dbigtex56

Pretty much agree with your observations, including the positive ones. A small stretch of I-45 (from downtown to the North Main exit) is already attractive, and (if the recent plantings take hold) it will be more so in a year or two.

You're right, Glen. We agree. That's the point. Please remember that this isn't proposed as a 'freeway' - something to benefit everyone equally. It's a tollway. In other words, the proposed road is for the benefit of those who can pay a little more to get where they're going - and at the expense of an established neighborhood. If - when - it becomes more obvious to people that driving their own car isn't in their best interest, they'll explore other options. For them to do so, other options have to exist. I don't believe that Houstonians are backward folk, who wouldn't ever ride in anything without a gun rack. We're a civilized people. Some have already discovered that van pools and HOV lanes and Park & Ride allow greater - not less - freedom. I'm still pondering the question of toll roads. To me, it looks like a way for people with more disposable income to get everyone else to subsidize their convenience.

Bless your heart, danex! Someone else who knows what a 'reel' (not 'real') mower is. My parents had one, and it kept me out of trouble for several years. It was also non-polluting, quiet, and kept a kid from being flabby.

A few people? Some people (myself included) are skeptical about the desirability of the I-1/ Katy Freeway expansion. Some people have grown leery about the relationship between heavily funded elected officials and contractors who stand to benefit from taxpayers' money. At some point, reason steps in: is this the best way to move people efficiently? Please don't quote anyone, just use your eyes. I-10 is crowded with single-occupant vehicles battling one another. Imagine if they (us) were riding a single efficent train instead. Yet, this option - this question - isn't open to us. It's a fait accompli. For some reason, our heavily subsidized elected officials have made this choice for us - unlike rail.

So much of America would be surprised that there's a vital Jewish population in Texas. As an ex-Yankee, I was.

That Nancy! Again, Ms Sarnoff, I applaud your accurate and perceptive reporting. I've lived cheek-to-jowl with Midtown for 20 years, and have noticed that hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese businesses have been fading in this area recently. I sincerely hope that these businesspeople have found a better place in which to invest their money. Perhaps it might be prudent to investigate where they've moved to - Bellaire Blvd.

Does anyone really believe that car alarms do any good? Perhaps people who sell car alarms believe it, but the rest of us know that a car alarm does not protect your car; indeed, it's chief function is to piss off your neighbors. When is the last time you sprang into action upon hearing a car alarm? For me, it was circa 1982. Back then, I felt I was being a good neighbor, that maybe I could prevent someone's car from being broken into. The 'good neighbor' part still applies. If I suspect someone's breaking into a car, I'll alert the owner or the atthorities. So far as directly confronting the culprit, the last time I did that someone came at me with a knife. Lesson learned. No. I'm not going to risk my life to protect a stranger's car. Alarm owners, get that thought out of your heads; the public is not your security force. Aside from the ineffectiveness of car alarms, the potential for annoying people is boundless. Anyone remember that there was briefly a time when alarms were set to talk to passersby? "TOO CLOSE...TOO CLOSE...STEP AWAY FROM THE CAR", an electronic voice would intone. Those alarms didn't last very long. People got pissed off and would kick the crap out of the car. Deservingly so. One of the most joyous television moments was seeing Michael Moore on "TV Nation" - the episode where he surrounded the Long Island estate of a car alarm company CEO with a dozen cars, and set all their alarms off at 7am on a Sunday morning. Vandalism and theft of cars is a concern of everyone. It increases insurance rates. It's criminal. It hurts. If car alarms did any good, I'd endorse them. They do no good. Ever hear a car alarm that didn't turn off? I have. That's why I'm writing this post so early in the morning.

What on Earth are they talking about? There is no nearby high-rise condominium complex. If they're talking about 2016 Main, these residents are really pushing the limits of the definition of 'nearby'. They'd need binoculars to be offended - maybe a telescope. And X-ray vision. "A meeting of those involved in the revitalization of Main Street was called this week to discuss the move of the MeatRack" Those involved? What the heck does that mean? Was this a public meeting? Seems to me that anyone with an interest in Main Street is one of 'those involved' - and I didn't get any invitation.

I've 'googled' this property (216 La Branch) and it shows up in Harris County Purchasing Department Listing of Current Term Contracts By Description. According to County Commission Court Agenda, Dec. 18 2001: 38. Recommendation that the award for lease of the Palace Hotel at 216 LaBranch be made to Palace Partners, Ltd., in the amount of $420 per month, and for the County Judge to take necessary action relating to the award. If I'm understanding this correctly, the building is still owned by Harris County, and is under long-term lease to developers.

Patients are "made" while on the ambulance? Lucky them! Perhaps I'm not understanding what you're saying. However, if you're attending to a large number of Hispanic, non-English speaking people in need of medical attention, I certainly hope that EMTs are required to speak at least some Spanish. Isn't saving lives what it's all about?

A map of the right-of-way would be helpful - if someone can post one, or a link, it would be appreciated. Slightly off topic, while searching for a map I discovered that the Missouri Kansas and Texas Railroad was the inspiration for the name of a town west of here - Katy.

In other words, "Don't worry, we probably won't even build it. And after we do, you won't mind it a bit." Patricia Friese strikes me as being more than a little disingenuous. This project would be a disaster. HCTRA needs to keep their damn mitts off this property, so that it can be put to some better use - or left exactly as it is.

Why do moral people have such filthy minds?

Football, shmootball. The important thing is that People magazine named David Carr as one of the "50 Sexiest Men Alive"!

If someone would like to check this, go to TABC's website and look up the address. I'd do it myself, but they're available only as .zip files, and my zipper's stuck...

Are we talking about the same building? I think Joseph Finger's design is lovely, capturing both the optimism of Art Deco and the dignity one expects from a governmental building. Hollywood apparently agrees, having used it (in various guises) in at least a couple of movies. At the time it was constructed, it too probably was controversial, having deviated from the expected Neo-Classical form - but I think it's stood the test of time quite well.

The details at approximately the 16th-17th floors seem a bit peculiar, and not altogether harmonious. Were the top six floors added sometime after the building was originally constructed?

I was surprised to learn which US city has the largest population of Mexicans (or Mexican-Americans). Chicago. I would have thought LA or Houston. Chicago, with its ethnic enclaves, seems more of the NYC than the LA model. 713 to 214 has a valid point about NYC, too - that it's not only multicultural, but that these cultures come into frequent contact with one another. People can live a fairly segregated existance in Houston which simply isn't possible in NYC.

Ha! I wondered what happened. I was downtown, and they kept making these garbled announcements about "an incident" and how shuttle buses would ferry people from the Wheeler Street station. Thought for sure we'd succeeded in winning the Nat'l title for most light rail accidents this year. Incidentally, wish they'd refine those announcements a bit - there were a bunch of people jabbering away in the background, and it really was difficult to make out what the announcer was saying. Too bad about the tree; they add so much to that area of town.

After mentioning hurricanes in six seperate posts in one day....yeah, seems that way. Hurricanes are a fact of life for much of coastal America, but they're not an annual occurence. Miami Beach was nearly wiped out in 1926, yet most people would agree that rebuilding it was a gamble that paid off. Likewise, hauling in sand to replace its beach which had mostly disappeared by the late 60's turned out to be worthwhile, and essential to MB's revival.

Here's a picture which shows this building when it still had the mansard roof. This isn't the first building I've seen which has had the roof/uppermost floor removed. Perhaps they're hard to maintain; and at one time mansard roofs were considered to be hopelessly old fashioned (and therefore ugly). You can see what was meant by the William Scott Field quote from Subdude's post:"Prairie Avenue was given side-street status in this remodeling, evidenced by the new roof not continuing all the way down this facade..."

Absolute and utter agreement. Plywood covered with aluminum paint?! What...they ran out of cardboard? That building could be a showcase, especially if the missing architraves (second definition) around the upstairs windows could be replicated and replaced. Also, this building originally had a Mansard roof, and replacing it would definitely reenforce its Second Empire appearance. Takes $$$. In a case such as this, it would seem appropriate for the city to offer some sort of tax abatement to return this building to its historic roots. Perhaps then they'd also find a more deserving tenant.

Welcome to the forum, aggiemustang. Since I did not say any of the things of which you accuse me, I'm puzzled by your lengthy reply. I'm glad you can write; and maybe with time and patience, you'll learn to read, too.