Eastwood Neighborhood Real Estate

[EastEndHeritage]

1 hour ago, chrispy said:

As for the person that made the comment about East End schools being “sketchy”- I can see what you mean but they aren’t any better out in the suburbs. My nephew died last week at only 19 years old. Why? Because he had been using Zanax ‘bars’ and codeine syrup since he was 15 and lived in the most expensive, affluent neighborhood in Pearland. People have this illusion that those schools are so much better and nothing bad could ever happen there. The truth is much different: New Caney HS is a dropout factory, Conroe HS has drugs all over the place, Pearland HS is where my nephew got his Zanax bars. Not once did he ever think that they could be laced with something more deadly. All of these schools have kids getting pregnant at the drop of a hat. A few hundred die of coronavirus and people freak out and want to wear a mask. Thirty million die of AIDS and nobody wants to wear a condom! It’s a crazy world."

 

I disagree with some of your complaints stated in your original post, but I agree 100% on your comment about schools.

 

In my experience, people that call schools "sketchy" in this area is just people that they do not want their kids to go to school with mostly brown and blacks kids. I am not here shame anyone, to each their own. I learned a long time ago you cannot force integration onto people. I love the diversity and fairness of Houston overall. But if there one area we are still stuck in the 1950's segregation mentality is school zoning. For K-12 I attended mostly schools with other brown people. All schools I attended had a lot of economic shortages, yet full of supportive staff and eager students. I was fortunate enough to get financial aid to attend a private university, mostly white, to experience the other side. Many of my suburban classmates in college experienced what you stated above. High drug use (Zanax and other prescribed stuff) and they also had a high rate of depression and anxiety. I don't want my kids to get used to overdosing on whatever trendy drug is popular at the "better" school districts or to become depress when things don't go their way or face obstacles. Mrs. and I are products of inner-city public schools and plan for our kids to do the same.

[samagon]

3 hours ago, ljchou said:

@samagon and others - thanks for your mindful inputs. I see validity in each of your opinions.

 

Any older establishments you'd recommend? Googling only gets me so far. Would love to support local legends.

 

 

someone already mentioned D&W Lounge.

 

one of my old neighbors really recommended Taco Keto. I'm not so sure about that one as I've never mustered the courage to go myself.

 

Mandola's Deli is tasty.

 

I mentioned Kanomwan, I need to reiterate. it is amazing Thai food. how a Thai restaurant ended up where it is, I don't know, but they've been there since at least the early 80s, and there are people that I have met while eating there that have been going there for that long at least. I go here at least once a month as it is a duty and a pleasure to do my part to keep this place in business. it is very authentic Thai food, so take that for what it means, as some pallets aren't down for authentic.

 

Texas Taco's and BBQ, it hasn't been here for long, but one of the owners is related to someone who runs a very well known (the name escapes me at the moment) taco place on Navigation.

 

One of my sister's friends swears by Dinner Bell Cafeteria

 

I've lived in this neighborhood for over 10 years, and I just don't try new places enough. 

[JBTX]

1 hour ago, samagon said:

 

Texas Taco's and BBQ, it hasn't been here for long, but one of the owners is related to someone who runs a very well known (the name escapes me at the moment) taco place on Navigation.

 

Villa Arcos Tacos. And I thought they were the same folks, not just related. Eitherway, Texas Tacos and BBQ is solid.

[mkultra25]

1 hour ago, samagon said:

I mentioned Kanomwan, I need to reiterate. it is amazing Thai food. how a Thai restaurant ended up where it is, I don't know, but they've been there since at least the early 80s, and there are people that I have met while eating there that have been going there for that long at least. 

 

<raises hand>

 

I've been going there since the mid-80s, when one of the regulars at the Gingerman discovered it and introduced a bunch of other regulars to it. It's been in three different locations during that time, all within a block or so of each other. It was where I took my wife on our first date almost 27 years ago, and it is usually where we have dinner on our anniversary every year. You could say that I'm fond of it. 

[thedistrict84]

I understand your position @chrispy, but I think you generalize a bit too much. I’m one of those East End townhome-dwelling yuppies you don’t seem to like, but it was my only practical choice within my budget. I love the area and would love to have bought an old bungalow, but I needed a garage for my project car, tools, bikes, etc. and—as someone else mentioned—most of the old bungalows never had garages and if they did, they were converted to apartments long ago. I routinely frequent the older businesses such as Villa Arcos, Champ Burger, Harrisburg Country Club, D&W, etc. because I prefer those types of establishments to anything pretentious and inauthentic. At the same time, I appreciate the new(ish) businesses that pop up in the area and seem to respect the history, like Sigma.
 

Being a native Houstonian and having family here since before my grandfather grew up in The Heights in the 1920s, I have tremendous respect for the history of the city and the East End in particular. Just because I bought and live in a townhome (which was built on a former commercial site) for the sake of a garage and so I had something turnkey that didn’t need a bunch of repairs—that I did not have the time to do myself and didn’t want to pay anyone to do—doesn’t mean I cannot appreciate the history of the area.
 

I would also disagree regarding the new construction townhomes being built in the area. Like is the case with my townhome, most of the new construction is limited to former commercial sites, and I think even you would agree that there is an over abundance of empty lots and abandoned warehouses in the area to where this kind of development can only be appreciated. We don’t have the same “tear down a bungalow, shoehorn three town homes onto a 5,000 square foot lot” issue they have in Montrose and even parts of The Heights. Most of Eastwood has recently become protected by Minimum Lot Size restrictions by proactive residents, so you will not see that type of development there anytime soon, if ever.

[samagon]

23 hours ago, thedistrict84 said:

I understand your position @chrispy, but I think you generalize a bit too much. I’m one of those East End townhome-dwelling yuppies you don’t seem to like, but it was my only practical choice within my budget. I love the area and would love to have bought an old bungalow, but I needed a garage for my project car, tools, bikes, etc. and—as someone else mentioned—most of the old bungalows never had garages and if they did, they were converted to apartments long ago. I routinely frequent the older businesses such as Villa Arcos, Champ Burger, Harrisburg Country Club, D&W, etc. because I prefer those types of establishments to anything pretentious and inauthentic. At the same time, I appreciate the new(ish) businesses that pop up in the area and seem to respect the history, like Sigma.
 

Being a native Houstonian and having family here since before my grandfather grew up in The Heights in the 1920s, I have tremendous respect for the history of the city and the East End in particular. Just because I bought and live in a townhome (which was built on a former commercial site) for the sake of a garage and so I had something turnkey that didn’t need a bunch of repairs—that I did not have the time to do myself and didn’t want to pay anyone to do—doesn’t mean I cannot appreciate the history of the area.
 

I would also disagree regarding the new construction townhomes being built in the area. Like is the case with my townhome, most of the new construction is limited to former commercial sites, and I think even you would agree that there is an over abundance of empty lots and abandoned warehouses in the area to where this kind of development can only be appreciated. We don’t have the same “tear down a bungalow, shoehorn three town homes onto a 5,000 square foot lot” issue they have in Montrose and even parts of The Heights. Most of Eastwood has recently become protected by Minimum Lot Size restrictions by proactive residents, so you will not see that type of development there anytime soon, if ever.

 

sigma is one of my favorite new places in the area.

 

my grandparents bought a home on DIsmuke and Truett back in the late 30s. my mom grew up there, and my grandmother lived there until 94, when she moved to an assisted living center. 

 

I often wish I had spoken up when my parents had to sell it that it might be a good home for me. 

 

every time my mom comes to visit, she has another story (sometimes she tells the same one), but yeah, it's nice to live in an area that I have a pretty long familial connection with.

 

overall, I may lament higher traffic, higher property taxes, worse parking situation, and nice people moving out, but overall I enjoy being a part of something so dynamic, yet still with such a rich history, and I'm sure once I get to know them, the new people moving in will be just as nice. I even look forward to the townhomes that fill in empty lots. for instance over on McKinney near Cullen. the townhomes being built there currently are filling what was an empty lot, and a dive bar that was being used as someones home for a while.

[Montrose1100]

16 minutes ago, samagon said:

 

sigma is one of my favorite new places in the area.

 

my grandparents bought a home on DIsmuke and Truett back in the late 30s. my mom grew up there, and my grandmother lived there until 94, when she moved to an assisted living center. 

 

I often wish I had spoken up when my parents had to sell it that it might be a good home for me. 

 

every time my mom comes to visit, she has another story (sometimes she tells the same one), but yeah, it's nice to live in an area that I have a pretty long familial connection with.

 

overall, I may lament higher traffic, higher property taxes, worse parking situation, and nice people moving out, but overall I enjoy being a part of something so dynamic, yet still with such a rich history, and I'm sure once I get to know them, the new people moving in will be just as nice. I even look forward to the townhomes that fill in empty lots. for instance over on McKinney near Cullen. the townhomes being built there currently are filling what was an empty lot, and a dive bar that was being used as someones home for a while.

What was there before? I checked historical aerials and it looked like a small structure right on the street corner and the rest of the lot was scattered with trees. What about the lot catty corner? Those townhouses/student housing structures are bizarre. 

[samagon]

2 minutes ago, Montrose1100 said:

What was there before? I checked historical aerials and it looked like a small structure right on the street corner and the rest of the lot was scattered with trees. What about the lot catty corner? Those townhouses/student housing structures are bizarre. 

 

the building that was there was a dive bar. but the bar had been closed for a while. there was an article of a lady that lived there (looking for it now). about 2 years ago, I stopped seeing her prius parked in front, so I assume she moved out around that time.

 

the 'student housing' townhomes catty corner, I think I remember it being 3 homes, but if I recall, they were in less than good condition. 

[samagon]

At D&W lounge now, awesome place