This will be the last round of Swamplot’s long-running Neighborhood Guessing Game — for a good long time at least. NGG has been around for a while — we’re playing round number 99 this week. If and when the game returns, we’ll have a nice round-number anniversary to celebrate, no?
As NGG contemplates retirement, let’s send it out with one more prize from the Rice Design Alliance: Win this round and you’ll get a one-year individual membership in the RDA.
If you’ve ever wanted to play the Neighborhood Guessing Game but found yourself holding back for one reason or another, now’s your chance. Just look at the photos and tell us the location of the pictured home. If more than one of you identify the correct neighborhood, we’ll award the prize to the player who provided the best explanation for the guess.
If you’re not guessing — because you know this home already, or because you came across the listing while we’re playing the game — please don’t mess up the game for other players by blurting out the answer. Instead, mess up the game this way: First, send Swamplot a link to the listing, so we understand what you’re doing. Then enter an incorrect guess, but make it sound convincing. If you do this well enough to sway a few impressionable competitors, you’ll get special recognition when the winner is announced. And if nobody guesses the actual neighborhood, that winner could be you!
Want to see the photos? Look carefully, it’s a special game this time!
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Ready to jump in with your answer? Hold on — there are lots more pics to look at:
Now tell us: Add your guess to the comments. And come back Thursday for the answer!
- This week’s prize sponsor: Rice Design Alliance
Photos: HAR
Lots of space + enough money to think a theater room is a good use of it – I’m thinking newish Sugar Land. Riverbend area maybe?
Gaywood, just to keep my streak going.
Memorial?
Something about the entry and the living room just screams West U. It’s probably Sugar Land but I’ll guess West U.
I agree with you Matt on the living room and entry, but the backyard shot with the palm, fence, and close neighbor is blurting out to me Sugar Land. The brick looks too new and the wrong color to be in Sugar Creek, which is where I might have first guessed at a home of this size and finish quality. I’m going to guess Greatwood.
My guess is Bellaire since the neighbors seem quite closeby and the trees look established.
I don’t want to see the NGG take a break! Is there a petition I can sign to save it?
Too big and too new to be in town. It’s a Woodlands tract McMansion. Or it might could be in River Oaks, over to the west of Willowick. But I’m going to stick with the Woodlands. There are some big houses and mature trees up there, and new enough construction to have fancy bars and home theaters. And Gallery Furniture doesn’t have to drive all that far to deliver TODAY.
Oh, and what Katie said. What with the Alabama and the Ashby and the feeder roads, we NEED the NGG as a relief from all the drama. Is it really that hard to manage it, find good listings, etc? I volunteer to help.
That’s a nice, old tree in the neighbor’s yard outside the master bath. It looks like a huge house. New build after a demolition in an old neighborhood. I’m going to guess somewhere off Bissonet over by Rice. I’m also guessing I would have liked the demo’d house more.
Memorial….near Beinhorn?
It’s a big, expensive house in an established area with the neighbor’s house really close. And it has good-quality finishes, so it’s not a run-of-the-mill McMansion. I say Bellaire.
My first guess would have been West U… but that’s taken… so I’m going to guess that this is a new McMansion built in Meyerland.
Or it might could be in River Oaks, over to the west of Willowick.
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West of Willowick would be Tall Timbers and it’s too small for Tall Timbers but it could be one of the River Oaks “Juniors” including Royden Oaks to the west of Willowick south of San Felipe or St. John’s or Avalon. But it just doesn’t have that “River Oaks” feel. Junior or Senior.
Cheesy opulence… you just gotta love trompe l’oeil that incorporates a light fixture into the scene thus rendering it as a Magritte-like painting. Then there’s the mishmash of room decoration: A bit of Neo-Classicism with some rustic elements and — for comfort — bloated Gallery Furniture items tossed here and there. Woof!
Perhaps new construction in an established neighborhood given the tree sizes evident. West U area was my first guess but upon reconsideration I’d lean towards Woodlands as such is the bastion of privileged excess. Or at least one of them.
Gorgeous house. I call Grand Lakes or Cinco Ranch.
What with the Alabama and the Ashby and the feeder roads, we NEED the NGG as a relief from all the drama.
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The Alabama is about social consciousness. Ashby is about drama. Feeder roads is about, well, feeder roads are boring.
Established trees. Too custom to be Sugar Land. I am going with Afton Oaks.
river oaks
Signing the petition for keeping NGG! Sorry to say it’s a highlight of my week (I have a tiny life). I don’t care whether we have prizes or not! Have mercy, Gus. And is that YOUR house we’re looking at?
Cathy, you’re right, it’s a new build after demolition – in maybe a 60’s neighborhood. So, where? I’m going to say “along Chimney Rock”. Those lots are pretty small & this house looks shoe-horned in.
Please, Gus. Pretty please with cedar, stucco, and hardie-board siding, and asphalt shingles on top.
Not just anyone can afford those finishes.
I’m going with River Oaks, though not a bayou lot in RO.
Oh, no! I love the NGG! Please keep it if at all possible, even without prizes. It’s really fun.
This place has two staircases! Talk about opulent.
I have no idea where this is, but will think on it and offer a guess later.
I call Spring Valley. Somewhere near Westview. This CANNOT be RO…
Champions/Champion Forest. That kitchen has never been used…. ever. (Don’t let those few cookbooks fool you.) Which means mom must be loading the kids into the Expedition every night to head out to dinner someplace on FM1960.
Tanglewood?
I’m thinking a person who wants a house this huge (how many living rooms ARE there?) but doesn’t mind their neighbor being this close would live somewhere in Pearland. I don’t even know if that answer is allowed, but I don’t see this being Woodlands, and Katy is just too far.
At least these people aren’t afraid to dress up their home with something other than beige. Even if the style is… unique. I’m guessing Southside Place; the lot is barely large enough for the house, thus crushing it into a very rectangular shape. Lots of vertical space so it can tower over the 50’s ranches.
Bay Oaks
I really like the mosaic tile in the bathroom and the carpet in the media room, though I’m not sure why they took it up the sides of the raised areas…maybe the designer left out the detail. I’m going to guess the Heights – new construction of course.
Susan has already said Tanglewood, but I’ll narrow it down to the Longmont Dr. and Tanglewood area to get all pedantic like. I think my father-in-law stole these plans when he built his mini-manse in Highland Park. They steal everything in Dallas.
I’m going to say Bellaire, probably the western part of Bellaire – maybe west of Chimney Rock where they have some really big lots. This just has the feel of some of the homes you see in the semi-annual custom home showcase in Bellaire.
And I’m signing the petition to keep NGG (prizes are cool but not necessary).
I am torn between Bellaire and West University, but the houses outside the back window look awfully close (small backyard), so I will go with West U.
That ain’t Gallery Furniture folks–try Louis Shanks. Please keep NGG. It is a nice window into the travesties of local real estate and home decor! I’ll say this circa 1999 number is in an established neighborhood
and probably was the bane of the next neighbor’s existence before the rest of the ‘hood went the way of the wrecking ball.
West U/Bellaire seem to be the obvious choices and Southside Place is already taken. I’ll say Crestwood/Glen Cove even though I think this is in the Bellaire Blvd corridor.
Please reconsider the end of NGG – Friendswood
I don’t know where it is, I’m just glad it’s not next door to me. Some people have too much money!
I like the tiles around that sink!
That is all.
I like the big rooms and the office. Not my choice of paint colors. What is the room with the mural on the wall? Keep NGG, I have learned so much from reading the comments. Oh yeah, this house is in Kingwood.
Oh no NGG is going away! I look forward to this every week.
Maybe Gus is going out with a bang – this is his house – like flake suggested
3 living areas, plus theater room, plus library, plus gym. Are they selling because they’ve outgrown it?
I’ll guess Memorial Dr/Gessner area.