Neighborhood Guessing Game Over: Around the Bend

Where was this place? And did anyone win the prizes from Houston. It’s Worth It?

Good questions! And this week we had a lot of very good guesses. Seven each for southwest Houston and Westbury. Six each for Meyerland and Sharpstown. Three for Willowbend; plus 2 each for Pasadena, Spring Branch, Willow Meadows, LaPorte, and Riverside Terrace. The rest? Westwood, Spring Valley, Robindell, “somewhere off Braeswood,” “on Beechnut out west of Hillcroft,” “somewhere in the oldest part of the Windsor Village-Simsbrook-Brentwood nexus, within a 2-mile radius of Hiram Clarke and West Orem,” Meadow Creek, “the Almeda Mall/Fuqua area,” Baytown, Spring, Aldine, East Houston, Lockwood, “near North Houston,” Glenbrook Valley, Morgans Point, Deer Park, Briarmeadow, “north of Westheimer around Voss/Woodway,” Gulfton, “the older part of Sharpstown by Fondren and the Southwest Freeway,” Sharpstown Country Club Estates, Sharpstown Country Club Terrace, Larkwood, “near Hobby Airport,” “Bellaire West out past Beltway 8,” Clear Lake, League City, “somewhere east of the Gulf Freeway,” Candlelight Trails, “within a block of Bissonnet, between Edloe and S. Gessner,” Bellaire, “610 and Stella Link,” Eastwood, Third Ward, Alief, “around the North Airline area,” “Airline around 45 North,” Maplewood, Braeburn Valley, Braeburn Terrace, and Stancliff Park.

Of the 3 Willowbend guesses, the entries from matt came with the best explanation (plus some bonus entertainment value):

. . . The decor is obviously 60s, the house itself probably 50s, and because of the apparent layout I would suspect one of the “better” neighborhoods in the Spring Branch or Sharpstown or Willow Meadows/Willowbend areas. Something about the kitchen screams the Willow Meadows/Willowbend area.

No comment on the round bed. Remember them well. Fun to play in. Not so fun to sleep in. Inevitably when you tossed and turned you tumbled and ended up on the floor.

and later:

The ceiling/front windows have that Maplewood/Braeburn Valley look. But the one photo of a “den” which appears to be a second den indicates it was once the garage and I believe that’s a no-no in Maplewood and Braeburn Valley as well. So that leaves Westbury and Willow Meadows/Willowbend or Robindell, the bathroom has that Robindell look, or even the Braeburn Terrace area to the northwest of Robindell. Another possibility is the Stancliff Park area off Bissonnet and Wilcrest. Could be anywhere but it just has the Southwest Houston look. Definitely “upper middle class” house or at least it was back in the 1960s.

Congratulations, matt! You’ve won 3 fab prizes from Houston. It’s Worth It: The original HIWI book; the new HIWI: Ike book, plus an official HIWI “Hunkered Down” stencil kit! Our very close runners-up are David W and Cathy.

Also deserving recognition this week are fake-out guesses from readers who knew the listing. Here’s James:

Whoa! This elderly gent knows how to romance the ladies. And he runs a darn good bingo tournament on the weekends!!
Obviously the owner has done absolutely nothing in terms of updating or staging so this has to be in prime location. The owner is about to cash in and he knows it. This bachelor pad is north of Westheimer, around Voss/Woodway.

. . . and PaxMcKatz:

This fixer upper was owned by a bonafied ASTRONAUT-alternate in Clear Lake. In the 70’s, 80’s he lured the ladies back to his abode for an “Out-of-this-World” night. He chose the fridge cause, “Hell it looks like the moon-lander.” After the mission was scrubbed and a moonshot was no longer gonna happen, this confirmed bachelor dated a series of artsy-craftsy women; one of which painted the kitchen pink and was promptly dumped. He settled down with a cute divorcee; with all the mixens of a small shabby-sheik cottage to merge with his mod. She brought her stuff to the house and now these 2 lovebirds are looking forward to taking an around-the-world cruise, playing bridge with their friends before they move into the condo on the lake. He loves that she still calls him “Captain” and humors him by serving freeze-dried food on date night. They are a cute couple.

PaxMcKatz’s entry attracted fans in the comments. Great work!

Now about that house . . .

***

Location: 4702 Waycross St., Willowbend
Details: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths; 2,945 sq. ft. on a 9,000-sq.-ft. lot
Price: $239,999
The Scoop: 1955 Mod brick Rancher on a corner lot one block east of Willow Waterhole Bayou. Indoor grill off Kitchen; bar; “private guest suite.” New roof and air conditioning installed this year. Two-car attached garage has attached carport. On the market since the end of September.

You knew it, didn’t you? But you can’t win if you don’t play. You’ll have another chance to get in the game . . . next Tuesday!

6 Comment

  • I want it! Especially if they throw in both white couches.

  • This was a hard one because so many homes in the whole Southwest area had so many architectural similarities. Particularly the “A-frame” living room exterior/interior wall. Usually with the two narrow windows and always the low-slung cathedral ceiling. The kitchens and the bathrooms I think are usually the “clue” and the kitchen just has that Willow Meadows/Willowbend look.

  • Which Matt/matt? It gets confusing in here. I’m the one with the memories of the round bed.

  • Is this home owned by Persian Bridge players?

  • So that thing that looks like a sacrificial altar is actually an indoor grill? Hmmm… This house was listed (with “known defects”) for about a month last October for the optimistic price of $339K — owner of record lives in NY. Its an estate sale. Mom was an antique collector and ran a bingo club in that room with all the tables and chairs. Son is resigned to taking a loss (he thinks) by listing at $239K. The fridge IS included. Wonder if he’s throwing in that lovely furniture.

  • I just noticed in some postings I’m Matt and others I’m matt. Something amiss.

    Interesting question about the bridge players. All the game tables in the second den/gameroom that is an addition apparently rather than a converted garage. Or just tables for four. The dining room table is for four as well. Usually it’s at least six. One of the tables has mismatched chairs with three office chairs which indicate maybe it was used as a desk and this was some sort of office. But two of the tables appear to be actual game tables. For poker? Persian poker players perhaps. Playing Persian poker.