trymahjong

Also the present day Hyde Park street was named Huntington

The Avondale residents gathering was to be held there Tuesday but there was a delay in getting everything finished--arrangements were made by them to have it at cafe Bello--avondale thought everything was great-- did the VIP happen?

I was doing a bit of research on Avondale and found this platte where a street was originally named Milby but later became what is today Taft street. The platte document is huge and I took a picture with my camera- wish it were better--but i wonder why Milby got this honor-- I may post the other pictures in a different forum and ask that question.

Got this email today----- Sent: Fri, Feb 25, 2011 9:03 pm Subject: Congratulations! We are now protected! Planning Director Marlene Gafrick this week presented her recommendations for six of the seven historic districts that went through reconsideration. She recommended no changes for Heights East, Heights West, West Avondale, Norhill and Boulevard Oaks. The recommendation for First Montrose Commons is to remove one property that wasn't supposed to be included in the first place. Because the recommendation is for no change the process is over for us and our boundaries will remain the same as they were when the district was created. The city attorney has ruled that there is no further action for City Council to take. It's over! The process continues for Houston Heights South, Woodland Heights and Glenbrook Valley, all of which are pending districts and have not been formally approved by City Council. There will be a mayor's report on their status next Wednesday. Formal votes by council will probably come later in March. City Council will also have to vote on that minor change to First Montrose Commons.

The Lancaster Place Civic Association met tonite with HEB, the contractors and the building site guys and residents-mainly those who property abbutts the HEB lot. did anyone attend?

Maybe the heritage society would allow you to photograph inside the Staiti House? Most of the architectural details are intact plus the period furnishings are lovely--or the in front of the floor to ceiling stainglass windows of Trinity Episcopal in Midtown?

Everyone is talking about these in my neighborhood-- mostly about what a shame that all the government monies that went for these types of things probably costs Texas citizens $.25 is being totally eliminated-- http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-20-11-jaume-plensas-tolerance-takes-on-allen-parkway/

The old El Fenix restaurant on Grant and Westheimer is within the Avondale area-- most of the Civic club "news" lists it as the first Mexican restaurant in Houston.

http://www.houstonpress.com/2011-02-17/restaurants/come-and-bake-it/ I guess home made "goodies" at bake sales will become rare in Texas?

Don't know if anyone else posted this but i watched the A&E series HEAVY and the first episode I recognized an apartment building on corner of Avondale and Mason. I think the entire series was filmed in Houston

the variance that was requested was granted-- this was a new article http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-02-11-lovett-inn-turn-into-hostel

This was posted on Neighborhood yahoo group--by a neighborhood restaurant. I don't know if I've formed an opinion yet---------I was interested in what everyone else might think. . . . . "Each week we turn away customers who don't know that the city of Houston prohibits pets outside of restaurants and bars. I realized a lot of you probably live in the area so I was hoping I could ask for your help. Patrick Walsh founded Paws On Patios, a group working to give restaurants and bars the choice to allow pets on our restaurant patios. He's made a lot of progress but we could use lots more help. We would very much like to be given the choice to allow pets. Just as we have the choice to allow smoking outside. I'd much rather have dogs than cigarettes anyway but I appreciate that the city gives us the choice to allow smoking on our patios (which we do). The Mayor has publicly given her support but it's obviously not a high priority item in this climate of budget deficits. We've met with Council Member Costello who has given us his support but we need additional support from other council members before we can get it put up for a vote. Patrick has also gotten the Health Department to draft a revised ordinance so that City Council could review the specific language needed to make this change. The city has invested so much in the new dog parks, including the latest one Downtown at Market Square Park where Niko Niko's serves food, that we believe it's a natural evolution of the city's investment in our neighborhoods to give us this choice. Several other Texas cities allow pets outside restaurants, including Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, so it makes Houston seem behind the times. How can you help? You can find Paws on Patios on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/pawsonpatios or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Paws-on-Patios/137704789609902?v=info If you would call or email City Council members, it really does have an impact. http://www.houstontx.gov/council/ Lastly please let your other pet loving friends know that we'd like to get this rule changed in time for Houston's fantastic outdoor dining this spring."

2400sq ft for a lounge?-- that's bigger than my house!---Could Starbucks be moving?-- how could another coffee bar compete? maybe Deidrich was listening?

I was in the jury pool for the burglary charge ( me and 70 other potentials) this wasn't for the abuse charge concerning the police--but we were asked if we had read or heard about the news report of this video-- the amazing thing about this "voir dire" the prosecution took about 20 minutes for their part of the voir dire then defense counsel stood up and with WITHOUT BENEFIT OF NOTES spoke to each potential juror by name (called them each by name) and recalled a bit of info the prosecutor had found out---he had memorized 44 names in the 20 minutes the prosecutor had been questioning potential jurors--I had never seen anything like it.

Hostelling International flew in a Director from their board to speak at the Avondale Civic--- Hostelling International USA would convert the 88-year-old Montrose bed and breakfast into low-cost lodging for out-of-town visitors. It wasn't the Civic organization that seemed to have objections to variances but residents who lived close--- mostly these objections were about parking-- Now I have my own fear. . . . . . Would HI cut down those lovely old Oaks to obtain space for the additonal 4 parking places they need?

I noticed the renovation and particularly the webbing on the roof--is something going to be built up there? i might have thought a second story starbucks like the midtown randalls but there is an existing starbucks across the street

cool? i know i was whistful about a coffee bar. ., . . .,but if we're talking cool--------- how about closing Lincoln street by valero and making it a pocket park--not the kind everyone is afraid the homeless and druggies take over-- there can be another thread for discussion on that make it one of those "thinking outside the box" parks--an OMG this is Montrose and that is a Montrose park! -------one that everyone would take one look at and say COOL!

there was another thread that talked about that but . . . . . . . if diedrich is out there. . . . . . . we miss you. . . . . take a look at the old Prive space. . . . rebuild it as a great coffee bar with killer views down Montrose and Westheimer. . . . . .

i do think this area could support another coffee bar----inversion is crowded! really crowded! always! where is diedrich? and how can i tell him the building between alladin's and el felix is calling out to him

Swamplot says the old el felix will be the new uchi restaurant. El Rey, Hay Merchant are both coming soon-- is the intersection of montrose and westheimer a magnet to new restaurants? how many will this area be able to support?

The Morrow chapel at Trinity Episcolpa in Midtownl is a historic space (1917) but has been renovated including a stainglass window that shows the charming interior courtyard--

The local guy for Hostelling International USA Doug Markham indicated that Lovett Inn might remain a place to vote as a community service

At the Neartown meeting representatives of Hostelling International USA gave a slide presentation that ended with the news of an offer to buy the Lovett Inn--the offer was accepted

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm perhaps there is more home brewing being done in Montrose than one would imagine. . . . . We home brew also------------

one of my kids graduated from Rice in 2001-- not much positive to say about the tunnels and raised eyebrows at the thought that anyone from the "public" would want a tour. This is probably typical---there is some sort of list of things on campus undergrads must attempt or experience before graduating. . . . . . . not sure how much enthusiasm for the list the kids feel , since only "swimming in university Presidents pool and walking the tunnels" were the only ones that came to mind when I asked.