Sin Alley

[FilioScotia]

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...

It wasn't a sleazy area. Quite the opposite in fact. The apartments on Midlane, Briarglen and Bancroft are just across those north-south RR tracks from River Oaks, so it's always been a somewhat upscale area, with rents priced high enough to keep out the riff-raff. Those apartments were filled with young urban professionals long before the word "Yuppie" was even coined, and they liked to party.

Your mom and dad may not have been "wild swinger" types, but I can tell you that a lot of their neighbors were. Enough of them to give that whole area the nickname of "Sin Alley".

[FilioScotia]

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...

It wasn't a sleazy area. Quite the opposite in fact. The apartments on Mid Lane, Briarglen, Bancroft and Bettis are just across those north-south RR tracks from River Oaks, so it's always been a somewhat upscale area, with rents priced high enough to keep out the riff-raff.

Those apartments were filled with young urban professionals long before the word "Yuppie" was even coined, and they liked to party. I went to some of the parties in the early and mid sixties, and I learned right away that it was best to go alone and unattached because there was a very good chance I wouldn't leave alone if I played my cards right.

Your mom and dad may not have been "wild swinger" types, but I can tell you that a lot of their neighbors were. Enough to give that whole area the nickname of "Sin Alley".

[brucesw]

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.

I lived in an apartment in Montrose in the summer of 63 while working on the north side at a freight office. My landlord was the one who told me that 'Swinger's Alley' had centered on Mandell and Westheimer, just 4 blocks from where I was staying. He also said just east of there had been a coffee house, or perhaps 2, that was/were the center of Beat in Houston. I've been trying to clear up my memories about this but not having much luck. The name Enchanted Cup comes to mind but that sounds more fairy-talish that Beat. It was either where the parking lot for DaMarco is now or just across Westheimer from there, I can't remember - and there might have been a coffee house in both locations or Los Troncos may have already been established on that point where Da Marco is now.

Art Wren's was where Katz's Deli is now and was a 24 hour greasy spoon that even by 63 had developed into a precursor of the House of Pies on Kirby.

When I came back to town in 1970 to stay, Wren's had a reputation as a hang-out for bikers -- Banditos and Hell's Angels. After Wren's closed the place was vacant for a couple of years then Tila's moved in. After Tila shuttered, the place was vacant again for a while before Katz's opened; then Tila's re-appeared on Shepherd.

I never went to either Wren's, Tila's or Katz's so I'm 3 for 3.

[OldHouseLover]

Wasn't Art Wren's Silver Dollar a beatnik place?

Uh, maybe not.

Famous beatnik place in town was the Purple Onion on Fannin.

[Subdude]

Famous beatnik place in town was the Purple Onion on Fannin.

Where on Fannin was that?

[icepickphil]

Was the Beat scene in Houston in the early 60s fairly large? Was it centered around Montrose?

I lived in an apartment in Montrose in the summer of 63 while working on the north side at a freight office. My landlord was the one who told me that 'Swinger's Alley' had centered on Mandell and Westheimer, just 4 blocks from where I was staying. He also said just east of there had been a coffee house, or perhaps 2, that was/were the center of Beat in Houston. I've been trying to clear up my memories about this but not having much luck. The name Enchanted Cup comes to mind but that sounds more fairy-talish that Beat. It was either where the parking lot for DaMarco is now or just across Westheimer from there, I can't remember - and there might have been a coffee house in both locations or Los Troncos may have already been established on that point where Da Marco is now.

Art Wren's was where Katz's Deli is now and was a 24 hour greasy spoon that even by 63 had developed into a precursor of the House of Pies on Kirby.

When I came back to town in 1970 to stay, Wren's had a reputation as a hang-out for bikers -- Banditos and Hell's Angels. After Wren's closed the place was vacant for a couple of years then Tila's moved in. After Tila shuttered, the place was vacant again for a while before Katz's opened; then Tila's re-appeared on Shepherd.

I never went to either Wren's, Tila's or Katz's so I'm 3 for 3.

[jwphillips2]

Art Wren's was one of the few pick-up places for non-hetero lifestyle at the time. They also had an organist.

[FilioScotia]

Art Wren's was one of the few pick-up places for non-hetero lifestyle at the time. They also had an organist.

Every memory I have of Art Wren's is that it was a gay hangout. It was a great late-night eatery on that end of town, popular with gays and straights. When Art Wren's closed, the House of Pies on Kirby suddenly became the big 24 hour hangout.

Now. Since we're on the subject of gay hangouts, who remembers Simpson's Diner on Main?

[J W]

Every memory I have of Art Wren's is that it was a gay hangout. It was a great late-night eatery on that end of town, popular with gays and straights. When Art Wren's closed, the House of Pies on Kirby suddenly became the big 24 hour hangout.

Now. Since we're on the subject of gay hangouts, who remembers Simpson's Diner on Main?

Being only a sheltered kid from the suburbs in the Sixties , I do remember both Art Wrens and Simpsons always being mentioned in the context of gay, homophobic jokes of the times . You know, people who had never been close to either place would accuse others of going there.

[FilioScotia]

Being only a sheltered kid from the suburbs in the Sixties , I do remember both Art Wrens and Simpsons always being mentioned in the context of gay, homophobic jokes of the times . You know, people who had never been close to either place would accuse others of going there.

Art Wren's was popular because of its location -- in the heart of Montrose. Even though it was clearly popular with gays, I and my friends would often stop off there on the way home from some event in the middle of the night, and we never felt uncomfortable or out of place. The food and service were great, and everybody seemed to live and let live, and "get along".

Simpson's Diner was another story, because of its location. It was on Main Street in downtown Houston, and nobody but cruising gays went there, as I learned the one and ONLY time a friend and I stopped there for coffee and burgers late one night in the early sixties when I was in college.

This was before I knew anything about Simpson's reputation. We hadn't been there two minutes when a couple of guys started hitting on us. That's when I noticed that the place was full of guy "couples". Not a female in sight. My friend and I took our burgers to go, excused ourselves and never went back.

[Subdude]

Old topic about Simpson's with picture:

Main Street Diner

[brucesw]

There was a gay bar right around the corner or perhaps a block or so away; the Exile I think it was called. I had never heard that Simpson's was all gay before but I never went. I remember being a little surprised that there was a gay bar that close to downtown -- I don't know why, for sure, but this was the early 70s and things have changed quite a bit. Wouldn't be surprised if there were one right downtown or a gay establishment in the tunnels, today.

Responding to the last post on the linked thread: That District 7 Grill in the retro-diner on Pierce seems to be doing very well but I think the menu bears little resemblance to a diner menu. I'd guess everything on the block where Simpson's sat is gone.

[brucesw]

Was the Beat scene in Houston in the early 60s fairly large? Was it centered around Montrose?

I don't know - wish someone would weigh in with more info as I'd like to know more, too. Kerouac and Burroughs have both been mentioned in threads here on HAIF in connection with Houston.

Here for one and here for another.

[brucesw]

Famous beatnik place in town was the Purple Onion on Fannin.

And a very famous Beat place in SF; I remember hearing about that in the 50s. Maybe it was a chain? (just kidding)

[Fringe]

I had a girlfriend in high school that insisted we go out to eat at Simpsons Diner just to see if it's reputation lived up to it's name. It didn't. It was actually kind of boring. All we saw were other couples and a few homeless people in there just like you would any other eating establishment downtown. This was around 68 or 69 so maybe the gays had moved on to someplace else less conspicuous.

[Vertigo58]

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.

This is hilarious! I met a girl the other day that said her parents lived smack in this area during this time. She stated it was called "Sin Alley" so the bells went off! I told her it was funny she mentioned it as I had seen it on this forum months earlier.

It must have been one swinging, groovy hangout! Farout!

[MidtownCoog]

Another grop of apartments on Sin Alley recently were demolised. I think there is only one complex left.

[FilioScotia]

Sometime around 1966/67 my buddy George and I discovered the party scene out Westheimer. The favored apartment complexes were Three Fountains, Cummins and Timmons Lane , but the wildest was Sin Alley

Remember the Jester? It was a popular folk-music club at the corner of West Lane and Westheimer, just a block or so south of those apartments on MidLane, Briarglen and Bancroft known collectively and famously as Sin Alley. A lot of the babes that lived there hung out at the Jester. Ah yes. Those were the days.

Anybody know whatever happened to Mack Webster, the guy who owned and managed the Jester?

The Jester was a fun place to hang out. People like Jerry Jeff Walker and Guy Clark did a lot of their first singing in public at that place. Every now and then some famous singers and folk groups would come to town for a big show, and Webster would persuade them to come to the Jester after their paying show and sing for beer.

[Vertigo58]

Good memory! and Montclairs? Now that's real nostalgia.

[tmariar]

Remember the Jester? It was a popular folk-music club at the corner of West Lane and Westheimer, just a block or so south of those apartments on MidLane, Briarglen and Bancroft known collectively and famously as Sin Alley. A lot of the babes that lived there hung out at the Jester. Ah yes. Those were the days.

Anybody know whatever happened to Mack Webster, the guy who owned and managed the Jester?

The Jester was a fun place to hang out. People like Jerry Jeff Walker and Guy Clark did a lot of their first singing in public at that place. Every now and then some famous singers and folk groups would come to town for a big show, and Webster would persuade them to come to the Jester after their paying show and sing for beer.

[Retama]

Somebody mentioned Kerouac-he used to come through Houston because one of his pals-Burroughs?-had a little farm up in the BigThicket area. I think that's accurate.

Kerouac made a couple of trips to Houston when William Burroughs lived in New Waverly and grew pot on his farm there. Many of Kerouac's letters are owned by the University of Texas and in one of them to Burroughs he states he wants to come to Houston to see the Texas-Rice football game (I believe this was about 1948 or so). There is a thread somewhere in the history section that discusses an old hotel in Houston where they scored some dope. Burroughs, Alan Ginsberg and Hubert Huncke used to drive into Houston for cheap thrills when country life used to get too country for them. Since they were all bi-sexual or homosexual, they no doubt tapped into the Bayou City's subterranean sex scene.

[jmeboy64]

In the 50's the area with the Mid Lane apartments was famous for "block parties" and that was how the name "Sin Alley" came to be. The streets would be roped off to vehicular traffic on the week end and the guys and gals would all open up their apartments for anyone to enter, for any reason , and the music was loud and a lot of activity around the pool areas throughout the area. It was a fun time for all but I can't imagine this kind of thing now. It would be dangerous now but a great time then. For awhile B.J. Thomas, my friend, and a couple of his band members lived there. There was a lot of booze and some pot but nothing that ever got out of hand. Later there were some problems and eventually the City of Houston banned block parties. But for those of us who participated then it has some really great memories.

[terrbo]

I found this guy who used to play at The Jester... who goes by the name of Texas Jon??

http://www.gualalaarts.org/Groups/LocalEye...02TexasJon.html

[KristinDaugherty]

I moved into a cute apartment on Briarglen - one street closer to the Loop than Mid - in 1993.

As we were taking stuff upstairs, my dad stopped in the living room and shook his head.

I asked him what was up.

He admitted that, his flaming youth being what it was, this was not the first time he'd been in this particular apartment. (Turned out an, um, dealer buddy of his once lived there.)

He said the Mid Lane denizens used to rope off each end of the street and have a block party on weekends. Sounded fun!

[morpheus]

Midlane was just one of a host of complexes in the area, also Three Fountains, Cummins and Timmons Lane being the ones I remember. I can't tell you how many parties I went to between say, 66 and the early 70's. They weren't roped off. Each section had its own pool and the word would spread during the week where the action was. You just crashed the party. I usually brought a bottle, but the kitchen was usually filled with booze. The girls were hot and flirty, and the humid, sultry aire somehow made it more alluring. I remember a night when they kept playing the Stone's "Let's Spend the Night Together."

There was a drive-in nearby, and later a Jack in the Box, where i spent a lot of bucks.

 

[Michelle C]

In the mid 60's Sin Alley was going strong, it was wide open in those days. I lived in the 2000 block of Midlane very near San Felipe. In the 60's there was a Shell service station on San Felipe at the very end of Midlane. You could drive straight into the drive way of the Shell from Midlane. The man that owned the service station lived in the apartment next to me. A handsome man in his early to mid 40's. He seemed to know just about everyone in Sin Alley. His parties were the ones to attend. He was called the mayor of sin alley. Over the years I have forgotten his name but I will never forget him. 

 

I remember once that a local radio station was giving away a car and would give daily clues as to where the car could be found. It turned out that the car was parked in the parking area right behind our apartments. A college friend from the same complex that I lived in found the car. I will never forget how dissapointed I was to find out the car was an early to mid fifties Henry J.

[Loanmaker]

   Ha, Ha, ha  Sin Alley, I was a resident and had several running mates there during the seventies. I grew up in that area, and went to Lanier Jr High and Lamar High.

 

   Sin Alley was a blast, weekend block parties, every known drug, and the people were outasite. The streets would be roped off on saturday and we partied til sunday night. There were Bikers, strippers, hippies, and Gays. Most everyone turned on.

 

   Sin Alley was a community of cool people that banded together a lot. Once there was a girl that bought what she thought was coke and got battery acid instead, the word got out and the culprit disappeared. That was sin alley, an underground community.

 

  There are a lot of stories of infamy, drug busts, and guns, money, betrayal, it was exciting and also infamous.

 

 

    Art Wrens    Ha,ha here's another old haunt, was there from 70 to 76, knew the Beverly and Art Wren, Rocky was the Manager that looked a mafia hitman, Bob was night manager ( would get on itercom and tell me sit down) Jack Gwen had the bar (silver Dollar) in back. All of our freinds went there iincluding Bandits, Dealers, hookers, hustlers, and users. It was open 24 hours and had a bad rep before it was a gay pickup place. simpsons was much older gay pick up joint.

 

  Art Wrens was totally a show, with Drag queens and their lovers openly displaying ( arrestable offense then) you might see a rich drug dealer sitting next to the mayor of a memorial drive community, and also a hustler and prostittute at the same table, the theme song was "in heaven there is no beer", when played on juke box eveyone sang along. A real Center of Decadence and depravity. The Wren's were great people, I loved them.

 

   Space city news published undercover narc license plates, A pound of weed could be bought in front of prince's hamburgers for 50 bucks, it was a felony, Tortilla flats block parties, Frank zappa played in bars on w alabama and w richmond, the Green frog, freaky foods (richwood Mkt) baseball games with cops near the zephyr. Montrose was Sub culture to the max.

 

     Little David

[KRigsby]

On 3/8/2006 at 2:23 PM, Heights2Bastrop said:

Wasn't Art Wren's Silver Dollar a beatnik place?

Uh, maybe not.

Do you by chance know of anyone who knew Mitzi, Jackie and "bottle"Bill in the late 50s there in the Alley?