I remember Montrose and Westheimer in the 1970's (Houston, Victoria: fit in, real estate)

[jenlynlin]

I lived on Richmond across from bell park in '95. I didn't have a car so I did a lot of biking and walking. Anyway, down the street past an overpass (I'm foggy on the details, it's been years) there was a house down the road a few blocks, (made of red brick) it was a shop of horrors. This guy sold human skulls and those serial killer cards (like baseball cards) he and the shop were really creepy. I'm moving back to Houston this month and am debating where to live (I'm a waitress) I know the building I lived in has been torn down and there's a high rise there now. The apt I lived in was cool. I lived in the garage apt. But the complex also had a bunch of red brick buildings (of course) really cool with brick paths that had snails, moss and lichens. It had so much character ( and rats). I ended moving to the suburbs as I was expecting my first child, unexpectedly.
Does anyone know if that house/shop is still around? The reason I would go to this shop is because they had this amazing antique Chinese bed. Carved ornately in a beautiful dark wood and it had a wood roof/cover. I remember it was $4000.00 I wanted it so bad.

[justcamein]

Originally Posted by nwyearsevebaby

Yes, I might be! ;-)

Or I might be a Halphen, Tron or Ruthstrom. Or maybe an Olsen or LaGroue, or a Schneidau. Or Campise, Doughtie, Wardwell, Tolar, Price, Andrade, Allen, Mazeika, Boudreaux, Santarcangelo, Boswell, Flanagan. Or how about Martin, Burke, Pizzo, DeGeorge, Stavinoha, Reynolds or Brand?

These are all names of families I remember, and there are undoubtedly more that I can't call to mind right now.

And while there seems to be an effort afoot now to make this area appear to be a part of somewhere else, I will always believe that our neighborhood had much more in common with the area east of Shepherd than with the area west of Dickey Place. Even that neighborhood - hard as it tries to be - is not really a part of River Oaks. It is, and has always been, called Avalon Place. And whether it's changing the street signs on Indiana to read "Avalon", or installing red "Upper Kirby" street signs everywhere else, or putting in Monty Pythonesque red phone booths, or tearing down every last bungalow and replacing it with a zero-lot-line megadollar house, nothing they do can change the fact that the neighborhood where I grew up was an extraordinary place made up of ordinary folks living in ordinary homes. We may have not been as well off then, but where we lived was, I think, much better than it is now.

OR OR OR you could be a scalise, an archer, an aucoin, a bennet, a cronin, a miggens, a shelacey, or a pollick

[Johnhw2]

Great trip down memory lane. I moved to Houston in summer 1970 after job interviewing and visiting my second time in Fall 1969. My first trip to Houston was from a summer job in Beaumont in 1968, we drove to San Antonio through Houston pre Interstate 10 and old 90 man taht trip took forever. My memory isnt great so please correct me where I am off.

Interview visit dinner was at Swiss Chalet, which lasted a long time but gone now.
Moved in to work and had dinner at Sonny Looks steak place and the Red Lion Inn my first week on the job.
Remember going to Vargo's just off Westheimer and Fondren where Westheimer turned to a gravel road. The strip club in Montrose called Rembrandts lol
Across the road from the Galleria was some fields with cattle still there in 1970.
Bought my new Chevy Vega at Jimmy Greens Chevrolet in Houston. Bought a 1974 T Bird (It was a huge car like a Lincoln Continental) at a Vaughns Ford place near this area.

Houston was a fun place tho se days and was so small compared to today. Houston wasnt well known at all nationally in these days.

A Dr and native Houstonian told us of shooting target practice on US 90 out around hghway 6. Traffic was so lite they could lie down on the highway and shoot. They hunted in the land now known as Fleetwood and Barkers Landing which was hilly tree covered wild land in those days.

I miss Houston and the memories of being there from 1970 to 1975 then back again in 1983 to 2010.

[rick.spencer]

Originally Posted by timebandit50

we went to alot of clubs in the 70s in apartment complexes two come to mind the barbarycoast and we spent alot of time at the arlington squareclub I remember the house band was christopher cross and then wooden leg took over when he hit it big!

I am the bass player for Wooden Leg - Nice that someome remembers us - That was indeed a fun time!

[Gypsyblogger]

I lived in montrose from 1972 to 1979. I was 14 and from a small town when i first moved there. I remember most of the places ive heard mentioned here and i loved growing up there. We were so poor...but we were lucky too. It definitely was not a sheltered upbringing and it made me much more open minded and non judgemental. The first place i lived was on welch and it was close to the pagan church. I have been looking for a photo of the pagan church as it was then. If anyone knows where i can find one, please let me know. Places/things i frequented: damiens, montrose block party, the staff of life (head shop/clothing shop), carnabys, alabama/river oaks/tower theaters for midnight movies, grand central, millers grocery store, fat city (a commune a few streets from us), c & n cafe where the parents hung out, hippie hill. There was a band that i liked a lot that played in the area and i cant remember their name. Lead singer was mickey, kenny was a guitarist, and they played at damiens a lot.

[slingshot]

I was born in Montrose in 1943. On Jack Street, which is off Alabama. Later in life I worked at Houston Blacklight and Poster Co. as manager at the downtown location 1971-72. It was directly across from Love Street. I met my present wife there in 1971 but didn't get with her until 2002 and we got married in 2010. Still together and living in the mountains of Arkansas. Indeed, those were the good old days. Those that I can remember anyway.

[RCH99]

Originally Posted by slingshot

Later in life I worked at Houston Blacklight and Poster Co. as manager at the downtown location 1971-72.

...that's excellent!

[Alleycatmc]

Originally Posted by Gypsyblogger

I lived in montrose from 1972 to 1979. I was 14 and from a small town when i first moved there. I remember most of the places ive heard mentioned here and i loved growing up there. We were so poor...but we were lucky too. It definitely was not a sheltered upbringing and it made me much more open minded and non judgemental. The first place i lived was on welch and it was close to the pagan church. I have been looking for a photo of the pagan church as it was then. If anyone knows where i can find one, please let me know. Places/things i frequented: damiens, montrose block party, the staff of life (head shop/clothing shop), carnabys, alabama/river oaks/tower theaters for midnight movies, grand central, millers grocery store, fat city (a commune a few streets from us), c & n cafe where the parents hung out, hippie hill. There was a band that i liked a lot that played in the area and i cant remember their name. Lead singer was mickey, kenny was a guitarist, and they played at damiens a lot.

Hey i from the area grew up there

[slingshot]

Hippie Hill???!!! That's where I met my second wife. Third wife at Houston Blacklight.

[rwsteiger]

I am seeking to locate to anyone who lived at Family Connection during 1970, clue do you remember the street and the rules of the house?

How about Of Our Own?

How about the Natural Child?

Write me.