Eastwood Home Tour

 I'm getting behind on my postings.   Part of the problem is I still haven't figured the most efficient way to move photos from my iPhone, to the computer, and to Blogger.   Se, for right now, I may leave pictures off, so come back in a few days, and I promise (pinky swear) to post photos.

After church on Sunday, October 16, I headed to Greater East End, as B Cycle calls it, or Eastwood as the civic association knows it.   Old neighborhood, crossed by Polk, Telephone and Lockwood.   This is an area I have been through with the Tour de Bicycle this month, and the paper had an article last week about a home show.    1935 is a common build date.   Some architect converted the old Church of the Redeember into 45 affordable units, and four of them were available to see.   A challenge for the remodel was that this is on the historic register, so the exterior couldn't be changed, which made things interesting in that the original sanctuary lacked windows.   The new design is interesting, and I had a nice conversation with one of the residents who did 85% of his decorating from Goodwill, etc.   I liked it.

One house was stripped to the studs, and is now quite the contemport home, while another has left most of the 1935 character, while totally modernizing bathrooms and the kitchen.    

Those of trying to complete the B Cycle Tour de Insanity will appreciate this:    I hit Greater East Side five different times to complete this neighborhood!   Last Thursday I took my siblings on a bike ride through there, stopping at several stations.   At one point, I must have zigged where I should have zagged, because I was still missingTelephone @ Eddington, which, it turns out, is right across the street from registration for the home tour.   I rode around the parking lot, and put an X next to it on my neighborhood list.   

This is neighborhood I knew nothing about prior to the tour. 

Inner Loop Southwest, and other sins

 Saturday morning's outing proves that the good people who placed these B Cycle stations, never gave any thought to crazy people trying to bike from one to another in some crazy game.  But this is my biking area, so I figured it was high time to knock it out, even though my biking buddy stood me up, again!   This time it was lame excuse like being on call, and getting assigned four jobs Saturday Morning.   Several times in the past two months, he has thrown me over because his wife wanted to go somewhere, and once he cancelled on me so he could go see his Mommy!   Talk about misplaced priorities!   Not sure this Bromance is gonna make it!

Anyways, I often ride down Keegans and Brays Bayou Trails.   I have actually gone as far as MacGregor Park (and took a bus back!), so this is my territory.    I started at the Meyerland Jewish Community Center Station, parked my car in the neighborhood, and grabbed a bike.    The Bayou bridges at Chimney Rock and South Rice are almost completed.   Workers are now playing with temporary water pipes and have been spraying grass seed on the banks of the bayou.

Before you get to S. Braeswood and Linkmeadow B Cycle station, be sure to stop at 3 Brothers Bakery.  I am certain there is a city ordinance that all bikes must stop for hammentaschen!   At Linkmeadow, I managed to grab an E Bike, which made my left knee very happy.   I consulted a map and headed almost straight to NRG park.   I went through the parking lot to the north of the stadium, to get to the station on Fannin.   Stop in the park and enjoy the rodeo-themed sculptures. I guess this is what they bought with the profits from all-things-deep-fried!.

Texas Medical Center is bigger than anything I ever imagined, and this little trip made it bigger.   I rode through UT student housing, saw an olympic sized pool in use, and watched people play cricket in a paved parking lot!   They had to dodge streetlights as part of the game.

I thought I would take a shortcut through the VA hospital grounds.  Note to self, not all gates are open on Saturday morning!  

I was dictating notes on my iPhone, at the TMC Innovation station on Holcombe, when a young couple stopped at the station to check-in, check-out, wax-on, wax-off just like all of us are doing.  Not sure if it was the dictation, or the image of me on a bicycle, but one of them asked me if I was "the guy that blogs!"   Wow, I have been validated.   Someone really is reading this stuff!

A further note on this station.   The upcoming Park-to-Port ride will probably offer this parking lot as an option, it IS the closest lot to the starting point of the ride, but while it was handy, and easy to get into, when all of us tried to leave the parking lot at once, I spent 30 minutes in line.   I'm going to park by the Zoo.

It was decision time - do I stay South of the bayou, finish my stations, or do I head across Hermann Park for several more hours?   I headed home, which was good, because this smooth ride was about to be interrupted.

The station at Bertner and Braeswood is BEHIND the building, and you drive under the building to get there!  Sneaky

I took my E bike to Smith Lands and pushed it into the slot.   The station grabbed the bike, but would not admit it had said bike.   Since it has not recognized the incoming bike, it would not let me have another bike, and the clock was ticking on my E Bike rental.   I called Daisy, but apparently she was trying to help 20 other riders, so I pulled out my Metro bus card and climbed on Metro Rail, heading home.   Soon, however, Daisy at the Service Desk, got my message and reset my account, so I grabbed a bike at TMC transit station and finished my trip.  I have said this before, the technology may not be perfect, but the B Cycle staff are!  

At one station, I met a mother with a three year old, both on the B Cycle.   Seems she had a URider child seat that quickly attaches to the seat tube and then rests on the main down frame.   the kid has a seat, a front handle, and basically rides between Mom's knees.   I did find it on Amazon.   I saw how she had it mounted, and believe a bungee cord would help stabilize the front of the frame.   Mom told me she had just returned from the grocery store!

This is Cocoa and me.   I decided if I get to name a bike, I will name it for her.

I have lots more to say, but I need to go to the store.   Next posts will cover Sunday and Mondy, October 16 and 17.

  

East Side of Houston

 Let me start by asking a favor.   I know you are out there because my stats say I'm getting hits, but part of this Social Media bit is being "Social".   There is a place at the bottom of each post for you to comment.   Did this post trigger a memory?  Can you add to what I wrote?    My writing is almost exclusively about my observations,  I would appreciate a little background.    I'm not asking everyone to comment just to be commenting, but maybe we can get a conversation going about some of the hidden sights of our home city.  Apparently you can be anonymous, one of my commenters used that tag.

Wednesday, I met up with Myles, a B Cycle tech, for a group ride.   It was just the two of us all over downtown..   The liberating part of traveling with a "group" was that I was not constantly checking the App, or a frayed piece of paper in my pocket, in order to hit all the stations.   I just went with the flow.  I don't always need to be in charge, heck, I don't always want to BE in charge!   Downtown  has the greatest concentration of bike stations in this game.

This Tour De Bicycle treasure hunt, or as I call it, "FROGGER",  has helped me to find some very useful bike routes that are not always visible on Google and iMaps.  The B Cycle app is pretty good about this, but you may have to manipulate "zoom" for full effect.  Lamar St will take you acroos downtown, and Austin and LaBranch will take you, safely, from downtown, to Hermann Park.   Then there is Polk and the Harrisburg trail that neatly links Greater Eastside with Downtown.   I am told that the term for the bumps that separate bike routes from the cars are called "armadillos".   There is one on Cullen that has been pushed to the side, that I have an urge to take home as a souvenir., but it's a bit big for the bike basket.

Wednesday, after riding downtown, I started visiting stations in midtown, but got sidetracked  to Third Ward, which actually pulled me further from my planned "exit" bus stop than I wanted.

Emancipation Park is a very serene and beautiful place.  Across the street is Navy Seafood.   I wanted something light, so I went in.   Typical local fast food seafood, countless combinations of shrimp, fish and oysters, but I chose the fish sandwich.   As I waited for my meal, I was overhearing the two elderly locals, and it was interesting.    The first guy would mention a college football player, the other would off what he knew, and then it was his turn to offer a name.   Many of the players are long-gone, but it was interesting to hear.    When my sandwich was ready, it consisted of no less than three pieces of breaded catfish between two slices of bread, with lettuce.   Very tasty, and it was obviously fried in clean oil.

Down the street are the Project Row Houses, an art project in the Third Ward.   These old homes have been fixed up and offer art from various Southern artists.   Not my cup of tea, you understand, but nicely done.   The lady in the office offered information folders to help explain the whole thing.   She mentioned a bakery in the block, so I trundled over for one of the better, if more expensive, brownies that I have ever eaten.   I asked for ice water and she sent me next door to Doshi House, a delightful little coffee shop that I wish were closer to my neighborhood.   Friendly atmosphere, and young people staring at laptops.

Greater East End covers a lot of territory, and some very different neighborhoods.   I think I have hit stations on four different visits, and still missed one!    I was trying to take my Austin siblings on a 20 mile ride, and wanted to show them some of the places on the home tour this weekend, and between bringing out my paper directions, checking the App, and keeping the five of us together, I totally missed Telephone and Eddington, and we crossed Telephone several times.   Every time we did, one of my sibs had to reference the song "Telephone Road".

Church of the Redeemer, now 45 units of affordable housing.

Magnolia station, part of an art project.   Don't know if it's the art, or the fact sister Kristen took the picture, but this is a good shot!

Three of my siblings (Lauren doesn't ride) and a bro-in-law, came to Houston specifically to ride with me to the ship channel.  I guess they don't have one in Austin.    We started at MacGregor Park and rode down Brays Bayou, a very pleasant, and good trail.   We took a break at Forest Park/Lawndale, to visit the graves of our grandparents, then headed for the ship channel.   We watched pelicans doing what they do, crossed the mouth of Brays on Harrisburg Road, and took a short side trip to a spot where we could gaze at no less than three large ocean-going vessels.    Next time I need to bring trash bags and my grabber, the clutter detracted from the tourism.

I had scouted out a Salvadoran restaurant at Canal and 76th street, because we like different.   The papusas were worth the trip.    I always say a place is authentic if I am the only gringo in the place, and having Allison able to translate just added to the experience.   Yes, they speak English there, but we enjoyed the Spanish.

Want to increase your enjoyment?   Think about organizing a B Cycle tour of your own, either right now, or for next year.   If your ask nicely, B Cycle might even be able to drop enough bikes at your start point to ensure everyone has a ride.   If you ride for so much a a weekend, it would definitely behoove (spellcheck liked it) you to download the app and sign up for a month.   I have the key fob that comes with the annual membership; between it, the App, and an occasional call to Daisy at the service desk, I can do all the riding I can handle.

I am heading into the final turn.   Most of my remaining neighborhoods straddle, or are close to Metro Redline.   I will finish this wonderful experience next week, assuming my left knee quits complaining.  Knees can be so whiney!   Just because I am making it carry 70 more pounds than it is rated for, it thinks it can express itself EVERY time I sit or stand!   

A Sunday game of Tidy Up

 After Church, Sunday, I decided to tidy up my checklist and pick up some orphan BCycle Stations.  You know, the ones that are quite a distance from the other stations.

I started down in Third Ward, around MLK and Griggs.  Caught three stations within a few blocks of each other.   The local Houston Public Library Branch has three large bird sculptures.   Closer inspection reveals that many of the feathers are book titles that have something to do with "birds" from Chicken Little to Six Days of the Condor.    Colorful.  

Someone pointed out a pit bull in a Spark Park.   I guess because I was sitting in front of the school, I must work there.  (It was Sunday) I informed an HISD officer, and offered the dog some water.   I think the gate shut behind him, but I was not going to let him out, even though he looked rather peaceful.

There are four bike stations at Lake Houston, so for the first time, I went to Deussen Park, as well as Eisenhower Park.  They are pretty much next to each other, unless you are on a bike or in a car, in which case that crow don't fly right!   Deussen Park is quite spread out and offers many picnic pavilions and playgrounds, as well as boat launching facilities.   I tried to join a couple of parties, claiming to be cousin Steve from San Angelo, but maybe it was my lack of a red T-shirt, but they we were not buying it.    The pavilions are spaced out so you don't feel crowded.   Looks like a great place for birthday parties and reunions.

Eisenhower Park, from what I could see, was two trailheads and a parking lot.    The trails looked a little too "mountain bikey" for this old man, and the sign said the trail was 3 1/2 miles long   Pass.

So now, I'm East of Beltway 8, East, so where should I go next?  Yep, almost to Beltway 8 West, off of I-10.    I'm pretty sure the local association or developer paid for these stations, they just seem to belong in the neighborhoods.    Good Luck finding Memorial City Club station,  but it is between the Mall and Bunker Hill.   The station  is within 20 feet of several visitor parking spaces, so there is hope.   The security lady watched me, but left me alone.

Get out your GPS, because I am going to tell you unless you know where Pearl City Center is, you will never get there.   Hint, it is just East of Fuddruckers, which may not help as that hamburger place is also well hidden.   But I can see where BCycle can really add to the experience at these little enclaves  of more-money-that-I-have.    What is needed now is a station at the mall to give these bikers a destination!  And if that is my picture, I need to smile more!

Monday was not a BCycle day for me.  My siblings are coming in from Austin and I will guide a tour from MacGregor Park, to the ship channel, west through Greater East End and then South to Universtiy of Texas.    I want them to think I know what I'm doing, so I rode about 18 miles and scouted a viewing area of the port (saw three big ships!) as well as places to eat.    As long as I was out there, I hit a few stations.   

If you haven't ridden Brays Bayou Greenways Trail (I just call it Brays) here is a tip.   Great parking at MacGregor Park but you need to enter from Calhoun.  Hint, the bridge is not yet open to traffic.   This is your standard Houston Parks Board trail, eight foot wide concrete trail with markers here and there.   Just past the golf course is a side trail that  will take you to Magnolia Transit Center, either to get credit for a BCycle, or to catch Metro Rail home.   Your choice.    Mason Park has a BCycle station way out there, you can easily take it to the Brays trailhead.  Take a minute to admire the hike and bike bridges.   If you cross Brays Bayou on Navigation, there is a track/trail that can take you to a nice viewing point for the Port of Houston.  Ignore the trash, this is, after all, Houston.

Speaking of trash, for next year's treasure hunt on wheels, I am recommending we all take a little time to police up some of this trash, especially the stuff in and around the bike stations.   I saw several parked bikes with baskets full of trash.   Maybe we could earn a "Good Samaritan" badge if we fill a couple of grocery bags and dispose of them properly.

I ate lunch off of Canal, at a Salvadoran place   First time eating Salvadoran food.   Basically similar to Mexican with several differences,  The tortillas were 1/4 inch thick, the beans were pureed and more seasoned, and the Pollo Guisada  was made with different spices.   I believe this is authentic, I was the only Anglo in the place.   

A hidden gem is the Harrisburg Rails to Bike Trail.   You get away from traffic, except there are cross streets every 500 feet, and that traffic don't stop.   Remember to look left and right so you don't become a hood ornament!

A piece of the track of the former railroad.

There are several pockets of very cute little homes in this area, but the neighborhood needs help.

I turned South on Cullen.   Protected bike route, complete with the "Armadillos"   I saw one that had been knocked loose from the street, and I wanted to take it home, but it just would not fit in my backpack!....University of Houston was very daunting.   I knew I was the outsider, and I tried real hard to avoid thousands of students moving between classes.   I also avoided the little robots that I think are delivering food!    It was fun when two robots met each other, one seemed to lose it's mind!  I hit a few stations, and returned to my car.

Brays Bayou Trail is pretty much MY trail.   It is a two mile ride from home to the Keegans Bayou Trailhead, then four miles to Brays @ South Gessner.   From my house, all the way to MacGregor Park, is 20 miles.   Been there, Done that, rode public transportation home.   From MacGregor to the port is about 6 miles or so.    The city and Houston Parks Board are busy extending Brays West.    By this time next year, if we all say our prayers, and mind our Mothers, you will be able to bike and hike from the Houston Ship Channel, all the way to Arch Bishop Fiorenza Park (he passed away last month) and a few miles beyond!   I am so excited, I check on construction every month.   There are a few ribbons of concrete west of Dairy Ashford!   This will be a long trail, separate from roads, and with many underpasses to avoid cars at the intersections.

As Dale and Roy sang: Happy Trails to you, until we meet again!

Home Tours

 For those who are new to this blog, I am trying to check out a bike from all 153 B Cycle stations in Houston, during the month of October.   I have biked through parts of town I had never seen until now.  Yoiu might want to look at my earlier posts.

Last week I rode through The Heights, and yesterday I rode through much of Greater East Side.   I try to take side streets in order to avoid being run over, so I am seeing areas I would never see from my car.   This morning's Chronicle has two articles on page D-1 about these neighborhoods.   The 2022 Eastwood Historic Home Tour is October 15-16 just south of Harrisburg, close to Cullen.  The Sanctuary, formally the Church of the Redeemer is now affordable housing.   Several units will be open to the tour.   Two houses are on the tour, as is a former ironworks, now office space.   

For information:  eastwoodcivicassociation.org     

The 2022 Norhill Bungalow Home Tour is in the Heights Saturday and Sunday.    Six homes are on the tour.   

For information:  norhill.org

For those of us who are admiring the local homes from the outside, this is a chance to see the inside.  And yes, it costs $$.  

Montrose and the Washington Corridor

 Friday night, I dropped a granddaughter off at a meeting in Montrose and started riding my bike in the south part of Montrose.   I have no pictures because it was getting dark.   Sorry.   I tried to stay on neighborhood streets with no traffic.   Fairview is a street that works well, as it will get you close to several B Cycle Stations.

I started at Freed Library, rode through St Thomas (nice little campus), And drove past the Rothko Chapel and the Menil Collection.  Alabama, Richmond and Westheimer have all sorts of little restaurants, cafes, and bars, most were rather busy on a Friday night.   Taft and Fairview has a busy Mexican Restaurant, but there is also an Art Gallery with the large windows where you could see the beautiful people being cool looking at strange art while holding their drinks and canapes  (I could not spell hor'something, and my spell check was no help).

Riding on Houston streets, especially at night, is like playing FROGGER.   If you ask me what that is, please send me a Geritol.   It seems that everyone in Houston, no, Texas, has a death wish.   Cars seem to take aim at bikes, pedestrians cross Southwest Freeway at 3:00 in the morning and we wonder why we have so many deaths, and we cyclists are just as bad.   We do not own the roads!   Stop signs and traffic lights are there for us, too.

I looked it up on the TxDot website.   November 7, 2022 will mark 21 years of constant daily highway fatalities.    People, we average 10 a day!  Even worse, during the pandemic lockdown when traffic dropped by 50 percent, fatalities actually went to 11 per day!

OK, enough preaching.

Saturday morning I headed to Buffalo Bayou and Eleanor Tinsley Park.  Road were closed because of an art festival, and the walkways were crawling with people on some kind of organized walk.   Parking is never easy down there, but can anyone figure out the signs on the Allen Parkway parking areas?   Every post says emergency no-parking.   I watch too many UTube videos from GTOGER where we watch tow trucks haul away cars because people cannot read signs, so I went to another station, parked, and started riding.

I am not the only one doing this Tour de B Cycle.   I met several.   The check-in and right back out is the give-away!    I lost track of how many times I crossed the bayou, but it was worth looking at every time.   Beautiful weather, many people out walking, riding, walking dogs, playing, and just enjoying NOT melting in the heat!  

Spotts Park had a parking space, so I started there.  Crossed the bayou and went to Eleanor Tinsley Park. The Sabine Bridge is real close to The Cistern, and I found my first restroom.  Short ride to the next station.   Took me a while to figure out how to cross Memorial and go up Sawyer to two stations.  Long stretch of back streets to Pearl Washington, and now I am heading south to the other side of the bayou.

The Lost Lake station is across Allen Parkway from Lost Lake, which looks like someone used a lot of concrete on a bog.  A notable feature of Lost Lake B Cycle is that it is in the shade!   How did that happen?   

My map told me I was close to the Royal Norwegian Consulate General, and I had never seen it.    Seen it, got the T Shirt.  My final Montrose station was Regent Square.   Nice buildings, the B Cycle is bolted directly to the concrete, has no solar panel, and just looks very neat.

I'm on my way home.   The nearest B Cycle stations to me are the Inner Loop SW stations.   Now, I love our B Cycle staff, but its obvious there were a number of spread out stations that didn't fit into a neighborhood.    Welcome to Levy Park, north of Southwest Freeway, and many miles from my Meyerland JCC station, on Brays Bayou.   Levy Park is not easy to get to, it's kinda hidden.    It is also a very beautiful little park that includes carts full of games, art supplies and books, and I saw teenagers playing with a pile of toy trains.   There is a dog park with some of the most active dogs anywhere!  The children's play area is incredible.    There is a putting green with toddlers trying to putt.   Cute.   Even some food trucks.

But here's the thing.   The bike station is across the street from the park.   It is labeled "Levy Park" and all bikes (I saw three E Bikes) have the City of Houston Seal.    Levy Park is a Houston City Park, with the longest list of rules I have ever seen, to inlude:  NO CYCLING.    I was asked to leave by security.  Despite all the rules, the place enjoys a lot of usage.

Went home and took a nap.   Sunday, I may pick up some loose ends.

F

 

Group Rides

 I heard about a group ride at the last minute, and fussed with rush our traffic for an hour.   Memorial Park.   Pleasant ride, but I don't recommend a 6 pm start time, as guess what happens on Houston road about that time?    Add construction on Memorial, and I was worn out.

The guide pointed out that getting from Memorial Park to the WinPark/Four Oaks, might not be that safe, so we skipped it.   Now, I wasn't gonna argue, but I have a lot of experience  playing FROGGER on my bicycle.    Hwy 6,  in Sugar Land, Southwest Fwy frontage roads, S Main.  

So, here are flyers for two future rides.   (B Cycle, if I am violating copyright, tell me)