Just 2 more categories remain to be announced for this year’s Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate. The final category will be revealed this afternoon. And here’s the next-to-last one: Houston Neighborhood of the Year, 2008.
What makes a neighborhood “Neighborhood of the Year”? Whatever you say does, really. Of course, a neighborhood might win Swamplot’s Neighborhood of the Year award for vastly different reasons than another one might win an award of the same name from, say, the GHBA.
Nominating rules are still here. You can make your nominations for this award in a comment below or in an email sent privately to Swamplot. So tell us: What neighborhood deserves to win this award from Swamplot — and why?
- Previous award categories: In Search of the Houston Heavyweights: Most Fattening Real Estate Development, Neighborhood Guessing Game Guessing Game: Who’s the Best Home Sleuth?, Now Accepting Nominations: It Could Only Have Happened in Houston, Your Nominations Wanted: Most Grandiose Development, Playing Dressup: Your Nominations for Best Rebranding Effort?, Your Nominations for Best Teardown of the Year, Nominations Now Open: Best Project Cancellation or Delay, Your Nominations Please: Favorite Houston Design Cliché
- The Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate: How To Make a Nomination [Swamplot]
- Swamplot Award Nominations 2008 [Swamplot]
South Hampton is a good contender. Nothing like a bunch a politically connected large donors having the mayor personally try to hurt a private developer to make you feel good about the state of politics.
Go Ashby Go!
The Heights. Tearing down eye sores at an extremely high rate. New retaurants:Textile, Bedford…the hike and bike trail finally started constuction, the widening of Cortlandt street. New shops on 19th. More attractive people…I could go on.
Nomination:
River Oaks. Why? Because the preservation vs. development struggle came to a head at the River Oaks Shopping Center. Still too early to tell who’s winning but the River Oaks Theatre is still standing.
Nomination:
Glenbrook Valley. An enclave of residents who, for the most part, are very aware of and celebrate their homes’ mid-century modern architectural heritage.
HEIGHTS. Hip, Historic. Modern, Classic.
Southside Place! Eight square blocks of hilarity.
Old Sixth Ward, because of activism. After fighting the battles with homeless being relocated to the neighborhood from downtown (worked with social service groups and a city ordinance to solve most problems), moved onto historic preservation and the city’s first and only proected historic district, the neighborhood is now facing the bars and nighbclubs on Washington ordeals, as are many others. The attitude of we can fix this – versus – who is going to do something about this is unique in Houston. A very special place to live, and improving all the time.
Memorial Bend. Cool architecture, friendly neighbors and great schools.
I second the 6th Ward nomination! I hope that the Heights isn’t included for the reasons mentioned above. The Heights’ recent trendiness among those selfish enough to buy a tacky new construction in an historic neighborhood because they can’t afford a rehabbed bungalow or to buy new in a comparable neighborhood is not something to celebrate. If they get the poor-man’s West U they want, all of Houston loses.
Glenbrook Valley – the houses, the people, and the spirit of the neighborhood. Plus they have a neighborhood association that can’t be beat.
Been in the 6th since the mid 1970’s, wouldn’t be anywhere else… except maybe Bellville, Texas.
Glenbrook Valley is the best neighborhood.
Southhampton is the BEST neighborhood. It’s centrally located, safe, rich with public parks and majestic trees, and inhabited by dedicated residents who want to preserve it’s quality and beauty. The residents are fighting the Ashby Highrise monster and we will send the greedy builders elsewhere.
Southhampton – beautiful treed boulevards, near Rice University and wonderful original Houston feel. Great central neighborhood!
Southampton has been around for a long time. Homes were built in the 1920’s and are still holding strong against hurricanes and such. Most of the trees have been around even longer. It’s a neighborhood to appreciate for it’s longevity. Preservation and maintenance of the neighborhood makes it the best!