In the Heights
Commentary has been living in the Heights for over three decades. I was here when the Fiesta on 14th and Studewood was called Clayton’s. The Fiesta has been gone for nearly 10 years now. I have lived through the changes, and they have kind of just grown on me.
Where I live in the Heights, I don’t have parking issues. There aren’t any nuisance bars to deal with. We are not a side street that folks in cars can take shortcuts through. We don’t experience flooding problems. We didn’t get hassled with the construction of one of those multi-level storage facilities like they did off 11th Street and Studewood.
I am about half a block away from Studewood and around 15 or so years ago, they reconfigured the lane flow and folks just got used to it.
Heights Boulevard, a few blocks to my west, parts just got repaved a few weeks ago and they painted car and bike lanes. The thing I have not figured out is do I make a right turn from the car lane or do I ease on over to the bike lane area.
In my opinion, the biggest problem growth has created is all the development south of I-10 around the Kroger on Studemont and the Walmart on Yale that has increased traffic congestion at certain times of the day Monday through Friday.
I have learned how to navigate through the problem.
I use 11th Street regularly. 11th Street will soon be facing a makeover. From two lanes in each direction to one lane with bike lanes added.
I will deal with it.
This is from the Chron on the latest on 11th Street:
(Mayor Sylvester) Turner, after two visits to the site and a review of the plans because of the critics’ concerns, was not swayed. He said the Heights area is vibrant because it balances vehicles with other modes of travel, and that the change is not about forcing something on the Heights, but maintaining it.
Here is what the Mayor had to say:
“11th Street is not safe for the neighborhood and it definitely does not match the Heights character.”
What does that even mean? What kind of character?
I like to think that we are a cool neighborhood, but we are certainly not the only cool neighborhood in H-Town. Some parts of the Heights have the problems that I mentioned earlier that I don’t have. A few months ago, some yards in the Heights got lit dropped white supremacist stuff and folks got real upset.
We are noticeably absent of African Americans living in the Heights as compared to other parts of H-Town.
In my part of the Heights, if a home my size gets sold, the buyer will probably have it demolished and replace with one of those that have been built in the last decade on my street.
What kind of character is that?
We are a neighborhood that has experienced tremendous growth since I have been here. Growth brings issues and problems. I for one have learned how to deal with it. What else can you do?
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I admit. I thought we were going to lose last night at Globe Life. We went into the eighth inning down 3-zip. We weren’t hitting. Then it fell apart for the Rangers. Mega-star shortstop Corey Seager botched a double-play opportunity to try to throw Jose Altuve out at home and an error ensued, letting Altuve score. 3-1. We ended up getting a Kyle Tucker 2-run dinger for a 4-3 lead that we held.
Dusty Baker now gets to wake up this morning with a win last night. Plus, today is Dusty’s 73rd birthday. Happy Birthday, Dusty!