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:
Are we batting only .500 here?
- Midtown: There’s more new to the Houston House Apartments than just that exterior paint job. Catching an elevator has been a bit tough and there’s the occasional burst pipe or AC interruption, but otherwise the ongoing renovation is looking good so far, a resident reports: “The new carpet on the residential floors is a geometric pattern with a good mix of cool and bold colors. The units are looking much improved with new finishes and appliances. The appliances are pretty low end but definitely an improvement. The lobby’s looking great. The color-scheme there is a brown and orange and white palette. I’m not a huge fan of the two accent walls of orange dots but the new lettering and signage in the lobby is a great addition. I haven’t been up to the renovated 9th floor (lounge, gym and pool) in a while . . . but when I last saw it it was looking fantastic with a cleaned-up, opened-up, and really bright feel.“
- Melrose Place: Next act for the former Monarch Cleaners building at 2815 South Shepherd, known more recently as the Fox Diner, Cafe Serranos Cantina, Crome, and then Pravada, as several readers pointed out: former Textile chef Ryan Hildebrand‘s new triple threat, Triniti. MC²‘s design for the currently gutted restaurant will include a garden and — judging from some recent construction photos — some colorful applications of perforated metal panels:
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Galleria: Sadly, no one has sniffed out the identity of the “fragrant cafeteria” whose “distracting food smells” apparently sent the Houston CPA Society packing from its longtime home on the 7th floor of 1700 West Loop South. Gotta be something . . . spicy! though. Hmmmm. Brandon, please do clue us in as soon as you make your next delivery to that building!- Downtown: Another strike out. No ID yet on what Mission Constructors is constructing over there on Polk St. near the 59 feeder, though a reader did send in a few photos of the site to help y’all dig up the story:
Photos: Emily J. Hurst (Houston House), Triniti Restaurant, Younan Properties (1700 W. Loop South), Swamplot inbox (Polk St.)
Anyone know what Hermes Architects are doing with the big empty, recently demolished portion of the Marq-E theater center on I-10?
Good luck to Triniti, it will need it. Just watching locations across the city for many many years, I’ve determined that a restaurant has a huge chance of failure when it doesn’t have parking out front. Don’t know if Houstonians just want to see if someplace is crowded … but that’s why some places are snakebit.
Phil: Turning it into a parking lot. Apparently the interior spaces were languishing from lack of visibility, so they decided to make the interior spaces into exterior spaces by demolition. See the second page of http://www.marqehouston.com/documents/MarqE%20Flier.pdf
See also: http://swamplot.com/daily-demolition-report-marqe-mark/2011-01-06/#more-24752
And: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/06/10/edwards-marqe-renovation-unveiled.html
Houston House finally updated their website with renderings and pictures!
http://www.houstonhouseapts.com/
My understanding was that Houston House was used as a pit stop for recently-divorced-child-support-paying-dads in between trophy wives. Is that not the case? Either way, it looks pretty snazzy. I’ll let my husband know, should the need arise.
You don’t have to worry about a parking lot for Triniti – the rude, obnoxious customers will certainly overrun the neighborhood behind it parking anywhere that isn’t a fire zone.
I was so glad when Pravada closed and was hoping they’d have the sense to put something in there that had quicker turns so that the parking didn’t automatically overflow into a neighborhood that already is over run with Linen Trucks.
At least, theoretically, the number of drunk drivers will be less than from Pravada.
Yes, if anyone knows anymore information regarding what’s going up on Polk near the 59 feeder I’d greatly appreciate it! Is that not where the hotel is supposed to go? Or is that across the street?
Re Fox/Crome/Pravada, any new eating or drinking establishment in this location will do better to make the windows non-opaque. I could never tell whether the place was open, since I couldn’t see any signs of life in or around the place. And I’m walking distance away, so parking isn’t an issue for me.