I remember Montrose and Westheimer in the 1970's (Houston, Howe: theatre, closing)

[drwangelette]

Originally Posted by haudi

A+ Story. Would read again.

thanks. hope you will return again as I have written some more and could use some encouragement to continue.

[Houtex77]

I first moved to Houston in 1972. I worked in the Red Hanger Department of Battlestein's River Oaks. I remember it well. I hated my boss. I remember the restaurant. I would wait on rich kids who bought a ton of plaid Pierre Cardin suits. I remember the Pizza Hut on Shepherd. The Roaring Sixties was across the street. It was a lesbian bar. We saw a lot of rough women come out of that place. I also remember lower Westheimer on the week-ends. It was limos and fur coasts. The Bachannal restaurant, Alexanders, Lilians Maison de Crepes, you could actually eat outside! I remember Bev's Million Dollar City Dump, a dinner theatre which turned into Numbers later on. Gay bars were everywhere, and adult bookstores too. I loved Hamburgers by Gourmet at the corner of Yoakum and West Alabama. I loved their tacos and their #1 burger. I also loved Felix's Mexican restaurant. I remember Frank the waiter who always did the math for the check at the table. Mrs. Tijerina would yell at sales people and throw them out of the restaurant. I loved her. I remember Los Troncos treehouse restaurant. It later became a gay bookstore treehouse. I remember the Empanada House on Westheimer and Utter Delight Ice Cream. I remember when Tootsies first opened in lower Westheimer. The featured fashion for women was a pair of blue jean overalls. We thought they were so cool. In those days, you could not be caught dead coming out of Art Wren's Silver Dollar Saloon. Only "gay" people went there. I remember Mrs. Wren, and a hostess by the name of Sammie. She had Veronica Lake red hair and she was 150 years old. Mr. Wren wore suspenders. Quaaludes were everywhere. I remember having to wait until 2:00AM to go to the clubs because that's when "after hours" started and I wasn't 21 just yet. We would go to the Farmhouse off of Westheimer on Joanel. I remember when the Uniform Shop on W. Alabama and Kiping was the Bayou Landing and the Old Plantation. It was a lot of fun in the disco days. I remember Tim Shaw's Modeling Agency on Westheimer. I remember Lydia Houston, a beauty school across the street from Art Wren's. I remember the Palace Club in the old Montrose building. You never knew if the elevator was going to make it. I remember driving up to the Prince's on Westheimer and Montrose getting waited on by a bell hop. I remember Winchell's donuts on W. Gray at Montrose. Those truly were the days.

[bwash]

Originally Posted by Houtex77

I remember Los Troncos treehouse restaurant. It later became a gay bookstore treehouse. .

I don't see how we could've let go of this.

[Mom77379]

I lived in the Montrose area from 1972 until 1979 (during my 20's) and had a great time. My best friend/roommate worked at the old Tower Theatre for a few years, then moved over to the old Alabama Theatre on Shephard....it was the "Rocky Horror" days, and I enjoyed partying almost every Saturday night for the Midnight Movies ! Also fondly remember "Hungry's Sandwiches" on lower Westheimer. Had a neighbor who was a DJ for K101 - "Crash" ... who was often seen stumbling the hood. Also fondly remember Houlihans and the live entertainment on weekends, Dunkin Donuts on Shephard at 3am.... The "Hobbit" restaurant.....those were certainly great times & great days ! Wouldn't change a thing.....

Now in my 60's.....I live North of Houston in the Champions area.....My how things change !!!

[Graniteproqual]

Originally Posted by tommy-t

I "lived" at The Lttle Hut from '76-'84. Played a lot of shuffleboard.
Occassionable owner-Don Pearson.

Iwas howard gant's and freddie dove's white lawyer. . A FEW other things about the little hut: Police raids, the occasional gunplay, you never even called me by my name, really good times.

[slingshot]

I remember it in the 1940's through the 70's. I was born there in 1943.

[Weatherguy]

I don't know if I've posted to this thread already (since it's really old), but my experience with Montrose began when my grandparents lived in the heart of the community in the 50s and 60s, right across the street from Dan Rather's house (he got his start at KHOU).

In the 70s I visited Montrose to try to come to terms with the real me. Went to the famous Farmhouse bar (it was a huge old mansion) and promptly got so inebriated that I got very sick. And who was sitting at a table right next to me? It was the comedian Paul Lynde, who yelled at the staff to get me as far away as possible from him. Ended up spending the night in my car, unable to drive home. In spite of that no so good experience, I really like Montrose and would love to live there if it were more affordable.

[Space City Native]

My father moved to the Montrose area around 1967 when my parents got divorced-he bought a two story house that was built in the 1920's or 30's that really had a lot of character. It was a sturdily built brick house, around Sul Ross and Branard, that had an old radiator system to heat the house with a big boiler in the kitchen. He had his office/business on the ground floor and lived upstairs. He lived there for about 20 years until he evenually sold it-I could strangle him for doing it because the house is now worth over half a million dollars, a tiny fraction of what he originally paid for it!

I used to live with him off and on for a few years-the neighborhood back then was a real bohemian mix of gays and hippies, as well as older residents that had lived there a long time. That neighborhood was the only place I had ever seen where gays and lesbians walked down the street holding hands and kissing. Also people frequently falling down and passing out on the sidewalk, either high on drugs or alcohol. A real busy Teen Challenge drug rehab place was down the street from my father's place, people constantly coming in and out. The neighborhood had just a little bit of everything, always another surprise-especially for me because I'd always lived in such conservative neighborhoods.

In the 80's the neighborhood became more upscale and the property values went up, mainly due to upper class gays buying property and fixing it up and generally sprucing up the area. Back in the 60's and 70's a lot of hippy types lived there because the rent was low, but that changed later on.

In 1975 I was working for KPFT and our studios were moved to its present location on Lovett-it seemed like there was constant activity in that area, 24/7-people always walking up and down the street, no matter the time-I didn't really like the atmosphere, a lot of gays walking and riding around trying to get picked up-but that was just the nature of that part of Montrose.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by Space City Native

My father moved to the Montrose area around 1967 when my parents got divorced-he bought a two story house that was built in the 1920's or 30's that really had a lot of character. It was a sturdily built brick house, around Sul Ross and Branard, that had an old radiator system to heat the house with a big boiler in the kitchen. He had his office/business on the ground floor and lived upstairs. He lived there for about 20 years until he evenually sold it-I could strangle him for doing it because the house is now worth over half a million dollars, a tiny fraction of what he originally paid for it!

I used to live with him off and on for a few years-the neighborhood back then was a real bohemian mix of gays and hippies, as well as older residents that had lived there a long time. That neighborhood was the only place I had ever seen where gays and lesbians walked down the street holding hands and kissing. Also people frequently falling down and passing out on the sidewalk, either high on drugs or alcohol. A real busy Teen Challenge drug rehab place was down the street from my father's place, people constantly coming in and out. The neighborhood had just a little bit of everything, always another surprise-especially for me because I'd always lived in such conservative neighborhoods.

In the 80's the neighborhood became more upscale and the property values went up, mainly due to upper class gays buying property and fixing it up and generally sprucing up the area. Back in the 60's and 70's a lot of hippy types lived there because the rent was low, but that changed later on.

In 1975 I was working for KPFT and our studios were moved to its present location on Lovett-it seemed like there was constant activity in that area, 24/7-people always walking up and down the street, no matter the time-I didn't really like the atmosphere, a lot of gays walking and riding around trying to get picked up-but that was just the nature of that part of Montrose.

'Have to ask... how did you know they were trying to get picked up? How did they try?

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by latetotheparty

fascinating posts newyearsevebaby ..... ...... what an amazing memory you have......

i do remember miss kitterick .... was in the studio audience one time many many years ago .... also remember cadet don on in the mornings as we were getting ready for school ..... and remember how absolutely THRILLED i was when he announced my birthday (one of many that day, i'm sure) ..... he would also tell you where to look for your presents..... in our case, in the trunk of my mom's volkswagon bug ..... so this had to be in the mid to late 60's ........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf7gvOBlalg