Did Westbury flood really bad during Harvey or is the neighborhood gentrifying?

[jfre81]

It's more Meyerland closer to Brays Bayou over there that you need to be concerned about. I have a cousin who's been living over there for a good while and he's flooded no less than twice in the last 5-6 years. If you're in Westbury, say between Bellfort and Willowbend then you'll be better off.

When I lived around there, I would go to the H-E-B at Braeswood and Chimney Rock, but that flooded in Harvey along with everything else along the bayou, and it's there that you want to avoid. H-E-B decided not to rebuild that store, if that tells you anything.

[WestChimChim]

To any Westbury residents who lived there during and since Harvey, did Westbury section 2, specifically west of Chimney Rock, east of Atwell, between Redstart and Hummingbird ever flood into homes? There’s a drainage ditch south of this area, I believe, and a large FEMA-regulated floodway/ditch on Chimney Rock. Thanks for any info.

[DrFood]

I have lived in Westbury since 1994. I grew up in the area so I've been through 66 years of Sharpstown, Robindell, Braeburn Terrace, Maplewood, Meyerland, Westbury, Parkwest. Let me give you a few thoughts.

If the OP wants to reach out to me in a private message I will get more detailed.

Flooding. All sections flooded in Harvey. It all depends on where exactly you are looking in those sections.
--Section 2 flooded primarily a couple of blocks around West Bellfort, Willowbend, Chimney Rock.
--Section 3 flooded in some areas. I live in Section 3 and have seen flooding get worse with each storm be it Tax Day, Halloweeen, Memorial Day, Harvey, Ike.
--Section 4 Flooded a lot
--Parkwest Flooded
Whatever you do DO NOT rely on a realtor to tell you the truth about flooding. We had a house 2 blocks over from us that had 4-6 feet of water in it with the Tax Day, Memorial Day and Harvey floods. The house was "flipped" and the flipper wrote in the disclosure only 1/2 in water was in the house. At an open house I told and showed the realtor the water levels. She said she could only state what the current owner said about flooding. You must talk to a few neighbors about the flooding in the area. Make sure the neighbor has been there at least 10 years to get accurate information. If you believe the listing agent then you deserve to get flooded. They are only in business to sell the house and make their commission.


Here are some additional thoughts on Westbury
1. Right now I would avoid Section 2 more from the commercialization aspect rather than flooding. The new "gas station" + sonic + car wash is going to be a major issue from a traffic and potential crime issue. Everyone who has grown up in Houston knows that gas stations along major thoroughfares are magnets for crime. The noise from the station and car wash and Sonic will be bad. There will be bright lights for "security". Traffic will be HORRIBLE through the neighborhood. If you want to know about flooding in Section 2. There definitely was flooding in Section 2. See my comment above about flooding.
2. Avoid Westbury South like a plague. The houses are way way way way overvalued. The flips in the area are the worst remodels I have ever seen. Poor workmanship. Poor design. Poor materials. The area has a large number of rental properties that are not well maintained.
3. Parkwest is full of snobbish people. Some folks in other areas joke that the folks living there are Bellaire and Meyerland wanna be's. They never want to be associated with Westbury. The prices for the properties does not match the value. Yes, you are zone to Parker, but kids can get into Parker from anywhere in HISD if they apply and are accepted.

HUGE HUGE WARNING about flipped houses in Westbury. There are only a couple of flippers who do a good job. The rest use subcontractors that have no clue what they are doing. There is a house around the corner from us where the flipper didn't touch the HVAC, plumbing, sewerage, foundation, or electrical at all. This was their first flip (a lot of flippers use Westbury as their starting point) and they cut every corner possible. The kitchen was expanded by removing the utility room (they relocated it to a shed in the yard). The refrigerator spot in the kitchen was only big enough to house an apartment size fridge. We've looked at over 100 flips and found the woodwork, drywall, paint, and tile work are the top areas where the craftsmanship was worst.

We love Westbury. We love the people in the area. It's very GLBT friendly. Very racially mixed. Lots of original owners or owner's kids living in the houses. Politically it is way more middle of the road than Meyerland or Bellaire.

After almost 30 years I am amazed at how much Westbury has changed and grown.

[houston-nomad]

"All sections flooded in Harvey." You really need to qualify that statement. Streets flooded. Yards flooded. But most homes did not. In some sections, they did. But your post makes it sound like everyone had water in their house, which as you must know, is patently false.

[WestChimChim]

Thank you both for helpful info. I am trying to be certain that water didn’t enter homes in the blocks just west of Chimney Rock and north of Bellfort, specifically 5300-5400 Kinglet, which appears to be in the 500-year flood plain.
Where is the gas station/Sonic going in?

[DrFood]

I said all areas flooded. I never said every house flooded or even a majority had water in them. I said all areas flooded. That is a true statement. Some areas flooded enough for water to enter homes. Some areas flooded to have water above the sidewalks. Some areas flooded to have the streets full of water for an extended period of time.

I was in my home from pre-Harvey to post-Harvey. I walked most of Sections 3 & 4 when it was safe. There was flooding everywhere.

If you have a specific house you're looking at go knock on a few doors and ask the neighbors. They will tell you.

The Buzzy Bee gas station w/Sonic and car wash is being built at Moonlight and West Bellfort. It is right next to the Auto Zone and Pizza Hut. At one time this was going to be an LA Fitness then an Aldi. Now we're stuck with a gas station that will be outdated sooner than later. Plus the new one being built in peoples back yards on W. Bellfort across from Home Depot.

The other change happening is that Pris Pets is closed. Rumors have it that that building and the crossfit (old tire store) will be demolished for further new construction. A weird part of the whole picture is that the section of Cedarhurst between Moonlight and Chimney Rock is actually a private street but open to public travel. The section west of Chimney Rock is a pretty cool little island. We've toured some of the flipped houses. Really crappy work in general.

If I were buying now in Westbury I would buy a house that has not been flipped and get a good contractor to do the flip the way you want it done.

Final piece of advice. Get a realtor who actually knows Westbury. There are several really good ones that know the area because they live in the area.

Like I said, if you want to ask specific questions send me a PM.

[hbcu]

Originally Posted by DrFood

I said all areas flooded. I never said every house flooded or even a majority had water in them. I said all areas flooded. That is a true statement. Some areas flooded enough for water to enter homes. Some areas flooded to have water above the sidewalks. Some areas flooded to have the streets full of water for an extended period of time.

I was in my home from pre-Harvey to post-Harvey. I walked most of Sections 3 & 4 when it was safe. There was flooding everywhere.

If you have a specific house you're looking at go knock on a few doors and ask the neighbors. They will tell you.

The Buzzy Bee gas station w/Sonic and car wash is being built at Moonlight and West Bellfort. It is right next to the Auto Zone and Pizza Hut. At one time this was going to be an LA Fitness then an Aldi. Now we're stuck with a gas station that will be outdated sooner than later. Plus the new one being built in peoples back yards on W. Bellfort across from Home Depot.

The other change happening is that Pris Pets is closed. Rumors have it that that building and the crossfit (old tire store) will be demolished for further new construction. A weird part of the whole picture is that the section of Cedarhurst between Moonlight and Chimney Rock is actually a private street but open to public travel. The section west of Chimney Rock is a pretty cool little island. We've toured some of the flipped houses. Really crappy work in general.

If I were buying now in Westbury I would buy a house that has not been flipped and get a good contractor to do the flip the way you want it done.

Final piece of advice. Get a realtor who actually knows Westbury. There are several really good ones that know the area because they live in the area.

Like I said, if you want to ask specific questions send me a PM.

Westbury is a place you need to study - South of West Airport from Chimney Rock to the community line near where the old Greenhouse Patio Apartments are its a different area - as the apartments surround the homes

in between airport and bellfort its decent and north of west bellfort (west of hillcroft) it blends into Meyerland and Maplewood - good area but flooding can happen

good there's a sonic coming as the closest ones are way on Hillcroft and 59 or West Orem and Post Oak

as for the rest of the development - can't explain the lack of for decades - thought home depot would've revitalized that area off west bellfort but its a slow crawl. Don't know why they don't just condemn and knock down Westbury Village as its done nothing for the area but be an eyesore - forget a lawsuit, obviously the owner doesn't care