LarryDallas

The part where people had to cross 4 lanes of traffic to get off on Westheimer if going north on 610 was a 100% success with that excellent single lane off ramp that gets you off of the main lanes before you cross over 59 and then dumps you right on the feeder before Westheimer. The major failure was in the ramp that takes you from 610 north going to 59 south. Before they reconstructed this area that area of 610 right in front of the Home Depot was famous for wrecks. I still see the area jammed up at all hours of the day during the work week. They did improve the access to go to 59 north but the 59 south ramp seems to be too narrow and sharp for large commercial trucks and SUVs to take at high speed. Even when the traffic is not heavy people slow down to 25-40 mph on that turn. They should have built an exit ramp like the ones they have at beltway 8 and 59 north where it is a very lazy and gradual curve with lots of shoulder room for people to feel more safe about not hitting the wall. This curve should have gone over the old existing 610 bridge that goes over 59. The exit for the ramp should have been at least a mile before the actual exit by raising a wall protected with crash barrel to keep people from jumping on the exit at the last second and causing more slowing. With that intersection being in the top 10 more busy and dangerous in the USA the sky should have been the limit on funding a good solution.

If the owners of the Centerette are in Mexico and refuse to clean up or sell the property why does the city not sieze it and sell it at auction because of the numerous code violations of things like junk cars littering the lot, junk school bus parking, no kind of control of who squats in the property, etc? I think the side that faces Cedarhurst can be home to some sort of business. No one would have figured a Discount Tire on that street would pop up and do so well. A doughnut shop or a pub where people in the area can come and socialize would be the best thing for that area. I do not mean like a night club that attracts crime but more like a place where regulars go to hang out for a few hours. The Exxon should just be demolished since traffic on Bellfort moves so fast no one would stop to fuel up there. That corner is best suited for a business that serves this community like a dry cleaners for example. The shops next to the AutoZone have the same problem of traffic moving by too fast. Maybe they should just demolish the everything but the Centerette sign and put an Applebees in there. I dunno. Westbury Square should be saved from demolition just because it is so unique and historic. I think the best idea with that is to do what they did to the Jefferson Davis Hospital near downtown. That place was in ruins for decades and they recently renovated it to house artists at a reasonable rent. We should do the same. If not artists then senior citizens or something. They could make use of the vast parking lot in the western end and construct more buildings that are much like the ones that once existed. Leave a few spaces open for light retail in the future if needed. Just do that and have some tax exempt entity be in charge of the whole thing so it does not end up a slum as do many properties run by for profit groups that just care about a buck.

I went back out today and shot some pics of the building that housed the Cargo Houston. You can also see the live theater that is still open. This is the area that faced the main fountain as seen in the postcards someone else posted. The Tuesday Morning signs are still there. I tried to look inside but the windows had bubbled tint all over them. This fountain must have been relocated since it was no where so near to the building in the old photos. Was this the fountain that used to be in the center? Also, was this the tile that has been there from day? Yet another sign from the city.

I'm gald you like the pics. Hey, and thanks for the info on what was where as well as the info on Cargo Houston. I wonder if any fixtures or even merchendise that was abandoned has been shuttered inside and is waiting for someone to discover it. I did see a "Tuesday Morning" sign in the lower floor of the curved grey building. I wonder who has the keys to the buildings. I'd sign any kind of legal waiver to be able to tour the inside of the buildings just to look around. What year would you say the square shut down? I know the hippies used to loiter in the piazza in the early 70s and that is when the downfall started. Did this whole structure sit idle from about 1980-1995 when Home Depot was built? They were fools to demolish any of it. BTW, how much of the square is left now? 40%? less?

Various shots of the area just to the left if you walk into the W. Belfort entry. There look to be more apartments here that are occuiped again. A few shots of the lamps on the W. Belfort side. Are there the ones that have always been here? They just demolished the building on the other side of W. Belfort during the last week of March 07. Note the construction equipment. This side faces the main W. Belfort entry to Home Depot. What used to be where the driveway is now located? All of the buildings have stairs that lead down to the driveway. The first photo is of the back side of the remaining strip. The last 2 are of the building that houses the live theater. 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.

Some of the apartments that face W. Belfort are occupied again. This fountain is right inside the front entry. This photo business looks nice. The main walkway that is left in the square. This must be one of the plant pots from the postcards. Signs; the first is from the city citing a code violation while the other is from some Bellair Social club that used to meet here. I looked in the windows and saw some old tables and chairs. Note all of the dishes; they have a few residents here these days; one of which stole a Home Depot cart (way to go!)

I finally got out there and shot photos today. These are really for the folks that lived in this area decades ago and moved away from Houston or are still in SE Texas but have not returned for a long time. Please do tell any trivia of info you know about stuff in the photos. Looking north on Chimney Rock at W. Belfort The old Centerette Sign Is that the one and only sign ever? When did that clock stop working? Various shots of the whole side that faces Cedarhurst. Was this the Utotem? I could not see inside with all of the blue contact paper on the glass. The laundry joint is still active. I went in once and I have a feeling the machines date back to the 1960s. The Exxon has been in ruins for over 5 years. The side facing W. Belfort has been empty for around 2 years. This is modern day Westbury Square. The live stage theater that was opened in 1978 is still well and alive. I had a chat with a guy that works there while I was taking these photos. He says attendance is pretty good considering they are such a small and independent place. I wanted interior shots but he said he might get in trouble for letting me in. Nice guy though....I think I will go to a show soon. A daycare that is located northeast of the corner of the Home Depot. Looking down the driveway towards the Home Depot next to the daycare. Did this always exist or did they build this new in 1995 when Home Depot came in? Looking north from that driveway. The parking lot is in ruins with many potholes and broken pavement. The W. Belfort side enterance. A few shots from the same side.

Excellent photos and information as always! My sister worked in the CVS for about 7 years as a high school and college student. Well, it was Eckerds when she started. Anyway, the store was really from a different time right up until CVS took it over. The Canadians gutted the place and brought in modern equipment and fixtures. The store closed in the 4th quarter of 06. She quit her job after she finished school in June of 06 and the store was open for a little while after that. From what she told me they had customers who had been going there since the mid 1960s and they were very sad to see the place go. I think that whole center has gotten worse since the only 99 cent store opened up. I used to know the guy that owned the independent smaller 99 cent store in that same mall. He went out of business a few months after the big one opened a few years ago. Meyerland Auto also packed up and left but a new car repair joint has opened up and they are doing well. I wish HEB was still there compared to how it is now. Was that car repair place right next to the Discount Tire always there? What used to be where Discount Tire sits now? That building does not look to be over 20 years old. Also, what was where the Priss Pet Inn is located? I had no idea the old drug store still has a fountain counter still inside of it. If my camera can see inside I will snap a few pics since I live a 2 minute drive away from the place. The Exxon closed in roughly about 2000-2001 and has been abandoned since. I don't think they even come and cut the weeds much. The strip mall next door had a baseball card shop in it for a few years but has been totally vacant for at least 2 years. What was located where the AutoZone sits? If anyone has photos of this place in the 50s 60s or 70s PLEASE scan and post them.

That sort of mentaliy is why KB, Royce, Beazer, etc....sell tons of homes when perfectly good existing ones are located much closer to town and are not cookie cutters built on the cheap with illegal labor and corrupt subsidies from the govt. at all levels in the form of taxpayer funded superhighways and smaller roads/bridges leading to the planned communities. The $3 gasoline and variable rate loans are killing most of the buyers who did not want to live near or have their kids go to school with the poor "blacks and mexicans". Oh, and this does not mean just whites have this sort of mentality. In my experience all races of people who have moved up in socioeconomic class tend to think this way. I could care less about this mentality. In fact, it has benefited me greatly in the past because I was able to buy a great house in Westbury where people take pride in their property and access to the city is a mere 5 minute drive to loop 610. My property taxes have stayed low because of the stigma attached to Westbury High School and the adjacent crime in nearby Hillcroft and Fondren. A 2200 sq ft house here goes for about $175K which is total BS since they were $97K back only in 1997 when I bought. If this was a place like Bellaire where people think there are no colored people the house would cost over $300K and I would be paying higher taxes just so I could write a fancy return address on all of my mailings; to hell with that.

I just read this thread for the first time today. This is shocking news. I have been to the River Oaks only a few times but went to the Bookstop on Alabama frequently as a kid. The thing that surprises me is how the long term residents of River Oaks (the ones in the multi-million dollar homes) who have money and power are not stepping in. These are the kind of people that can make one phone call and pretty much have the mayor and city council do what they want. So, either the people of River Oaks who loved the theater and have gone for decades are dead or apathetic. OR River Oaks itself has been over run with people who are not native or long term Houstonians who long for keeping connections to our past alive through buildings and places that have meaning and memories for them. On a side note I HATE modern theaters that try to simulate the art deco style with marble lobbies, phoney light scones, etc......DLP, surround sound, stadium seats, etc.....all meaningless. Technology can never trump style and class. This is like comparing a 59 Cadillac Eldorado Baritz to an 07 Cadillac XLR-V (the first over $100K Cadillac).

I remember the pup house. It was just a holding place until those criminals got old enough to be sent to a federal prison. How they put it right next to the library was odd. I guess they wanted to teach them to read. Speaking of library does Mr. Fendel still work there? That dude was so creepy looking.

Man I remember the stink bombs! They used to use them all of the time around 90-91. The girl fights I am clueless about. Ask your sister and post or have her join and tell the stories.

Edit: This was designed by Jones & Tabor Architects a long with Rezin D. Steele. I was in class of 93 there and I suppose I started this thread cause I read some great ones on other schools. It would be cool to find someone who went there at the time around me. Lanier was something else. The building was magnificent and historic; 1929 was when they built it. As a kid I was just overwhelmed by how big the school was. Anyway, what are your memories of the school and who are the standout teachers? The school used to be so segregated in terms of who came there to learn something and who came there to eat lunch and go to gym. The vangaurd program was not all that hard but just involved tons of busy work. I think I did more homework there than in all of high school and college combined. I do recall that they used to burglarize the lockers in the gym dressing rooms quite a bit. The juvenile criminals were so brazen they would do it out in the open with everyone watching. They are probably in adult prisons being sodomized each day these days so oh well. Of the teachers a few stand out in my mind after all of these years: Mr. Siros - I will remember this guy till the day I die. He taught theater arts on the 3rd floor in that room with college style seating and painted all black. Whenever he was losing an argument or the class got loud he would scream "hey" and everyone would shutup. When we were in other classes you could hear this guy screaming from down the hall and you knew he was going insane. Mr. Siegel - 7th grade English lit. He was dating the Spanish teacher Ms. Barazi from across the hall for a while but when she dumped him he decided to become gay overnight. The dude was really creepy and would talk about weird stuff like how rubbing oil on your body to tan is dangerous in the sun. WTF? Mr. Wilson - 8th grade reading This guy was AWESOME! His clothes were always ironed to perfection and he spoke so well meaning he varied sentance structure and used advance vocabulary at a middle school level. His professionalism rubbed off on his students and I am so glad I decided to take his class instead of a foreign language so I could take an extra year of gym in high school. Mrs. Klemm/Ms. Miller - she was the 6th grade math teacher that had all sorts of love life problems. I think she was divorcing her husband while we were in her class. Anyway, she had an obsession with alcohol bottles that squirt to clean the slides on overhead projectors. The immage of dry erase marker watered up is burned in my mind for life. Mr. Yeargin - 8th grade English Lit. ...this guy was way too sophisticated and polsihed to be an 8th grade teacher. I felt pity for the man cause the students never respected him. I suppose having been forced to read Charles Dickens and Bronte bothered the kids and I admit I did not like it at the time as well. I dunno, this guy seemed highly intelligent to me. Mr. Garret - 7th grade science....he was working on his masters to get to become a marine biologist so he did not care much about what we learned or did in class. Rice uinversity had built a science lab in Lanier and we were using email to talk to kids in the UK back in 1992 (a very high tech thing for 13 yrd olds at the time). The emails were just BS....not a hint of educational content...more along the lines of "Hi how are you?" "Fine and you?"......This guy used to give etra credit like crazy and make us hold it until grade cycles were ending. Then you took up the papers he signed and he added your points. He issued so much EC people ended up with 108 points on a 100 point scale. He always made sex jokes as well. Mr. Holliger - WORST teacher in the school. I understand he is still there. He went to UT and played basketball there until his knees went out. God this guy only taught chemistry and physics to the 2 kids in the room that got 100% of what he was saying. He would have these TAs work as slaves for him to write his notes and lessons.

This has got to be my fav. thead on HAIF! WOW...I love your stories and trivia. That photo of Westbury in 1960 was great. I can see my house in it. Having been a 10 yr resident of the area and being 28 I can say I love this place for the history that it here. It is just unfortunate that the area gets a bad reputation from the media coverage of the crime in the surrounding areas. The residential sections of the place really are not dangerous. I know most all of the neighbors on my block so we do not have a problem with vagrants having a run of the place. We love our guns as much as Westbury. Having see that photo makes me want to cry because this place should have been developed to be all residential with very light commercial along the major roads. The development of so many apartments along Gasmer and S. Willow is the cancer on this area. Westbury Square apts. and the townhomes of Arboles are still in great condition and have nice curb appeal. The apts. further south attract the crime and low life thugs that spray paint stuff, litter, steal, and kill. One kid got murdered in a driveby at Westbury High just last year. I wonder what the odds of that school ever being relocated are. It seems as if we bus in trouble from surrounding areas like Fondren and Hilcroft to the heart of Westbury with that school. Anyway, tell me more about Westbury Centerette. As long as I have been here (since 97) it has been a ghost town with only a laundry joint open in the whole thing. Since the Westbury square is only a 2 minute drive from my house I will go there this week and snap a ton of pics to post online. They just tore down the building that was across the street from the Home Depot sign on the south lanes of W. Belfort. Who knows what they will do to the Square? I'd better get photos while I can. Besides, people who have moved away from Houston and want to see what it looks like now can view them. BTW, for those away from town, did you know Harris county is putting in a major water detention/wetlands area right next to Westbury? Since the crime problem occured the stigma of the area has made it unattractive to developers so the county has bought up tons of land and is now constructing this thing. Read up about it. The second link shows a map of what it will look like when it is done after a few more years. http://www.wwgc.org/ http://www.projectbrays.org/maps/willowwaterhole.html

Please post any info you have on where HH lived in town, where his business empires where located, etc. I have recently read a few books on this guy and the things he accomplished were just amazing. I just wonder where exactly in Houston he lived, worked, went to lunch, etc... I'm guessing River Oaks Blvd. somewhere close to the country club is where he must have lived. Where was he in his later years when he went nuts, stopped bathing, urinated on the floor, no longer cut his hair and nails, ate candy bars and cake to where all of his teeth rotted out, and sat naked watching Ice Station Zebra over and over again? I've been to his grave in Glenwood Cemetary but would like to learn some trivia on the places in town he lived in.

My neighbor used to work odd jobs after she and her husband decided finances were getting very tight. She went into Westbury High as a sub. and quit after about 4 months on the job. She says the general attitude of the school is pretty much that the kids that go there will all end up in dead end low wage jobs so why even try to achieve something and contemplate post-graduation programs. She was what I'd call a very liberal optimist yet this is what she told me. The apartments that surround the school are part of the problem because they kind of give a visual que as to the area being bad and therefore since you are in it you are also bad when it may not be the case. Positive things happend to positive thinkers so I'd say the whole culture of the school needs to be changed. The soultion may be to break up the populations of 2 or 3 high schools and mix the kids up so being zoned to a school does not automatically place you in one. I know the Bellaire people would be furiuos at such an idea but I think it is unfair that they get so much recognition, the best staff, and all of the good students in such concentration. I attended Lanier Middle School and this was a classic example of how to do it. We had everyone there from kids that wanted to go to MIT to kids that just came to school to eat a lunch. There was also a great balance of the artistic kids and the more science types. There were minor gang type problems and one stupid kid that was obsessed with fire would light up toilet paper and throw it in the bowls to set off fire alarms. They never caught him. Anyway, there as reasonable isolation between the intellects and stupid kids because aside from gym and electives they never had the same classes. They did interact in groups like choir, band, sports teams, etc. I think this was a great thing because each learned there is more to life than just the side they were on. The rich kids vs. poor kids, smart vs. stupid, etc....it just made you more aware of things. To this day I'd say some really bad kids still go there yet it is a very presitgious school in Houston. The same can be done with Westbury high. Instead of having 2 really bad school and 1 great one it would make more sense to have 3 moderate to good ones. Besdies, if the Bellaire kids/parents don't like it they can always buy their way into private schools of their choice. Have you seen what some of the teenage kids are driving out there? Lexus, hummer, BMW, etc....they are not strapped for cash.

Why it is that in this town areas go from good to bad so quickly does not havea simple answer but you touched on a great point when you said the city lacks zoning. I'd say lack of zoning and just depending on developers to have deed restrictions do the trick while city ordinance(s) also factor in is a major problem. I live in Westbury so I can give the classic example of the Home Depot that came here in the mid 90s. Such a store has no business being located in the center of a major residential area. All sorts of trafffic that would not normally come into the area does so because of the store. Mega big box stores like that belong on feeders next to major highways. The 610 and westpark location is the way it should be done. But hey I've posted about that on HAIF before so enough of that. A major reason for decline of otherwise good areas are high concentractions of apartment complex built in the area. The rental market has been very tight ever since loans got cheap and credit checks for buying a home became very lax. Desparate landlords have been just taking anyone with a pulse in many cases. Many of the older properties that can not get people who would want to live in a newer better place often break the rules and lease to illegal immigrants, allow too many people to occupy the units, or look the other way when renters break rules by doing stuff like drinking on property. There is a very slippery slope when it comes to that sort of thing. I've worked in the industry for 9 years and seen that a property can go to hell very fast. If one person gets away with something then you can could on everyone who wants to do the same doing just that. When you survey an area to rent or buy a home always drive about 3 miles in each direction to check out what sorts of business is set up around the area. If you see pawn shops, hard liquor stores, smoke shops, porn emporiums, etc....do not expect it to be a good area. There are a few odd exceptions in Houston. One that stands out is a pawn shop on Bissonett just outside of loop 610 before you get to S. Rice. That is an excellent area. Another infamous area is known as the "Gulfton Ghetto". This was at its inception a nice place to live for working class people who wanted a safe, quiet, and clean place to live. These days there is a lot of gang activity, drug traffic, and the like over there. Sadly, it has destroyed home values in the area which is like a 5-10 minute drive from the Galleria. If that area were to be cleaned up I'd say a 2000 sq ft home would sell for around $350K easy. Read up on it on this guy's web page: http://www.texasfreeway.com/houston/photos...n_history.shtml

A bit off topic, but not much since we are still talking grocery stores....anyone know the story of Sellers Bros.? Who owns it and how long has it been around? I had never been to one of them until last month and I was pleasantly surprised. I went to the one at Stella Link and S. Braeswood. The store size is not like an HEB warehouse where you walk a 1/4 mile to get frozen goods on the other side of the store. The thing of most note was how many employees were on the sales floor. In produce there were 3 guys working. I saw 2 others in other aeras. Considering the fact that the total sq. footage of the store is probably around 10,000 this was amazing. I don't usually do the shopping in my house so I don't know what prices were like compared to other stores. Overall it was good and a nice throwback to the days when stores were a sane size.

I disagree when it is compared to Brazoria county. The towns in Brazoria county are sleepers when compared to what Galveston county has. Galveston county has a very high concentration of wealth in a smaller area whereas Brazoria has less in a more spread setup. If you are thinking Harris county vs Galvetson county then yeah. Anyway, a drive to Braziora county is about 30 minutes from the town of Galveston itself. Braziora would rightfully deserve to host the new park since they don't have that sort of stuff there and the attractions, traffic, wealth, etc...should be spread...it just makes sense. If a Gulf Coast side loaction with a view of the water from the roller coasters was an absoulte requirement there are miles and miles of undeveloped land around Freeport. Small towns like Clute would prosper greatly and more small business would be lured there. When Houstonians want to just go to the beach and have a nice dinner they would usually pick Galveston over Freeport simply because Freeport lacks as many places to go to have a good time after the beach. Build up Freeport a bit and give them the tourist $$$$'s as well as reduce the congestion in one area.

I'm against a park in Galveston because they already have the new water park set to open next summer and a relatively new Moody Gardens. Galveston is very much a historic town in itself and all of this new development and modrenization of things chips away at the character of the city. It's not likley to occur but say property down there got so hot after Disney opened a huge park that they decided to demolish Bishop's Palace or relocate the Braodway cemetary to make way for strip malls with more Subway and McDonalds. Towns like that are best left as little modified as possible. They have their summer time beach/water activity niche and cater to history buffs with their rail museum and classic buildings open for tourists. With a theme park down there it would just be a zoo. Besides, we all know Galveston's city govt. have been making a killing in revenue from all of the new investment down there. Yet, they want to do stuff like put parking meters on the seawall. It's not a huge deal to drop a few quarters in the meter to park but the principle of the thing and the greed they have is what is low. Galveston county is well to do. I would love to see Brazoria County get it.

The Meyerpark area is in such decine because of the apartments on S. Post Oak past S. Willow and the slums that are right next to Westbury High on Gasmer and on Chimney Rock. The landlords don't seem to care about anything but making a buck so they probably lease to anyone with a pulse. Criminal history, imigration status, credit check are probably not done there. In fact, I know many people who work in the apartment industry and in that area the city of Houston is leasing vacant units for 6 months and Reliant is throwing in 3 months of free power. The people in city shelters due to Katrina will be housed there and since the city is the leaseholder they can pretty much assign people to units as they see fit. Only if a person has a fellony can the apartment community have any input to stopping them. I know a manager of some apartments in Westbury and she is very disturbed by this news. Small time crooks and people who are drug/alcohol addicts will be given a total pass. She says even if you smell weed on the person in question they can't do a thing unless he/she has a felony. Meyerpark will further decline. About 10 years ago it used to be a great place but just last year an old Lady was shot and killed in the Randalls parking lot during a robbery. The Walmart greatly contributed to the decline of the center. It attracts riff raffs like bees are drawn to honey.

Ideally, Tilman and Mcnair would team up to buy Astroworld and keep it closed from Nov.- next summer to make extensive repairs. McNair can flex a lot of muscle with Harris county officials and one phone call from him to the right people can solve the parking rights problem Six Flags was having. See my other posts in the "memories of Astroworld" thread in this "other Houston" sub-section to get why I think Harris county is run by total dumbazzes when it comes to things like fighting business owners that generate income for Harris county in both tax and parking fees. Anyway, Tilman has the knowledge base in this industry with projects like his downtown aquarium and food empire. McNair can pretty much have anyone he wants killed or fired with one phone call in that area near Reliant Stadium. Working together they can save the Historic park. As I said in the thread there, we have had over 1/4 of a million people come to this region due to Katrina. Granted, a theme park visit is not on their minds now just 2 weeks after the storm but as they settle into a life here in SE Texas they will do touristy things and explore the city. Summer of 06 would see a significant %age of new to Houston area patrons IMHO. Ticket prices should also be adjusted to sell in volume rather than at a premium. To prevent overcrowding they would have to come up with a solution like selling only off site at ticketmaster locations so a max cap. on how many people can go in one day is set. At $41.99(adult) and $24.99(kid over 4 ft tall) it's kinda high for just one day for a typical middle class or lower income family with 2-5 kids. I am not in that industry but cutting prices by at least 15% would boost business. A Tilman/McNair team would be ideal but I would not hold my breath. If as it seems the park is gutted and leveled the people who build the next one (if we ever get one) should NOT BUILD IT IN HARRIS COUNTY. There is just too much politics and dirty playing when it comes to doing business here. They need to go down 288 right outside the beltway and build that park right where the Brazoria county line starts. Ft. Bend and Montgomery are both wealthy counties by comparison. Brazoria would get a big time boost from this and unlike our officials theirs probably have the sense not to bite the hand that feeds them. I'd like to see Busch be the builder. Disney is sort of the Walmart of the theme park industry meaning that they come in as a nice guy but once they start to get the money get the money get the money they impose their corporate culture on the community and destory everything that is bad for them. I'd hate for Disney to build a park down on 288 in 07 and then start up a town like Celebration, FL further south. By the time 2015 came homes in the new town would be worth like $800K for a 3 bdrm and the land surrounding the area would get so hot they would start throwing people who lived in the old houses prior to the new town out because they can't afford to pay the taxes. A park should be only a park and have control of their grounds to do as they wish on them. They should not pose a danger to the surrounding communities.

I would like to see Half Price Books open a location in Meyerland. The closest one to there is the one in Rice Village that has a parking problem if you go on weekends or during peak lunch and after work hours. BTW, anyone the history of the building the half Price Books is in at the Rice Village location? I love it when old buildings are saved like that. The Book Stop on Alabama is a classic example. They managed to save that theater structure and the sign out front which is a Houston icon. Meyerland does not offer a historic building to a used book store but it does have tons of customers who would stop in when at the location and probably buy something. These people would not otherwise get in the car (With $3 gas) and go to the village to just browse. I've seen how 1/2 price books tends to lease in areas that have either high income, education, cultural areas, or high traffic areas and a combination thereof. It's time they came to Meyerland to tap the market in that area and surrounding communities like Westbury and Bellaire. This would be bad for Borders but hey they had a good run. When Service Merchandise closed I was hopeful that Sears would move in and shut down the Westwood Mall store. I sometimes have to go there to buy tools and it's very creep in westwood. Sears is the only store there so there is little traffic in the lot. They would in no way be allowed to have an auto Center in Meyerland so that may have been the problem. They could have gone to the space MARS left next to Lowes a few years ago where the Hobby Lobby is by. A Sears with a full line of Craftsman stuff over there in a safe and clean area would be awesome!

I'm 26 and been a Houstonian 25.5 of the 26 yrs so the Kiddie's Wonderland, Fame City, Hanna Barbera, and this one place next to Sharpstwon Mall where the Federated store used to be resonate with me. Kiddie's was a real cool place now that I think back on it. I think they stayed around until 1990ish which is a big deal when you consider the Target and Al's Formal across the street were so modern compared to them. The property value was insanely high even back in those days for such a small independent business. I can recall you could pick between a slwo, fast, or medium speed pony. I once got a slow and he stopped on the track and started chewing the rails that kept them on their way. They also had a small train that used to take you around their lot and a carrosel that would hold 10-15 people at a time. The people that worked there were really nice folks. There was an old lady that handled the tickets and such while this jolly guy in overalls tended to the pony track. I loved that place and have fond memories. The Kroger that came there used to be about 1/2 a block up Kirby in the next strip mall. When Albertsons left they took over the newly built building. Kiddies was gold. Hanna Barbera I went to only once with a childhood friend and his family. I can recall that the tickets were very cheap yet it was very impressive (well I was like 10 I think). They had a nice water slide you could do on a small raft. Fame City I can recall being too geared toward the arcade games which I was never into. Even as a kid I used to be like "why waste my money a bit at a time to play that and start back at level 1 when I finish a game" The idea of buying a home game system seemed to make more sense. Um, not to mom and dad though cause nintendo used to cost about a hundred bucks and a game was about 50 (a lot of money in the 1980s). The place that used to be near Sharpstown we went to around 1989ish with some friends. His mom had just bought a new 1990 Camry and we thought it was the coolest car in the world casue the radio had a digital tuner and it had motorized seatbelts. Anyway, the place was awesome! It had bumper cars, a pit of those plastic ball things with cargo nets to climb, mini-golf, and some other stuff I can't clearly recall. Playland and Peppermint Park I had never heard of since they were before my time. Very cool stuff.

Thanks for sharing those photos. I've probably got some from the mid 80s when I was a kid somewhere in the closet. I don't even know you or the people in the photos but it's depressing to see people having such a good time there and how it will all come to an end soon and needlessly. The dome area looks so peaceful in that photo. I long for 610 to have traffic at those levels these days. ha...it's more crowded than that even at 3 am on Sunday. The county govt. is totally out of control IMHO. They are just plain greedy and want to have development so they can get their cut in increased tax revenues. Six Flags added multi-million dollar rides to AstroWorld right up until 2003. This parking issue law suit was filed early in 05 so I'd speculate some sort of negotiations were taking place in 04 and things got so bad no new investments were made to the park. There is no proof of this but perhaps the county was giving them a hard time and harassing them with several inspections, fines, and red tape on mundane issues in a hope to drive them out of Houston and mainly off of that prime land. If such a thing occured we will never know. That's all just speculation and a possibility but the bottom line is that this park is Houston History. It just makes me nuts how places like downtown are revitalized to preserve our history but a place like AstroWorld that generations of Houstonians love and have memories of are eliminated. WTF? The county should have done everything in its power to help keep the park running. Hey, they got their parking revenues for decades so why are they so hostile and non-cooperative? The county could have even given them a subsidy in the form of a tax break or perhaps a %age of the parking $$$ to help them in the lean years if needed. Remember that we just had about a quarter million people move to this region due to Katrina. Here in the early stages of relocation a theme park is the last thing on those peoples' minds. But hey, by next summer they would have been settled in somewhat and explored the city. Astroworld would have no doubt in my mind seen many patrons who are new to Houston in summer of 06 had they stayed around. It's just sad how no one has appreciation and respect for historic stuff. The county just things of these things as "aged, old, or outdated". A bit off topic but I thought building the Reliant Stadium next to the dome was sheer stupidity. This sort of planning puts the dome at great risk for demolition. God help us if we tear down that keystone iconic houston landmark.