Will Sharpstown ever turnaround, or is it doomed like Alief? (Houston: foreclosure, renters)
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The reason Sharpstown, Alief, Greenspoint, and now the F.M. 1960/Spring area has gone downhill is the people that have moved in and taken over those areas. Heck, Missouri City used to be a much nicer place but now look at it. It too is becoming a major ghetto. The ghetto migration will continue southwest and take over the Sugarland area in the next 10 years or so. Do yall remember when the Jones Road area used to be real nice around Steeplechase down to U.S. 290 (Northwest Freeway)? That are also is starting to fall in decay. I know that I am going to upset alot of people with what I am typing but I am telling the truth. The reasons all of these areas have either decayed or started falling in decay is the element, the people, who are moving in and taking over those areas. People should not be afraid to speak their mind. That is why I am posting more candidly.
Any "turn around" Sharpstown gets, if/when it gets one, will be based on the good geographic proximity to major employment centers like downtown, Greenway Plaza and the Galleria area, along with easy access to the other amenities of the Galleria area and inner-loop. This, combined with attractive prices, possibly increased popularity of areas to the east of it such as Robindell starting to "spill over" and maybe even the increasing interest/popularity of mid-century modern houses, all of these things could and probably will fuel some improvement in Sharpstown at some point.
Whenever that point comes, however, the schools just are not going to be a draw. They just aren't. Improvement will come in spite of the schools, not because of them. The good news for Sharpstown is having stellar schools isn't a necessity for a close in area to come back up. It would be great & a lot easier if they were, but Sharpstown could improve drastically from where it is now even with schools deemed less than desirable by many people's yardstick, however they choose to measure that.
I completely agree. If Sharpstown High School had the reputation of Bellaire High school, the homes would be Bellaire prices, with the land value appraised at $42/sqft instead of $3-$6/sqft in Sharpstown. As home values in Sharpstown climb further, it will bring in a set of folks who value and focus on their children's education and price out people who are economically better off renting. The Sharpstown high school will then improve. Besides, there are several good private schools in Sharpstown, and with the low property tax, I think private schooling would be a viable option or if their children are academically advance, they can get into a magnet program in other better public schools. There are options parents with school age children can explore while raising their children in Sharpstown.
Last edited by Maybac248; 12-04-2010 at 06:14 PM..
There is some truth in the low-income apartments reason, but I think the real event that was the demise of Sharpstown/Fondren (and probably also Alief) was the huge oil bust of the 80's. Loss of job base, foreclosures galore in these areas, in comes the multiple low-income apartments, and everything went way downhill from there.
A better question would probably be, what caused the demise of somewhere like the FM 1960/Spring ISD corridor? Because I don't think it was a single economic event as in the case of Sharpstown/Fondren and Alief.
As far as what areas might be next to fall... as in the past, I would be very wary of areas that have had heavy foreclosure activity. There is a map you can view that here: Houston Trend Maps (http://www.localetrends.com/metro/houston-texas-home.php - broken link)
The apartments came before the bust. They were used a lot for singles and young couples starting out in the energy industry. Similar thing in Greenspoint.
Quote:
Originally Posted by amberazeneth
The reason Sharpstown, Alief, Greenspoint, and now the F.M. 1960/Spring area has gone downhill is the people that have moved in and taken over those areas. Heck, Missouri City used to be a much nicer place but now look at it. It too is becoming a major ghetto. The ghetto migration will continue southwest and take over the Sugarland area in the next 10 years or so. Do yall remember when the Jones Road area used to be real nice around Steeplechase down to U.S. 290 (Northwest Freeway)? That are also is starting to fall in decay. I know that I am going to upset alot of people with what I am typing but I am telling the truth. The reasons all of these areas have either decayed or started falling in decay is the element, the people, who are moving in and taking over those areas. People should not be afraid to speak their mind. That is why I am posting more candidly.
I definitely wouldn't call Missouri City ghetto. Maybe certain parts of it, but the majority of Missouri City is nice. And I don't think the ghetto will extend into Sugar Land in ten years. Remember that Sugar Land is its own city. They have their own zoning, ordinances, etc. (same with Missouri City). The areas you talked about (Alief and FM 1960) are in unincorporated areas and aren't as strict on what's built there like Sugar Land is.
I am curious if Sharpstown contains any Cliff May homes. Supposedly there were some built in Houston, but nobody knows where they are. They were generally modest but well designed modern homes of the era. Sharpstown would be a likely candidate to have them, maybe they are there, maybe not. If they were found there it would certainly be something that would be a boost to the neighborhood given the attention they receive.
The reason Sharpstown, Alief, Greenspoint, and now the F.M. 1960/Spring area has gone downhill is the people that have moved in and taken over those areas. Heck, Missouri City used to be a much nicer place but now look at it. It too is becoming a major ghetto. The ghetto migration will continue southwest and take over the Sugarland area in the next 10 years or so. Do yall remember when the Jones Road area used to be real nice around Steeplechase down to U.S. 290 (Northwest Freeway)? That are also is starting to fall in decay. I know that I am going to upset alot of people with what I am typing but I am telling the truth. The reasons all of these areas have either decayed or started falling in decay is the element, the people, who are moving in and taking over those areas. People should not be afraid to speak their mind. That is why I am posting more candidly.
The problem with betting on so much poverty spreading around Houston is that you are betting against Houston in general. Do you really think there will be this many lower-middle income and poor people in Houston in 10 years? This demographic would have to double or more in order to fill out these neighborhoods. I never understand such dire predictions.
I am curious if Sharpstown contains any Cliff May homes. Supposedly there were some built in Houston, but nobody knows where they are. They were generally modest but well designed modern homes of the era. Sharpstown would be a likely candidate to have them, maybe they are there, maybe not. If they were found there it would certainly be something that would be a boost to the neighborhood given the attention they receive.
I am not saying that there is going to be alot of poverty in the Houston area. I am saying that when those types of people move into areas and do not respect or care for the area, then that particular area begins to decay. Those areas that I mentioned were at one point in time considered to be desirable places to live. Missouri City zip code 77489 is a ghetto. Say what you want, but 77489 is a ghetto. Missouri City zip code 77459 borders Sugarland and contains developments like Sienna Plantation which are beautiful and very desirable places to live. In my line of work I have witnessed areas decline and decay. Sugarland is still nice in most areas, but the ghetto migration will eventually catch up with it. There was even a thread in this forum about the 77498 zip code becoming a ghetto. The reasons that areas decline and decay is the people that move in to those areas. Those afore mentioned people do not care about the area that they live in.They do not take care of the area. They act as if they are entitled to being in the nice area and they expect the city, state, county, or federal government to give them handouts (freebies) and take care of the area for them. Not all of the people in those afore mentioned areas are low income. They work the system and lie about their incomes and situations to obtain free government programs. Where as the actual people who those programs were intended for get denied and they suffer. Get more respectable people in those areas and they will rebound overnight. Until then, they are just going to keep becoming more of a ghetto and never be desirable. Once again I know I am going to upset some people with what I am posting. I am just posting the truth and not making excuses. The reasons areas decline and decay is the people in the area. They just do not care. Happy Holidays to everyone!!!!!
Last edited by AmberAzeneth; 12-05-2010 at 07:42 AM..
The high drop out rating has to due with the economic situation the kids are in, most of them have to work to help their family. However Sharpstown has been remedying this, they now offer flexible night and online classes in order to graduate even while working.
It's so funny how all these suburbanites are quick to bash Sharpstown High especially when it's ranked higher than any Houston suburban school. Does it burn?
Oh and you're using facebook "gangsta talk" as empirical data on the crime in Sharpstown, clearly someone went to a suburban school. Give me a link with statistics on crime, until then you can't prove anything.
If the kids must be working at the expense of academics, at the expense of dropping out of even high school, we are in for a big decline in this country. This is what 3rd world country kids do. To have their kids working, to the point of dropping out of school, is extrodinarily short sighted on the part of their parents. These kids may be earning minimum wages or may be $7/hr at most, while if they stay in school, go to college, one day they will be making $35-$70/hr. That's when they can break the cycle of proverty, raise a family in decent surroundings and contritube to the tax base in their community and to the federal government. Education for these kids at this age is crucial, that's why the federal government mandated public education to all of its citizens at considerable expenses of the taxpayers decades ago. While it is harmless for kids to have a job on the side, dropping out is going very far. While I sympathize with families in financial distress, doing this is pure stupidity bordering on lack of self respect.
I am not saying that there is going to be alot of poverty in the Houston area. I am saying that when those types of people move into areas and do not respect or care for the area, then that particular area begins to decay. Those areas that I mentioned were at one point in time considered to be desirable places to live. Missouri City zip code 77489 is a ghetto. Say what you want, but 77489 is a ghetto. Missouri City zip code 77459 borders Sugarland and contains developments like Sienna Plantation which are beautiful and very desirable places to live. In my line of work I have witnessed areas decline and decay. Sugarland is still nice in most areas, but the ghetto migration will eventually catch up with it. There was even a thread in this forum about the 77498 zip code becoming a ghetto. The reasons that areas decline and decay is the people that move in to those areas. Those afore mentioned people do not care about the area that they live in.They do not take care of the area. They act as if they are entitled to being in the nice area and they expect the city, state, county, or federal government to give them handouts (freebies) and take care of the area for them. Not all of the people in those afore mentioned areas are low income. They work the system and lie about their incomes and situations to obtain free government programs. Where as the actual people who those programs were intended for get denied and they suffer. Get more respectable people in those areas and they will rebound overnight. Until then, they are just going to keep becoming more of a ghetto and never be desirable. Once again I know I am going to upset some people with what I am posting. I am just posting the truth and not making excuses. The reasons areas decline and decay is the people in the area. They just do not care. Happy Holidays to everyone!!!!!
I think so too that the "ghetto" tends to spread southwest in Houston. The more expensive part of this area started with Bellaire and Meyerland and now it is spreading to Westbury, Maplewood and Robindell. Then it will be the turn of Sharpstown. The bad elements will keep on moving further southwest. Yes. People with "entitlement" mentality, (they act as if someone else owed them a living, somebody else should take care of their property), attracts poverty, instead of prosperity, to themelves and their neighborhood.
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amberazeneth
The reason Sharpstown, Alief, Greenspoint, and now the F.M. 1960/Spring area has gone downhill is the people that have moved in and taken over those areas. Heck, Missouri City used to be a much nicer place but now look at it. It too is becoming a major ghetto. The ghetto migration will continue southwest and take over the Sugarland area in the next 10 years or so. Do yall remember when the Jones Road area used to be real nice around Steeplechase down to U.S. 290 (Northwest Freeway)? That are also is starting to fall in decay. I know that I am going to upset alot of people with what I am typing but I am telling the truth. The reasons all of these areas have either decayed or started falling in decay is the element, the people, who are moving in and taking over those areas. People should not be afraid to speak their mind. That is why I am posting more candidly.
It's only the east/northeast portion of Missouri City that isn't very nice. You're going to say that Sienna, Riverstone, and the eastern portions of First Colony are ghetto? Seriously?
No way Sugar Land is going to ever go that route within the next few decades (no one can predict much further out than that for just about ANY part of town.) You are forgetting Sugar Land is its own city, with strict zoning, that means everything has to be approved by the city before it is built or turned into something else. Sugar Land also has a relatively affluent and well-educated population base, and an employment base with a few company headquarters. Now, it's possible some areas near it will decay (Stafford is already going that route with its school district, and the part of Missouri City that borders with Houston) but not Sugar Land itself (and I'm talking about the actual Sugar Land, not the areas that are north of W Belfort with Sugar Land postal addresses but are actually Alief.) If anything, Sugar Land will be similar to Bellaire in Houston in that it has its own law enforcement and city services, and maintains its integrity and desirability even while being next to areas that have not.
You have to remember unincorporated, unzoned areas with no control will be much different than zoned cities which in this state can impose just about any controls they want. You also need to look at foreclosure maps; I'd be 100x more concerned about an unincorporated, unzoned area hit hard by foreclosures like the Fry Rd/FM 529 area of North Katy/far South Cypress, than a strictly zoned city with comparatively very little foreclosure activity like Sugar Land. It really is not as simple as you make it out to be, so consider that before making these dire predictions you think are "truth."
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