Bibliopath ping.
(If you want on or off this list, please drop me a FReepmail.)
Posted on 08/17/2006 2:29:08 PM PDT by weegee
In today's Wall Street Journal, Thaddeus Herrick reports on the continued concern about the fate of several landmarks in Houston. This time, though, there is a solid statement about the developments:
David Deason, vice president for development at Barnes & Noble, said the New York-based company intends to close the Bookstop in favor of a "state of the art" facility. But Mr. Deason said the fate of the landmarks is in the hands of Weingarten.
Also quoted was Weingarten's Director of Leasing, Patty Bender. She stated that "the company doesn't yet have a 'definite plan' for the shopping center but that the Alabama Theater could pose a 'challenging situation' should Barnes & Noble pull out." While a "challenging situation" can allude to many different scenarios, we are thinking she meant "now that Bookstop will be vacating, we can demolish the theater like we've wanted to do for the past decade or so, and that might upset a few folks." Please surprise us, Weingarten, because you've already upset way more then a few without even directly making that statement.
I live minutes away from a shopping center called The Fountains, which has a Borders. There's a B & N down the freeway in First Colony. I sent an e-mail to Borders a while back complaining that their magazine rack contained NO CONSERVATIVE MAGAZINES. NO, NOT ONE. They did not have National Review, Limbaugh letter, American Spectator. Nuthin'. But they had EVERY LIBERAL rag under the sun. They actually responded to my e-mail, saying that they felt that conservatives already had subscriptions to the magazines they like, and that they did not sell well in their stores. It could be true, but I think it's BS. I was about to go on a plane trip, and wanted a conservative mag or 2 to while away the time.
I do usually know what I want, and far prefer Amazon. I hate going to stores and not knowing which section a book is in. Amazon's search engine, and user reviews are very cool. I'm a Prime® member, so i get everything sent 2nd day air from Amazon.
Only if they put in a drive through window. It may not be safe to get out of the car in that neighborhood.
Of course Houston has history. The Astrodome is over 30 years old and hasn't been bulldozed.
Bibliopath ping.
(If you want on or off this list, please drop me a FReepmail.)
Freebird! Freebird!
Oh, I loved Bookstop and I especially loved this Bookstop. I actually had "dates" to go there! (And I mean in more recent years - not lately, tho. Aggh, not even this century, come to think of it!)
We'd get a bite at Butera's and browse the late Cactus and then stroll the Bookstop and compare "finds."
Wish I could do something about all this, but I can't.
Most of the businesses around there have changed. Whole Foods moved up the road and was replaced in the former location by a PetsMart. Cactus closed. Bookstop cut their hours and selection years ago. Across the street, Record Rack closed. Hunan Dragon changed owners/recipes/chefs.
Even the Alabama Ice House doesn't look the same since the (grand)son inherited it. BUT he is prohibited from making some changes (his ice house is grandfathered back to the 1920s).
There was a Thunder Cloud Subs where Mission Burrito and Little Woodrows now stand. And we've already mentioned the demolished Ale House.
And much of Shepherd Plaza is vacant (whereas 10 years ago it was thriving).
Odd that every city has a damn new "retro" baseball park but people don't do anything to preserve actual old buildings.
Astrodome is practically mothballed. It will be torn down.
It is inevitable. It takes up too much needed parking on the football stadium's lot.
It serves a "useful" function for now as the city gears up for ANOTHER costly bid at hosting the Olympics.
Oh, you know the rule. If it was built before 1980 in Houston, it needs to be gone. We're almost up to "built before 1990" and soon it will be "anything built in the 20th century."
Well, my dad is long gone now, but he cried over the demolition of the Shamrock Hilton and recorded it all on video. I've never had the heart to look at it again.
On the other hand, we were also happy when Chimney Rock finally went all the way through to I-10. Unfortunately, not long after it opened, we used it for his funeral procession out to Memorial Oaks from the new Geo H. Lewis.
Thanks to no longer being able to breathe Houston air, I haven't left my own neighborhood in 3 years. I used to love this city and can't imagine living anywhere else, except maybe OKC, but perhaps I'm taking my love a little too far. This is much, much too early in my life for this to have happened.
They had the best split pea soup, if that's where I'm thinking of - or maybe it was the little bistro-type place across Alabama, caddy-cornered. I think maybe it was. Excellent onion soup, too, with all the cheese and croutons. *sigh*
Butera's did have good food. Then they moved to Montrose in the museum district. And then closed a couple years ago.
There is a big techno-sushi bar where Butera's was in the Alabama center.
Oh, that's sad. I knew some of the family, but haven't seen or talked to them in quite a while. Thanks for the info on my own hometown!
Oh, no - I was replying about the Ale House - or maybe Pig & Whistle? Not sure now! As I say, the soup I was thinking of was probably at a place across the street, but the onion soup was at that one.
I had a friend who used to indulge me and take me down there a lot. I didn't live right in that area, nor did he - but we just liked it a lot.
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