Tag Archives: Heights

MKT Bridge repairs finally on the schedule

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

About time. Houston Parks Board has good news to share about the MKT Bridge! The plan documents needed for the additional repairs to address damage caused by the August 2020 fire have received expedited approval by the City of Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on MKT Bridge repairs finally on the schedule

The Shepherd and Durham Major Investment Project

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready for some major construction, but the end result will be well worth it. Beginning next month, those who travel along North Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive in the Heights are going to have to cope with road construction … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

House approves its map

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We’re getting close to the finish line. The Texas House on Wednesday approved proposed political boundaries for the lower chamber’s 150 districts that aim to fortify Republicans’ strength in the state House for the next decade. House Bill 1, authored … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The proposed State House map is out

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The last of the bunch. Texas House members on Thursday released the first proposal for a new map redrawing the chamber’s 150-member districts. The initial draft would both increase Republicans’ strength across the state and the number of districts in … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

MKT Bridge repairs delayed

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. Months after a fire closed a key Houston trail link, opening day for the M-K-T Bridge remains up in the air, after workers discovered more repairs are needed to the old railroad crossing. “They found additional damage caused by … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Census and gentrification

Posted on September 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Some population trends of interest in Houston. People of color led Houston’s growth over the last 10 years, but that trend wasn’t reflected across all the city’s historic Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Census data released earlier this month paints a … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Bike trail connections news

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s something nice and simple and good, because we could use that. The White Oak Bayou Greenway and MKT Trail will soon be connected. The city announced Thursday that the two trails will be linked by a 850-foot connection, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The data for the “fourth wave” looks so, so bad

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Yikes. Fueled by the delta variant, a surge in Houston COVID-19 hospitalizations is growing as fast as at any time during the pandemic so far, and is projected to pass previous records by mid-August — even though roughly half of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Update on the bike trail bridge

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We have an estimate for repairs. Weather-permitting — and the sky this weekend likely will not look that permitting — runners and cyclists along a popular Heights trail will have a key connection back by September. Houston Parks Board officials … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Supreme Court upholds Houston historic preservation ordinance

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Blast from the past. The Texas Supreme Court has upheld Houston’s ordinance regulating the preservation of historic districts, after residents argued it was an illegal zoning measure. Two homeowners in the Heights challenged the law, arguing that it constituted zoning … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Your driverless pizza delivery is finally on its way

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still not sure what the allure of this is. Autonomous cars will begin delivering Domino’s pizzas to Houstonians through a new partnership between the pizza chain and Nuro, a California startup, the companies announced Monday. Domino’s is rolling out Nuro’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Big Tex Storage

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m strangely almost nostalgic for a controversy like this. A group of Heights residents are lobbying legislators to protest the development of a storage facility at the site of the former Stude Theater, which was demolished after the property was … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Waiting for our bike trail bridge to be fixed

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest mostly in my neighborhood, but it’s my blog, so. Bike riders who pedal through the Heights will need to keep burning calories past a key connection closed by fire in the region’s growing trail system. Just in time … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Waiting for our bike trail bridge to be fixed

Let’s go to the drive-in

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, I’m down with this. Everything old really is new again. In the midst of ongoing concerns and restrictions over the Covid-19 pandemic, Houston is going back to the future with a new drive-in movie theater. The Drive-In at Sawyer … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Party Boy bye-bye

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Sad. This October may be the last year the view south of I-10 across from the Heights is a giant orange pumpkin. The property housing Party Boy at 1515 Studemont, where an inflatable pumpkin is displayed atop the building each … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

2017 results: City bonds

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pension obligation bonds pass easily. Houston voters passed a $1 billion pension bond referendum by a wide margin late Tuesday, securing Mayor Sylvester Turner’s landmark reform package and, the mayor hopes, marking the beginning of the end of a 16-year … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Should we remove the concrete from White Oak Bayou?

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s an interesting question, one worth considering, if there’s a way to pay for it. A feasibility study conducted for the Harris County Flood Control District and released Friday offers three options to do just that. What it does not … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Should we remove the concrete from White Oak Bayou?

Another contemplation of turnout

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s see where this one takes us. Last time, I made some guesses about turnout in the HISD races based on overall turnout in the city of Houston. Now I’m going to turn that around and take a shot at … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No charter amendments on the fall ballot

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just bonds, school board and HCC races, and the mostly boring constitutional amendments. Oh, and Heights Alcohol 2.0, if you live there. Houston voters will face $1.5 billion in city bonds and nine community college or school board races this … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Petitions have been submitted for Heights alcohol vote 2.0

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That was quick. Voters in the Heights will likely have the opportunity to further loosen alcohol restrictions in the neighborhood this November now that activists have secured more than the 1,500 signatures required to get a measure on the ballot. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Petitions have been submitted for Heights alcohol vote 2.0

More on Heights alcohol vote 2.0

Posted on June 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Heights Examiner (now a section of the Wednesday Chron), the reasons why restauranteurs want in on the action. But the possible reversal of the century-old prohibition on restaurants would mean more than just no longer having to sign … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We could have another Heights alcohol vote

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Heights voters last fall lifted a 105-year-old ban on the sale of beer and wine at grocery stores, but customers still must join a private club if they want to drink alcohol at area restaurants or bars. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Your Super Bowl AirBnB dream probably did not come true

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. Vacation rental websites like Airbnb and Home Away still have pages of listings available for this weekend. Many are asking well over $1,000 per night for, in some cases, run-of-the-mill two-bedroom apartments. Data from Airbnb Thursday show the typical … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Your Super Bowl AirBnB dream probably did not come true

Yale Street Bridge reopens

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Woo hoo! Heights area residents woke up Tuesday to a bright sunny day in more ways than one, finding that crews had opened the new Yale Bridge spanning White Oak Bayou. The opening late Monday is roughly 10 months ahead … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Yale Street Bridge reopens

Now is the time to rent out your house

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

If it was your plan to do that, anyway. The teams playing in next month’s Super Bowl [are now set] and the final rush for last-minute lodging will be in full swing. That also means more house and apartment rentals … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Now is the time to rent out your house

Yale Street bridge reopening sooner than expected

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Christmas 2017 is coming very early for Heights area commuters, now that transportation officials have confirmed that the new Yale Street bridge will open in early February – roughly 10 months ahead of the previous schedule. “They’re working fast,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Yale Street bridge reopening sooner than expected

More bayou bike trails

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Laying out the particulars for a new trail section along White Oak Bayou, Chip Place saw something out of place where the trail crossed the Heights Hike and Bike Trail near T C Jester. It was the stairs connecting … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More bayou bike trails

Precinct analysis: Hillary in Harris County

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get started with the precinct data, shall we? Here’s a Chron story from the day after the election about how things looked overall in the county. The country’s most populous swing county turned a shade bluer Tuesday, when Hillary … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Dems sweep Harris County

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hillary Clinton had a 100K lead in early voting in Harris County, and increased her lead as the night went on. The only countywide Republican who was leading early on was Mike Sullivan, but later in the evening, at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Races I’ll be watching today, non-Legislative edition

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is my companion to yesterday’s piece. 1. SBOE district 5 I’ve discussed the SBOE races before. This particular race, between incumbent Ken Mercer and repeat challenger Rebecca Bell-Metereau, is the one that has the closest spread based on past … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Chron overview of Heights dry referendum

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For an issue that directly affects a few thousand people, this sure had gotten a lot of attention. [Bill] Baldwin is part of the “Keep the Heights Dry” movement, a group of individuals urging residents who live in the dry … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The dry debate

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron hosted a mini-debate about the vote to change the Heights dry ordinance on its Monday op-ed pages. Bill Baldwin represented the status quo, for keeping the Heights (the original Heights) dry. With the stark reality of land use … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Interview with Bill Baldwin of Keep Heights Dry

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, there will be a referendum on the ballot for a very limited electorate this year, to alter the existing ordinance that enforces a dry zone in the historic Houston Heights to allow the sale of beer and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HEB confirms interest in Heights location

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As rumored. Residents have seen and heard speculation and rumors for months, wondering what the fate would be regarding H-E-B’s potential Heights move. Well wait no more. After the rumor mill ran wild following the No-Dry Vote petition spearheaded by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment