Odds and Ends

Here are some items that have been piquing my interest of late:

1.  A while back I read that Sprouts had pretty much committed to being one of the flagship anchors at the much anticipated but much delayed Lake Highlands Town Center (LHTC).  What was slowing the process down was that LHTC was looking for a co-anchor, which was rumored to be a pet store chain.  Well according to the Lake Highlands Advocate Magazine blog, Prescott Realty (the LHTC developer) says that they are "considering all alternatives to ensure the highest potential for a financeable project."  Was anyone from Prescott Realty at the Exchange Club's Oktoberfest two weekends ago?  That place was packed!  The people of Lake Highlands are dying for development.  Here's hoping the retail will finally get finalized so we can see some progress.

2.  Ok, well some progress is coming to the LHTC on the residential front.  It looks like construction could begin as early as November on the first 200 units of apartments as part of the mixed use development plan for LHTC.  Apartments are great.  But being able to walk out of those nice brand spanking new apartments to a grocer to pick up dinner, all without using a car would be even better!  See images of the future apartments here.

3.  Looks like some demolition will be coming soon to the shopping center at the corner of Audelia and Walnut Hill that was the former home of a Walmart Neighborhood Market.  That shopping center will be the future site a residential sub-division.  Home builders New Leaf, Highland Homes and Nobility Homes are the builders for the development.  Lots are about 9,000 sqft with the average home price being $700,000.00 (yikes!).  I've heard it will be a gated community and there will be a gate right at the end of Spring Branch which leads into White Rock Valley North.  I think a gated community is the wrong way to go.  Nothing says elitism like putting your homes behind gates and setting up a gate to keep out the folks from a neighboring subdivision.  A subdivision that has a blue ribbon school (White Rock Elementary), well maintained homes, and lots of friendly neighbors.  I hope the developer will reconsider that gate at the end of Spring Branch.  If we want to get development into Lake Highlands the residents all need to band together, not further divide ourselves into little enclaves.  I also hope there will be some modern construction since New Leaf is one of the builders.  If it is all turrets, french chateaus and faux Spanish, maybe a gate would be a good idea after all.

Weekend Plans

1. Tonight at Mockingbird Station join Susie Drinks Dallas at the grand opening of the new cocktail bar The People's Last Stand.

2.  I hear there is some football game on Saturday.  So go have a Fletcher's corn dog and a funnel cake before at the State Fair of Texas.  Also be sure to check out the Celtic rock band The Killdares performing throughout the day at the fair.

3. And for something completely random, it is Armenia Fest this weekend in Carrollton.

Fall Home Tours

Mark your calendars for these fall home tours:


1. October 1-2 is the Austin AIA homes tour.

2. October 23-24 is the Houston AIA homes tour.

3. November 5-6 is the Dallas AIA homes tour.

The Architect and I won't be able to make it to the Austin home tour, so no live tweeting from me.  However, be sure to follow along in November as I live tweet my picks and pans from the Dallas home tour.  We will also be volunteering at the Dallas home tour on Sunday, November 6, house TBD.

Weekend Plans

1. Tonight everyone should find a patio and enjoy the first day of fall and these sub 90s temperatures.  The Architect and I will be hanging with the Dallas Beer Snobs and friends partaking in a magnum of Chimay they won a few weeks ago and grilling up some nice steaks.

2. Saturday is the DADA Gallery Walk - get the list of galleries and a map here.

3. Saturday is also the Dallas Culture Crawl - Starting at 6pm is the Deep Ellum Art Walk, followed by Neon Indian at the Granada Theater and ending with a midnight screening of The Big Lebowski at the Inwood Theater.

T-shirts for Architects

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon this architect t-shirt from Bob Borson's Life of an Architect Blog.  Of course I had to get one my Architect.  The Architect was kind enough to pose for me just long enough to snap a picture of him in it.  I suspect that barrel aged Manhattan he is drinking may have helped.  You can purchase your own Architect, Interior Designer, Architecture Student and other designs t-shirt here.  You can pick from multiple colored shirts and ink allowing for a more customized shirt.

Read more about the design of the shirts here.

Weekend Plans

1. Oktoberfest in Addison - the only time you can wear a chicken hat, lederhosen and drink beer all while doing the chicken dance with thousands of your closest friends.

2. Concert Confidential benefiting La Reunion - music from Dovetail, Kirk Thurmond, Green River Ordinance.  There will also be libations and food.

3. Grapefest in Grapevine - if fruit of the vine is more your speed head west to this annual wine festival and grape stomp.

I'm an architect in 140 characters or less

The Architect sent this post from Archdaily discussing what it is like to be an architect in twitter form - 140 characters or less.

My favorites:

"I’m an Architect. Just like Mr. Brady, except with less wood paneling and fewer kids. The sexy staircase and the masonry oven in the kitchen can stay, and Marsha, of course."

"I’m an Architect, like Howard Roark from the Fountainhead, only fatter, and underemployed. "

"I’m an Architect. I make simple things seem complicated, by making them more complicated."

Read the rest here.