It’s neighborhood day here at Swampies Nominations Central! This morning we introduced the 7th category in this year’s Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate. Here’s the complete list of our categories so far: Favorite Houston Design Cliché, Best Teardown, Parking Lot of the Year, Drive-Thru of the Year, Walmart of the Year, the Washington Ave Award, and Most Improved Neighborhood. Keep those nominations coming! Are you ready for what’s next?
A lot of attention was focused on Houston’s designated historic districts in 2010. But really now, is that fair? Together, these areas make up only a tiny portion of this city’s considerable land mass. What’s it take for less-historic areas to get some attention?
Well, how about a Swampie award category of their own? That’s right: In this category of the Swamplot Awards, we aim to honor Houston’s Least Historic Neighborhood. Now, it’s one thing for an area not to be particularly historic — or even not to appear to have that potential. But what neighborhoods really excel in that regard? What parts of town would you nominate to be considered for the honor of Least Historic Neighborhood? And why?
Refer to the official nominating rules here if you need them. Add your suggestions below — or email them to us privately. What can you come up with?
- Previous category announcements: What Would You Consider To Be Houston’s Most Improved Neighborhood?, Announcing the Washington Ave Award. Your Nominations, Please?, Next Award Category for the Swampies: Walmart of the Year, Now Taking Your Orders for Drive-Thru of the Year, Your Nominations, Please, for Houston Parking Lot of the Year, Best Teardown of 2010: Who Are the Contenders?, What Are Your Nominations for Favorite Houston Design Cliché? [Swamplot]
- The Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate 2010: How To Make a Nomination [Swamplot]
- Swamplot Award Nominations 2010 [Swamplot]
Upper Kirby. Even the old Hard Rock couldn’t remain standing. While some of the older buildings still exist on the north side of Westheimer, it’s only a matter of time. At least they buried the utilities. Next hurricane, it’s going to be the least historic but also the only neighborhood with electricity.
I don’t know if this neighborhood has a name, but the part of Bellaire west of the West Loop, north of Beechnut, east of South Rice, and south of Bellaire Blvd. may have the highest concentration of zero-lot line McMansions built on lots formerly occupied by post-war tract homes in the Houston area.
Upper Kirby is a good call, but what about the Galleria / Uptown Park area?
Upper Kirby still has a few forlorn bungalows, but there is not a scrap left of whatever was before the Galleria got there.
By Houston standards, I think the Galleria may now qualify as historic.
How about the townhouse farms of Rice Military?
I second Bellaire, I really don’t understand why they all build those big ass houses on those small ass lots. Going down evergreen looks is very scenic.
What was the neighborhood they used in the movie Arlington Road? It was in Houston, I believe. And the ennui was STULTIFYING.
Anyone?
Shady Acres. The advent of the cross between a town home and horse stables is the sad future for development inside the loop. Better love your neighbors as you could probably hit each building with a well placed throw of a racquet ball from your 2’x4′ porch.
West U., and they don’t care.
There isn’t much left that is pre-1980 in the entire neighborhood.
Having lived in West U my whole life ( still continue to do so ) you are right…we could care less.
I nominate any of the Thornwood neighborhoods. 40+ years of almost no exterior changes to a Kickerillo lite world view. “I gotcha some Georgian, some Spanglish, some racherific, a bit of Tudor, a tad of whatevah. Say, do ya like columns? Or maybe a balcony or three?”
@Ribalding The neighborhood in Arlington Road is actually in Pearland, off of Dixie Farm Rd near FM 518. Yeah, it’s definitely not historic! If I remember correctly, the house in the movie was one of the very first built in that neighborhood
I live in West U, and my house was built in 1935.
I vote for Cinco Ranch.
Least historic? Any generic outside BW-8 suburb, although most of them are outside the Houston city limits. How about Shadow Creek Ranch?
Another interesting choice is Ranch Estates, Milford and Banks streets east of Mandell. Shingle-sided postwar ranches gradually being supplanted not by McMansions, but by postmodern architect designed “statements.”
This is tough! I am going to have to go with Rice Military/Washington Ave. Heck, I remember when there was a Roznovsky’s Hamburgers there in a building that was once an old wooden grocery store with a slammin’ screen door. So in terms of change, going from very old to something new but will be torn down in another 20 years because, well, that’s Houston…gotta go park adjacent.
But if there was a category called “Least Historic Historic Neighborhood” it would be The Heights, hand down.
Bellaire!!!
I’ll vote for Bellaire as well but hone it down to Southdale (Newcastle/Edith/Ione/railroad border). Houses are reaching 4,000 square feet on 5,125 square foot lots..
West U
Rice Military/Washington area.