Riverside Terrace Real Estate

[bobruss]

I have been watching all of the birds that fish along Brays in an area east of 288 and west of what I call the Big Bend. Its a stretch that the Herons, Egrets and other waterfowl love due to the current which almost forms rapids. The fishing is great in the bend. Theres always at least ten of those birds working it.

Lately we've had three Osprey working this stretch of bayou and they're amazing fisherman. 

Well this morning I couldn't believe my eyes but there was a bald eagle fishing the bend and I just was blown away.

This was about 7:00 this morning and my wife works on the sixth floor of the UT Nursing school by Lake Flato. Her office faces the bayou and she called to confirm as she was watching it fly back and forth and could see its white head. Truly an amazing morning catch.

I wish I had my camera ready. Hopefully it will be back tomorrow.

[VicMan]

I wonder if there will be an impetus to improve Lockhart Elementary as Riverside Terrace gentrifies.

 

http://www.houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001591/Centricity/domain/32468/boundarymaps/Lockhart_ES.pdf is the attendance boundary.

 

https://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/2364002521/school.aspx states that free and reduced lunch students make up 70% of the enrollment. Its academic performance seems to have declined dramatically from 2009 to 2016; its student body merged with that of Turner Elementary in 2011. I wonder where the wealthier black parents prefer to send their children.

Edited April 16, 2017 by VicMan

[JLWM8609]

On 4/14/2017 at 11:36 AM, bobruss said:

I have been watching all of the birds that fish along Brays in an area east of 288 and west of what I call the Big Bend. Its a stretch that the Herons, Egrets and other waterfowl love due to the current which almost forms rapids. The fishing is great in the bend. Theres always at least ten of those birds working it.

Lately we've had three Osprey working this stretch of bayou and they're amazing fisherman. 

Well this morning I couldn't believe my eyes but there was a bald eagle fishing the bend and I just was blown away.

This was about 7:00 this morning and my wife works on the sixth floor of the UT Nursing school by Lake Flato. Her office faces the bayou and she called to confirm as she was watching it fly back and forth and could see its white head. Truly an amazing morning catch.

I wish I had my camera ready. Hopefully it will be back tomorrow.

 

I've seen the bald eagle flying around the neighborhood, too. I can never catch it on camera though. Usually, I manage to get a brown spot with a bit of white.

[JLWM8609]

On 4/16/2017 at 1:31 PM, VicMan said:

I wonder where the wealthier black parents prefer to send their children.

 

They usually prefer private schools and magnet schools.

[UtterlyUrban]

4 hours ago, JLWM8609 said:

They usually prefer private schools and magnet schools.

Which would be true, regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion, for all parents of some means who live inside the loop in neighborhoods with challenged schools.

[VicMan]

15 hours ago, JLWM8609 said:

They usually prefer private schools and magnet schools.

 

It reminds me of "Dilemma of the Black Middle Class," an Op-Ed from Sheryl Cashin about one of the problems with many African-American wealthier areas: their schools aren't as good as comparable areas in white communities: https://web.archive.org/web/20080307065330/http://www.americancity.org/article.php?id_article=135 - Her thesis is that an overall "external prejudice against black neighborhoods" means black middle and upper class neighborhoods are at a disadvantage, and on the school front one of the issues was that the schools serving black middle and upper class communities larger numbers of poor children (something that Lockhart has). The other aspects that such black neighborhoods often faced were higher crime rates and a lack of high-end retail.

 

It would be great to see Lockhart Elementary become a neighborhood and/or magnet school on par with Roberts, River Oaks, Twain, Horn, etc. but it may be an uphill battle. I would also like to see the likes of Ruggles and Local Foods to set up shop near Riverside Terrace.

 

Edited April 18, 2017 by VicMan

[bobruss]

Good news! 

I spoke with the builder who was working on the Weingartens estate on South MacGregor east of Scott this past week and the work is going to resume in a few weeks.

In case you haven't been in the area in a while you wouldn't know, but the project had been halted about a year ago just after they finished putting up a very expensive

iron fence. Apparently the owner had some financial issues and had to rearrange his finances. 

This will be a great addition to our neighborhood. If you haven't driven through Riverside Terrace in a while you should., 

There are over ten homes under construction or major remodeling efforts being undertaken. particularly in the area around Scott and Macgregor and Roseneath Charleston and Fernwood. Its amazing how much activity is currently under way. 

I also know that the 3rd house on the south side of S. Macgregor just east of Scott is being remodeled. They are in the process of putting in a rock and wire fence that looks pretty interesting. Its truly remarkable what all is happening in this small area of Riverside Terrace. Glad we got in when we did.

[bobruss]

It looks like we have a coup going on in the bend! About 20 pelicans have taken the bend away from the egrets and herons. They've moved a little east. 

last week I counted 5 Osprey working the area between the bend and 288. They are spectacular birds!

I also counted 12 new homes being built in the neighborhood. Pretty exciting.

[bobruss]

On 2/2/2018 at 12:40 PM, bobruss said:

Good news! 

I spoke with the builder who was working on the Weingartens estate on South MacGregor east of Scott this past week and the work is going to resume in a few weeks.

In case you haven't been in the area in a while you wouldn't know, but the project had been halted about a year ago just after they finished putting up a very expensive

iron fence. Apparently the owner had some financial issues and had to rearrange his finances. 

This will be a great addition to our neighborhood. If you haven't driven through Riverside Terrace in a while you should., 

There are over ten homes under construction or major remodeling efforts being undertaken. particularly in the area around Scott and Macgregor and Roseneath Charleston and Fernwood. Its amazing how much activity is currently under way. 

I also know that the 3rd house on the south side of S. Macgregor just east of Scott is being remodeled. They are in the process of putting in a rock and wire fence that looks pretty interesting. Its truly remarkable what all is happening in this small area of Riverside Terrace. Glad we got in when we did.

 

 

Update: The Weingarten Estate is up for sale. Unfortunately, they left windows and doors open for over a year, and I can't imagine how much water damage has taken place.

It was also revealed that there is a family cemetery on the property created by the  original landowners.

[KinkaidAlum]

Wow. Horrible news. They did quite a bit of work and then it all stopped and the house has just been rotting in the elements. A real shame. Same guy owns this house that donated to the baseball facility at UH that isn't finished because he couldn't pay his donation. I'm guessing he was hit hard with the O&G downturn.

[bobruss]

Reportedly someone bought the home recently and work has commenced. They're getting ready to go up with the brick. Scaffolding is up and bricks on the scaffolds. 

This is great news for the neighborhood.

I can't wait to see the brick back on this great old mansion, especially with all of the new doors and windows.

On another number there was a great empty midmid on the corner of Fernwood and Cullen that suffered fire damage from vandalism. It was mostly in the attached garage

but it appears to have done quite a bit of damage to the wing of the fire. It could have been an amazing house had the owner taken care and brought it back.

[bobruss]

On 5/21/2019 at 12:03 PM, KinkaidAlum said:

Wow. Horrible news. They did quite a bit of work and then it all stopped and the house has just been rotting in the elements. A real shame. Same guy owns this house that donated to the baseball facility at UH that isn't finished because he couldn't pay his donation. I'm guessing he was hit hard with the O&G downturn.

That and Harvey and I also heard that he was ill. 

[hbcu]

On 4/18/2017 at 1:40 AM, JLWM8609 said:

They usually prefer private schools and magnet schools.

 

considering the parents who owned at that time in the area went to segregated schools its odd how that changed when it came to the kids education. The biggest threat to any area is a unified and strong African American school. When it happens folks make sure to break it up.

 

Yates is probably the only one left in the city that can pull it off as they still have the demographics, the name and the facilities to pull it off and be a model school but other blacks from HISD will need to realize why be ranked #400 at Lamar and you get nothing in return when a higher rank at a minority school offers better scholarship opportunities.

[BeerNut]

On 5/11/2020 at 3:30 AM, hbcu said:

 

considering the parents who owned at that time in the area went to segregated schools its odd how that changed when it came to the kids education. The biggest threat to any area is a unified and strong African American school. When it happens folks make sure to break it up.

 

Yates is probably the only one left in the city that can pull it off as they still have the demographics, the name and the facilities to pull it off and be a model school but other blacks from HISD will need to realize why be ranked #400 at Lamar and you get nothing in return when a higher rank at a minority school offers better scholarship opportunities.

As an African American in Yates district sending a kid to private school, Yates received only a brief consideration.  I think every parent wants better for their kids if they can provide it.  Also how much is school ranking worth unless you're valedictorian?  

[hbcu]

Yates isn't as bad as we think. The enrollment is way smaller now, better facilities, etc. This is coming from Yates grads who are back teaching there.

 

I know first hand you can get more aid at an inner city school from non-minority institutions ranked in the top 20% or higher as opposed to larger suburban schools. I know personally from watching 3 family members at a HISD school do so and they didn't even make a big effort in seeking those schools out. Schools looking to increase diversity go there first.

 

and school ranking matters with that top 10% college admission rule. (pre-covid-19) If you're trying to get into certain state schools and get auto admission why go somewhere that will cause you to lose sleep when you can get it easier? The end goal is the same.

[BeerNut]

Valid points, I've heard of people seeking out under performing schools to transfer their kid so they could graduate with a higher rank. Still got a couple years before applying to college so not sure where we'll wind up.  

[ew2003]

The Weingarten Estate was relisted "as is" with a $3.2M asking price and an estimate of $800k-$1M to complete. 

 

https://www.har.com/homedetail/4000-s-macgregor-way-houston-tx-77021/9407433

[nate4l1f3]

On 6/29/2020 at 2:40 PM, ew2003 said:

The Weingarten Estate was relisted "as is" with a $3.2M asking price and an estimate of $800k-$1M to complete. 

 

https://www.har.com/homedetail/4000-s-macgregor-way-houston-tx-77021/9407433

Hmmmm I’ll take it!

[ttuchris]

It is under contract now.  A 3,500 sf addition seems excessive.  It must have been in worse condition than they expected.  It looks like they had to take it to the studs in and out.