Eastwood Neighborhood Real Estate

[EastwoodCruisin]

Been living in Greater Eastwood for about four years now, crazy how the area has changed and developed so much in that time. Driving around the other afternoon I came across a gorgeous home that caught my eye in a very peculiar way. Traditional spin with a modern flair and what looked to be an additional greenhouse in the backyard from what I could see through the large privacy fence. Has anyone else had the opportunity to see this home on Polk Street near Eddington? What do you think about homes in the area being given new life and the impact on the overall community it has?

[Montrose1100]

Polk, Mckinney, Park, and even Leeland have the potential to become the next Heights Blvd, White Oak, and Bayland.

 

Anyone who owns one of those homes will be looking at major $ if they decide to sell in 10-15 years. Right smack in the middle of a fantastic future. South of East River/Navigation/Harrisburg, East of Downtown and East Downtown (lol), North of UH, Northwest of Telephone which is already a super cool area, directly west of "Downtown East End" aka Harrisburg @ Wayside, a stones throw from the new Botanical Gardens.

 

Some of the homes in the area are sprucing up. Even some of the ones who could use a little TLC are fantastic inside.

 

As for the community, well, there's a lot of backlash against the G word but turning old warehouses and lots into townhouses is a much better improvement than turning beautiful old homes into townhouses. 

[s3mh]

Eastwood is about where the Heights was 10 years ago in terms of pricing.  House flippers are scurrying around Eastwood like crazy now.  I do not think there will be the same trajectory as the Heights because the location is very different.  But that is a good thing because the next phase of gentrification would be to teardown everything and build 4400 square foot lot line houses.  

[Avossos]

I think the East end will be changing a lot over the next 20 years.

 

There is momentum there. The botanical garden will help. EADO stuff will help. Houston's Urban revitalization will help...

 

I hope Eastwood looks ahead and protects itself from people coming in and wrecking havoc. Heights has managed to keep it's roots, despite the fact you see some major developments there. I think Eastwood can do the same with some thought and preparation. Min lot size / historic district / deeds / management district / tirz... all these things can help. I wouldn't trust developers' ability to best protect the area...

[ljchou]

Where is the botanical garden going?

[Houston19514]

40 minutes ago, ljchou said:

Where is the botanical garden going?

 

http://hbg.org/

http://hbg.org/faq

[linearmovement]

2 hours ago, Avossos said:

I think the East end will be changing a lot over the next 20 years.

 

There is momentum there. The botanical garden will help. EADO stuff will help. Houston's Urban revitalization will help...

 

I hope Eastwood looks ahead and protects itself from people coming in and wrecking havoc. Heights has managed to keep it's roots, despite the fact you see some major developments there. I think Eastwood can do the same with some thought and preparation. Min lot size / historic district / deeds / management district / tirz... all these things can help. I wouldn't trust developers' ability to best protect the area...

 

I think it'd be cool to see some mid-rise residential with ground-floor retail develop along Harrisburg, especially since there's a lot of empty or deteriorated space so the neighborhood wouldn't be losing any useful value. On the contrary, the speed at which townhomes of questionable quality are being built around McKinney and Cullen is a bit disconcerting.

[EastwoodCruisin]

14 minutes ago, linearmovement said:

 

I think it'd be cool to see some mid-rise residential with ground-floor retail develop along Harrisburg, especially since there's a lot of empty or deteriorated space so the neighborhood wouldn't be losing any useful value. On the contrary, the speed at which townhomes of questionable quality are being built around McKinney and Cullen is a bit disconcerting.

I absolutely agree. Great lots in great areas have been snatched up by greedy town home developers it seems because their products even from a distance seem to be of poor craftsmanship. Very alarming, what will those developments look like in 5-10 years? But this home in particular seemed very different from the typical flips I have came across in the area. Very pristine quality. I will have to track down the address.

[linearmovement]

It is pretty remarkable that when I moved to the area (also about four years ago) the only coffee shop in the neighborhood was Bohemeo's, and they don't even open til noon on the weekends. Now we also have Giant Leap, Xela, Coral Sword and Blanca's, with Oso opening soon (and their coffee now available at La Esquina).

[EastwoodCruisin]

Went back by the house and looked it up. Turns out the property is for sale. Would be interesting to know who’s behind this one. I sent an email to the listing agent for more information. Heres the link - You think they’ll get what they’re asking? 

https://www.har.com/homedetail/4622-polk-st-houston-tx-77023/11780831

[Montrose1100]

2 hours ago, EastwoodCruisin said:

I absolutely agree. Great lots in great areas have been snatched up by greedy town home developers it seems because their products even from a distance seem to be of poor craftsmanship. Very alarming, what will those developments look like in 5-10 years? But this home in particular seemed very different from the typical flips I have came across in the area. Very pristine quality. I will have to track down the address.

The plan is to sell to someone else in 5-10 years. Townhouses taking over the baytown seafood warehouse block, eastend athletic block, the adandoned warehouse/lot behind D&W's,  and the abandoned house/gas station block on Polk @ McKinney would be very much welcomed.

 

The flip you shared is only unique by the terrible interior design choice. It looks like every other flip nearby - same exterior color and all.

 

2 hours ago, linearmovement said:

 

I think it'd be cool to see some mid-rise residential with ground-floor retail develop along Harrisburg, especially since there's a lot of empty or deteriorated space so the neighborhood wouldn't be losing any useful value. On the contrary, the speed at which townhomes of questionable quality are being built around McKinney and Cullen is a bit disconcerting.

 

I don't think those white town houses look like questionable quality, they are actually priced quite high and sold very quickly. Now the extremely narrow floor size and room sizes are way too small, but they look alright. Nothing like the old beauties a few blocks south.

[Naviguessor]

Eastwood Cruisin, are you the realtor?  You tagged the topic as if you were.

[EastwoodCruisin]

33 minutes ago, Naviguessor said:

Eastwood Cruisin, are you the realtor?  You tagged the topic as if you were.

I wish. I wouldn’t mind making what I would presume to be a big chunk of change on the sale of that home. No, I just enjoy watching my neighborhood improve before my eyes and admire fine architecture. But I do work in audio visual rental industry, so if you’d like a bigger screen to admire the property I’m speaking on with... Well I would be more than happy to provide! (: 

[EastwoodCruisin]

48 minutes ago, Montrose1100 said:

The plan is to sell to someone else in 5-10 years. Townhouses taking over the baytown seafood warehouse block, eastend athletic block, the adandoned warehouse/lot behind D&W's,  and the abandoned house/gas station block on Polk @ McKinney would be very much welcomed.

 

The flip you shared is only unique by the terrible interior design choice. It looks like every other flip nearby - same exterior color and all.

 

 

I don't think those white town houses look like questionable quality, they are actually priced quite high and sold very quickly. Now the extremely narrow floor size and room sizes are way too small, but they look alright. Nothing like the old beauties a few blocks south.

You don’t believe the layout of the backyard with the greenhouse and that sheet metal fence is a bit more unique than the other typical cookie cutter flips? I have seen plenty of flips of course in the area and they just seem like it’s more quantity compared to quality. Same goes for the town homes on the rise. For example the townhomes over near Mckinney and Cullen look to be more of an eye sore in a couple of years then a place I would drive by and admire. Many similar developments are popping up as well with the same style. I digress, different tastes for different people of course! 

[Ross]

4 hours ago, EastwoodCruisin said:

Went back by the house and looked it up. Turns out the property is for sale. Would be interesting to know who’s behind this one. I sent an email to the listing agent for more information. Heres the link - You think they’ll get what they’re asking? 

https://www.har.com/homedetail/4622-polk-st-houston-tx-77023/11780831

 

Looks decent, but I wouldn't pay that much for that house in that area. The schools are sketchy if you have kids, although Austin is better than a number of high schools on that side of town. I also wouldn't be enthused about living on Polk, anymore than I would be about Willowbend, Bellfort, and other similar streets.

[gmac]

$550K for a stackable washer and dryer? 😂🤣😅

[Montrose1100]

16 hours ago, EastwoodCruisin said:

You don’t believe the layout of the backyard with the greenhouse and that sheet metal fence is a bit more unique than the other typical cookie cutter flips? I have seen plenty of flips of course in the area and they just seem like it’s more quantity compared to quality. Same goes for the town homes on the rise. For example the townhomes over near Mckinney and Cullen look to be more of an eye sore in a couple of years then a place I would drive by and admire. Many similar developments are popping up as well with the same style. I digress, different tastes for different people of course! 

I just hope the town houses have an HOA to power wash the eventual mold on the white siding that will occur. But unsure since they face the street directly and don't have any common area. I doubt they'll be an eyesore in 10 years. Look at the town homes from even the early 2000s on the west side. Going for +double what they initially were paid for and many of them stucco. Thought the same thing about them then - they'll look like crud in 10 years.

 

Anyways, yes, the greenhouse skeleton maybe "unique" but it's not my cup of tea design wise. For $550k where is the pool? and a 1 car garage? The upstairs room and shower are cool and European but that's it. Mismatched flooring that the kitchen cabinets do not play nicely with, the counters... The microwave is below counter height. All the appliances and faucets are nice - but everywhere. Let's also talk about the elephant piano in the room fireplace against a black tile wall? whyyy (I know the answer is "because, why not"?).

 

1900 square feet with no half bath on the ground floor, master on the second, which is also double the size of the living room. The lot is huge - where are the trees for shade? Really the only way this house could be worse would be one of the ol' bathtub standing in the giant shower designs. 

 

Applause for rehab on an old house. I'm sure someone will snatch it up eventually.

[s3mh]

18 hours ago, EastwoodCruisin said:

Went back by the house and looked it up. Turns out the property is for sale. Would be interesting to know who’s behind this one. I sent an email to the listing agent for more information. Heres the link - You think they’ll get what they’re asking? 

https://www.har.com/homedetail/4622-polk-st-houston-tx-77023/11780831

 

Whoever renovated that house put too much money into it.  Lousy location.  Polk is a busy/noisy street.  All that modern cabinetry/design is generally not what people are looking for when they buy a 1920s bungalow.  And that all stuff is expensive.  So the owner probably has a lot of money in that house.  Probably will have a hard time selling it for a price that starts with a 5 instead of a 4, especially as the oil and gas markets are roiling.  

[Texasota]

I don't hate the interior, but it's really disappointing that *nothing* original to the house was kept. Original trim and molding was replaced with cheap, narrow, builder-grade materials. 

 

[Naviguessor]

2 hours ago, Montrose1100 said:

Let's also talk about the elephant piano in the room fireplace against a black tile wall? whyyy (I know the answer is "because, why not"?).

 

So, when you open the flue the neighbors and birds, can here your recital. 

[Montrose1100]

39 minutes ago, Naviguessor said:

 

So, when you open the flue the neighbors and birds, can here your recital. 

Well, hopefully one would recite a piece that mashes up with the echoes of gun shots. kidding.

 

Actually, the realtor answers this already. 

 

 

 

 

 

It can't be cheap but it sure looks like it. The comments on here are worse than the all caps WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME ones. Guess they don't have a few slides of Downtown, Ninfas, or a rendering of East River like the other east end listings. 

 

Edit: I just want to say I'm just messing around. This is someone's dream home and good for them, I just dislike it so I'm having some fun.

[Ross]

8 hours ago, Montrose1100 said:

I just hope the town houses have an HOA to power wash the eventual mold on the white siding that will occur. But unsure since they face the street directly and don't have any common area. I doubt they'll be an eyesore in 10 years. Look at the town homes from even the early 2000s on the west side. Going for +double what they initially were paid for and many of them stucco. Thought the same thing about them then - they'll look like crud in 10 years.

 

Anyways, yes, the greenhouse skeleton maybe "unique" but it's not my cup of tea design wise. For $550k where is the pool? and a 1 car garage? The upstairs room and shower are cool and European but that's it. Mismatched flooring that the kitchen cabinets do not play nicely with, the counters... The microwave is below counter height. All the appliances and faucets are nice - but everywhere. Let's also talk about the elephant piano in the room fireplace against a black tile wall? whyyy (I know the answer is "because, why not"?).

 

1900 square feet with no half bath on the ground floor, master on the second, which is also double the size of the living room. The lot is huge - where are the trees for shade? Really the only way this house could be worse would be one of the ol' bathtub standing in the giant shower designs. 

 

Applause for rehab on an old house. I'm sure someone will snatch it up eventually.

5,220 sq feet isn't huge. That's about average for older areas, where the lots were 50x100 or 50x125, depending on whether there were lots in the middle of the block on side streets.

[mollusk]

The term is "remuddleing," right?

[chrispy]

You asked for opinions so, as unpopular as it will be, I’ll throw mine in. I always love to see an old home being lived in as opposed to being torn down for some tacky townhomes. I like what they have done with that house on Polk. 
However, many of you are new to the East End. You moved in when the area started getting a ‘buzz’ and started becoming ‘the next big thing in town’. My grandparents came here during the Depression, I was born in the same hospital my father was born in, I live in the same house that my parents bought in 1976- and the lady that sold it to us lived in it when her parents had it built in 1923/1924. It’s run down, needs work but is completely original- from the wood floors and trim to the big attic fan. Restoring a home as opposed to renovating one is always preferable to me. 
 

When I was a kid, Montrose (and eventually, the Heights) was an area full of hippies and musicians and artists. My 2nd cousin Billy lived in an old antique store right across the street from Numbers (now it’s a dentist office) so I distinctly remember all the characters that would be wandering the street over there. I thought it was a cool place to be in the 1980’s/1990’s! Sadly, so did the folks we refer to as ‘hipsters’ today. They started moving in, developers tore down lots of old bungalows and other homes to make room for ugly and bland townhomes. Nowadays, all the cool folks that made that area so attractive have moved away, priced out by developers and hipsters buying into the hype. The same thing has happened in the Heights also, now it’s here in the East End. 
The first sign of encroaching ‘gentrification’ was when developers pushed for an area once just known as East End (or erroneously called Second Ward- before the Gulf Freeway it was part of the Third Ward) to be called EaDo. I’m sure I’m in the minority but I refuse to use that term. It’s ironic that white flight drove middle-class people out to the suburbs and now so many of them are coming back. Frankly, I wish these folks would stay in Kingwood or Sugarland or Woodlands or wherever they’re moving away from. 
The very things that make this area so awesome are going to end up being changed by rising property taxes/rents, more traffic, a different demographic. To the new residents, I guess you see yourselves as a savior. Maybe akin to a missionary bringing salvation to the savages. Yes, parts of this area are very working-class and run down. Yes, we don’t have a lot of the amenities of the suburbs. But most of us long-term East Enders like our area as it is- not some hipster’s paradise full of trendy bars, $40 barber shops, and no local industry. 
This area used to have decent industrial jobs (that’s why the East End has more miles of railroad track than the rest of the city combined). We used to build things and live close to where we worked at. Rising land values and other factors have run these businesses out to the suburbs. I hate driving all the way to Channelview for work. Unless you work Downtown, you’re just trading one commute for another. 
 

As I stated earlier, my opinion will be unpopular and you have the right to disagree. I will continue to believe what I believe but, if you think about it, you can’t deny there is a lot of truth to what I’ve said. Eventually, the East End will be as boring as the Montrose has become. I see quite a few empty storefronts in the Montrose, I hope we don’t have that problem here as well. I’m sure you recent residents of the East End have your heart in the right place but every person that buys one of those ugly townhomes is a contributor to the very things that will make this area another played-out version of Montrose/Heights. Spend the extra 10k-30k and renovate a beautiful old home and have your own piece of land! There’s no substitute for that. Townhomes are just expensive apartments if you’re sharing a wall with your neighbor. You can probably afford it anyway- just add a little more to your mortgage! 👍🏼
 

[Montrose1100]

16 hours ago, chrispy said:

You asked for opinions so, as unpopular as it will be, I’ll throw mine in. I always love to see an old home being lived in as opposed to being torn down for some tacky townhomes. I like what they have done with that house on Polk. 
However, many of you are new to the East End. You moved in when the area started getting a ‘buzz’ and started becoming ‘the next big thing in town’. My grandparents came here during the Depression, I was born in the same hospital my father was born in, I live in the same house that my parents bought in 1976- and the lady that sold it to us lived in it when her parents had it built in 1923/1924. It’s run down, needs work but is completely original- from the wood floors and trim to the big attic fan. Restoring a home as opposed to renovating one is always preferable to me. 
 

When I was a kid, Montrose (and eventually, the Heights) was an area full of hippies and musicians and artists. My 2nd cousin Billy lived in an old antique store right across the street from Numbers (now it’s a dentist office) so I distinctly remember all the characters that would be wandering the street over there. I thought it was a cool place to be in the 1980’s/1990’s! Sadly, so did the folks we refer to as ‘hipsters’ today. They started moving in, developers tore down lots of old bungalows and other homes to make room for ugly and bland townhomes. Nowadays, all the cool folks that made that area so attractive have moved away, priced out by developers and hipsters buying into the hype. The same thing has happened in the Heights also, now it’s here in the East End. 
The first sign of encroaching ‘gentrification’ was when developers pushed for an area once just known as East End (or erroneously called Second Ward- before the Gulf Freeway it was part of the Third Ward) to be called EaDo. I’m sure I’m in the minority but I refuse to use that term. It’s ironic that white flight drove middle-class people out to the suburbs and now so many of them are coming back. Frankly, I wish these folks would stay in Kingwood or Sugarland or Woodlands or wherever they’re moving away from. 
The very things that make this area so awesome are going to end up being changed by rising property taxes/rents, more traffic, a different demographic. To the new residents, I guess you see yourselves as a savior. Maybe akin to a missionary bringing salvation to the savages. Yes, parts of this area are very working-class and run down. Yes, we don’t have a lot of the amenities of the suburbs. But most of us long-term East Enders like our area as it is- not some hipster’s paradise full of trendy bars, $40 barber shops, and no local industry. 
This area used to have decent industrial jobs (that’s why the East End has more miles of railroad track than the rest of the city combined). We used to build things and live close to where we worked at. Rising land values and other factors have run these businesses out to the suburbs. I hate driving all the way to Channelview for work. Unless you work Downtown, you’re just trading one commute for another. 
 

As I stated earlier, my opinion will be unpopular and you have the right to disagree. I will continue to believe what I believe but, if you think about it, you can’t deny there is a lot of truth to what I’ve said. Eventually, the East End will be as boring as the Montrose has become. I see quite a few empty storefronts in the Montrose, I hope we don’t have that problem here as well. I’m sure you recent residents of the East End have your heart in the right place but every person that buys one of those ugly townhomes is a contributor to the very things that will make this area another played-out version of Montrose/Heights. Spend the extra 10k-30k and renovate a beautiful old home and have your own piece of land! There’s no substitute for that. Townhomes are just expensive apartments if you’re sharing a wall with your neighbor. You can probably afford it anyway- just add a little more to your mortgage! 👍🏼
 

Would you rather look at overgrown abandoned lots, warehouses, and boarded up houses versus town houses? I don't understand this logic. This is where they are building townhouses.

 

One of my neighbors, in fact the only other local not from Michigan, grew up in Eastwood but chose a townhouse. So, no, people are not flocking in from the burbs, they're moving from out of state, or other parts of the City. Also half of my neighbors aren't white so I don't think that supports your reverse white flight theory. I personally did not feel like a savior purchasing in the East End. What does it need saving from? The violent crimes? maybe, but that's HPD's job and not mine (I was priced out of Montrose and the Heights for a starter home wanting to be close to Downtown).

 

You mention living close to work, well, what do you think the people purchasing in this neighborhood are doing? Living close to work. Do you realize how close almost all the major employment centers are from the East End? 10-15-20-30 minutes versus 30-45-60-90 plus when you live in the burbs. Great access to 45, 59, and 10. Hey some of us could even hop on the light rail and take it work.

 

My reasoning will not be the same as everyone's, but I don't want to take care of a yard. I don't have pets or kids. Why do I want to purchase an old home with a big yard and backyard? Wasteful. Most of the flipped older homes don't have garages. Why would I want to park my vehicle in the harsh sunlight? Or have to let it warm up or cool down inside? I also ask why would I want to pay over half a million dollars for a piano instead of a fireplace? Or a cheap brass florescent chandelier? 

 

It's fine for you to vent about losing what you hold dear to you. Which I guess is the world and neighborhood you grew up in. But your assumptions are wrong and your attitude is poor towards other people & changes. There's no truth to your opinion.

 

The hipsters you disgust are the ones that support local business/mom & pop over big corporations. Some of those hipsters also want renovated houses such as this one (which might save it from a boarded up dilapidated fate). I'm using the word hipster ironically here because no one uses it anymore. I'm definitely not hip or cool and anyone on the forum who has met me in person can tell you just that.

 

The local industry closing down is not due to people wanting to buy a house in the neighborhood. If local industry needed to expand... well good thing they chose the burbs, otherwise they'd buy up the houses, and tear down the very charming neighborhood to build a bigger warehouse/factory.

 

 

Edit: I'm sorry for your father's illness but you literally moved in from the burbs (New Caney), to fix up his house. Are you complaining about yourself or do you get a free pass since you grew up here?

 

[samagon]

On 2/27/2020 at 9:14 AM, EastwoodCruisin said:

Been living in Greater Eastwood for about four years now, crazy how the area has changed and developed so much in that time. Driving around the other afternoon I came across a gorgeous home that caught my eye in a very peculiar way. Traditional spin with a modern flair and what looked to be an additional greenhouse in the backyard from what I could see through the large privacy fence. Has anyone else had the opportunity to see this home on Polk Street near Eddington? What do you think about homes in the area being given new life and the impact on the overall community it has?

 

you should have seen it 10 years ago. 

 

while the value of my home going up is fun, it only translates to value for me when I sell, otherwise it's just higher taxes, and I don't need that.

 

do keep in mind that new life means there's old life that's leaving. isn't a bad thing, it's just a thing. had two long time neighbors move out last year only for the home to flip, and another neighbor is cleaning out their house this week, which I assume means they're getting ready for a move. all were nice people I will miss. in one case, a new owner is there and seems nice, the others have big shoes to fill when they come in.

 

I have a constant fight with the patrons of the new local establishment that don't know the city parking ordinance, 'no parking within 30 feet of a stop sign', 311 won't put up no parking signs. I am going to start being the asshole and tweeting houparking every time I see someone parking too close. if it wasn't unsafe I wouldn't give a hoot, but it is very unsafe, I wonder how fire trucks are able to use the street?

 

go enjoy longstanding businesses like Kanomwan, or Refresqueria Rainbow, and try other older local establishments that might not survive this new life, but are huge gems of the area. anyway, don't assume that because it's not new, it's not worth going to. we already lost one of the really old, good Mexican restaurants in the area (Loma Linda), I hope we don't lose more great establishments.

 

things I won't miss is the abundance of laundromats in the area, and I will welcome some diversity where that is concerned.

 

navigating the area by bike isn't quite as easy as it used to be, there's a lot more cars on the road than there were 10 years ago.

 

there's two sides to the coin, is what I'm saying.

[ljchou]

@samagon and others - thanks for your mindful inputs. I see validity in each of your opinions.

 

Any older establishments you'd recommend? Googling only gets me so far. Would love to support local legends.

 

[samagon]

On 2/27/2020 at 7:57 PM, Ross said:

 

Looks decent, but I wouldn't pay that much for that house in that area. The schools are sketchy if you have kids, although Austin is better than a number of high schools on that side of town. I also wouldn't be enthused about living on Polk, anymore than I would be about Willowbend, Bellfort, and other similar streets.

 

can you site any sources for the sketchy nature of the schools in the area?

 

a friend that has a special needs child was recommended Lantrip for their programs.

 

I agree, Polk isn't what I would want to call a street to live on. It's much like a home on Richmond, or similar.

 

I watched the flip in various stages as it's on my afternoon commute home, and they spent a decent amount of time on it. I like the front window feature.

[chrispy]

Montrose1100: you must have had to reach all the way back to 2018 in my comments! Which is cool- I do the same thing. Having lived in New Caney for five years only made me appreciate the East End more! Even though we still came down here almost every other day, I still had to go to sleep in that dreadful shi*hole town. I didn’t have much choice in the matter of moving out there but my father’s illness (and passing away shortly after the comment you saw in 2018) brought me back home- even though I was still here much of the week. 
I guess I sound like that angry old guy that hates change/progress...which is exactly how I feel! And since 45 isn’t that old, I’m sure I will be here voicing my unpopular opinion for a bit longer. 😂 

When there were companies like Markle Steel, Maxwell House, Community Coffee, and many more, these working class people didn’t have a lot of money so they shopped locally, ate and drank locally. They went to bars like the D&W and Country Club and, in the case of D&W, they had hours to accommodate workers getting off in the mornings/mid afternoons. Now that those workers are gone, things change. Change is inevitable, I guess. Nevertheless, we had a thriving manufacturing market here and it’s gone. These small, mom-and-pop businesses are great and I support them by shopping there when I can. However, there’s no way they can pay a worker the $15-$20 he/she would’ve made at an industrial job. I used to work at Grant Pride Co (formerly Hughes Tool building on Polk). Nobody else in the area would pay me what I made back then because the competition moved outside the Beltway. These jobs downtown- that’s great if you work in a comfy office or cubicle but many of us do not.

I don’t mind seeing empty lots, myself. As for violent crime, I rarely see any of that. My father left his windows open every night in spring/summer/autumn and was only robbed once back in 1983- and that was probably some acquaintance that knew what he had in the house. There was plenty of crime in Montgomery County also. In fact, kiddie porn and meth, burglary and DWI’s are the most common crimes out there (they even have an online and print newspaper specifically for shaming these folks that are arrested- guilty or not- called Montgomery County Police Reporter aka MoCo Facebook). I can’t tell you how many times I heard those rednecks complain about the high crime and traffic in the big city only to remind them that there is just as much traffic and crime in the burbs. So I’m grateful for the taste of living out there simply because it made me appreciate being home again. 

As for the person that made the comment about East End schools being “sketchy”- I can see what you mean but they aren’t any better out in the suburbs. My nephew died last week at only 19 years old. Why? Because he had been using Zanax ‘bars’ and codeine syrup since he was 15 and lived in the most expensive, affluent neighborhood in Pearland. People have this illusion that those schools are so much better and nothing bad could ever happen there. The truth is much different: New Caney HS is a dropout factory, Conroe HS has drugs all over the place, Pearland HS is where my nephew got his Zanax bars. Not once did he ever think that they could be laced with something more deadly. All of these schools have kids getting pregnant at the drop of a hat. A few hundred die of coronavirus and people freak out and want to wear a mask. Thirty million die of AIDS and nobody wants to wear a condom! It’s a crazy world. 
So yeah, I’ll be the crazy old man on these posts, I suppose. Nevertheless, you can’t say that change has its flaws. I’ll concede a little: I look forward to seeing what’s done with that large property that’s being developed off Buffalo Bayou. I saw the plans on here and was pleased to see patio homes mixed in with the townhomes. 

 

[Montrose1100]

15 minutes ago, chrispy said:

Montrose1100: you must have had to reach all the way back to 2018 in my comments! Which is cool- I do the same thing. Having lived in New Caney for five years only made me appreciate the East End more! Even though we still came down here almost every other day, I still had to go to sleep in that dreadful shi*hole town. I didn’t have much choice in the matter of moving out there but my father’s illness (and passing away shortly after the comment you saw in 2018) brought me back home- even though I was still here much of the week. 
I guess I sound like that angry old guy that hates change/progress...which is exactly how I feel! And since 45 isn’t that old, I’m sure I will be here voicing my unpopular opinion for a bit longer. 😂 

When there were companies like Markle Steel, Maxwell House, Community Coffee, and many more, these working class people didn’t have a lot of money so they shopped locally, ate and drank locally. They went to bars like the D&W and Country Club and, in the case of D&W, they had hours to accommodate workers getting off in the mornings/mid afternoons. Now that those workers are gone, things change. Change is inevitable, I guess. Nevertheless, we had a thriving manufacturing market here and it’s gone. These small, mom-and-pop businesses are great and I support them by shopping there when I can. However, there’s no way they can pay a worker the $15-$20 he/she would’ve made at an industrial job. I used to work at Grant Pride Co (formerly Hughes Tool building on Polk). Nobody else in the area would pay me what I made back then because the competition moved outside the Beltway. These jobs downtown- that’s great if you work in a comfy office or cubicle but many of us do not.

I don’t mind seeing empty lots, myself. As for violent crime, I rarely see any of that. My father left his windows open every night in spring/summer/autumn and was only robbed once back in 1983- and that was probably some acquaintance that knew what he had in the house. There was plenty of crime in Montgomery County also. In fact, kiddie porn and meth, burglary and DWI’s are the most common crimes out there (they even have an online and print newspaper specifically for shaming these folks that are arrested- guilty or not- called Montgomery County Police Reporter aka MoCo Facebook). I can’t tell you how many times I heard those rednecks delicate flower about the high crime and traffic in the big city only to remind them that there is just as much traffic and crime in the burbs. So I’m grateful for the taste of living out there simply because it made me appreciate being home again. 

 

You're only 15 years older than me. Perhaps I haven't passed the milestone in life that makes me angry or old. Although I get called sir a lot more. Maybe I am old.

 

Anyways, D&W is still thriving and probably the coolest bar in the city (especially Karaoke night). Maxwell house was purchased by another manufacturer so there is still potential to have those factory jobs relocate here. I'm glad your father had been fortunate enough to not witness/be a victim of any violent crimes. I've seen some stuff even on the west side, and the reports that go out show they happen. It's really the only flaw I could find in the neighborhood. Crime is random so I try not to worry too much. More so a stab at your comment about coming into the neighborhood to fix things.

 

You can be grumpy and angry all you want to, just don't get angry at me or my neighbors for moving in. I didn't close the coffee plant or force factory jobs outside of the city (or country for that matter).