profjake

This was fun reading the History of the place I grew up. My family moved to Sharpstown in the summer of 1969 when I was 5. We bought a house in the "NEW" section west of 59 off Fondren near the corner of Lugary and Prestwood. Id say that was FAR west Sharpstown. I didn't consider past Harwin as Sharpstown. I went to Sharpstown Christian School (Church of Christ) from 70 to 76.  I went to the Church of Christ every Sunday and Wednesday on the little white minibus that would come pick us up.  I went to Sharpstown Jr High from 76-79 and then moved to Alief ISD although we still lived in Sharpstown on Gessner in the San Louis Apts... I lived with my dad when my parents divorced. He moved there specifically so I could go AISD schools. I was a curious kid and rode my bike everywhere so I know Sharpstown well, I have literally pedaled down every single street between Braeswood and Harwin, Hilcroft and Gessner. I have a photographic memory so I remember every house, every business, every sign, i even remember license plates and cars that were parked in front of certain houses.

I remember all the things you have all posted about. I used to hang out at the Neptune Pet Center and help them with the Goldfish Giveaways. I used to bowl every saturday in the Jr Leagues at the Southway 6 bowling alley and get tacos al carbon afterwards at the Rolandos Burger Factory. I remember riding my bike out "west" across the golf course to Gessner, must have been circa 1972 and looking west from the corner of Sandspoint and Gessner and seeing NOTHING... except for a line of cement trucks heading west... presumably to build the road... Harwin and Bellaire were dirt roads past Gessner. Harwin was a dirt (actually shell) road past Fondren and Milton Koy who owned COD (the concrete company) was the only thing on Harwin between Fondren and Gessner. 

I remember watching Star Wars at Southway 6. I remember watching the 2nd story being added to the mall. I used to be one of those kids that tried to sell you the big styrofoam planes in the mall. I bought my first rc car at Jean's Model shop, an orange Porche 911 Targa for $44 that I got a paper route and saved up to buy, I remember the live bands at the Chelsea Street Pub. I remember listening to the Steve Miller band play as I racked up the high score on the Astec pinball game upstairs in the arcade at Good Time Charley's. When Video cames got more popular, I was the Tempest Champ, I always left the initials, JAX on the machines.

I really enjoyed growing up in Sharpstown. I felt safe and nurtured. All of us kids would make up games, play hide and seek or war, we would build ramps and jump them with our bikes, we would fashion stilts from 2 by 4's. We would pull crawfish out of the bayou until dark, we would watch the fireworks at Sharpstown Mall, from our backyard sitting on the brick wall separating us from Fondren. I went to HBU Summer Day Camp every year. 

I remember sitting in my last period  English Class upstairs at Sharpstown Jr High during the last few days of the semester, right next to the open windows, not listening to the teacher while the winds blew the cords on the flag poles outside making a familiar and beckoning "tinking" sound, teasing us... school is almost over... come out and play. Come jump in the pool over at Landsdale Park or ride your bike on the paths on the hill or go over to the Odom's, Wood's or Mondshine's house and get into some trouble.

My sister and I used to do Sesame Street puppet shows at the Walter Branch Library in the summer. I still remember that musty smell of books and the huge paper card catalog. I loved that Library. Did many a book reports there. Learned about Magic from an old man that would teach us on Saturdays.

Favorite restaurants: The Ground Patti... they had a kewl reel to reel music system behind glass. Wan Fu, by Safeway, I remember Frank Wong well. First Chinese restaurant in Sharpstown. Loved the Tidbit Platter. James Coney Island, friends worked there, so I got leftover food, tried my first cigarette upstairs. Rolandos Burger Factory of course, who invented Fajitas. Mr Gatti's, with the big screen TV. Antonios Flying Pizza over on Hillcroft, the food court at Good Time Charley's, Zyder Zee seafood on Fondren (later became Wendy's), Alfie's Fish and Chips, Steak and Ale, my parents would take me sometimes and I would see my old friend, Clark Walter, with his 3 piece band play hits from the 60s and 70s, 

In my jr high and highschool days, after my parents were divorced, I would often skip school and ride over to the Radio Shack Computer Center on 59 and hang out there. I taught myself how to program the TRS-80s and the sales people let me write code all day, they didn't care. I invented the game, Breakout, but Atari stole it, I was 14. I wrote lots of code that is still out there today. I was using this:  8-)   the sidways smiley face before anyone else was in 1977.   I invented the "squiggly" line on a TRS-80 that you might see in emails...

~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~

My dad and step mom still live in Sharpstown on Bonhomme in the "new" patio homes, right next to the park which used to be my friend, Keith's house. I say new because they were probably built around 1980. Its fun to make up some excuse to go over and visit. It is such a beautiful and quiet area there off of Wanda Lane with huge mature trees. My dad fashioned a sliding gate next to his hot tub in the back yard so he can open it up and have a 10 foot view of the Bonham Acres Park there where Keith used to live.

I know things change, but it is really sad to see Sharpstown mall literally die as it has. It is interesting to see how something so grand and so special, the first of its kind eventually gets passed by and fades away. But it is not all bad. As I said, my dad's neighborhood and that part of Braeburn Valley still have some large and beautiful houses there and some people are building new homes there. 

The one I remember was by Lee High School. They had great shakes and a great frito pie. My brother and sister and I would argue over who got to place the order on the phone.

Yes there was one there, then it reopened way in the back right side of the store on the east side of FOndren and 59. In other cities, they had the same concept but they were called Around the Corner, or Next Door. I used to order the Hickory Burger.

Speaking of that, remember when you could actually get Frito Pie served in a bag of Frito's at Chilis? Back when CHili's actually servied Chili, and the menu was 1 page? The original on Richmond is LONG GONE.

Anyone remember any good bars like Cooters or the Fuelin Station?

I also remember Alfie's Fish & Chips, & H. Salt Fish & Chips. ALSO Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips. Fish & Chips just seemed to be all the rage in the 70s, they came in to Houston in force and then most of them went out of business pretty quickly. The Alfie's on Fondren between SW Frwy & Bellaire lasted the longest to my knowledge. I think it lasted into the 90s.

Anyone remember Zuider Zee? It was also a fried seafood type of place but it was more of a sit-down-and-order restaurant. Not sure where it was exactly but my faded memory suggests somewhere on 59 near Sharpstown.

Yes! I loved Zider Zee. It later became the First Wendy's in Houston.

I lived in Sharpstown so I remember BURGER row, in this order:

Herfy's

Burger King

McDonalds

Wendys

Jack in the Box

Then there was also the Ground Patti. It was a block off fondren facing the Sharpstown Mall. I remember they had a really kewl sound set up with dual reel to reels behind glass.

And we had a Shakey's over on Hillcroft which later became Anotonio's Flying Pizza. There was a Shakey's in Stafford, TX that became Golden Bridge Restaurant.

The original Los Tios is gone. It was over on Bissonnet and Fondren.

They are no longer owned by the Garbett's. I grew up with Michael Garbett.

I remember there was a good Mexican restaurant over near the old chili's on Bissonnet across the street from the old TGI Friday's.

But I cant remember the name.

Also, does anyone remember New York New York Pizza over on Gessner and Westpark?

Anyone remember how Westpark was rerouted there?

And lets see, what else... man I could go on all day...

There was a Mr Gatti's on Bellaire and Corporate, down close to the Del Taco, near the Lewis and Coker grocery store next to the Cafeteria, but I dont think it was a Wyatt's. OH! It was a Furr's Cafeteria, HAH!

Okay, lemme keep going... Remember a Tony Roma's on Richmond? Remember Circus Circus on Richmond? THey had great burgers. AH, here is a GOOD one... the NIGHT HAWK on Westheimer, down near Fondren. All the truckers used to go there.

House of Pancakes on the corner of Bellaire and Fondren behind the old Safeway.

Wan Fu chinese restaurant NEXT TO the old Safeway (and the old Demeris BBQ).

Does anyone remember that big cafetieria type restaurant NEXT TO Farrel's in the Galleria? I think it was called the Cooquery or the Cookery.

YES I remember the old A&W by the way, and the Princess on Hillcroft. But do you remember the original Long John Silver's on Hillcroft? THey used to give kids the pirate hats and chocolate dubloon candies.

Remember the Monterrey House on Fondren near Richmond? It is a Fajita Flats now.

Remember when the Shartpstown Mall was 1 story and there were nice restaurants in it and that huge glockenspiel?

Remember when Westwood Mall had a theater in it?

Remember when Memorial City was an OUTSIDE mall like Meyerland?

Remember when your mom took you to the original Sears downtown and you got a free cookie at the deli counter?

Then there are a couple places in the Heights my parents used to take me, but I was too young to read or remember the names of them. I just remember that back then, restaurants didnt have booster chairs so they just used to ask how many phone books I needed to sit on.

Now I have regressed back to about 4 years old... Thanks a lot guys!!!