Has your old neighborhood gotten better or worse? (Houston, Austin: apartment complexes, HOA)

[Bubba Poindexter]

I grew up in Southwest Houston during the late 70s and 80s and remember how well-maintained the area, in general, was. There were cattle and horses in the pasture where Welch Middle School is located and beyond, the homes in Braeburn Valley West and Glenshire were very nice not to mention the latter development of Fondren Southwest which had some of the most uniquely designed homes in the city. The subdivisions of Maplewood and Braeburn Terrace and others were also desirable. Sharpstown Mall ( and even the old Westwood Mall) were the "go to" destinations of the day, more popular than the iconic Galleria. There was so much fun to be had at the old Westbury Square (also a shout out to the Planet skating rink..not to many of ya'll know about that!) Professional athletes and other local luminaries inhabited the houses, townhomes, and apartments in Fondren Southwest and along West Bellfort and Fondren (many of the Houston Oilers, Hakeem Olajuwan, Rudy T, Carl Lewis, etc. had residences there. I remember my friends and I passing by their houses like little groupies hoping they would be outside mowing the yard or taking out the trash).

Decades later, without trying to be judgmental, the area has transformed into something tantamount to a Third World country. I'm not taking a swipe at the people that live there but it's a psychological struggle to see the area in it's present condition....also the same being said for Mo City. My old house is now painted a horrible orange and the residents place some statues in the front yard ()! This is was/is your typical 3/2house with a average sized front yard.

Good news: I hear that the Fondren Southwest HOA has been quite aggressive in turning the area around and many improvements can be seen-razing dilapidated and crime-infested apartment complexes and replacing them with parks, etc. .

My question is if you were born/ raised here/ lived here a significant amount of time and subsequently moved to another location, what's the condition of your former neighborhood and it's immediate surroundings today?

[Schumacher713]

I grew up in the Galleria area in a small neighborhood called Briarcroft. The area has not changed a ton. A little more high density. The old houses are being leveled for new million plus homes. It is just richer now.

[Trae713]

I grew up in a north Katy neighborhood, and it has gotten better. still very quiet, even with the new GP right next to it now.

[EasilyAmused]

I grew up in Tanglewood, and my parents still live in that rambling ranch. One of the few left. It's still a very nice neighborhood, but the homes are now 8,000+ sf mansions, and the newer neighbors aren't as neighborly. The surrounding area is much more congested , and much more upscale.

[Nishishei]

I grew up in different parts of Southwest Houston too and all of my old neighborhoods are much worse today. It's just the trend in Houston suburbs.

[testmo]

Originally Posted by Bubba Poindexter

I grew up in Southwest Houston during the late 70s and 80s and remember how well-maintained the area, in general, was. There were cattle and horses in the pasture where Welch Middle School is located and beyond, the homes in Braeburn Valley West and Glenshire were very nice not to mention the latter development of Fondren Southwest which had some of the most uniquely designed homes in the city. The subdivisions of Maplewood and Braeburn Terrace and others were also desirable. Sharpstown Mall ( and even the old Westwood Mall) were the "go to" destinations of the day, more popular than the iconic Galleria. There was so much fun to be had at the old Westbury Square (also a shout out to the Planet skating rink..not to many of ya'll know about that!) Professional athletes and other local luminaries inhabited the houses, townhomes, and apartments in Fondren Southwest and along West Bellfort and Fondren (many of the Houston Oilers, Hakeem Olajuwan, Rudy T, Carl Lewis, etc. had residences there. I remember my friends and I passing by their houses like little groupies hoping they would be outside mowing the yard or taking out the trash).

Decades later, without trying to be judgmental, the area has transformed into something tantamount to a Third World country. I'm not taking a swipe at the people that live there but it's a psychological struggle to see the area in it's present condition....also the same being said for Mo City. My old house is now painted a horrible orange and the residents place some statues in the front yard ()! This is was/is your typical 3/2house with a average sized front yard.

Good news: I hear that the Fondren Southwest HOA has been quite aggressive in turning the area around and many improvements can be seen-razing dilapidated and crime-infested apartment complexes and replacing them with parks, etc. .

My question is if you were born/ raised here/ lived here a significant amount of time and subsequently moved to another location, what's the condition of your former neighborhood and it's immediate surroundings today?

You clearly have not been back to your old neighborhood. Third world country with home prices in the 300,000s? Where are you living now in comparision? Maplewood, meyerland and westbury are pretty desirable quick selling neighborhoods

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by Nishishei

I grew up in different parts of Southwest Houston too and all of my old neighborhoods are much worse today. It's just the trend in Houston suburbs.

Depends on which suburbs. some are better than others. Like I'm more fearful for Pearland's future than League City's, for example.

[Weatherguy]

Thanks to the OP for this interesting thread.

I spent my first 3 years in Oak Forest, about a block from the elementary school (Stevens or Stephens). I think most people know how Oak Forest has transformed. I liked it the way it was, but that's not to be. It's rapidly becoming a very affluent area with many of the old homes gone now.

From age 3 until age 18, we lived in Willowbrook, south of Willowbend Blvd and east of Post Oak (just across Post Oak from Westbury. It was a great, middle class neighborhood. Really cute little frame/brick houses. After I moved to Austin, there was a period when Willowbrook sort of went downhill. Might have been sometime in the 80s during the oil bust. But the last few times I've driven through there, it's been looking quite nice, and the prices are way up. I wouldn't mind living there again (either there or Westbury, which is a really hot area these days).

My prediction is that eventually those neighborhoods in SW Houston that are currently run down will come back as the old apartments are torn down and condos/townhomes are built to replace them. If the inner city wards can come back (which they are doing), then it can happen in the parts of SW Houston that went downhill in the 80s and 90s.

[sketteroo]

We moved to Walnut Bend, just off Westheimer and just outside the beltway, in 1965. It was about halfway developed at that point and considered on the edge of town. Westheimer was a two lane road that didn't expand to 4 lane until Gessner. Andrau airport was across the street, and horses and cows everywhere. I think it's still middle class families, but boy the surrounding areas have changed.

[westhou]

I grew up in Cypress and it has changed for the worse. Everyone used to take pride in how their home looked and maintaining a beautiful yard. Not so much anymore. The most obnoxious change is all the cars parked along the street. People used to park in their garage or at least in their driveway.