What Did Your Neighborhood Look Like

[Houston born and raised]

Old picture of Westbury Square:

Houston-born-and-raised is that you playing by the fountain? 

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If that little boy was a little girl it could have been! I'll have to find that photo and post it.

[57Tbird]

I grew up in SW Houston around Main (90) and Hillcroft.  There was a Safeway and a Woolco there and a bank.  Just over the RR tracks was a Burger King that I started working at when I was 16.  Next door was a Pizza Inn.  All of that is long gone now.  There was an old move theater in Sugar Land on 90 that we used to go to as teenagers.  Sugar Land was out in the middle of nowhere then.  I remember taking a field trip to the sugar factory in elementary school.  I graduated from Missouri City Jr High (I think it's called Missouri City Middle School now).

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We bought a house in Westbury in 1961 a few blocks north of South Main between Chimney Rock and Hillcroft. Westbury Square was not there yet. We had to go to Bellaire for groceries. About a year later a Weingarten's was built where I guess Home Depot is now. We were glad to see that. I think Westbury Square followed shortly. I'm not sure, but WS may have started before the Weingarten's was built. We enrolled our son in a pre-kindergarten class that was in Westbury Square in 1965. There was a private club in WS, that we joined, called the Colony Club. For something like $10 a year dues, you could go there and have a legal cocktail.

Houston B&R... You say you went to Mo. City Jr High. How did you swing that if you lived in Houston? Sounds like you lived not far from us in Westbury. We got to hear the roar of the cars racing at Meyer Speedway every Saturday night. Sounded like they were next door. We moved to Mo.City in 1968, and our daughter went to Mo City JH from 1976 until 1978, when we moved. You might have been there about the same time. Did you live in Mo. City?

[Houston born and raised]

Houston B&R...  You say you went to Mo. City Jr High.  How did you swing that if you lived in Houston?  Sounds like you lived not far from us in Westbury.  We got to hear the roar of the cars racing at Meyer Speedway every Saturday night.  Sounded like they were next door.  We moved to Mo.City in 1968, and our daughter went to Mo City JH from 1976 until 1978, when we moved.  You might have been there about the same time.  Did you live in Mo. City?

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In 1971, my parents moved to the Briargate subdivision right off of Hillcroft south of 90 (where it dead-ended at that time) which was actually in Missouri City I believe. I went to Blueridge Elem and then to Mo City Jr High from 1977-1979, and then on to Willowridge HS. I remember Meyer Speedway. My dad took us there a couple of times.

[Subdude]

What I really like about Fuermann is that he really loves his city, but not in an overhyped, chamber-of-commerce kind of way.  He's not uncritical of certain aspects.  I have ... The Feast Years as well.  And

Houston: Land of the Big Rich (1951).  There are some illustrations but no photographs.  It's part historical, part overview of booming, post-WWII Houston.  If you like Fuermann, you'll like it.

The Face of Houston (1963).  Along with Fuermann's impressions of Houston (during what must have been a very exciting time), this book features a lot of interesting photographs by Owen Johnson.  There's a list of Fuermann's other books at the front.  I don't have Reluctant Empire (1957), though I'd be curious to get my hands on a copy.

Thank you! I just ordered "The Face of Houston".

[lowspark]

For instance does anyonwe remember Jumbo Grocercy Stores. 

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I'm a little bit late in responding to this but I only recently found this great website! I'm going to respond to the posts in this thread that jog memories for me.

I was born in Houston in 1960 and have lived in SW Houston pretty much my whole life (plus a couple of years in Mo. City and Sugar Land which are almost SW Houston!

I do remember Jumbo grocery store on Fondren at S. Braeswood. My mother used to shop there during the 70s. That southwest corner is a doomed location because a few grocery stores managed to bite the dust there, and across the street on the southeast corner, an Albertsons lasted a couple of years.

[lowspark]

Does anyone remember Westbury Square?  I always wondered what that place was like.

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I grew up just about a mile from Westbury square and have a vague memory of going to the grand opening. It's too bad that it's now a Home Depot, but it hung on for quite a few years past the time when it was actually doing a reasonable amount of business. It then stood mostly empty and deteriorating for a few years.

In addition to the stores mentioned before, The Gay Dot (which later became the Pink Giraffe) was a Hallmark or Hallmark-like store.

The Company On Stage still has a presence there and puts on live theatre on par with other neighborhood theatres in Houston.

As a kid I remember thinking it was so strange that people lived in apartments above the shops! I guess that's very European but I've never seen it anywhere else in Houston!

[lowspark]

my neighborhood looks the same (probably worse) I lived in Fondren Southwest. My mom said it was nice when they moved in and as I grew up it got worse. I lived in a house but near me were apartments where there was alot of crime going on and drugs. They tore down a gas station and put up a temporary church or something I think is all that changed.

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I remember when Fondren Southwest was new. The houses were contemporary style and very high $$. It was considered very chi-chi. But it went downhill pretty fast, mainly because they surrounded all the houses with mega apartment complexes which brought property values down fast. That's the hazard of Houston's no-zoning policy, I guess!

[lowspark]

... Does anyone remember the old carousel clock that was in the middle of the mall?!  It had the six flags of Texas on the top and would play music and little doors would open to show different scenes from Texas as it turned around.  It was very cool.  I read somewhere it was a glockenspiel.  Sharpstown Glockenspiel

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Thank you for posting that picture of the Sharpstown Clock! My father worked in Sharpstown mall, and I hung out there quite a bit as a kid. There was a lot of excitement when that clock was installed -- the motive was that it would bring a lot of people into the mall to see the clock and of course they would shop! People did crowd around to watch when it was brand new.

Problem was, it only worked properly for a very short time -- maybe a year or two. After that the doors quit opening and all it did was play music on the hour, which everyone pretty much ignored. So it stood, out of repair, for years before they finally got rid of it. It was a cute novelty but I'm guessing they never got their money's worth out of it.

[Diane]

The weather globe was advertised on TV and radio, and there was a jingle that went with the ad explaining what the colors meant.

Does anyone recall the words to the jingle?

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I do!

Red light, warmer weather,

White light, cooler weather,

Green light, no change in view,

Blinking light, rain is due.

I can remember standing in my front yard which was miles from downtown, out off of Holmes Rd. & checking the weather prediction on the "weather globe."

[Heights2Bastrop]

I can remember standing in my front yard which was miles from downtown, out off of Holmes Rd. & checking the weather prediction on the "weather globe."

That was before the invention of the weather rock, wasn't it?

One of my favorite places growing up was at the corner of Shepherd and W 12th - an icehouse called Birdie

[JColle1975]

I grew up around the Galleria area, and I am 30 so my memories aren't ancient either, but I remember a feild I played soccer on surrounded by some big old oak trees at Sage and San Felipe next to St Michaels Church. Across San Felipe was a U Totem store and a billards store. And when Grady was only offices before it was reopened as a school.

I remeber down on Woodway next to Saint Martins church there were woods that a friends and I built forts and would ride trail through the woods. Now all that area is town homes and parking lots.

I also remember when Westimer and 6 was 'way out there' even 12 years ago. Houston has really grown since I moved and it is really weird taking my son back home with me and seeing how much things have changed.

One thing that seems to have stayed the same and will nevr change... The roads and freeways of Houston will never be 'finished'...

[JColle1975]

Kaphans.... man that brings back some memories. I remeber eatting there too. Remember eatting there a couple of time with my grandparents and mom before my grandfather and I went to an Astros game (back when they wore the orange striped uniforms). Seemed the place to go for special occasions. I think the last time I ate there was on mother's day when I was 12 or 13...

Anyone remember the Confederate House or is it even still open?

What about the Circus (I think that was the name) on Westimer in behind Mama's Cafe where Papadeaux is now?

[lowspark]

Anyone remember the Confederate House or is it even still open?

What about the Circus (I think that was the name) on Westimer in behind Mama's Cafe where Papadeaux is now?

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The Confederate House is now the State Grill. Here's a restaurant review that gives a brief history of the restaurant & name change.

Circus was owned by the Pappas family who owns Pappadeaux, Pappasitos, etc. I mentioned this in another thread, but I remember Circus & Strawberry Patch which was further in on Westheimer. They were both very good. Strawberry patch served wonderful blueberry/strawberry muffins and you could get a Flower Pot of Salad which was a large salad in a glass (plastic?) planter shapped bowl with the dressings on the side, to be shared by the whole table. I don't know why the Pappas replaced these two restaurants as I remember them both being pretty busy all the time.

[matt24]

I remember a really good steakhouse off of 1960 called "Texas Tumbleweed". My parents used to take us there in the early 80's. I also remember a decent mexican rest. called "Monterey House".

Anyone else remember these?

[brucesw]

I remember a really good steakhouse off of 1960 called "Texas Tumbleweed".  My parents used to take us there in the early 80's.  I also remember a decent mexican rest. called "Monterey House".

Anyone else remember these?

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Texas Tumbleweed was a chain of about 10 or 12 at one time, went bankrupt ca. 1984 for some reason. Pecos Grill, up around Ella and 20th, is a remnant of the chain still doing steaks that way (mesquite grilled), I think.

[brucesw]

There is still a Beldens near Meyerland.  Is that store still the same.

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Yes. For many years at W. Bellfort and So. Post Oak, I believe. Kroger bought them out and put in a Kroger Signature store; Belden's moved to N. Braeswood and Hillcroft and rebuilt, using that same pink exterior. Very nice store, very nice people. Kind of a small Rice Epicurean. There's a very good ice cream shop in that center, too, Sugar Mountain, I think.

[brucesw]

Yes, we had relatives that lived in Westbury and would go when we visited.  It was great.  All those run down apartments/townhomes along Bellefort were clean and nice.  The main walk had a bunch of craft type stores, one sold hand made candles, things like that.  The main square had an ice-cream shop that as a kid, I thought was the end all-be all. There were several high end antique shops, a chinese restaurant, and a fancy men's clothing store on the section that faced the parking lot where Home Depot now sits.  At least I think that was what was there.  It had a sort of six-flags-does-a-European-village feel to it.  But it was busy, and clean, and had apartments above the shops.  it was kind of a wierd hybrid of a pedestrian friendly faux-urban set up, in the middle of a suburban car culture parking lot.  It is a shame it was lost in the 80's bust and now cannot be reclaimed.  It helped give Westbury a lot of character.

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The fancy men's store was Cromwell's. Very nice gentlemen. When WSq started going down hill, they moved over on Beechnut at Hillcroft for many years but they're gone now.

WSq succumbed to the suburban car culture -- it wasn't close enough to any freeway to be convenient to Houstonians who didn't live nearby, plus it was open air. Most people prefer to shop til they drop in air conditioned comfort. Same thing worked against the original Meyerland Plaza. Funny now that the a/c malls like Sharpstown are going down hill and the re-developed Meyerland is booming.

[brucesw]

remnants remain.

wasn't sonny looks just inside 610 on main?

[brucesw]

Found a picture and caption about it:

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Originally the Continental Oil Co. building, I think (Conoco). Anywhere you lived in Houston, you could see the weather ball! Houston was a lot smaller then.

On the ground floor was Shudde Bros., a men's clothier and hat store. I went in there once as a pipe smoking college student wanting to buy a bowler or a derby; they had them but they were outta my price range.

There was also a bank on the ground floor, I think.

At that time also there was the big orange disk on top of the Gulf Building.

Okay, who's going to be first to come up with a picture of that?

[Aland11223]

Regarding Westbury Square, I just visted there today! After many years ago, today was the first time I stepped foot back on it. There's a coffee shop and a cigar shop side by side. I remember when I was a child, I won 1st place in their Halloween costume contest. I dressed up as a home made robot and today I still have the trophy! I also remember that the owners in their stores would pass out candy to the kids on those nights.

I'm 26 years old and walking back there truly brings back some memories. If I can I will snap a photo of the trophy and let you all see. I've been here in Houston all my life, plus a grad, class of 98 from Westbury High school, plus a student of Welch Middle school and farther back a student at Andy Anderson Elem.

Would anyone have old photos of the costume parties from Westbury Square?

[FIngers5]

I remember a really good steakhouse off of 1960 called "Texas Tumbleweed".  My parents used to take us there in the early 80's.  I also remember a decent mexican rest. called "Monterey House".

Anyone else remember these?

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Texas Tumbleweed - I remember going there pretty regular, but it was a different location, but I remember Monterey House more - Specifically the candy that was mixed in with the chips - Almost pure sugar in a wax paper "bag"

[icepickphil]

I lived in Tanglewood when the Galleria was built in '69. People forget that for the first few years it was open it was a mall more like Sharpestown where neighborhood kids ("mall rats") hung out. I was one myself. Also worked there in High School during the Christmas seasons in the early 70s as an "Auto Host" which meant I parked cars and directed holiday traffic, etc.

At some point in the late 70s/early 80s the Galleria evolved into more of an upscale shopping area but in the beginning ('69-'75 or so) the only thing that made it unique from the other malls was the ice skating rink. Joske's, Sakowitz, and Weingartens were on the other Post Oak and Westheimer corners.

In the early 60s my family did most of their shopping at the Highland Village shopping center inside the loop on Westheimer. There were no shopping centers futher out from the center of town than that. We went to the Majestic, Metropolitan, or the Loews theatres downtown to see movies. The suburban mall multiplexes didn't exist then. I think the multiplex at Meyerland was one of the first to be built on the west side. By the early 70s all of the great downtown theatres had closed and the multiplexes had taken over.

I attended and graduated from Grady Elementary School (grades K-6) on San Felipe and Sage Road when it was still a grade school. I'm sure Grady originally opened in the late 50s. When did it reopen as a Middle School? Sometime in the 80s?

I graduated from Lee High in '75 when it was still known as "Robert E. Lee High School" and the mascot was the grey and gold fighting general. The students then were primarily white middle class kids and the school zone was huge. I went to school with kids that lived miles away in Dairy Ashford and Lakeside Estates. My graduating class had 650 students! Now apparently the student body is almost all Hispanic. They no longer have a football team.

I was attending the school during the infamous October of '74 HPD drug busts in the parking field across the school (north, where Papsito's is now). It got front page coverage in the Post and Chronicle as well as all of the local TV stations.

I'm 48 now and live on the east coast now but visit occasionally and that part of Houston is like a different city from what it once was...

I grew up around the Galleria area, and I am 30 so my memories aren't ancient either, but I remember a feild I played soccer on surrounded by some big old oak trees at Sage and San Felipe next to St Michaels Church. Across San Felipe was a U Totem store and a billards store. And when Grady was only offices before it was reopened as a school.

I remeber down on Woodway next to Saint Martins church there were woods that a friends and I built forts and would ride trail through the woods. Now all that area is town homes and parking lots.

I also remember when Westimer and 6 was 'way out there' even 12 years ago. Houston has really grown since I moved and it is really weird taking my son back home with me and seeing how much things have changed.

One thing that seems to have stayed the same and will nevr  change... The roads and freeways of Houston will never be 'finished'...

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[Ashikaga]

The weather globe was advertised on TV and radio, and there was a jingle that went with the ad explaining what the colors meant.

Does anyone recall the words to the jingle?

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Is that Texas National Bank building still standing?

[lowspark]

At some point in the late 70s/early 80s the Galleria evolved into more of an upscale shopping area but in the beginning ('69-'75 or so) the only thing that made it unique from the other malls was the ice skating rink. Joske's, Sakowitz, and Weingartens were on the other Post Oak and Westheimer corners.

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My dad worked in retail so we were invited to the "private" grand opening of the Galleria before they opened it to the general public. (There were a ton of people there so it wasn't all that exclusive but it was by invitation only.) Anyway, what I remember was Tiffany's and Neimann Marcus and several other very upscale/expensive stores -- and the distinct impression that the Galleria was not just another mall.

I think there always have been and probably always will be teens hanging out there (and in other malls) but the Galleria, from the beginning, tried to position itself as an upscale shopping area.

[icepickphil]

I totally agree that most Houstonians (and other sunbelters) would prefer an air conditioned/automobile scaled strip mall. Eventually that preference will cause huge problems for the city as oil prices rise.

I spent plenty of time in WSq in the late sixties/early 70s and it was truly a unique place in Houston. Nothing like it anwhere else in the city.

It's a shame that it didn't endure as it was. I think Houston could have used more pedestrian scaled retail areas and neighborhoods. The developers of WSq were very forward thinking for that era.

WSq succumbed to the suburban car culture -- it wasn't close enough to any freeway to be convenient to Houstonians who didn't live nearby, plus it was open air.  Most people prefer to shop til they drop in air conditioned comfort.  Same thing worked against the original Meyerland Plaza.  Funny now that the a/c malls like Sharpstown are going down hill and the re-developed Meyerland is booming.

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[brucesw]

My dad worked in retail so we were invited to the "private" grand opening of the Galleria before they opened it to the general public. (There were a ton of people there so it wasn't all that exclusive but it was by invitation only.) Anyway, what I remember was Tiffany's and Neimann Marcus and several other very upscale/expensive stores -- and the distinct impression that the Galleria was not just another mall.

I think there always have been and probably always will be teens hanging out there (and in other malls) but the Galleria, from the beginning, tried to position itself as an upscale shopping area.

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Neiman's was the anchor store; there was never a Sears or Wards or Penney's, or even a Foley's - it was always intended to be upscale. I drove in from Austin to shop at NM. The ice skating rink was frequently all but deserted during the week.

Neiman's had only had a small store downtown, may not have even been on street level; ditto Tiffany's. Both were in the Galleria from the first. It wasn't long before there was a Cartier and Gumps, both in the original Galleria.

Of course, there was also a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor and a couple of stores that sold the clothing of the day -- bell bottoms and high heel shoes for men.

I think the Sakowitz was the first on that corner. That Joske's was considered a bit more upscale than the others. The Weingarten's already seemed out of place in that retail environment, but then I think it was Weingarten's realty that developed the area.

[lowspark]

Neiman's was the anchor store; there was never a Sears or Wards or Penney's, or even a Foley's.

The Weingarten's already seemed out of place in that retail environment, but then I think it was Weingarten's realty that developed the area.

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Actually, Gerald Hines was the developer of the Galleria. And they did want a Foley's in there but Foley's opted out, a decision they regretted fairly quickly. Apparently, they didn't have another opportunity to get into the Galleria till IV was built -- think of all the missed revenues for Foley's all those years!

They also wanted to build a walkway or somehow connect Joske's to the main mall. Joske's turned that down because they were afraid too many people would simply use their parking lot and go straight to the Galleria. I'd say that was another regrettable decision.

[brucesw]

Actually,  Gerald Hines was the developer of the Galleria. And they did want a Foley's in there but Foley's opted out, a decision they regretted fairly quickly. Apparently, they didn't have another opportunity to get into the Galleria till IV was built -- think of all the missed revenues for Foley's all those years!

They also wanted to build a walkway or somehow connect Joske's to the main mall. Joske's turned that down because they were afraid too many people would simply use their parking lot and go straight to the Galleria. I'd say that was another regrettable decision.

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You are right on Hines of course; I realized I had phrased that poorly and should have come back to edit it. What I meant to suggest that the land was owned by Weingarten's Realty, but I'm not sure of that.

I vaguely remember about Foley's and Joske's, but I was thinking that was a bit later. Did they ever say where Foley's would have gone? The mall (Galleria I?)was full from the very first as I remember.

I think a lot of people do/have used the parking garage at Joske's/Dillard's and walked across to NM. I haven't been to the Galleria in 15 years at least.

[Ashikaga]

I totally agree that most Houstonians (and other sunbelters) would prefer an air conditioned/automobile scaled strip mall. Eventually that preference will cause huge problems for the city as oil prices rise.

I spent plenty of time in WSq in the late sixties/early 70s and it was truly a unique place in Houston. Nothing like it anwhere else in the city.

It's a shame that it didn't endure as it was. I think Houston could have used more pedestrian scaled retail areas and neighborhoods. The developers of WSq were very forward thinking for that era.

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I've heard the term "strip mall" many times, but I don't know exactly what one is. Would someone out there describe/define it for me?

[lowspark]

....  Did they ever say where Foley's would have gone? 

.....

I think a lot of people do/have used the parking garage at Joske's/Dillard's and walked across to NM.  I haven't been to the Galleria in 15 years at least.

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I've never heard where Foley's would have gone, but I imagine if they'd accepted the offer, it would have been early enough in the design phase that room would have been made. Who knows?

I'm sure you're right about people using the that parking lot -- the difference being that they park there and walk across the street to NM -- maybe entering Dillard's, maybe not. If it were connected by some kind of air conditioned walkway or whatever, you can bet they'd be going into Dillard's first -- increased traffic means increased sales. No matter how you look at it, it was a bad decision by Joske's.