Amendments and Errata

According to the Houston Chronicle, the building I incorrectly named as the Chevron Tower, properly known as Heritage Plaza, was recently sold to Goddard Investment Group for between $125 - $130 Million.

The tower, located at 1111 Bagby in downtown Houston, will be 70% vacant by year's end. It's a renter's market down there, to be sure.

Glenwood Cemetery

Glenwood Cemetery at 2525 Washington Avenue is one of the most awe-inspiring places in Houston, that is, if opulent monuments to the very wealthy and very deceased happen to inspire your awe.

Sometimes referred to as the "Necropolis of the Metropolis," Glenwood was built in 1871 by Alfred Whitaker.

Although the cemetery is populated with names familiar to Houstonians - Allen, Binz, Settegast, and Rice, to name a few, its most famous resident is, by far, a reportedly-strange fellow named Howard Hughes.

Glenwood also is home to one of the finest live oaks in Texas, which really must be seen to be believed.

The Hermann Park pigeon (Hermannus Maximus) is a ferocious beast, known to feast almost constantly on grain, leftover fast food, and the occasional two year old.

Before it was adopted by bad men

This Crane Steel logo appears on a valve which currently rests outside our friendly neighborhood archaeologist's office (who, by the way, are very tight lipped when asked about this). Thankfully, my pedigree affords me slightly better-than-average sleuthing skills, and I was able to determine that Crane Steel used the swastika as its company symbol up until the time when the National Socialists adopted it etc., etc. Interestingly, it appears that during and after the war, Crane Steel ceased using the symbol, and went to great lengths to eradicate all traces of it from the products produced before the war. So then, it seems yon valve has some archaeological significance, indeed.

The Japanese Garden

Bark on a pine tree at the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park. The garden is a lovely spot located to the west of the reflecting pool.

The Houston Armillary Sphere superimposed on the Chevron Tower, Houston's fifth? tallest building.

For more on the history of armillary spheres in general, see here.

Where it all begins

Across the street from the Apartment sits this fairly well known and oft-photographed sculpture in the Allen Parkway Greenbelt. In the distance is, of course, the metropolitan center from which the Houstonist draws his moniker.

Here it is. Your tour guide on this voyage into the dark and often unseen side of the fourth largest city in the US. (Ed. Note - thanks to the League for pointing out my overzealous carelessness.)

For the most part, I intend to forego that which might otherwise be considered your typical Houston fare, opting instead for the strange, eclectic, and bizarre points of interest uncovered through many a voyage of discovery in this fair city.

Atop the trusty old Diamondback Moosehead with merely a single gear to its humble frame, Canon A95 in hand, I bring you the Bayou City through the eyes of...

THE HOUSTONIST

Is this the Launch?

Another day, a terrible awakening.

My deepest sympathies go out to the people of London.

Let us not forget that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.