Glentzer

Buying and Selling
03/01/12 11:42pm

Comment of the Day: Live Humbly, then Cash Out

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4 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: LIVE HUMBLY, THEN CASH OUT “. . . Best success I’ve seen is those who buy cheapest house in a bling neighborhood. Live humbly, leisure frequent, maybe do a little renting later, then sell the land to guy who wants to tear it down for his monstrosity. Relax with your new found cash. Kind of like buying a brand new car . . . why do it? Let the other guy have the 2-week splendor of bragging of the brand-new car he just bought. I’ll take the car with 6k miles for 8k less and the same warranty.” [drew, commenting on Comment of the Day: When I Hear the Word ‘Culture,’ I Reach for My Wallet]

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Highland Village
03/01/12 12:55pm

Highland Village Apple Store To Debut with the iPad 3

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HIGHLAND VILLAGE APPLE STORE TO DEBUT WITH THE IPAD 3 The Apple Store still under construction at the corner of Drexel and Westheimer in the Highland Village Shopping Center will open just in time for the debut of the iPad 3. If, that is, workers scramble quickly enough to get the glass-roofed, walk-through structure ready to open by March 16th — which a super-secret source tells Chron tech columnist Dwight Silverman is the official opening date. And, uh, if Apple actually goes ahead and introduces an iPad 3 on March 7th. Oh yeah, and also if the new iPad actually goes on sale on the 16th or later. Please form your line to the left, in front of Sprinkles Cupcakes. [TechBlog; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Vinson

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Landscape
03/01/12 11:55am

A Ranch-Themed Development for Houston’s Last Ranch?

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A RANCH-THEMED DEVELOPMENT FOR HOUSTON’S LAST RANCH? Lisa Gray tries to find out why the owner of the 19 acres at the northwest corner of George Bush Park that constitute the Marks LH7 Ranch has requested that the Texas Historical Commission remove the landmark designation on the grounds of Houston’s last remaining undeveloped ranch: “‘The property hasn’t been maintained for decades,’ explains Mark Wolfe, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission. ‘The buildings are so badly deteriorated that the owner says the property is a public nuisance, that it could hurt people who come onto the property.’ The development that would take the ranch buildings’ place, Wolfe says, would have a ranch theme and interpretive signs. The developers might reuse artifacts from the ranch, such as a windmill. And the ranch buildings would be painstakingly documented before they’re demolished. . . . I called Milo Marks to ask about his plans. ‘We’re working on a project,’ he said. ‘I’ll just wait to talk until May or June. Thank you!’ And with that, the phone went dead.” [Houston Chronicle] Photo: Louis F. Aulbach

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Headlines
03/01/12 9:00am

Headlines: Taxi Fare, METRO Ridership Hikes; Freeway Favorites

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Photo of eagle sculpture at Eclectic Menagerie Park, Texas Pipe & Supply, Highway 288 at Bellfort: Gonzvales via Swamplot Flickr Pool

Comments
02/29/12 10:59pm

Comment of the Day: When I Hear the Word ‘Culture,’ I Reach for My Wallet

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24 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHEN I HEAR THE WORD ‘CULTURE,’ I REACH FOR MY WALLET “i just wish i could base all my purchases off rigorous aesthetic and historical trends rather than the underlying economics and my base financial well-being. everyone has their personal priorities and should have the right to cater to those priorities as they see fit. as for me, i fully intend on buying the cheapest and most efficient/utilitarian townhome to fit mine and my families needs, which is of course guaranteed to be ugly and of shoddy construction. if i choose to defer proper maintenance on it for 40yrs in exchange for a well-funded roth IRA and 401k, is that really so morally reprehensible (especially after what the boomers are doing to this countries finances)? on the positive side, in 40yrs time a much better and more efficient home will be built making all those aesthetically pleasing and expensive townhomes of current years look out of place, again.” [joel, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Apartment Hunters]

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Franchises and Chain Stores
02/29/12 1:55pm

Fuddruckers Growing Inside Luby’s

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FUDDRUCKERS GROWING INSIDE LUBY’S Seven months after converting a Luby’s takeout room on the I-10 East Fwy. into a Fuddruckers Express drive-thru (shown in the photo at left), the company behind the 2 chains is building its first-ever combo restaurant from scratch, Catie Brubaker reports. Construction will begin next month on a new 12,000-sq.-ft. Luby’s-and-Fuddruckers hybrid on a 2-acre site at 11023 Shadowcreek Pkwy., at the northern end of Shadow Creek Ranch in Pearland. This time the Fuddruckers will be a bit bigger, though, taking up a full 2,500 sq. ft. of the building, plus an additional 1,000 sq. ft. of shared kitchen-and-storage space. Expected opening: August. [Real Estate Bisnow; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Luby’s

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Headlines
02/29/12 8:30am

Headlines: Oil Pricing’s Upward Trend; Parking’s Pollution Cost

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Photo of Fred Hartman Bridge: James Ray via Swamplot Flickr Pool

Comments
02/28/12 11:56pm

Comment of the Day: The Replacements

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6 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE REPLACEMENTS “I happen to live in a 3-story townhouse and love it. There are plenty of older homes, 4-plexes in my neighborhood too, but yes, it’s basically becoming a 3-/4-story townhouse haven. While many people speak about the “history” of Houston in these homes, I find many of them to be dilapidated and run down (not all, of course). So, I see no reason to enjoy keeping up decrepit structures that 1) need to be remodeled or 2) demo’d. Don’t fool yourself — not everything that is old is built to last or of quality craftsmenship. There are a lot of cheap townhouses being put up, but there are also some very nice ones out there (including mine). Also, what’s the deal with everybody hating stucco? What makes ugly brick feel full of life and warm? . . .” [Fernando, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Apartment Hunters]

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Interiors
02/28/12 4:30pm

Doors Open Early at the Highland Village Apple Store: Your First Peek Inside

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Lines aren’t forming outside Houston’s first non-mall Apple Store, and the glass on the front on back facades are still blacked out and protected — it’ll be a little while before the building at the corner of Westheimer and Drexel in the Highland Village Shopping Center is ready for business. But passersby were treated recently to a few glimpses of the store’s innards. Because it will be Apple’s first glass-roofed store with both front and rear entrances, you can expect the interior to turn out a bit different from other local locations.

Here are a couple of sneak peek views snapped through open doors and leaked to Swamplot:

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

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