Riverside Terrace/South MacGregor/288/med center-nice?

[niknak]

Originally Posted by hollasboy

My partner and I just bought a fixer-upper in Riverside Terrace and our experience has been far better than expected. Note: I am white...I only mention because race was brought up in previous posts...

Within 2 weeks of moving in, every neighbor within 5 houses up and down the street came over to introduce themselves and to welcome us.

Crime on our street is surprisingly low because all the neighbors keep a close eye on each other's property. There is also a constant police presence, and in areas that are further away from apartments, there is minimal foot traffic.

As for the houses, many appear to be crumbling but were built so well that they have surprising staying power. We are well into our remodeling project now and I continue to be surprised at the solid construction of our home. Also, my home contains features that are rare in new construction, such as a walk-through stairwell, a full stairwell into the attic, a hand carved wood/marble fireplace mantel, and original arched french doors.

Like other posters have said, most of the dilapidated homes belong to elderly people who can't or won't overhaul their home. There are also lots of vacancies that for some reason are not on the market and just sit there rotting. But the occupied houses contain a mix of families with children, elderly, and young professionals.

I would love for the vacant houses on my street to fill up. I think the likelihood of a more "fair" gentrification is high in this neighborhood due to its suppressed property values, at least when compared with other areas with similar histories. This could become a very diverse neighborhood, both in race and socioeconomic status.

Welcome to the neighborhood. I am happy to hear your neighbors have been so friendly. I too live in Riverside Terrace and love it. Coming from the suburbs I could not believe how friendly our neighbors were (are). Night and and day comparison. There are many ney sayers regarding improvements (gentrification) in the neighborhood. I don't think it will be as long as some say before the area takes off. There have been several changes even since we moved in 2yrs ago. I think Riverside Terrace is taking off. Even if it takes a while I'm still very happy to call Riverside Terrace my home.
Just like you came and feel part of the neighborhood others will too. One house at a time and it's happening. I am always suprised at the number of children in the neighborhood considering the issues with the zoned schools. And it's wonderful to see the neighborhood becoming more diverse in all respects.

[alsal29]

What streets are you guys on?

[calikinley]

My impressions of my neighborhood, for what it's worth...I'm a renter in the 77004, riverside terrace neighborhood. I 'm a single, white, female. I moved from out-of-state 7 months ago in order to go to grad. school at Texas Southern Univ. I wanted to live close to the school for the convenience sake and I am very happy with where I chose to live. I live in a small-unit apartment complex which I think makes it a little less sketchy as far as crime. I'm a minority in my apt. complex and in the neighborhood, but my apt. neighbors have been very friendly to me and welcoming. I get some looks around the neighborhood, but mostly because i think people are surprised to see me (I never see other white people except for at the Chevron gas station on southmore & 288) - but I've had no negative experiences from people in the neighborhood. My complex feels safe. I really sense that people are watching out for each other as far as the goings-on in the immediate vicinity. I feel like they would watch out for me. When I moved here I looked at a few neighborhoods in the area and I was scared off by the run-down look of the neighborhoods north of TSU (north of Cleburne). But, really, the neighborhood south of TSU (Riverside Terrace) is such a different scene and pretty nice! Some houses are huge. The lot sizes for all the houses seem big. Most people seem to take care of their properties. There are some run-down places in the neighborhood, but not in the majority. I sometimes wish there were more businesses, for example: a closer grocery store, a small local coffee shop, etc. But it doesn't take me long to get to those kind of places that are outside my neighborhood. Riverside Terrace/South MacGregor is such a great location if you want to commute to other close-in neighborhoods of Houston. I've visited many of the small, local-type restaurant and cafes in Riverside Terrace neighborhood and enjoyed them.

[dolemitettu]

Great thread guys. I'm a 30 YO white male currently living in Pearland. I was driving through the neighborhood today and was blown away by the beauty of the homes and the size of the lots. I've been looking in Larchmont and Garden Oaks, but I think this is the place for me.

Can you recommend some good realtors in the area?

[alsal29]

Gerald Womack is one of the main realtors for the area, but I do not have any experience with him.

We did a lot of looking on the internet and just used a local realtor in Clear Lake that we were familiar with to show us some homes and write up our offer.

I hope you find something...there are so many great homes that just need a little TLC. Good luck!!

[riversider]

I also live in Riverside Terrace on South MacGregor and have been there for 3.5 years. This has been the most peaceful place Ii have lived in all of my 54 years in Houston. The neighbors are friendly without being nosy.

[hollasboy]

I bought mine through Womack. He was great, and he knows everyone who lives here, on every street. He told me to stay away from some streets, and to focus on others. I see him from time to time driving through the area and he honks and waves. A very nice man, and a good realtor.

[fritz1313]

My girlfriend and I are thinking about buying in your neighborhood. We've already found a home there that we're interested in. I'm glad to read these posts that say so many people are friendly and look out for each other. That's how we will be if we end up there. We don't want to live in the burbs as we are Montrose/Heights/Mid-town kinda people and would not fit in socially or culturally, outside the Loop. Hope to soon be posting that we've purchased and can call Riverside Terrace our home.