Swamplot Archives by Tag:
Brookesmith

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Reader Report: Woodland Heights McDonald’s 2.0

April 23, 2008 – 8:17 am

New McDonald’s at I-45 and N. Main, Woodland Heights

A reader writes in with this report on the newly reopened McDonald’s at I-45 and N. Main, at the entrance of Woodland Heights:

It’s no “McStarbucks,” but it is different from most McDonald’s I’ve seen. The colors are rich coffee browns. There’s some fake zebrawood-looking formica on some walls, and a strange wallpaper-like tile in the bathroom. Right in the middle of the main eating area there’s a round structure that looks vaguely like a DJ booth. A bar-height counter juts out from it, where people waiting for their orders can rub elbows. The indoor playground in front is in a separate room. Sorry, no comfy couches.

How were the hamburgers?!!!?

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8:17 am | 1 Comment | Read more about Neighborhoods: Brookesmith, Neighborhoods: Woodland Heights, Restaurants
Thursday, January 10, 2008

The Brookesmith Shipping-Container House

January 10, 2008 – 2:42 pm

House Made of Shipping Containers at 206 Cordell St., Houston, Under Construction

That house built out of shipping containers on Cordell St. in Brookesmith looks like it’ll be ready for delivery soon. Yes, this was a spec house — and yes, there already is a buyer.

Last year, Numen Development owners Katie Nichols and John Walker used shipping containers to construct the Apama Mackey Gallery on 11th St. in the Heights — because the gallery owner wanted a structure she can move when the property owner kicks her off the land. But the house Numen is building on Cordell looks like it’s going to be around for a while. It comes with its own, uh . . . doublewide lot, and it’s right across the street from a meat-processing plant.

After the jump: drawings, models, and an earlier construction photo of this neat little three-bedroom, three-bath, 1,851-square-foot package!

Continue Reading This Story >

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2:42 pm | Read more about Construction Materials, Green Design and Development, Home Design, Homebuilders, Neighborhoods: Brookesmith, New Construction, New Construction: Residential, Transportation
Thursday, January 3, 2008

Reader Answers: Woodland Heights McStarbucks

January 3, 2008 – 5:59 pm

McDonald's Sign at Night

We have an answer to last week’s reader question about the future of the Woodland Heights McDonald’s, at the corner of I-45 and North Main St., which was recently demolished. Miz Anonymous (”from the lovely and talented ‘Brooke Smith’ subdivision”) writes in:

Neighborhood prattle says that one of those new fancy McDonald’s, with earth tones, Wi-Fi and lounge areas, will be put up there. We’re calling it “McStarbucks.” Guess the McD franchise figures the neighborhood is going “up” after all. We hope that the 45-feeder bums will have to get their panhandled-dollar burgers somewhere else.

Another clue the burgers are coming back: the hood on the freeway-visible sign, which remains. If you haven’t visited the Willowbrook McDonald’s, see the prototype photos in this BusinessWeek slideshow.

Photo of McDonald’s sign: Flickr user Michael Schanbacher

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5:59 pm | Read more about Demolitions, Neighborhoods: Brookesmith, Neighborhoods: Woodland Heights, Proposed Developments, Restaurants
Tuesday, April 10, 2007

New on the Block: Stack ’em High!

April 10, 2007 – 8:23 am

New Patio Home in Brookesmith

Look what’s going up in Brookesmith: “Luxury Patio Homes”! Maybe this is what people mean when they talk about designing a home from the ground floor up—and from scratch. We figure the first floor started as a garage apartment, but by the time they got around to the second floor the concept had expanded to a more Heights-y Victorian. Onto the third floor and there were better ideas: maybe what we really want here is one of them apartment complexes? Plenty of room for the air-conditioning units on the roof deck.

Bonus points for the computer rendering that makes living in Brookesmith look like . . . a walk in the park.

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8:23 am | Read more about Home Design, Homes for Sale, Neighborhoods: Brookesmith, New Construction: Residential