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Rice Village History


IronTiger

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Does anyone have a good idea of what Rice Village used to be like before its current incarnation as a more upscale place with chains and quirky boutiques? 

 

The closest I've found is a long-standing bead shop that closed a few years back (along with the late Variety Fair, and a head shop called "The Rat Hole"). Was it more of a counter-cultural store collection, or more of just a ramshackle bunch of businesses that congregate around universities and aim for the college student demographic? Or both?

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Ramshackle bunch of businesses probably best applies to the old Village. There certainly wasn't a lot of upscale shops.  I don't believe it ever catered to the University crowd as much as the area's residents. It had grocery stores, good restaurants and a nice theater. The Village struggled in the 60's and 70's when indoor malls were the big thing. The cracker jack multi-screen movie houses of the 80's killed the old Village theater. 

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a ramshackle bunch of businesses that congregate around universities and aim for the college student demographic? 

 

Closer to this, but although there were certainly some that thrived off the college student demographic (in the era before email and the web were commonplace, Kinko's used to do a land-office business providing copy sets of course materials assigned by professors), there were as many or more that catered to nearby neighborhoods. Prior to the late 80s, a significant chunk of West University Place (as well as the area bounded by University, Greenbriar, Holcombe, and Kirby) was comprised of modest post-WW2 housing stock that had gone to seed in varying degrees. 

 

Off the top of my head, some of the older (pre-redevelopment) businesses that used to be there besides the Bead Shop, Variety Fair, and the Village Theater:

 

World Toy and Gift Shop

University Men's and Boy's Shop (clothing store)

Jones Apothecary (pharmacy)

Rice Food Market

Weingarten's

Henke & Pillot (grocery)

Swiss Haus (restaurant)

Alfred's (deli)

Charlie's Hamburger Joint

Burger-Ville #2

BF Goodrich (tire shop, across the street from the Gingerman)

Dromgoole's (still there, refocused from a typewriter shop to high-end writing instruments)

Edited by mkultra25
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A nice theater? When i came to Houston in 1976, it was already a porn palace. There were a bunch of what we would now call quirky shops, with a Weingartens for groceries, and a bunch of hobby type places. At the time, West U had not really started its transformation to upscale living, and was mostly a bunch of older, small houses. I much preferred the pre-renovation Village, but can't say I blame the owners for trying to maximize their income.

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IIRC, I think The Village Theatre was still nice at least into the early 60s.  As a kid (in the 50s-60s) I went there several times.   However, I do remember that later on there was a porn theatre in Rice Village ... its certainly possible that it operated in the same building, but I can't recall that with certainty.  If so, it wasn't the only formerly nice Houston theatre to go porn for a few years before shutting down for good.

 

I also remember The Jones Apothecary which had a number of locations in Houston.  On their signs, the letters "ONE" in Jones were made larger, such that at first glance they appeared to read "The ONE Apothecary"

 

Alfred's had really good deli meats and luscious, thick sandwiches.  To this day, my mouth waters at the thought of them.  While in grad school, I bought beads at The Bead Shop for experimental use.  And, of course, there was Weingarten's.     

 

In the 50's, my parents rented a house on Darcus Street in Southside Place (adjacent to and just west of West U).  The owner offered sell it to them for $5000.  I wonder what that lot would sell for now!  :-)

 

 

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I don't have a lot to add to David Kaplan's wonderful article except to note that now many of the remaining funky old spots that he mentioned are gone nearly twenty years later.  The Village Theater was a porn house back before video and there was also a little one called Art Cinema that was right next to where Le Peep is (was?) on a cross street.   The building that became Hungry's was a mom-n-pop owned Dairy Queen in the early 1980s.   Before Caribana, that was a country bar called Cowboy on Rice Boulevard.   Caribana later became notorious for its 3 for 1 happy hour.   The Village Theater was indeed quite nice in its day; it was a MacKie and Kamrath project.  I don't remember the name but Half Price Books on University was originally a fancy department store with a terrazzo sidewalk and large grand staircase up to a mezzanine level.  There were a small handful of businesses that tried to cater to the University student body: Collegiate Cleaners and Ed Nirken's University Men and Boys Shop for a couple.  I remember having a map of the Village listing all the businesses when I started at Rice in 1980; it's possible that I might still have it but it would be hard to find.   It might not really count, but Hamburgers by Gourmet was right across Kirby.

 

Parking was not particularly an issue in the Village until it became yuppified.  Back in 1980 it was actually a little scary at night in some places.

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There were 3 up scale ladies wear stores in the 60s Schep's on the south east corner of Kirby & University. Also on University was Craig's. & Palais Royal. Back in the 50s and 60s these stores were considered upscale stores. There also was a huge Oshman's sporting goods store. 

 

There was a Le Que pool hall on the north east corner of Times Blvd. & Kelvin Dr. in the 60s & 70s that I played at all the time, it was open 24 hours so me & my friends would go there after midnight and play till early in the morning.

 

 

Edited by blue92
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There was a menswear store on Times Blvd in what I think is not the Beautique Spa.  Was it Herman's?  Anyway they had some nice stuff.

 

Rodney's was in that location in the 50's-60's.  I went there many times.  Also went to Harris' Men and Boy's Wear on University.

Edited by 57Tbird
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There was also a bakery about two streets over from University Blvd in the Village. At the moment, I cannot recall the name. I believe it stayed in business until the 90's? They made really good cakes.

 

That was Moeller's.  There was also a candy shop.  See's?  Kegg's?  Don't remember.

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There were 3 up scale ladies wear stores in the 60s Schep's on the south east corner of Kirby & University. Also on University was Craig's. & Palais Royal. Back in the 50s and 60s these stores were considered upscale stores. There also was a huge Oshman's sporting goods store. 

 

There was a Le Que pool hall on the north east corner of Times Blvd. & Kelvin Dr. in the 60s & 70s that I played at all the time, it was open 24 hours so me & my friends would go there after midnight and play till early in the morning.

Flashback! I had forgotten the upstairs billiard hall Le Que. Used to go to the Catacombs (later called Of Our Own) and then go to Le Que for some late night/early morning pool. Who knows. We may have shot a game together. 

 

Rodney's was in that location in the 50's-60's.  I went there many times.  Also went to Harris' Men and Boy's Wear on University.

My Mom worked at Rodney's in the early 60's. It was an upscale store. 

 

I remember seeing the Exorcist when it first came out at the Village theater. Scared the crap out of me. 

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IIRC, I think The Village Theatre was still nice at least into the early 60s.  As a kid (in the 50s-60s) I went there several times.   However, I do remember that later on there was a porn theatre in Rice Village ... its certainly possible that it operated in the same building, but I can't recall that with certainty.  If so, it wasn't the only formerly nice Houston theatre to go porn for a few years before shutting down for good.

 

I think this may be the one you're thinking about.  I believe it was across the street from Rodney's on the west side.

 

post-873-0-03689500-1413215818.jpg

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According to IMDB that was released in December 1968, presumably so it would be eligible for the 1968 Academy Awards.

As I guessed, it's a lesbian porn flick. From what I've read on IMDB, it actually isn't that good of a movie though.

 

 

Getting back on topic, what was the south part of the complex like, pre-Arcade? I know there was a Jack in the Box there (or some other fast food, maybe KFC) but it just seemed a lot less dense than the essentially-outdoor mall we have now.

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Art Cinema was, as I said, more or less where Cafe Chino was.  Next door to what became Le Peep.   I believe there was Jack in the Box at the corner of Kirby and Times or something like that.  Maybe Kirby and Rice.   University Boulevard, north side, was University Men and Boys Shop, World Toy and Gift, Village Theatre, and Eckerd Drugs.  Next block was Weingarten's grocery store.  South side, other than replacing Poor Man's Country Club with some dumb bank, is basically the same set of buildings, just different tenants in some of them.

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Hamburgers by Gourmet was at the corner of Kirby and University.  Wagner Hardware on Kirby a little north of Times I believe.  On the NW corner of Kirby and Rice Blvd there was - and may still be - a fenced-off area that looked like it might have had a gas station at some point.  

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Used to go to a place called the "Diamondhead" club?? I believe it was.. Back in the mid-late 70's..

I think that was in the village or nearby.. We used to go there on cheap pitcher night and

drink mass quantities of golden beverage while watching bands like Allan Haynes, and such..

Didn't really spend much time in the village area other than that.. I do recall seeing Eric Johnson at

the old Tower theater back in the mid-late 80's or thereabouts.

 

 

 

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There was a half-priced books in an old bldg. I used to frequent in West U. I loved walking through, checking out the details of the place, 1990's, I think it was. I think it would be west of the tapas restaurant, now. Had old display windows & a back loft, balcony, staircase, and a tiny smaller room to the left. Reminded me of those '50's ladies clothing stores at Gulfgate. 

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