What Did Your Neighborhood Look Like

[brucesw]

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.

That is really interesting - I never knew that. I lived briefly on Southmore just off Almeda in '63 and don't remember it. As far as I knew the original was the one in the Village, dating to 1948. There used to be lots of pictures lining the walls of Kahn's in the Village when Mike Kahn ran it (son of Alfred) of the original location just across the street.

The only place I remember along Almeda was the One's A Meal (Brooks System Sandwich Shops it was also called) which was a couple of blocks below Southmore as I recall.

[KristinDaugherty]

My family moved to Quail Valley in 1975. Surprisingly little has changed in the actual subdivision ... the trees are larger, that's about it. The homes are still mid-'70s, and there's some damn strange architecture from that time.

What lies around Quail Valley has changed. Used to be, the only ways in were 59 to Wilcrest or South Main to 2234. Now it's another pass-through on your way to Pearland or Richmond.

[brucesw]

I thought the original Alfred's was on Stella Link?  

A slogan on the Kahn's website says 60 years of Family Tradition; that puts it in the late 40s at least. When was your subdivision established? According to Wiki, Meyerland was developed in 1955 so probably not much business for a Jewish deli out there before then?

Alfred's has been discussed before here on HAIF and there used to be a history on the website. I've always understood 1948 for the Village location and it was the only one. I know my mother was going there on her shopping trips to Houston in the mid-50s.

[Earlydays]

Alfred's has been discussed before here on HAIF and there used to be a history on the website. I've always understood 1948 for the Village location and it was the only one. I know my mother was going there on her shopping trips to Houston in the mid-50s.

There was also an Alfred's in the 50's and early 60's on Almeda near Binz, or Southmore.

[57Tbird]

There was also an Alfred's in the 50's and early 60's on Almeda near Binz, or Southmore.

My wife grew up and went to schools in that in that area in the early/mid 50's. She doesn't remember an Alfred's, but said there was a Kaplan's delicatessen on Almeda in that area.

[bugsquatslow]

My parents moved out to Glencairn off of hwy 6 in '75. I remember my dad saying that it was a 2 lane road all the way from I-10 to clay road. The only restaurant around for a while was Ha-Ha's Chinese restaurant. He said he remembers the wolf pelts that the farmers used to put on posts at the corner of hwy 6 and pine forest lane (although I believe someone stated that it was actually at the corner of Fm 529 and hwy 6 where the Exxon station sits today). Dad said there was absolutely nothing out there back in the 70's and early 80's. He used to go dove hunting out in the fields where the Dennys is at Keith harrow and hwy 6. I can remember the garden nursery where the HEB is located across the street. Seems to me it had a small tin building you used to pay in. I remember the king saver that was where the 99 cent store is now on the other corner. I remember Red top burgers in the parking lot of the Kroger near hwy 6 and west little York, as well as Monterrey house. I remember the toddle house a little farther up the street. I remember Wyatts cafeteria where hook line and sinker used to be up at 6 and timber creek. I remember Latest and greatest video at 6 and Cairnway, I think we still owe late fees there. I remember the Kettle Restaurant farther down the street. They had the best steak fingers on their breakfast buffet, they were so good. I remember the Safeway near loch Katrine, which turned into an Appletree, then a crack house, then Hobby Lobby (1st job), then a crack house, and now I think it's a salvation army type place. Godfather's pizza used to be tucked into the corner of that strip center...they were so good. I used to look through the window of that place for years afterward, I can almost taste the black olive, pepperoni, and Italian sausage pizza. Omnomnom...I remember Hoopers bar, which is where apple dentist is now before they moved to west little York. I remember Hartz chicken on the corner of Cairway and 6. Best rolls in the world! We used to go to the Cinema 6 dollar theater at Clay and 6 all the time. Furrows near FM 529 before lowes and home depot moved in..um oh Daddy did it Seafood restaurant where panera bread is and Marcos mexican restaurant where french quarter seafood is now... Man, all the stuff I remember is about food, that's not good. I remember the tornado that ripped up 6 back in like '92 or something. It ripped the roof off of Kmart and the library and toppled a lot of power lines. Man...I think thats it.

[GBryant]

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!

I haven't lived in Houston in fifteen years, so I might be a little late on the news: but I hear that they're tearing down Horn Academy. Is this true? If so, I'm feeling something like a panicked need to go snap some interior photos before they do to it what they did to Pershing.

Are you an alum?

[sevfiv]

I haven't lived in Houston in fifteen years, so I might be a little late on the news: but I hear that they're tearing down Horn Academy. Is this true? If so, I'm feeling something like a panicked need to go snap some interior photos before they do to it what they did to Pershing.

Are you an alum?

Yep! Went to Horn for 3rd-5th. I heard the news a year or two ago about rebuilding the school but as far as I know it has been suspended for now. I'll try to find the article I read about it..

[GBryant]

Yep! Went to Horn for 3rd-5th. I heard the news a year or two ago about rebuilding the school but as far as I know it has been suspended for now. I'll try to find the article I read about it..

No kidding? I was there for 1st through 5th; so I guess that would be 83-88. I had Mses Cagan, Hill, Osborn(?), Ashford and Wright. Um, Ms. Ator for SIGHTs, Mr. Fertitta for art. Ms. Ashmore was the principal and Ms Bendickson was the school nurse. Holy crap, I can't believe I remember all those names.

I'd give good money just to smell the cafeteria during a lunch service. Mmmm, square pizza and disinfectant.

[kylejack]

A slogan on the Kahn's website says 60 years of Family Tradition; that puts it in the late 40s at least. When was your subdivision established? According to Wiki, Meyerland was developed in 1955 so probably not much business for a Jewish deli out there before then?

Alfred's has been discussed before here on HAIF and there used to be a history on the website. I've always understood 1948 for the Village location and it was the only one. I know my mother was going there on her shopping trips to Houston in the mid-50s.

There was a previous different location in the Village and it moved to the current location, I believe.

[57Tbird]

There was a previous different location in the Village and it moved to the current location, I believe.

It was with a few other shops/stores on the NW corner of Rice and Morningside. I went there many times in the early 50's. I used to make two sandwiches out of their one corned beef sandwich.

[brucesw]

There was a previous different location in the Village and it moved to the current location, I believe.

Yes. I nearly always wound up there when I came to town from Austin in the 60s and went there many times in the early 70s when I lived in Montrose and worked in what was then the Fannin Bank building at Main and Holcombe. Picked up box lunches during the week when the place was too crowded to wait, went on weekends with friends for leisurely lunches. Before the foodie explosion it was one of the most dependable and versatile eateries around. They did lots of things well.

When I moved out of Montrose and changed jobs, I was closer to the one on Stella Link but the one in the Village was always my favorite.

[Earlydays]

.....I lived in Montrose and worked in what was then the Fannin Bank building at Main and Holcombe.

Small world...I worked next door at IBM from 1968 through 1973 and my wife and I lived in the Montrose area on West Main.

[djrage]

Westbury Square was a really neat little shopping place. It had a few lanes of "street" that wound through a bunch of structures that reminded one of a small English village or maybe main street at Disneyland. The shops were more specialty type shops and when I used go go there a lot in the late 70s and early 80s all the shops were open. My favorite was a store that sold oriental items, many Japanese things that were reasonably priced. There was also a Tuesday Morning there for a long time. There was a kind of square at one end of it with a large fountain and benches to sit on. I was saddened when they tore most of it down to build the Home Depot, however it had declined in recent years for lack of sales I suppose.

Was there a movie theater in Westbury Square? I saw a couple of movies as a kid in that area around the early 80s but dont remember quite where it was. It was a twin theater. Saw The Other Side of the Mountain and Back Roads with my parents. Always wondered what that place was.

[Fringe]

Was there a movie theater in Westbury Square? I saw a couple of movies as a kid in that area around the early 80s but dont remember quite where it was. It was a twin theater. Saw The Other Side of the Mountain and Back Roads with my parents. Always wondered what that place was.

No theater in Westbury Square area. You might be thinking of the one that was by Meyerland Mall. 

[GBryant]

No theater in Westbury Square area. You might be thinking of the one that was by Meyerland Mall.

One of my earliest memories is of there being an "Alien" poster hanging in the lobby of the Meyerland theater. It was the one that just showed an egg on that net-lookin' surface. Gave me the willies.