Thoughts of an Urban Houstonian

Six Degrees of Historical Preservation
In a move that had local preservationist exclaiming, "Finally!" the Houston City Council finally designated the Old Sixth Ward has a protected historical district. While I am incredibly happy about this development, I still have to shake my head that Houston has waited until 2007 to set up its first historical district. This is particularly disheartening considering that this landmark vote does not appear to have a larger, more extensive application to other areas.

"The mayor did not intend Old Sixth Ward to be a road map for other neighborhoods to follow," said Jill Jewett, White's assistant for cultural affairs. "It warranted special treatment."

I just don't know what this statement means. Are we to say that Old Sixth Ward holds a greater importance than other historical areas in town? I do realize the extensive history of this area, but I do not feel it should be placed on a historical pedestal that other historic neighborhoods in town will have to now fight to ascend. In other words, why does this seem to be just another toothless historical defense that creates problems for more people than it helps.

I have been playing the game Age of Mythology this past week; hey, when you're broke, there is a certain comfort in losing hours of your day fighting the forces of evil with Minotaurs, Colossi and God Powers. In any case, there were certain scenarios where I needed to defend my camp from enemy forces. I would put walls up to close myself off. However, I would inevitably leave a door open or fail to properly protect one camp. The enemy would see this, and attack the unprotected camp with ruthless precision. It's around these times that would break out my WRATH OF THE GODS cheat, and fry their asses with Lightning.

However, the same scenario is certain to be repeated in the Houston area. Yes, Old Sixth Ward has built a strong defense against the kind of development that would have further destroyed its historic significance. However, the city has left every other historical district vulnerable to the attacks it so successfully thwarted with the vote. Inevitably, some areas that haven't been in the crosshairs will now find themselves under seige. And, here's the kicker, they cannot claim the same solution that worked so well with Old Sixth Ward . Nope, the city didn't want to put together a comprehensive template to use for further protections. No, other neighborhoods and areas must start from scratch. Is it going to take another 171 years to create the next historic district? (Houston was founded in 1836.)

Look, this is a great step in the right direction for historical preservation in Houston. However, I am tired of this being such a piecemeal solution. When is the city going to finally stand up and defend its history? When are we going to see a City Council with the guts to tell the developers to back off? There is plenty of land available to develop without destroying history, but they must be forced to take the high road; they will always take the cheaper, more historically damaging path.

The apparent good news is that they are looking to expand to other districts. I just wish this move for the Old Sixth Ward wasn't just a solution for one single area.

We Can't Have Nice Things
Have you ever been walking to and Astros game at Minute Maid Park, and wondered where those odd mosaics came from? Well, there is a local artist by the name of Toby Topek that marveled at the sort of mosaics that graced the sidewalks, and thought, "Why not Houston?" Yeah, I think I might like this wonderful lady, just a little bit.

Well, Topek, in conjunction with the city of Houston's Cotswold project dedicated to the beautification of Downtown, designed and installed these mosaics along the Texas Avenue corridor at a cost of $40,000. Well, if you have strolled down Texas Avenue, you will probably know that they are all falling apart. This is, of course, mainly due to the adverse conditions in Downtown Houston. You see, those beautiful mosaics in Tunisia are not subjected to the traffic you see up and down the streets of Downtown Houston. There is also the considerable jolt that all the construction in the area (remember all that street construction after Allison and installing the Lightrail?) Sadly, there is a small group of vandals that have literally picked apart the murals.

Well, Topek and the city are trying to come up with a way to rebuild these mosaics, and building them to last through the adverse conditions in Houston, TX. The city wants to use a more durable epoxy to hold the tiles in place. Topek wants to recreate the mosaics in three-foot diameter cement benches. The good news is the city appears to be committed to restoring the mosaics in some capacity. The bad news is that this isn't the only beautification project that has had problems Downtown.

A water wall fountain on Prairie between Main and Travis had problems after its inital installation because mineral deposits clogged up the water spouts. Vandals, in a move that mirrors what happened to the Meacom Fountain earlier this year, stole the bronze leaves and petals of the fountain's floral sculptures. Apparently they fetch $0.60 per pound as scrap. The fountain was completely redesigned in its current condition, but is still plagued with uneven water flow.

You may not be aware of it, but you live in the most hostile environment known to man made structures and materials. I didn't realize it myself until the infamous "Thing of Enron Field" reared its ugly head on the roof of the Astros stadium. You see, the surface the then-Enron Field's roof was a polymer that was to resist stains. Well, less than a year after the completion of the stadium, you began to see terrible discoloration from all around Downtown. When they went up there to investigate, they found something literally growing on the roof, that they never were able to identify. Or, take the Sabine-to-Bagy Promenade on Buffalo Bayou. The Buffalo Bayou Partnership installed some gorgeous signage made of an impervious stainless steel. Well, less than a year after being installed, it was starting to show rust!

Houston should be the universal testing grounds of all materials that are to be used in adverse conditions. Ha, those mosaics in Tunisia have lasted thousands of years, but similar works in Houston can't last a decade. All that means is that the nicer things in life cannot be had here in Houston. Mother Nature is a bitch on wheels in this neck of the woods. I look forward to seeing what they finally come up with these mosaics, but the next time you hear about the degradation of something in the Houston area, you take note that it is just another notch on the belt of the wicked environment we live in here in Houston.

Discovery Green gets a concept
As was previously noted in Urban Houstonian, the Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group, that brought us Cafe Annie and Cafe Express, has announced the concept for the two restaurants they are opening in downtown's backyard, Discovery Green.

I highly recommend you read the article that appeared in the Chronicle Saturday morning to get a better read on the group itself. In the meantime, we have something very interesting to look forward to. The Grove, which is being hailed as a Parisian bistro concept, will take the location that is roughly across the street from the Hilton-Americas hotel. Think Cafe Annie without the uber-formal atmosphere. Still, it is sure to become the new place to be seen at lunch time, particularly on the "tree house" rooftop deck. They also plan a glowing bar. I cannot wait for this new spot to open in December of this year.

Opening in January with the rest of the park will be what is currently known as "The Boathouse." Expect a fast food and snacky type place with a little more style than your typical concession stand. It will have mostly covered patio seating with a nice view of Discovery Green's pond. I will go ahead and tell you now, you'll be able to find me at both eateries frequently starting in 2008.

Thank You for Not Smoking
Today marks the one-year anniversary of when I quit smoking. I always told myself that when Houston inevitably passed a smoking ordinance, that Iwould eventually force myself to quit. However, I am proud to say that I finally bit the bullet, and it couldn't have been easier. What is my secret? Well, I smoke while I quit.

Huh?

There is a book that I recommend to you or anyone you know who is intent on quitting smoking. Before I reveal my magical weapon though, I want to stress that you should not EVER try to force someone to quit. I know you mean well, but the worst thing you can do to get someone to quit is to pressure them. Like many things in life, quitting smoking requires that you have to be ready to do. For those of you who have never touched a cigarette, you have no idea what it feels like to be hooked on smoking. For the record, if you smoke any cigarette, whether it be once a week, once a month, or only when I drink, you are a smoker. Sorry, but you are. There is no such thing as one cigarette. You think you're not hooked, but I'm sorry to say that you are.

In any case, I must stress to you the importance of not pressuring someone to quit smoking unless they have told you explicitly that they are ready to finally break the change. At that point, I highly recommend you suggest, "The Easyway to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. I smoked the night before I finished this book. The next day, on the deck of a friend's beach house in Galveston, I finished the book, and haven't smoked since. I will also point out that while this book is a deceivingly simple 224 pages, it will take you much longer to finish the book; it took me six months! And, you know how much of a reader I am.

The genius of his method is you smoke while you quit. It's important that you not quit cold turkey, rather you get your mind comfortable with quitting before actually quitting. It's quite ingenious! So, remember to only break out this big gun when you or your loved one wants to quit. While we are on the subject, I would also like to tell snippy non-smokers to gently remove the sticks from their asses regarding smokers. Smokers are not evil people bent on destroying the health of themselves and others. Nor are they weak-minded losers who can't help themselves. They are simply regular people who have fallen victim to one of the greatest traps in the history of man. If you have never smoked, I commend you, but that does not make you a stronger or better person than all smokers. There are amazing people that smoke, get over it. If you continue to persecute or avoid them, odds are that you are missing out on some great people. This is not an invitation for you to associate with smokers to your detriment, but I would say that if you are someone who walks around hating smokers, you have a LOT to learn about people.