sarahiki

I'm so glad I'm not on this list. But isn't the most obvious, the most hated, person missing? Hated by millions, around the world: Dick Cheney

Disagree. From what I've seen, some of the magnet schools are as good as, or better than, some of the Vanguard schools. However, all of the good schools, magnet or magnet-Vanguard, are very tough to get into, so your point is somewhat valid.

Might there be problems keeping a wood counter clean/germ free? I'm thinking of our wooden cutting boards... how if you cut avocados or strawberries, a stain stays on it, for example. I guess you can seal them? A friend who is a metal-worker made hammered copper counters for his kitchen. I have no idea whether that is functional or not. But if you're thinking of copper and want something different....

Tall, skinny houses. Good in a latte; not so good in a house.

Can someone explain to me what the appeal of this place is? I heard it was "amazing" so I took my kids and another family to the one in Galveston. After waiting an hour for a table among swarms of people and the shlock in the gift shop, we were finally seated... I must say, what I remember are the wait, the crowds, and the noise, not the food. I have no idea what we ate or whether it was good. I was scarred. Is it always crowded? Why do people like it?

that is the best observation made yet in this thread.

Pretentiousness, and caring about how a place looks, do not equate. For example, Vermont. People there care a LOT about how it looks. They are also about the most unpretentious people you could meet. I'm not saying we should be like Vermont, so don't start telling me what's wrong with Vermont (I won't hear you anyway; I love it). I'm just pointing out that it's illogical to equate caring about the appearance of a city with pretentiousness.

To which ones do you refer?

I have no expectation that you will abandon your position. And my point about where the most support lies has to do with what direction the city is going, and what measures City Council is likely to take, not with what direction an online debate is going. You, personally, may not want admiration for Houston from outsiders, but perception of Houston, and its ability to attract tourists, DOES matter economically. This is my point.

Yes, this is where the debate is. I think Houston generally operates on the principles you espouse... free speech, and freedom of commercial endeavors. Certainly it can be argued that Houston has benefitted, economically, from a generally unregulated atmosphere. But the downside is described above: an ugly city that is not admired or respected by the rest of the country/world, and as a result of the ugliness also does not attract the tourism or business that it should. I would argue that while free speech and expression are great, when they detract from the majority's sense of what is nice to live around, and from the majority's bottom line (by repelling tourists and big events like Olympics etc), they should be regulated. We do this all the time in other arenas. So, it's a matter of which side has more support. I think we may, as a city, be moving toward more regulations and more beautification. I hope so.

This is what I was afraid we'd get in terms of mayoral candidates. Anyway, I didn't mean to threadjack this into a political discussion; I do think it's worth talking about HOW to make changes like the ones proposed above, regarding signage etc., happen.

I agree that some tile looks kind of cold for a living room, but I remember looking at an Ashton Woods house where they used large tiles, laid diagonally, and the tiles were a pretty, warm color. It was really lovely. It extended even through the master bedroom, and it really sold me on the possibility of tile. You might try living with it for a little while before committing to a big demo.

Why are you giving me a job? I'm not advocating for him. If you want to know, you go listen.

I really don't know. This is what HE says he has done: http://peterbrownforhouston.com/experience

So, how to make this happen? I would guess that Peter Brown is your best mayoral choice if you harbor any hope that something like urban aesthetics will be in any way a priority. But though I like what he stands for, I have no idea how effective he would be as mayor. Bill White has been incredibly effective and seems to know how to get things done; I am not optimistic we'll get so lucky twice in a row.

That is a good idea and would make a big difference. I think a big problem though are the frontage roads. If you drive down 288, which does not have frontage roads, you see the difference. It is a much more attractive freeway than any other I can think of locally. None of the nastiness that collects along frontage roads throughout the rest of the city.

On what are you basing this definition? I've lived in towns all over the east coast, but it's only in Houston that I've come across these giant master-planned communities with a single entrance in or out. That may define some master-planned communities, but it does not define all suburbs. I haven't seen a good definition yet in this thread. There may not be one; older, more compact cities in the northeast are very different from sprawling sunbelt cities.

Bingo. We can all admire and appreciate architecture, but if you have to choose between fine architecture and a good school/safe place for your kids, and you choose architecture, you're a real jerk. At the very least. It's great if you have the money so you don't have to choose, but not everyone does. But here we go again with the people-who-live-in-suburbs-are-stupid thread. Really, hasn't it all been said? edit: I don't live in the 'burbs, by the way. But I'm not saying I've made the best decisions.

That's a pretty amazing house. So much space.

I had a hard time resisting that thread, but when it got me too worked up I either ignored it for a few days or ignored particular users. It's too bad someone would leave the wonders of HAIF altogether because of one thread.

It is worth checking Craigslist for ads from retail stores, though. We got a great deal from a mattress store that listed there; it must have been a surplus or floor model or something, but it was brand new in packaging.

Another problem I see with a tollway in the middle of 288 is safety... I've seen people fly along Beltway 8 and the Hardy Toll road at break-neck speeds... it's like people figure they've paid for an open road, and dammit, they're going to use it. Especially when there are poor suckers crawling along in the congested free lanes, you really have to stick it to them by going 90 mph in the middle.

Thanks for the info, Dalai... now, the next question has to be, what are your friends going to do with the property, and when? Inquiring HAIFers want to know!