segovia

Excellent news. A new bike trail several blocks away. No more packing up and going to Memorial park. Will the trail have different levels of expertise?

Hello,

I recently toured the King William's historic district in San Antonio. They have fewer homes than the Houston Heights. The majority of homes are bungalows with a few nice mansions. I noticed several differences in the SA homes.

1. Use of quarry stone

2. Use of tin roofs (just about every home)

3. Larger lots

4. Few rental units apart from the main dwelling

5. Deed restrictions (Not sure if enforced)

http://www.kingwmrealty.com

Has anyone seen the Dallas OakLawn area? How does it compare to the Houston Heights? Has anyone lived in these neighborhoods?

Thank you.

I have seen a lot of new construction in my area. I had the privilege of seeing it first hand across my street (6 homes). Not all builders are the same. They differ quite a bit from the quality of the products used and the skilled labor hired. Restoration can be rewarding but you might end up paying as much as for a new house without accomplishing all your goals. I guess...for new homes...buyer beware. Restoring an older home...have a defined plan with achievable goals.

House plans from yesteryear:

http://www.historicaldesigns.com

Hello Neighbors,

What is your opinion on restoration vs. new construction? What option does a better job in the long run of maintaining and preserving the architectural integrity of the neighborhood? Any personal experiences or projects undertaken?

Thank you.

The Richmond strip area seems dominated by older apartment complexes. There are several thriving adult shops as well. During the day, it seems pretty normal but at night, it comes alive with folks cruising and clubbing. The upper Richmond area near the Galleria mall has a lot of new residential development. I just hope it continues down the strip. It would be a shame to see the area wither into a neighborhood pocket of crime, prostitution, and neglect.

Hello,

I was wondering why there are so many businesses closing their doors off Richmond. The closer you get to Hillcroft, the more of them you see. Is this related to crime or just lack of sustainable business?

Thank you.

I used to live in the Medical Center. I was always impressed by the police presence in the West U, South Hampton, and adjacent neighborhoods. Speed traps are a common sight. My understanding is that these neighborhoods have their own police force/ City charter? The frequency of people being pulled over is also noticeable.

The 1st Ward has some nice older homes. I remember touring the area one Sunday afternoon. I feel sorry for the folks who bought the Perry town homes near the railroad tracks a couple of blocks away from the Pig Stand restaurant. The fresh smell of baked bread is no consolation.

The weekend seems to attract the most activity. I can hear vehicles racing down my street all the way to 6 AM. I do agree that most of the traffic is from the surrounding neighborhoods passing through. I guess we need more stop signs and speed bumps but that will only prolong the *boom...boom* music :-) . The weekend also attracts a lot of trash in the water drainage areas...mostly beer cans and bottles. I've never understood why people throw their trash outside. Regardless, one has to pick it up to keep it nice and green.

jgs1419

Yes...we are hoping these were isolated incidents. Change is inevitable. Sadly, I am a purist at heart. Most of the older, antique homes in the area will either be moved or demolished to make room for new construction (gentrification). You know...everywhere I've lived, I have always gone thru some adaptation period. When we first moved to our house, I felt at home right off the bat. Go figure. The fall season was great...the festival in October and the December "Lights in the Heights" was memorable. It is a great community and I get the feeling things will be all right. A safe community does not come free, we need people to be involved and that is what we intend to do.

Casual Observer...good point.

I used to see drug related activity behind the Stop&Go off Shepherd and 17th street. The rental house behind the store used to generate a lot of activity. Ever since the new homes went up across the street, I have seen very little of it. Even the rental home has changed...fully remodeled and fenced.

Regarding the crack house remark, I have driven through out the area during the day and have yet to find a home that would fall under such a category. Most of the area is a mixture of new and older homes. The streets are clean and there is visible up-keep to the properties.

I had the privilege of seeing the graffiti off Yale first hand. Typically, people who tag areas are pretty consistent with signs/signatures. I walked down the street looking at what he did and nothing made sense. I could not help but wonder if this person wanted to scare people into selling their property. Based on the building frenzy in the area, these sites are considered "hot" commercial and residential land.

Changing gears...graffiti off Yale

I had an interesting conversation with an owner who lives off Yale recently. I enjoy walking in the Heights park area and one day I struck up a conversation with him concerning graffiti. He has lived in the area since 1999. His new fence was recently tagged. This was not the first time and he eventually setup a surveillance system. I was flabbergasted when he told me that the person who tagged his property was not the typical teenager having fun but a man in his mid-thirties driving a Lexus SUV. The man drove down the street tagging fences randomly. He also tagged several, older antique businesses across the street. He said the time was around 3:30 AM.

Thank you for the replies. We are from a small town in S. Texas. We have lived here for 8 years. We love the Victorian style architecture. We immediately fell in love with the Houston Heights area. It took us 2 years to find a good investment opportunity.

Unlike my other half, I was not immune to this type of violence growing up. We actually witnessed the first drive-by shooting. We were enjoying a gorgeous evening outside when we saw two cars with their headlights off speeding up the street. Moments later, shots rang out from the two vehicles and also exchange fire from the party. You could hear the screams of young people, cars fleeing, etc. A fleeing car hit one young person during the melee.

Last evening, I was moving out the heavy trash out to the curb when I heard the shots. I then saw a suburban racing down the street. My biggest concern is that we have children in the area. We also have a couple of families down the street with their first child (newborn).

Crime of any type can occur anywhere in the city. I am just amazed by the frequency of this type of violence. We are hoping for the best. We are in the process of restoring our home and adding to the beauty of the area.

Thank you.

Hello,

We recently purchased an older home in the Houston Heights area. Within the last two months, we have heard two drive-by shootings a couple of blocks away from our home. The first one took place during a high school graduation party (12 shots fired). The second one happend last evening (6 shots - @ 9:30 PM). Most of the homes in that general location are being moved or demolished making way for 380-500K Tricon homes. Before we bought the home, we did a lot of research in the area. Most of the neighbors we talked to said the area was very quiet. The area is East of Shepherd...covering 14th thru 18th street...West of Nicholson. Did we miss something or is this common to the area?

Thank you.