Cruising Westheimer Rd.

[jetbeetle]

Lots of great memories of driving up and down this street honking at girls (sometimes hooking up), smoking, drinking and getting pulled over by the police. I really wish the old street had lived longer - I miss those days. Anyone have any pics of the old strip packed with crusiers?

[Vertigo58]

Lots of great memories of driving up and down this street honking at girls (sometimes hooking up), smoking, drinking and getting pulled over by the police. I really wish the old street had lived longer - I miss those days. Anyone have any pics of the old strip packed with crusiers?

We have plenty of them and most outrageous one is from one Halloween night circa 1981-2! We started driving down lower Westheimer and progressed west as night went along. Just have to SCAN them and get on here. Also have on 8mm film, people and now gone eateries are displayed quite good.

I clearly recall snapping some in front of The Chicken Coop and Club Lamour, Numbers (was Billion Dollar City Dump) and more. There were more peculiar folks strolling along that area then. Many times resembled a circus side show but thats what made it funny and interesting! Recall having to pour out a whole bottle of Boone's Farm but he let us kids go. Oops TMI (too much information)

and yep the most outrageous section was....drum roll......Montrose & Westheimer.

[TJones]

We have plenty of them and most outrageous one is from one Halloween night circa 1981-2! We started driving down lower Westheimer and progressed west as night went along. Just have to SCAN them and get on here. Also have on 8mm film, people and now gone eateries are displayed quite good.

I clearly recall snapping some in front of The Chicken Coop and Club Lamour, Numbers (was Billion Dollar City Dump) and more. There were more peculiar folks strolling along that area then. Many times resembled a circus side show but thats what made it funny and interesting! Recall having to pour out a whole bottle of Boone's Farm but he let us kids go. Oops TMI (too much information)

and yep the most outrageous section was....drum roll......Montrose & Westheimer.

Dude, you been holding out on us ? et those suckers scanned ASAP !

[devonhart]

Lots of great memories of driving up and down this street honking at girls

I not sure what part you were on, but there were definitely "girls" who weren't girls strolling the sidewalks.

[Vertigo58]

I not sure what part you were on, but there were definitely "girls" who weren't girls strolling the sidewalks.

Especially in the lower Westheimer section. Ja!

The end was nearing for all of these weekend shenanigan's as drugs, violence and public intoxication became a serious issue. Specific people were being targeted by hate groups and the like. It really was a weekend circus. Everything from bible thumping mega phone preachers to biker gangs became the norm.

Like they say all good things come to an end!

[Gary]

Especially in the lower Westheimer section. Ja!

The end was nearing for all of these weekend shenanigan's as drugs, violence and public intoxication became a serious issue. Specific people were being targeted by hate groups and the like. It really was a weekend circus. Everything from bible thumping mega phone preachers to biker gangs became the norm.

Like they say all good things come to an end!

So where are the pics Verti? I was traveling in and out of Houston during this time, and I had several friends mention to me how crazy things were down there. Anyway, they took me down one night, and it was insane! I remember picking up this really hot number named Bernie. Of course I caught hell for a while with that name. If you know what I mean.

[Vertigo58]

I haven't grinned like that in years! Bernie hmmm.

Scanning is a pain, gotta find in old albums, take to have scanned, then place on Photobucket then place here. Really thinking of just having a meet and passing around the albums and make it easier on me any way.

Here is a hint, we were with some guys and gals dressed up in Halloween attire, found others strolling around and one was a "flasher" he opened his coat and out popped an "expletive" extra in length, was fake of course but considered shocking even for then. He had wrapped a long hose with whatever and was acting a dream I guess. We snapped a photo of our own Charlie Chaplin double hitting his cane on the dudes tally-wacker. Its was a riot. Should have been on Life Magazine I bet.

Further down towards Numbers club there were about 15 big cheerleaders doing kicks with pom poms etc, upon further observation it was a bunch of dudes with 4 o'clock shadow and all. Funny days.

[Gary]

I haven't grinned like that in years! Bernie hmmm.

Scanning is a pain, gotta find in old albums, take to have scanned, then place on Photobucket then place here. Really thinking of just having a meet and passing around the albums and make it easier on me any way.

Here is a hint, we were with some guys and gals dressed up in Halloween attire, found others strolling around and one was a "flasher" he opened his coat and out popped an "expletive" extra in length, was fake of course but considered shocking even for then. He had wrapped a long hose with whatever and was acting a dream I guess. We snapped a photo of our own Charlie Chaplin double hitting his cane on the dudes tally-wacker. Its was a riot. Should have been on Life Magazine I bet.

Further down towards Numbers club there were about 15 big cheerleaders doing kicks with pom poms etc, upon further observation it was a bunch of dudes with 4 o'clock shadow and all. Funny days.

I remember yelling at some "girls" in the radio shack parking lot only to find out that they needed a shave. LOL!!!

I also remember break dancers on cardboard, and several guys out on the corner of Montrose preaching.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember that there were litterally thousands of people driving, and in the streets.

[Retama]

Vertigo58, you have described Lower Westheimer on Halloween night to a perfect T! I believe I was down there with my buddies about the same night in 1981 or 82 that you were. I can never forget the sight of a 6'-4" guy, on rollerskates, dressed in a flaming red body suit topped off with a beat-up straw cowboy hat who just stood by the street, sort of posing.If you have pics of him, I'll laugh my tail off.

As for the girls-who-were-not-girls, we'd inch by in the car staring at them as they strolled the sidewalks. We would be trying to figure out who was legit and who wasn't. They would see us and call out, "Yes, I'm a WO-man!" Durn, but I felt like such a square tourist! We also used to go into some of the clubs down there that billed themselves as "topless and bottomless." Ugh. The dancers were ugly, flat-chested and appeared drugged and lethargic. You'd also find stuff floating in the bottom of your glass (If you looked hard enough through the darkness).

The Chicken Coop was a nasty little joint where pimps, hustlers, dealers and dopers hung out (as well as a fair contengent of HPD undercover cops). Saw a lot of bands at Numbers and bought a lot of records at that cool record store down there (the simple name of which escapes me now). We had a lot of adventures down there, went to the strangest parties even talked our way into KPFT several times.

Damn, I think I just divulged more than anybody here wanted to know .

[Vertigo58]

I remember yelling at some "girls" in the radio shack parking lot only to find out that they needed a shave. LOL!!!

I also remember break dancers on cardboard, and several guys out on the corner of Montrose preaching.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember that there were litterally thousands of people driving, and in the streets.

It did seems like thousands especially on weekends. What it was is that there were so many party goer's and curious drivers slowing to try to make sense of what was going on all around and to try to figure out what they were witnessing. Cars were mostly at a stand still by the time you got to The Tower Theater all the way to where Westheimer turns into Elgin. This is where most party animals would make a turn back and start all over again.

That Chicken Coop place was smack on the strip so it was quite unavoidable! How could you not notice? They would place 2-3 barstools outside of the entrance and place a few queens to check ID's as people entered. Some of them normally would smile and just wave back or blow kisses at drivers to freak em out! It would just kill the crowds! Most of the drag's were dressed as their fav idols ala Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, Rupaul, even an older one as Baby Jane Hudson!

When I mentioned all kinds of people it was everything from hippies, dwarfs, beatniks, belly dancers, Wonder Woman?, nuns, peeping Tom's, porno star's, misfits, and probably wildlife!

It certainly rivaled the French Quarter or as we always thought of it as Houston's own version of Hollywood Blvd or Venice Beach!

[MetroMogul]

It did seems like thousands especially on weekends. What it was is that there were so many party goer's and curious drivers slowing to try to make sense of what was going on all around and to try to figure out what they were witnessing. Cars were mostly at a stand still by the time you got to The Tower Theater all the way to where Westheimer turns into Elgin. This is where most party animals would make a turn back and start all over again.

That Chicken Coop place was smack on the strip so it was quite unavoidable! How could you not notice? They would place 2-3 barstools outside of the entrance and place a few queens to check ID's as people entered. Some of them normally would smile and just wave back or blow kisses at drivers to freak em out! It would just kill the crowds! Most of the drag's were dressed as their fav idols ala Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, Rupaul, even an older one as Baby Jane Hudson!

When I mentioned all kinds of people it was everything from hippies, dwarfs, beatniks, belly dancers, Wonder Woman?, nuns, peeping Tom's, porno star's, misfits, and probably wildlife!

It certainly rivaled the French Quarter or as we always thought of it as Houston's own version of Hollywood Blvd or Venice Beach!

This is not my type of party, but still, WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS CITY?!!!!! It is so sterile now. It went from awesome cruises down Westheimer to yet ANOTHER urban professional soon to be hip hop soon to be closed crop of clubs popping up at the next "happening" spot which for the time being is Midtown. Sad sad sad!

Downtown was so freaking dead yesterday! Argh, alas! It's time for the white people in Midtown to find another cluster of expensive, slightly pretencious clubs so me and my crew can slither on into Midtown and this cycle of urban club decay can start all over again. I know no one wants it in their neighborhood, but this city needs a nice, PERMANENT entertainment district. Everyone, black, white, hispanic, asian, martian is tired of migrating around the city and praying for a good time.

I think they need to ressurrect the lower Westheimer of the 80's and stick a cluster of clubs near the end towards the Galleria and make that a nice compact little entertainment district. That way, all demographics are served in one neat little area.

[devonhart]

This is not my type of party, but still, WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS CITY?!!!!! It is so sterile now.

The median age in Houston is now about 31, back in the 80s it was under 30. My guess is not as many young people with disposable income to support an 80s kind of scene.

[Absinthe_1900]

We used to hang out with the hot rodders going back to the late 70s, through the 80s, on the other side of Westhiemer around Fountainview to Voss, (And further as the cops moved us west) we had a lot of nice cars running back in day.

[EastEnd Susan]

I haven't grinned like that in years! Bernie hmmm.

Scanning is a pain, gotta find in old albums, take to have scanned, then place on Photobucket then place here. Really thinking of just having a meet and passing around the albums and make it easier on me any way.

Here is a hint, we were with some guys and gals dressed up in Halloween attire, found others strolling around and one was a "flasher" he opened his coat and out popped an "expletive" extra in length, was fake of course but considered shocking even for then. He had wrapped a long hose with whatever and was acting a dream I guess. We snapped a photo of our own Charlie Chaplin double hitting his cane on the dudes tally-wacker. Its was a riot. Should have been on Life Magazine I bet.

Further down towards Numbers club there were about 15 big cheerleaders doing kicks with pom poms etc, upon further observation it was a bunch of dudes with 4 o'clock shadow and all. Funny days.

I was down there every holloween night from 1983 to 86. There was one guy whos costume was hillarious. He had put his "junk" in one of those blue and gold Crown Royal bags, pulled the drawstring tight and ..well...that was it.

[Vertigo58]

I was down there every holloween night from 1983 to 86. There was one guy whos costume was hillarious. He had put his "junk" in one of those blue and gold Crown Royal bags, pulled the drawstring tight and ..well...that was it.

It was the Wonder Woman double that used to kill us! Everyone would yell "we love you wonder woman" then "she" would do a couple of quick twirls (ala Lynda Carter) and then do a curtsy! Then the person next to her was an angel with a tambourine and "she" would do some leaps in the air while hitting his tambourine on his hip's. A riot.

The area became even more alive when a place called the International Club opened almost directly across from Number's. It was that super hard driving hardcore metal and punk era and they brought in some of the most popular bands at that time. They had a couple of big klieg lights going back and forth for several weekends and even The Tower Theater followed the idea later.

So you see as night was falling, and we would pack in all of the crowd into cars and head that way it was like seeing Hollwood Blvd in the distance. You knew you were in for some wild fun. We could get away with murder in those days. Now there are too many cameras at intersections and well it is just dull. Most of the younger set these days, stay home and play on cellphones, computers, Ipod's and other dull junk. We were way more physical!

PS, while cruising around the music you were jamming to had alot to do with the atmoshere. Here are just a few of the "bitchin' sounds" you would hear the clubs blasting away on outside speakers...

Turning Japanese

Tainted Love

Never Say Never (Romeo Void)

What I Like About You!

Riding on the Metro - Berlin

I Melt With You

Safety Dance

Dancing With Myself

Don't You Want Me - Human League

I ran - Flock Of Seagull's

Video Killed The Radio Star

I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

Happy Birthday

[dbigtex56]

I remember yelling at some "girls" in the radio shack parking lot only to find out that they needed a shave. LOL!!!

I also remember break dancers on cardboard, and several guys out on the corner of Montrose preaching.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember that there were litterally thousands of people driving, and in the streets.

You're absolutely correct. Westheimer was already a popular cruise area in the early 80s, then received a boost from none other than Marvin Zindler!

Circa 1983 he did an expose' on the scene:"There are kids blaring music, drinking beer, picking up girls! Open drug use and nudity! Something has to be done!" (I paraphrase.) You couldn't have asked for better advertising. The weekend after his report, the numbers exploded. Young people converged like it was a mobile Woodstock. Westheimer became a virtual parking lot. This continued for a few years until about '87, when the neighbors got fed up, and the sheriff conducted several stings on consecutive weekends. It never really recovered after that.

[Gary]

You're absolutely correct. Westheimer was already a popular cruise area in the early 80s, then received a boost from none other than Marvin Zindler!

Circa 1983 he did an expose' on the scene:"There are kids blaring music, drinking beer, picking up girls! Open drug use and nudity! Something has to be done!" (I paraphrase.) You couldn't have asked for better advertising. The weekend after his report, the numbers exploded. Young people converged like it was a mobile Woodstock. Westheimer became a virtual parking lot. This continued for a few years until about '87, when the neighbors got fed up, and the sheriff conducted several stings on consecutive weekends. It never really recovered after that.

Cool info. Thanks.

Hey Vertigo, where are those pics bro?

[ding]

even before i left houston for los angeles in early 70s, montrose and westheimer was the center of the gay community. and westheimer always was the 'heart', so to speak. i am not surprised at anything you guys saw on westheimer. having just returned, i don't know if it is chic now or not. it wasn't in the mid 60s to 1970. lots of gays lived in the area and it was inexpensive. those trying to climb up or show their future popular images were in 77027 - complexes on chimney rock, hillcroft, etc-

[musicman]

Cool info. Thanks.

Hey Vertigo, where are those pics bro?

he's a blo hard. he never partied there.

[marketingwiz]

You could buy Ecstasy at Mary's in the back. Purely anecdotal knowledge.......

[Clothahump]

Oh, man. I remember the folks cruising up and down Westheimer big time.

And I hated it.

[GREASER]

.

[Vertigo58]

Oh, man. I remember the folks cruising up and down Westheimer big time.

And I hated it.

Yep after a while it became real trouble. The ones cruisin around started tossing bottles, shouting insults and harassing patrons just sitting at outside bistros like the original La Strada. They simply were getting out of hand. A bit off sublject but this was one of the main reasons the Gaurdian Angels from NYC fame joined in to help stop harrassment of innocent people. HPD was either having many issues during these yrs and had to much on their hands.

When people started getting mugged by visitors from the suburbs things got worse, hence the young guy that was ambushed by thsoe young preppy jerks and just because of his sexual orientation. It was another sad day in Houston, very bad publicity indeed.

[jetbeetle]

Yep after a while it became real trouble. The ones cruisin around started tossing bottles, shouting insults and harassing patrons just sitting at outside bistros like the original La Strada. They simply were getting out of hand. A bit off sublject but this was one of the main reasons the Gaurdian Angels from NYC fame joined in to help stop harrassment of innocent people. HPD was either having many issues during these yrs and had to much on their hands.

When people started getting mugged by visitors from the suburbs things got worse, hence the young guy that was ambushed by thsoe young preppy jerks and just because of his sexual orientation. It was another sad day in Houston, very bad publicity indeed.

I seem to remember a case involving a Guardian Angel mugging a guy as well.

[Scott08]

Geez, missed this thread when it first started...We used to drive down and troll lower Westheimer during high school in the mid '70's. Really took off during the '80's when we'd ride our motorcycles down there, park in the Wendy's lot and watch the world go by. Then one night the popo came in droves and forced everyone out of the neighborhood. The sport bikers moved on the James Coney Island down past the Galleria but eventually got pushed out of there too. Maybe I'm too old to be in on the secret, but I don't think there's any "cruising" strip anymore like there used to be.

[Vertigo58]

Geez, missed this thread when it first started...We used to drive down and troll lower Westheimer during high school in the mid '70's. Really took off during the '80's when we'd ride our motorcycles down there, park in the Wendy's lot and watch the world go by. Then one night the popo came in droves and forced everyone out of the neighborhood. The sport bikers moved on the James Coney Island down past the Galleria but eventually got pushed out of there too. Maybe I'm too old to be in on the secret, but I don't think there's any "cruising" strip anymore like there used to be.

Your with good company dont sweat it.

Just a little FYI for younger viewers. The movie "Adam" used lower Westheimer in several outdoor scenes around 1982. There is that brick building on that curve (not sure of Block number) is still there though doubled as a Fire Station or police station in the film?

Yes, as the "fuzz" moved in everyone shifted elsewhere, the heat was on (like the song)

so it was time to cruise elsewhere so Richmond became the next wave and now it seems fizzled out.

[insidehouston]

I wish I had seen it in the 80s. The first time I saw it was in 93 or 94. And coming from suburbs out in clear lake it was pretty cool. I was like oh holy crap their is something cool in houston that is not just sidewalks and chain stores for miles and miles.

[Vertigo58]

I wish I had seen it in the 80s. The first time I saw it was in 93 or 94. And coming from suburbs out in clear lake it was pretty cool. I was like oh holy crap their is something cool in houston that is not just sidewalks and chain stores for miles and miles.

This was a common site on lower Westheimer. Seemed everyone had a cool mohawk like Wendy O Williams of the Plasmatic's band. They were quite bizarre try to find old footage. Her interviews were just as bizarre!

Oh my God! They are on youtube-mania! Clearly insane! So lower Westheimer had this kind of energy/charisma about it!

[emscougar]

Ok,.....Im new here, I just joined about an hour ago. Um....my memories of cruising westheimer is that each highschool had a different parking lot. I went to Dulles High, so we had The Sigmore Station. That is where we would base ourselves the cruise the strip from there. Another school had the babies r us parking lot.....ITHINK it was clements or blue ridge.....dont remember. Anyhoo....most parking lots along westheimer were bases for a school or area.

Coug

[Vertigo58]

memories of cruising westheimer is that each highschool had a different parking lot.

most parking lots along westheimer were bases for a school or area.

Very true. You could tell by the piles of cigarrette butts on the ground or beer bottles in the bushes.

There were also many RuPaul & Divine lookalikes in the lower Westheimer section.