Will Eastwood Ever Be As Nice As Woodland Heights

[travelguy_73]

It has to do with that elementary schools serve neighborhoods, whereas high schools serve communities. The whole of the area zoned to Lantrip could have the demographics of Bellaire and it wouldn't make much of a dent on Austin HS because Austin HS serves such a large area, including large slummy apartment complexes and many neighborhoods where large households are the norm.

That makes more sense. Austin (and Reagan) pull from much larger and more "diverse" areas than the elementary schools.

IS Lantrip East end or Heights ?

sorry I wasn't clear, Lantrip is Eastwood area, and Oxford is Heights (finally remembered the name).

Does gentrification in the loop really get started by young professionals? I currently am renting in the heights and from my daily walks it looks more to me that the demographics of Heights are mid 30's to mid 40's with the younger crowd being more of the vein of the Montrose artist archetype. I see more yuppies in the Rice Military and Midtown area where they have the 3-story townhomes and high rise living. Developing a taste for classic architecture like queen annes and craftsman bungalows seems akin to developing a pallette for fine wine which I find seems at odds with young professional types who tend to be more pretentious on average (just my personal observation, I'm sure there are some yuppies out there that don't fit that mold). All the townhomes being constructed between downtown and Eastwood bring yuppies down that way but unless that move draws the demographics of the likes of the Heights population then could it put Eastwood in danger of being demolished to make way for more of those poorly built (but with a nice facade) townhomes?

Well, Heights is much further down the path, and so the cost of entry is higher which means residents who can afford to get in and do major renovations are likely older. In Eastwood, Lindale, Riverside Terrace, et al, 20-somethings can afford to get in and do work on their homes (though the availability of credit to do that work is limited right now). However, you are right that most 20-somethings may think they know what they want, but really they don't (at least that was the case with me, whose taste has changed almost 180-degrees in the past 10 years).

[crunchtastic]

Does gentrification in the loop really get started by young professionals? I currently am renting in the heights and from my daily walks it looks more to me that the demographics of Heights are mid 30's to mid 40's with the younger crowd being more of the vein of the Montrose artist archetype. I see more yuppies in the Rice Military and Midtown area where they have the 3-story townhomes and high rise living. Developing a taste for classic architecture like queen annes and craftsman bungalows seems akin to developing a pallette for fine wine which I find seems at odds with young professional types who tend to be more pretentious on average (just my personal observation, I'm sure there are some yuppies out there that don't fit that mold). All the townhomes being constructed between downtown and Eastwood bring yuppies down that way but unless that move draws the demographics of the likes of the Heights population then could it put Eastwood in danger of being demolished to make way for more of those poorly built (but with a nice facade) townhomes?

The townhome crowd and the old house crowd are fundamentally two different mindsets. It's a preference, not a demographic. I know younger people who prefer an older home and are into DIY restoration, and I know plenty of folks who love the idea of a victorian or craftsman, but don't want to deal with constant maintenance and other weirdness associated with a 100 year-old home. But they're all 'young urban professionals'

I thought one could still claim yup-hood up until the age of 40? No? Crap! Someone needs to tell me what box I fit into now. I'm afraid the marketeers will ignore me!

[kylejack]

You're a muppie lmao

[TheNiche]

Does gentrification in the loop really get started by young professionals? I currently am renting in the heights and from my daily walks it looks more to me that the demographics of Heights are mid 30's to mid 40's with the younger crowd being more of the vein of the Montrose artist archetype. I see more yuppies in the Rice Military and Midtown area where they have the 3-story townhomes and high rise living. Developing a taste for classic architecture like queen annes and craftsman bungalows seems akin to developing a pallette for fine wine which I find seems at odds with young professional types who tend to be more pretentious on average (just my personal observation, I'm sure there are some yuppies out there that don't fit that mold). All the townhomes being constructed between downtown and Eastwood bring yuppies down that way but unless that move draws the demographics of the likes of the Heights population then could it put Eastwood in danger of being demolished to make way for more of those poorly built (but with a nice facade) townhomes?

Gentrification starts with people who aren't professionals at all, typically students, artists, and the bohemian sort. They can't afford much, have few assets to put at risk, aren't responsible to anyone but themselves, and seem to have a knack for convincing themselves (and others) that a slum is awesome. ...this last bit is akin to me going on and on about half-finished parks, the variety and awesomeness of taco stands, or fantasizing about raising chickens in a back yard. These people do not have to be especially numerous, but they represent white faces in a sea of brown--and lets be honest--it makes a difference. These folks prime a neighborhood for transition but cannot complete it alone.

The young-ish professionals come into play when other similar inner-city neighborhoods price them out and they start looking for alternatives. All it takes as a signal that a neighborhood is transitioning is a few white faces on the street and perhaps one or two hipster retailers. Once a justifiable trend begins, it snowballs.

If you want to gauge which inner-city neighborhoods are passe (for price-related reasons) among edgy youth, the quick test goes like this: "would mom want to live there?"

[BryanS]

Spot on observation. I'm 31, married and my wife gave birth to my first child a month and a half ago. I live in the loop, and wouldn't consider moving out to some place like Cinco Ranch, Sugarland or the Woodlands. Not ever. I would consider moving outside the loop, but not far. The East End is great right now and is seriously high on my list of potential places to move when my lease is up. I look at it as a neighborhood with a ton of potential, and I figure by the time my child's in high school, the demographic of the neighborhood won't be anything like it currently is. I reflect back on my childhood, wrought with suburban blandness and uniformity, and I've realized I don't want my own child to be raised that way. It wasn't a bad upbringing, but it wasn't particularly notable either. I don't want to raise my child in a counterfeit bubble.

But, for clarification's sake (and so I don't get attacked by the 'burb acolytes), I don't find it odd to want the bubble either. To each their own.

You say you are leasing. What part of the city vs. places you're looking to buy? You say that Eastwood is "seriously high" on your list - but what is higher?

Eastwood, Riverside Terrace, etc... Have "cute" little houses. A lot of character.

But... suddenly... you miss things like:

A.) Grocery stores - that you actually like shopping at.

B.) Quite neighborhood through traffic.

C.) Not worrying about your spouse's or kid's safety, especially around the neighborhood.

D.) Less gunfire.

E.) Free, and good, public education.

[Highway6]

C.) Not worrying about your spouse's or kid's safety, especially around the neighborhood.

D.) Less gunfire.

E.) Free, and good, public education.

I was about to agree with you fully...

Free, good, and safe public education can't be found for someone that can only afford a 200k house in this city.

But I found that there are currently 5 single- family houses in the 190-200k on HAR zoned to Bellaire.

There are 3 under 200k zoned to Memorial.

there is 1 townhouse currently on HAR under 200k zoned to Lamar.

But yah.. for the most part.. you're right.

[TheNiche]

You say you are leasing. What part of the city vs. places you're looking to buy? You say that Eastwood is "seriously high" on your list - but what is higher?

Eastwood, Riverside Terrace, etc... Have "cute" little houses. A lot of character.

But... suddenly... you miss things like:

A.) Grocery stores - that you actually like shopping at.

B.) Quite neighborhood through traffic.

C.) Not worrying about your spouse's or kid's safety, especially around the neighborhood.

D.) Less gunfire.

E.) Free, and good, public education.

If you can achieve a >$100k discount on a house in a neighborhood that is <10 minutes away from good grocery stores and retail, and especially if you work in a neighborhood that already has those amenities, then take advantage of it and just drive a little bit more. Seriously, if your mortgage is $1,000 less per month what does that translate to in terms of time saved?

Quiet neighborhood through-traffic is acheivable in most parts of town; its the trains that make people give Eastwood a second-thought.

Montrose has an especially high incidence of reported rapes, probably more per capita than anywhere else in the City. They have lower-crime in other ways, such as theft and murder, but still...

Gunfire happens. I've heard it in Eastwood with greater frequency than where I've lived previously (aside from McAllen, where I had a corrupt cop next door that let me--a high schooler--construct and use an operational firing range in my back yard), but fortunately I haven't seen any adverse effects. Should you get to know the 'indiginous' neighbors, it could make for great entertainment on New Year's Eve.

I concur about schools, but if you don't have kids, it doesn't matter. In fact, if you don't have kids, then there is absolutely no justification at all to pay a school premium. If you buy a house and live in the transitioning neighborhood for five or ten years before having to send kids to school, then the stored (and hopefully appreciating) equity allows you to gain access to better neighborhoods when it comes time to bug out. The decision on whether to live in a transitioning neighborhood has to do with the rent/own calculus and personal factors; there's no doubt about that...but it doesn't mean that the neighborhood cannot successfully transition over time by virtue of that it is highly attractive to one or more niche markets that are stable or growing in aggregate. ...BUT, in Atticus' case, I think you're right to raise doubts. I would advise him to let his kid(s) worry about becoming well-adjusted in high school, once they've already developed basic social skills.

[barracuda]

The townhome crowd and the old house crowd are fundamentally two different mindsets. It's a preference, not a demographic. I know younger people who prefer an older home and are into DIY restoration, and I know plenty of folks who love the idea of a victorian or craftsman, but don't want to deal with constant maintenance and other weirdness associated with a 100 year-old home. But they're all 'young urban professionals'

I thought one could still claim yup-hood up until the age of 40? No? Crap! Someone needs to tell me what box I fit into now. I'm afraid the marketeers will ignore me!

That mindset can change over time too. I prefer older houses, particularly after having rented a quirky old 1880's era house back in school. But I bought a townhouse when I first moved to Houston, basically because I traveled constantly and didn't have time to deal with upkeep. However, my townhouse eventually began to feel like a glorified apartment, both due to the lack of a real yard and due to the limits that come with having basically identical units attached to your house. And I missed the feel of a real neighborhood, which happens when developers build four or six or eight inward-facing homes on land that at one time contained only one house with a front porch facing the street. Oh, and the blandness of most townhouse developments begin to eat at your soul if you live within them too long.

I think Eastwood will eventually be "as nice as Woodland Heights" in many ways. I have several friends with old homes there, and on an individual basis the homes are beautiful. Combined with the mature-live oak lined streets and it's a very nice peaceful setting. There are just some holes to be filled in. The area will never have the consistency of old homes of Woodland Heights, but obviously there is a lot of potential (assuming developers don't take too many liberties with the area as it becomes more desirable).

[samagon]

Quiet neighborhood through-traffic is acheivable in most parts of town; its the trains that make people give Eastwood a second-thought.

trains don't seem to make much of a difference for the rapidly developing washington area, there are some really high dollar houses, townhomes, and condos that butt right up to the tracks, and they are just as loud and just as often.

I'm sure both areas are slated for the quiet zoning whenever that happens...

[TheNiche]

trains don't seem to make much of a difference for the rapidly developing washington area, there are some really high dollar houses, townhomes, and condos that butt right up to the tracks, and they are just as loud and just as often.

I'm sure both areas are slated for the quiet zoning whenever that happens...

The Washington Avenue Corridor has one set of tracks going through it. Eastwood is surrounded by an inescapable trianglular network of tracks, and any time that any one of the three tracks is in use, every part of the neighborhood can hear it. Sometimes multiple tracks are used at the same time.

I hear one right now.

To be clear, I don't mind the trains. I actually like their aesthetic and think that it would be really neat to live in a townhouse overlooking a rail yard. To me, this is a plus.

But I'm very abnormal.

Most homebuyers are sensitive to them and will avoid houses that are perceived to be too close to the tracks. This is why discounts can be had.

I hear another one, this time more distant. The conductor seems to be romantically involved with his horn.

To my knowledge, quiet zones are under study for some (but by no means all) of the East End. I know that Eastwood would benefit from them, but having said that Eastwood doesn't have the same level of clout as the River Oaks crowd. And 2nd Ward has basically no clout at all.

There's another one. Five short taps on the horn, then a long one, then a pause, then another long one, then a pause, then a tap, then several long ones.

[AtticaFlinch]

You say you are leasing. What part of the city vs. places you're looking to buy? You say that Eastwood is "seriously high" on your list - but what is higher?

Eastwood, Riverside Terrace, etc... Have "cute" little houses. A lot of character.

But... suddenly... you miss things like:

A.) Grocery stores - that you actually like shopping at.

B.) Quite neighborhood through traffic.

C.) Not worrying about your spouse's or kid's safety, especially around the neighborhood.

D.) Less gunfire.

E.) Free, and good, public education.

Right now I'm in the mulling stage. I have no immediate need to do anything, so I post on messageboards trying to determine where I'd like to eventually move when I do eventually move. As far as the negatives you've listed, sure it would suck to give up HEB and Kroger, but I like shopping at Fiesta and Mexican mercados too. I never shop at Randalls, and Whole Foods and Rice Epicurian aren't even on my radar. And with the quiet neighborhood thing, I'm currently in the Greenway area and was in Montrose before that. What many people see in the 'burbs as tranquility I see as stifling. I'd rather hold my head under water than contend with that quiet. With the safety and gunfire, before moving back to Houston I lived in Memphis, within a couple blocks of Orange Mound which is often regarded as one of the worst , if not the worst, neighborhood in America. My wife's also from Memphis. It's where we met. We're no strangers to danger, and as a result we carry ourselves differently than perhaps some other people might. And for the education, if it doesn't improve as I anticipate it might, there's no reason I won't be able to move. In fact, I doubt I'll even be in Houston in another five years and considering my kid's just a baby, education's largely irrelevant. Those are good points though, and they're certainly points I'd consider if I were looking to buy a home. As it is, I like renting. I've yet to hear a resoundingly convincing argument to promote buying a home. So, no worries over here.

[travelguy_73]

Filed under Eastwood amenities, Frank Mandola (Mandola Deli) recently purchased the yellow house next door to his deli on Leeland and closed down the day labor service that was there (good news in itself). The house is currently being offered up for anyone who wants to move it off the property. If there are no takers, it will be torn down. The deli will then be expanding. They will have more parking, an outdoor dining area, and a beer/wine license, plus expanded evening hours (I think their model is the Dry Creek/Cedar Creek "chain," though hopefully with better service ). I work with his wife, and she says they are very excited about the expansion, but that it will not happen overnight. So I would expect this time next year we will have another place to get out and meet the neighbors (I'm not a fan of Bohemo's).

So improvements do come, albeit slowly.

[Highway6]

Filed under Eastwood amenities, Frank Mandola (Mandola Deli) recently purchased the yellow house next door to his deli on Leeland and closed down the day labor service that was there (good news in itself).

Used to live off the Italian sausage poboy twice a week while in grad school.. damn, i wish i worked closer to there.

Congrats on his expanding.

[arisegundo]

Psst... lots of professionals and others interested in living in and improving Eastwood ARE brown, or even "indiginous". Can we please talk about this without the wink-wink racial code?

[musicman]

Psst... lots of professionals and others interested in living in and improving Eastwood ARE brown, or even "indiginous". Can we please talk about this without the wink-wink racial code?

i think you missed the joke a few yrs back. a hispanic friend of mine in eastwood was at a neighborhood party and kept hearing the word indigenous used by the caucasians. my friend was laughing cause they were using it repeatedly not realizing the ethnic origins of the person they were saying it to.

[Highway6]

For big chunks of the East End, indigenous could equally refer to the Germans and the Italians.

[TheNiche]

In fact, I doubt I'll even be in Houston in another five years and considering my kid's just a baby, education's largely irrelevant. Those are good points though, and they're certainly points I'd consider if I were looking to buy a home. As it is, I like renting. I've yet to hear a resoundingly convincing argument to promote buying a home.

If you don't think that you're going to live in the same place for at least five years, then you should definitely rent. The up-front closing costs and amortization make it very difficult to break even otherwise.

[TheNiche]

Psst... lots of professionals and others interested in living in and improving Eastwood ARE brown, or even "indiginous". Can we please talk about this without the wink-wink racial code?

I picked up the term from musicman and also from one of crunchtastic's stories and throw it around myself, mostly just to piss off the easily-offended...but also to poke fun at the snobby mentality of most racially/ethnically white gentrifiers. It's all in good humor.

Still, the term as it is used by people who are serious about it has more to do with ethnicity than race. I bought a house in Eastwood with a friend a few years back, and the friend lives there. She's black-skinned, but is more white than I could ever hope to be. Likewise, one of my roommates is hispanic, but he's also 'showtunes' gay and is the whitest of all of us. Neither of these people could survive 2nd Ward or 3rd Ward, which are just a half-mile away from Eastwood to the north and south, respectively.

[arisegundo]

I picked up the term from musicman and also from one of crunchtastic's stories and throw it around myself, mostly just to piss off the easily-offended...but also to poke fun at the snobby mentality of most racially/ethnically white gentrifiers. It's all in good humor.

Gotcha. The irony doesn't always come through to me. I blame all the chron.com comments I subject myself to. "IT'S GONNA RAIN TOMORROW? I BLAME OBAMA AND THE ILLEGALS!"

[samagon]

Filed under Eastwood amenities, Frank Mandola (Mandola Deli) recently purchased the yellow house next door to his deli on Leeland and closed down the day labor service that was there (good news in itself). The house is currently being offered up for anyone who wants to move it off the property. If there are no takers, it will be torn down. The deli will then be expanding. They will have more parking, an outdoor dining area, and a beer/wine license, plus expanded evening hours (I think their model is the Dry Creek/Cedar Creek "chain," though hopefully with better service ). I work with his wife, and she says they are very excited about the expansion, but that it will not happen overnight. So I would expect this time next year we will have another place to get out and meet the neighbors (I'm not a fan of Bohemo's).

So improvements do come, albeit slowly.

That will be awesome, if it comes to fruition, I'm never home to go to Mandola's when they're open, but I've always heard good things. and it would be a great way to make my friends come out to the east end, instead of making me trek it over to their side of the world!

Places like this will really help to change people's perception of the area, I know even among my friends, that live in midtown, they refer to themselves as 'on the front lines' of the good part of town, and they refer to me as 'being behind enemy lines' I think it's funny, but I also think that there is truth in it that people have this perception of the area.

When places like that open that draw people in, their perception will change for the better!

[MasonParkThree]

Niche, I know you're one of the East side's biggest cheerleaders, and I know for better or worse depending on one's perspective, the area is changing.

For all those that live there, or plan on living in that part of town - Do you have kids? Do you plan on having kids? Austin High, while certainly not at the bottom of HISD, isn't exactly at the top of the city rankings either. It's roughly the 5th ranked HISD school, though its in the middle of the pack as far as all area districts are concerned.

Do you plan on living there long enough to have your kids attend Austin. Do you expect Austin to move up in the rankings as the area gets even more gentrified?

Do you send or plan to send your kids to a magnet or private school ? Do you intend to move to a better district in the future if you think it would better serve your kids educational interests?

How much did educational zoning, for middle and elementary schools as well, played a part in choosing to move to your current location?

We are parents of young children and live in the East End. I doubt I will be sending my kids to Austin H.S. (or Milby, where we are zoned) simply because I don't have to. Those who live in HISD have the luxury of school choice. If you don't want your child to attend your zoned school than you can apply elsewhere. If you are accepted into a magnet program (which starts in K), then you can also expect your child to be bussed to the school of your choice at no cost. There have recently been plans to scrap the magnet transportation program though, and I'm sure changes are imminent. I would send my child to Lantrip, however, and possibly De Zavala or Carrillo (Vanguard).

http://www.houstonis...00052147fa6RCRD

[Highway6]

We are parents of young children and live in the East End. I doubt I will be sending my kids to Austin H.S. (or Milby, where we are zoned) simply because I don't have to. Those who live in HISD have the luxury of school choice. If you don't want your child to attend your zoned school than you can apply elsewhere. If you are accepted into a magnet program (which starts in K), then you can also expect your child to be bussed to the school of your choice at no cost. There have recently been plans to scrap the magnet transportation program though, and I'm sure changes are emminent. I would send my child to Lantrip, however, and possibly De Zavala or Carrillo (Vanguard).

You cant necessarily send your kid to the zoned school of your choice though, right ? Your choice is either zoned school, charter, or magnet school if they qualify, like HSPVA..... not Bellaire, if you dont live in that zone?

What, or where, are the charter schools that you always hear about on tv. The ones that seem to be run by lowlifes that are padding their enrollments and it comes across as a money making scheme. I assume now those are all State charter schools and have nothing to do with HISD.

Maybe my perception of charter schools in general has been influenced by those news stories - along with ridiculous school names like YES college prep, Comquest Academy, and Raul Yzaguirre School For Success

[kylejack]

My brother went to a good charter school in Memorial, can't recall the name....

[Highway6]

charters also depress me.. who wants their kid to not have the option to join or to least be exposed to sports, band, JCL, chess club etc.

[totheskies]

Niche, I know you're one of the East side's biggest cheerleaders, and I know for better or worse depending on one's perspective, the area is changing.

For all those that live there, or plan on living in that part of town - Do you have kids? Do you plan on having kids? Austin High, while certainly not at the bottom of HISD, isn't exactly at the top of the city rankings either. It's roughly the 5th ranked HISD school, though its in the middle of the pack as far as all area districts are concerned.

Do you plan on living there long enough to have your kids attend Austin. Do you expect Austin to move up in the rankings as the area gets even more gentrified?

Do you send or plan to send your kids to a magnet or private school ? Do you intend to move to a better district in the future if you think it would better serve your kids educational interests?

How much did educational zoning, for middle and elementary schools as well, played a part in choosing to move to your current location?

Austin High and Jackson middle are getting better. I live on Jefferson very close to Austin High, and have helped out the marching band there. It's a good group of kids. Just watch for the school to improve vastly over the next 5 years.

I have to say I love the East End, and I think the neighborhood has character. The location is ideal (especially for someone like me that works at UofH and downtown), and the price is still reasonable. The area's retail landscape needs improvement that's for sure, but it's coming along. I STILL think that places like Kombat Kroger are really what's holding the area back, but hopefully the 2010 census will reveal these changes and motivate more businesses to move into the area.

[MasonParkThree]

You cant necessarily send your kid to the zoned school of your choice though, right ? Your choice is either zoned school, charter, or magnet school if they qualify, like HSPVA..... not Bellaire, if you dont live in that zone?

Technically, you can apply for a transfer to any school, zoned, magnet or otherwise, for any reason. Also, keep in mind that there are dozens of magnet programs in HISD schools, even underperforming ones, ie. Milby's successful science/engineering magnet. Most of those programs do not require testing, only interest in the magnet focus and "space available". You can apply to as many magnet programs as you want. There is only a limit on Vanguard (G/T) applications, three.

[TheNiche]

I live on Jefferson very close to Austin High...

That makes three of us on Jefferson, so far. Anyone else?

Technically, you can apply for a transfer to any school, zoned, magnet or otherwise, for any reason.

Yep. It seems to be a pretty well-recognized fact among active parents zoned to high schools like Austin or Jeff Davis. As long as the parent can provide transportation, the success rate is supposedly quite high.

[samagon]

The Washington Avenue Corridor has one set of tracks going through it. Eastwood is surrounded by an inescapable trianglular network of tracks, and any time that any one of the three tracks is in use, every part of the neighborhood can hear it. Sometimes multiple tracks are used at the same time.

I hear one right now.

To be clear, I don't mind the trains. I actually like their aesthetic and think that it would be really neat to live in a townhouse overlooking a rail yard. To me, this is a plus.

But I'm very abnormal.

Most homebuyers are sensitive to them and will avoid houses that are perceived to be too close to the tracks. This is why discounts can be had.

I hear another one, this time more distant. The conductor seems to be romantically involved with his horn.

To my knowledge, quiet zones are under study for some (but by no means all) of the East End. I know that Eastwood would benefit from them, but having said that Eastwood doesn't have the same level of clout as the River Oaks crowd. And 2nd Ward has basically no clout at all.

There's another one. Five short taps on the horn, then a long one, then a pause, then another long one, then a pause, then a tap, then several long ones.

At one of my friends houses, well, townhome, their place is about 50ft from the tracks, they can almost feel it when the engine rolls by. They also paid a hefty sum more for their place what I paid for mine.

Yeah we have to listen to the horns, I remember the first night I slept in my house there was one conductor whose method of blowing his horn was to just lay on it for a good 10 seconds. I thought that thing would never stop. hahaha.

The good thing about living 3 or 4 blocks away from the tracks is that if you have all of your windows closed you can't really hear them unless you are trying to, and I imagine with better windows there would be even less noise in the house. If I go outside for a cigarette while on the phone and a train goes by, whoever I am talking to asks about it.

In my opinion the sounds of rail are fine, it is when I am inconvenienced by them and I have to take a different route to work, but even that is a minor inconvenience. Granted when I am riding my bike on leeland and have to stop at cullen, that is a bother, and potentially unsafe if I am riding home late at night on a weekend, usually I am riding with others if it is dark, but still, not fun.

Anyway, I guess I was providing anecdotal evidence that I have a few friends that spent way more than me on housing even closer to the tracks and they don't find it to be a big deal.

I understand that there are people who will shy away from the locations because there are railroads, but Houston has a high enough population and places this close to town aren't easy to come by, the influx will happen.

On a completely separate subject (well, still trains and still eastwood) I learned on the history channel that each conductor has their own way that they blow the horn, and I try to listen to see if I can pick out the same ones as they go by, I think I've heard the guy with the 5 short and 1 long multiple times, usually in the early evening. There is also a guy with 2 short 1 long and 3 short that I hear pretty often.

[Highway6]

Yep. It seems to be a pretty well-recognized fact among active parents zoned to high schools like Austin or Jeff Davis. As long as the parent can provide transportation, the success rate is supposedly quite high.

If that's the case, then schools would be zero obstacle in moving wherever you wanted. Even if the only obstacle were having to drive your kids out of zone to the better school, it seems the top 2-3 high schools in HISD would be overwhelmed with transfer requests.

And perhaps they are... but there has to be a max capacity.

So no, i find it hard to believe that its just that easy for any parents in a less than stellar school can drive their kids to bellaire or lamar every day and problem is solved.

HISD website seems to post some restrictions.

Parents may also apply to a school other than the “zoned” campus forother types of transfers, such as Magnet/Vanguard, special transfersfor courses or programs, impassable geographic barriers,majority-to-minority, space-available, out-of-district, violent-crimevictim, unsafe school, adequate yearly progress, and public educationgrant.

[Highway6]

What are the approximate boundaries of Eastwood anyways?

East End management district website doesnt list the various neighborhoods, nor can i find a map anywhere. Eastwood Association website is equally unhelpful.

Edit.

Nevermind.. found an old map. Eastwood is smaller and more West than i thought.

What neighborhoods make up the area east of Eastwood -

North of Lawndale and Telephone, South of Harrisburg, from Dumble to Wayside ?

Or is this also considered Eastwood in the broader sense ?