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Black Dragon Tattoo Parlor At 1207 Westheimer Rd.


hindesky

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It's not just about the building itself, which is really little more than a shack. These small, run-down low rent buildings in odd locations allowed young entrepreneurs to open the quirky little businesses that made Lower Westheimer unique and a destination. 
Those days have passed, and are unlikely to return anytime soon. Still, it's a bit sad to see these holdovers eradicated and the Montrose become increasingly slick and 'corporate'.

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18 hours ago, dbigtex56 said:

It's not just about the building itself, which is really little more than a shack. These small, run-down low rent buildings in odd locations allowed young entrepreneurs to open the quirky little businesses that made Lower Westheimer unique and a destination. 
Those days have passed, and are unlikely to return anytime soon. Still, it's a bit sad to see these holdovers eradicated and the Montrose become increasingly slick and 'corporate'.

When I returned to Houston, I was shocked how much Montrose changed.  it was Houston's Greenwich Village.  Of course, the Village is mostly corporate-ized now.  Montrose isn't that bad yet, but it's certainly headed in that direction.  Next stop: Disneyfication.

As much as I love Katz's Deli, I think that was what started it all.  It was a safe zone destination that drew in suburban grit tourists to watch "the other side" through their SUV windows without having to actually interact with anyone who was not exactly like them. 

I was especially surprised to see that big office building.  Unless you were an artist's agent or an architect, Montrose people didn't "office."  They created.  They taught.  They learned.  They lived. 

EaDo (Do I really have to call it that?) seems to be picking up a good bit of the entrepreneurial spirit that can no longer afford Montrose.  But it's not the same.  Montrose was prog rock.  EaDo is auto-tune.

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27 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I wish I had the opportunity to experience the Montrose some of yall remember. 

If this makes you feel better about not having experienced the 'old' Montrose, there was another side that nostalgic people don't often mention. 
Sex and drugs were big business. Many of the small businesses on lower Westheimer were so-called "Oriental Massage Parlors" which in retrospect were exploiting young Asian women who had no recourse. Teenage runaways flocked to Montrose, sometimes squatting in abandoned buildings and engaging in underage street prostitution. In retrospect, the 'johns' who paid for their services were rapists.
There was a high incidence of meth and other 'party' drugs. Some people were unscathed, others became addicted. Some displayed psychotic behavior, some overdosed and died. 
Some men were cross-dressers or drag queens, and enjoyed the reactions they got when they'd venture onto the streets. Fine. But some transgender women had to engage in prostitution because there were few other opportunities open to them. They risked being robbed, beat up, raped or worse. They were flashy because it brought in business. A girl's gotta eat.
Yes, the old Montrose was fun, and I miss it. But there was a gritty side too, and people got hurt.
 

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  • The title was changed to 1207 Westheimer Rd.
  • The title was changed to Black Dragon Tattoo Parlor At 1207 Westheimer Rd.

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