Comment of the Day: Aspirational Houston Development Naming Just Ain’t What It Used To Be

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

4 Comment

  • 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.