Leftofcenter

Being born and raised in a small midwestern town, as a gay man I left for Dallas as soon as I graduated college and a job transfer would bring me to Houston. I lived in Montrose from 1989 to 1997. Those were the best years of my life. The culture was phenomenal, I liked how the hippies blended in with the gays and nobody gave a crap if you were a purple alien or a normal person. It just didn`t matter. Montrose had it`s seedy side but it was also chic. It was a place where you could be anyone you wanted to be and live in no fear. I know that the AIDS scare in the 80`s took it`s toll on Montrose, but it quickly recovered. I still have a few friends in Montrose, and every time I visit, I get a pain in my stomach. The gay culture just disappeared. Sure, there are a few establishments left, but the majority of it was taken over by developers for yuppies working in downtown Houston. It`s called Montrose AND Midtown now. I hardly recognize anything anymore. It`s sad as these streets were my stomping grounds. So many memories. My old apartment on Dunlavy is an antique store now. All I have a left are the many memories of cruising, meeting new friends, having the time of my life. It`s all I have and man, do I cherish those years in Montrose. I blossomed in this place and it hits me hard when I think of those best years of my life. RIP Montrose.