Beyond the Arrow:
A Photo Essay Toward a Houston Panorama (2022)
by Edward Santos Garza
Part 2 of 3
pylon project series
“July 27, 2021”
Latino Washateria
7610 Office City Dr. #A
Houston, TX 77012
When I was a child, I thought that “washateria” was a universal word for this kind of business. Sure, I had heard “laundromat” uttered by characters in sitcoms set in New York City, but I assumed that to any Latinx person in the U.S., this kind of business would be a washateria. "Lavanderia” sounded too formal to my Texan ears.
Lo and behold, “washateria” has turned out to be a rather Tejanx term in my life (though I am sure that many Latinx folks outside Texas use it, too). At Latino Washateria, the pink/lavender color in this corner looks even more serene in person, and I like how the carts shine in the setting sun. Elsewhere, the washateria includes a small clothing business, a cell-phone store, a pool table, several televisions, and a disco ball that hangs above the smaller washing machines.
“August 1, 2021”
Rey De Los Tacos
10110 Kleckley Dr.
Houston, TX 77075
This is me eagerly yet patiently waiting for tacos outside one of my favorite trucks on the southeast side. I like when taco trucks have a metallic back door or locker with this diamond pattern. Aside from the aesthetics, I imagine that the shiny metal helps keep the truck from getting rear-ended on the road. Also of note is that a few blocks away on the same street, there is a restaurant named Rey del Pollo. The two kingdoms have prospered in peace.
“August 6, 2021”
Windmill Post Office
9898 Almeda Genoa Rd.
Houston, TX 77075
Be it through heat, humidity, or severe winds, Houston loves to ruin windows. In the case of this post office, heat and humidity have resulted in cloudy deposits. Though these deposits “ruin” the look or function of a window, I cherish their ethereal quality. They make a window resemble a ceramic tile or the cover of The Cure’s album Disintegration. It seems like most public buildings in Houston end up with this kind of glassy mosaic eventually. (Oh, and despite this post office’s name, it lacks an actual windmill on its premises. Disappointing, I know.)
“January 17, 2022”
American Freight Appliance, Furniture & Mattress Store
(formerly Sears Outlet)
5901 Griggs Rd.
Houston, TX 77023
One evening, my mom and I walked inside this store to look for a sofa for her living room, as well as a small table. This loading station was located somewhat close to the showroom. After browsing for an hour or so, my mom and I left feeling disappointed by the quality of the options and the insulting prices. We expected to consider faux-leather sofas, sure, but the ones inside were crummy even by that standard, and most of the tables seemed to be made of cheap laminate and a lot of particle wood. The inventory was the furniture equivalent of fast fashion and a comparable shame. We eventually found a well-made sofa and table for less money at a resale shop.
This building itself is old and humongous. While it is only a few stories tall, it is long, with the overall footprint of what you would expect from a school. According to the real-estate website CommercialCafe, which includes pics of the whole structure (link 5), this building was constructed in 1956, almost ten years before the Astrodome hosted its first baseball game.
Edward Santos Garza has published essays in the Houston Chronicle, Texas Books in Review, and enculturation, among other venues. A graduate of the University of Houston and Texas State University, he has taught humanities courses at various institutions, most recently Houston Community College. He can be followed on Instagram and Twitter at edwardsgarza.