Isabella Court Apartments At 3911 Main St.

[dbigtex56]

When I moved to Houston in '81 (jeez, has it been that long?), this place immediately caught my attention. At that time S. Main (like all of what we now call Midtown) was a No Man's Land - a collection of vacant lots, neither here nor there. It was Hiroshima, circa September 1945.

Still... the building was so charming, and I thought they'd be pleased that an employed, delightful young man like myself would want to live there. Also, I thought "the rent's gotta be cheap."

Well. Cheeky me! At that time there was a very high-end antique dealer occupying the ground floor. When I went in to ask about available apartments, a rather snotty young man informed me that "Rentals are made on the basis of personal reference. And we have a waiting list." He looked at me like something that ought to be swept up. Seriously. I thanked him, then snidely pointed out that if he meant to sell Wedgwood vases at that price, he shouldn't label it as Wedgewood.

I forget his response; wasn't significant, I guess. Anyway, I've known a couple of people who have lived there, and it's a jewel of a building, and a tight community of neighbors.

Nice. That courtyard and corridor patina looks like neglect to me, though. I might get tired of looking at that after a while.

And that's why they were careful about to whom they rented. Wouldn't want any unhappy people there...

[kylejack]

One just opened up on HAR. 700 sf for $850. http://search.har.co...HAR90378018.htm

Down to 835. I guess its a third floor walkup? Maybe that discourages people.

[Subdude]

It's a shame Midtown didn't turn out filled with more Isabella Courts and fewer giant AMLI apartment blocks.

[NenaE]

It's a shame Midtown didn't turn out filled with more Isabella Courts and fewer giant AMLI apartment blocks.

There was a very nice retail center that sat at the corner of S. Main & Truxillo Ave. It would have been very close to the Isabella Cts. They were both built in 1928. It was a two story Spanish style, very nice, had someone's studio business in the third story corner tower. Another business sign on the bldg. had Atlantic in the name. A pic of it is seen in "Houston in the 1920's and 1930's, Story Sloane's book, p. 34. That was a very busy area at that time. From what I can tell, looks like the bldg. is no longer there.

[Earlydays]

There was a very nice retail center that sat at the corner of S. Main & Truxillo Ave. It would have been very close to the Isabella Cts. They were both built in 1928. It was a two story Spanish style, very nice, had someone's studio business in the third story corner tower. Another business sign on the bldg. had Atlantic in the name. A pic of it is seen in "Houston in the 1920's and 1930's, Story Sloane's book, p. 34. That was a very busy area at that time. From what I can tell, looks like the bldg. is no longer there.

I remember it well...James Bute had a small gallery there.

[dbigtex56]

There was a very nice retail center that sat at the corner of S. Main & Truxillo Ave. It would have been very close to the Isabella Cts. They were both built in 1928. It was a two story Spanish style, very nice, had someone's studio business in the third story corner tower. Another business sign on the bldg. had Atlantic in the name. A pic of it is seen in "Houston in the 1920's and 1930's, Story Sloane's book, p. 34. That was a very busy area at that time. From what I can tell, looks like the bldg. is no longer there.

Is any mention made calling this area of S. Main the Mediterranean District? I've seen this term somewhere, and it seems suitable, considering the stucco and tile roof buildings which once stood there.

There were a couple of nice buildings on the east side of Main between Truxillo and the corner of Alabama, demolished circa 1986 - same one(s)? Had a neighbor, Bill Worth, who worked in an art gallery there.

[NenaE]

Is any mention made calling this area of S. Main the Mediterranean District? I've seen this term somewhere, and it seems suitable, considering the stucco and tile roof buildings which once stood there.

There were a couple of nice buildings on the east side of Main between Truxillo and the corner of Alabama, demolished circa 1986 - same one(s)? Had a neighbor, Bill Worth, who worked in an art gallery there.

I haven't ran across the term Mediterranean for this area, but it fits, in my opinion. Wouldn't be surprised if it was referred to by that name. Hard to get a mental pic of how that whole side of town really looked at the time, the freeway has chopped everything up so much. There was also a service station that sat across from the retail center. It's all so empty now, in certain pockets. I plugged in a lot of those addresses (on GoogleEarth) from the book, many were no longer standing. There are still traces of it's past, still some nice hidden bldgs. (some are 4-plexes) on those side streets.

[MaggieMay]

The Isabella Court was the jewel in the crown of last weekend's 2017 Good Brick Tour.  The interior features one large courtyard & two smaller ones, and numerous levels of stairs linking the courtyards & apartments.  Tile work, wrought iron, paint, plants, chandeliers and an ornamental well are part of the decor--there's a picturesque vista everywhere you turn.  

 

Three apartments were open for inspection--two of them the larger corner apartments.  Each apartment also has multiple levels--and interior windows that are part of the ventilation system.  Yesterday's cool weather illustrated how well that system worked.  Each place also has a kiva-style fireplace--once with open gas flames, now strictly ornamental.  (There's now central air & heat--those window units I remember from long ago are gone.)  Kitchens & bathrooms were neat but minimal--those who must have glossy, modern surfaces may look elsewhere. 

 

The area's doing well--with galleries on the ground floor & rail access. New construction is going in but nothing will ever match the Isabella Court.  I believe rents have gone up considerably from the figures quoted earlier in the thread.  And the waiting list remains quite long. 

 

I left kicking myself that I hadn't made an effort the first time I heard of that waiting list.  That was many, many years ago.