I've been gone 30 yrs-what is bellaire,sharpstown,alief area like now? (Houston: transplants, apartment complexes)

[sneighbors]

They were just boring white suburbs near the edge of town then.A friend of mine from back then is trying to get me to move back there,and the houses look too cheap to be true on har.So whats up?

[Poltracker]

SW Houston is kinda scary. Things are not what they used to be at least for now. Bellaire and Meyerland are still very nice though along with a few other neighborhoods on the SW side.

[Wysiwyg]

I moved from NYC to Alief last year. I dont think this is the white suburb you remember. I only have a few white neighbors and theyre young professionals from out of town.
north alief isnt bad. I'm still looking for this 'danger' everyone is talking about

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by Wysiwyg

I moved from NYC to Alief last year. I dont think this is the white suburb you remember. I only have a few white neighbors and theyre young professionals from out of town.
north alief isnt bad. I'm still looking for this 'danger' everyone is talking about

The danger is all in the apartment complexes. Or along Bissonnett between Dairy Ashford and Beltway 8. I live in Alief, but almost in Sugar Land. That part of Alief is also quiet.

[EasilyAmused]

Alief and Sharpstown are no longer white. Bellaire is crammed full of transplants in cheaply built McMansions.

The Galleria (now termed Uptown) neighborhoods have changed house wise, but the residents are still the same. Memorial is now posh and Western Memorial is now picking up speed in value.

[travelguy_73]

As often happens in the life cycle of a city, there are neighborhoods that ring around the urban core that in the day were considered safe, nice surubrban places to live. Over time, people who made those neighborhoods what they were move a little farther out, then a little farther, and before you know it, there is effectively a dead zone in the city. Over time traffic becomes too much, and people rediscover the urban core and move back in, slowly transforming the core. The next wave of people moving in can't afford the core and move just a tick farther out, providing a renaissance for that area. As so on.

Bellaire is now part of that transformed core and is full of high-priced homes now. Neighborhoods like Meyerland and Westbury are well on their way. However, IMO areas like Sharpstown haven't seen an improvement as they aren't positioned close enough to the city core to be seen as highly desirable, yet aren't far enough or new enough for those who enjoy a true master-planned experience. So they sit in limbo with little appreciation and fewer amenities than inner city or outer suburb.

Time will tell whether or not there will be a renaissance in neighborhoods like these.

[jfre81]

Remember - I think it's Back to the Future Part II - Marty and Doc go into the future to see Marty's house decked out in burglar bars.

Well, that's pretty much what much of the 59 corridor heading out of town from the loop is like. But there's hope...

[DJboutit]

Bellaire is pretty nice lots of new homes are being built
Sharpstown has gone down hill some what getto in the last 7 years or so
Meyerland Willow Meadows Willow Bend Westbury & Maplewood are the nicest are on the SW side lot of new mid priced homes being built these areas are pretty hot neighborhoods right now

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

The danger is all in the apartment complexes. Or along Bissonnett between Dairy Ashford and Beltway 8. I live in Alief, but almost in Sugar Land. That part of Alief is also quiet.

i guess i cant say south of beechnut is the area to avoid. i take dairy ashford from sugarland and I do see nice quiet neighborhoods down there.
i believe bissonett is the section that adds the most negative image for alief. it is pretty ugly

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

As often happens in the life cycle of a city, there are neighborhoods that ring around the urban core that in the day were considered safe, nice surubrban places to live. Over time, people who made those neighborhoods what they were move a little farther out, then a little farther, and before you know it, there is effectively a dead zone in the city. Over time traffic becomes too much, and people rediscover the urban core and move back in, slowly transforming the core. The next wave of people moving in can't afford the core and move just a tick farther out, providing a renaissance for that area. As so on.

Bellaire is now part of that transformed core and is full of high-priced homes now. Neighborhoods like Meyerland and Westbury are well on their way. However, IMO areas like Sharpstown haven't seen an improvement as they aren't positioned close enough to the city core to be seen as highly desirable, yet aren't far enough or new enough for those who enjoy a true master-planned experience. So they sit in limbo with little appreciation and fewer amenities than inner city or outer suburb.

Time will tell whether or not there will be a renaissance in neighborhoods like these.

consider the 'chinatown' factor. vietnamese, chinese and other asians from all over the US move straight to alief and once their roots are planted they just stay there (my neighbors are actually one family and bought 4 adjacent homes, another bought 3). and like most chinatowns its borders will be defined and eventually its going to run out of space (maybe). its a slow process. much of it really depends how bellaire blvd 'chinatown' grows and stretches and how much of it is 'chinese'.
theres also persian and middleeastern communities here BTW, it looks like westheimer is their main market place. this area is also Alief ISD
I bet the Koreans in Spring Branch will eventually(soon) move their community to Alief

being in between katy and sugarland, the better 'asian' suburbs, and closer into town is a plus IMO. maybe in another 15years Alief is going to be a desireable area. hopefully.