Sharpstown Real Estate

[VicMan]

Crain Park; right beside an elementary school.

E. L. Crain Park (9051 Triola) is near Ed White Elementary School (located at 9001 Triola). It is classified as a "Neighborhood Park" by the City of Houston.

[DJ V Lawrence]

E. L. Crain Park (9051 Triola) is near Ed White Elementary School (located at 9001 Triola). It is classified as a "Neighborhood Park" by the City of Houston.

That's the place. The Bellaire/Gessner intersection isn't too far from there. That was our first/last time there, too. That sucks , because the park is actually not bad looking for the community. There were a bunch of kids/young adults playing basketball, baseball, walking dogs, etc. along with parents and such. Perhaps it was just a bad day there, but as one of my hommies and I were peeling of in his car, we were just repeating "damn, that's just ghetto."

[Jeebus]

We were playing basketball in a park, and next thing you know, clack, clack, clack.

DJ would later find out that it was actually the shoed-hooves of a drawn-carriage's horse! lol...

[DJ V Lawrence]

DJ would later find out that it was actually the shoed-hooves of a drawn-carriage's horse! lol...

No, that's Galleria basketball for ya.

My friends and I now joke about that Crain Park incident. We say that we started off playing NBA Live and ended up playing CounterStrike...

[PureAuteur]

I currently live off the intersection of Lawndale and Telephone. I classify this as a iffy area, not sharpstown.

Trust me you are better off where you currently are living. Unless you enjoy dodging bullets and being another possible caualty on the nightly news? Then Sharpstwon area is for you. Be sure to view all postings in SW Houston section in Haif. True testimonials. You need to ask LONG TIME Houstonians over age 35 they are more knowledgable. The area has been on a decline for over 15-20 years. True it once was a modern upscale area (60's & 70's) but most smart people fled in droves after the oil boom/bomb in the early 80's, rents $ went down and poverty level immigrants rushed in (still are). Past postings have suggested everything from Nuking the place to Godzilla. Lost cause. Let's not live in denial.

See tonights news again!

I think people would like to see all of SW Houston nuked. It's strange how some posh middle class neighborhoods with big lots and nice homes maintain their value despite being surrounded by slums, yet others go down with slums. Sharpstown homes are architecturally significant, and there weren't many other Houston neighborhoods like it. Sadly, Houston was a boom town, and its classy days are over. In 1981, people were coming to Houston from all over trying to land a good job and get rich. Then 3 years later, Houston went from boom to bust, and the economy has progressed to a service, low wage economy ever since. This is what has hurt Sharpstown.

[Vertigo58]

I think people would like to see all of SW Houston nuked. It's strange how some posh middle class neighborhoods with big lots and nice homes maintain their value despite being surrounded by slums, yet others go down with slums. Sharpstown homes are architecturally significant, and there weren't many other Houston neighborhoods like it. Sadly, Houston was a boom town, and its classy days are over. In 1981, people were coming to Houston from all over trying to land a good job and get rich. Then 3 years later, Houston went from boom to bust, and the economy has progressed to a service, low wage economy ever since. This is what has hurt Sharpstown.

Everyone pay attention to the above comment because its absolutely TRUE! Exact and to the point. Many long time Houstonians can confirm this.

I was one of many people that used to go to the SW part of Houston for the nice modern eateries and nightclubs (disco/new wave era) and saw it in its hey day. Your dates are just about exact on when all started on the decline. Sharpstown was considered the real upscale part of Houston. Shortly after the boom of the early 80's people were laid off from great paying jobs and either went back to other states from which they came or fled SW Houston altogether. The apartments were loosing $ so they "lowered their expectations" shall we say so low income desperate people moved in droves. Hence crime increased. Rarely do I care to venture around to see the places we used to frequent as most of the posh nightclubs we frequented are now taquerias, 5 & dime stores or flee markets (depressing). I can only state that I am glad we enjoyed it while it lasted. Its pure living hell now. Keep watching the news. Almost everyday drive bys occur and illegal immigrant issues. I better stop now. Peace!

[Modernceo]

5 & dime stores

I only know of one 5 and dime store, and its in Kirby Village area. Hehe.

But, your right on all your other points anyways.

[Vertigo58]

I only know of one 5 and dime store, and its in Kirby Village area. Hehe.

But, your right on all your other points anyways.

I would promote the area as Sharpstown but as in "sharp knife" like get ready to get stabbed. Get it? "Sharp Knifes Town" what the hell all the Crips & other California/Mexican gangs are there already anyway. May as well make em feel at home. After all they are just poor little victims of society. Its our fault the have become victoms of society. I better run and buy some baggy clothes & blend in.

[westguy]

There are lots of chicken littles in this thread, so I will just mention that Sharpstown home values are pretty stable. Some areas have decreased a little, and there was an article in the paper this morning about some nearby neighborhoods going up in value. I was looking at the pricing trends, and the biggest area of concern should be S-SE Houston. Housing values are going way way down there.

[pganju]

we live in tanglewilde, close to sharpstown. i can leave a garge full of things open all day and have no problems. people who live in the area should comment, not those with preconceived notions.

[gwilson]

Here is a bit of fact to show you how NOT dangerous Sharpstown is:

February 2007:

Armed Robberies - 0

Arrested Persons - 23 (16 were misdemeanor and only 1 was a felony)

Assaults - 0

Burglary Motor Vehicle - 2

Burlaries - 1

Criminal Mischief - 1

Stolen Vehicles - 4

Thefts - 1

Murders - 0

Not many areas of Houston are safer than this.

I have lived in Sharpstown for nearly 20 years. In that time I have never felt unsafe. I have even been a victim of a home invasion and that sort of thing RARELY happens here.

It has a horrible reputation but it is unfounded. The areas in the SW that are bad are Alief, Fondren SW, Forum Park, etc.

[grayhomes]

I have lived in Sharpstown for close to 9 years. I moved out of Midtown before there was any development... I basically cashed in so I could have a nice yard, beautiful tree lined streets, all brick house which i consider pretty solid construction compared to some crap you can buy in the outer suburbs. It was WAY more dangerous living in the Inner Loop areas than in Sharpstown. I have never had any incidents with crime. There is grafitti and Yes, i can occasionally hear gun shots at night, but they do come from the apts which are at least a mile away. Common sense can usually keep you out of harm's way. This is actually a great neighborhood. Many of my neighbors are original owners and they sit out on their front lawns, go walking for exercise around the neighborhood, do their own lawn work... does this sound like a frightened community running for their lives. Maybe they did at one time... but its just this incorrect information about an area... people spreading rumors that you will be stabbed if you go to Sharpstown that perpetuate a bad rap about an area. Sharpstown is a very diverse community. There are many immigrants. BIG DEAL. We are in Houston... there's lots of immigrants. There's crime everywhere... people need to just realize it is more about economics. Yes, if you are hanging out in an apt complex at 3 am, where people pay $400/mo for rent... you might be in a dangerous place... If you turn on the news and really listen, crime is all over.

Sharpstown gets a bad rap. It is an awesome buy in my opinion and extremely convenient to 59 & Bltwy 8 for commuting. It has its negatives, but for the most part i love Sharpstown. And prices are going up... slowly, but they are increasing about 4% per year. If you have kids, i wouldn't say Sharpstown is the best place... but there are many kids in the neighborhood. My neighbors send their kids to Strake Jesuit right in the neighborhood... so private school is always an option. I think the school issue is common for most of HISD anyway... for neighborhoods with homes around $140k.

Just my 2 cents... unless you live here, don't knock it.

[old_Sharpstown]

Having grown up in Sharpstown since we bought our house new in 1967, I would say that Sharpstown was a GREAT place to grow up and the people still there are great people. People are very neighborly and maintain their yards. On the street I grew up on, 2 of our neighbors have been there since 1967. Many others on this same block have been there since the beginning too.

Sharpstown, like much of Houston, grew fast during the early oil boom times of the early 80's. Many apartments came in and it was a desired place to live. I would not say that the oil boom devastated Sharpstown any more than any other part of Houston. Everyone I knew did not loose their job or their house as a result of the bust.

In my opinion, it was the greying of Sharpstown that changed it the most. As everyone had moved in Sharpstown at the same time (late 60's), most of the families' kids were leaving the nest around the mid 80's. Sharpstown HS was becoming more "thug" in the mid to late 80's as rental residents (with little invested in the community as far as a home) brought less than ideal neighbors. Many long time residents may have moved as their house became empty and as their kids moved out.

Sharpstown has always been middle to upper middle class, but as other developements grew in Houston (First Colony, Woodlands, etc.), Sharpstown was moving more to a blue collar community. Not bad. But...the apartments and duplexes around Sharpstown became the places the housed people with no respect for community standards and they had no investment in the community. They contributed the most to the decline as it stands now. (Trivia: Was it Senator John F. Kennedy that cut the ribbon for the opening or the Mall or was it Robert?)

The Vietnamese community has had a major impact on the community West of US59, but it has been mostly positive. East of US59, hispanics have changed that community.

Sadly, Sharpstown Mall also had changed as the shoppers moved to "nicer" malls such as First Colony and the Galleria. This again contributed to the mall falling in status and this also had a significant impact in how the neighborhood is perceived now.

Sharpstown is a great place and anyone who looks even slightly below the outer edges will find great people and the kind of people that makes Houston and Texas great.

my 2 cents.

[Vertigo58]

I am glad you (and the others) are speaking up for your community. After giving it some thought I realized that if I put myself in your shoes I would feel the same. Being a born and raised Houstonian myself, I had to wake up and realize that all of us need to pull together as one. I will try to stick to that principal (hope it lasts)

Now I better slap this same note to the Sugarland/SW section. Seems they also have a hate "big city Houston" state of mind. I can only imagine what they think of places like NYC or SFO?

[Jeebus]

Now I better slap this same note to the Sugarland/SW section. Seems they also have a hate "big city Houston" state of mind. I can only imagine what they think of places like NYC or SFO?

Not so fast Vertigo. You're not about to sling mud from one thread to the next, and then hope no one you're aiming at notices. Only one person in that thread stated that they didn't want SL to turn into a big city like Houston. The rest of us there were trying to explain SL's attempts to introduce pedestrian-friendly urban development, and to show that unlike other suburbs, SL is really trying to create a livable town.

Why do you think SL built Town Centre in the first place? I'll speculate that it because SL felt its residents wanted to start enjoying the features, ammenities, and even lifestyle (the lofts above the retail) of such places like NYC or SFO, but on a smaller, more suburban level. Why else would they build a pedestrian friendly, urban development in the same area that has traditionally been over run with concrete oceans for parking lots and strip malls that end only with the horizon?

[Jeebus]

If I didn't have kids I would live in Sharpstown in a second.

I still stand by this statement. I want to add that ff I was Catholic, then I would definitely consider Sharpstown proper exclusively for Strake & St. Agnes.

[musicman]

If I didn't have kids I would live in Sharpstown in a second.

I still stand by this statement. I want to add that ff I was Catholic, then I would definitely consider Sharpstown proper exclusively for Strake & St. Agnes.

either i'm reading these incorrectly or is there a conflict here?

[Jeebus]

either i'm reading these incorrectly or is there a conflict here?

Yes and No. I was referring originally to the selection of HISD schools in the immediate neighborhoods. I was referring to Strake & St. Agnes in my self-reply in the sense that these to parochial schools would be my only two considerations for education - and then only if I was Catholic.

As it stands now I am not Catholic, therefore my original statement stands.

[musicman]

Yes and No. I was referring originally to the selection of HISD schools in the immediate neighborhoods. I was referring to Strake & St. Agnes in my self-reply in the sense that these to parochial schools would be my only two considerations for education - and then only if I was Catholic.

interesting. i went to catholic school and there were numerous children that weren't catholic. What religion are you?

[Vertigo58]

As it stands now I am not Catholic, therefore my original statement stands.

[musicman]

LOL what a CATastrophy!

[Jeebus]

interesting. i went to catholic school and there were numerous children that weren't catholic. What religion are you?

Well, I tried to take this conversation to a PM to avoid hi-jacking the thread (and trolls like Vertigo), but since your mailbox is full and my PM's won't send - I'll just temporarily hi-jack the thread.

I'm not Catholic and don't agree with a lot of the practices of denomination. Therefore I fundamentally disagree with subjecting my kids to something I have issues with. Its a parent's privilege, and whether you (anyone reading this) see it as wrong or right is strictly a statement of opinion - one that I won't care to hear.

I don't expect most of you Catholics to understand, as you never do. But instead of accusing me of starting a flame war, just accept that not everyone is Catholic or wants to be Catholic - and we're okay with it.

So attempting to keep things on topic. If you are someone who wants to live in Sharpstown and are/are not Catholic, Strake Jesuit & St. Agnes are great parochial academic alternatives to the rough public schools in the area.

Ps. Musicman: clean out your inbox for future reference

[musicman]

Well, I tried to take this conversation to a PM to avoid hi-jacking the thread (and trolls like Vertigo), but since your mailbox is full and my PM's won't send - I'll just temporarily hi-jack the thread.

I'm not Catholic and don't agree with a lot of the practices of denomination. Therefore I fundamentally disagree with subjecting my kids to something I have issues with. Its a parent's privilege, and whether you (anyone reading this) see it as wrong or right is strictly a statement of opinion - one that I won't care to hear.

I don't expect most of you Catholics to understand, as you never do. But instead of accusing me of starting a flame war, just accept that not everyone is Catholic or wants to be Catholic - and we're okay with it.

So attempting to keep things on topic. If you are someone who wants to live in Sharpstown and are/are not Catholic, Strake Jesuit & St. Agnes are great parochial academic alternatives to the rough public schools in the area.

Ps. Musicman: clean out your inbox for future reference

i got your message. for most of "us Catholics" who "never do" understand, i was just asking and didn't say anything was wrong or right. there are obviously some issues that you should address in your own way. good luck with that!!

[gwilson]

/hijack?

[Jeebus]

/hijack?

I hope so. Gwilson, I have a question for you. Is the subdivision south of Bellaire and west of Gessner still considered Sharpstown?

[gwilson]

So far as I know. hehe.

[Pumapayam]

I'll just temporarily hi-jack the thread.

Of course, because you can.

Leave Vertigo out of your childish remarks btw, he does not post anything less worthy than you on here, and it does not add value to the conversation. You ended up advocating what you ultimately are against, trolling.

Sadly, Sharpstown Mall also had changed as the shoppers moved to "nicer" malls such as First Colony and the Galleria. This again contributed to the mall falling in status and this also had a significant impact in how the neighborhood is perceived now.

That mall needs to be redeveloped.

Either demo the whole complex like Town and Country, or spend some major money on renovations like Memorial City.

It seems the heart of the Sharpstown area was the shopping mall, breath new life into the local economy and clean up the area, it will start spreading to the neighborhoods.

[Jeebus]

So far as I know. hehe.

lol.. My phrasing was wrong. I meant to ask if that area was considered Sharpstown. I ask only because I thought I noticed that the Welcome To Sharpstown sign was east of Gessner.

[TheNiche]

Many of my neighbors are original owners and they sit out on their front lawns, go walking for exercise around the neighborhood, do their own lawn work... does this sound like a frightened community running for their lives.

In my opinion, it was the greying of Sharpstown that changed it the most. As everyone had moved in Sharpstown at the same time (late 60's), most of the families' kids were leaving the nest around the mid 80's.

Question: Historically, a lot of older predominantly single-family neighborhoods decline once the original owners start dying off and are replaced by younger families, more frequently renters. Places like Bellaire are transformed in a positive way because they don't have a lot of apartments zoned to their schools. But since the public schools are terrible and urbanistas don't typically have kids but don't usually have much use for a yard, what will be the saving grace of Sharpstown?

[TheNiche]

That mall needs to be redeveloped.

Either demo the whole complex like Town and Country, or spend some major money on renovations like Memorial City.

It seems the heart of the Sharpstown area was the shopping mall, breath new life into the local economy and clean up the area, it will start spreading to the neighborhoods.

Meyerland, Gulfgate, Northline, Sharpstown. In that order. Wulfe & Company to the rescue.

But...don't expect it to transform the areas around it. Wulfe's success is based upon the basic truth that po' folks gotta shop somewhere too. But the demographics aren't going to move an inch for a long time. Too many apartment complexes, crappy schools.