Houston In The 1990s

[KimmerTX]

What were the trendy neighborhoods in the 1990s?

 

Copperfield, Greatwood, New Territory, The Woodlands,

[technoevil]

Copperfield, Greatwood, New Territory, The Woodlands,

 

First Colony, Cypress

[Earlydays]

Sweet Water

[WestparkVillager]

The walmart heb and lowes on westhiemer and kirkwood used to be a greenfield with a small church and a cemetery next to it.

Phonecia used to be across the street from where it is now (pre-2005), it was a small family store back then.

Westpark tollway used to be a railroad track that extended to uptown.

[WestparkVillager]

The last (and only time) I went to that theater I was mad that they did not care I was underage and wanted to see an R rated movie but that they were going to charge me adult prices and not give me the student discount. I always liked the "new" AMC Studio 30 on Dunvale. It was much nicer than the Meyer Park 14 and had stadium seating.

Does anyone know which year that AMC on Dunvale opened?

[Purpledevil]

1997 or '98. It was right before the turn of the century.

The railroad you reference was the Southern Pacific Kenedy Line and went all the way into downtown way back when. I'm old enough to remember it actively reaching as far as Shepherd, in service to some paper company or other type of industry that required boxcar service, because that's all you ever saw on the line. The tracks used to cross Montrose, but that section had long been abandoned once I was of any age. I had an uncle that lived on Sunset Blvd, and it seemed like we'd always catch a train crossing Greenbriar when we'd go to visit him. My brother worked at River Oaks Chrysler Plymouth for many years, and the same line ran right next to the dealership crossing Kirby at grade.

The last service that line provided was in 2003, which was storage for the Ringling Brothers Circus train, parked directly across from Compaq Center. Once the circus left the arena, within a month the destruction of the rail lines west of the UP double main next to Fox 26 commenced. If you go by the Central Bank building, next to the McDonald's, you used to be able to see where the line crossed Main, but with the light rail having been constructed, that probably isn't the case anymore.

[ArchMemoH]

now Univision 20 is with Azteca 26 between the Southwest Freeway and Westpark Drive

[Taylorbk7]

I'm trying to figure out a name of a restaurant in the 1990's that was directly across the street from the Dairy Ashford Roller Rink. It may have been there until the late 1980's, I'm not entirely sure.

 

Supposedly it was a diner-type restaurant and was closed due to embezzlement or fraud or something like that. May have been on the news. 

 

Does anyone know? Or know how I would be able to find out?

 

Thank you!!

 

Brittany

[SpaceAge]

I'm trying to figure out a name of a restaurant in the 1990's that was directly across the street from the Dairy Ashford Roller Rink. It may have been there until the late 1980's, I'm not entirely sure.

 

Supposedly it was a diner-type restaurant and was closed due to embezzlement or fraud or something like that. May have been on the news. 

 

Does anyone know? Or know how I would be able to find out?

 

Thank you!!

 

Brittany

 

I think that was a pizza place in the shopping center where Tuesday Morning was about next door to the restaurant.  The restaurant had neon and black/white check floor and seems like a 1955 Thunderbird inside.  It may have started out as something else and then changed to Italian.  The food was very good. I think the owners were from New York.  They seemed very successful.  About 1995 - 2000 they purchased land across the street, on the east edge of the post office, and built an elaborate new restaurant with a large Statue of Liberty and real subway cars connected to the building.  That's about the time they went out of business and the place sat vacant for a long time.  I'll look for the name. 

[SpaceAge]

Here is info on the restaurant.  Too bad they didn't make it but the new location was completely hidden. 

 

 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.pizza.delivery.drivers/c_EZOqYlqsU

Pizza Roma originated with a small store on Wilcrest in the mid 1970's,
moved to a store in a small Dairy Ashford strip mall and has finally come to
rest, after nearly a year of construction, in its landmark location on
Whittington. Taking a Rich-ly authentic New York theme and an ironically
friendly, family atmosphere, Pizza Roma is the definition of an ideal
pizzeria. Good food and good people, has made Pizza Roma not only a familiar
neighborhood restaurant, but the first choice of customers looking to dine
at the largest independent pizzeria in Texas.

Custom calzones, hot subs, appetizers, pastas, salads, desserts and our
popular Buffalo wings have increased Pizza Roma's reputation for having
excellent food. It is the pizza, however, that keeps jaws dropping daily.
Topping your pizza is a joy when choosing from over 20 toppings, but it may
be a tough decision when choosing a pizza crust. Pizza Roma offers its own
New York style hand-tossed crust, always crisply baked to perfection, and a
Chicago style deep dish crust boasting thick, golden edges and covered with
sauce and cheese. Also offered is the stuffed pizza. A novel idea, which has
gained notoriety from its unique and sinful blend of two cheeses, with a
classic sauce and your choice of three master stuffed combinations. Standing
apart from today's typical stuffed crust pizza, you're served a real pie,
with the pizza baked inside.

The original pizza recipe was brought down from Manhattan and encountered
finally by Richard Saumby when he was working at a delivery location as a
driver, many, many years ago. He was delivering pizzas so scrumptious, he
and his wife Susan decided to buy the company.

Today, they've still upheld that same recipe, and continue to churn out the
very best pizza from old fashioned, brick ovens. So thanks to Rich and
Susan, and their courageous act of bravery, the building finally opened in
May 1999, and still stands 40 feet tall, the home of Houston's most intimate
pizzeria.

 

[august948]

 

Here is info on the restaurant.  Too bad they didn't make it but the new location was completely hidden. 

 

 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.pizza.delivery.drivers/c_EZOqYlqsU

 

 

 

We went to the new location once just after it opened.  Don't recall the food, but the decor and building was something to see.  I think I saw a sign for a hookah joint there a few months ago.  The old shopping center where it used to be located on Dairy Ashford has been remodeled and a few new tenants have moved in but it's mostly vacant.

 

[blue92]

I lived in Houston from April 1999 thru Oct. 2001, in the Cooperfield part of NW Houston off 290 & 6. There used to be a Japanese buffet right in front of the Willowbrook Mall. Is it still there, what's the name of the place? They had the best Sushi I've ever eaten. It was 21 bucks a person for all you could eat. Also there was fish place that was built in a boat on 1960 Capt. somethin anyone know the name of it and is it still in business? They served fried catfish.  

[Witch King]

I lived in Houston from April 1999 thru Oct. 2001, in the Cooperfield part of NW Houston off 290 & 6. There used to be a Japanese buffet right in front of the Willowbrook Mall. Is it still there, what's the name of the place? They had the best Sushi I've ever eaten. It was 21 bucks a person for all you could eat. Also there was fish place that was built in a boat on 1960 Capt. somethin anyone know the name of it and is it still in business? They served fried catfish.  

 

Captain Tom's Oyster Boat.

[brucesw]

I lived in Houston from April 1999 thru Oct. 2001, in the Cooperfield part of NW Houston off 290 & 6. There used to be a Japanese buffet right in front of the Willowbrook Mall. Is it still there, what's the name of the place? They had the best Sushi I've ever eaten. It was 21 bucks a person for all you could eat. Also there was fish place that was built in a boat on 1960 Capt. somethin anyone know the name of it and is it still in business? They served fried catfish.  

 

That was originally a Captain Benny's.  A guy named Tom was the manager of the Captain Benny's on 59 @ Wilcrest where I was a regular in the 80s.  He told me Benny Heileman (?) had been approached many times by investors wanting a franchise and he finally let a couple of guys open that one on 1960, but they weren't restauranteurs and the place did poorly.  Tom wanted his own place so Benny let him take it over.  There are now 3 Capt. Tom's and several Capt. Benny's still in business.  The menus are very similar but Tom always claimed his recipes for gumbo and deviled crab were better so the dishes may be a little different.

 

The Capt. Benny's on 59 was moved down Murphy Road about a half mile due to the widening of 59 but the berm it perched on is still there, I think, right at the intersection.

 

[Triton]

Anyone have a photo of Main Street before the light rail construction began? I was thinking of Main closer to Buffalo Bayou looking towards downtown. I remember it being a large four lane road with potholes everywhere.

[IronTiger]

I heard it was 6. Anyway, I did make a similar topic almost 3 years ago: http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/27318-what-was-main-street-like-before-the-light-rail/

Edited September 29, 2015 by IronTiger

[Triton]

I heard it was 6. Anyway, I did make a similar topic almost 3 years ago: http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/27318-what-was-main-street-like-before-the-light-rail/

 

Was it really that big? I guess I am looking more for going down the bridge from UH-D into downtown type photos. Yes, very specific but that thread is certainly a great start! thanks!

[mollusk]

'twas six lanes, with narrower sidewalks than we now have.  And no turns.  No lefts I get, but why no rights is beyond me - but people did indeed get tickets for it.

[cspwal]

No turns?  So once you got onto main street, you were stuck on it for the duration?

[Triton]

There were a lot of potholes, right? I remember Main and N Main being terrible in that area.

[mollusk]

No turns?  So once you got onto main street, you were stuck on it for the duration?

 

Yep.  All the way from Commerce down to Bell or so, IIRC.

 

There were a lot of potholes, right? I remember Main and N Main being terrible in that area.

 

Probably.  At the time that described just about all of the downtown streets, all of which were in pretty much the same shape that lower Westheimer is now.

[Subdude]

Here's Lower Main St in the 1990s in all its glory.  Not a great shot of the street itself however.

[Ross]

I don't recall Main being full of potholes. I used Main quite a bit from 1976 to 1991, simply because it had less traffic, and was a pretty cool drive. I was banking at South Main Bank for much of that time, so heading out Main was a natural choice.

[MirrersTrucking]

I personally never liked the idea of the Light Rails, made driving in those areas even more of a game of Russian Roulette.

[j_cuevas713]

I personally never liked the idea of the Light Rails, made driving in those areas even more of a game of Russian Roulette.

Light Rails? And how is it a game of Russian Roulette? Follow the traffic signs like anywhere else and you should be just fine. If you don't like the idea of rail running thru the middle of a street then go to Boston or even Denver and realize it's a normal part of life in those cities.

Here's Lower Main St in the 1990s in all its glory.  Not a great shot of the street itself however.

I can't believe we allowed the city to decay so badly. 

[IronTiger]

What does that block look like today? Or was it leveled entirely?

[cspwal]

Every single one of those buildings is still there

 

It's Main & Congress, looking southwest

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7622208,-95.3606692,3a,75y,256.92h,89.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sumgt0Am5abJDdJYD5EAyvQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Edited October 22, 2015 by cspwal

[Blade Runner]

The walmart heb and lowes on westhiemer and kirkwood used to be a greenfield with a small church and a cemetery next to it.

 

 

 

That was the church that my grandmother (and some of my other obscure family members) attended for several years. I had relatives buried there. I still seethe when I pass that damned H-E-B.

[SpaceGhost]

The walmart heb and lowes on westhiemer and kirkwood used to be a greenfield with a small church and a cemetery next to it.

Phonecia used to be across the street from where it is now (pre-2005), it was a small family store back then.

Westpark tollway used to be a railroad track that extended to uptown.

 

The Andrau Airpark extended from Richmond down to Westpark. It was sold and demolished in 1998. A tiny piece of road from the airpark still exists. It was the roadway that led from Westheimer to the runways. It was eventually bisected by Richmond Ave. It's possible that the road might of been signed as S. Kirkwood due to the close proximity. (Just a guess though)

 

As for Phoenicia, it indeed was originally across the street. It was in the corner of the brown brick shopping center. The original store was bought by a ballroom called "The Bougainvilleas" The inside was completely redone and is unrecognizable except for the general shape which was a distinctive L. My family gave, and continues to give tons of business to Phoenicia. According to my dad who has shopped there as long as I can remember, the owner put in tall shelves to take advantage of the small store space. This was carried over to the new store, which sort of gave it a warehouse store feel, without truly being a warehouse store.

 

There was a spot called "Phoenicia Cafe" located in the strip center to the right of the main store. The cafe lasted in its original spot longer than Phoenicia. It stayed there for I think, around a year after the store moved. It was moved and renamed as Arpi's. Got Banh Mi & Pho? moved into the old spot, and kept the same layout.

[august948]

That was the church that my grandmother (and some of my other obscure family members) attended for several years. I had relatives buried there. I still seethe when I pass that damned H-E-B.

 

They're starting to fill in the last piece of the woods behind that church with new townhomes.  Still a couple of open sections of land south on Kirkwood past Richmond.  Won't be long and all of what's left of Andrau will be built over.