If it seems like only yesterday that we last played the Neighborhood Guessing Game, maybe that’s because it was. Maybe this round some of you will catch on to the property a little more quickly!
There’s another year-long individual membership in the Rice Design Alliance to give away this week! Think you can win it? Just follow these rules:
Study the photos in this post, and add up the clues. Where do you think the property is located? Add your guess as a comment. If you guess the actual neighborhood, you win the prize! (Unless, that is, someone else also guesses the right neighborhood — in which case whoever provides the best explanation for his or her guess wins.)
If you already know this property, or if you happen upon the listing while the game is being played, don’t just blurt out the right answer. If you do, a lot of other players will likely get mad at you for ruining their serene Neighborhood Guessing Game experience. Instead, email us with a link to the actual listing, then add an incorrect guess in the comments — but make it sound very plausible. If you do this well, you’ll get special recognition for your efforts. And if nobody guesses the actual answer, you’ll win the prize!
Onward to the photos:
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Getting the hang of this place? Make sure you take these rooms into account:
That’s it. Time to make a guess! You’ll find out the real answer — and the prize winner — on Thursday.
Update: The winner has been announced!
- Membership [Rice Design Alliance]
Photos: HAR
Woodland Heights
This place looks like it has a particularly nasty infestation of untenured professors.
Near Almeda, north of Hermann Park.
West University or Montrose. The brown tile around reminds me of both my ex-boyfriend’s original-build West U bungalow and a friend’s college appt. in the neighborhood north of West Gray, east of Montrose Blvd.
The arched doorways remind me of both residents too.
The ikea or college-dorm-style shelving could really have been at either location, too.
It is the narrow hallway with stairs that is making me think harder – I know of one West U. original with a similar staircase to a half story – then again, the Montrose apt. was a duplex and if it were converted into a single family it might share that narrow hallway.
So, I’m looking at the kitchen. It is could go either way – but the layout reminds me more of the duplex in Montrose. So, that’s my guess – Montrose, north of West Gray, east of Montrose Blvd.
Late 1930s/1940s two-story house in an area with a sketchy reputation. However, the house looks pretty original and relatively well-maintained. This is probably in Lindale Park.
I’ve been in a few homes just behind Texas Art Supply off Montrose – Drew/Grant Sts. et al – which is my Neighborhood guess.
If so, this is one of the nicer ones. Lovely staircase and fireplace surround.
Clues relative to era: deep and narrow, upper bedrooms, very un-modern kitchen, arched passageways, sconces, newer surface wiring, 6-over-6 windows, glass doorknobs (on orig. doors.)
Clues relative to area: maintained but largely unchanged, super-eclectic furnishings :-)
The bay window bugs me though.
If my guess is way wrong, I’ll bet the bay defines this house’s neighborhood.
This guess is like a Rafer Alston heat-check: Southampton, near Fleming Park.
I’m definitely agreeing with the Montrose guesses. The record/CD collection and Obama sign in the window most definitely belong to a former hipster that still resides in Montrose. Also, this reminds me of the Reality Bites house, so I’m guessing this is in the W. Dallas & Taft area, possibly off W. Dallas displaying the Obama sign for all those heading to/from downtown.
What a sweet place. Definitely 1930’s-1940’s for all the reasons posted by movocelot above. This could be a single-family home but has that duplex feel thanks to the narrow hall with dining area beyond, off the kitchen. Two bedrooms up with quaint bathroom (and purple fuzzy slippers), plenty of spacious hardwood living space down for those post-dorm couches and endless Ikea shelving for music and books. That bay window is indeed a quiz-buster. Somehow the neighborhood vibe is genteel pre-teardown, pre-townhouse. I’m guessing the southerly parts of Third Ward, in the ara bounded by Wheeler, SCott, McGregor and 288.
This looks like Southgate, just south of Rice U.
Garden Oaks
I might guess W. University or S. Hampton, but I see some burglar bars on the windows.That’s my Chambers Range!
Looks like the home of a college professor. I am going to guess Riverside Terrace.
Totally missed this yesterday with all the Wilshire Village fuss. I would have guessed Southgate, too, but the burglar bars are out of place there. But I agree — you’ve gotta be close to a university and these people have a lotta books and music and art. All the good guesses are taken but it could be Idylwood or one of the nicer places in Eastwood.
Have to say somewhere between Westheimer and 59 and Shepherd and Mandell. Isn’t that called Winlow Place? Withing walking distance of Lanier Middle School.The bay window says brick bungalow to me. And don’t be dissin the vinyl! (Mine are simply behind closed doors)
Even though intelligencia is not exclusive to the University environment, the lack of an expansive kitchen seems very much to cater to the lifestyle of a student. So, yeah, I think this does reflect a fairly liberal individual close to a campus. I’m going to say this place is within walking distance of the Black Lab…Montrose-ish.
My first choice is Lindale Park but someone else beat me to it. So…..North Norhill.
Somewhere between Kirby and Montrose, south of Westheimer, north of 59.
I have to agree with the guessers, especially EMME, who pegged the preponderance of books and music (vinyl or cd) for academics. To expand on her answer, this home is one of the grand old dames either in the museum district or perhaps on the other side of 288, with great access to Rice, TSU and UH. The wood paneling in the entry way and the tile around the fireplace remind me of so many places off Calumet or Southmore. But the unrenovated kitchen (that stove!) screams for east of the dividing line. Somewhere in Riverside or MacGregor–wish I knew the subdivision names there better.
Just a rules clarification, because there seems to be some confusion: There’s nothing wrong with guessing a neighborhood that’s already been guessed by someone else. If it’s the correct neighborhood, and your guess includes a better explanation than any other player has offered, you’ll win!
This one is likely in the odd Trapezoid between Binz, Almeda, Montrose and 59. Either in the shadow of the museum tower, or more likely in the TSU-ish part of midtown.
The arches and windows= 1930’s/40s like everyone mentioned above.
other tidbits:
Front door is turned sideways to the street which argues for a close setback to the street
ton of photos hanging tells me 1 owner for 20+ years i think there is not alot of turnover in that ‘hood
the bay window is floor to cieling so it looks original
wondering if one of the back rooms is an add on
it is a 3 bedroom house which rules out a duplex theory…. or or or…or the tiny kitchen means it was a big house split late in life to become a duplex ..i am torn.
Ooh JPSivco,
Food for thought…
It’s def a small 40’s two storey bungalow by the living room alcove (where the attic fan usually was) and the wide wood paneling in the hallway. However, judging by the living room’s proportional dimensions and the adjacent kitchen and cross axial main hall circulator; this house has a large front porch (maybe wrap around) and the interior looks to be maintained. These valuations would lead me to believe that this house is in the greater montrose, more specifically west of Hyde Park and the diagonal grid, bounded to the north by west gray, to the west by shepard, and south by westheimer. This was a post WWII neighborhood, where many of the homes are double story. As opposed to the single storey 30’s bungalows everywheres else in Montrose.
WAH!!! I’ve been out-described!
I think the clues are all within those shelves. Is it the house that belongs to a former local radio personality and his teacher/part time singer wife? And, could it be located over near the Riverside Terrace area??
I love that stove. It looks just like the one in my gran’s house from the 20’s. It has the same arches and glass door knobs too. I’m guessing this house was built no later than 1928, and so I am guessing Avondale — just north of Westheimer and east of Montrose.
Lots of beautiful African art. Odd, there is a small microwave on top of one of the bookshelves next to a black couch underneath the parrot. I guess the microwave would clash with the 40s Chambers Range.
Still say Riverside Terrace and still way out-described. I’ll be happy if I win even if I don’t.
I’ll guess W Dallas/Dunlavy/W Gray/Woodhead quadrant.
I’m going to guess a little west of Riverside, maybe Almeda Place or Southmore. There are still a few nice-sized single family homes on decent sized lots hanging on while townhomes sprout up from the not-so-well taken care of homes or ones that were duplexes and fourplexes. The smooth arches, wooden staircase and banister, and what looks like an added central a/c system remind me of some of the homes on that area.
This might sound like sour grapes since I never win, but we actually have only about six kinds of houses in our myriad neighborhoods:
1)Before 1930 and updated or not
2)50s ranch
3)70s faux everything
4)Mini-mansion
5)Mega-mansion
6)The guy is an architect and this is his Personal Dream
So essentially we’re guessing which neighborhood it’s in by peeking out the windows. If we can’t see trees, we guess townhouse #1 through #6.
Today I guess lower Montrose, just around the corner from Baba Yega.
Procrastination…I think Eric was reading my mind! This house reminds me of something like George Bunker’s house in the 2000 block of Quenby. He was head of UH’s art dept. and his house was filled…I digress. An older house – 30’s to 40’s wedged between the big ones on Rice and Sunset Blvds. near Kent or Ashby. Is it safe to say Ashby? There are a few Southampton houses with bay windows – this one obviously facing south. The college, or lack of, decor reeks of a house that’s been handed down. No obvious updates have been undertaken since maybe those newish plywood cabinets in the kitchen in the 50’s. I had thought maybe Old Braeswood earlier, but this one’s a bit too small. Southampton it is.
All the obvious choices have been guessed (and well-described) so I’ll just go out on a limb and say Sunset Heights.