icepickphil Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Does anyone have any stories or memories to tell about this part of westside Houston which was known as "Sin Alley" or "Sin City" in the 1960s? It was an area of apartment complexes on Mid Lane just inside the Loop. The area was known for the wild and/or "alternative" lifestyles of it's residents. At one time in the 60s it was infamous with westside residents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 REEEHEEEEAAAAALLLLLLLAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY !!! Shagadelic Baby, YEAH ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I'd like to know. I get my hair cut in one of those old places. Cool little strip with a Euro feel to it. Just needs a little TLC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I wish I still had the Saturday (possibly summer of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I remember going to the "Regal Beagle" back in the 70's. I would meet my friends Chrissie, Janet, and Jack there all the time. They all lived together in a 2 bedroom apartment back then. The apartment complex was pretty strict on the rules I remember. Jack had to pretend to be "Gay" because he wasn't married to either one of the girls. It was a swingin' time back then. I remember the apartment manager didn't really believe that Jack was "Gay" and would always try to catch him with a girl , but he would always make snide remarks about Jack. Use to really piss me off. Chrissie was soooooooo hot, she would wear these short shorts and skin tight tank tops with no bra, OMG ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashikaga Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 I remember going to the "Regal Beagle" back in the 70's. I would meet my friends Chrissie, Janet, and Jack there all the time. They all lived together in a 2 bedroom apartment back then. The apartment complex was pretty strict on the rules I remember. Jack had to pretend to be "Gay" because he wasn't married to either one of the girls. It was a swingin' time back then. I remember the apartment manager didn't really believe that Jack was "Gay" and would always try to catch him with a girl , but he would always make snide remarks about Jack. Use to really piss me off. Chrissie was soooooooo hot, she would wear these short shorts and skin tight tank tops with no bra, OMG !Speaking of sin, I decided to go all the way and indulge in the three big sins of drinking, smoking, and gambling all in one place at the same time. I stopped at a liquor store and bought a bottle of whiskey, a pack of cigarettes, and a lottery ticket. You should try that sometime. You come out feeling like you've released a lot of inner steam that's built up inside of you for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 I remember going to the "Regal Beagle" back in the 70's. I would meet my friends Chrissie, Janet, and Jack there all the time. They all lived together in a 2 bedroom apartment back then. The apartment complex was pretty strict on the rules I remember. Jack had to pretend to be "Gay" because he wasn't married to either one of the girls. It was a swingin' time back then. I remember the apartment manager didn't really believe that Jack was "Gay" and would always try to catch him with a girl , but he would always make snide remarks about Jack. Use to really piss me off. Chrissie was soooooooo hot, she would wear these short shorts and skin tight tank tops with no bra, OMG ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 I remember going to the "Regal Beagle" back in the 70's. I would meet my friends Chrissie, Janet, and Jack there all the time. They all lived together in a 2 bedroom apartment back then. The apartment complex was pretty strict on the rules I remember. Jack had to pretend to be "Gay" because he wasn't married to either one of the girls. It was a swingin' time back then. I remember the apartment manager didn't really believe that Jack was "Gay" and would always try to catch him with a girl , but he would always make snide remarks about Jack. Use to really piss me off. Chrissie was soooooooo hot, she would wear these short shorts and skin tight tank tops with no bra, OMG ! Jack may or may not have been gay but did you ever wonder what Chrissie and Janet were doing in their bedroom when the lights went out? Did ya, Teej???? Talk about Sin Alley! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashikaga Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Jack may or may not have been gay but did you ever wonder what Chrissie and Janet were doing in their bedroom when the lights went out? Did ya, Teej???? Talk about Sin Alley! My neighbor says that gin will make you sin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Sin Alley sound like Snooze Alley.boring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Sin Alley sound like Snooze Alley.It was the times, Coog. We're talking Mid (pun intended) to late 60's, and things were very different then. I worked at Gulf Oil downtown ('68) and really liked a girl there. But, she was still married, and even though she had filed for divorce and was living at home with her parents, we would have been shunned for going out together. And we're talking Houston and not some small town. However, things really changed quickly after that. I think it was because "The Pill" became readily available. By '71 when I got out of the Navy, things were wide open, especially as to "sexual freedom". And man, did I love that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Does anyone have any stories or memories to tell about this part of westside Houston which was known as "Sin Alley" or "Sin City" in the 1960s? It was an area of apartment complexes on Mid Lane just inside the Loop. The area was known for the wild and/or "alternative" lifestyles of it's residents. At one time in the 60s it was infamous with westside residents.i thought sin alley was the street area behind the kroger on montrose... no kidding, though... seems to be getting worse. it was bad before just seems to be many more folks in that area than before --- and no i don't partake but i do ride my bike through there to get to work and there are definitely more people than before. there’s this little quadrant between the kroger, the copy.com, behind that brick guild shop and stops at everyone's favorite here at HAIF: tremont tower (houston's favorite landmark). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 thought sin alley was the street area behind the kroger on montrose... That's where the street kids have amateur boxing matches in the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 i thought sin alley was the street area behind the kroger on montrose... no kidding, though... seems to be getting worse. it was bad before just seems to be many more folks in that area than before --- and no i don't partake but i do ride my bike through there to get to work and there are definitely more people than before. there’s this little quadrant between the kroger, the copy.com, behind that brick guild shop and stops at everyone's favorite here at HAIF: tremont tower (houston's favorite landmark). Thank Covenant House. Back on topic - there were several apartment complexes in near-southwest Houston which fit the description of "Sin Alley" in the mid-to-late 70s, such as the coke-fueled Chateau D'jion (with its notorious former resident... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icepickphil Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Where was the coke-fueled Chateau D'jion located? And who was the former resident you speak of? The goings on at what I've always heard described as "Sin Alley" in the 60s (Mid Lane) are no doubt tame to nowadays or even the 1970s. The events there were notorious enough though to give the area it's name and reputation. Maybe it was a place where nice River Oaks and Tanglewood kids smoked their first reefer... Slightly off topic but Montrose was mentioned earlier in this thread and I'm wondering if anyone can comment on any 'beatnik' presense in that neighborhood or West U. during the 50's and/or early 1960s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Wasn't Art Wren's Silver Dollar a beatnik place?Uh, maybe not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 The Rock-n-Roll (or whatever) is still there on the RR tracks. My parents used to go there in the 60s.Not exactly on Sin Alley, but pretty darn close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west20th Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Where was the coke-fueled Chateau D'jion located? And who was the former resident you speak of? Richmond near Sage. It's still there. The former resident was our illustrious president. George W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icepickphil Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 The Silver Dollar that was on Montrose in the 70s? Gay yes, beatnik no.....at least not in the 70s...am I right?What's up with/who was Art Wren?Wasn't Art Wren's Silver Dollar a beatnik place?Uh, maybe not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Where was the coke-fueled Chateau D'jion located? And who was the former resident you speak of? That would be George Bush, the alchoholic and supposed former coke head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwphillips2 Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Mid Lane is only three blocks long between Westheimer and San Felipe. It was between The Deputy drive-in and Byron's Barbecue. There were about 15 buildings with 10 or 15 apartments each unit. 10 or so guys would sign onto a single lease so that they would always have a place to party (rent was cheap then) and everyone would help keep it clean. Lots of airline pilots and stews. If your party got boring you could always go next door to borrow a cup of sugar. Lots of partyers in the pools. I always thought they would change the name to Sin Alley, but in retrospect, they didn't have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Those old apartments are fading fast and being replaced by Mc Junk. I think some of them are pretty cool looking and are still there. What about those shops on Mid Lane? I get my hair cut there now. Were those bars at one time? It's a neat little arragement of shops with its own unique vibe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Tbird Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 This was also the subject of a previous topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 This was also the subject of a previous topic You're quick, '57. Topics merged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwphillips2 Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 You're quick, '57. Topics merged Thanks, Guys. I swear that I do a search on the previous topics before I do a post, so I really don't intend to repeat. And btw, I don't mind edit append. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retama Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 My high school government teacher who went to Rice used to tell me about Sin Alley.He talked about seeing a nude volley ball game in one of the swimming pools late one night.I kinda doubt that, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucesw Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 My high school government teacher who went to Rice used to tell me about Sin Alley.He talked about seeing a nude volley ball game in one of the swimming pools late one night.I kinda doubt that, though.I don't. I saw a nude and fully aroused young man of about 20 standing on the corner of Mid Lane and Bettis late one Friday night in 1975 (I know the year because of the car I was driving). I was going to visit a friend in an apartment nearby. Traffic was very heavy and people didn't seem to be paying him any mind and we never heard a siren. By that time, supposedly, Sin Alley had moved west. My dentist's office is in that office complex and I think about that everytime I go to the dentist. In the 50s from what I was told it was centered around Westheimer and Mandell - swingers and wife-swapping were the rage.Mid Lane runs between Richmond and San Felipe, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I don't. I saw a nude and fully aroused young man of about 20 standing on the corner of Mid Lane and Bettis late one Friday night in 1975 Too bad you didnt have some donuts handy, you could have tossed them at him and see if you get one, like horse shoes. Is it called ring toss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I lived on Mid Lane and Alabama in the mid 70's. I didn't even know all that was going on right down the street. And no, brucesw, that was not me standing on that corner. At least I don't think so. My memory of those years is a little flawed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disastro Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 I don't. I saw a nude and fully aroused young man of about 20 standing on the corner of Mid Lane and Bettis late one Friday night in 1975 (I know the year because of the car I was driving). I was going to visit a friend in an apartment nearby. Traffic was very heavy and people didn't seem to be paying him any mind and we never heard a siren. By that time, supposedly, Sin Alley had moved west. My dentist's office is in that office complex and I think about that everytime I go to the dentist. In the 50s from what I was told it was centered around Westheimer and Mandell - swingers and wife-swapping were the rage. Mid Lane runs between Richmond and San Felipe, btw. ROTFLMAO!!!! That comment about the ring toss was freakin' HILARIOUS, Vert! Ok, in all seriousness...I HOPE that wasn't a sleazy part of town in 1963 -- cos I was a newborn baby and my parents lived in an apt complex on Mid Lane back then! But, somehow, I don't think my conservative parents were the wild swinger type... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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