Wondering what the prize is for the Neighborhood Guessing Game this week? It’s an overnight stay for two at the Hotel Sorella!
The Hotel Sorella is a brand-new 244-room luxury hotel from Houston’s Valencia Group, set to open in July in the new mixed-use CityCentre development at I-10 and Beltway 8 — on the former site of the Town & Country Mall. The winner of this week’s game will receive overnight accommodations at the Hotel Sorella and two welcome cocktails at monnalisa, the property’s European-style bar and lounge.
Does that sound like something you’d like to win? Here’s how you do it: Study the photos in this post. Then guess what neighborhood the pictured home is in. If you guess correctly, you get the prize! If more than one person guesses the right neighborhood, the player who gives the best explanation for the guess wins.
Except: If you already know this property, or if you come across it while we’re playing, don’t just post the answer — you’ll disqualify yourself, and make a lot of other players very upset. Instead, send Swamplot an email with a link to the listing, so we know what you’re doing. Then post an incorrect guess, but make a case for it — to try to throw the other players off track. If you do this well, you’ll win special recognition when we post the answer. And if nobody guesses the actual neighborhood, you could win the prize!
More photos, please . . .
***
Sure you know where this one is! It’s in that neighborhood that . . . ?
Let the guessing begin! Put ’em in the comments . . . then check back here Thursday for the answer!
Update, 4/23: Okay, now we’ll tell you.
- This week’s prize sponsor: Hotel Sorella
Photos: HAR
What a dreadful little place. Neighborhood has gone to seed, so we need burglar bars to lock ourselves in with our hideous green velour wing chairs that go SO well with the red leather couch we found on sale at the Finger’s sale. I have no idea where this is, so I’m going to guess the area off Broadway and Bellfort near Hobby Airport. They need burglar bars over there.
I’ll go with Sagemont near Beltway 8 and I-45 South. Seems like it has to be in a ring around the beltway, just not sure how far away or what section. Southwest or Southeast seem logical.
I like this place. Many older Heights homes have bars on them as well, most likely from years gone by when things were rougher in neartown. They are deceiving though, since they look to appear on every window.
Again with the dead animals though….
It definitely looks like a 1920’s bungalow, small kitchen, small bathroom. I’m going to say Brookesmith.
Welcome to the new reality show…. Dishwasher Island! Illegal immigrant contestants try to compete against each other in various culinary utensil cleaning exercises all the while evading ICE in hopes of earning a corporate visa to stay in the US.
Seriously, this late 60’s era house could be in a number of subruban areas. Let’s try somewhere on the north side like around 249 and I-45, or in some of the older parts of Spring.
New carpet and updated kitchen makes me think it may have been flooded from TS Allison or Hurr Ike. Interior brick has me thinking the house is 50+ yrs old.
I’ll go with Glenbrook Valley or Timbergrove Manor.
I am going with Westbury. It is the right vintage and the turquoise bathroom seems to lead me there. The big question is: do the lovely dishwasher and fireplace updates stay? They look quite portable, if I were to make an offer, they would need to be included in the deal.
I’m going to guess Riverside terrace. I know I’m probably wrong but, whatever. I have a soft spot for that place to make a comeback.
Sadly, Grandpa passed away a few years ago (the mounted deer a testament to his memory) and Grandma is getting too old to live on her own these days (she spends a large portion of her day in front of the the plug-in fireplace vacuuming her prized chartreuse sitting chair). Even when her kids and grandkids visit, they just spend the entire time watching the plasma TV that they gave her for Christmas last year. So it’s off to a nursing home while her children try to decide who gets the unenvious task of looking after the cat and who has the chore of dealing with the overflowing glass and china collection. On the plus side, someone is getting that TV back! The tiny house has seen good times and bad times come and go as evidenced by the aging burglar bars and more recently by the Ike flood that made new carpeting necessary. The master bedroom with large windows and ensuite bath add-on was done 25 years ago but still gives this house a slight edge over the smaller neighboring houses. And, fortunately, the Lindale Park area is currently undergoing a slight resurgence in popularity so, especially with the promise of light rail, the kids think they can get a decent price for the house. After all, the mortgage has been paid off for 50 years.
I’d say it’s in the neighborhood south of Shaver in Pasadena from Rayburn High School.
Between the bathroom tile (color and pattern) and plain fronts of the cabinets below the lavatories, I’m thinking late 50s to early 60s. Perhaps Garden Oaks/Oak Forest area. Perhaps around Sears (Main St. near 43rd.). Rooms are small, so I don’t think Spring Valley. Riverside Terrace mayber (there are a few block built at around that time, but they are bigger…could be an odd one). I wish I knew East Houston better. But I think those neighborhoods were late 60s mostly. I’m sticking with Garden Oaks/Oak Forest.
Well, this one is a little tricky. Interior brick details and shelving say 50s mid-century; corner window and small kitchen say WWII era. Closet doors in the second bedroom look pretty early-fifties, too. I could easily see this in the neighborhood between Almeda Road and TSU, but I think I’ll go with one of the seedier parts of Montrose, between Montrose Boulevard and downtown. Is that an open door to the attached garage next to the living room? Not sure why there would be such an exterior-ish door inside like that. Interesting that so much money would have been spent on decorating through the years (questionable choices aside) and obviously so much on maintenance but no real visible upgrades.
Definitely 1950s. I’d even say that it was built in 1955 on the dot. How do I know? The shower/tub doors, the bathroom tile, and the corner window/sink.
As for neighborhood, the couch is from Bel Furniture, which puts the house either in or near Webster, Katy, Greenspoint, or Sharpstown.
Narrow it down to 50/50 based on the burglar bars, and that leaves us with Greenspoint or Sharpstown. Greenspoint doesn’t scream 1950s to me, and the sheer tackiness draws me to Sharpstown. And is it Braes Bayou that runs through Sharpstown? If so, that explains the new floors.
Final Answer: Sharpstown
I don’t know where it is, all I know is that I MUST HAVE those matching lime green velvet wingbacks. I think they were separated at birth (or perhaps salvation army) from my 2 piece sofa set of the same color. I will venture a guess as to location though, but I’m not sure what I’m basing it on – Eastwood or surrounding area. The area looks pretty dense to me, based on what little you can see out the windows, and on how small the interior spaces are. Age is about right, too. What intrigues me about this place is the mixture of old and new stuff in the house. The furnishings are mostly old but well cared for, but there are a few newer or more modern looking touches, most notably the TV (pointed out earlier), as well as the toaster and coffee maker. I’d like to see this place emptied of furnishings (except for those fabulous greenies, and I likes some of the glass collection too) – I bet it’s a nice little place!
I hate it when we spend money to re-do Mom’s kitchen with glass front cabinets and she won’t get rid of any of those dishes. Just moves them around, putting those Fostoria glasses up there at the top. Last time we used them was Daddy’s funeral. Every time I go over there — like last year to put on the burglar bars — she has more dishes, glass pieces, and china. She has got to quit going to garage sales. But there are SO MANY in her Woodside (just off Buffalo Speedway) neighborhood.
These pictures remind me of a family friend’s house in Sharpstown. I’m guessing between Fondren and Gessner, and somewhere just south of the Sharpstown Golf Course.
From the corner kitchen sink to the tiled kitchen and bathrooms, I’ll say Garden Villas or a little farther north in Santa Rosa. It doesn’t really look up to Glenbrook’s caliber even though it’s sort of in between…
Definitely looks like a build from the 1955-1960 era. The other architectural cues make me think that this home is located in the 77035 or 77096 area.
I lived in a house very similar to this in Willowbend. The vintage tile in the bathroom, small rooms, bars on the windows.
“Ow! Dammit, Grammaw, I tripped over that dishwasher *again*…At least it wasn’t Kitty underfoot among all the living room furniture this time.” The paneled closet doors in the bedroom, the blecch-bland blue bathroom tile, the interior exposed brick, the mirrored wall to “expand” the shallow living room, the cramped bedrooms & baths, the burglar bars…this speaks 1950’s Winkler/Almeda/South Houston, albeit with some stabs at updating in the 1980’s (the tan bathroom, the vertical window blinds).
Mamaw left in 1987. Her window coverings business took off in the early 1990s, so she showed Papaw the door (he got the truck and the deer lease) and moved to a 1930s bungalow in West U. where she lives today, 85 years old, somewhere between “spry” and “mean”. Still working. Papaw still calls, Mamaw still hangs up.
Kids “bought” Mamaw’s place, though the payments seem sporadic…
Son left Papaw’s deer on the wall “cause it takes up space” and (he hopes) offsets the whispers about where he goes in the evenings (wears Old Spice, but smells like “Polo”, “Tommy” and sweat in the a.m.). At 290 lbs, he’s malodorous morningtime!
Sis doesn’t care; she’s working doubles as a nurse in the Med Center nearby. It’s his life; still, picking up the occasional electric bill or cleaning the litter box wouldn’t hurt.
It’s all finally come to a head: Mamaw has “collected” maybe 10K in 15 years; she’s selling. Nurse moving in w/10 year boyfriend – it’s time.
Son has leased small garage apt. on Pacific street and demands-not the deer heads-but the window treatments. The deer are “negotiable” here in the Woodside subdivision off Buffalo Speedway(S. Loop area).
I think it screams Deer Park.
The bathroom tile, short little windows, and retrofitted dishwasher say 50s-60s era to me. As does the icky furniture. I guess Oak Forest, the older, slightly seedier part, where you’d also want to get you some burgular bars.
devans, nice story, but it doesn’t look like a lazy slob and/or an overworked nurse lives here. The bedrooms and bathrooms are way too clean and uncluttered.
If only my grandparents could have had a dishwasher island….this looks like Gulfgate area to me.
Looks like a house built in the late 50s to mid-60s judging by the tile and flooring in the two bathrooms. Evidently the neighborhood is/was a little rough given the burglar bars, but judging by the way the house is furnished, it strikes me as an area that has cleaned up its act a bit, just not overly so. With the deer heads on the wall and the old-school decor, it probably belongs to someone who’s been there most of their life, from the good times, through the bad times, and now the better times. With all that said, I’m going to guess Lawndale/Wayside.
I have nothing creative or snarky left in me to say about this one – gonna piggy back on other folks’ med center area and 1950’s vintage assumptions and go with the Westwood subdivision off of Stella Link and W. Bellfort. That is the only neighborhood I can think of around there that the homes might likely have burglar bars and be small enough and cheap enough to have to add an island to have a dang dishwasher.
Well this is a challenge. I have a feeling this is an estate home and Mother passed away
last year but the 60ish never married daughter is living rent free for awhile-hence the mongo new television set and counter appliances in the kitchen. The Grotto multi color salt and pepper’s on the kitchen table are too hip for an 85 year old but all of the bedding says “old lady”. Perhaps Marjean made all the valances for Mama w/ that ZigZag in the living/dining combo. Mr.Peepers the cat is thrilled to be out of the aging faux french garden apartment. Life in the area north of 610 between Ella and Shepherd but south of Garden Oaks can be kind of dicey but that Shipley’s down the street makes it all worthwhile. Look for Marjean to painstakingly pack all of Mama’s “pretties” so they survive the move out 290 past the Beltway..
Wow – this is a tough one. First off, I am pretty sure that is a portable dishwasher – they probably roll it over to the sink and connect it to the faucet when they do dishes. I used to have one myself. Burglar bars reveal it’s in a rough neighborhood. Exposed brick details and the tile work look 50’s to me. From the decor I would bet they have lived there a long time. I agree that a younger family member must have recently moved home – flat panel TV and new kitchen gadgets are evidence. Given the bars I am guessing somewhere in the vicinity of Hardy Toll Road and Aldine Mail Route.
Some oddities with the furnishings. It’s amazing how hard it is to separate the furnishings from the house. Do the deer heads stay? And I’m oddly attacted to the dining room chandelier. I’m guessing that the owners are all short — hence the very long pull chains on the ceiling fans. And what’s up with the wind chimes in the breakfast room? I hope the dishwasher island at least swivels — why is the door opening on the side opposite the sink?
I was thinking early 50’s, but couldn’t find the gas heater in the blue bathroom — instead there is a ventilation fan. Could that be a later addition?
I’m going to guess somewhere in the vicinty of those new “Heights” “cottages” from earlier in the week — in the 20’s close to Shephard/Durham.
Yeah, Cathy, I wondered about the wind chimes, too. It must be a pretty rough area to have to protect your wind chimes from theft. Aluminum windows, exposed brick, burglar bars, corner kitchen, no fireplace, what does it add up to? How about east of TC Jester, north of 610 – the Garden Oaks area? Did somebody already guess this? (I don’t know the neighborhood names very well – is there a map of Houston neighborhoods? Please, Swamplot Swami!) Or, east of Stella Link, south of the bayou, west of Main?
Hate to bring up the accessibility thing again, but perhaps the fan pulls are so long because Mamaw was in a wheelchair (requiescat in pace).
Please tell me the sign above the weird toilet fan (in the green bathroom) says “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie.”
Not nearly enough letters. More like “If you smoke at the movies, you betta be on fire.” Hard to read and random, though, even with Safari 4’s Zoom feature.
Does the house come with the stuffed cat on the white chair in the living room? It looks like Roseanne Connor’s decorator threw up all over this place! That said, I think it’s in that neighborhood on the southeast side of Antoine and Little York. Is that Candlelight Oaks?
@flake – I was flipping through my Key Map over the weekend (trying to find a way home that didn’t require a canoe) and noticed that it includes a ton of neighborhood names. Lots of exasperated Neighborhood Guessing Game posters have wondered where to find a good online listing/map of Houston neighborhoods, but I’ve never seen a good solution posted. Key Map’s not online, but it’s definitely got ’em.
For neighborhood names, try this:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=29.7697418&lon=-95.3901672&z=11&l=0&m=m&v=2&search=Houston
Thanks, Jessica & Marmer! Don’t know why I didn’t think of the Key Map. Great idea. And Marmer, that link is way too fun. Spent the last 15 minutes mousing around it.