philarq
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Tue Sep-27-05 11:51 PM
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British Citizen in Delay's district--ask me anything |
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I am frighteningly enough sitting in the wonderful American congressman Tom Delay's district tonight---Yesterday I drove by his office---ugh
I have not been to Houston in nearly 20 years, and apologies to anyone who lives here, but it sucks. --I did find a decent bar on Richmond just east of Greenway Plaza, but still it's dificult to think that the Summit--where I saw the Police, and Blondie, and Jeff Beck --its something like the hugest baptist church in the states now. ---If you are here you understand my fear--hehe
Houston 20+ years ago could be seen to be eating itself --but driving along Hillcrest this morning--confirmed that this may be a failed experiment.
About 40 years ago Houston disposed of the theory of zoning---in Houston there are 80 story buildings in residential neighborhoods. The theory of a central business distict has lost all meaning. I first saw Houston from the top of the Tenneco building at 35 stories in 1969, I am definitively sorry, but this city can honestly be termed the Peking of the Gulf Coast---and now that I think about it--I was here with a contingent in I believe 1978 when Deng Zao Ping visited.
The last time I was in houson I believe was 1983, I rented a house near West Belt and Memorial, which then was a four lane street meeting a 2 lane street---today it (I swear) is 44 lanes meeting 16 lanes, plus turn lanes, and toll booths everywhere. Ack
Driving to San Antonio on friday, and 100% That is a city that understands that they have a past and a future, a beautiful, always city.
Ask me anything--there is a HUGE Halliburton office park behind the Hotel--should I "infiltrate"?
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Mz Pip
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Tue Sep-27-05 11:53 PM
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about DeLay on the ground? Any chance his loyal followers will turn against the smarmy bastard?
Mz Pip :dem:
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philarq
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Wed Sep-28-05 12:02 AM
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4. Sugarland is really different fron Houston--- |
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I had only been down there (Sugarland) once before many many years ago, but I drove 59 into houston throught the heart of it as it were, an dif I have to say anything, it's nicer in a sort of smarmy sort of way than Houston is.
(apologies to anyone in Sugarland)
the Diamond sugar factory dominates the skyline, and it's flat---I mean ---its really flat---build a three for high pile of dirt, and you just built the highest mountan in the county (Chambers? cant remember)
Houston has really degraded though.--still--ick
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babylonsister
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Wed Sep-28-05 12:00 AM
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2. I live in Houston; you are not only out of touch, but out of |
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your mind. 44 lanes meet 16 lanes? And where does that happen? Please enlighten me!
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philarq
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Wed Sep-28-05 12:03 AM
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West Belt and Memorial drive------It's got to be a 1/4 mile across
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Oerdin
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Wed Sep-28-05 02:55 AM
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10. Even if he exagerated... |
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You still can't deny that Houston is a polluted crap hole of a town. My ex-girlfriend who I dated for three years was from Houston so we went several times to visit her family and I hated it each time. We got pretty close to getting married but the deal breaker was I wanted to stay in San Diego while she really wanted to move back to Houston. I put my foot down about moving to Houston and that was the end of us.
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John Q. Citizen
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Wed Sep-28-05 12:00 AM
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jobycom
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Wed Sep-28-05 12:04 AM
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6. Do they have any Bonnie and Clyde markers in Sugarland? |
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Edited on Wed Sep-28-05 12:06 AM by jobycom
And have you driven to Alvin for the onion rings?
San Antonia is nice city. It has its own flaws. Houston is an odd place. I think it's almost charming in its lack of attempt to create an identity. Dallas is always trying to become something, for instance. When I lived there it tried to be Los Angeles. Since then it's developed a taste for itself, and is a better city for it. Still not a fun place to visit, but there are worse places to live.
Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Amarillo all are becoming too self-aware of their uniqueness, and are beginning to try to create it and preserve it instead of just letting it happen. That's one thing I like about Houston. It's just a big old mess, and doesn't try to pretend it is anything. There are pockets of pretention and self-awareness, but as a whole I've never noticed anything that people feel is the heart of the city. In some ways, it's almost a giant suburb without the urb.
Not my favorite place, really. But I like it.
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philarq
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Wed Sep-28-05 12:12 AM
Response to Reply #6 |
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20 years ago I remember getting crabs in Sabine Pass-- at a really rundown sort of Texas beautiful retaurant that served them on newspaper at your outdoor table, but I fear that it may have been blown away last week,--this is as far east as I am going this trip.
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jobycom
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Wed Sep-28-05 12:36 AM
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8. Best seafood in Texas is at the King's Inn, on Hwy 628 |
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South of Kingsville. It's an old house on the bay, and they serve seafood on platters. I doubt you're going that far south, though.
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philarq
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Wed Sep-28-05 01:05 AM
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9. Two thumbs up for Kingsville |
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I have not eaten at the place you suggest, but will put in my notebook--I did about 10 years back drive from Corpus Christi south to brownsville into mexico, and the valley (full of cars from Iowa)----as a suggestion to anyone wanting a vacation however i can suggest the Texas coast south of Galveston--even Corpus Christi---some of the remaining un-sullied coasts in America--so wonderfully warm people and peaceful places--
some may be "Red Staters" but they will fill you so full of grub you just won't care!
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Sun May 05th 2024, 05:23 PM
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