Monday, May 16, 2011

High Rise Highlights from the Houston Downtown Alliance Home Tour

The Houston Downtown Alliance granted rare access to some amazing residential real estate on April 16 during the annual Houston Downtown Home Tour.? Nearly 500 Houstonians hit the streets to experience downtown skyline living and view residences in seven buildings.

?The Downtown Home Tour is a really unique opportunity to tour several downtown buildings in one day,? said Melissa Fitzgerald, the HDA director of promotions/special events, who has organized the tour for the past three years.? ?Downtown is a really walkable place. Sometimes people don?t realize what a great neighborhood it is until they take the tour.?

Heather Pray, the HDA director of communications, added, ?This is the fourth consecutive year that HDA has hosted the tour, although it began years before. President Andrew Huang and I revived it when we came on board in 2007.?

Fitzgerald and Pray greeted HDA members and non-members alike at the Post Rice Lofts, which served as the Downtown Home Tour headquarters where visitors picked up their wristbands and walking maps. Its model units were open for view, as well. Along with the Post Rice Lofts, visitors got a chance to see the skyline from homes in the Bayou Lofts, Franklin Lofts, Commerce Towers and the Cash Register Building. Other stops included the Four Seasons Private Residences and One Park Place.

Although the buildings on tour were conveniently located to each other, tickets included a pass to catch a ride on the Houston Wave, which created a route specifically for the tour.

The homes were a mix of private residences and showroom properties, which were chosen with the help of Realtor Paige Martin, who was part of the creation of the home tour. Paige was also available to greet guests and answer any questions.

A must-see on the tour was the historical Cash Register Building, a standalone two-story building constructed in 1927.? Owners Deborah Keyser and James Stafford completely renovated the structure for mixed use, with a law office on the first floor and a private residence on the second floor. Keyser said, ?The downstairs was originally the cash register showroom as well as their sales and training offices. This upstairs was their factory and repair space. It took us about three and a half years to renovate it, including the planning and permit stages and the actual construction. We chose this?building because we?were looking for a place where we could live and work. It fit in with our lifestyle and we enjoy downtown. We also wanted to get out of our cars where we can walk or ride bikes.?

Two exquisite units were available for view at the Four Seasons Private Residences. The Four Seasons has fully-furnished properties for sale or lease on the 21st to 25th floors of the hotel. No need to cook. Room service, anyone?

Guests of the tour had an opportunity to see some great artwork, as well. Olga Porter opened up her home and studio in the Franklin Lofts. Porter was excited to show off her art. ?It?s a great opportunity for people who probably would not come into the gallery,? she said. ?I like living downtown because I?m from a big city myself ? Moscow. When I was making a decision where to live in Houston, downtown was my first choice.?

Nicola Parente ?is another artist who graciously granted access to his home for the tour. He said, ?I?ve lived downtown for about seven years. It?s great to be a part of the downtown urban colony. As an artist, I draw a lot of inspiration from what surrounds me and I like to be a part of the urban landscape.? Growing up, I was fascinated by trains, so a lot of my paintings are influenced by train rides and seeing the landscape go by. I am surrounded by trains where I live, with the METRORail and the trains by I10. The Bayou Lofts was also originally the Southern Pacific Railway headquarters. To me, that is all a part of the experience of living in an urban environment.?

Also on the tour was the magnificent Commerce Towers, built by Jesse H. Jones in 1928 and renovated in 2004.? Susan Speck, the sales and leasing agent for Commerce Towers, guided individuals through the properties chosen for the tour, which included two unoccupied abodes and a private residence. Each location had stunning views of many of Houston?s most historic buildings. Sylvia Drake, ASID, was the interior designer for the private residence. She was on hand to answer any questions, as well.

Completed in 2009, the award winning One Park Place was the newest building on the tour. Guests were whisked to the 35th floor to view their Dogwood floor plan. They also had opportunities to view two other units with equally breathtaking views.? One Park Place is located next to Discovery Green and will soon offer the only downtown grocery store.

Guests not only viewed properties, they also had opportunities to meet downtown residents who love their urban neighborhood. Post Rice Lofts residents Jim and Mary Bratton have lived downtown for four years. Jim, a voiceover specialist, said, ?This is the second high rise we have lived in. Living downtown, you can actually feel the heartbeat of the city. At the Rice alone, we have five restaurants on the premises and any number of restaurants within walking distance.? Mary said, ?For people with mobility issues, downtown is fantastic. Almost everything is barrier free.? Virtually everything is accessible.?

Not only does Pray work for HDA, she is also a downtown resident. She said, ?I live in the Historical District, which is right in the Theater District as well, so it is nice to be able to walk to the theater and enjoy the arts after work.?

If you missed the Downtown Home Tour, but are interested in living in the downtown area, a list of available downtown properties can be found on the Houston Properties website.

Source: http://www.houstonrealestateobserver.com/high-rise-highlights-from-the-houston-downtown-alliance-home-tour/

carrie fisher autism duran duran rolex pancake recipe

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.