What Did Your Neighborhood Look Like

[texianjoe]

I was looking for info on Sonny Looks and Dean Goss when I found this thread. I have spent every spare moment reading the last three pages and reliving old memories. Thanks to everyone.

The pizza parlor in Westbury Square was Village Inn Pizza. I worked there one summer in 1973. We trained there to go to a store they were building at the corner of the The Belway and Hughes road. At that time the Beltway only ran from I45 west about 4 or 5 blocks and would deadend at a stop light, Hughs Road ran to the left and Sabo to the right.

I see a lot of you also worked there. We probably saw each other, like the saying goes "Ships that pass in the night."

joe

[texianjoe]

Someone also mentioned The Confederate House. It was closed in the early 80s and was reopened a little later by Tony Valone if I remember right. The only thing I remember about the original was the hostess. Tall, tanned, blond beautifull girl. The State House on the corner of Weslayan and Alabama was The Black Angus before that. That I do remember because I spent many happy hour there, I even have one of their ashtrays at home.

joe

[enviromain]

I still pass by Westbury Square every now and then.

Interesting article:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories.../28/focus1.html

[plumber2]

Those damn CVS and Walgreens. I will admit to shopping at both, but I wish they were not so prevalant. One of my jobs in High School was as a delivery driver for Kay Lewis Pharmacy in the shopping center at Seagler and Westheimer. I loved working there. They gave me a company truck to deliver the drugs in, the tips were pretty good and Mr. Lewis was a cool old man. I used to hate working there when Kay Lewis was there because she used to make me sweep up and do other lame jobs that I hated. Of course they are gone now (it has been a gold store for at least 10 years now). They were struggling for years and it was sad to see these people who had built such a nice neighborhood business get pushed out by the CVS and Walgreens of this world. Having your drugs delivered seems to be a benefit of the past. I can tell a few stories of weirdo's who I delivered too.

How about "Jones Apothocary". They even delivered in small Ford Falcon station wagons.

[devonhart]

The pizza parlor in Westbury Square was Village Inn Pizza. I worked there one summer in 1973.

joe

I ate there with some friends in 1974, the height of the streaker craze, when some nude dude ran in and back out. I can't remember if I lost my appetite or not.

[Vertigo58]

I ate there with some friends in 1974, the height of the streaker craze, when some nude dude ran in and back out. I can't remember if I lost my appetite or not.

That is a riot!

Back to original topic though, the old neigborhood was far less crowded. Mostly married couples with 1-2 children and retired seniors. Hardly any cars parked in the streets. All signs in English. Yards and homes mostly neatly kept by hired gardeners, etc. No loud blaring music. No drinking in public. Most churches at capacity on Sundays. Cool classic cars.

[JRH_1948]

[NenaE]

I am very nostalgic as some might have noticed from my earlier posts. I grew up in SW houston and I have very fond memories of resturants and stores of the past. I thought I would start a thread where people could throw out places and areas they remember and how those areas have changed

For instance does anyonwe remember Jumbo Grocercy Stores. When I was in High School there used to be one at Seagler and Westhiemer and another at Westhiemer and Kirkwood. I worked at both of those stores. Being a teenager I never knew who owned them nor did I care much when they shut down. I assume the market grew to competitive for the stores to last.

I also remember riding bikes through trails where Super K Mart just got demolished. There was so much raw land along Westhiemer from 610 to Highway 6. Most of it has been filled in.

Anyway. I just thought it woul be cool if people had similar memories of the area of town they grew up in.

BTW, I am 33 so it is not like my memories are ancient. The landscape of the areas and the businesses in those areas has totally changed in the past 20 years.

My neighborhood (on the Southeast side) looked like "The Wonder Years" 'hood...homes maybe were built a little earlier (1950's), but were tract homes. For that reason I was always intrigued with homes that were not all just alike . Thru the years, I've come to appreciate that simple little house with the wooden floors, though, couldn't have been more than 1200 sq. feet, 1 bathroom, of course, 1 car garage. The elementary school, grocery store and gas station were all in the 'hood.

[Vertigo58]

As far as the Near East End was 30 plus years ago, you could walk to school since they were all within walking distance. Most of all, it was safe, we always walked with neighbors kids in 2's or groups. (Trying to avoid stepping on the cracks in the sidewalks) We always could see the downtown skyline in the distance too.

[sevfiv]

My neighborhood (on the Southeast side) looked like "The Wonder Years" 'hood...homes maybe were built a little earlier (1950's), but were tract homes. For that reason I was always intrigued with homes that were not all just alike . Thru the years, I've come to appreciate that simple little house with the wooden floors, though, couldn't have been more than 1200 sq. feet, 1 bathroom, of course, 1 car garage. The elementary school, grocery store and gas station were all in the 'hood.

I spent a good part of my childhood in Bellaire and it was like that. The houses were different but had a cohesiveness. These days, it is just weird to me...the entire fabric of the neighborhood has changed.

[NenaE]

I spent a good part of my childhood in Bellaire and it was like that. The houses were different but had a cohesiveness. These days, it is just weird to me...the entire fabric of the neighborhood has changed.

On a recent drive-by, I didn't even recognize the house I grew up in. Isn't that terrible! Was really sad, had to count how many houses from the end of the block to make sure that was it. Had a poured slab that had cracks in it when it was sold.

[Dan the Man]

At least it's still there, and not demolished for a mcmansion/townhomes.

[missmsry]

It's sad your neighborhoods have changed so much. The three houses I grew up in Houston are all still there. 1. Oak Forest (Cheshire). 2. Spring Branch, Hazelhurst off Conrad Sauer. 3. Nottingham Forest off Memorial drive. I drive by them all now and then.

And I forgot the garage apartment in West U. on University Blvd. that my parents took me home to after my birth at Hermann Hospital. Yep, still there.

(Actually, it was just a garage with a kitchen sink and an open bathroom)

[sjpate]

I have lived in Oak Forest Subdivision since the early 60's. One area I think has changed the most is the shopping centers on W. 43rd between Oak Forest and Ella.

I remember in the occupants in the early 70's (North Side) Weingartens with a separate garden center in the parking lot. Weiners, Western Auto, Minimax Grocery, Buster Shoe Store, Gordon's Jewlery, a Record Store and a 7-11. (South Side) Post Office, Whites, Toy Store (not sure of the name), Height Savings (my mom worked here), Wyatts Cafateria, Kresskey's (not sure of the spelling) Palais Royal (still there and doing well) and the Oak Forest Library. There were other occupants but I cannot recall them all. Another small center on corner of Oak Forest and West 43rd, going toward T C Jester had a U-Tote-M on the end, a Monterrey House, a Paint Store, and the Theatre Suburbia (still there and operating). I wish I had pictures of the shopping centers over the years.

There were also 2 "Service Stations", Mobile & Gulf Oil that had FULL SERVICE.

Thanks for the memories. I also grew up in Oak Forest. Spent a lot of time at the Library, learned to swim at the Oak Forest pool, went from Black to Waltrip. Do you remember the Pagoda A-Go-Go wish was open in the mid 60s on Judiway?

[JLWM8609]

I wasn't around, but 30 years ago (1978), my neighborhood was about in the same general layout and condition that it is in today. The newest houses at that time were probably still late original construction properties from the mid/late 60s. I think Scott St. was being widened at the time, and some people living along the corridor lost considerable portions of their front yards. TxDOT was building the South Freeway, the section between 59 and 610 was under construction. Though because of a TxDOT funding shortfall, the ROW corridor sat cleared of all properties and unused for a few years. This made for a giant field of undeveloped land going smack dab through the neighborhood and almost into downtown. The Texas Medical Center was still confined to the other side of Almeda, which was then State Highway 288 and the only way to Freeport from Houston, the Columbia Tap was still an active freight railroad line, sometimes the smell of baking bread could be smelled from the old Nabisco plant (I'm old enough to remember the last days of that, some days I can smell coffee from the old Maxwell House plant, but that's for another thread), and N. and S. MacGregor were still two way streets between Ardmore and Almeda.

By the time I was born, the Columbia Tap railroad was ripped up just before Shenandoah, 288 was finished, N. and S. MacGregor were one way roads, and the Texas Medical Center's presence had finally crossed Almeda.

[NenaE]

I have a question, Why do some neighborhoods have sidewalks and others don't? The one I grew up in did not (Oak Meadows). My grandmothers (Pecan Park) & great-grandmothers did, Magnolia Park (Central Park).

[JLWM8609]

I have a question, Why do some neighborhoods have sidewalks and others don't? The one I grew up in did not (Oak Meadows). My grandmothers (Pecan Park) & great-grandmothers did, Magnolia Park (Central Park).

You know, that's a good question. Back in the late 1920s, Riverside was one of the first suburbs in Houston to be built for the car. Wide, gently curving streets, alleyways for rear parking, quick access to throughofares such as Scott St. Rd. (yes, I know the Rd. is redundant, but that's what maps called it back then) and Almeda Rd. Perhaps they thought sidewalks would discourage car use?

[detached]

I just stumbled across this web site as I was looking for a picture of the "W" in the old Weingarten's logo. I'm trying to prove to my husband it's the same "W" the Washington Nationals baseball team uses. He probably wouldn't care even if I could find it...now I just want to prove it to myself! As for my neighborhood...We moved to Sharpstown in its hey-day of 1965. My Mom and Dad still live there. Our little pocket (bordered by Beechnut, Gessner, Bellaire and Fondren) has not changed much - except the trees are MUCH bigger. They just started re-modeling my old elementary school (Pat Neff) and I'm kind of nervous about that - some things I would rather be left alone. The surrounding area is what has really changed. I had a pet turtle once that I had to release to the wild - so Dad drove me to a field out in the middle of nowhere to release him...that middle of nowhere is what used to be the K-Mart on the corner of Beechnut and Highway 59. I remember when you could actually see the domed Arena theater on the corner of Fondren and 59 (only it was called something else). Now it's hidden by those two ugly black buildings on the corner. I remember when Sharpstown Mall was THE place to go. Does anyone remember the old carousel clock that was in the middle of the mall?! It had the six flags of Texas on the top and would play music and little doors would open to show different scenes from Texas as it turned around. It was very cool. I read somewhere it was a glockenspiel. Sharpstown Glockenspiel

Great photo! Something I had a fuzzy mental image of from my childhood! I remember sitting at the cafe in Walgreens, having lunch with my mom, with my arm hanging over the opening that was created by some slider window, next to the cafe booths, and listening to that carousel! This was 1968. I believe the song that played was, "Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue!" (the Keds commercial song). I also remember that mom shopped at a grocery store (it was Mini-Max) which was located on the north side of the mall, sticking out into the parking lot, by Clarewood Drive. Another memory is that, Anissa Jones, who played "Buffy" on "Family Affair" was doing a promotion visit to Battlestein's, a smaller department store, located on the SE side of the mall. I was so excited to see her! I remember that she was on a raised platform stage, and looked sort of apprehensive and not too happy. By 1969, we moved away from this area and Memorial City became our nearest mall.

Here is a great link for some original images and info:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AcUdTl7Aq-s/SRs-...n+Plan+1965.jpg

Scroll down to find the mall's write-up:

http://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2008...01_archive.html

[kmtv]

Thanks for the memories. I also grew up in Oak Forest. Spent a lot of time at the Library, learned to swim at the Oak Forest pool, went from Black to Waltrip. Do you remember the Pagoda A-Go-Go wish was open in the mid 60s on Judiway?

To add to MarthaG's memories, the record store was Talley's Records and I'm pretty sure the toy store was Tiny Tim's Toys. There was a small bookstore nearby for a while and the S.S. Kresge's had a lunch counter with some great chocolate shakes made by a gal named Sandy.

Is it possible that the Pagoda A-Go-Go became Frankenstein's and Papa Feelgoods after that? On Judiway between Ella and Oak Forest Park?

Does anyone remember Wylie's/Wiley's private swimming pool on Fisher near Golf Drive? If you went to Garden Oaks Elementary, you probably do. Lots of good memories of hanging out there during the summer and listening to the jukebox.

[Native Son]

this is the neighborhood I grew up in, Brentwood in the early 1960's

and this is where I live now, circa 1960

[SmallWorld]

I thought part of Westbury Square was still there, but part was a Home Depot or something.

What about restaurants? My grandfather said that Kaphan's Restaurant and Sonny Look's were the nice places to go, but they're gone now.

I remember Kaphan's very well and it was a sponsor for one of the popular disk jockeys way back when and was very popular.

I miss Alfred's in the Village for their wonderful hamburgers, and does anybody remember the Ming Palace restaurant on (I think) West Gray?

[readam]

I remember Kaphan's very well and it was a sponsor for one of the popular disk jockeys way back when and was very popular.

I miss Alfred's in the Village for their wonderful hamburgers, and does anybody remember the Ming Palace restaurant on (I think) West Gray?

Alfred Kahn's deli next to Jones Apothecary was the original (before they moved to bigger digs on Stella Link) across from Variety Fair in " The Village". Ming Palace was the first Chinese restaurant I ever visited back in the 50s. It was right next door to the River Oaks theatre...you could not miss the smell of the kitchen around the corner.

[Earlydays]

Alfred Kahn's deli next to Jones Apothecary was the original (before they moved to bigger digs on Stella Link) across from Variety Fair in " The Village". Ming Palace was the first Chinese restaurant I ever visited back in the 50s. It was right next door to the River Oaks theatre...you could not miss the smell of the kitchen around the corner.

In the 50's and early 60's there was an Alfred's on Almeda.....serving the large Jewish community that lived in the "MacGregor" area.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

In the 50's and early 60's there was an Alfred's on Almeda.....serving the large Jewish community that lived in the "MacGregor" area.

Did Alfred's later become Alfreda's Cafeteria? I never took the opportunity to eat there (Alfreda's), but I understand it was good eats. Obviously Alfred's had an amazing reputation as well.

[missmsry]

I remember Kaphan's very well and it was a sponsor for one of the popular disk jockeys way back when and was very popular.

I miss Alfred's in the Village for their wonderful hamburgers, and does anybody remember the Ming Palace restaurant on (I think) West Gray?

Alfred also had a huge restaurant in Town & Country in the '70s.

Every time my grandparents visited us from Missouri, we all went to Ming Palace. And whenever a new Disney movie opened at the River Oaks theater, we ate at Ming's. In fact, the night before we moved to Buenos Aires in 1958, we ate there.

[JHC]

this is the neighborhood I grew up in, Brentwood in the early 1960's

and this is where I live now, circa 1960

I really enjoyed seeing the aerial photo of Willowbend. If this is the area I think it is (and I'm fairly certain it is), that would be South Main in the upper part of the photo and Willowbend running from east to west (left to right) in <roughly> the center of the photo. If this is the case, I lived just east of this area in 1960 - in Westwood - and started the first grade in 1960 at Shearn Elementary. I'm thinking that the complex in the lower center of the photo would be Red School (?). My family moved from this area in 1964 to Spring Branch and then on to Central Texas in 1967, so I haven't been back to this part of Houston for almost 45 years now! BTW, my Grandmother lived on Willowisp, south of Willowbend - the small street with the Centipede like appearance in the right center of the image - adjacent to what I'm assuming would be Post Oak Road.

I have many, many wonderful memories of the area you live in now - going all the way back to the late 50's and early 60's. This was truly Post War suburbia in those days full of upwardly mobile young families with a lot of kids. And mentally revisiting this area at this time of year is especially fun, because I remember riding with my family through this neighborhood (especially the section north of Willowbend) so long ago now and looking at all the wonderful Christmas lights and decorations!

It's funny how something as simple as an aerial photo like this can affect so many memories, too. Anyway, thank you for sharing, and I would love to hear how well the old neighborhood has held up.

Jeff Chambers

[chomper]

i came across this site cause i was searching on the net of what happened to little red school house and redbridge school. that was my favorite elementary school. i went there between 1989-1994 when it was at westbury square and i just had a blast. to be honest i think i had to much fun there. dont know if thats one of the reasons the school closed and got re opened is from the lack of education the students received. but i sure had some good memories there. sorry to bump this old thread but i thought i might maybe get a response from someone that went there during the time i went and we might remember eachother.

[GBryant]

I spent a good part of my childhood in Bellaire and it was like that. The houses were different but had a cohesiveness. These days, it is just weird to me...the entire fabric of the neighborhood has changed.

My family lived on Darsey Street in Bellaire until I was in the seventh grade ('76-'89) and you aren't lying about the changing fabric. It always startles me to see that McMansion wedged into the teensy lot where our cottage once stood. Our street was definitely working class and most of the houses (east of Southdale or Baldwin Ave or whatever they're calling it these days) appear to remain so. I don't begrudge folks wanting to move into "my" neighborhood and build nice houses, but I do miss the way it was. The train tracks, the horse pasture, Evergreen Park, Korner Pantry (KP), The Veroner Boner, Monkey Hills, the bike track down on Edith: All lay within our domain and we never felt anything less than complete liberty to patrol them all until the sun went down and after. We trick-or-treated in the dark, dangit! Man, it was a great place to grow up. I hope it still is.

When were you around?

[sevfiv]

My family lived on Darsey Street in Bellaire until I was in the seventh grade ('76-'89) and you aren't lying about the changing fabric. It always startles me to see that McMansion wedged into the teensy lot where our cottage once stood. Our street was definitely working class and most of the houses (east of Southdale or Baldwin Ave or whatever they're calling it these days) appear to remain so. I don't begrudge folks wanting to move into "my" neighborhood and build nice houses, but I do miss the way it was. The train tracks, the horse pasture, Evergreen Park, Korner Pantry (KP), The Veroner Boner, Monkey Hills, the bike track down on Edith: All lay within our domain and we never felt anything less than complete liberty to patrol them all until the sun went down and after. We trick-or-treated in the dark, dangit! Man, it was a great place to grow up. I hope it still is.

When were you around?

Memories! We first moved to Bellaire in the early 1980s, briefly left, then came back in 1989. My parents still live there but are moving in about a year so I'm sure I'll be saying goodbye to my main childhood home. Their block has over 50% new builds at the moment.

And yeah - the houses between Newcastle and the railroad are mostly on ~5,000 square foot lots and they still smash those beasts in!

I very much begrudge the development but know it's a done deal. When the county values your small lot anywhere from 10 to 250 times the value of your house, you're doomed!

[brucesw]

I remember Kaphan's very well and it was a sponsor for one of the popular disk jockeys way back when and was very popular.

I miss Alfred's in the Village for their wonderful hamburgers, and does anybody remember the Ming Palace restaurant on (I think) West Gray?

That would be the Hamburger Steak Sandwich on an Egg Roll, right? A roll the size of a po'boy roll, 1" thick patty which included some minced garlic I think, on the side a half-cup of mayo, enough lettuce for a side salad and a thick slice of tomato and onion so you could assemble it as you liked, kosher mustard on the table of course. Between that and Hamburgers by Gourmet over on Kirby I never saw any reason to go to Prince's or any place for a burger other than an occasional visit to Brittain's Broiler Burger across from St. Anne's while it was still there. It was one of the big disappointments of Kahn's in the Village when Mike Kahn still ran it that they never had the Hamburger Steak Sandwich on the menu. One of the great ones.