Swamplot Street Sleuths: The Dunlavy Dangle

Got an answer to one 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.

  • Southwest Freeway: Driving over the Dunlavy Bridge, a reader spots a loop of fiber-optic lighting cable hanging off the southern end of the structure. Later the same afternoon, the reader snaps these photos, showing that someone had taped the loose strand to one of the bridge cables: “When the bridges over this part of 59 opened a few years back, the lighting was pretty cool, but I don’t think it has worked for a while. Friends and I have wondered who is supposed to be responsible for keeping this up — think one of your readers might know?”
  • North Montrose: Jackhammers have been thrumming for the last couple mornings on West Dallas, reader Pat Wente reports. And she wonders if it might have something to do with Regent Square: “Anybody know of any official new start dates or plans on this long-delayed project?”

And then there’s this little item:

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  • Avondale: Fresh off the rumor mill: “Is it finally last call for Montrose??” asks reader Nate, who wants to know the truth about whispers that the famed block bounded by Pacific, Grant, Hyde Park, and Crocker owned by Charles Armstrong (and before him, Frank Caven) might be up for sale. On that block: famed ‘trose nightclubs South Beach, JR’s Bar and Grill, and the Montrose Mining Company. Anyone out there in the know on this?

Photos: Swamplot inbox

26 Comment

  • Inquiring minds are dying to know. They were flakey when they first turned them on, some were very bright, some pretty dim, nice to see our tax dollars hard at work. They did this same crap at the I45/BW8 interchange just south of Greenspoint, and those lasted maybe a couple of months. So unless you’re the airport colored roadside lighting is a pointless endeavor.

  • The Regent Square jackhammering probably related to the slab demolition from here: http://swamplot.com/daily-demolition-report-hit-the-surf/2010-09-10/

  • One of the local news stations did a report on those light a while back, evidently they would cost quite a sum to replace and were out of warranty by the time they failed. Some cool led’s that change colors would sure be cool!

  • I don’t drive 59, but I think that colored lighting can be quite a distraction.

    See, for example, the blue-ish lights very near Bayou Place that can be seen as you drive into downtown on Memorial. Those blurry lights, particularly during the wintertime when the sun rises late in the morning, are exceptionally distracting to me.

  • Dear Random Poster, please do everybody a favor and stay off the roads. If colored light are a distraction for you we all have a problem.

  • Especially considering those lights are facing either horizontally (under bridges) or facing downward. Memorial is raised above grade, do you normally drive just looking dead right or left? Probably the same person who nevers turns off their turn signal.. Just kidding, but I hardly feel the aquarium lights are any kind of distraction at all.

  • It’s floating around the various gay clubs and bars that Charles Armstrong was putting his lands up for sale. The best rumors I’m hearing is that he’s trying to see if anybody will bite and isn’t too serious about it yet.

    South Beach and JR’s have been hit hard with many new options available now. Some clubs on Washington are catering to gays on certain nights (or just being openly accepting of all crowds). A new gay dance club has opened at the Meridian on Bell St. near downtown. Blur Bar and Bayou City next to Charles bar has cannibalized many of the younger crowd because they offer cheaper drinks and 18 and up entry. South Beach has been trying to get this crowd back.

    Charles’ other properties (The Montrose Mining Company and Meteor) have been doing well and keep crowds at certain times.

    What I’ve noticed is that the gay crowd in general has been getting more segmented with more choices. Now you don’t even have to be in Montrose to go to places that cater to gay crowds. Crystal on Hillcroft has been serving the Latino community (took most of the crowd from the closed Inergy’s). More Latino themed clubs exist on Dacoma and Mangum on the northwest side. Adam and Eve down in Webster cater for the Clear Lake area. The Woodlands has Ranch Hill Saloon.

    Sundays, the House of Blues host Fuze in one of its rooms which is taking a hit to JR’s and South Beach at night.

  • “Montorse Mining Company” …. occupy yourself… refrain from making any obvious jokes … no references to shafts, pumps, or holes at all. Ok, ok, I’m calm. :)

  • Regent Square: “Anybody know of any official new start dates or plans on this long-delayed project?”
    ——————————————

    The good news: Regent Square is ready to break ground as soon as:

    1.) the economics of the proposed development are justified; and

    2.) a construction lender can be found to fund a $500 million loan on spec retail, spec office; spec condos; and some for-lease apartments.

    The Bad News: It’s rather unlikely that either of these two criteria will ever be met.

  • I drive by over the Dunlavy bridge and that hanging cable annoys the crap outta me. I mean so what if the lights don’t work but at least take that crap down.

  • Yes, I agree. All those little colored lights at every intersection is an huge distraction. Especially when they keep changing from red to green to yellow. I never understood the reasoning behind them. I have heard that they were part of a government mind control experiment.

  • Those red/green/yellow lights were put there as a part of a governmental money-making scheme under the pretext of public safety. See, what they do is ticket you if you cross an intersection while the light is red. Some crackpots claim that red lights reduce traffic fatalities, but I call BS. I have the right as a Texan to drive wherever and into whomever I please, dammit!

  • Ha! Now I have Diet Coke spewing out of my nose!

  • If you exit Allen Parkway southbound from I45 at night, those dang blue lights almost blind you. They’re a few feet away from that ramp and their intensity and color are a shock to night adjusted sight.

  • Yeah ok coming from 45 headed south, yeah I could see that on the roundabout exit to allen parkway (I live mere blocks from that location).

  • agreed commonsense, those lights are really f’ing bright exiting there but it is the internet so everybody has to get their quick jokes in. i don’t think it’s distracing enough to warrant taking them down as they still add a lot to the area, but not acknowledging that it could present a hazard is just short-sighted.

    unfortunately they’re no worse than all those idiots driving around with xenon headlights as if they’re going to run into a f’ing deer on 59 or shepherd. hopefully the stupid rich folks will get a clue now that the tejanos think it’s cool to slap them on their beat up trucks.

  • I wish someone would just go ahead and bulldoze JR’s and the Mining Company. They are dirty, beyond shopworn tributes to 1987 and Charles Armstrong has sucked money out of it for years and years and put little back into it. Blah blah blah gay history…….they are just bars not the Temple of Zeus (though others may argue that point). I had many a happy moment there back in the day but life goes on. Armstrong has applied his tacky ways to Meteor as well with his infamous
    laminated signs made of copy paper (no cover one drink minimum) plastered everywhere and that tasteless indoor shower where out of shape go-go boys try and turn heads. It is so beyond time for that entire gay ghetto to go gently into the night. As kjb34 indicated, we’ve moved beyond the confines of that block.

  • JT said it:

    The gay bar scene is old and tired. Gay folks nowadays don’t need a separate bar to drink. We’ve integrated. This is our BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION, baby!

    On the rare occasion I do walk into JR’s or Mining Co., I’m immediately overwhelmed by the smell of desperation and urine. Why would I want to patronize such a dump?

    Armstrong should sell to developers who can fix that neighborhood up and chase out all the street trash.

  • Even if you wanted to go to a gay bar, there are better alternatives.

    Guava Lamp and Crocker are much better hangouts. But the experience there can also be had at many straight places.

    I seen gay guys hook up at typically straight places. I’m glad I don’t have to navigate the waters of “is he gay” before hitting on someone.

  • I always wandered why people in their right mind buy homes immediately next to all those clubs in Montrose, it’s noisy, heavy traffic, parking issues, drunk guys etc. I suppose they’re waiting for the inevitable when the clubs close or move.

  • That’s true Guava Lamp is a much better bar. Crocker is ok but parking is tough.

  • A lot of people park for the Pacific St. bars and walk over. Hey look, Montrose is a walkable mixed used neighborhood! LOL

  • commonsense,

    Economics? You get the benefits of the Montrose in general at a pretty big discount relative to a few blocks in almost any direction. For us the annoyances just aren’t that big a deal. (Obviously they are for lots of people…thus the discount.)

  • Guava Lamp is a gay bar? Makes sense now.

  • I’m still reeling from the lost of iconic Mary’s, and I’m not a gay man.

  • They’re out there doing demo on W. Dallas again this morning. Started promptly at 7 am. I remain hopeful.