“I’d need to get in shape to move into this house,” writes the Swamplot reader who sent in this listing for one of those new $million-plus homes in the fenced-off Caceres compound wedged between Reinerman, Feagan, and Detering streets in the West End.
Is this stucco structure really five stories tall?
So much new stuff going on it’s impossible to keep track of it all!
a bright and refreshing dining room, festive bar and side street patio. We will eventually offer curbside “to go” service.
And yet even more new stuff:
A West End resident writes in with a question about plans for the former Trinity Steel plant off Koehler St. between Yale and Bonner:
They have recently begun demolishing the huge industrial warehouses that made up the Trinity Industries complex. Our Civic Club President seems to think they are building an extension of the The Core apartment complex that just went up at 3990 Washington Avenue (www.thecoreapts.com). That would be a disaster since the Trinity Industry property parcel is HUGE and if they are going to be ALL apartments, our narrow neighborhood streets will be clogged constantly with all that extra traffic.
I can’t find anything about who developed The Core to see if they have any updates on their website about future extension plans. Do you have any leads on what is going on and going up there?
The Core Apartments were developed by the Morgan Group. Any Swamplot readers have the scoop on future plans for the site?
Bonus question after the jump:
Sharp-witted observers, start your metaphors! Residents of the Park Memorial condos — who’ve been racing to sell their condo complex before any of the units start dropping into the parking garage that sits beneath them — have a new problem. City officials, terrified of a not-merely-figurative condo-market collapse, slapped bright orange notices on all the doors of the Memorial Dr. complex yesterday, notifying all 108 residents that they will need to permanently vacate their homes by September 15th.
The order came after a city inspector and an independent inspector both confirmed that the concrete parking garage structure underneath some of the condo units is in immediate danger of collapse. In late July, the city had warned residents that the garage “may experience catastrophic failure at any time.”
After the jump, a couple more photos of the condo campus . . . from the listing for a recent sale.
City officials posted signs at the Gables of Inwood Apartments near Antoine Forest yesterday notifying residents that they need to vacate the property by Monday. The owner of the 165-unit complex, Collins Ofoegbu of El Sobrante, California, has received notices of more than 240 violations from city inspectors since purchasing the property in 2006.
Some received the news from orange “notice to vacate” signs affixed to their doors. The signs also warned residents that power would be disconnected Monday.
“I need, like, two or three months,” said an agitated Jolanda Hernandez, who waved a recent rent receipt while complaining in Spanish. “I need time so I can move out of here.”
Matt Stiles’s report in the Chronicle indicates there are also problems at a closer-in property with a much larger group of owners: the Park Memorial Condominiums near the corner of Memorial and Detering. Stiles says city inspectors planned to post notices at the condominiums at 5292 Memorial warning residents that the parking garage is unsafe and “may experience catastrophic failure at any time.”
After the jump: More highlights from reporter Matt Stiles’s personal collection of dangerous-apartment photos!
For those of you still fascinated by that Tin House in Rice Military designed by Natalye Appel featured here Wednesday: Photos of the house dating from the . . . uh, Golden Age of Tin Houses in the West End, circa 1992.
Remember when it looked like the entire West End was going to go . . . metal? It was going to be the Tin House District: Hot young architects inserting daring steel-sided homes between ramshackle bungalows . . . with great sensitivity to the sleepy little neighborhood.
Here’s a Rice Military home Natalye Appel designed for Sarah Balinskas in 1992. And it’s for lease! Have a peek inside . . .
Discussing Vietnamese restaurants in Houston, Food in Houston’s Anonymouseater notes the upcoming launch of Pagoda Vietnamese Bistro and Bar — the latest addition to the agglomeration of restaurants off Shepherd and Durham, just south of I-10. But Pagoda appears to be struggling to gain its bearings. The restaurant’s website and menu claim:
We are the first authentic Vietnamese eatery west of downtown with a full menu comparative in traditional quality that can be found in Southeast Houston better known as Chinatown.
There’s more Houston neighborhood-related entertainment in Pagoda’s description of itself on its website:
Up and coming restaurant surely to be a neighborhood favorite to the Heights hippies, Midtown young professionals, Montrose eclectic crowd, Museum District artisans, River Oakies, and the Downtown/Allen Parkway industry professionals.
Anonymouseater provides a helpful summary — and preliminary verdict:
Translation: bringing Vietnamese food from Bellaire to a non-Asian audience with nice decor and high prices. Sounds like Vietopia? Those goals are not necessarily bad. But the food has to be compelling for it to work.
Photo of 4705 Inker St. (from 2006): HAR
From 1stSatArtMarket (Mitchell Cohen): RT @swamplot: How Much Is That Chaise on the North Freeway? http://tinyurl.com/ybajtnm I know a place where they could sell that!
From htownjenny (Jenny Staff Johnson): @swamplot Having trouble opening your links this week...
From nataliebogan (Natalie Bogan): @swamplot Went to a party there once, the kids playroom would be all the space my plant and I need.. No one would even know I was there!From nataliebogan (Natalie Bogan): @swamplot Such a cozy bungalow! http://swamplot.com/piney-point-village-megamansion-now-10-million-off/2009-09-03/
From aharvey321 (Ashlea H): Hey @swamplot , why can't I see your new posts on your homepage?
From azizgilani (Aziz Gilani): @swamplot the third house just got torn down on my street (lorrie) in 3 months! No one told Knollwood Village about the market slowdown
From houstonnownews (HoustonNowNews): Sweet! RT @swamplot: H-E-B Plans To Build a Montrose Grocery Store at Wilshire Village http://twurl.nl/vf3w4o #hounews
From Illini_Jen (Jennifer Vodvarka): RT @houston_foodie: Sweet! RT @swamplot: H-E-B Plans To Build a Montrose Grocery Store at Wilshire Village http://twurl.nl/vf3w4o #hounews
From houston_foodie (Houston Foodie): Sweet! RT @swamplot: H-E-B Plans To Build a Montrose Grocery Store at Wilshire Village http://twurl.nl/vf3w4o #hounews
Comment of the Day: Kicking Back on Washington Ave.
“I live in the Core (since October 2008), and I’m certain that there are no plans to extend this complex across the street. The Core is a great place to live, but like every other large inner city complex, they’ve been slow to fill vacancies here. With that said, it would be foolish for them to even consider expanding. The last I heard, there were plans to put a small two story shopping strip there similar to the one on the other side of the Core. Still no solid plans though from anyone. By the way, if anyone wants to live here in the Core, put me as a reference and you and i both will get cash back.” [Hector Garcia, commenting on Washington Ave.: Extending The Core?]