old_Sharpstown

Cooters was in Windsor Plaza and as I recall was large but just one floor.  Not sure about the others you named.  The place on Alabama at Sage did have two floors and went through more incarnations than I could possibly name.  Confetti, anyone?

 

The Roxy was originally on Westheimer in Highland Village.

'Subdude'..you went to my HS. I think you may have graduated either with me or a year earlier.

There was a Roxy on W. Alabama behind the Galleria.

There was once a Rocksy in Highland Village on Westiemer. It was where I think Williams Sonoma is now.

I use to frequent that place in 1981 to 1983. I recall when I saw a person come in and dance wearing a black suit and wearing a shiny sequined glove. Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" had just come out. The end of new wave was nearly over.

I had heard that Rocksy was known as "Spats" (??) during the late 70's disco days?

Rocksy was small, but it had a great light show that rattled with the music.

Music such as: The B-52's, Billy Idol, Soft Cell, Z Rocks (local), all were played there from the DJ.

I had heard that the "Dead Kennedys" played "the Island" on S. Main (under US 59) a lot back then.

I can't think of anything in Houston that was "cool" in the 80's. I think that it pretty much sucked during that time.

Well, there was that All-you-can-eat Steak place out by Sharpstown Mall. What the hell was it called?

One of the all you can eat steak houses in Sharpstown was called "Billy Outlaw's" I sadly worked there for about 2 years while in High School.

other cool places in the 80's:

1) Rocksey (across from where Tootsies was in the Highland Village shopping area

2) driving south on US-59 and seeing nothing but fields past Sugar Creek. No developement at HWY6 and US59 at that time.

The high rise scenes were filmed at 2016 Main, you can see the Houston House in the background. As for the uptown nightclub, it was Elan back then, on St. James near Yorktown. It is now a restaurant called The Courtyard. My family used to be in the dry cleaning business here in town, during the filming some of the crew rented a house in Tanglewood and brought some clothes in to be done, I'm not sure if any wardrobe items were done, but the crew was driving around in the beat-up Mustang Debra Winger used in the film.<<Bmil128

You are exactly right. You can see the Houston House in the Background so it was definitely 2016 Main. I remember Elan on St. James, it was one of the hot places to go in the late 70's. The movie was previewed at the GayLynn Theater at Sharpstown and I heard that they resurfaced the entry with some kind of glitter infused concrete to make it sparkle for the local premier. Most of the movie was filmed in Pasadena and that trailer Wes lived in was out in Gilly's parking lot for quite a while. I recall seeing it at least a few years after the movie had been released.

The entry to the Gaylynn was always a black concrete surface with a sparkle in it. It may have been refinished prior to the premier. I am fairly sure for the "Urban Cowboy" premiere, they covered the entry with red carpet. My friends were the doormen/ticket takers for the event (they had to wear brown , western style tuxes the studio rented for them). I stood in front and watched Andy Warhol (with Jerry Hall?) walk in with her tight gold pants, Charlie Daniels standing around, etc.

I went in after everyone had left and we tripped over so many wine/champagne bottles people brought in and drank. I recall Debra Winger leaving the theater last with no crowd around (she was petite and no one knew her).

Having grown up in Sharpstown since we bought our house new in 1967, I would say that Sharpstown was a GREAT place to grow up and the people still there are great people. People are very neighborly and maintain their yards. On the street I grew up on, 2 of our neighbors have been there since 1967. Many others on this same block have been there since the beginning too.

Sharpstown, like much of Houston, grew fast during the early oil boom times of the early 80's. Many apartments came in and it was a desired place to live. I would not say that the oil boom devastated Sharpstown any more than any other part of Houston. Everyone I knew did not loose their job or their house as a result of the bust.

In my opinion, it was the greying of Sharpstown that changed it the most. As everyone had moved in Sharpstown at the same time (late 60's), most of the families' kids were leaving the nest around the mid 80's. Sharpstown HS was becoming more "thug" in the mid to late 80's as rental residents (with little invested in the community as far as a home) brought less than ideal neighbors. Many long time residents may have moved as their house became empty and as their kids moved out.

Sharpstown has always been middle to upper middle class, but as other developements grew in Houston (First Colony, Woodlands, etc.), Sharpstown was moving more to a blue collar community. Not bad. But...the apartments and duplexes around Sharpstown became the places the housed people with no respect for community standards and they had no investment in the community. They contributed the most to the decline as it stands now. (Trivia: Was it Senator John F. Kennedy that cut the ribbon for the opening or the Mall or was it Robert?)

The Vietnamese community has had a major impact on the community West of US59, but it has been mostly positive. East of US59, hispanics have changed that community.

Sadly, Sharpstown Mall also had changed as the shoppers moved to "nicer" malls such as First Colony and the Galleria. This again contributed to the mall falling in status and this also had a significant impact in how the neighborhood is perceived now.

Sharpstown is a great place and anyone who looks even slightly below the outer edges will find great people and the kind of people that makes Houston and Texas great.

my 2 cents.

she said the owner of la carafe Bill Berry moved to California in the early 80's. Dan Mattutat and Carl, the manager, were running the place for a few years. Bill wanted out cause he couldn't be there to see over things, plus the place was in desperate need of repairs. when warren was forced out on milam, the place where warrens is now came on the market and was also owned by bill berry. warren just wanted the place

Not really relevent here...but I do recall Carl. He was a very muscular black dude? If so, he would often drop by the bar I worked at downtown before he started work at La Carafe in the evenings and he would have a Strawberry daiquiri. He was a very nice guy. I had heard that he died around 1987-1988 from some sort of bacterial infection.....

Just misc. info....

Farrell's was discussed a long time ago in another thread. but no time to hunt for that now

Houston had three locations. The Galleria, Almeda Mall, and Northwest Mall.

http://www.happyitis.biz/Locations/historiclocations.htm

I only went to the Galleria and Almeda locations. The Almeda Farrells was at the main east side mall entrance.

I think the last thing to be in that location was Marcos' Mexican Food.

I had one birthday at Farrells (almeda location). I remember many red light siren hats being worn by the staff when they came out to your table to acknowledge your birthday. I was very embarrassed by all the attention!

I had visited the last Farrell's in San Diego a few years ago. I just read that it just closed 45 days ago.

Does anybody here attend the church in reference? It is now United, but when I was baptised there it was pretty basic. I noticed a building in the area of the former playground where we played. I was baptised in 1970. Was in MYF and sang in the chior. I have so many memories connected to this church.

My only experience in this church is attending regular Boy Scout meetings in the Activity Building behind the church and also doing an over-night camp out on the lot behind the church with the Boy Scouts. All in the late 70's. A good friend of mine also was married in that church in the mid-80's. I had always attended the nearby Sharpstown Baptsit Church.

Have you seen the "large" mosque that is behind the Gethsemane church now? You can see maybe 50 to 100 or so men outside attending their daily prayers.

I went to Sharpstown Jr. High from 1975 - 1977. I remember that school like it was yesterday. Don't remember the principals name or my homeroom teacher but I do remember I had a teacher named Ms. Horanne who taught science or something like that.

"Remember that school like it was yesterday"? Sounds like you do not remember much based on the above...just kidding and giving you a hard time . I had to look up the name of the principal myself. Mr Ed Swearer was the principal in 1978 when I graduated Sharpstown Jr. High. Remember "High Nine"? We had ours at the Royal Coach hotel.

As for the sex scandal..I do recall that. I was suprised, but not shocked, to only hear a few years back that several girls (9th grade in 1978) were sleeping with the men coaches there. Not Gaskamp of course, but some of the others. Seems like that is a common problem in the high schools but that was a JUNIOR high.

Landsdale pool....I lived there nearly all summer every year. Great times.

WOW...don't know where to start. DrFood...you have a VERY good memory. I recall nearly everything exactly as you stated and I lived a similiar life (although maybe 5 to 10 years younger than you). We went to the same church, etc.

The 2 things I was not ware of was that Globe was a membership store and that the Eckards in the Southway mall was originally not Eckards. As for the store that became Toys R Us...it originally opened as "Kids Kountry"....although it seemed to have the same giraffe mascot. Maybe it was the same chain that started as a different name? Does anyone else remember that the Grandy's (now a taquaria) across from Southway was originally a Steak and Shake? I use to practice little league on that property before that. In the Southway complex, the place that was Champs (??) coffee shop was originally a Jim's coffee shop. They did not make it in Houston (they are still in San Antonio and Austin).

I worked in Foley's during much of the early 80's. It was the place then. The mall's second floor expansion was viable and valuable for a time, but as you mentioned, the oil bust killed the economy and therfore the mall's too. I actually think that the final "fifties" style decor/remodel really killed the mall from being "cool" to "cheesy". It also aligned timewise when the "last" big group of teenagers were leaving the area. Sharpstown was starting the gray then.

Yes, all the apartments (and most of the duplexes) should be razed in Sharpstown. They bring no long term value to the community. I know of families that have raised their kids in those apartments years ago and it afforded them to live in a "nice community" even if they could not buy a house, but I feel those scenerios are no longer around and may even be overshadowed by all the "bad". A strong MANDATORY HOA is needed.

"Mansion" at Gessner and Beechnut? Yes, I wondered what kind of person would have invested in a building at that site at a busy intersection. Gypsy's? most likely. I had always heard the same. They likely had hoped to set-up a Palm Reader service and only realized that the HOA would stop them. I do not believe the house has been inhabited for years and I guess they paid cash so it is owned outright for now.

As someone else just stated, the place in the mall where Woolco was that had telephones to order your meals was called "Across The Street". Great charcoal burgers.

Lastly...does anyone else remember:

Handy Andy - grocery store at the corner of Gessner and Southwest Freeway (became the "Original Christmas Store" for many years afterwards). A Danver's and a Taco Bueno were across the street from there.

Also, does anyone remember the man who use to endlessly weed his lawn by hand at his house that was at the corner of Bellaire and Fondren that was across the intersection from the Gillman dealerships? The home was torn down and it became that Stop N Go eventually. That man may have been a groundskeeper at the old Sharpstown Country Club as his lawn was always the best. Too bad all those nice homes became the cheesy strip shopping center it is now.

When I lived there beginning in 1969, Sharpstown had 3 sections referred to as Sharpstown 1 (Bintliff east area, Sutton Elem., Jane Long Jr. High), Sharpstown2 (Sandpiper to SW Freeway), and Sharpstown 3(West side of SW Freeway, Mary Bates area, Pat Neff Elem., Sharptown Jr. High. Don't know how and why Sharptown High School was located all the way up on Bissonnet. Don't know what that section of Sharpstown was referred to.

Worked there for a few years during the early 80's. Drove a '66 Ford Fairlane with an "ooooga" horn on it. Those were the days!

Sharpstown Middle School (formerly Sharpstown Junior High) was originally a consolidated junior and senior high in the beginning around 1971 to 1974. Since I lived across from the school, I recall watching all the kids with beards, long hair, ...hippies I tell ya! I was just a little kid, but I remember seeing those "wierdos" at the school.

My assumption for Sharpstown High School being placed where it was is that it could not be further out West (it would be nearly in Alief) and besides, few homes were built past what is now Corporate Drive. It could not go north as Lee was already built and it covered the areas north of Bellaire Blvd. To the far east was Bellaire HS. I guess based on the then current home building trends, a HS like Sharpstown HS needed to be built and the location was central enough. Old "Sharp" himself may have even donated the land for this purphose ??

Independence Heights

BTW Gnu-THANKS ALOT for that image of Pollack. Just when you think you've gotten something out of your head-BAM someone has to drag it back from the dead.

Pollack lives!!! in the Phoenix area for the last 10 years. He is still cheesy......but even bigger (professionally and physically) and more successful here. He does mostly commercial properties now...and of average appeal.

Enjoy his biography: http://www.pollackinvestments.com/company.php

I am sorry I haven't been around much and ended up missing this thread!

Sharpstown is a great place. The neighborhoods are among some of the most beautiful in Houston (when you get off the main streets). The SFH around the golf course and across Bellaire as well as next to Braeburn are truly beautiful and property values are rising dramatically.

The city finally got started on work my uncle spear headed years ago by getting the TIRZ and PID implemented.

If anyone has any questions about Sharpstown, I'd be happy to answer them and I promise to visit the site more often to do so.

I've been so busy with my new job (project managing luxury home construction and loving it) that I haven't been able to visit much.

Not sure what is driving the home values up in Sharpstown (near the Sharpstown country club), but I agree, many neighbors are good people and many are even native Texans to boot. The homes are of good quality and it has LOCATION....easy access to the rest of the world. I unfortunately had to sell our property after owning it when new in 1966.

What are: TIRZ and PID? Sorry I do not recognize those acronyms.

Lastly...for curiousity...what part of town are you building custom homes? Are these SPEC home or high end CUSTOM homes?

What about BEB?

"Big Easy Burger"... It was in the Old Long John Silvers location on Kuykendahl @ 1960

I guess I get the "best of both worlds" in Arizona. We have In N Out burger, Whataburger, Pappadeaux, Virgin Records, Trader Joe's.....

I wish we had GOOD barbeque (Pappas?) and maybe GOOD Tex-Mex (Pappasitos).

Yes...Houston needs to get:

Room and Board (furniture) closest to Texas in the one in Denver

Baja Fresh (owned by Wendy's corp. and is sort of a Calif-Mex) It is fresh and good though.

Rubio's - we'll EVERYONE in Houston has fish tacos so maybe this is not that big a deal

Big Boy - closet to me is one in Lake Havasua, AZ

Gordon Biersh (?) decent food and brewery - based out of the Bay Area ??

Niketown would be good as well ........

Houston has TONS of quality places actually...we are not needing much.....

In and Out burger is family owned and is based out of Irvine, CA. They are conservative, religious based organization. They are only in CA, AZ, NV.

I don't believe it! You remember things exactly the same way that I do. Yes, that was indeed the tune for Chuck Davis Chevrolet. Is the car lot still there, but under a different name? No, it wasn't any ear infections on your part. I also remember the bass/baritone singing voices for Tommie Vaughn Ford. Yes, it did sound eerie. This was back when I lived in Houston from 1962-64. Tommie Vaughn passed away last year.

Thanks for looking up Uncle John's Pancakes. Now I think that I can safely say that it no longer exists (unless someone else on this forum says that he/she passed down O.S.T. and says that they saw it or remains of it).

All I could recall of the old Tommie Vaughn jingle is:

"..They got great service..they got good price, they got everything (missing words) that's nice......Tommie Vaughn...Tommie Vaughn Ford" All done in a deep baratone/"Texan sounding" voice.

Allthough no song comes to mind...I guess everyone recalls the "Rocket City" dealership on the Gulf Freeway near the Gulfgate mall. Was it Dan Boone's dealership? Lastly. was it Frizell (??) that had "A whale of a deal" with a whale cartoon as a logo?

As I understand it...the 2 letter prefix in an old phone number was the name of the exchange (or Central Office) that your phone service would connect through to reach the rest of the Bell system. If, for example, you had "PR" for Preston...your exchange was likely on Preston street. I am fairly sure the MO (Mohawk) is on Mohawk street in Bellaire. Most central offices are hard to spot as they are very plain buildings and they have few if any windows or signs.

As for 10 digit dialing....yes..it is a fact of the times. I believe it was 5 digits in the 50's, 6 digits in the 60's, and 7 digits in the 70's and beyond. The Bell system was constantly implimenting a "geographic" split of existing area codes to accomidate growth. This always meant that many existing...and many long established numbers, would have to change. As the 90's came, SBC decided to impliment an "overlay" pattern where multiple area codes would inhabit the same geographic territories.....your next door neighbor could be in a different area code.

One day...we may even have to go to a 15 digit numbering system...if growth continues. As seen on another website...Houston had 27,000 telephone customers in 1920. We have a few more than that now.

I am pretty sure there was Sage on Westhiemer and Stoney Brooke (just due West of Hillcroft). Today it is a Guitar Center. Since I grew up in the 70's in Briarmeadow I remember going there to get perscriptions with my mom. The toy aisle was pretty shoddy, but I always managed to find something to talk my mom into buying for me. We used to also shop at the Weingartens right next store.

That was actualy a "Sage Drugs" which was an off-shoot of the Sage stores. Sage was the orignal "big box" store/mass merchandiser. It was the precursor in Houston to K-Mart and Walmart. Sage Drugs were smaller stores and were more in-line like a Walgreens.

There was a "Globe" at Bellaire Blvd. and Hilcroft (it became a Fiesta store later). There was a Sage at 610 and Beechnut and a Builder's Square (now closed??) came to occupy that space later.

I always wondered why they premiered Urban Cowboy there. Any ideas? I saw Urban Cowboy there and others (Flash Gordon, The Elephant Man etc) and always that it was just an OK theater. Did Mickey Gilley own Gaylynn's?

So this Rice grocery store at Bellaire and Burning Tree - was it right behind the Dairy Queen? Was it sort of smallish? I used to walk my dog (a rottweiler) over there when I was ten and tie him to the newspaper stand while I went in to get milk or whatever. I never could recall the name of the grocery store. Was there a laundry mat or hair stylist right next to it?

Directly to the right of the Dairy Queen there was a small gas station...

No..Mickey Gilley did not own that theater (as far as I know). I believe it was one of the largest theaters in Houston still left at that time and although somewhat dated...it still had some class. It does seem strange that it was next to a Denny's and across the mall parking lot from a Foley's. Not exactly a "classy" Hollywood premiere. I believe the Tower and the Alabama theaters had already closed for movies. THose would have been more stylish places to have held that event...but they were still smaller than the Gaylynn.

Yes..the Rice grocery store was behind the Dairy Queen. There was a Weight Watcher's and veternarian next door on one side and there once was a Wacker's (?? dime store) on the other side. Later, the dime store became Sharpstown's own honky tonk..and the name escapes me now.

There was also a lunch counter at Key Pharmacy in the Robindell Shopping Center (Bissonnet & Bellaire) that was there for years--probably up until they closed in the 80's. Many times I remember going there, and there was just something about those drug stores that had a feel about it you don't get anymore..

Exactly. I recall as a kid walking through Sharpstown Mall and seeing those in Walgreens eating a meal in their restraurant. I always thought it might be cool to eat there and watch the mall people go by. I guess for a kid, that sounded like cool entertainment.

Does anyone also recall the Dunkin Donuts that was in the mall next to Oshmans near the Montgomery Wards end? I think Zales was next to it at the end. People would belly up to the counter and have their coffee and donuts. The place practically had people sitting IN the mall space. Kinda quaint!

Does anyone recall or have pictures of the old Shipley's Restraurant (not donuts) on West Gray at the corner of Dunlavy BEFORE the shopping center that is there now was built in the late 80's. I recall it had lots of neon outside and was a real diner atmosphere. It was also very small. It felt like it was from the 50's. I recall eating there late at night (I think it may have been open 24 hours a day) and there was a surly waitress we called "Large Marge" as she looked like the one from the Pee Wee Herman movie. Does anyone recall that place and does anyone have a picture of it?

I thought I'd revive this thread just to say I remember the Purple Cow on Hillcroft very well--they even put purple food coloring in soft serve ice cream to make it that color! As for the Chuc Wagun--best onion rings around at the time--who can forget the neon wagon sign!

I remember both places! Yes...the Purple Cow had great soft serve ice cream. I think it may have closed in the mid 70's? Never ate at the Chuck Wagon.....but I always remembered that sign!

Does anyone recall the older Shipley's Donuts on Bissonnet across from the Little League fields? It was before the current (??) one. I recall stepping up on the front steps inside which allowed us kids to see over the counter and pick out our donuts!

Last...I think there is a Purple Cow in Dallas just south of the Galleria. It is an upscale neighborhood and it is a diner which is big hit with little kids. I do not think it is related to the old place off of Hilcroft in Houston.

I have to say that the current hot dogs at James' Coney Island don't taste nearly as good as they used to taste at the original location, next to the Houston Shoe Hospital down town. I remember going there as a young boy in the '50's.

Der Weinerschitzel (??) I believe is based in San Diego. There are lots of those places there. It is also their "official" hot dog at Petco Park where the San Diego Padres play baseball.

I have a little Sharpstown stuff.

I grew up mainly in Alief. (Elsik class of 85). I lived in the sharpstown area for a while when I was younger though. I definately remember the drive in. We could see it from our house at night. I remember watching a move called The Brother's O'Toole (with John Aston) in the family station wagon. I remember our neighbohood as being on the poor side of middle class. Dude across the street from us was huge--maybe 400 pounds- and only drove Mini Coopers. He was alway working on them in the driveway and about every 30 minutes you could hear him holler at his wife, "Etheeeeellllll! Get me a coke!"

Any way. I have very vivid memories of Sharpstown Mall. There was that big clock thing in the middle that was a time capsule. It was supposed to open "way in the future....like the year 2000." But it never got that far. Good Time Charlie's was the place to be. We would go to the mall and hang out all day and play video games. There was a model shop/hobby shop on the second floor (kind of in the corner) that was the coolest place for a teenage boy to hang out in. Anyone remember that?

Then Westwood Mall opened a little further down 59. That was kinda the beginning of the end for ST Mall. Remember Peppermint Park?

My older brother worked at the Winchel's Donut House across the street (Bellaire) from the Mall. My dad's friend, Mr. San Miguel was the owner or manager there. Man, Winchel's was the best!

On the east side of 59, there was a doctor's office on DeMoss. The exterior was like brown rocks. I used to go there every week for asthma treatment. I always made it a point to climb the side of the building when I got there.

In high school, I worked at the K-Mart at 8150 Southwest Freeway across from the Channel 2 station. I met my wife there. Her dad was a K-Mart manager.

I knew a lot of guys from Sharpstown High School that worked there as well. Sharpstown High was the coolest because it had a smoking area, or at least that was the rumor.

Yes, Sharpstown High School had 2 smoking areas. You had to have had a permission slip from your parents in order to smoke there (not that anyone checked). It was there at least during my time there from 79 to 81.

I worked the door at the Ale House in the early 90's. It was a great college job. You met all kinds of people from "working class" to "preppie types". It was a true pub. I was fortunate enough to have my picture taken and placed on the wall above the main (back?) door leading to the parking lot. It was taken during the 10 year anniversary party at the pub. I wonder where all those photo's went. I have not seen them at Stag's Head.

How old is the Dot Diner at the old Gulfgate Mall location? It is next to the Pappas Bar-BQ place (formerly called Brisket House). Both are some of the oldest in the Pappas chain. They are probably from the 70's.

Although not Houston....how old is Gaido's in Galveston? Has it always been at that seewall location? I went there in the 60's at least.

Until it burned down maybe 5 years ago....how old was the "Sho 'Nuf" Bar-BQ place on I-10 east right past Mercury on the south side of the freeway? It looked old.........

How old is Bonnie's on the Gulfgate freeway near Woodridge and how old is Dante's also on Gulfgate (a little further south on the freeway feeder road).

Just some thoughts of old restraurant locations.....

I recall watching all the stars that showed up at the old Gaylynn Theather when they premiered "Urban Cowboy". I saw Andy Warhol, Charlie Daniels, and of course John Travolta drive up. I knew the ushers and we walked the place afterwards.....bumped into the unknown Debra Winger and then tripped all over the empty wine and champagne bottles in all 3 theaters. It was a big night for that old theater.

Does anyone also remember the old Sinclair gas station at the corner of Southwest Freeway and Bellaire? We always got our gas there and also a case of Cokes (in glass returnable bottles in wooden crates). I also recall when the "Super Slide" was across the street from the Gilman Pontiac dealer.....you would slide down on burlap sacks...lots of fun.

Lastly....does anyone recall the Food Giant that use to be in the mall (where Penny's ended up being located) and does anyone recall the old Eckards (??) drug store in the shopping center on Bellaire Blvd. near Burning Tree where there use to be a Dairy Queen and where there use to be a Rice grocery store in the early 70's? That old drug store use to have a drug counter where you could get a meal and ice cream, etc. It is amazing that a fountain dining counter was in as new a neighborhood as Sharpstown!