A Swamplot reader asks for some help with a recent discovery:
Accidentally came across a neighborhood with some rather large lot sizes and homes off of Scott south of U.H. east of 288…seemed “out of the blue†considering some of the nearby neighborhoods. Think one of the streets was “bowling greenâ€. Please let me know what neighborhood/area this is as it looked nothing like Houston!
You are better off on the West side of 288. The east side of 288 was doing good but the West side is doing MUCH better. Smaller lots yes but getting cleaner and better daily. Med center is the driving force on the west side but UH has had no effect on the east.
Riverside was once built mostly by middle-class and upper middle-class Jews who were not welcome in WASP areas of Houston. In the 60’s and 70’s as Jews moved to Meyerland, middle and upper income Blacks move into Riverside, including my family. These days many of those families still live in the area and it is seeing a rebirth as new families, Black, White, and Gay are renovating the rather large homes and building new ones. It is still in transition but the sometimes enormous lots are very appealing and the prices can’t be beat. Yes, there is much more new development on the West side of 288, but it is almost exclusively townhouses – much of them total crap. If you are in for the long haul, the East side should be fine.
It’s a good idea to follow the gays and the artists in real estate.
I have been interested in Riverside for quite some time. My question is? Is this a LOW area, i.e., when it rains does it flood easily? Also Braes Bayou is near so I was wondering if that backs up or if it helps with drainage.
Thanks.
I grew up on Roseneath Dr between Oakcrest and Cullen which is off Magregor and OST.
I lived at 4106 for 23 years and then it stayed in the family for 15 more years after that. we had seveal flood, of course Houston, before the bayou was fixed but our house nor the house towards Cullen EVER flooded. we were high enough. WE had see the bayou flood clear across from one side to the other it was awful but we were the few that stayed safe on the high lots. As far as I wish I could buy my use back. I miss it…I loved the neighborhood very diversified. Dont’ know now though. most of the neighbors we grew up with are dead or gone. I know of three that are left after 30 years. good luck.
I’ve lived along S. MacGregor along the southern bank of the bayou all of my life (22 yrs). I can remember back in 1993 or 1994 we had a bad flood here in town and the bayou almost left its banks in the neighborhood. During Allison in 2001, the bayou left its banks and flooded mostly apartments on the N. MacGregor side between Ennis and Scott. The south side from 288 to Ardmore didn’t see the bayou leave its banks, though it did leave its banks around Bowling Green. Then during Ike, the same thing happened. The flooding on the north side was worse this time around, as I saw high water rescues along N. MacGregor. The S. MacGregor side once again stayed dry for the most part. The flood during Ike came just after the flood control district finished widening the bayou from Ardmore to Calhoun, and constructed some detention ponds upstream in the Medical Center and Meyerland areas. Had the widening and detention ponds not been implemented, I suspect the flooding would’ve been much worse. Also, 288 helped alleviate some of the flooding as it served as a quasi detention pond with its low mainlane bridges over the bayou and depressed mainlanes.