bachanon

it's interesting to see that the residential areas in close proximity to the richmond strip area could not sustain the businesses that were there. people were coming from the burbs to those establishments. now, people from the burbs come downtown/midtown.

my parents rescued us from the dregs of pasadena, texas when i was six (no offense to you who live there). friends of the family had started a private school in conroe in the early seventies and my parents decided to take the plunge, buy a new home ($44k for 2400 square feet in 1973) and get the hell out of dodge. coincidentally, this was the same year that the woodlands was founded. by the time i was eleven, i was not only drawing house plans but neighborhoods with "walking" trails and forested buffers. needless to say, at 37 i was able to purchase a 1978 house with 1900 square feet in need of some "love" within walking distance from the woodlands ever changing and internationally reknown town center. as a kid i wondered through the forest in awe of the six/seven story pine trees and the smell of honeysuckle in spring. now, i live IN the forest. this is why i chose my neighborhood.

i love the seafood enchiladas at pappasito's, but yesterday i tried the new spicy shrimp enchiladas. YUM. go with black beans instead of the lard laced charro beans. good times........good times.......

welcome to h-town iluvdogs! earlier in the thread you said that you would be renting first. this is a really good idea. it takes a couple of years to really "digest" houston and it's amenities. rent something in the area you'd like to have your business. btw, the west loop (610) in the galleria area is one of the most congested sections of freeway in the nation. the heights, montrose, museum district are great areas. i'm afraid if you purchase west of the galleria you may miss some of the charm of the inner loop areas initially. what i mean by that is, it takes awhile (or so i've been told from newbies) to get to know houston. inside or near the 610 loop has so much to offer that you might settle in sooner. great to have you!

the saks renovation was just recently announced. i mean, it can take months for plans to be submitted and financing to be secured. it seems as if some people would like for sabrina the teenage witch to twinkle her nose and make it so, immediately after it is announced. these things take months, some times years. be patient and enjoy the fruits when they occur. in the mean time, support the businesses (downtown/midtown) that are already in existence so that they can survive until the next wave of development. and, about the inward development of houston pavilions......loading docks can be hidden by walls and landscaping. i hope that the designers and developers of the pavilions will consider these options.

there are days that i check haif all day. this saturday; however, i had company.

let me rephrase, new, affordable housing.

great resource. i had to pull myself away from it. thanks, kirzania

this is why affordable (not subsidized), family friendly housing must be introduced into the city centers. it is possible.

same here. i use the view new link.

thank you for the compliment. we owe our esteemed moderators and our editor thanks for keeping it real around here. thanks guys!

i do enjoy your posts kjb, keep 'em coming.

ok, here's my 2 cents..... the original master plan of the woodlands calls for every community to have mixed incomes represented. this is a retirement community. the other retirement communities in the woodlands (IMHO) are having no effect on crime or property values. in fact, the ones i've seen are well maintained.

a cozy wine bar would be great in that area.

i hear ya 2112. i'll be 40 in november.

ditto that... http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/HABlog.../1105169634.php

i can't tell from re-reading the articles. somebody "in the know" might have more info.

you know pineda? if i were employed by the woodlands i'd have a serious conflict of interest. as much as i believe the woodlands would benefit from the grand parkway project and as much as i wish for personal property rights to be protected (knowing of your struggle), it would be hard for me to be objective. any time the grand parkway project issue comes up, i think of you.....losing your home. i don't wish for you to lose your home, but i like the thought of having an easy freeway, connector close to me.

hell yes!!! if passion were a requirement? i'd win hands down.

yes, any "built environment" (read, construction, real estate, developer, builders,e tc) employers who need an office manager, assistant or buyer...i'm your man. i will live, eat, sleep your business...and i excel at communication, oral and written. oh, and thanks for the woodlandsonline tip pineda. i've been there but i have yet to visit the forums. will do.

i have a boring job that requires little or no attention. my creative self is withering as we speak. i log on when i check emails in the morning, after i arrive at work, when work gets slow and at the end of the day when i come home, i log on again.....and occasionally i log on when i treat myself to a good red wine. am i just a HAIF geek or are more of you enjoying the site as much or more?

just as a point of reference, i have a friend who works for hewlett packard and lives off of fry road and westheimer parkway/near katy. his commute is one hour during rush hour. living inside or near the loop should be quicker, i don't know about 30 minutes though.

that is true.

eastshore this new neighborhood is walking distance from the woodlands town center.

it's been said before and i'll say it again: "the best thing about dallas is that it's only minutes from ft. worth". good things about the metroplex: ft. worth's modern art museum ft. worth's downtown revitalization/trinity river plan meyerson symphony center