03/03/09 6:14pm



The last time
the peachy little townhouse-by-the-freeway at 2232 Riverside Dr. was available for sale — in the good ol’ boom-boom days of May 2007 — the owner refused to make any repairs on the property, which was listed for sale at just under $500K. What’s up with it now?

A good year after it was sold (for a much lower price, about half[!?] of what someone paid for the next-door unit just a few months later), the 2003 townhouse with the front-row view of 288 went back on the market! And it’s still there.

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02/26/09 4:28pm

We’ve got a prize to give away!

Here are the neighborhoods you guessed in this week’s game: Walnut Bend, Crestwood, Sugar Land, Katy, Spring, Kingwood, Willow Meadows, the Memorial Villages, Bellaire, West U., the Houston Country Club area north of Woodway, Clear Lake, Boulevard Oaks, south of Memorial Dr. between Beltway 8 and Wilcrest, Southampton, Southgate, and Hunter’s Creek. Plus: 2 each for River Oaks and Memorial. And 3 guesses for Tanglewood.

JPSivco, ears glued to the photos, wins a year-long individual membership in the Rice Design Alliance for this dead-on but  airplane-obsessed entry:

I can’t believe you people don’t hear the jet planes flying over this place!!!

Whoosh, there goes another one. This sucker is right under the Hobby flight path.

Rooms are really big. The “master” bedroom looks like it could be on the second floor since EVERY room on the first floor has low cielings except the gabled window. I bet it is 2 stories, with all of the ceiling fanned bedrooms “up” as the Realtors(r) say, making it really big, 4,000 sf or more.

Soooo…….Southhampton/gate …somewhere near Southgate over which they execute a slight turn for final approach.

Congratulations! A very close second was tcpIV:

I’m going for an ‘old money’ Boulevard Oaks. There’s plenty of room for chic 70s/80s vaulted additions. The kids, a boy and a girl, have been gone for a few years. Daddy just sold his partnership in the law firm so he and mother are packing their Storehouse stools, English windsor chairs, mahogany sideboard, Harris Sanders upholstered pieces and heading off to ‘the camp’ on the Guadalupe.

So where is this home exactly?

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02/19/09 2:14pm

How easy is it to win the Neighborhood Guessing Game? If this week’s round is any indicator: It’s a breeze. Of course, it helps if nobody else comes close.

There were 2 guesses each this week for Willowbend, Jersey Village, and Walnut Bend. Other guesses traveled as far as Wharton, Porter, and Splendora. The rest: Briargrove, “a nicer part of Spring Branch,” Clear Lake, Missouri City, Briar Forest, Tealwood, Yorkshire, Katy, “west or southwest, close to a Home Depot and elementary school,” Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, Friendswood, southwest Houston, Meadows Place, Hearthstone, Alief, Mission Bend, and Westchase.

Nobody named the correct neighborhood! But not all of the guesses were wrong. Which one was right?

How about this snarky entry:

Single story, black aluminum frame windows, vaulted ceilings, and a plethora of ceiling fans indicate this is a pre-oil bust tract home. The house has had some custom woodwork installed by a weekend warrior owner, but they never got around to staining or painting it. I’m guessing west or southwest, close to a Home Depot and elementary school.

So let’s plot those coordinates: 1.4 miles to the Westheimer Home Depot. 1.1 miles to Piney Point Elementary. Close enough! Howard Hughes, you just won a one-year individual membership in the Rice Design Alliance. Congratulations!

An honorable mention goes to Pat, for getting the time frame right:

Well, 60s, not 50s. Bathrooms are more spacious. So there’s that. Then someone did some very interesting handi-crafting there in the 80s, during that “let’s do everything pink and blue” period “and while we’re at it, let’s bump out windows and then turn a boat or two upside down and make them the ceiling.”

You want some details on this place?

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02/16/09 8:00am

Some of you may be ready for a refresher: What does a $5 million teardown look like again? Here’s one answer: It looks a lot like a very large lot in a tony neighborhood that doesn’t like the land, at least, to be chopped into smaller pieces.

This 1962 estate on more than 3.3 acres in Sherwood Forest, designed by Houston society architect John Staub, showed up in Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report this morning, which means it received a demo permit on Friday. The permit report identifies the owner as developer Giorgio Borlenghi, but HCAD records indicate Borlenghi sold the property in October 2007 to an entity known as ALV Interests, Ltd.

Only 2 months after that sale, the 7,334-sq.-ft. home went on the market — at $6 million. And it’s still listed, now for $1 million less. Though these photos, included with the listing, now might be slightly out of date:

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02/12/09 11:10pm

Lots of very detailed Montrose guesses in this week’s game, which would have helped in parsing a winner — if that were the right neighborhood! We had “Montrose, north of West Gray, east of Montrose Blvd.,” “just behind Texas Art Supply off Montrose,” Montrose near W. Dallas and Taft, Montrose within walking distance of the Black Lab, “somewhere between Kirby and Montrose, south of Westheimer, north of 59,” “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 Shepherd, and south by Westheimer,” Avondale, the W. Dallas-Dunlavy-W. Gray-Woodhead quadrant, “lower Montrose, just around the corner from Baba Yega,” and Winlow Place.

There were also 3 Southampton guesses, 2 West Universities, and 2 Lindale Parks. The rest: Woodland Heights, “Near Almeda, north of Hermann Park,” “the southerly parts of Third Ward, in the area bounded by Wheeler, Scott, McGregor and 288,” Southgate, Garden Oaks, Riverside Terrace, Idylwood, Eastwood, North Norhill, the Museum District, “Somewhere in Riverside or MacGregor,” “in the odd trapezoid between Binz, Almeda, Montrose and 59,” “the TSU-ish part of Midtown,” “near the Riverside Terrace area,” Almeda Place, Southmore, Old Braeswood, and Sunset Heights. There’s not a bad guess in the bunch!

Bonuses this week: a couple of well-faked entries by players who wrote in first to let us know they knew the listing, then crafted very convincing red herrings. First Ben, who pushed Montrose with this duplexitous entry:

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.

Then tcpIV, who demonstrated classic trash-guessing form — beginning in mock agreement with another player, throwing out “in the know” references, then going in for the kill:

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?

Well done!

But first place this week — and a free, 1-year individual membership in the Rice Design Alliance — goes to lildebbi, for this well-reasoned entry:

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.

You knew them well enough to win! Edged out only by a hair was Miz Brooke Smith, who provided the detail and coordinates to earn an honorable mention:

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.

Oh . . . kudos also to Pat this week, for cracking the Neighborhood Guessing Game Code:

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.

Y’all’ll still play, though, right?

So . . . how about that house?

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02/12/09 1:30pm

More than a dozen photos of the pristine interior, front-porch swing, and side-yard lap pool may not, in fact, be sufficient for you to get a complete picture of the lifestyle afforded by the renovated bungalow at 617 Byrne St. in Woodland Heights. So former neighbor Kelley fills in the details for you:

Oh how I miss the carefree days of living across the street from Pete & Fernando … so many memories of them and their awesome house…like the time I popped over to their porch for a quick glass of wine while waiting for my husband to get home from work … and then stumbled home at 4 the next morning…oh, the stories the lap pool in the side yard could tell…the beautiful Easter brunches in the dining room

…the time I saw Pete naked in the bathroom

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02/09/09 5:49pm

We have a winner!!!

No need to belabor where y’all guessed the home was this week: all over town . . . and circling widely as the contest was extended — twice.

Our prize, a 1-year individual membership to the Rice Design Alliance, goes to Eric, who laid low until the weekend and then guessed Atascocita. Why? Because

Every neighborhood I would’ve guessed has been mentioned.

Yes, this was a tough one. An honorable mention goes to NorhillJoe, whose spirit guide pointed the way to . . . Humble.

Before we give details on this week’s home, a quick word about sponsors: Swamplot has a few more RDA memberships to give out to first-place Neighborhood Guessing Game winners. But after that, we’ll be looking for prize sponsors. If you or your company or organization would like to earn some attention and appreciation from Swamplot readers by donating the prize for one or more of our games, please contact us at our advertising email address.

And now:

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02/05/09 8:37am

“SPACIOUS LIVINGROOM WITH SKYLIGHT & FLOWERBED,” shouts the listing for this 1970s-era home on a cul-de-sac near White Oak Bayou in Candlelight Forest. And it’s no exaggeration. The Swamplot reader who alerted us to the property also expressed appreciation for its mauve carpet and mirrored Dining Room wall:

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02/04/09 8:50am

abc13 reporter Miya Shay says likely Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall has decided not to buy State Rep. Hubert Vo’s enormous Rivercrest mansion after all.

Hall maintains he’s got a condo in the city, and more than meets the residency requirements. I guess Rep. Vo will have to find another buyer with $3.9 million to spare.

Hall currently lives in Piney Point Village.

01/23/09 4:05pm

Remember that crowd-friendly but vacant and unfinished mansion on Rivercrest that State Rep. Hubert Vo has been trying to unload since mid-2006? It may soon have a buyer! Abc13 reporter Miya Shay says former city attorney Ben Hall — who would need to move inside Houston city limits from his current home in Piney Point Village if he decides to run for mayor — is interested in buying it!

The house is nice, very nice. It’s currently listed for $3.9 million on HAR. There are 8 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms and 2 half baths, and an 8 car garage. So, if Hall buys the house, you can bet that his mayoral ambitions are pretty real. Imagine the fundraisers he can hold there!

The $800K price cut apparently went through last May. And though the revised listing still lists the home as “under construction,” the rooms now look . . . finished!

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01/22/09 9:12pm

Here’s where you thought the home pictured in this week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game might be: 4 of you guessed the western portion of Bellaire, and 3 of you guessed Meyerland. There were also votes for Tanglewood, the Museum District, West University, Southside Place, Clear Lake, Willowbend, South Post Oak, Braeswood, Old Braeswood, Briargrove, Lakeside, Memorial, “along the edges of Memorial Dr. between Chimney Rock and Briar Forest,” “older Memorial, anywhere between Silber and Chimney Rock,” Champions, Spring, The Woodlands, Piney Point Village, and Hedwig Village.

Darn good guesses, most — on a very, very tough house to figure. No one named the exact neighborhood this week, but the winners came close!

With a guess of “generic Memorial,” tcpIV was the only player to describe an area specifically circumscribing the house. And we’ll give first prize also to Scott, who followed tcpIV’s footsteps and named one of the house’s neighboring neighborhoods, Hedwig Village. Congratulations to you both!

Three other players deserve honorable mentions. Brad wins one, for identifying the home’s origins as an “older Ranch.” Darby Mom also tallied quite a few clues:

The older front door and expanded floor plan say maybe a big ranch on one of those big lots in the area just west of Bellaire, Braeburn Country club . . . Meyerland is a possibility, but I think this entryway is too wide. The owners really put some bucks into the kitchen cabinets, granite,floors, and the coffered ceilings . . . The amount of investment could be typical for that area, too. The trees outside are mature I think, so it would have to be an older established area.

And Miz Brooke Smith attacked the geometry:

Given the tiled floor, requisite granite counters and open concept in the kitchen and adjacent family room, and *all that space* — is that a butler’s pantry? — this place appears to have had the entire back wall knocked out and the house greatly expanded ca. 2002, probably into the backyard. So where is this big house? The yard space required to accommodate that buildout, and those deep windows in the downstairs bedroom, belie Meyerland. Yet the notion of even keeping the original part of the house instead of demolishing the whole business says this isn’t, for example, Sandalwood.

So where is this place, really?

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01/22/09 11:41am



Itinerant Interior
Designer Ginger Barber is moving yet again: Her latest redo is on the market, reports Cote de Texas’s Joni Webb. This time it’s a 3-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath 2-story near the corner of Greenbriar and Holcombe in Southgate — but Webb spots furniture in the photos she’s seen in earlier Barber homes:

Her wonderful assortment of pine and dark wood furniture, down-filled upholstered pieces covered in linen slips, and all her textural wicker, seagrass, and stone moves from house to house almost seamlessly. . . . With no wallpaper, colored walls or patterned fabrics to contend it, the nomadic Barber can reuse her possessions, over and over again – which is a wonderful lesson to take from her.

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01/21/09 9:21am

The time-travel vehicle known as the Buon Appetito Restaurant — housed in an old duplex on Holcombe just west of the Medical Center — has been put up for sale.

What could you do with this place?

“Move out the tables and chairs,” reads the mock-Sicilian listing, “and is ready for your signle fam. residence.”

Or . . . take over the restaurant and run it yourself:

This is also an excellent opportunity for someone to step in and start running this already successful business. The owner has been there for 32 years and is retiring. Everything is included in the sale.

01/15/09 9:32pm

Some wide ranging — but very sharp — guesses in this week’s game!

There were 2 votes each for Spring, the Woodlands, and Fort Bend, plus 1 each for Quail Valley, Missouri City, “the newer parts of Missouri City/Sugar Land, off Highway 6 and the powerline easement,” Mission Bend, and First Colony. The rest: “Memorial just outside the Beltway,” Newcastle at Bissonnet, Westchase, Sagemeadow, Sageglen, Katy, Pearland, “near Spears Rd. and Veterans Memorial,” “one of the 1980s subdivisions off of Dixie Farm Rd.,” Champions, “off Briarforest, just inside Highway 6,” Oak Forest, Copperfield, Bear Creek-Highway 6, Blackhawk, and “the 1960/Cypress area off 249.”

This week the top prize goes to 3 players, for their almost-triangulating guesses. First, CK, who went out on a nearby limb with that tossed-off “near Spears Road and Veterans Memorial,” after naming a whole bunch of far-flung suburbs. Why that intersection? Because

There’s crap like this out there too.

Even closer was Scott, who guessed Champions, then almost threw off the judges by declaring himself “bad at this game.”

The “1960/Cypress area off 249″ guess came from movocelot, who also earns points for narrowing down the home’s age with this insightful “could be seventies, could be eighties” accounting:

These say 1980s to me:
windows with low sills, drywall returns, tiny little transoms, black appliances, tympanum Levolour shade in Master.

“Things that make me go ‘70s:”
heavy ceiling texture, shiny, built-on-sight cabinets & plywood/applied-molding ‘paneling’, small baseboard, chair rail & crown, white 4×4 ceramic bath surround, bold stained glass (I don’t see how folks can tell it’s plastic… looks like HO has a hobby)

And now . . . will the real neighborhood please stand up?

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01/12/09 3:09pm

Speaking of abandoned residential projects, another reader wants to know if this development qualifies:

I have noticed the Bammel Lane Park Homes project appears to have ceased development. The houses are between Bammel Lane and Eastside. There are 3 or 4 very large homes that looked completed. ( I cannot figure out if they are occupado) Then, they were painted stark white? Not so good. The sign advertising the project is still up but it appears they are at a stand still. Can you ask the readers or let me know if you have any scoop?

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