Westbury Square History

[pineda]

Examiner discusses Westbury Rebels mascot

[MisterProton]

...I am wanting to post a few more of the pictures, but I seem to have maxxed out the 500k allowed. How are you other guys able to post so many pictures at once?

[musicman]

...I am wanting to post a few more of the pictures, but I seem to have maxxed out the 500k allowed. How are you other guys able to post so many pictures at once?

are you hosting them somewhere else? and just putting a link to them here?

[nm5k]

Those are pretty early pictures.. I never saw westbury square with grass around the

piazza.. When I moved here in 69, all that was already covered up with cement, tiles,

etc... Was wall to wall covered, with no grass anywhere. So I'd guestimate that card

was from the early to mid 60's..Judging from the clothes worn, I'd say about 63-64-65??

The middle pix shows where I worked in the early 70's.. "Al -betos".

"The shop with the red door"

But... In that pix, the sign seems to not say Al-betos, but something else.. So maybe that

was a different restaurant at that time..?? Hard to read the sign though...

I remember I used to like to buy the short scented candles from the candle shop..

They would have wood bins full of those things, in all flavors and scents... You could

buy them fairly cheap.. I used to like the Vanilla scented ones... Strawberry was pretty

good too..

MK

[stu]

..Judging from the clothes worn, I'd say about 63-64-65??

The middle pix shows where I worked in the early 70's.. "Al -betos".

"The shop with the red door" But... In that pix, the sign seems to not say Al-betos, but something else.. So maybe that

was a different restaurant at that time..?? Hard to read the sign though...

Hi, Mk. in 63-64-65, I was 10, 11 and 12, and all over that square, on my bike and on foot, just about every day. At the time, the restaurant with the red door was an Italian restaurant named Mario's. They had really good cheeses as part of the appetizers, and they put a fresh "drip" candle from the candle shop in the Chianti bottle in the window every day, so they had this huge multicolored wax chianti bottle sculpture thing going..

Real good Italian sausage.. good wines, I guess, because many distinctive bottles were around.. Italian accordion music playing from a small speaker outside..the first letter in that picture doesn't look too much like an "M" from that angle, granted, but that was the name of it..

stu

[Captain Impossible]

so, vintage park in forty years?

[musicman]

so, vintage park in forty years?

LOL

[gsutiger2]

Well if there is any petition I need to sign to get things moved I will be the first to sign. It's such a shame to have a neighborhood in such a GREAT location be wasted on useless & non abiding businesses.

[MisterProton]

are you hosting them somewhere else? and just putting a link to them here?

No, I am trying to upload them to this message board. It says that I have 500kb max allowable space, and I've uploaded ~440kb already - which isn't very many pictures. I'm new to BB postings, and I know I'm missing some easy trick to posting pictures...

[MisterProton]

See if this link works to see

Old Pics of Westbury Square

[musicman]

See if this link works to see

Old Pics of Westbury Square

yeah that worked MrP. thank you for sharing those.

Edited May 11, 2007 by musicman

[nm5k]

Hi, Mk. in 63-64-65, I was 10, 11 and 12, and all over that square, on my bike and on foot, just about every day. At the time, the restaurant with the red door was an Italian restaurant named Mario's. They had really good cheeses as part of the appetizers, and they put a fresh "drip" candle from the candle shop in the Chianti bottle in the window every day, so they had this huge multicolored wax chianti bottle sculpture thing going..

Real good Italian sausage.. good wines, I guess, because many distinctive bottles were around.. Italian accordion music playing from a small speaker outside..the first letter in that picture doesn't look too much like an "M" from that angle, granted, but that was the name of it..

stu

Yea, I remember Marios now... I forgot all about that place.. It was still there when I moved here..

So I guess they left, and Al-Beto's came in sometime between 69 and say 72 or so.. I started working

there about 73 I think. I think that location is now about where the lumber is in Home despot...

MK

[cmb]

I am a member of the Westbury Civic Club Board and wanted to provide some facts to help understand why Westbury Square and Centerette are the way they are.

1. Westbury Square

There has been a lot of discussion about what to do with WS since the 1980's but the current ownership does not want to do anything with the property. There are theories as to why they don't want to do anything and you can speculate amongst yourselves. The City of Houston has tried a number of times to take action, but everytime they do the property title is transferred to a new "owner". Its a very messy situation and seems only to get messier. The property is in terrible condition and should be torn down. There are homeless folks living in a number of the closed retail locations. The theatre groups location has water leaks and huge holes in the back walls.

2. Westbury Centerette, Strip Center facing W. Bellfort next to Auto Zone, Exxon Station (abandoned)

The Centerette and Strip Center are owned by a family living in Mexico. There have been attempts to buy the property but as with family ownership there has yet to be complete agreement on a deal by all parties. So they sit and are an eyesore.

The Exxon Station which was closed in the late 1990's is currently abandoned and growing weeds and attracting graffitti. The tanks were removed by Exxon. The owner is Saeed Gaddi and his wife Shazia. Mr. Gaddi is quite active in the Indo-Pakistani community in Houston and owns other commercial property in the area. He even has a radio program. Several people have attempted to negotiate a sale but he is not interested in doing anything with the property. it might be a case where Councilman M.J. Khan (evidently a friend of Mr. Gaddi's) will have to intervene to get an abandoned building (which MJ hates) sold, demolished, or cleaned up.

3. Westbury Triangle Shopping Center w/99 cent only store

Our friends at Weingarten's realty own this shopping center. Evidently they kept ownership of it from the 1960's when a Weingartens was located there. The center is currently over 25% vacant since CVS abandoned the store. The auto repair isn't really welcome by Westbury residents, we've already got enough auto repair eyesores. I've suggested we try and get them to redevelop the center and buy up the Westbury Square land and create a really nice shopping village.

The civic club is very active and is working on a lot of plans. Westbury has a lot of potential and with the changes coming as a result of Willow Waterhole park and a new Master Plan for the community things are very exciting for us.

Do you know anything about the attempts that have been made to purchase the Exxon station and the property owned by the family in Mexico? It would seem like if they got a good enough offer they would be willing to sell, but as you said, some people don't have sense.

I live in Westbury and drive by that place every day, and for some reason a few months ago I began to wonder what the situation was there. I was delighted to find the information you posted.

I am curious to know how much has been offered and what has prevented a deal from going through. Also, do you know if has anyone recently tried to buy either property?

[LarryDallas]

Those post card photos from the glory days of the square are awesome! At the same time, they make me want to cry at how that place went from such a wonderful independent business and no motor vehicle place to the concrete jungle home depot is now.

I would have to say while all of us on the board, minus a very small minority, wish the square was now as it was once, we have to be realistic. These times in which we live are nothing like the times were back in the 60s. I was born in 78 so I do not speak from firsthand experience but even in my lifetime I have seen our culture and population move towards egomania, anti-social, and flat out rude behavior. These days people want to drive to a big box store in an urban assualt vehicle that screams "I have more money than you do", buy communist made chinese goods on the cheap, and not give a rat's tail about much more. People used to be more nicer and more friendly just a decade or two ago in my experience so the 60s must have been way better than I even know.

Anyway, while we will most probably never see that style of community square place in town I would like to see the square preserved somehow. These days if you want that kind of walkable marketplace in the neighborhood you have to shell out megabucks and live in a town where not just a subdivision is masterplanned but the whole city is a planned community.

A sterling example of this is a place like Celebration, Florida.

http://www.celebrationfl.com/

[EastEnd Susan]

Last time I was at Westbury Square was in the late 70's. My nextdoor neighbor had decided to start brewing his own beer and we went there to some shop that sold all the things you need to bottle your own brew... including labels. We ended up in a shop that sold all kinds of stuff. I bought a foot long curved knife in a hard leather case for my brother. I remember it cost me 5 dollars. I just loved the feel of Westbury Square.

[Croberts]

I would have to say while all of us on the board, minus a very small minority, wish the square was now as it was once, we have to be realistic. These times in which we live are nothing like the times were back in the 60s. I was born in 78 so I do not speak from firsthand experience but even in my lifetime I have seen our culture and population move towards egomania, anti-social, and flat out rude behavior. These days people want to drive to a big box store in an urban assualt vehicle that screams "I have more money than you do", buy communist made chinese goods on the cheap, and not give a rat's tail about much more. (quote from LarryDallas)

These days if you want that kind of walkable marketplace in the neighborhood you have to shell out megabucks and live in a town where not just a subdivision is masterplanned but the whole city is a planned community.(quote from LarryDallas)

New Urbanist communities like celebration are rapidly becoming the way to get development project through the planning and zoning as well as public hearing phase. We have multiple examples in Florida, City Place, Mizner Plaza are two westbury squarelike developments in Palm Beach county alone, and just yesterday we had the experience of a developer tooting a megasuburb disguised as a mixed use neighborhood and pedestrian oriented development where everyone would live where they work.

One thing that is missing from all of them is the unique quality of the square. I will never grasp how it was possible to get so many one of a kind shops run by the craftsmen themselves to congregate there. The Candle Shop, The scent shop (wrong name) cargo houston, electric paisley, etc. How can so many creative and independent merchants and craftsmen be attracted to a single development? Our New Urbanist plazas are full of corporate chains. Starbucks, Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, high end corporate retail to be sure, but really no examples of a one of a kind craftsmen or merchant.

[isuredid]

The scent shop (wrong name)

The Chemist Shop - I would love to have a bottle of Earth Oil if anyone still has any laying around

[EastEnd Susan]

The Chemist Shop - I would love to have a bottle of Earth Oil if anyone still has any laying around

Sorry... all I have left is Sandlewood, Musk and Patchouli.

Edited May 17, 2007 by EastEnd Susan

[Vertigo58]

I have seen our culture and population move towards egomania, anti-social, and flat out rude behavior.

Sounds like you just summed up some of the rotten apples on Haif They stand out like sore thumbs.

Like Maude said, "God will get you for that"

[isuredid]

Sorry... all I have left is Sandlewood, Musk and Patchouli.

I'll trade you a suede fringe vest, some chukka boots, and a soap on a rope for your oils.

[EastEnd Susan]

I'll trade you a suede fringe vest, some chukka boots, and a soap on a rope for your oils.

Who could pass up a deal like that??? SOLD!!.. ok now on a serious note.. I went to HEB last weekend..we have one of those huge HEB stores on 528 and 518. Anyway they now have a section with OILS!!! yes, OILS!!! I must have stood there for 45 min. sniffing oils. They're the good kind too. Kinda pricey but wow what great sniffs I had. They have all the old ones we used to sniff at The Chemist place. Check it out. Give yourself a trip to the past.

[sevfiv]

stopped by tonight - ugh

Edited May 24, 2007 by sevfiv

[EastEnd Susan]

stopped by tonight - ugh

Great pics as always. Thanks for posting.

[Tournstone]

I have fond early childhood memories of that place. The satelite image on Google maps shows how things look currently. But I was trying to remember the configuration before all the changes as I look through all the great photos past and present every one has posted. Best I could dig up was a satelite image from 1995. Sure, things had allready fallen apart, but the image shows mostly where things were before the Home Depot. I cleaned it up as best I could.

And The Houston Business Journal did a story in 2002 about an attempt to revive things, but nothing happened I guess. Some history in the story though.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories.../28/focus1.html

Edited June 5, 2007 by Tournstone

[Disastro]

I'm new here, but I remember my parents taking me to Westbury Square during the mid to late 60's. I remember they had a candy store there that was like wall to wall candy...someone may have talked about it already, but I am too lazy to dig through. Does anyone remember the name of that place?

[nm5k]

>What used to be where the driveway is now located? All of the buildings have stairs that lead down to the driveway.

It used to be a big parking lot, all the way from the bull @ anchor, to the parking lot that dominoes is on,

all the way back to about halfway between chimney rock, and W. bellfort. There used to be a hill of dirt

adjoining chimney rock, and many used to ride bikes there. At the south side of the parking lot, "at the

back, if you came in on W.Bellfort, there used to be brick stairs that led to an elevated sidewalk. I think

originally the sidewalk may have actually connected to the square near rumpleheimers, but in the later

years, it was closed off. So they would leave their cars, and instead go up one of the stairways that

you see. There were at least two sets.. One at bull @ anchor, and I think there was another one down

by where the candle shop used to be. When the square was going, you could pull in the parking lot

at the entrance at B @ A, and drive all the way around, across the back, and then you could come

back out at the east entrance which was near dominoes.. All in the middle was parking spaces,

the usual westbury square type of parking lot lights, etc..

You can probably see most of that still intact on the '95 picture recently posted.

MK

[Croberts]

It used to be a big parking lot, all the way from the bull @ anchor, to the parking lot that dominoes is on,

all the way back to about halfway between chimney rock, and W. bellfort. There used to be a hill of dirt

adjoining chimney rock, and many used to ride bikes there. At the south side of the parking lot, "at the

back, if you came in on W.Bellfort, there used to be brick stairs that led to an elevated sidewalk. I think

originally the sidewalk may have actually connected to the square near rumpleheimers, but in the later

years, it was closed off. So they would leave their cars, and instead go up one of the stairways that

you see. There were at least two sets.. One at bull @ anchor, and I think there was another one down

by where the candle shop used to be.

I heard in the mid sixties that the original plan was to build a lake where the depressed parking lot was. I used to ride on the dirt hill and in the trenches. The elevated sidewalk did connect to the square until at least the early 1970s.

[LarryDallas]

The 95 pic makes me want to cry. Home Depot is nothing but a thug. They had enough of a parcel of land to place the store facing Chimney Rock with the rear facing the square with enough room for trucks to be able to get to their loading docks. As it is over 50% of the Home Depot lot is never used. The only time I recall it was even over 50% capacity occupied was in the 2-3 day period right before hurricane Rita was coming this way. If they had bulit a lake (as city park property) where the land was in the glory days of the square we might have been spared the ugly Home Depot coming in.

Although it will likely not occur I would like to see that whole area gutted and single family homes built where Home Depot, 99 cent store, and the Chase are. With rising energy prices this location is more valuable than it used to be when gas was 99 cents and Sugarland was a viable option.

It is very odd that this parcel of land sat idle so long from the 60s to 95. Currently there is a small lot of land right in front on Home Depot next to the Dominos Pizza for sale. It is big enough to accomodate a fast food joint. I pray that does not occur. God help us if a McDonalds opens up and all sorts of crime comes along with it.

[apower]

This was sent out in the westbury crier email list. Thought I would repost it here just in case. Also, I think this is awesome.

---------

Westbury is one of Houston's largest subdivisions with about 5000

residences. The formal subdivision is over 50 years old, and we are

fortunate to have a number of original residents and "almost

original" residents in the area. The Westbury Civic Club has decided

to undertake a project to preserve the history of the area,

including photos, documents, and videos if possible.

How can you help us? We are looking for a number of things including

the following items.

* Original sales documents or sales brochures for homes in the area

from 1953 to the present.

* Newspaper articles on Westbury from 1953 to present

* Newspaper advertisements about Westbury from 1953 to present

* Photos of the area, please label them with location and date if

possible

* Any film you might have converted to video.

Basically we are looking for anything that might provide a

historical reference for folks as Westbury moves into its second 50

years of history. Electronic documents can be e-mailed to

westburyhistory. houston@gmail. com

If you have printed documents that you would be willing to let us

scan, please send a note to the e-mail address also. If you don't

have e-mail or internet access please call the WCC office at 713-723-

5437 and leave information for us to be able to contact you.

[native5th]

Does anyone remember that hamburger joint next to Westbury Square? It had a carousel in the middle of the restaurant.. It went really slow, and the animals on the carousel all had trays on them, so kids could sit on the animals and eat their hamburgers..this would have been around 1968..