British Citizen in Delay's district--ask me anything

[philarq]

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"?

[Mz Pip]

1. What's the buzz

about DeLay on the ground? Any chance his loyal followers will turn against the smarmy bastard?

Mz Pip
:dem:

[philarq]

4. Sugarland is really different fron Houston---

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

[babylonsister]

2. I live in Houston; you are not only out of touch, but out of

your mind. 44 lanes meet 16 lanes? And where does that happen? Please enlighten me!

[philarq]

5. you tell me---

West Belt and Memorial drive------It's got to be a 1/4 mile across

[Oerdin]

10. Even if he exagerated...

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.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Is Delay going down?

[jobycom]

6. Do they have any Bonnie and Clyde markers in Sugarland?

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.

[philarq]

7. not going east

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.

[jobycom]

8. Best seafood in Texas is at the King's Inn, on Hwy 628

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.

[philarq]

9. Two thumbs up for Kingsville

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!