tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72904123560435667502024-02-19T01:31:14.654-06:00SOUTH OF COMMERCELIVING IN THE CITY & EMBRACING URBAN BLISSUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-42670623458950952702011-02-07T16:00:00.003-06:002011-02-08T08:23:44.960-06:00The New City<object height="322" width="520"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bL0-wFcWGcI&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3">
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The New City takes a look at how we live, how we move from place to place everyday. Attention is brought to the efficiencies of the urban environment and the video series looks at how mega cities will change our needs for mobility and continually evolve the way live.<br />
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<i>From the minds of some of the most influential scientists, academics, pioneers, and entrepreneurs of our time, this four-part documentary paints a unique picture of technology, culture, cities, our past, present and how it all relates to the future of mobility.<br /><br />
“Wherever You Want To Go” is not meant to provide definitive answers, but rather, to ask the right questions from the right people in an attempt to generate discussion, provoke thought and stir the imagination. As part of the Activate the Future website, viewers are also encouraged to click and comment on various points throughout the documentary.<br /><br /><a href="http://bmwactivatethefuture.com/">BMW Documentaries</a></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-71381585238369365332010-11-23T22:17:00.002-06:002010-11-24T17:54:20.601-06:00City ScapesIn lieu of the past several months of blog posts, I want to share some of my snapshots for your viewing pleasure. I love this city and everywhere I turn the history of the city is looking back at me. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnolia Building (1922)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving Square (1976 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Johnson" title="Philip Johnson">Philip Johnson</a> )</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1700 Pacific Ave. with the Wilson building (1904) in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wilson building (1904) with the W.A. Greens water tower on the roof</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's left of the First Baptist church. (est 1908)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kirby building (1913) with the Magnolia behind it (1922)</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-68709031652197816202010-06-23T16:10:00.011-05:002010-06-24T09:03:40.670-05:00Master Plan Cities: Animation<object height="269" width="500"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" />
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Designing sustainable cities, three aspects - three plans.<br />
An animation short by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58005438420">Rods & Cones Film</a>, depicting planning strategies in recent masterplans by Vandkunsten in collaboration with Hausenberg<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71uonPeAiV_Kumvd6bBEqwl8yi93lkrt1CvwHL2Sz9WM58L2P4HwWNMtz8CT1OxvChEjL-UtlWVk74q-FskEwA95jItuh-FHoylr7G1VvLt0d8eEfPQnL7DToyDz_TMYsqXiTEfIr_Yw/s1600/Capture1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71uonPeAiV_Kumvd6bBEqwl8yi93lkrt1CvwHL2Sz9WM58L2P4HwWNMtz8CT1OxvChEjL-UtlWVk74q-FskEwA95jItuh-FHoylr7G1VvLt0d8eEfPQnL7DToyDz_TMYsqXiTEfIr_Yw/s400/Capture1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
An urban master planned neighborhood created from an old shipyard in Sweeden. The design firm <b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.vandkunsten.com/dk/Vandkunsten">Vandkunsten</a> </b>had this animation put together to show their design process. From start to finish the creation of walkable streetscapes that make for easy navigation through the neighborhood, the integration of public spaces within the existing structures and the sustainability of the area is carefully thought out and explained in the animation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO73t6m1EgwmJyqDGE9ENyUiX9t7x3AXymjywtNcnhIW7ItZmB3U7w0xnfoeGPzunsGqg65GWKRZ_TbhQcjYc5MspQAZZFtup3NI-tW_naoiWHh3yx38MpHbE0tpfkQ8S6DRBYJIsr5A/s1600/Capture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO73t6m1EgwmJyqDGE9ENyUiX9t7x3AXymjywtNcnhIW7ItZmB3U7w0xnfoeGPzunsGqg65GWKRZ_TbhQcjYc5MspQAZZFtup3NI-tW_naoiWHh3yx38MpHbE0tpfkQ8S6DRBYJIsr5A/s320/Capture2.JPG" width="320" /></a>The firm specializes in sustainable building and also is focusing on the renewal of a suburban area in Denmark by tying in an existing recreational area with the rest of the city by expanding it and adding a "green activity zone" using paths that link one area to another. This creates unique neighborhood zones where each is diverse in it's relationship to the city and the surrounding landscape.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-7997678557753543772010-06-11T15:32:00.001-05:002010-06-11T15:46:10.202-05:00Good Quote Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-13708618172425135162010-06-09T16:28:00.103-05:002010-07-06T11:28:44.286-05:00The Only Room in the House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Kitchen: Some would say the kitchen is most used room in the house. In a loft like ours, it's the <i>only</i> room in the house! With that in mind I knew pretty quickly after we moved in, that I wanted to change out the pink toned contractor grade back splash tiles that were installed in the kitchen before we purchased our loft.<br />
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Another thing that was missing was a proper pantry to put away bulk food items and storage of cans, cereal, and other kitchen supplies that just didn't fit above in the cabinets. So one late Friday evening, instead of taking advantage of my weekend, I "took advantage of my weekend" to work on the kitchen make over.<br />
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It began by ripping out all the existing tiles in the kitchen. This wasn't too hard, I used a metal chisel to remove the grout in between each tile to help loosen them up from their hold on the wall and each other. <br />
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This process didn't seem too hard and all the tiles were coming out pretty smoothly, until I got to the sink area. Apparently the sheet rock behind the sink had some moisture because once I peeled off my first tile from that area, it started to take out chunks of sheet rock with it.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbBL8e68uvoSYmTq9o77PWUiA0maA58jYE1XDUb6w4REXMqc0L5fv_zqgY-Id7Quh2jDM2ISL37_QtyqiCXm4nEuMXWjJoEVvukOk7WojddrUwsORxJ6rs0Kz-OMxu3FRzNyXqKOSCXY/s1600/image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbBL8e68uvoSYmTq9o77PWUiA0maA58jYE1XDUb6w4REXMqc0L5fv_zqgY-Id7Quh2jDM2ISL37_QtyqiCXm4nEuMXWjJoEVvukOk7WojddrUwsORxJ6rs0Kz-OMxu3FRzNyXqKOSCXY/s320/image2.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIDmmSHT4tL5bj0IkG3YOO55vb9HXlq3cEeWWQDSkEKiWHI9vYbV-H1eDsl7XwvXIY_MIF_uWFpuq3iTgthjgTjAXMs1XelulzmNrxMsr2lQD7uL1CwuYeDQnXdGV9nTeBEqLhTAnruY/s1600/image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIDmmSHT4tL5bj0IkG3YOO55vb9HXlq3cEeWWQDSkEKiWHI9vYbV-H1eDsl7XwvXIY_MIF_uWFpuq3iTgthjgTjAXMs1XelulzmNrxMsr2lQD7uL1CwuYeDQnXdGV9nTeBEqLhTAnruY/s320/image3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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The next thing I did was even more unexpected, I left the kitchen as it was and went on vacation with my wife and kids for 4 days! After coming back into town and back to the loft, seeing the mess I've made, I had a renewed sense of urgency to get this project completed. (I have since learned: When contractors redo a tile back splash, they completely rip out every tile AND rip out all the sheet rock and install new sheet rock in it's place. This makes for an easier install and quicker turn around for clients. -note to self)<br />
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After reinstalling a few sheets of sheet rock I was ready to begin putting up the<a href="http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgg/R-100653983/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053"> new tile</a>. I got the tile on sale at Home Depot and installed it sheet by sheet being careful of matching the seams to make sure they were the invisible and that all grout lines were the same thickness as the tiles do shift a bit once in place on the wall. <br />
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After getting all the tile in place and completed I wanted to tackle the pantry cabinet issue. As you can see from the first picture we once used a simple birch colored cabinet to store some of our pantry items but needed more space and functionality. We knew we wanted to go with <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en">Ikea </a>cabinets as they were the most affordable. Our current cabinets were from Home Depot and were <a href="http://www.woodmark-homedepot.com/">American Woodmark</a> not the most affordable for what we wanted to do. So we decided to go with the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/12315/">AKURUM</a> cabinet series but had to make some customizations for it to perfectly blend in with our kitchen.<br />
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We chose to go with the plain white cabinet doors since the Shaker style doors from Ikea didn't have the same look. Next I wanted a way to make these new, non-matching doors to be usable while at the same time hiding the fact that that we went the cheaper route with our selection. So I decided to use chalkboard paint to give the doors some texture and some color, while allowing us a place to write messages for each other, recipes, etc... While this is not the newest idea, it did work for what we were doing, and we didn't go over the top and paint all the cabinets. Instead we just used it as an accent to better blend our kitchen together.<br />
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Some finishing touches were to add some under cabinet lighting and some task lighting along the upper cabinets to shed some light on my next project, learning to cook. The final product allowed us to have more kitchen storage and usability which the loft desperately needed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-86955497650990581032010-05-26T17:21:00.007-05:002010-07-06T11:21:35.835-05:00New Urbanism: REthinking the suburban sprawl and what it's costing us<object height="301" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MAcAL8OEq-0&hl=en_US&fs=1&">
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Video: From the CNU North Texas Chapter<br />
Visit them <a href="http://www.cnuntx.org/">HERE</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-53146071526157157182010-05-05T15:17:00.012-05:002010-07-06T11:29:46.839-05:003 Kids 77 Square Feet<br />
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How do you squeeze two not-so-young children, and a baby into 77 square feet? That was the question we faced after finding out we were expecting a third child in our modest 1300 sq ft. loft. After moving in almost three years ago, one thing became immediately apparent, there's no room for all our "stuff"? The problem was an even greater issue in the kids room, where their 7ft x 11ft room dimensions left little room for wasted space.</div>
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One thing we knew is that we'd have to take advantage of the 10.5ft ceiling height in the room. I drew up some plans, made a Google Sketchup draft of the room just to make sure the measurements worked out, and with the help of a friend, installed a wall to wall platform where my two older children Nick and Isabelle would sleep.<br />
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The powder coated metal ladder connects to the wall on hooks and can be pulled down and leaned against the platform for climbing up and down. The small dresser in the center of the two tall storage shelves will have a changing pad affixed to the top of it to double as a changing table. (we've got two more months until the baby's due. Didn't want to jump the gun anymore than I already have.) <br />
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The kids computer was neatly stowed away inside a European style metal folding wall desk. It perfectly stores their computer, games, and cables to make sure everything is out of sight when closed. The desk was also hung at a height that made it perfect for the tracker style rolling chair to slide right underneath when not in use in order to maximize free space in the room.</div>
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I found the artwork online and printed it out on heavy weight paper for framing. The final product was a fun way to add some unique art to the kids room that is both unexpected and "grown up" enough for them to relate to as they get older.<br />
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All in all, the project in the kids room taught us that you don't need a lot of square footage to make a space that's both usable and fun for our kids. <br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-35808204215844270332010-04-21T16:04:00.003-05:002010-04-21T16:09:29.702-05:005th Annual White Rock Home Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="style1">The area’s only all-modern home tour embarks on
its fifth year of benefiting Blue Ribbon School <a href="http://www.dallasisd.org/schools/es/e_h/hexter/">Hexter
Elementary</a>
with a wonderful display of mid-century modern homes
and a sustainable home</span>.
<br />
<span class="style1">Architecture enthusiasts won’t
want to miss the <a href="http://hexterpta.org/hometour/html/eventDetails.html">meet-and-greets</a>
with the architects and landscapers at the homes they
designed.<br /></span>
<br />
<span class="style1">To celebrate the tour’s
five-year milestone, <b><i><u><a href="http://www.advocatemag.com/">Advocate Magazine</a></u></i> White
Rock Home Tour presented by <a href="http://www.davidgriffin.com/Detail.aspx?Id=73929">Micky Carr and
Janelle Alcantara, David Griffin and Company Realtors</a></b>, is
staking claim to another first this year: it is curating a first-ever
exhibition of Ju-Nel Homes artifacts and memorabilia to be displayed in
April. It is also presenting a Ju-Nel Homes speaker's forum on April
23. Both events are hosted and co-presented by <a href="http://www.dallascfa.com/">Dallas Center for Architecture</a>.</span><br />
<span class="style1"><b>Save $5. Buy in
Advance.</b><br />
<a href="http://hexterpta.org/hometour/html/ticketInfo.html">Buy a home
tour ticket</a> at White Rock Coffee, Green Spot or neighboring Tom
Thumb locations by April 25 and save $5.
<br />
First 300 event attendees get a free goodie bag!</span>
<br />
<br />
<b>Your Tickets Includes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Tour 4 mid-century modern homes near White Rock
Lake.</li>
<li> 2 of the 5 are Ju-Nel Homes. They were designed
by Lyle Rowley and/or Jack Wilson, understudies of modern architecture
pioneer Howard Meyer who built Dallas' acclaimed Temple Emmanu-el. We
broke the Ju-Nel story on the first tour in 2006, and subsequently in a <i>D
Home</i> story.<br />
</li>
<li> 1 of the 5 Homes is a "green" home designed by
Alan Hoffmann, who <i>D Magazine</i> reported is a “green leader”.<br />
</li>
<li> Architect meet-and-greets </li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-12201723524818331412010-04-07T22:48:00.010-05:002010-04-07T23:18:10.185-05:00Merriman Associates/Architects 2010 Grand Design Concept<a href="http://www.merriman-maa.com/">Merriman Associates / Architects</a> is located in downtown Dallas just across from the Akard Street DART station. Below is their newly released concept visualization of the Dallas Grand Hotel and surrounding Main Street Garden park. The Dallas Grand, formerly the <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/052008dnmetstatlerhilton.c6fdf37.html">Statler Hilton Hotel</a>,was put on the <span class="vitstorybody"><span class="vitstorybody">2008 list
of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" </span></span>by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.<br />
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This video showing the rendering of the hotel lobby and rooms are a hopeful
sign that Merriman & Associates are bidding for the job of restoring
the once majestic hotel to it's former glory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPVt2p0EA453e1ywXECtaWffsAdJiEg8y7bkrQkfV64-GYHumHEnQVBGh7o3ZvvzMurTc_OBzcP7_kenoWHl2QWcZR5HmTV4GV5SR5U8h5v61Y5zZFgJodEkdTP6cMal43yI6OQeKwBo/s1600/grand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPVt2p0EA453e1ywXECtaWffsAdJiEg8y7bkrQkfV64-GYHumHEnQVBGh7o3ZvvzMurTc_OBzcP7_kenoWHl2QWcZR5HmTV4GV5SR5U8h5v61Y5zZFgJodEkdTP6cMal43yI6OQeKwBo/s400/grand.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-85697837426637736312010-04-02T11:03:00.003-05:002010-04-02T14:01:50.665-05:00Arts District Architecture Walking Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VkUqUGMtX4M9hMDtFD8nAf9clCmRLmi16wV-rTOsyQU2R7x5THi-X2A2zcabT5pVdh3Q-9h-33lpZwS8FJpsys_AFN-eLlKp0AjJfmlwqSpwDCjKJqupesAJ4NBQ6fMfPbskptyFjT4/s1600/DCFA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="42" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VkUqUGMtX4M9hMDtFD8nAf9clCmRLmi16wV-rTOsyQU2R7x5THi-X2A2zcabT5pVdh3Q-9h-33lpZwS8FJpsys_AFN-eLlKp0AjJfmlwqSpwDCjKJqupesAJ4NBQ6fMfPbskptyFjT4/s400/DCFA.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellspacing="0" id="eventdetails"><tbody>
<tr><th class="label">Date:</th>
<td>April 3, 2010</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th class="label">Time:</th>
<td>10:00 AM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th class="label">Location:</th>
<td> The tour departs from the ceremonial
entrance of the Dallas Museum of Art on Harwood.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th class="label" style="text-align: left;">Details:</th>
<td>The Dallas Arts District and the Dallas
Center for Architecture are proud to
present an architecture walking tour of the largest urban arts district
in the United States.<br />
<br />
Our 90-minute architecture
walking tour is led by a trained tour
guide and
will examine buildings from the 1890’s to the present day. You will
explore the architectural detail of
the District as well as the institutions, individuals and visionaries
who are a
part of this fascinating story.<br />
Tours are held on the first and
third Saturdays of each
month, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the ceremonial entrance to the Dallas
Museum
of Art (Flora and Harwood). The tour is
held rain or shine. <br />
<ul>
<li>$10.00
for adults</li>
<li>$8.00
for Dallas Arts District and AIA Dallas members</li>
<li>$5.00
for seniors 65 and over and students with valid ID’s</li>
<li>Children
under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult</li>
</ul>
The tour lasts approximately one and a half hours. You may park
either at
the Dallas Museum of Art Parking Garage or at the Trammell Crow Center
Parking
Garage (entrance on Olive Street on weekends and pay the guard at the
desk on
the ground floor before you leave) or at a nearby surface lot or meter.
This is
an outdoor tour and includes both historical and architectural
information
about the venues and organizations in the Dallas Arts District. The tour
does
not include the interior of any of the buildings in the Dallas Arts
District. <br />
To make reservations, please register through PayPal <a href="http://www.thedallasartsdistrict.org/dallas-events/tours/register.htm" target="_blank">here</a>
or
e-mail <a href="mailto:artstour@downtowndallas.org">artstour@downtowndallas.org</a>
<b>if you would like to submit payment in the form of cash or check.
Reservations and payment must be made in
advance. Due to the necessity of
scheduling docents, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate walk-ups.</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th class="label"><br /></th>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th class="label"><br /></th>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<hr />
<div id="eventmoreinfo">
<h3>
For More Information</h3>
<b>Contact Name:</b> Dallas Center for
Architecture<br />
<b>Email Address:</b> <a href="mailto:info@dallascfa.com">info@dallascfa.com</a><br />
<b>Phone
Number:</b> 214.742.3242</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-54591697703560840442010-04-02T09:20:00.000-05:002010-04-02T09:20:08.283-05:00Good Quote Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXj1vnR1zpwD6vIcleKc26pM9jZbat3X3WQgxc_0gHUvn4PoJZY4qUJipQbwRt3bRQYT4ATzFY9-PrUitrh2GgoADKUthcqr95vq3IOoPA9X69KgTEBa9ScGr1k-cUJj3zLpuetJsyMU/s1600/design.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXj1vnR1zpwD6vIcleKc26pM9jZbat3X3WQgxc_0gHUvn4PoJZY4qUJipQbwRt3bRQYT4ATzFY9-PrUitrh2GgoADKUthcqr95vq3IOoPA9X69KgTEBa9ScGr1k-cUJj3zLpuetJsyMU/s400/design.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-69958245418105405372010-02-22T14:24:00.011-06:002010-03-10T12:03:29.626-06:00Street Cars to Return to Downtown DallasThe City of Dallas received a $23 million discretionary funding grant from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) group to move forward with plans to re-introduce streetcars to Downtown Dallas.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdiZ5ZSqbFyBWu7An-AKNSYaC6nRo3u1NS9eTdl872l1X3a_Q8AcHzSksM2Gzo3R67evCc4RNA9GlRzoyiuf9x9ePg-OPOdz6h3Qh8zcmUZFEYicd7weUvryzic-kofW8qcjAor-MQHs/s1600-h/streetcars.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdiZ5ZSqbFyBWu7An-AKNSYaC6nRo3u1NS9eTdl872l1X3a_Q8AcHzSksM2Gzo3R67evCc4RNA9GlRzoyiuf9x9ePg-OPOdz6h3Qh8zcmUZFEYicd7weUvryzic-kofW8qcjAor-MQHs/s320/streetcars.bmp" /></a></div>
<br />
(right: Looking down Main Street in downtown Dallas; circa 1951)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"This project will improve transportation within downtown Dallas by creating a seamless transit connection and providing a multi-modal link between jobs and residents,"</i> said Mayor Tom Leppert. Mayor Leppert. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Dallas himself to see how the city's streetcar plan would improve interurban transportation, help boost local businesses and lower Dallas's carbon emissions. <br />
<br />
<i>"This project specifically targets commuters in mixed use districts adjacent to downtown and will help create a transit network linking urban areas by providing multiple transportation alternatives,"</i> said Councilwoman Angela Hunt, whose district includes downtown. <br />
<br />
The proposed line originates in Downtown Dallas at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?ftid=0x864e991f8f0a40b7:0x920d8a3638904d2&q=dallas,%2Bharwood%2B%26%2BMain%2Bstreet&hl=en&gl=us">Harwood and Main Street</a>. The line includes stops at the Convention Center Hotel, Trinity River Park, and Union Station, and continues into the North Oak Cliff Methodist Medical Center District. <br />
<br />
<i>"Clearly, this project will link walkable, mixed use neighborhoods in the urban core with employment centers throughout the region, as well as create hundreds of new jobs in Dallas,"</i> said Councilwoman Linda Koop, Chair of the Council's Transportation and Environment Committee.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAON15FPhvbs7HJcgfSMOQ1V6dlKOwWTSu_LECZU9hGjcM0c6wD9agqdmRfm0VLWSZ_T_fxMT7YoEhJZiCg6Dj6IKDQATKAuGPeUCKEp7brOCidDe5Ra-UMj-Zn_oZrQ7o01rZ81vcMKA/s1600-h/streetcar1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAON15FPhvbs7HJcgfSMOQ1V6dlKOwWTSu_LECZU9hGjcM0c6wD9agqdmRfm0VLWSZ_T_fxMT7YoEhJZiCg6Dj6IKDQATKAuGPeUCKEp7brOCidDe5Ra-UMj-Zn_oZrQ7o01rZ81vcMKA/s200/streetcar1945.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The Recovery Act application, submitted in coordination with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and the City of Fort Worth, included a total budget request of $96 million. The City of Dallas requested $48 million for its portion of the streetcar project, with a total project cost of $58 million.<br />
<br />
"To me, this is the next evolution in downtown Dallas," says Councilwoman Angela Hunt, who helped push the idea for Dallas after visiting Seattle and riding <a href="http://www.ridetheslut.com/">The S.L.U.T</a>. The unfortunate yet hilarious acronym for the Seattle Lake Union Trolley. <br />
<br />
The City of Dallas and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) are pleased to receive the grant money to fund the new street car system since the idea is to allow riders to ride the system for free. <br />
<br />
"It needs to be free," Hunt says. "You want people to ride it and if it's free they're gonna jump on it. They're gonna leave their car behind."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-22960508864499652942010-02-04T10:17:00.026-06:002010-03-10T15:24:19.344-06:00Woodall Rodgers Park:THE PARK: Or as it's known to the locals, The Woodall Rodgers Park has just released a pre-visualization fly-through of their new public space which will span the Woodall Rodgers highway making a tunnel beneath for existing traffic to flow. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theparkdallas.org/files/PictureGallery/647_333_WPR%20Events%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="http://www.theparkdallas.org/files/PictureGallery/647_333_WPR%20Events%203.jpg" width="200" /></a>The park will connect Uptown and Downtown Dallas creating a unified public area for residents and visitors to enjoy. Along with three other downtown parks in the last year either being completed or slated for construction, THE PARK hopes to provide a visual connection between two parts of the city which has been divided by a busy highway for years. Just North of the <a href="http://www.thedallasartsdistrict.org/">Dallas Arts District</a>, <a href="http://www.theparkdallas.org/">THE PARK</a> is a much needed escape for the urban residents of Dallas.<br />
<br />
<object height="215" width="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uh7168AF39E&hl=en_US&fs=1&">
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uh7168AF39E&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="215"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theparkdallas.org/files/PictureGallery/647_333_soccer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://www.theparkdallas.org/files/PictureGallery/647_333_soccer.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theparkdallas.org/files/PictureGallery/647_333_WRP%20Site%20Plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="164" src="http://www.theparkdallas.org/files/PictureGallery/647_333_WRP%20Site%20Plan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Check out the video and visit <a href="http://www.theparkdallas.org/" target="blank">THE PARK DALLAS</a> website!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-51726469281046189932010-01-26T14:22:00.004-06:002010-01-26T15:13:53.022-06:00Deep Ellum Bowl: Coming Soon!<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-7DarQ_JpwFL-4O2PYzI5ppukyd_jwBhwKfk8xi9yJvjarVYqAAmaQLZzKvRx9JJUupDApVb2LfW0Zz5hoTcpBVGuXrgalSLZOgLxedGyPnGPDIN-Fwnh7OzyVocX_krMxGYumx2ZcA/s1600-h/deep+ellum+bowl.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-7DarQ_JpwFL-4O2PYzI5ppukyd_jwBhwKfk8xi9yJvjarVYqAAmaQLZzKvRx9JJUupDApVb2LfW0Zz5hoTcpBVGuXrgalSLZOgLxedGyPnGPDIN-Fwnh7OzyVocX_krMxGYumx2ZcA/s320/deep+ellum+bowl.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431147666954151554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Deep Ellum Bowl is coming soon!<br /><br />Checkout the welcome message from their website!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hello everyone. We've been working on putting a 10 lane bowling alley, bar, and restaurant in Downtown Dallas for nearly 3 years. We've locked on a spot and are ready to get it going. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It's going to be fun. 10 bowling lanes, restaurant, and bar in the heart of Deep Ellum. Live music, bowling leagues, great food and late hours. Neighborhood atmosphere with local owners.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Stay tuned for updates on our progress. If you have any questions, please let us know or post a new thread below.</span> Visit their <a href="http://www.deepellumbowl.com/" target=blank>website</a>.<br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-47112625908478719042010-01-24T12:17:00.002-06:002010-01-26T15:50:41.428-06:00Interview with Santiago Calatrava: Designer of the new Margaret Hunt Bridge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4HEJPHacAQZdzz1x7unicWDjm4tV05sVjFUAcM1kfCGiHXZhgbG74rUcvfX9ucwtqZmrfLnYWUuIwz99wVEuAOHJ3KVJK7rHhBRGqnHkeBStB2wq6vw6w9aJu3cg9h8PRoXg5fNAQeM/s1600-h/feature-68-Calatrava_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431139493448207890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4HEJPHacAQZdzz1x7unicWDjm4tV05sVjFUAcM1kfCGiHXZhgbG74rUcvfX9ucwtqZmrfLnYWUuIwz99wVEuAOHJ3KVJK7rHhBRGqnHkeBStB2wq6vw6w9aJu3cg9h8PRoXg5fNAQeM/s320/feature-68-Calatrava_1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 126px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Two decades ago, Tom Fisher, now dean of the University of Minnesota College of Design, visited Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava in Zurich, where he has a staff of 40 and a lakeside villa.<br />
As he was ushered into the architect's office, Fisher noticed an odd artifact hanging above the desk: the skeleton of a dog. "I thought it was his long-lost pet," he says. Read the full interview at <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/142/calatrava-goes-public.html?page=0,0" target="blank">Fast Company.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-62375403792094790922010-01-23T12:12:00.006-06:002010-03-10T15:23:15.323-06:00Continental Ave. Bridge By November 2012 Rudolph Bush reports that the major gift to the Trinity River project is a $10 million gift to convert the Continental Avenue Bridge to a pedestrian bridge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/continentalbridge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/continentalbridge1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The gift is anonymous, but in honor of Mary McDermott Cook, who chairs the Trinity Trust Foundation.<br />
<br />
The existing Continental Avenue Bridge is next to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which is under construction north of downtown. The Hill bridge is the first Trinity bridge from Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who was in town for today's gift announcement.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/Continental%20Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/Continental%20Bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
"This landmark $10 million anonymous gift given to the City of Dallas gives us the funds to convert the Continental Bridge into a pedestrian and living bridge for everyone in Dallas to enjoy," said Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.<br />
<br />
He praised Cook for "her tireless vision for Dallas."<br />
<br />
Cook said: "This gift will transform the Continental Bridge into an outdoor venue for walkers, bikers, and potentially, a future trolley line across the Trinity River. It will be beautifully landscaped and include the infrastructure and facilities for recreational events, markets and fairs."<br />
<br />
Cook is the daughter of Margaret McDermott, for whom a second planned Calatrava bridge is named. That bridge would replace the existing Interstate 30 bridge over the Trinity. <a href="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/so_says_here_you_should_be_par.php" target="blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Read More</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-15229867225296130832010-01-20T12:11:00.001-06:002010-01-26T15:14:54.224-06:00New Life for the Former First National on Elm Steet?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE613sR3RZ4JmOMFjP_Sme1NBabpvCNaWWDu18To4R6tnx5WEY1oW6-B522uW8sDGXCSrx58RvrOigQ-4r5ZXMN3LQmZ5bi1wpac_MQQJ3c6PVvA1eQNiFmZ3yTaPlhZZQh4kNtzME5Fk/s1600-h/1401Elm-thumb-500x546.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE613sR3RZ4JmOMFjP_Sme1NBabpvCNaWWDu18To4R6tnx5WEY1oW6-B522uW8sDGXCSrx58RvrOigQ-4r5ZXMN3LQmZ5bi1wpac_MQQJ3c6PVvA1eQNiFmZ3yTaPlhZZQh4kNtzME5Fk/s320/1401Elm-thumb-500x546.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431143974687194354" border="0" /></a><br />No need to mourn <a href="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/what_does_elm_places_closure_m.php" target="_blank">the demise of Elm Place</a>, set to shutter for good on January 29 -- not when someone's already figured out what to do with the former First National Bank of Dallas, among George Dahl's myriad local icons. That someone: Colliers International, which is handling the sale of the 50-usable-stories, 1.1-million-square foot tower with a Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail station right downstairs. <a href="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/wondering_what_to_do_with_the.php" target=blank>Read more</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-11401018607733007282009-11-20T10:01:00.004-06:002010-03-10T15:23:38.795-06:00Main Street Garden Park<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx6aBu64TxXCsYvNVvc1J9d7j_NGSDRtH6o2Lz_zJUF2wpTU1SI8m8_ur4hADDmwKdXhM2h8RVujC-XYuRzeAvLt_yPFATjP8ZsSHHWdhU7GpZfzlvyGSOua7x2F9wlAgF0YSojJTG78/s1600-h/main+street+gardens.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431149192438347986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx6aBu64TxXCsYvNVvc1J9d7j_NGSDRtH6o2Lz_zJUF2wpTU1SI8m8_ur4hADDmwKdXhM2h8RVujC-XYuRzeAvLt_yPFATjP8ZsSHHWdhU7GpZfzlvyGSOua7x2F9wlAgF0YSojJTG78/s400/main+street+gardens.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWaysdNM5wyCjc5WxJWIPvZ3vv-gmXzihBG0uL0BbRJCY_m2oAKAwtUBo_wx8P1ozlNz3qHWhr-3lQlIJe1QIcp6cKFO7anEY3NyFyfcCh3gx222lt40Bg0AXnAkcR1RRqDj_J0Ir70I/s1600-h/MSG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWaysdNM5wyCjc5WxJWIPvZ3vv-gmXzihBG0uL0BbRJCY_m2oAKAwtUBo_wx8P1ozlNz3qHWhr-3lQlIJe1QIcp6cKFO7anEY3NyFyfcCh3gx222lt40Bg0AXnAkcR1RRqDj_J0Ir70I/s320/MSG.jpg" /></a>Main Street Garden (which opened in this month) now has it's Christmas tree up and ready to ring in the holidays! I snapped this picture while taking a morning walk with the fam and thought it looked a little postcard-like. So I posted it.<br />
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I'm looking forward to spending more time here since it's only three blocks from home, and it's sure to be a great place to sit out in the sun during the summer for a little R&R.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-74890311969391944802009-09-28T12:53:00.025-05:002010-03-10T12:23:22.848-06:00Texas State Fair<div class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jnq1vokavFMBFulvEZadAQbzCe-g3_Cc9t5eFljFFSuscNtIak6N4HLUK7wq4SM6o3FSe1-PFcK-Mtko3dBmG2CiR5gf-oqd4QIbTc1_WmtZLxOz757vmHf2e1AffEn42JJImXHn63A/s1600-h/photo-740556.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386578074101613634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jnq1vokavFMBFulvEZadAQbzCe-g3_Cc9t5eFljFFSuscNtIak6N4HLUK7wq4SM6o3FSe1-PFcK-Mtko3dBmG2CiR5gf-oqd4QIbTc1_WmtZLxOz757vmHf2e1AffEn42JJImXHn63A/s320/photo-740556.jpg" style="height: 406px; width: 304px;" /></a></div>
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This weekend marked the opening of the <a href="http://www.bigtex.com/aboutus/history/">Texas State Fair</a>! The State Fair can be traced back over 120 years. Back then the exhibits consisted of finest cattle, farm equipment, and summer concerts. Now the exhibits that are the most popular are the number of strange and weird items that can be battered and deep fried! Fried Twinkies, Snickers, and butter are some of the more unhealthy but delicious items on the menu.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAecMMDnMecFNpmKdHGLFsFIcSyeF72vCRDwOw9SRpzoQxx58WlQrqZXexLsODzNApfG2GXMFW0ENCBfoimwhnVvWCXToVa01-CJJmW0tP9L_96syTjJy5bpq9g8JIZzo4i1nHQ7BGvw/s1600-h/wheel.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386579806193627586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAecMMDnMecFNpmKdHGLFsFIcSyeF72vCRDwOw9SRpzoQxx58WlQrqZXexLsODzNApfG2GXMFW0ENCBfoimwhnVvWCXToVa01-CJJmW0tP9L_96syTjJy5bpq9g8JIZzo4i1nHQ7BGvw/s400/wheel.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 230px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 172px;" /></a></div>
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We met some friends in Richardson Sunday morning for Dim Sum at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/kirin-court-restaurant-richardson">Kirin Court</a> and parked at the <a href="http://www.dart.org/riding/stations/arapahocenterstation.asp">Aprapaho DART station</a> to catch the rail into the city. After getting off at the <a href="http://www.dart.org/riding/stations/pearlstation.asp">Pearl Street station</a> we switched to the newly open <a href="http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/greenlinestations.asp">Green Line</a> which took us directly to the front entrance of <a href="http://www.fairpark.org/">Fair Park</a>! It was the perfect way to get to the fair and avoid the traffic and parking issues that have plagued the fair for years...</div>
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Having the kids with us made the fair extra enjoyable (for me anyway). There's nothing like watching them jump in all the show cars and pretending like they're driving... and they did this over and over in almost every car on the show floor until we finally left the building! Of course, since they're mine it's probably a lot more annoying than I thought it was. :)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyQaWljxK2LEjrXmGnMszFKYQG01qfPAKqRWTgT2DdE9WY8DLtIbs04pxuL16rpzMMkCtu9ZCa0E6bnsM9ROFxVbS5jJLm8NTiL-UbrrgkWfSF1myuEIGe4tUl-kn59URdrNAMM_Fp4o/s1600-h/.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386631869304695874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyQaWljxK2LEjrXmGnMszFKYQG01qfPAKqRWTgT2DdE9WY8DLtIbs04pxuL16rpzMMkCtu9ZCa0E6bnsM9ROFxVbS5jJLm8NTiL-UbrrgkWfSF1myuEIGe4tUl-kn59URdrNAMM_Fp4o/s200/.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 160px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 203px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4SnQYnLZAR5UcX-FCKWQdzBKuP9WnE4S9kKT_tusr3dOBYGM6MThIbcoAbGN66HLBmq51gsFZhsJ8m-4yqvG76TNReeit9mJj9Ob9aliLc8y4T_MmAOB7anshKnjH7_QgToDYZ9U36Q/s1600-h/kids.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386629199673872850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4SnQYnLZAR5UcX-FCKWQdzBKuP9WnE4S9kKT_tusr3dOBYGM6MThIbcoAbGN66HLBmq51gsFZhsJ8m-4yqvG76TNReeit9mJj9Ob9aliLc8y4T_MmAOB7anshKnjH7_QgToDYZ9U36Q/s400/kids.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 275px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 201px;" /></a></div>
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The ride back to Richardson was long but enjoyable after being outside and on our feet all day long.</div>
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If you can make it to the State Fair this year I definitely suggest taking the DART Rail. <br />It's better for the environment and for your budget. Tickets were only $4 which is worth the hassle and every time we ride the DART Rail we're proving that residents of this city can appreciate and understand urban transportation instead of having to show up and get their BMW dinged in the cramped parking lots around the fair grounds.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-22934497002810730462009-09-28T09:30:00.017-05:002010-03-10T11:29:18.951-06:00RE:Vision Dallas Winner: Entangled Bank<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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The winner of the RE:Vision Dallas competition has been named. The North Carolina firm <a href="http://www.littleonline.com/index.asp">Little</a> has won with their <a href="http://urbanrevision.org/who-we-are/competitions/revisiondallas/results-vision-dallas-winner-entangled-bank/">Entangled Bank</a> design.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieongUEaJ9087YVESEg1C3UEbj9iuS2vI3ZgHAWmGUA49JDBoJ222uRaIoDqTVpIZ89ss_1-JQQ3Qvxwgxd97YCURtfBa-CqKNFku8MV-N0v9niMrjnUPT0GitCxSXGAXHpJapLXs3txQ/s1600-h/05-entangled-bank-context-528x396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieongUEaJ9087YVESEg1C3UEbj9iuS2vI3ZgHAWmGUA49JDBoJ222uRaIoDqTVpIZ89ss_1-JQQ3Qvxwgxd97YCURtfBa-CqKNFku8MV-N0v9niMrjnUPT0GitCxSXGAXHpJapLXs3txQ/s400/05-entangled-bank-context-528x396.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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From the <a href="http://urbanrevision.org/">UrbanRevision.Org</a> website: <br />
<i>Something incredible is about to happen in downtown Dallas. Soon, a single block will be transformed into a place that creates economies, supports community, facilitates relationships and generates resources. The winners of Re:Vision Dallas have created plans that challenged us, engaged us, and inspired us. And their ideas, from local materials and vegetated screens to
integrated greenways, will shape how people will live and work here in
the future.</i><br />
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Entangled Bank is a complex yet simple network of elements. Each
piece whether it is the bird, the plant, the worm or the soil
personally contributes to the growth and ultimate survival of each.
They are all very different from one another but each is very dependent
on the other. For without them the bank would unravel and fail. Within
the network still a very personal cycle of life persists that starts
with conception, continues with growth and ultimately flourishes or
sometimes fails. But the bank itself is meant to sustain and offer
every opportunity for its constituents to succeed. This same notion can
be related to the natural environment as well as the social landscape
of Dallas and also our site.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz97WzF02hUvu-cGG9727LAe-_nKfzI1BkBHXEhhP0CxP0nXdkdH9-TGIjHFRUFUL7K4afFWJ6lIxli4FvHi8k0c1E2vK1S0zSw_7_nreM03uroJrU-zZMaRwkU05zwrERJiqFjDk19zM/s1600/banne4_entangledbank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz97WzF02hUvu-cGG9727LAe-_nKfzI1BkBHXEhhP0CxP0nXdkdH9-TGIjHFRUFUL7K4afFWJ6lIxli4FvHi8k0c1E2vK1S0zSw_7_nreM03uroJrU-zZMaRwkU05zwrERJiqFjDk19zM/s400/banne4_entangledbank.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What if we not only sought to teach and educate about the importance
of living sustainably out of respect for the environment but we
actually sustained and rehabilitated those among us who were
struggling? What if we welcomed them back within the comfort of the
entangled bank and as they grew and flourished we watched them begin to
contribute to the bank themselves? It is our belief that true
sustainability relates not only to the environment but also has key
economic and social impacts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNkOSgLpdpd_yk9pw8tazXfio6ref1YDG9zJFGYIHl58dbuOo8j5OA38bEo6-ZczQpdvqjXjGDC8SvOiwDrr3_EB3TubZsDQ6_ZNeq9RRqaoS5s9pWosVoQMU8-_DodNGHL2TzgkgXyI/s1600-h/entangled-bank-site-context-528x351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNkOSgLpdpd_yk9pw8tazXfio6ref1YDG9zJFGYIHl58dbuOo8j5OA38bEo6-ZczQpdvqjXjGDC8SvOiwDrr3_EB3TubZsDQ6_ZNeq9RRqaoS5s9pWosVoQMU8-_DodNGHL2TzgkgXyI/s400/entangled-bank-site-context-528x351.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Read more at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">competition website</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-55120626237476398662009-09-25T12:43:00.007-05:002010-02-22T16:51:32.597-06:00Terrorist Plot on Fountain Place<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wgv9bj4PBR7Nvmy-q0ckMuShrSrFbqPgpLKV6oZblzx94CuxGauUROdgo2bdC8OhiSednjarv14TZTddNOe4aN-gllCoP7heuWn1zHdsr84k_WHA310c682a0hvNX6swFnK0ppTtnB4/s1600-h/IMG_1219-701343.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385463788591171122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVQ4oAAblS6BGtXPwS5JSvwu2Moh4GZS3yrNfjbMQ5mQn11uzaN3C7KGIAnQdEGabC4iGOPsU6OzStJ8CUeFkapmf0g8oDajFecPHTFvPIUTF1EUjp2Ooi-I_i0BTtpUXKjBmcOMcJyM/s320/IMG_1221-799891.JPG" /> </a></div>Yesterday <a href="http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/FBI-Arrests-Man-Accused-in-Skyscraper-Bomb-Plot--61272512.html">Dallas FBI agents intercepted a Jordanian terrorist</a> in an attempt to detonate a car bomb to blow up the Fountain Place building. <a href="http://www.fountainplace.com/">Fountain Place</a> is a 1.2 million-square-foot office tower of green reflective glass rising 60 stories from a beautiful water garden located at the corner of Ross Avenue and Field Street in downtown Dallas. This is one of my favorite modern buildings in downtown Dallas. I see it everyday on my way to work and on the drive home.<br />
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Designed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._M._Pei">I.M. Pei </a>& Partners, the original plans were for the development of a second twin tower that was not built. It's location was just north adjacent to the existing tower. The second tower was also to include the famous plaza and water gardens with connections to the first tower. Although it was not built I can only imagine what the two towers would have looked like peering over the Dallas skyline. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wgv9bj4PBR7Nvmy-q0ckMuShrSrFbqPgpLKV6oZblzx94CuxGauUROdgo2bdC8OhiSednjarv14TZTddNOe4aN-gllCoP7heuWn1zHdsr84k_WHA310c682a0hvNX6swFnK0ppTtnB4/s1600-h/IMG_1219-701343.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385463794336771330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wgv9bj4PBR7Nvmy-q0ckMuShrSrFbqPgpLKV6oZblzx94CuxGauUROdgo2bdC8OhiSednjarv14TZTddNOe4aN-gllCoP7heuWn1zHdsr84k_WHA310c682a0hvNX6swFnK0ppTtnB4/s320/IMG_1219-701343.JPG" style="height: 207px; width: 155px;" /></a><br />
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The alleged terrorist mentioned during the planning stages of the attempted bombing that he wanted to blow up the tower because it reminded him of the <a href="http://www.wtc.com/">World Trade Center</a> in NYC. An eerie thought for sure. It makes me happy to know that the F.B.I. are diligent in their mission to seek out and uncover terror activity, and we can all see the value in their efforts especially on a day like yesterday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-78613772127435271762009-09-21T21:49:00.018-05:002010-03-10T15:23:57.482-06:00The Pearl Latte @ The Pearl Cup<div class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3Y7ASLEF1pu8HNCaCHEGrab5AqgcOe1HkYkGm1Ydnh2PJUa3MK50SOwu6F9tsbKj2KUOQEfeLMQ6AS2PRbVQslAi6_gZE8XVJvdNM9HMzlFSC9QEztpponO4f_KrWjMJ-25CsbUblcU/s1600-h/photo-701385.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385046321426599426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3Y7ASLEF1pu8HNCaCHEGrab5AqgcOe1HkYkGm1Ydnh2PJUa3MK50SOwu6F9tsbKj2KUOQEfeLMQ6AS2PRbVQslAi6_gZE8XVJvdNM9HMzlFSC9QEztpponO4f_KrWjMJ-25CsbUblcU/s320/photo-701385.jpg" style="height: 321px; width: 215px;" /></a></div>
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This is the Pearl Latte: this gigantic mother-load of a latte is from <a href="http://www.thepearlcup.com/">The Pearl Cup</a>. My new favorite coffee shop. It's on Henderson Ave. just across the street from Barcadia. </div>
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The vibe inside this coffee shop is<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeBUsrDHES5u1hHF7n_F-qeHgbE2c-FzNv8XUZxG_czSxnwAqwJO5m3ebCNhjQVGD9oweNFJ0BZwcT4CN6RDlYwYUGVUt_NFnVyH_ntMgwHK9eCztinQ3VR-xVLz8kOCUP_eFKnfnKI4/s1600-h/outside.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387773961983549058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeBUsrDHES5u1hHF7n_F-qeHgbE2c-FzNv8XUZxG_czSxnwAqwJO5m3ebCNhjQVGD9oweNFJ0BZwcT4CN6RDlYwYUGVUt_NFnVyH_ntMgwHK9eCztinQ3VR-xVLz8kOCUP_eFKnfnKI4/s320/outside.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 161px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 203px;" /></a> that of the independent spirit, laid back locally owned espresso bar ala: Austin!</div>
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The two women who own it moved from Austin and after finding that they didn't like their jobs in corporate America, decided to strike out on their own. If you ask anyone that's visited this jem, they'd agree that this place is definitely a one of a kind and worth visiting on a regular basis!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlRidaYviriKbH_rie5YuMm3SbmXczQZ9mKh1nExfAgPGZzM7dBYEk_Juj0QtxQO4hw13ZNHWN1_H43hmv7tE0pqUUAYI79xKfBpv4wU8xuTaGxRJ_YDiZDMhzc782dqh-lfzYYQiE3E/s1600-h/inside+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770906562411250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlRidaYviriKbH_rie5YuMm3SbmXczQZ9mKh1nExfAgPGZzM7dBYEk_Juj0QtxQO4hw13ZNHWN1_H43hmv7tE0pqUUAYI79xKfBpv4wU8xuTaGxRJ_YDiZDMhzc782dqh-lfzYYQiE3E/s400/inside+2.jpg" style="float: left; height: 202px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 151px;" width="299" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgga1Lz_40WPAzjfuPyPid8av5NYDzTW0kf9OH9py5deuaeoFXhqXdtCmlKsPyXjNkjhqnt49odkkWFHvx9_iL0F3N3ayuE8057Gdn9LbLV-lgnTgdEqOYX3vENdXq0iB4ihrru57zRcp0/s1600-h/pearl+inside+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387770806865715810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgga1Lz_40WPAzjfuPyPid8av5NYDzTW0kf9OH9py5deuaeoFXhqXdtCmlKsPyXjNkjhqnt49odkkWFHvx9_iL0F3N3ayuE8057Gdn9LbLV-lgnTgdEqOYX3vENdXq0iB4ihrru57zRcp0/s400/pearl+inside+1.jpg" style="float: right; height: 201px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 151px;" width="300" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to go back and enjoy the atmosphere, great employees and a hot cup of coffee!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-45454226924141965532009-09-19T18:45:00.002-05:002010-03-11T10:41:10.158-06:00West End Pirate Day street festival<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDu9g8rnTyr5JFAodGLtICzEdLtTctLS8OX0U171KAKTwen9MGHQC8Bj9oRVkBZBwM1VmMRoaOa4sqYhQw59HSER1j_OvgwO3jDZ5W48Mp2viGxOGQZxMRlBkx_iPlVqff7fwpk4RjPpk/s1600-h/photo-766837.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDu9g8rnTyr5JFAodGLtICzEdLtTctLS8OX0U171KAKTwen9MGHQC8Bj9oRVkBZBwM1VmMRoaOa4sqYhQw59HSER1j_OvgwO3jDZ5W48Mp2viGxOGQZxMRlBkx_iPlVqff7fwpk4RjPpk/s320/photo-766837.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383951387499626194" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">Today was national Talk Like A Pirate Day! Which is a very interesting thing because at the <a href="http://www.dallaswestend.org/">West End in Dallas</a>, everyone thought it was Dress Like A Pirate Day! Allowing people to live out their strange yet amusing obsession with pirates hundreds of people gathered in the West End for live music, food, crafts, and performances.<br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">We ate lunch at the<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&cid=0,0,3976872286004349221&fb=1&hq=chipotle+west+end,&hnear=dallas&gl=us&daddr=208+N+Market+St+%23+100,+Dallas,+TX+75202-3202&geocode=15135424457793574494,32.780535,-96.806150&ei=M427SsXhAoOAlgfZ5NiHBQ&t=h&z=16"> Chipotle</a> just up the street and and walked around afterward watching the crowds singing while dressed like pirates! It's nice to see some action in the West End as it's been pretty ghost like for the past few years. I think it's about time to have more businesses move into the space and bring it back to it's former glory! Having <a href="http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/dallas/">House Of Blues</a> just at the Northern edge on the boarder between West End and <a href="http://www.victorypark.com/">Victory park</a> is definitely helping get some people moving through the area. I look forward to seeing it return to it's old glory!<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-34485343514653362202009-09-19T10:59:00.001-05:002009-09-25T15:06:46.472-05:00Addison Oktoberfest<p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATtw2oSe78fYuBKKIWRWfFBiFvPjheDmGxZsCUhkmkNdD8AsY3DQOTBlrkP4-ccKvcVLQOOBiIE-zrg6srU3xr1mPB0qPPbyDqc1HKRyL4JjYRd5HkJ7bgfbyb6uLct9un8d3ksxEbac/s1600-h/photo-707418.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATtw2oSe78fYuBKKIWRWfFBiFvPjheDmGxZsCUhkmkNdD8AsY3DQOTBlrkP4-ccKvcVLQOOBiIE-zrg6srU3xr1mPB0qPPbyDqc1HKRyL4JjYRd5HkJ7bgfbyb6uLct9un8d3ksxEbac/s320/photo-707418.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383951132880135314" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://www.addisontexas.net/events/oktoberfest/">Addison Oktoberfest</a> was a smash hit! Got there around 7Pm and drank the night away enjoying good music, good friends, and great people watching! Got a hotel at Springhill Suites also, which was a good thing because we went to Shuck and Jive afterward and things got a little crazy... All in all we were safe, had a good time, and made some fun memories. Until next year...<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290412356043566750.post-46612964121677054432009-09-18T10:37:00.002-05:002009-09-25T15:17:00.390-05:00I know where Britney sleeps<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0qVzmRi2fGVWNl-b78FFN_eJsjMVMi2W2jY6rydjfuOVwolNpDUzFyPbPSVaHBuTUPo3EBVGCrp1gCN7x6ZR0VgE5rYh9bVk3h5peJb3lV8Ibe3HV7WtSJ-YjyOYOF0sr6jvRTKmFls/s1600-h/photo-706099.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0qVzmRi2fGVWNl-b78FFN_eJsjMVMi2W2jY6rydjfuOVwolNpDUzFyPbPSVaHBuTUPo3EBVGCrp1gCN7x6ZR0VgE5rYh9bVk3h5peJb3lV8Ibe3HV7WtSJ-YjyOYOF0sr6jvRTKmFls/s320/photo-706099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382832287112308194" border="0" /></a></p>Word got out last night that <a href="http://www.britneyspears.com/">Britney Spears</a> is staying at the downtown <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/property/overview/contact.html?propertyID=3146">ALoft hote</a>l which is right next door to our loft. Here's the view from our window. The hotel was packed last night and there appeared to be a lot of buzz from guests and visitors trying to catch a glimpse of Britney in the hotel. She plays <a href="http://www.americanairlinescenter.com/">American Airlines Center</a> tonight and the concert is almost sold out.<br /><p>I tried looking through all the windows I could (sans binoculars) but couldn't spot her. Apparently there have been a few spottings, of people caught in intimate moments, and with their windows open (for some reason) by local residents in my building. So let it be known, that if your windows are open there could always be someone watching...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0