silverartfox

I went to Stonewall Jackson Junior High School in the early 1950's! My family lived a couple of blocks away on Oakland Street. "Yea, orange! "Yea, white! Yeaaaaaaaaa, Jackson! FIGHT-FIGHT-FIGHT!!!! It's absolutely amazing when one gets up in age and can remember a junior high school football cheer but not the required passwords to access computer programs, accounts, etc.! Jackson had a front entry porch with archways and a short flight of shallow steps. After school and during the summer, my neighborhood buddies and I used to ride our bikes over to the school just so we could have the thrill of riding them down those steps! Of course, it helped that our bicycles in those days had welded frames, heavier wheels and fat balloon tires. I wish I had my dear old J.C. Higgins single-speed, coaster brake bicycle today - it would be quite a relic!

So from the curvature of the building the center crown jewel of the square sat right where the Home Depot lumber dept down sits? I was not yet born when the Square had her glory days but this was very depressing. I wish I had gotten a chance to see the place before Home Depot came in. That curved building faced a large fountain in the central courtyard of the Westbury Square complex. The building was home to Cargo Houston, one of the Square's main tenants. It was a large store filled with an eclectic assortment of imported home accessories, housewares, gift wrap, scarves, costume jewelry - well-made and well-designed - at reasonable prices. Its owners traveled the world and personally selected the merchandise. They also owned The Candle Shop in Westbury Square where hand-dipped candles were made while you watched; and Faroy, a separate company that produced scented candles, stationery and decorative items. Friends of mine were associated with these businesses and I visited the Square often. Sadly, since Cargo Houston closed, there hasn't been a store in Houston to compare - it was unique. Cost Plus World Market runs a poor second...

Many of those handsome old houses in Houston were of wood or brick veneer construction. It would take just a few years of neglect in our humid Gulf Coast climate for termites and rot to take their toll. Cities with intact late 19th century neighborhoods frequently have more houses constructed of stone or solid brick, or at least a climate that is less harsh on wood structures. At the end of WWII there were quite a few wonderful old residences still standing in Midtown and adjacent neighborhoods. They had suffered from deferred maintenance during the Great Depression and the war and were demolished in the 1950's-60's. On the whole, Houston residents have scant respect for the history of their city. Therefore, any interest in preserving our architectural heritage is slight. As a native Houstonian, I can only hope that this situation will improve. When it comes to residential neighborhoods in Houston, the motto has always been "Newer is Better".

To the best of my recollection, the Witch's Hat House used to be the location of the Hallie Prichard Dance School, a popular place to study tap, ballet, etc., in the 1950's-1960's. Someone with an old city directory may have more accurate information.

On another thread, someone mentioned that people living near train tracks get used to the sound of the trains at night. Well, it's just the same with the rooster crowing - after awhile, you tune it out. One thing I've noticed about Broadmoor is the large number of wild birds and butterflies we have here year 'round. For some delightful reason, a mockingbird had claimed my front yard as his private territory. He's quite tame, sitting within six feet of my porch while I'm out there and singing for all he's worth. A flock of whitewing doves has also taken up residence there. And those seagulls in the Gulfgate HEB parking lot - is it that near the ship channel?

From your description, this sounds like Mrs. Greenspan (don't know the rest of her name). She also shopped at Lord and Taylor when I worked there. Classic chic, not trendy.

It would be a shame to lose that particular Office Depot. Every time I've been in there it's been busy. The only other office supply store in this general area that I'm aware of is the one on Telephone Road. It gets my vote as the least customer-friendly store in the East End. The one - and might I say the final - time I went in there, the sourpuss saleswoman was extremely rude to a group of men who were speaking among themselves in an East Indian or Pakistani language; they were obviously trying to find some file folders of a particular type. As a second-generation American living in a culturally diverse community, I deeply resented her attitude and left without buying anything.

There was a pretty good sized Barney's near Neiman-Marcus in Galleria I several years ago. Somehow, Houstonians didn't take to it, so it closed. Bloomies would probably do quite well in The Galleria.

I shop at the HEB Gulfgate store about twice a week and have never had that type of experience! One of the managers there told me that, for each HEB store, the assortment of merchandise is determined by the socioeconomic level of the neighborhood in which it's located as well as the area's ethnicity. What I really miss in the Gulfgate store is a decent assortment of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (it's merchandised by the B&J rep who has not responded to management's requests) and those greenhouse-grown English cucumbers. What I like is finding corn tortillas made without preservatives and an in-house Dollar Store aisle.

As one who is possibly the most senior contributor to this forum I'm tossing out these names which might have been mentioned previously in some old thread... Valian's Pizza - which I believe was on Main near the old Shamrock Hotel. THE place to go after a UH home football game in the 1950's and one of the first pizza places in Houston. Bud Bigelow's - a steakhouse "way out" on Westheimer, possibly near Hillcroft. Weldon's Cafeteria on Main - a rather upscale cafeteria in a Mod-looking brick building near the present Museum District. I think that the building is still there but may have had the facade altered.