COMMENT OF THE DAY: ASPIRATIONAL HOUSTON DEVELOPMENT NAMING JUST AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE 
“‘Heights creep’ is to the 2010s what ‘River Oaks creep’ was to the 1980s/90s. Back in the 90s when I was living in a (moderately crappy) apartment near the corner of Kirby and Westheimer, anything between Buffalo Bayou, the West Loop, US-59 and Montrose might have been referred to as River Oaks. Hell, even the River Oaks Shopping Center isn’t even actually in River Oaks.” [Angostura, commenting on Putting the Heights Back In Its . . . Uh, Places; previously on Swamplot] Photo: River Oaks Theater
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Another spasm from my failing memory brings up a dim recollection that a River Oaks civic organization once employed attorneys armed with cease-and-desist orders to crack down on spurious, distant businesses with ‘River Oaks’ in their names. Maybe 15-20 years ago.
What are some of the worst offenders of this in Houston?
River Oaks Plant House that’s in the West University area (Kirby & Rice Blvd)…
The Heights at 2121 (apartment complex) that’s clearly in Timbergrove…
River Oaks Cleaners on Gray St. (between Smith & Brazos) in Midtown….
…yes, but for most of its life The River Oaks Plant House was on the front doorstep of River Oaks at Buffalo Speedway and Westheimer.
It’s not technically real estate, but if you look for Bud or Miller at the HEB at San Felipe and Fountainview you’ll find it in a section of the cooler under the sign “Super Premium Domestic”. If that’s not the high water mark of aspirational naming, I don’t know what is.