Houston, TX Real Estate & Tourist Information

Hey Houston, Who Has the Best Tailgate Party?

2010-11-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we're all going to get to find out!

This from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ entry by Priya Rao)

http://online.wsj.com/home-page

Who says the winner of a football game is only determined in the stadium?

According to Joe Cahn, the commissioner of tailgating at the Tailgating Institute of America, which has six employees and is based in Manhattan, the real champions are found in the parking lot. "Fans don't lose there," Mr. Cahn explained. "They may not be able to redo a kick, but they can make an awesome hot dog."

Just announced: the Bing National Tailgating Championship, sponsored by Mr. Cahn and the search engine. The competition consists of six regional challenges in Houston, Denver, New York/New Jersey, Phoenix, New Orleans and Seattle, where entrants will be judged on cooking, tailgate spirit, parking lot agility and sports knowledge. The winners from those areas will have a chance to duke it out on a national level in Dallas before the Super Bowl. (The East Coast portion will occur before the Jets and Texans game on Nov. 21 at the Meadowlands.)

"We're in an era of competitiveness," said Mr. Cahn, who founded the organization in 1996 because he was interested in the sociology of tailgating.

Conspicuously absent from his contest is drinking. "I like to remind people that water is an adult beverage, too, and the brewery is not going out of business tomorrow," Mr. Cahn explained.

Houston Makes Forbes Most Affordable Cities List

2010-11-01T07:11:00.001-07:00

Houston was ranked No. 7 on a list, compiled by Forbes, of the U.S. cities where dollars will stretch the farthest.

Oklahoma City took the top spot followed by Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., Nashville and San Antonio.

Houston Doctor Appointments Going High Tech?

2010-07-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

This from CenterNetworks.com:

NY-based appointment planning and physician review service ZocDoc has announced a new Series B round of funding today. The round of $15 million, was led by Founders Fund and previous investors Khosla Ventures also participated in the round. The company notes that the new funding will be used to, “help ZocDoc expand its network of practitioners and accelerate its nationwide growth.”

ZocDoc is one of those services that doesn’t receive press on a daily basis like some mobile services are currently receiving however ZocDoc provides real world value and time savings. You select your insurance provider, location and specialty (dentist, psychiatrist, derm, etc.) and ZocDoc spits back a list of available appointment times. It is promoted as saving a ton of time calling around to find available appointments that match both insurance provider and availability.

You can also view the ratings for a doctor – similar to ratings on Healthgrades, television, or Amazon. It’s great to read reviews of a potential practitioner versus only receiving the recommendation from another doctor or friend. ZocDoc currently serves NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, DC. They allow their potential users to vote on which city should be next for expansion. Upcoming cities might include Miami, Houston, Boston, Philly and Seattle. ZocDoc generates revenue by charging fees to the doctor and provides the service free to users.

Houston Tops Forbes Ranking for Young Professionals Relocation

2010-06-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

From Forbes.com via the Houston Business Journal:

Houston topped this year’s Forbes list of best cities where a recent college graduate can get a strong start on a high-powered career. The magazine placed the Bayou City at No. 1 for its “business-friendly environment and abundance of oil money,” considering it is home to 14 of the country’s largest companies. Only New York City, fourth on the list, had more big employers, according to Forbes.

Houston also had high average incomes and a concentration of graduates from elite colleges — and not just from local Rice University — but from across the country. Texas fared very well in the studdy, both Austin and Dallas also securing a spot in the Top 10 — Dallas at No. 6 and Austin rounding out the list at No. 10.

To come up with the list, Forbes looked at all of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas across the U.S., and then eliminated cities with fewer than 1 million people, and cities where Moody’s Economy.com predicts job growth will be negative over the next year. Next, each city was ranked based on its current unemployment rate, then criteria was factored in such as what people earn, the ability to stretch a dollar in the city and how many public companies called that city home. Then Forbes counted how many members of the Class of 2000 at Princeton University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Duke University, Rice University and Northwestern University were currently living in each city.

Cities rounding out the list included Washington D.C. at No. 2 followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul, Boston, Seattle, Denver and Atlanta.

Carnival Cruise Line Selects Galveston Port for Carnival Magic

2010-06-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

this from CruiseCritic.com:

It was big news when Carnival Cruise Lines first announced that the 130,000-ton, 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic -- the second in its brand-new Dream class -- would debut in May 2011 with a series of Mediterranean sailings. But cruisers wondered: When and where would the ship arrive Stateside?

All signs today point to Galveston, a move that would provide a massive boost to the mid-size Texas port, best known for homeporting "mature" hardware with a minimum of 10 years service at sea.

Word first came via the Cruise Critic's message boards, with readers posting actual booking confirmations -- minus personal details, of course -- for a 16-night transatlantic cruise departing Barcelona on October 28, 2011, and arriving in Galveston on November 13. Travel agents have confirmed to Cruise Critic that the ship will indeed arrive in Galveston on November 13, and, further, that space is being held for a Caribbean cruise departing out of Galveston on that date. Cruise Critic was unable to confirm additional details beyond the November 13 departure.

The port of Galveston's Web site cruise calendar has yet to include the dates, and a representative from the port was unavailable for comment. A spokesperson for Carnival told Cruise Critic, "We expect to announce her North American homeport and her itineraries in the next couple of weeks."

John Heald, Carnival's Senior Cruise Director and mischievous blogger, also teased at a forthcoming announcement from the line. "I have been promising that PA 007 our super spy would be breaking the news on where your Carnival Magic will make her home port. Well...I think this week....may well be the week..." It was Heald who first revealed Magic's European itineraries when he posted a video of himself in January reading aloud a copy of a press release said to be obtained "from a spy."

Interestingly, a Carnival cruise vacation specialist told Cruise Critic that the transatlantic cruise was initially opened up in error -- they intended to serve only a group booking, but briefly opened the channel to public traffic. As of now, the mistake has been "corrected," and the line has nothing in the system (for booking) beyond October 16, 2011, when the ship sails into Barcelona to conclude a Mediterranean cruise.

Texas Wealth on the Move...But to Where?

2010-06-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

This from Forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com/)

Where America's Money Is Moving
Written by Jon Bruner (edited here for length)

Low taxes, warm sunshine and deep discounts on real estate. No wonder IRS data shows the wealthiest among us are headed south. Surprise: America's wealthy like warm weather and low taxes. That's the takeaway from IRS data, analyzed by Forbes, on moves between counties. We looked for counties that the rich are moving to in big numbers.

The dominance of the list by Florida and Texas--the former has eight of the top 20 counties, the latter four-- makes sense to Robert Shrum, manager of state affairs at the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., since neither state has an income tax. "If you're a high-income earner, then that, from a tax perspective, is going to be a driving decider if you're going to move to one of those two states," Shrum says.

After accounting for property taxes, Shrum's analysis shows that Texas has the fourth-lowest personal tax burden in the country, and Florida has the eighth lowest. Shrum also points to eight states that have targeted wealthy households with extra-high tax brackets: California, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Hawaii, Oregon, Connecticut and Wisconsin. Six of the top 10 counties the rich are fleeing are located in those states.

Here are Texas' entries in the Top 20, which all happen to be in the San Antonio region:

No. 4: Llano County, Texas, North of San Antonio
Arriving average income per capita: $44,324
Departing average income per capita: $22,541
Stationary household average income per capita: $26,201
Total arriving people: 1,192
Total departing people: 1,018
Top origin: Burnet County, Texas (312 people)

No. 6: Bandera County, Texas, West of San Antonio
Arriving average income per capita: $37,849
Departing average income per capita: $18,092
Stationary household average income per capita: $24,536
Total arriving people: 1,396
Total departing people: 1,192
Top origin: Bexar County, Texas (458 people)

No. 8: Kendall County, Texas, Northwest of San Antonio
Arriving average income per capita: $51,713
Departing average income per capita: $29,013
Stationary household average income per capita: $41,590
Total arriving people: 2,987
Total departing people: 1,711
Top origin: Bexar County, Texas (1,131 people)

No. 20: Gillespie County, Texas, Northwest of San Antonio
Arriving average income per capita: $35,890
Departing average income per capita: $22,572
Stationary household average income per capita: $30,350
Total arriving people: 1,232
Total departing people: 893
Top origin: Kerr County, Texas (170 people)

Astrodome to Learn Future Shortly

2010-06-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

as reported by the Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com)

Harris County officials plan next week to unveil three scenarios for the Astrodome — ranging from demolition to a multi-purpose redesign that could accommodate a planetarium, a movie soundstage and other attractions — and a revised master plan for Reliant Park that could include a new arena and hotel.

Willie Loston, executive director of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, which operates the county-owned Reliant Park complex, said price tags for the Astrodome could range from $100 million to demolish the Dome and replace it with green space to $500 million for a full-fledged, bells-and-whistles revamped Dome, financed in part with non-public money, that could offer entertainment and technology options for tenants.

“We're not making recommendations, we're not making proposals,” Loston said. “We're saying that one of these three things could happen to the (Astrodome) building.”

The master plan for Reliant Park will include demolition of Reliant Arena, which would be replaced by a new arena attached to Reliant Center on the north end of the Reliant Park and augmented, if development partners can be lined up, with a hotel and parking garage attached to Reliant Center.

The master plan, and the three options for the Astrodome, would be in keeping with Harris County Judge Ed Emmett's charge that the county should adopt a plan for the Astrodome's future by the end of the year. How that plan would be put into action, however, is still undetermined.

“What I can tell you is that it is an almost unanimous feeling among the commissioners' court that this need to be a public decision,” Loston said.

If the Dome is demolished, it would be replaced by a park-like setting rather than parking spaces, Loston said. And demolition, he said, would be more complicated than it was for Texas Stadium in Irving, the Dallas Cowboys' former stadium, which was ringed by three freeways with no other buildings nearby.

“This (the Astrodome) is in the middle of an operating complex,” Loston said. “I've got football games I'm getting ready for (at Reliant Stadium) in two months.”

The other options start with the same premise: The Dome's outer shell would remain standing, but the interior would be gutted, removing seats, concourses and skyboxes, and a 300,000- to 400,000-square-foot floor would be installed at street level above the current Dome floor, which is 32 feet below street level.

“When you walked into the Dome, you would walk right onto this new floor surface,” Loston said. “We would be getting rid of the hole in the ground and rehabbing the building.”

Potential uses in a basic reconfiguration could include a planetarium and a institute for science, technology, education and mathematics, established through non-public funding. With portable seats, the Dome also could accommodate sports events, indoor festivals or events in conjunction with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The third option — “the second option on steroids,” as Loston described it — would include space for meeting rooms, conference rooms and laboratories, built on what are now the Dome's fifth and seventh levels, plus a collection of museums and a movie soundstage.

Loston said the Sport and Convention Corporation will not recommend to county commissioners which plan, if any, to approve.

“We don't prefer anything,” he said. “We are stewards who are trying to give decision-makers a range of options.”

The proposal to demolish the dilapidated Reliant Arena, which in recent years has housed rodeo events, the last season of the Houston Comets WNBA team and the USA Gymnastics national championships, came as county officials discussed the master plan for the entire park area, not just the Dome.

“The master plan will include a plan to add space to Reliant Center to replace what was lost (with the arena's demolition),” Loston said.

That could include a new arena attached to Reliant Center along with a parking garage and a hotel tower, located on the Fannin Street side of the complex, to accommodate conventions and other events at the center.

AstroWorld Site Sold to Developer

2010-06-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

AstroWorld, the old Six Flags amusement park site on the South Loop, sold to The Mallick Group of Fort Worth, TX. The site had been vacant since Six Flags Inc. shuttered AstroWorld in October 2005. The new owner bought the 104-acre tract across the freeway from Reliant Stadium in May for an undisclosed amount. The local seller was Angel/McIver Interests LP, of Conroe, TX, which paid $77 million for the dirt in 2006. Mike McIver and David Angel gained quite a bit of local notoriety for themselves when they acquired the "prime" property.

However, they local consortium never unveiled plans for the property, which is linked by light rail to the Texas Medical Center. Speculation was rampant that a mixed-use development that included retail stores, medical space, commercial offices, a hotel and apartments would be a good fit. Access to restaurants and stores for Texans home games was thought to generate a large amount of interest from regional retailers and commercial developments along the South Loop have had good success.

Michael Mallick, the new owner, says he would be just fine if no one knew his group owned the old AstroWorld site. But the cat got out of the bag. His phone has been ringing for the past two weeks since the deal was completed. “We have a few groups that have come to us that have proposals that want portions of it,” says Mallick. The Mallick Group acquired the site as an investment because, as Mallick says, Houston is a great place to invest. He’s not sure what will become of the land, but he says a decision will probably be made around the end of the year.

The group might hold the property for three to five years; sell it in its entirety once the market turns around; or sell it off in pieces. “We’re just going to sit back and see what happens,” says Mallick.

The Mallick Group invests in all commercial property types except industrial. It also develops real estate, such as the Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott Hotel northwest of Austin. The group has also developed single-family homes in Fort Worth in public/private partnership with the City of Fort Worth.

Houstonians Spend Far Less on Designer Coffee

2010-06-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

From notes and quotes in the Houston Business Journal and the Denver Business Journal:

It seems that Houstonians are fooled by all the hype surrounding designer coffee beverages from Starbucks and other national coffee retailers. Mint.com, an online personal finance website, has posted it's lists of cities that spend the most and the least on designer coffee. Houston made the Top 10 list for Least Amount spent yearly on coffee, coming in at an average of $310/year per person in 2009 and around $27/month thus far in 2010. San Antonio made the spend the most list at an expenditure of $377/year per average person.

"Now, this will come as no great surprise, but Seattle -- Starbucks world headquarters -- tops the list, at $674 spent per person per year. In Seattle in the wintertime, you drive to work in the dark and come home in the dark, so you need something to keep you from running off the road into Puget Sound. Also not surprisingly, Las Vegas comes in at No. 2, with $391 spent on java in a year. After a long night of dissipation, it's a safe bet you'll need a strong slug of coffee."

Rounding out the Top 10 in yearly expenditure(s) comes :Portland, Ore. ($388); San Antonio, Texas ($377); St. Louis ($376); San Jose, Calif. ($366); Tucson, Ariz. ($362; must be iced coffee); San Francisco ($358), tied with New York; Denver; and Phoenix ($352)."

Cypress, TX Cinemark Gets XD Theater

2010-06-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Reported by the Houston Business Journal via Cinemark:

As part of its ongoing strategy to revamp theaters and equip them with next-generation technology, Cinemark Holdings Inc. said Friday it's opened two new XD auditoriums - one in Lakewood, Colo., and one in Cypress. The auditoriums allow the Plano-based movie theater company to bring 2D and D-3D movies to audiences through high-tech JBL sound systems and digital projectors. The theaters feature wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor screens, plush seats and a surround sound system with 30 speakers. The company already has two XD auditoriums in Texas, including one in Plano.

The new Cinemark 12 XD auditorium in Cypress opened May 28 at 25720 Northwest Freeway. Lakewood’s auditorium has been open for about two weeks. The new auditoriums are surfacing at a time when moviegoers and concession sales are buoying Cinemark’s revenue. Cinemark saw its first-quarter revenue jump 21.3 percent due to stronger attendance and higher ticket prices and concession revenue per patron.

For the first three-month period ending March 31, admission sales jumped 22.5 percent to $343 million. That was due to an 8.1 percent jump in moviegoer attendance and a 13.3 percent increase in average ticket prices.

Houston Jobs More Secure in 2010

2010-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

This piece of good news from a report in the Houston Business Journal:

Houston companies have been doing 93 percent less downsizing so far in 2010 than the same period last year, according to new figures released this week by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

Through April 2010, there were just 1,430 announced job cuts in Houston, down from the 19,423 job cuts from January to April 2009. The biggest cuts during that time period came from Schlumberger Ltd. and LyondellBasell, according to Challenger. In 2009, Houston-based employers announced 31,029 job cuts.

In January 2009, Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) announced it would lay off 5 percent of its work force, then two months later said it would have to make even more cuts. Meanwhile, LyondellBasell subsidiary Equistar Chemicals LP also performed a couple rounds of layoffs.

Job cuts in Texas overall fell nearly 64 percent between 2009 and 2010. There were 3,373 job cuts in April 2010, down from 9,322 cuts during the same month last year.
Layoffs during the first four months of this year were also down by 84 percent from the same four-month period in 2009.

Houston and Texas are both mimicking the nation, which saw the number of planned job cuts announced by employers drop sharply in April to 38,326, 43 percent fewer than the 67,611 in March, according to Challenger.

The consultancy said May marks the beginning of what is typically the slowest job-cutting period of the year. However, with the pace of downsizing already below pre-recession levels, the summer slowdown may not be as significant this year, it said.

Texas Ranks High for Relocation

2010-05-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

This from MSN Real Estate:

Texas was the ninth most popular destination for interstate relocation in 2009, with an inbound rate of 55.4%. Census estimates show the state actually brought in the largest influx of people. In terms of the total number of inbound and outbound moves, Texas ranked second only to California. These facts all came together to make Texas the #9 relocation spot for last year.

Taco Cabana Introduces Brisket Soft Tacos & Happy Hour Pricing

2010-04-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Local Tex-Mex favorite Taco Cabana is now offering brisket-filled fresh tortillas at its restaurants, officials announced this week with other changes. The San Antonio-based restaurant chain, which operates about 41 Houston area stores, will invest in a series of enhancements to its restaurants, adding new menu items and unveiling an advertising campaign.

Starting April 26, Taco Cabana put its first new item on the menu: a hickory-smoked, shredded brisket taco, either in barbecue or salsa flavor. Taco Cabana is also adding a daily Happy Hour and new packaging, streamlined menus and counter displays. Taco Cabana will launch its new ad campaign on May 3.

Looking to Buy a New Home? Houston's Master Planned Developments Top the List

2010-03-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

A report from the HBJ (http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/)

Cinco Ranch was the top-selling master-planned community in the United States last year. And The Woodlands was No. 2. In fact, four Houston area communities ranked in the top 10 on an annual survey by RCLCO, an independent real estate advisory firm. Newland Communities’ Cinco Ranch had net sales of 887 homes during 2009 — a 14 percent increase over the 775 net sales in 2008. The Woodlands Development Co.’s master-planned community had net sales of 633 homes last year. That represented a 16 percent decrease from the 750 sales in 2008.

Newland Communities also grabbed No. 4 on the list with Telfair. The local community had 450 net sales in 2009 —up 9 percent from the 412 net sales in 2008. The Johnson Development Corp.’s Sienna Plantation rounded out the top tier at No. 10. The community sold a net 280 homes last year, down 24 percent from the 369 sales in 2008.

Year-over-year net sales declined for most of the top 20 best-selling communities, reports RCLCO, with volumes declining by 8 percent to as much as 84 percent. Telfair and Cinco Ranch bucked the trend of dropping sales by posting increased sales for the third year in a row. RCLCO, which stands for Robert Charles Lesser & Co., is based in Washington, D.C.. The firm surveys more than 400 master-planned communities each year for its sales survey.

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Attendance Numbers Go Through the Roof

2010-03-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Who says the economy is suffering? Houston once again proves that the economy is alive and kicking in the Bayou City!

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which concluded on March 21, reached the 2 million mark in general attendance for the first time in its history. The final attendance mark of 2.14 million visitors broke the previous general attendance record of 1.89 million in 2009, according to a statement by the organization.

A single-day general attendance record was also set on March 14 — Go Tejano Day — with 141,273 visitors. The previous record was set in 2009 with 135,548 visitors.
Records were also shattered at the Pesado and El Trono De Mexico evening concerts on March 14 at Reliant Stadium when 74,222 people caught the rodeo action and the musical performances. The previous record of 74,147 was set during the 2009 Go Tejano Day concerts with performances by Ramon Ayala and Alacranes Musical.

Houston High on List for Young Workers

2010-03-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Portfolio.com, an online publication owned by American City Business Journals, put out this survey, as reported by the Houston Business Journal:

Opportunities abound for young workers and therefore ranks Houston as one of the top cities in America for that demographic, according to a ranking by Portfolio.com. Houston ranked No. 5 of 67 metropolitan markets in the United States for cities with the best opportunities for people in the 18 to 34 age group. Austin, Texas ranked #1 in the country, followed by Washington, D.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Boston.

Portfolio.com (http://www.portfolio.com/)analyzed the 67 U.S. metros with populations above 750,000, searching for qualities that would appeal to workers in their 20s and early 30s. The study’s 10-part formula gave the highest marks to places with strong growth rates, moderate costs of living and substantial pools of young adults who are college-educated and employed.

Houston’s estimated population stood at 5.7 million as of 2008. Of that total, about 24.3 percent of the city’s population was in the 18-to-34 year old demographic. In 2008, the latest year figures were available for the study, the jobless rate for the young working adult was 7.8 percent. However, the Bayou City did not fare well in terms of educational attainment. Only 18.8 percent of young adults in Houston had a bachelor’s degree, compared to Boston, which led the nation at 37.6 percent.

Houston CityCentre Adding Restaurants & Retail

2010-03-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

This blurb, via an announcement from the Houston, TX firm Midway Companies, from the Houston Business Journal (http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/)

CityCentre, a Midway Co. development located at the southeast corner of Interstate 10 and Beltway 8, is adding three new restaurants to its popular collection of eateries and boutiques. Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen, Brio Tuscan Grille and Ruggles Green will soon be the newest tenants at the West Houston development. Cyclone Anaya’s is slated to open its fourth location in the area in May, Brio Tuscan Grille is slated to open its second location in the area in April and Ruggles Green is expected to open the doors to its second location the area in June.

CityCentre’s retail roster is also ramping up with LMD Boutique scheduled to open the doors to its fourth area location later this month. Kitchenware retailer Sur La Table and fashion depot Republic of Couture are also scheduled to open later this year.

The 37-acre CityCentre project is a true mixed use development, consisting of office space, retail stores, restaurants, a hotel, townhomes and apartments.

Forbes Reports Houston Coming Out of Recession

2010-03-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

Forbes magazine (http://www.forbes.com)Houston is 4th on the list of top US cities where the recession seems to be easing. Houston, along with nine other metropolitan areas, are best surviving the downturn in part because they specialize in industries that are relatively insulated from economic volatility, Forbes said.

If one state is a poster child for economic recovery, said Forbes, it’s Texas, which is home to four of the 10 cities on the list. Houston was tied with Minneapolis for fourth place. Meanwhile, Austin was tied for first place with Washington, D.C. while Dallas came in third and San Antonio ranked No. 7.

“There’s more to why Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston are faring well than just the state’s energy industry. The tech, government and education industries supplement the oil state’s riches,” Forbes said. “As for housing, cities in Texas didn’t see the same run-up in home prices and rampant speculation that led to the spectacular bubble burst elsewhere in the country.”

James P. Gaines, research economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, said, “We didn’t have excessive overbuilding, so we don’t have a big overhang of unsold new homes, and because Texas has among most affordable housing in the country, the demand sustained.” Like Austin and Dallas, Houston is expected to experience a three-year, 7.03 percent rise in jobs. But nowhere are jobs projected to grow more than in San Antonio, where four military bases should help drive its expected 8.32 percent increase.

Is Luby's New Venture Going To Challenge Starbucks?

2010-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Luby’s Culinary Services, a contract food service division of Houston-based Luby’s (NYSE: LUB), is operating the brand new What's Brewing business in downtown Houston. The first location opened up at 1301 Fannin. What’s Brewing offers Seattle’s Best Coffee products including freshly brewed coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, Tazo tea and blended beverages. In addition to coffee, the coffeehouse serves pastries and desserts baked fresh each morning.

Danica Patrick Lands Houston Sponsorship

2010-03-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

NASCAR newcomer Danica Patrick and Academy Sports & Outdoors has reached a sponsorship agreement to for the next two years. Patrick, a member of the JR Motorsports team headed by Dale Earnhart Jr., is in her first year driving in the NASCAR series. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Academy will get billing on Patrick’s racing helmet and placement on her driving suit during the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The Houston-based sporting goods retailer will also feature Patrick in an upcoming television ad campaign. She will also be featured in a multi-media campaign that will incorporate the retailer’s Web site, social media networks, Academy stores and customer events. Academy operates 120 stores throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Need a Doctor? Just Head to 77030!

2010-02-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

Since I'm in the Healthcare Real Estate business at Transwestern (http://www.transwestern.net), I thought this was of big interest. I hope you do too... I knew that the Texas Medical Center was a massive concentration of docs but this just confirms that it's tops!

This from the Houston Business Journal: (http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/)

A zip code in the Texas Medical Center is home to the highest concentration of physicians in the nation, according to a report by research firm SK&A. The 77030 zip code -- which ranked first in the Top 50 Zip Codes with Most Physicians report -- is home to 2,170 physicians at 385 medical offices.The region includes a cluster of healthcare sites in close proximity, such as the Texas Medical Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, The Methodist Hospital System and Shriners Hospital for Children.

Irvine, Calif.-based SK&A is part of the France-based Cegedim S.A. Group, a global technology company specializing in the healthcare field. SK & A researches and maintains contact and profiling information for over two million healthcare practitioners, including 800,000-plus prescribers.

Houston Astros In-Game Entertainment Wins National Award for 5th Year

2010-02-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

The Houston Astros’ ballpark entertainment department at Minute Maid Park won the group's highest honor, dubbed the “Best in Show” award, last week for the fifth consecutive year. This award is given to the professional sports team with the best overall video display. The Best Overall Video Display Award, as it is officially known, has never been won by one franchise in any of the four major sports for more than two straight seasons, much less five. The awards were handed out by the Information Display Entertainment Association (IDEA) at their annual Golden Matrix Awards Ceremony in Tampa.

Since 2005, the Astros’ entertainment staff has collected 13 Golden Matrix Awards, the most of any team in baseball and the second-most in any sport during that span. This year they also picked up the Best Interactive In-game Feature for the Guess the Flick! segments.

Shell Houston Open Champion True to His Word

2010-02-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

This from ESPN (www.espn.go.com)

HOUSTON -- Paul Casey of England promised to help a local charity after winning the Houston Open last year for his first PGA Tour victory. Tournament officials discovered Monday how serious he was.

Casey and his wife, Jocelyn, are giving $100,000 to a charity through the Houston Golf Association, which runs the event. He will work with tournament director Steve Timms to figure out which charity gets the money.

Casey, a runner-up at the Match Play Championship on Sunday in Arizona, flew to Houston to make the announcement and meet with the media about his title defense. He won last year in a playoff over J.B. Holmes.

The Shell Houston Open is April 1-4, 2010 at Redstone Golf Club. Their website for information and tickets:
http://www.shellhoustonopen.com/

Andy Warhol Exhibit in Fort Worth, Texas

2010-02-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thinking about a weekend getaway to shake off the cold? This might be just the ticket...

This from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (http://www.themodern.org)

Andy Warhol:
The Last Decade
February 14-May 16, 2010

Andy Warhol: The Last Decade is the first U.S. museum survey exhibition to explore the work that this seminal American artist produced during the final eight years of his life. Warhol entered a period of renewed vigor and enthusiasm in the 1980s that resulted in what was arguably the most productive period of his career.

The exhibition includes approximately 55 works lent by private collections and institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, and Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. Along with an introduction to Warhol, it is divided into thematic sections based on significant Warhol series: abstract works; collaborations (featuring Jean-Michel Basquiat); black-and-white ads; works surrounding death and religion; self-portraits; camouflage patterns; and a concluding section of the artist’s Last Supper series.

Andy Warhol: The Last Decade is organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Houstonians Enjoy Free Denny's Grand Slam Today

2010-02-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to stop at your local Denny's around town today for the Super Bowl free Grand Slam deal.

Here's a link that reminds you of the offer:

http://www.dennys.com/LiveImages/Users/SuperBowl%20PressRelease.pdf

Fort Bend County Makes Forbes List

2010-02-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

New jobs and rising incomes put Fort Bend County at the top of a Forbes list of "Best Places to Get Ahead in 2010." (www.forbes.com)

Forbes looked at counties where the number of jobs had grown the most between the second quarter of 2007 and the second quarter of 2009. It also factored in the counties with the highest income growth. Fort Bend county income levels grew 10 percent between 2007 and 2008, including the addition of 5,913 new jobs since the second quarter of 2007. The county's median income was $84,782 in 2008, up from $77,082 in 2007.

Like the rest of Texas, Fort Bend gets a healthy chunk of its revenue from the energy sector, but it also benefits from a diversity of industries - including education and hospitality - that has fueled several decades of rapid population growth. Several companies on Forbes' 400 Best Big Companies list are headquartered there, including Texas Instruments, Baker Hughes and Thermo Fisher

Forbes limited its search to counties where the median household income was $75,000 per year or higher. Here are the rest of Forbes' picks:

Delaware County, Ohio
Kendall County, Ill.
Williamson County, Tenn.
Arlington County, Va.
Will County, Ill.
Douglas County, Colo.
Alexandria City, Va.
Loudoun County, Va.
Hanover County, Va.
Carver County, Minn.

Houston Dynamo Start Pre-Season Training... 1st Scrimmage Match This Weekend

2010-02-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

Our beloved Houston Dynamo kicked off their pre-season training on Monday. The weather has been a bit of bad luck to the players but I understand that everyone is anxious to get the season underway. All the rumors about stadium locations have kept debate spirited around town and kept the Dynamo on folk's mind. The Dynamo, led by coach Dominic Kinnear, forwards Brian Ching & Louis Angel Landin, and All-Star goalkeeper Pat Onstad, are once again predicted to be a top club in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Here is the link for the Dynamo's pre-season schedule. Most, if not all, pre-season events are open to the public and free of charge.

http://web.mlsnet.com/t200/schedule/2010/preseason.jsp

Houston Grand Opera Getting Rave Reviews for Henry James Short Story

2010-02-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been to the opera in Houston, it appears that now is the time to start going. The Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is garnering rave reviews for its interpretation of THE TURN OF THE SCREW A classic of Victorian gothic literature, Henry James’s chilling short-story is given new life—and death—as an opera. Feb 6 at 7:30. $36–$276. houstongrandopera.org Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center, 500 Texas (713-228-6737).

This description from the HGO website (http://www.houstongrandopera.org/turnofthescrew)

In this operatic thriller two children are pulled toward the world of the dead by the ghosts of their prior governess Miss Jessel and her lover Peter Quint. Internationally acclaimed soprano Amanda Roocroft plays the governess whose obsessive efforts to protect the children may prove more of a threat than the spirits themselves. Powerhouse mezzo-soprano Judith Forst is housekeeper Mrs. Grose, the governess’s only ally. Haunting Victorian sets depict the world of the Henry James novel on which the opera is based. Directed by Neil Armfield, this is the third opera in HGO’s ongoing Benjamin Britten series.

Houston Dynamo Soccer Considering New Site

2010-02-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

Midway Companies has proposed a SW Houston site just south of The Galleria for a mixed-use development to contain a stadium for the Houston Dynamo. There will be retail, residential, transit, and a stadium all encompassed in the new development.

This story from the Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com)lays out this alternative plan that would see the Dynamo locate outside of the originally planned downtown area. Views are mixed on the subject but soccer fans around Houston are simply looking for any resolution.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/6837680.html

Local Jazz Festival Kicks Off Tomorrow

2010-01-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

The 9th Annual Trinity Jazz Festival opens Friday, January 29 at Trinity Episcopal Church and runs through Sunday, January 31. The Trinity Jazz Festival began in 2002. The festival's founder, Father William B. Miller sees jazz as a vehicle for emphasizing both the Midtown church's urban setting, and its commitment to artistic expression. Rev. Miller believes, "Though jazz in the sacred context may be rare, it is a pairing that makes much sense - theologically, historically, and liturgically. Sharing some of the same roots as indigenous gospel music, this art form is rightly at home in the sacred context".

TJF website: http://www.trinityjazzfest.net/

This year's festival will feature:

Friday, January 29
Opening: TSU Jazz Singers - Bert Cross, Director

Headliner: Kirk Whalum (pictured above) w/ Jason Marsalis, Matt Lemmler, Kim Prevost and Roland Guerin

Saturday,January 30
Opening: Gary Weldon, Jazz harmonica artist - accompanied by Bob Henschen, Anthony Caceres and Clyde Adams

Headliner: Brad Leali, Alto saxophonist, professor of saxophone at the University of North Texas and former member of the Count Basie Orchestra - accompanied by Bob Henschen, Anthony Caceres and Clyde Adams

Saturday Master Class:
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Parish Hall w/Jason Marsalis, Roland Guerin, Kim Prevost

Sunday, January 31
10:30 am & 12:30 pm
Trinity Jazz Mass
Featuring:
Matt Lemmler, Jason Marsalis, Roland Guerin, Kim Prevost, Kellye Gray, Herlin Riley, and the Trinity Choir

Houstonian Hotel Makes Top Hotels List

2010-01-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

This from TripAdvisor's:

The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa came in at No. 9 on TripAdvisor.com (www.TripAdvisor.com) list of the top 25 hotels in the United States. TripAdvisor.com uses online public entries for feedback and grading purposes for all things related to travel. The ranking is sort of a "People’s Choice Award" for the travel industry. TripAdvisor’s list is based on reviews and opinions of more than 30 million travelers who use the free site.

The Houstonian is located at 111 N. Post Oak Lane near the Galleria area. Property features include a great room lobby with a 30-foot-tall, hand-carved stone fireplace; a 125,000-square-foot private health club; and Trellis, a spa offering a range of services and therapies. Their website is www.houstonian.com

FYI... the only other Texas property to make the list was the #5 rated Grand Hyatt DFW, in Dallas. The website for that property is granddfw.hyatt.com

German-Style Christmas Festival in Tomball Saturday

2009-12-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

You do not have to be German to enjoy this festival. Come and enjoy the family-friendly ambience - Gemütlichkeit - of this unique music/street festival and open air market along with antique shops, and the old town area. Second Saturday in December - 10 am – 10 pm.

Tap your feet to the music of Chris Rybak, Das Ist Lustig, Tubameisters, Valina, and get into the festive spirit with the sounds of the Christmas musical groups.

An estimate 80 unique and interesting street vendors will line Market and Walnut Street, selling German Christmas items, arts and crafts, and much more.

The German Tent and music stage will be located near 200 Market Street. The tent will house the beer garden decorated in a German theme and Christmas lights. Tables and chairs will allow you to relax with your Dunkles Bier (dark beer), or a warm cup of Glühwein. Don't miss the traditional Dutch Santa and live Nutcracker.

The Kinderfest (kid's area) will provide entertainment and fun for the young visitors. It includes bungee-jumping, rock wall, petting zoo, pony ride, bounce house, and more. Enjoy the large outdoor movie screen, a hayride, and the Christmas lights tour.

Food vendors will include traditional German food and drink, Glühwein (mulled wine), beer, Christmas Stollen, Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and pastry), Bratwurst, red cabbage, sauerkraut, apple strudel, etc., and will, also, include festival foods like funnel cake, corn dogs, hot dogs, hamburgers, kettle korn, and barbeque. Vendors Welcome. For vendor application and information contact: Grady Martin, gradsand@yahoo.com, 281 379 6844. Last years attendance was about 5 thousand.

Highlights of the Festival will include: The lighting of the City Christmas tree, fireworks, music on the Depot Stage, Santa, ice skating rink, and the dedication and unveiling of a new bronze statue "The Train Conductor."

The Market is sponsored by the City of Tomball, Tomball Sister City, and German Heritage Festival www.myspace.com/tgchristmas

Address : Town near the historical Train Depot Plaza, 201 S. Elm
Phone : 281-379-6844 (Always call and confirm events.)
Email Address : gradsand@yahoo.com
Web Address : www.tomballsistercity.org
Admission Fee : Free Admission and No Parking Fees

Memorial Park's Living Bridge Open for Pedestrians

2009-12-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

This news from various sources, including the Memorial Park Conservancy website (http://www.memorialparkconservancy.org/)

Memorial Park’s new $4 million pedestrian bridge officially opened last week, but it won’t reach its full, glorious potential for at least a few years. Designed by Clark Condon Associates, the bridge is a “living bridge,” seeded today to bloom tomorrow. The leafy new amenity linking the urban park’s northern and southern segments opened Tuesday following a ribbon-cutting at 10:30 a.m., hosted by Memorial Park Conservancy (MPC)and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Frequent park users and pass-through motorists will know that the bridge — which sweeps attractively across Memorial Drive next to the existing, at-grade railroad crossing, west of the main park area — already has some plants and shrubs along the trail. In a few years, those will be nearing maturity, as will the currently invisible “planter pockets” along the walls of the bridge that will eventually sprout a variety of flowering vines in the spring and summer. The MPC will be continuing to add a series of native plantings that weave greenery into the structure for pedestrians to use across Memorial Drive. The concept for a living bridge is that after a few years, once those vines and the plants that line the bridge trail reach maturity, the bridge itself will become almost completely enveloped in foliage and will appear to be just another green pocket in Houston’s premier inner-city green space.

The bridge is only part of the $10 million capital campaign under way within Houston Parks and Recreation and the MPC. However, the bridge is the first piece to reach fruition. Mindy Hildebrand, the MPC's Capital Campaign chairwoman, joined forces with hundreds of contributors to raise more than $6.5 million toward Phase I improvements to the park.

Other intended improvements include:

Tennis Center Plaza Renovation ($80,000);

Outer Trail improvements ($2.1 million);

Running/Trails Center ($3 million);

Trail Lighting along the southeastern edge ($140,000);

Beautification of the retaining wall in the center of the park ($700,000).

Discovery Green Balloon Rides

2009-12-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

This excerpt from the Texas Monthly magazine To Do List in Texas:

DISCOVERY GREEN Holiday Balloon—hop into this enormous helium-filled balloon, which measures sixty feet in diameter, and float up, up, and away into the Houston sky for a bird’s-eye view of the city from 350 feet above. And you won’t have to worry about becoming a media sensation, à la the Balloon Boy hoax: This balloon stays tethered to Jones Lawn. Thru Feb 28. Mon—Thur 11—9, Fri & Sat 10—10, Sun 11—8. Weekdays after 5, weekends & holidays: gen adm $20, children 12 & under $15; all other times: gen adm $15, children 12 & under $10. Located Between McKinney & Lamar, one block east of Austin at La Branch (713-400-7336).

Discovery Green website:

www.discoverygreen.com

Houston Mid-Range Ranking in Forbes "Best Bang for the Buck" Cities

2009-12-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

This from the Forbes.com (www.forbes.com) website:

Houston, TX came in 68th in the USA "Best Bang for the Buck" ranking on Forbes.com. Here's the link to the list:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/30/cities-affordable-cheap-lifestyle-real-estate-housing-foreclosures_chart.html

Dallas, TX was in 64th place, Austin came in at 45th, San Antonio at 39th, El Paso was 33rd, and metro McAllen topped the Texas cities at 7th.

Houston struggled in areas such as real estate taxes, travel commute time, and real estate vacancies. However, Houston was ranked 13th in the job forecast category.

Houston's Bush International Airport May Be Getting a High-End Neighbor

2009-12-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

This from multiple sources including Globe St. and the Houston Chronicle:

Houston developer Midway Companies, a Houston company known for building high-end real estate projects, is proposing to create what could be a $50 million mixed-use development near Bush Intercontinental Airport (BIA). The plan, more than two years in the making, could move a step closer to reality this week when Houston City Council(HCC)is scheduled to vote on a development agreement for the land, which is owned by the Houston Airport System (HAS). If HCC approves the project, Midway Companies is prepared to sign a forty-year ground lease agreement for approximately 10 acres along JFK Boulevard from HAS. The parcel is near the BIA consolidated rental car center.

In the ground lease agreement, Midway would have two years to "sell" the concept to tenants and then up to two additional years to construct the project. At a minimum, it would include restaurants, a gas station, a convenience store and a cell phone lot with an electronic system to display flight information, and it may also include office space, retail shops, and a 125-room hotel. This would be the first project of its kind for the airport system.

“We hope this is a great success and we can repeat it at our other airports,” said Janet Schafer, assistant director in the Properties Division for the Houston Airport System, which oversees the city's three airports.

Downtown Houston Trolleys Free Fare for Shoppers This Weekend

2009-11-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

Houstonians set to brave the downtown shops this weekend will have less driving to do thanks to the Houston Downtown Management District.

The district will feature two trolleys that will connect all the points where the downtown Holiday Spectacular events are taking place.

Rides will be free, and 11 pick-up and drop-off stations will be marked with holiday signage.

The trolleys will begin transporting passengers on Friday beginning at 11 a.m.

Trolley supporters include the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, Discovery Green, Houston Pavilions, The Shops at Houston Center, Macy’s and The Heritage Society.

St. Arnold Brewery Hosting North Village Pub Crawl Tomorrow Night

2009-11-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

This from the St. Arnold Brewing Company website (http://www.saintarnold.com/)

OUR 15th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS ALE PUB CRAWL, PART I, WILL BE THIS FRIDAY, NOV 20
This will be our North Village Pub Crawl with a civilized 4 stops. We are utilizing our “open house” schedule for the first 3 stops. This means that we will be signing tickets at all three of the first three stops for three hours so people can split up between the establishments. You will get your ticket at whichever stop you decide to visit first. But, VERY IMPORTANT, we will only be handing out the tickets between 6 PM and 7 PM. Thus, you still need to start between 6 and 7. Then, at 9 PM, everybody will gather at one final stop and that is where we will award the glasses. The prize for making all four stops will be our St. Arnold pub crawl pint glass. We will have a large but limited supply of glasses. And as always, designated drivers are both eligible for the award and encouraged to attend! So here is the layout and our vague directions, now with 100% more hints!

The first three locations (at which we will be simultaneously between 6 PM and 9 PM):
One will be somewhere on Dunstan between Kelvin and Morningside. Sounds like a Scottish pub.
One will be on Kirby between Robinhood and Quemby. Think of New Orleans nicknames.
One will be on Quemby between Kirby and Kelvin. Half of Hans and Franz.
At 9 PM, we will proceed from these three locations up Morningside to Bissonnet and look for someplace to congregate! There will be bratwurst with sauerkraut available here as well. Think: hot lava.

Now, for our annual tips for maximum enjoyment:

1. PRECOATING: Try to eat something before commencing the crawl.

2. PACING: Too many Christmas Ales at the first stop is a critical strategic mistake. This is known as "Sprinting Too Early" which is not advisable in this, a distance event. Can have negative repercussions later.

3. MANNERS: Be patient with bar staff. Remember, 700 or so people will be descending upon a poor crew. They will be working as fast as they can. Also, it is considered very good manners to tip well everywhere you go. This creates good “beerma”.

4. CASH: Bring cash! This pleases the bar staff and the people standing behind you. Cash is fast. Credit cards are slow. They cannot run tabs for 700 people.

5. BUDDY SYSTEM: Make sure that you are always in contact with a couple of people you know. One of you is bound to notice that the pack is starting to move on to the next stop. This prevents the disoriented feeling of looking around an empty bar and realizing that the only three people still in there are guzzling some inferior malted beverage and may be related to the missing link.

6. MAKE NEW FRIENDS: As everyone on this crawl will be intelligent and good looking, this is an excellent place to meet new people. Also, you will note that some people become better looking as the crawl wears on. If this occurs, be sure to consult your Buddy System partner.

7. DESIGNATED DRIVER: Yes, we encourage this strongly. You never know when you might decide to run for president. And even the designated drivers on the crawl qualify for the prize. While pregnant wives are perfect for this role, it is known to be poor judgment for a husband to claim that this is the best part of her being pregnant. See "Mood Swings."

8. ENJOY ST. ARNOLD'S BEERS: It is in poor taste to be seen quaffing anything else. Ever. See "Curse of Saint Arnold."

This is the North Village Pub Crawl. There will also be a South Village Pub Crawl on December 11, so mark your calendars for that one as well.

Houston, TX Ranks #9 on MSN Real Estate "Most Livable" Bargain Markets

2009-11-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

2009 MSN Real Estate Most-Livable Bargain Markets

9. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas

It may be the largest metro area on our list, with a population of 5.6 million, but it’s also in a dead heat with Little Rock for the most affordable. It’s also one of the best places in the country to find a job. Houston has become a global economic center, with great numbers of immigrants from Asia and Latin America, and is the 10th-busiest port in the world.

Houston’s job losses over the past year have been minor (2.08%), compared with most other major cities. Its strong oil and gas employment have helped this area ride out the recession better than other cities its size. It was named one of America’s recession-proof metros last year by Forbes.

And its revitalized downtown, large number of parks and rich cultural amenities and entertainment give residents lots of options for weekend fun. Of course, locals are most passionate about their pro sports teams: the Astros baseball team, the NFL Texans and the NBA Rockets.(BLOGGER NOTE: Lots of great, passionate Houston Dynamo fans as well!) However, the city boasts plenty of art galleries and antique shops, too.

Cons: Built on former swampland, Houston is hot in the summer and particularly humid almost year-round. The city has some of the worst traffic congestion and worst air pollution because of its overwhelming sprawl (the area has very few zoning laws). And Houston has a high stress index, which takes into account rates of suicide, alcohol abuse, divorce and the rate of poor mental health. Violent and property crime are also serious issues throughout the metro.

Population 5,664,074
Affordability index 2.96
Unemployment 8.4
Job growth -2.08%
Median home price $157,400
Home price appreciation 2.42%
Cost of living index 82.4
Median household income $53,144
Commute time (mins.) 31.8% commutes greater than an hour

"Gloworama" Illuminated Art Car Parade in Houston November 28th

2009-11-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

This blurb from the Houston Business Journal (http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/)

For Houstonians who can’t get enough of the Art Car Parade, there is now one for night owls. H-E-B Grocery (http://heb.com/welcome/index.jsp) is sponsoring the first Illuminated Art Car Parade on Nov. 28 beginning at 9 p.m. on Avenida de las Americas near the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Dubbed “Gloworama,” the parade will feature a procession of illuminated art cars and a 3-D light show projected on the exterior of the convention center.

The Invincible Czars will perform “Nutcracker Suite” in Discovery Green before the event, and there will be a balcony viewing party on top of the convention center. A late-night event called AfterGlow will allow Houstonians to party into the wee hours of the night with live music.

The parade is also sponsored by the Houston Downtown Alliance, Art Cars of Houston, ABC-13 KTRK, City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities of Houston, City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Bud Light, LD Systems, Continental Airlines Inc. (NYSE: CAL) and Autorama.

Inaugural LPGA Tour Championship This Week in Houston, TX

2009-11-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

The LPGA Women's Professional Golf Tour is hosting its' first ever Tour Championship tournament this week (Thurs-Sun) at the Houstonian Golf Club (http://houstoniangolf.com/)in Richmond, TX. The top 120 women's professional golfers from the LPGA tour money list will be competing for top prize out of a total prize purse of $1.5 Million Dollars.

Follow all the information on the official website at http://www.lpgatourchampionship.org/information.php

Last week's champion Michelle Wie will be playing, along with major stars Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Natalie Gulbis, Lorena Ochoa, Cristie Kerr, Jiyai Shin, Suzann Petterson, and Angela Stanford.

Salvation Army Pro-Am Turkey Carving Event Downtown Houston Today

2009-11-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Local celebrities will be among those attending The Salvation Army’s annual Houston Thanksgiving Day Buffet on Nov. 12, when a mouth-watering selection of food will be on offer. The public can head down to One Allen Center downtown at lunchtime for the 8th Annual Pro-Am Turkey Carving Contest. For a $5 donation, Houstonians can sample Thanksgiving Day meals prepared by restaurants including Carmelo’s Ristorante, Cuisine Charlemagne, Kona Grill, Strip House, Reggae Hut, Hilton Americas and the Doubletree Hotel.

Each restaurant will be paired with a local media celebrity. The roster includes Sherry Williams from KHOU Ch. 11, Jorge Vargas from KIAH Ch. 39, Booker and Sarah from Hot Hits 95.7, The Mad Hatter Morning Show from 97.9 and Adriana Calhoon from Univision Radio. The teams will be competing for the “Prettiest Bird,” “Best Carver,” “Best Presentation” and “Grand Champions” accolades.

Donations collected will go toward The Salvation Army, Greater Houston Area Command’s 2009 Christmas Assistance program, which serves more than 30,000 local individuals and families across Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties annually.

Houston, TX Getting Freshii Restaurants

2009-11-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

This from the Houston Business Journal (http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/) :

Third Coast Produce owners Javier and Teresa Bueno have signed a franchise agreement to open more than 20 Freshii stores (http://www.eatfreshii.com/index.php)in the Houston area. Third Coast Produce is a Houston produce distribution company that supplies to restaurants in the area.

“I saw a demand for healthy and fresh food beginning to increase in Houston, but the restaurant options were few and far between, and there was very little focus on branding,” Javier Bueno said in a statement. “I see Freshii as the perfect brand for addressing a growing demand for fresh, organic food that is good for the entire family.”

Freshii restaurants were started in 2005 by Matthew Corrin in Toronto as a place where people could buy healthy, gourmet meals and snacks. The company is now based in Chicago. “Houston is a top-tier target market for Freshii, as the fourth-largest metro in the U.S.,” Corrin said in a statement.

Freshii currently has 16 restaurants in the United States and Canada. Deals are also in the works to open locations in Washington, D.C. and Denver, according to the company. The Buenos expect to open the first of several locations in the Houston area early in 2010.

Yard House Draft Beer Emporium Coming To Houston

2009-11-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

From the Yard House Restaurant website:

http://www.yardhouse.com/default.asp

The Yard House is an upscale-casual eatery known for its extensive menu, classic rock music, and world's largest selection of draft beer. From classic lagers to more obscure ales and stouts there's a draft beer flavor for everyone. Each Yard House location features a transparent keg room containing more than 600 barrels, some 1,000 gallons of beer, and an endless fleet of tap handles - 100 to 250 - depending on the location.

The menu of American cuisine includes an impressive selection of appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, individual-size pizzas, seafood, steaks, ribs and chops. Late-night dining is available, and each restaurant can accommodate groups for large parties. For pint-size guests the kid's klub includes a 12 page activity book, fresh to order menu items and a kustom kooler. The Yard House plays classic rock and roll on its state of the art sound system while an abundance of flat screens showcase the day's sports and special events.

Yard House Restaurants are located throughout Southern California including Long Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Rancho Mirage, San Diego, Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Newport Beach, Temecula, Los Angeles, and Brea. You'll also find Yard House locations in Lakewood, Colorado; San Antonio, Texas; Glenview, Illinois; Kansas City, Kansas; Phoenix, Arizona; Scottsdale, Arizona; Glendale Arizona; Waikiki, Hawaii; Las Vegas, Nevada; Coral Gables and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The Houston location will be up and running at CityCentre around Thanksgiving! The CityCentre website is:

http://www.citycentrehouston.com/

3RD ANNUAL CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL OF TEXAS & TEXAS WINE EVENT

2009-11-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

This from the local Artshound Newsletter:

It's time for the 3rd Annual Chocolate Festival of Texas & Texas Wine Event, at the Sheraton Hotel - North Houston, 15700 JFK Blvd. Featuring a Death by Chocolate Murder Mystery Dinner, Friday, November 6, and an all-day Festival, Saturday, November 7.

The festival is an inexpensive way to sample delectable chocolates from local and national chocolatiers, chefs, and bakeries including truffles, bon-bons, fondue-along with sampling great Texas wines.

Featuring fabulous chocolates from all over Texas and Texas Wines. Attendees will be able to sample the chocolates, wines and other delectables along with purchasing for great Holiday gifts. There will be our Culinary Theatre to watch local Chefs create wonderful dishes, guest speakers on chocolate and wine pairing and eating chocolate to lose weight.
New this year is our Little Chef's korner where children can decorate a cookie or brownie. The chocolate competition is open to amateur and professional chefs, we have new category chocolate sculptures. All entries will be included in our silent auction to take home some yummy goodies. What better way to spend a Saturday sampling chocolates and tasting wines!!!

Houston's Texas Children's Hospital Goes High-Tech

2009-11-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

Exciting news came from Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) this week regarding the opening of a state-of-the-art Simulation Center on Wednesday. This Simulation Center utilizes high-tech mannequins and live actors to play a key role in training health care professionals. The center will be used to train health care teams how to manage rare and complex patient care in a simulated clinic environment.

The 8,000-square-foot facility has three high-fidelity simulation theaters, five standardized patient training rooms, a flexible clinical skills room and two debriefing rooms. High-tech equipment including mannequins that, among other things, can bleed and turn blue, innovative software and audio/visual systems will simulate critical medical events ranging from a patient experiencing cardiac arrest to a fire in the operating room, while trained actors will play the roles of family members.

“The experience of simulation allows for such an advanced level of training and helps ensure that we are truly prepared to work together as a highly-coordinated team for every patient who needs our help,” said Dr. Jennifer Arnold, medical director of the simulation center. The TCH simulation center is the only such facility in Texas and one of only 12 in the country. As well as training hospital staff, the center will also be made available to local, national and, ultimately, international health care providers.

The Guy Expo Comes to Houston, TX This Weekend

2009-11-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

This from The Guy Expo Website http://www.theguyexpo.com/

You can’t beat it! Beer, power tools and no line forming outside the Ladies Room. You got your geeky gadgets, choice home theater equipment and hobby stuff lined up right there along with As-Seen-On-TV stuff. Serious high-end gear, test products and stuff you can’t ever find is everywhere you look, just waiting to join the stuff already in the free shwag bag. If you weren’t such a guy, you could start your Christmas shopping early.

Is your Fortress of Solitude ready for a make over? Studies show that 62% of all guy lairs, man caves and finished basements are not able to reach their full potential without some major ampage and overt 3D statements of home team allegiance. The Guy Expo is the place for your home within the home. There are only two good reasons to leave the lair. One of them is grilling. Check out the grills, smokers, utensils, paraphernalia and a ton of tailgating gear.

Who’s ready to hoist one? Sample 6 beers for 5 bucks at The Guy Expo’s very own Beer-a-thon, where you can vote for your favorite. Then move on into the Novemberfest Beer Garden for full-size beers and a bevy of big screen TVs for your game viewing pleasure. Yes, it’s all about you. Grab a fresh cold one & visit the Tricked-Out Garage. You’ll want to move in!

The Houston stop on The Guy Expo tour will be showcasing local St. Arnold beer. Over there you’ll see a gaggle of beers go head-to-head in the Beer-a-Thon competition. Sample and vote for The Guy Expo Beer of the Year. Then step on into the "NovemberFest" Beer Garden where you can do more than just sample. While you’re there, check out The 50-Yard Line Viewing Area to catch your favorite games and a yard of beer to quench your thirst.

Don’t miss the live music, the celebrity appearances, cheerleaders and more cheerleaders from all your favorite local teams, and all the goofy contests that make us proud to be men. Like Beer Can Stacking, now that takes skill. Motor on into The Guy Expo and get hit with a mile-long midway of stuff to see and do: presentations, exhibits, clinics, demos, laser rifle range, cars, tailgating, music, recreation, pro sports teams, and your chance to win free beer and wings for a year!

All of this takes place at the George R. Brown Center this weekend (Nov. 6-8) in downtown Houston.

Disgraced Financial Giant R. Allen Stanford Loses Knighthood Title

2009-11-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

This blurb from the AP news wire:

It's no longer “Sir” Allen Stanford.

The panel that approves candidates for knighthood in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has voted to rescind the honor granted to Texas financier R. Allen Stanford in 2006. The chairwoman of the National Honors Committee says the panel voted unanimously to revoke Stanford's title. Jacqui Quinn-Leandro said today the panel took the action because of the embarrassment Stanford caused the country with the alleged Ponzi scheme he ran from his Antigua-based offshore bank.

The vote needs the signature of the governor general but that is considered a formality. The country has never before revoked such an award. U.S. authorities accuse Stanford of leading a $7 billion Ponzi scheme by promising inflated returns to about 28,000 investors on certificates of deposits at his Antiguan bank. Stanford, who is jailed without bail in Houston pending trial, denies the allegations.

St. Arnold Brewery Opens in Downtown Houston

2009-10-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

This update from the St. Arnold Brewing Company website http://www.saintarnold.com/

Tours are every Saturday at 1:00

ALL TOURS ARE NOW AT OUR NEW LOCATION: 2000 LYONS AVE. NEAR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, TX.

Come visit Texas' Oldest Craft Brewery, Saint Arnold Brewing Company! We have public tours EVERY SATURDAY at 1:00pm. The cost for the tour is US $7.00. No reservations are required, there is a beer tasting after each tour, and all paid attendees receive a souvenir tasting glass.

Houston's World Cup (Soccer) Bid Could Mean Massive Positive Economic Impact

2009-10-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Multiple sources reported on this topic, including this write up from the Houston Business Journal:

Winning the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup could be very lucrative for Houston and the nation, according to a study released this week by the USA Bid Committee Inc.

The study, conducted by the economic practice at AECOM Technology Corp. (NYSE: ACM), forecasts that being selected as the host country in either of those years could result in a $5 billion economic impact nationwide. In addition, preparation for and operation of the tournament could lead to the creation of between 65,000 and 100,000 new jobs.

The study also estimates 5,000 to 8,000 jobs would be created in each host city during the event’s operation.

Thirty-two stadiums in 27 cities, including Houston’s Reliant Stadium, are in the running to be included in the U.S. bid. The final bid will include between 12 and 18 stadiums.

The total economic impact projected for any one host city ranges from about $400 million to $600 million at today’s dollar value, according to the study. That figure is based on 12 host cities staging five to six matches each.

The USA Bid Committee is responsible for putting together the pitch to host the prestigious soccer event, with the final submission due to FIFA, the international governing body for soccer, in May 2010.

Houston soccer fans can do their part to promote the city by going to a Web site created by the committee at http://www.gousabid.com/Houston.

Nolan Ryan's Record Setting Strikeout Victim Becomes New Astros Manager

2009-10-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

Brad Mills has been hired as the new manager of the Houston Astros. Mills, previously the bench coach for the Boston Red Sox, was introduced yesterday by Ed Wade, Astros General Manager, in a press conference at Minute Maid Park. Houstonians may remember Brad Mills as being Nolan Ryan's 3509th career strikeout victim, lifting Ryan past Walter Johnson as the all-time Strike Out King.

Mills played for the Montreal Expos from 1980 to 1983, and has coached extensively in the minor leagues. He worked with Terry Francona in Philadelphia as an assistant base coach with the Phillies. When Francona left Philly to join the Red Sox organization (American League) in 2004, he took along Mills, whom he appointed bench coach.

Mills succeeds Cecil Cooper, who was fired on Sept. 21 and replaced on an interim basis by Dave Clark, the team’s third-base coach. Clark will maintain a position on Mills' staff for the upcoming season. Mills lack of current knowledge of the National League players and teams was not seen as a real detriment since he had prior experience in both the major and minor league systems with National League teams.

Katy Freeway Lands Houston's First Toys "R" Us Superstore

2009-10-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

This from several sources, including language from the Houston Business Journal:

Toys “R” Us Inc. has returned to the Katy Freeway with the opening of the first “R” superstore in the Houston market.

The Wayne, N.J.-based retailer opened a new 65,000-square-foot store at 9730 Katy Freeway, on Oct. 23.

The new store combines the merchandise assortment of a full-size Toys “R” Us store and a Babies “R” Us store, offering a single location for parents to find toys for kids and everything they need for a baby.

Following Hurricane Ike, the company closed its 45,000-square-foot Toys “R” Us store at 9655 Katy Freeway, due to substantial damage caused by the storm.

The Houston “R” superstore is the fourth of its kind to open in Texas, with others located in Allen, Irving and Dallas.

In addition, Toys “R” Us has opened a “Holiday Express” store in The Galleria mall as part of an expansion plan that includes more than 80 Holiday Express temporary Christmas stores in malls and other shopping centers nationwide, and more than 260 Toys “R” Us Holiday Express shops within the company’s Babies “R” Us stores.

Shell Oil Eco-marathon Competition Coming to Houston in March, 2010

2009-10-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

Shared information from Houston Business Journal and Shell Oil Website

The Shell Eco-marathon Americas will be held in Houston next year, the first time the event has taken place outside Southern California since it began in 2007. For the website with all the information and rules, click here:

http://www.shell.com/home/content/ecomarathon/

The 2010 event will also mark the first time the race — in which student-built, energy efficient vehicles compete to travel the farthest using the least amount of energy — will be held on a road track. “Bringing the Shell Eco-marathon to our hometown of Houston provides the student teams with an all-new setting to stretch the boundaries of fuel efficiency,” said Marvin Odum, president of Shell Oil Co.

The eco-marathon has been around since its inception in Europe at a Shell research lab in 1939. The modern event was born in France in 1985. In 2007, the Americas event kicked off, and in 2010 Asia will also play host to its own eco-marathon.

Teams from the University of Houston, Lamar University in Beaumont and the University of Texas-El Paso were among 44 North and South American teams comprised of more than 500 students who participated in last year’s event, in which Laval University of Canada won the Prototype category with a vehicle that achieved more than 2,700 miles per gallon. In the Urban Concept category, for cars more likely to see mass production, Mater Dei High School of Evansville, Ind. took the grand prize with 433 mpg.

The 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas will be held at Discovery Green from March 26 to March 28

Houston, TX Chosen to Host O'Reilly AutoRama 50th Anniversary

2009-10-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Houston will be behind the wheel as the O’Reilly AutoRama revs up its engines for the event’s 50th anniversary from Nov. 26 to 29.

The event, presented by Super Start Batteries, is one of the largest and longest-running indoor car shows in the United States. This year it will feature a salute to the past five decades, as well as a line-up of custom cars, motorcycles, racecars, tuners, trucks and family entertainment at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

“I’m proud that AutoRama has become such an important part of the culture in Houston that we’re now celebrating our golden anniversary,” said Bob Larivee Jr., chief executive officer of Championship Auto Shows Inc., the group putting on AutoRama.

Featured cars will include the legendary Zinger Corvette and Volkswagen, the Hudson Hornet from the hit movie “Cars,” “El Tiki” from the pages of Ol’ Skool Rodz and the “Ratical Rod” street coupe. The top show cars in North America will also be on display as part of the International Show Car Association Championship Finals.

A new addition will be the GlowoRama, when a collection of art cars will drive down Avenida De Las Americas in front of the GRB on Nov.

Houston Named as #4 Best City for Retirees by Forbes Magazine

2009-10-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area ranks No. 4 on a new list by Forbes of America’s 40 “recession proof” retirement cities.

Forbes said it considered such factors as average income for seniors, current and expected home prices, job-growth predictions through 2014, the cost of living and median monthly housing cost.

The Houston area ranked 33rd for home price change predicted for 2009-2014, 21st for number of sunny days, 18th for income of residents 65 and older, 15th for median home price, 13th for median monthly housing cost and fourth for both cost of living and job growth predicted for 2009-2014.

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. took the top ranking and was followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.

Austin-Round Rock shared the No. 5 slot with St. Louis, Mo., while San Antonio came in at No. 10.

New York finished last among the 40 cities, with Milwaukee and Boston rounding out the bottom three.

My Houston, TX Blog in a Wordle

2009-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

I put the URL of my blog into the Wordle (www.wordle.net)and the link below is what appeared. Very cool, huh?

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1247320/My_Blog_in_a_Wordle

Rice University to Teach & Invest

2009-10-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

Reported by Greg Barr, a Senior Reporter, at the Houston Business Journal:

Rice University forms investment company

A new internal company will oversee financial investments for Rice University. The Rice Management Co. will be headed by Scott Wise, who has been appointed president of the new entity. Wise was previously vice president for investments and treasurer at the university.

Although the company is part of the university and not a separate legal entity, it has its own bylaws and a separate board of directors appointed by the Rice Board of Trustees. It replaces the board’s investment committee. The company has 13 investment professionals and three administrative support staff members. Although the majority of its board will be Rice trustees, several external advisers will be elected.

Jim Crownover, chairman of the Rice Board of Trustees, said a number of Rice’s peer institutions have formed similar companies to manage their endowments. Some of Wise’s other administrative duties will be handed over to other university employees so he can concentrate on investment decisions.

“The performance of the endowment is crucial to Rice’s long-term success,” he said, noting that the endowment accounts for about 45 percent of the university’s annual budget. “The Rice Management Co. will allow us to have a more focused approach to governing and managing the endowment. It will also allow us to tap the experience and skills of top investment professionals across the country by bringing in outside members to the board of directors.”

Rice’s endowment fund was worth $3.6 billion as of June 30.

Houston Rodeo Concerts to Include Jonas Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, and Tim McGraw

2009-10-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

This blast from the Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com)

Heartthrobs -- country and otherwise -- lead the list of 2010 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo performers.

Today's quartet of early performer announcements include the Jonas Brothers (March 7), Tim McGraw (March 8), Brad Paisley (March 11) and retiring duo Brooks & Dunn (March 20).

RodeoHouston runs March 2-21. The full lineup will be announced Jan. 11, 2010.

The Jonas Brothers: The unstoppable sibling trio makes its second RodeoHouston appearance after drawing 72,475 fans last year. Joe, Nick and Kevin also sold out an Aug show at Toyota Center. Will next year's show be another record-breaker? Or has JBros fatigue set in? We're betting on the former. (March 7.)

Tim McGraw: The strappingly sensitive crooner is making his fifth RodeoHouston appearance. He previously took the stage in 1996-97, 2003 and 2008. A new album, Southern Voice, is in stores Tuesday. (March 8.)

Brad Paisley: It's also RodeoHouston No. 5 for Paisley, who's an ace at mixing aw-shucks ballads with wry, intelligent songwriting. See American Saturday Night, his eighth studio album. Paisley's sets are loose, lively and a nonstop parade of colorful guitars -- with paisley designs, of course. (March 11.)

Brooks & Dunn: The veteran duo has played every RodeoHouston since 1992 and is always a solid draw. But RodeoHouston 2010 promises to be a special gig. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn announced in August that it's "time to call it a day" after the Last Rodeo Tour, which includes the local date. Expect an all-time high in paid attendance.

Season tickets are on sale now and start at $302 (plus a $15 handling fee).

Mini‐season tickets go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and are offered in two "options." Option A includes the Jonas Brothers and McGraw; option B includes Paisley and Brooks & Dunn. Each package includes nine performances and ranges from $132-$171. Seating is in the upper and loge levels.

Black Heritage Day (March 5) and Go Tejano Day (March 14) are not included in Mini-season ticket options. Individual tickets go on sale Jan. 16.

For ticket information, call 832-667-1080, visit the ticket windows on the second floor of Reliant Center or go to the RodeoHouston site. Season and mini-season tickets are not available at any other outlets.

Everyone Grab Their iPhone & add the Houston Zoo Application

2009-10-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

This from the Houston Business Journal:

Different kinds of animals tend to exhibit interesting social behaviors. Now the Houston Zoo hopes its human guests will take to a new iPhone application that taps into social networking Web sites.

The Zoo iPhone application — available at no charge — displays guests’ locations on the zoo grounds using real-time GPS coordinates and allows visitors to access photos and videos of exhibits and animals and access daily “Meet the Keeper” presentations. The application home page also includes a link to a live Twitter stream.

The Houston Zoo is one of only two zoos in the world, along with the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, to offer the locator application.

“We wanted the application to be a personalized guide for our guests, giving our visitors instant information about all the zoo has to offer so they can make the most of their visit,” said Kelly Russo, Houston Zoo director of interactive marketing.

College Football's Texas Bowl Boosts Profile with Big 12 & Big Ten Connections

2009-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

This from a file story in the HBJ:

The value of the Texas Bowl brand will move higher in 2010 now that the college football game will include teams from the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences.

Next year’s game will also have a higher-ranked Big 12 team, getting the fifth choice among bowl-eligible teams from the conference after the Bowl Championship Series lineups have been announced. Since its start in 2006, the Texas Bowl has had the seventh pick among eligible Big 12 teams.

Big 12 and Big Ten officials committed this week to a four-year agreement with the Texas Bowl through 2013.

“When we took the bowl over in 2006, the vision was clear: to bring two teams from BCS conferences to Houston on New Year’s,” said Heather Houston, Texas Bowl manager. “This dream is now a reality with today’s announcement.”

This year’s game at Reliant Stadium, produced by Houston-based Lone Star Sports and Entertainment and set for broadcast on ESPN, is set for 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 31, and will feature Navy against a Big 12 team to be determined.

Of the three Texas Bowls held so far, Texas Christian University’s 20-13 win over the University of Houston in 2007 attracted the largest crowd, with 62,097 in attendance.

Houston, TX Received Small Business Accolade from Fortune Magazine

2009-10-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Houston may have a bad reputation for its hot weather and heavy traffic, but when it comes to starting a small business, the city is one cool kid.

Fortune Small Business has ranked the Bayou City No. 4 among the top large metro areas for business start-ups.

Fortune raves about Houston’s ability to weather the current recession, the addition of 500,000 new jobs over the past five years, and the city government’s work on curbing pollution, diversifying the economy and investing in public transportation. And of course, there’s the Texas Medical Center and the city’s ranking as the largest municipal purchaser of green power in the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

However, Fortune did bring up that pesky Mother Nature issue, and the fact that businesses are now having a tough time finding hurricane insurance.

But, weather didn’t stop Fortune from naming tornado-prone Oklahoma City as the best city for starting a small business. Despite its weather issues, OK City received kudos for its low foreclosure rate as well as the large number of local investors just itching to lend money. Rounding out the top four were Pittsburgh and Raleigh, N.C.

Houston CityCentre Development to Host "Foam on the Range" Beer Festival

2009-10-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Food and Vine Time Productions will host a “Foam on the Range” craft beer festival on Oct. 23 at CityCentre Houston near Interstate 10 and the West Sam Houston Parkway.
More than 25 handcrafted beers will be available for sampling and local restaurants will also be on hand to offer optional food items.
Entrance to the craft beer festival costs $15 which includes beer, brew knowledge, high rise living model tours and live music.
The event is part of “Zest in the West,” a three-day festival featuring a variety of food and drink events that supports scholarships for participants of the non-profit West Houston Leadership Institute, which trains and develops leaders in the community.

Houston, TX in the Ranks of Best Sports Cities

2009-10-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

As reported by the HBJ from a Sporting News list:

Houston has climbed a notch in the annual rankings of the best sports cities in the country by The Sporting News (www.sportingnews.com/).
The Bayou City is ranked No. 11 this year, up from No. 12 in 2008, according to the magazine’s rankings, released Wednesday.
“People just don’t like either the Texans, Rockets or Astros. The fans here will support all the teams and really know what’s going on,” Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson told Sporting News. “I’ve been a Rockets season-ticket holder for six years. That’s the biggest thing I’ve seen that’s different than other cities. They just really love their sports and support the teams.”
Pittsburgh, which won back its title of “City of Champions” this year with the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup and Steelers winning the Super Bowl, regained the No. 1 ranking from Boston, which slipped to No. 3 this year.
The arrival of the palatial new Cowboys Stadium helped Dallas-Fort Worth claim the No. 9 slot, the highest ranking for a Texas city. San Antonio was further down the list at No. 25 with Austin at No. 38. Several other Texas cities were included in the top 100, including Lubbock at No. 63, Waco at No. 85, College Station at No. 86 and El Paso at No. 98.
This year’s Best Sports Cities list features almost 400 cities and towns in the United States and Canada, ranked by a system that assigns points to a variety of categories, including a city’s number of teams, their regular-season won-lost records, playoff berths, bowl appearances and tournament bids, championships, applicable power ratings, fan fervor, attendance and more.

Texas is a Place Where Folks Want to Live

2009-10-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

This tidbit from the HBJ:

The Lone Star State is regarded as one of the most attractive states in the nation for people to live in, according to a Harris Interactive poll.
Texas came in at No. 4 in the poll, which looked at where people want to live.
“The most popular states and cities where large numbers of people would like to live tend to attract tourists and business,” the report said. “They are places where people like to take vacations and where companies like to have their offices and factories.”
California ranked No. 1 for the sixth year in a row as the place Americans would most like to live. Florida came in second and Hawaii was third. Colorado rounded out the top five.
The poll of 2,498 U.S. adults was conducted Aug. 10 to 18.

Houstonians to Watch Military Aircrafts Excersises Today

2009-10-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

The U.S. military has issued advanced warning that jet fighters could be scrambled in the Houston area on Oct. 6 as part of military exercises.
North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct the flights in the skies over Southeast Texas. The pre-planned flights will take place in the late morning and early afternoon and residents should expect to hear and see NORAD fighter jets as they practice intercept and identification procedures.
Although exact flight plans were not divulged, a NORAD spokesman at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado said Houston airspace “could be included” in the exercises.
NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the United States and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Another branch of the military was in the spotlight this year on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks when it conducted an anti-terrorist exercise on the Potomac River not far from the Pentagon where President Obama and others were gathered to commemorate 9/11.
CNN reported that shots had been fired without first determining the source, which was a U.S. Coast Guard training exercise. But the Coast Guard also drew some flak for not pre-announcing the exercises held on Sept. 11.

Houston Well Represented in Race for the Cure

2009-10-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

A record crowd turned out for the 19th Annual Komen Houston Race for the Cure on Oct. 3.
More than 32,000 participants were involved in the race, up from 30,000 last year.
So far, more than $2 million has been pledged toward the Komen Houston Affiliate’s goal of raising $3 million by Nov. 15.
The nonprofit Komen Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure was created in 1990 to provide innovative breast cancer education, screening and treatment projects for the medically underserved in southeast Texas. Since then it has granted $6 million for research nationally and $19 million for community grants in Harris, Fort Bend, Chambers, Montgomery, Brazoria, Liberty and Galveston counties.
Earlier this year, the Komen Houston Affiliate was ranked No. 1 for granting the most funds to its service area, topping 125 affiliate groups worldwide.

Two Houston Hispanic Community Leaders Win National Awards

2009-10-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Rice University professor Richard Tapia has received the annual Hispanic Heritage Award for Math and Science at a ceremony in the nation’s capital.
Tapia, an engineering professor and director of Rice’s Center for Excellence and Equity in Education, was honored Sept. 29 at a star-studded ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

He was cited for his international reputation for research in the computational and mathematical sciences and is a national leader in education and outreach.
Born in Los Angeles to parents who emigrated from Mexico as teenagers to seek educational opportunities, Tapia was the first in his family to attend college. He was the first native-born Hispanic elected to the National Academy of Engineering and in 2005, he earned Rice’s highest academic title, University Professor, becoming only the sixth person to earn the rank at Rice.
Ten-time world champion boxer Oscar de la Hoya, whose Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions company owns 25 percent of the Houston Dynamo soccer team, received the Achievement in Sports Award, and was recognized for his accomplishments in the ring and his impact on the Hispanic community.
“I feel truly privileged to be receiving this award,” said de la Hoya. “To be recognized along with such influential members of the Hispanic community is a great honor.”
The Hispanic Heritage Awards were created by the White House in 1988.

Local Brewery Readying for Move to Downtown Houston

2009-09-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

After 15 years in operation, St. Arnold Brewing Co. will bid farewell to its original brewery at its annual Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 3.
The company — which won a gold medal for its St. Arnold Summer Pils at the recent Great American Beer Festival in Denver — is relocating from its current 30,000-square-foot space at 2522 Fairway Park Drive in North Houston into a redeveloped 90,000-square-foot former HISD warehouse located at 2000 Lyons Ave. near downtown.
Construction crews are completing a $6 million, year-long renovation of the historic building.
St. Arnold’s offices are expected to move in early October and brewing operations will follow in November.
The new brewhouse, which will feature beer-making equipment imported from a defunct brewery in a Bavarian monastery, will increase the Houston-based company’s brewing capacity by 60 percent to 40,000 barrels a year. The facility also offers the ability to grow production to 100,000 barrels per year.
Saint Arnold’s brewery attracts about 50,000 visitors a year, but with a new location close to downtown, St. Arnold’s founder Brock Wagner expects to attract twice as many in future.

Houston Zoo Goes Hi-Tech with Comcast "On Demand" Channel

2009-09-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

Houstonians who enjoy visiting Houston Zoo, now can view some of its attractions right in the comfort of their own home.
Comcast Corp., though a partnership with the zoo, has added Houston Zoo On Demand showing more than 20 video profiles of some of the zoo’s animals and the keepers who care for them.
Videos range from one to 30 minutes long and include an in-depth look at the animals with commentary from animal experts and zoo keepers.
Houston Zoo On Demand can be accessed for free by Comcast Digital Cable customers through the “Get Local” category of the On Demand menu and selecting “Houston Zoo On Demand.”

Ben Stein to Headline Salvation Army Shindig

2009-09-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

This from the HBJ via a LinkedIn blurb:

Ben Stein will bring his particular brand of humor to Houston when he serves as keynote speaker at The Salvation Army Greater Houston Area Command’s annual luncheon fundraiser.
The event will take place Nov. 3 at the Hilton-Americas Hotel.
Stein, best know for his breakout role in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” has also earned acclaim as an economist, a former columnist for the New York Times, a bestselling author, and a comic.
The Salvation Army’s annual luncheon raises funds for the organization’s programs and services in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.

Houston, TX Rock Concert Going Global

2009-09-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

This from the HBJ:

Rock bands often say they want to conquer the world. On Friday night, alternative rockers Creed and Staind will be in Houston to take a shot at being part of a record-breaking concert being seen live on the Internet around the globe.

The concert at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on music Web site www.rockpit.com to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan and United Service Organizations locations. Rock fans can also register online to get their all-access pass to the concert.
The concert production team will try to set two cinematic world records, with representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records on hand to witness the event.

The concert, including behind-the-scenes footage and band interviews, will be filmed using 227 high-tech still film cameras and high-definition digital movie cameras, the largest number of cameras ever used in a concert recording. The other record being sought is the largest number of still cameras used in a sequence.
The customized Nikon still cameras being used at the concert — patented by international production firm The Big Freeze — create the kind of freeze-motion effects first used in the Hollywood film “The Matrix.” With shutter speeds of up to 1/400,000th of a second, the string of images is used to create a slowing-time effect, in which an image can be frozen but the background around it can continue to move and rotate 360 degrees.
The software used to run The Big Freeze cameras was created by Stephen Wille-Pados, president of Thoth Systems.
The live Webcast is produced by DC3 Music Group LLC and directed by Daniel Catulo III, who has produced top-selling rock concert DVDs for bands such as Rush, Nickelback and Godsmack. The Creed/Staind concert will be sold on DVD at a later date, according to a rockpit.com spokesman.

Do You Want to Own a True Piece of Italian Historical Real Estate?

2009-09-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this old Medici family hunting lodge for sale in Italy. Anyone wanting to purchase this rare gem, feel free to give me a call or dash me off an email!

Here's the description and the link:

Hunting house of the seventeenth century once belonging to the Medici family, whose coat of arms can still be found on the main walls.
In 2006 it was completely restored using both original and new high-quality, hand-made materials.
Doors and window frames are made of chestnut ingot, as well as beams and rafters. Greywacke stairs with hand-forged, gold-lightened iron railings and balustrades. Roof are made of makeshift cotto (low ground) and high-quality parquet (first storey). Windows are made of safety glass and grant thermical insulation. Alarms, RC gates. Single GPL heating sources, ancient fireplaces made of wood and stone in each unit.
The ancient stone walls have been entirely preserved. 12 large bathrooms with jacuzzi or shower, 12 rooms with dressing rooms
- Provided with antique, valuable furniture, decorations and engravings.
- Light plants and bathroom furniture in forged iron by Emporio S.Firenze.
- All-round stone and iron banister fence, the front side is 200 metres long.
- 10x5 metres pool.
- The park is 10000 square metres wide.
- Helipad.
- Parking (8 covered car places).
- Artesian well.
- Automatic irrigation plant with reserve tanks.

The area is 550 metres high.
The property is exposed to the sun all day long, and is surrounded by olive grooves, chestnut woods, oak-trees and cypresses.
The pool is on the South West.
Wide, charming view, completely free from factories, towns, pylons and so on.
Absolute privacy and unmatchable quiet.

Distances:
5 km from Scarperia
7 km from Borgo San Lorenzo (20000 dwellers) with railroad connections with Florence and Faenza
20 km from the A1 motorway knot of Barberino
35 km from downtown Florence (35 minutes by car)
35 km from Peretola intl. airport (35 minutes by car)
90 km from downtown Bologna (90 minutes by car)
http://www.reportal.it/en/immobili_scheda.cfm?IDcategoria=2&IDriferimento=262&categoria=Villas&riferimento=Medician%27s%20Family%20Ex-Hunting%20%20House&IDnazioneSel=1&nazioneSel=Italy

Whataburger Clothing? It's the Gift for the Person "Who Has It All"!

2009-09-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

This blurb from the HBJ:

Whataburger Restaurants LP is launching a new apparel line that will allow customers to custom-design and order Whataburger-branded T-shirts.
The hamburger chain, which has more than 60 locations in the Houston area, has created a place on the company’s Web site (www.whataburger.com) where shoppers can order men’s and women’s shirts.
Customers will be able to order shirts featuring Whataburger’s logo and images of the dots cooks use to denote special-order sandwiches. Whataburger will sell the shirts for $18 through its Web site.
Harmon Dobson founded Whataburger in Corpus Christi in 1950. Today, the company is based in San Antonio and has nearly 700 locations in 10 states with annual sales of more than $1 billion.

Famed Playwright Edward Albee to Guest Lecture at UH

2009-09-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Assimilated from several sources but piece used by Houston Chronicle writer Everett Evans:

Internationally renowned playwright Edward Albee will return to the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance as a UH distinguished professor of playwriting for the spring 2010 semester.

Albee, famed for such plays as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Three Tall Women, taught at UH each spring semester from 1989 to 2003, heading a new play workshop. During those years, he directed several productions of his works at the Alley Theatre, as well as a program of Samuel Beckett one-acts.

Albee will teach an advanced playwriting course for graduate theater and creative writing students, to be selected by the playwright.

“I enjoy the learning experience of teaching, as well as the enthusiasm and intuition of the students,” Albee said.

Steve Wallace, director of the UH school, noted that Abee's “interest in Houston and UH speaks to the emotional connection that he has with our program.” Wallace said Albee has expressed interest in teaching the advanced playwriting course for at least two consecutive spring semesters.

Albee visited UH last year to attend the school's production of At Home at the Zoo, a double-bill pairing his one-act The Zoo Story with a newly written prequel.

Albee first won fame in the early 1960s for such ground-breaking plays as The Zoo Story and Who's Afraid ofVirginia Woolf. He has won three Pulitzers, for A Delicate Balance, Seascape and Three Tall Women, and two Tony Awards, for Virginia Woolf and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?

Blog Wordle 9/23/09 for Houston, TX Real Estate & Tourist Information Blog

2009-09-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

I tried a wordle from www.wordle.net to see how my new blog showed up in wordle form.

Check it out:

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1159638/My_Blog_9-23-09

New Houston Restaurant Evokes Age of the Rat Pack

2009-09-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

This update from the HBJ:

A new high-end restaurant designed to evoke memories of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin plans to open this fall.
Chef Michael Dei Maggi and business partner Robert Hall III of the California family-run Robert Hall Winery are opening The Rockwood Room at 5709 Woodway Drive.
The owners describe the feel of the new restaurant as “Rat Pack Meets Mad Men,” featuring old-school designs such as floor-to-ceiling windows, leather banquettes, wood veneers and opulent chandeliers.
The menu will feature American dishes from the post-World War II era, like roasted prime rib, broiled lobster tail and charbroiled steak.
The Rockwood Room will be largely dependent on locally sourced seasonal and organic products, while breads and pastas will be handmade in-house.
Fine wines will also play a big part, seeing that one business partner hails from a family of vintners.
“We’ll have access to some very cool wines that you just can’t get anywhere else,” says Hall.
The Rockwood Room will feature temperature-controlled wine storage, lockers and a dispensing system.
Private space within the restaurant’s wine cellar will provide a backdrop for wine dinners and tastings, as well as private events.
Dei Maggi says he really can’t compare The Rockwood Room to any other restaurant in the hypercompetitive Houston dining scene.
“For us, it’s all about fine food, wine and cocktails,” he says. “We’re going for the long play — classic, iconic and sustainable over time.”

Upscale Bridal Boutique Finds Home in Downtown Houston

2009-09-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

This blurb from the HBJ today:

Rick’s Bridal Couture is planning to open its doors in downtown Houston on Oct. 1.
The new, full-service bridal shop will offer everything from couture dresses to wedding planning services provided by Elsa Molano.
The shop will also offer Pilates classes and lifestyle coaching for the bride and groom as well as assistance with booking their favorite chef, creating elaborate receptions and finding a moving company.

Houston designer Shawn Kingsley, designer of ONE Duey Kingsley, will serve as the store’s couturier. Kingsley’s designs will be on display at a fashion show at the bridal shop’s grand opening.
The new store is located at 401 Louisiana, Suite 103.

You can type in the address on the Google Maps Address Finder to the right of the screen!

One Corner, 3 Starbucks! (No waiting???? Well, that might be pushing it!)

2009-09-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

In Houston, TX, you can go to one corner on West Gray and be within feet of three (yes, count them, 3) Starbucks! Check out this video piece by Jason Witmer on the Houston Chronicle webiste (www.chron.com):

http://www.chron.com/common/tes/video/plainvideo.html?mcVideo=40751341001

Houston, TX "The Wash Allen Show" Going National

2009-09-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Neat update from the HBJ:

Television show host Wash Allen is expanding his Houston-based show to Los Angeles and Chicago as part of an agreement with ABC’s Live Well HD Network.
“The Wash Allen Show” is independently owned, produced and syndicated by Allen and Judy Foston of public relations firm Fosten International, also based in Houston.

Formatted as a reality show, Allen follows public service organizations as they stage their galas and special events.
“The Wash Allen Show” will debut on the ABC network on Oct. 3.
“The show has been well received and this expansion is what Judy and I have been discussing for a long time, and it is great to see this finally happen,” Allen said in a statement.
The show is already being broadcast in other Texas markets as well as in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Allen plans to roll out his show nationally in more markets.

Houston Arts Alliance Announces Freebies

2009-09-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Houston Arts Alliance is joining with the Theatre Communications Group for the first-ever Free Night of Theater in Houston.
More than 2,000 free seats will be available to theatergoers at performances from Oct. 8 to 18.
Participating organizations include: Classical Theatre Company, DiverseWorks Artspace, Encore Players, Ensemble Theatre, Express Children’s Theatre, Frenetic Theatre, Horse Head Theatre, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, InterActive Theater, Main Street Theater, Mildred’s Umbrella, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Stages Repertory Theatre, Texas Repertory Theatre, Theatre Suburbia, Theatre Under The Stars, Upstage Theatre and Voices Breaking Boundaries.
Performance information is available on the Houston Arts Alliance’s Web site at www.HoustonArtsAlliance.com and reservations can be made online through a national ticketing Web site at www.freenightoftheater.net.
Tickets will be made available Oct. 5.
The program began in 2005 in Austin, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Now it is in more than 120 cities across the country.
With a goal of attracting new audiences, Theatre Communications Group expects to offer 100,000 free tickets to theater companies this year. More than 65,000 tickets were distributed in 2008.

Disney & Universal Give Orlando Visitors New & More Options

2009-09-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

This from Carl Cronin for Globe Street:

ORLANDO-Planned expansions at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando theme parks should benefit area hotels for years to come, a local industry executive says. The anticipated result of longer stays by millions of tourists equate to additional room nights, occupancy and revenue. "There is no doubt they will be helpful," Harris Rosen, president of locally based Rosen Hotels, tells GlobeSt.com. "It becomes very difficult for folks to see everything they want to see in one, two or three days, so they may add an additional day to their schedule."
Added attractions to Orlando theme parks announced over the past week include an expansion of Fantasyland at Disney's Magic Kingdom and an upgrade to the "Star Wars" exhibit at its nearby Hollywood Studios theme park, as well as a $200-million addition to Universal's Islands of Adventure based on J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" book series, including a full-scale Hogwarts Castle and related attractions, shops and restaurants. Both park operators compete for vacation dollars internationally, along with enticing Florida residents with unique discounts.
Earlier additions to local theme parks included a new roller coaster in May at SeaWorld Orlando called "Manta" that combines a thrill ride with an aquatic exhibit. Also, Universal Studios Florida opened its "Rip, Ride, Rockit" roller coaster ahead of its planned debut this fall.
Orlando has 450 hotels with a combined count of 112,000 guest rooms, making it the second-largest US hotel market behind Las Vegas. The city attracts more than 48 million visitors annually for business or pleasure, according to the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Rosen, whose company owns seven local hotels with more than 6,300 rooms, says a few extra days of vacation will bring a dramatic boost to local occupancy levels, which fell below 70% this past summer, based on Smith Travel Research estimates. He points out that the theme park expansions could not have come at a better time, when hoteliers are looking for any signs of economic recovery in the next few years.
"We are grateful that these expansions are happening at this time," Rosen says. "They may not bring more people to the area, but they will keep them here a little bit longer and that's a huge benefit for us."

Houston, Texas Getting 6th Whole Foods Market

2009-09-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

by Allison Wollam

Whole Foods Market Inc. has signed a lease with The Finger Cos. and will build a new store in Houston on the corner of Waugh Drive and West Dallas Street.
The developer said Tuesday that it has signed a long-term lease with Whole Foods, which will build a 40,000-square-foot grocery store in conjunction with a proposed new luxury apartment project being developed by The Finger Cos. at the Montrose location.

The project has yet to be named and an opening date for the new grocery store has yet to be determined.
Marvy Finger, founder and CEO of The Finger Cos., said the completion of the agreement is a definite, positive signal in the current marketplace.
The newest store will mark the Austin-based grocer’s sixth location in the local market.

Houston, TX Home Buyers Have Their Say... And the Winner is..

2009-09-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

This from today's HBJ:

Survey: Houston homebuyers most satisfied with Village Builders, Ashton Woods

Houston Business Journal

Village Builders and Ashton Woods Homes share the top spot for customer satisfaction among builders of new homes in Houston, according to a J.D. Power and Associates study released Tuesday.
Both Houston-based Village Builders and Georgia-based Ashton Woods received a score of 845 out of 1,000 on the 2009 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study.
The study includes satisfaction rankings for builders in 24 markets.
Nine factors drive overall customer satisfaction with home builders: Builder’s sales staff; builder’s warranty/customer service staff; workmanship/materials; price/value; home readiness; construction manager; recreational facilities provided by the builder; builder’s design center; and location.
Dallas-based Highland Homes followed Village and Ashton with a score of 842.
Overall in Houston the average customer satisfaction index score is 797 — 14 points below the 24-market average of 811. However, satisfaction has improved substantially in the Houston market in 2009 — increasing 31 points from 2008, according to the study.
Meanwhile, Houston-based builder J. Patrick Homes ranked highest in the New-Home Quality Study, also released Tuesday by J.D. Power. The builder was followed by Ashton Woods and Conroe-based LGI Homes.

Healthcare Real Estate as an Investment Class

2009-09-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Below from Paul Bubny back in April. This discussion of stabilized assets rings true in every sector but particularly is of interest in the real estate investment industry.

We will occasionally discuss investment ideas on here and most certainly will look at Healthcare-related assets as an investment class unto itself. While typically a more expensive monetary investment, medical buildings (MOBs, POBs, ect...) are solid investments with long-term leases by credit-worthy tenants. Due diligence is critical when evaluating an asset for investment but that's why I'm here. At Transwestern, we have an elite team of Healthcare Advisory agents who are here to serve you in whatever capacity necessary. We have landlord reps, tenant reps, asset managers, and long term strategy advisers. Next time you are thinking about a real estate investment, don't simply look past healthcare investments because the price tag scares you! Call me and we'll talk about your needs and see if healthcare is a proper investment for your portfolio.

04.14.09 Medical RE Seen as 'Perfect Recession Play'

By Paul Bubny NEW YORK CITY-Cash flow is king in healthcare-related properties but the asset class requires astute management, Noyack Medical Partners’ C.J. Follini told a Real Estate Lenders Association gathering Tuesday morning.
"Doctors need a lot of attention" as tenants, said Follini, managing principal of Noyack, a locally-based healthcare real estate investment and operating company. "It’s when they don’t receive that attention that you start to have trouble." With that said, Follini extolled health care real estate as a largely recession-proof oasis of stability and steady growth in a challenging climate.
The growth in the healthcare sector, expected to continue for the foreseeable future as the global population ages, is certainly a major factor in the strength of this asset class. Employment in physicians’ offices has grown 4.8% annually since 1972, compared to 1.8% annual growth in overall private employment, while the US population--ages 65 and over--is expected to more than double to 87 million by 2050.
However, Follini said much of the viability of medical-related real estate--which includes ambulatory surgery centers, specialty care facilities, medical malls, senior housing and parking facilities as well as medical office buildings--stems from the tenants themselves. They tend to renew leases at a higher rate than commercial tenants, he said, and as a result average estimated occupancy is expected to actually increase this year over 2007 and 2008 levels.
For investors looking to acquire medical-related properties, healthcare systems may be willing sellers for a variety of reasons, said Follini. For one thing, the systems are under pressure to monetize both their core and non-core businesses, and look to shed properties as a way to do so, often through sale-leasebacks. "Get rid of the real estate and bring on the cash," Follini said. Another reason for selling may be regulatory: healthcare providers are prohibited from self-referral by the Stark Laws in many states, and selling a multi-tenant medical office property removes the risk of running afoul of these laws.
To lenders who may be financing the purchase of healthcare properties, Follini advised ticking off a series of metrics. These include the property’s proximity to a hospital, the financial strength of the hospital, the quality of the tenants, the market rent delta, the quantity of available parking for physicians and their staff, the borrower’s equity and the borrower’s management experience.
As a case study in why "this asset class is a perfect recession play," as Follini put it, he cited his company’s purchase of a 28,000-square-foot medical office condo at One Hanson Pl., the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank building in Brooklyn. When Noyack made the $10.1-million buy last May, it was 75% occupied. Today, thanks to recent leases that stemmed from tenant referrals, occupancy has reached 100%.

Tomorrow is Houston Free Museum Day

2009-09-11T11:21:00.001-07:00

Check out this link... I think we'll be hitting the Children's Museum for the kids to have a great time. Here's the link:

http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org/default.asp?id=1

Welcome To My Blog

2009-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm new to Houston, TX so I'll be learning along with all of you. I'm a commercial real estate agent from Memphis, TN who specializing in Healthcare Tenant Representation. I'll use this blog as a resource for talking about real estate in Houston, gabbing a bit about goings on around town, and point out things of interest to visitors to the Bayou City.

I hope you'll enjoy the blog as it develops over time and please feel free to comment at any time!