Okay, Neighborhood Guessing Gamers: Here’s your home. Guess where it is!
If you’ve seen this place before, please be sure to check the rules before you post a comment. But then please do! We could use some tricksters in the mix.
If you haven’t . . . good luck. This one could be a toughie.
When you’re ready to see the rest of the pics of this week’s pad, see below!
The votes are in! Thanks to all of you who played this week’s game! We had some great comments this time.
Two of you thought the house we showed might be in Sugar Land. Another two guessed Clear Lake. Tanglewood also got 2 votes — one specifying “near Winrock.” Bellaire had two too — one of them pegging it off Newcastle, south of Bissonnet. There was a traffic jam around Memorial, with single guesses of Memorial, the Memorial Villages, “west of 610/east of Voss and north of San Felipe/south of Memorial,” “Blalock/Bunker Hill area near Memorial/San Felipe,” “one of the Kickerillo subdivisions,” “off Briar Forest between Kirkwood and Dairy Ashford,” and Huntwick. The Woodlands, Crestwood, Champions, Augusta, Rice Military, Westhaven Estates, the Heights, Pearland, Manvel, Riverside Terrace, Midtown, Buffalo Speedway, Knollwood, Woodlake Square, and Greatwood attracted one vote each.
The winner was CK, who took a stab at Bellaire . . . and nailed it. Good work!
Honorable mentions go to four contestants who were able to tease out a few interesting details about the house. First, Scott, for this sad but brilliant bit of real-estate logic:
If it’s a new build, where’s the wine fridge? Get those bottles off their butts and on their sides!
Joni Webb figured out that the exercise room was on a 3rd floor, and pegged the house as so 20th century:
this is newer build, probably 1990s because the flooring is wood and tile, not the newer limestone. plus – brass hardware screams 80s and 90s not 2000s.
margo captured the gist of the place with this classic comment:
this is some sort of eary 90s red brick type jobey.
markd distilled that even further, to “Bellaire McMansion.” Right on . . . but a little late. Plus “off Newcastle” is a few blocks off.
No secret agents played the nastier version of the game this time!
After the jump: It came from Bellaire!
It’s time for our favorite Tuesday activity . . . that’s right, the Neighborhood Guessing Game! If you’ve never played before, please take a look at the rules before you post. And if you’ve been thinking about playing, now’s a great time to join in. C’mon, lurkers: This round‘s for you!
Ready to see more pics of this week’s mystery house? Here they are:
This week’s mystery house attracted a slew of Montrose-area guesses. Specifically: north of Westheimer and west of Montrose behind Hugo’s; along 59 between Montrose and Shepherd; north of Westheimer and east of Montrose; North Montrose; and Castle Court.
There were two half-hearted mentions of the Heights, along with one guess each for the Heights north of 11th St.; Woodland Heights; and Norhill. Idylwood; the Sixth Ward; Garden Oaks; and “somewhere on the east side” got 2 votes each. The remaining guesses were Cottage Grove; Sugar Land; Shoreacres; “inside the loop just east of 45 in one of those old bungalow type subdivisions south of downtown”; the Beechnut-Gessner area; Caroline St.; and Hermann Park.
The winner — for the second time! — is Jeff, who was the third contestant to mention the Heights, but the first to do so unequivocally and to specify the area north of 11th St.
An honorable mention this week goes to Richard, for the pure entertainment value of this comment:
The multilevel platform in front of the fireplace looks like a sacrficial altar designed by Siegfried and Roy. Note the skull hanging ominously above and the pair of horns and tilted cross on the mantel. And, of course, the throne-like armchair from the lobby of the Embassy Suites on the left.
A large number of you thought the home was an expanded Craftsman-style home. Was it?
Here it is, players. Your chance to win!
Don’t forget the rules. Photos are below. Study them carefully, then post your friendly neighborhood guess!
This week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game has . . . no winner. None of you were even close. But it sure was fun!
Most of your guesses centered around Memorial. We had 2 for “Memorial” and one for “near Memorial Park.” Plus: 4 votes for Bunker Hill Village and one each for Hunters Creek Village, Hedwig Village, Jersey Village, and Hilshire Village. Pasadena and Champions Forest got 2 guesses each, and the remainder went to Baytown, Deer Park, the Mid Lane area, the southeast quadrant of Gessner and Westheimer, South Houston, Westheimer & Highway 6, Braeswood-Fondren near the country club, Greenwood Forest, Royden Oaks, and Fountainview or Bering Drive.
Hey, nobody guessed Meyerland! (No, it’s not there, either.)
This week we also had a few mystery sightings: A “I Shot J.R.” T-shirt in the closet; a sidewalk in front of the house; a fake fireplace in the converted attic; a second foosball table. Where are these things?
Three of you get honorable mentions: Brad, for spotting what may or may not be stirrups fastened to the bar in the uh . . . foosball room; Joni Webb for getting the house’s timeline right:
it’s a total redo – the kitchen and bathrooms. I’m going with 70’s, 80’s with new redo in the last 5 years.
And of course margo . . . for this fun comment:
OMG! Please tell me that my eyes are deceiving me. Is that a leopard rug with head attached draped over the treadmill?? No no no. That is wrong on so many levels. I’ve been known to hang a few bras from my treadmill but never a dead animal. Im going with bunkerhill area i’ve seen some strange buisness in a few houses in that area and this looks about par.
There were no secret disinformation campaigns this time . . . but you never know!
Where is this place? Answer revealed below!
Some very secretive Swamplot readers have been playing the Neighborhood Guessing Game week after week . . . without really playing it: studying the photos, browsing neighborhoods, identifying the best prospects — and checking back on Thursday for the answers. Hey, game lurkers! How about actually entering your conclusions into the comments?
This week, we’re asking our private guessers (you know who you are!) to step out of the shadows and add your comments below — where everyone can see them. That way you’ll have an actual chance to win. Everybody into the guessing pool!
You know the rules. Now it’s your turn. Ready for a whole bunch more photos of this week’s mystery pad?
There were three Meyerland guesses in this week’s game . . . though at least two of them were likely tongue-in-cheek. The rest: one each for the Museum District, “just west of the Galleria,” Upper Kirby, the greater Galleria area, Gessner between Memorial and Briar Forest, the Bering-Augusta area, Montrose, River Oaks, Memorial Dr. and Chimney Rock, Hillcroft/Voss, Legend Lane, Bunker Hill, Tanglewood, north of the Galleria and west of River Oaks, Bissonnet between Kirby and Newcastle, Nantucket between San Felipe and Woodway, and Camp Hudson.
Y’all know where to find the seventies-model townhouses! Most of you figured it was one — despite the best efforts of K, who turned out to be this week’s secret disinformation-spewing agent. She sent in the correct address and then posted this plausible but misleading argument:
I know it looks like a townhouse, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t: this looks just like the houses in my area that have atriums/front courtyards that are covered in in ivy, especially when they’re on busy streets like Gessner.
Also, the bedrooms are way too large for this to be a townhome. I’m guessing — not Meyerland this time! — that it’s a two-story late-1960s era single-family home with a very blockish front/exterior and a courtyard or two that we aren’t being shown.
Great work, K! Sadly, though, your subversive talents were not enough to throw off this week’s winner, marmer, who got the right neighborhood with one of his guesses:
Townhome. Older, probably not on top of a first-floor garage. You wouldn’t build such a constrained metal stair in a “real†house. Too awkward and too industrial. I’m OK with the room sizes if the bedrooms are all upstairs and the living areas doswnstairs. So, where? Tanglewood.
North of the Galleria and west of River Oaks.Or I could be wrong and it could be on Bissonnet, between Kirby and Newcastle
Wrong side of the Loop . . . and it’s actually a condo, not a townhouse . . . but it’s still good enough for a win! River Hollow, Briar Hollow, Post Oak Park . . . what’s your favorite name for this area?
Honorable mentions this week go to ERM — for pointing out that some of the bedroom windows look onto the central stair — and last week’s winner, Jeff, for these mostly accurate observations:
This is nicer than some of the queso we’ve seen before. It looks like a townhouse to me, but not new construction. The cheap looking metal rails on the staircase suggests something from the 70’s. Also, the roof directly above the stairs looks to be a skylight, something we typically dont see with new construction. My guess is its an older place that is situated in a nice area to warrant the cost of new floors, kitchen, etc.
After the jump: The actual name of the actual seventies-era condo development. Plus: That pool shot you’ve been waiting for!
Neighborhood guessers, are you ready? Time to scrutinize your screen, plumb the depths of your Houston real-estate savvy, or . . . just guess Meyerland again!
Here we go! Fine photos of yet another house on HAR. Can you guess where it is? Rules of the game, as always, are here. Plenty more pics below!
So much fun in this week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game! We have a winner . . . but only barely. Plus: shenanigans!
Three of you guessed Meyerland, and one guessed “outer Meyerland,” including Marilyn Estates and Barclay Square South. Braeswood got two guesses and so did Champions. Shady River in LaPorte, Prestonwood Forest, “the subdivisions along Cypresswood between FM 1960 and Kuykendahl,” Briargrove Park, Nassau Bay, Westbury, Huntwick, Briar Forest, “close to the Energy Corridor,” Shepherd Park Plaza, Lazybrook, and Timbergrove each attracted one vote.
The top prize goes to Jeff, whose guess included the magic phrase “close to the Energy Corridor.” Our panel of judges has determined that to be good enough. Plus, his entry had a lot of imagery going for it:
OMG, this is complete cheddar. All thats missing here is a disco ball, an overweight swinger with a thick mustache and gold chain, and some Bee Gees pumping out of the 8 track set upon the shag carpet. Attention Swamplot: John Holmes called and wants his house back.
This week’s honorable mention for commentary goes to Marc, who got the date of the house about right and identified a few telling details, though sadly forgot to include an actual guess of the neighborhood:
So when will Colonial be all retro and hip? Ha! I guess late 60’s to early 70’s ….Recessed fluorescents in the baths, light fixtures. Who switched the breakfast nook light? Cool swag light in the family room. Let’s celebrate the bicentennial all over again.
But special honors go to Karen, who has the distinction of being the first to try the Neighborhood Guessing Game version of shooting the moon. She happened upon the actual listing after submitting her original guess and a follow-up comment, then doubled down on her Nassau Bay deception with this comment — clearly meant to throw her competitors off the heavily-vacuumed scent:
Jeff, this is definitely NOT in the energy corridor! I’m sticking with Nassau Bay – I know it’s a total WAG, but all that blue tells me they were inspired by the sparkling blue waters of Clear Lake. I definitely detect a nautical theme in the decor.
I can’t explain why a house so obviously near NASA is not vacuumed with more attention to directionality and linear patterning. That is just sad.
Was her obfuscation effective? Jeff won anyway, but hats off to Karen for stirring things up! (Note: Any of you interested in following in her footsteps, please take note of item 4 in the rules.)
After the jump: The house’s . . . yes, blueish exterior, and the actual name of that near-the-Energy-Corridor neighborhood!
Swamplot posts a new Neighborhood Guessing Game every Tuesday on Wednesday this week. Answers will be revealed on Thursday Friday this time. If you’re new to the game, please review the rules before you post a comment.
Apologies to those of you who spent all day yesterday hitting the refresh button on your browser, waiting for the Neighborhood Guessing Game to appear: the Memorial Day holiday messed with our schedule. Here’s this week’s puzzle, at last!
Many more pics of this latest mystery house, in all its vacuumed splendor, below!
It looks like a number of our readers thoroughly enjoyed the photo tour of this week’s mystery house. Which is great, because now they’ll be able to enjoy the panoramic virtual tour that comes with the listing as well!
We tallied 3 guesses for Meyerland and 2 each for Montrose, Kingwood, and Humble. The rest of your votes dispersed individually to Tanglewood, Huntwick Forest, inside the loop off Stella Link, Greenwood Forest, Spring, Nottingham in Katy, Meyer Park, Westbury, somewhere within 15 miles of Champions, Glenbrook Valley, Sharpstown Country Club Estates, Atascocita, and Mission Bend.
The winner this week was the mysterious sgs, who made the case for Sharpstown Country Club Estates with this succinct comment, which we quote here in full:
sharpstown country club estates
Did sgs have previous knowledge of the property? It doesn’t matter — but we hope to persuade players who find themselves in that position in future contests to play the advanced version of our game: by sending us an email containing the listing and then submitting well-argued, misleading, and wildly inaccurate “guesses” to the comment pool. Won’t that make it more fun for everyone?
We did have one other participant this week who sent us the correct address . . . but sadly, could not be persuaded to post bald-faced lies about the property in our comments section. Maybe next time?
Picking the best comment this week was tough, because so many of them were especially entertaining. But the honorable mention nod goes to first poster Jeff, for this almost cinematic description:
What an odd house! (seriously…is that a cowboy boot hanging from the ceiling in the kitchen??) Looks like a hippie artist from Sedona took a hit from a bong and then proceeded to transform a 1960’s mod house into a slightly upgraded bachelor pad. The foosball table in the tv room looks like something I did once. Outdoors looks like the garage is in the middle of disrepair.
The character development in this treatment could probably stand some improvement, but the set design shows promise!
After the jump: what you’ve been waiting for . . . the reveal!
Swamplot posts a new Neighborhood Guessing Game every Tuesday. Answers are revealed on Thursday. If you’re new to the game, please review the rules before you post a comment.
Are you ready to play the game again, neighborhood know-it-alls? Just look what we’ve found for your sleuthing pleasure. Good luck guessing where this place is!
Lots more fun pics . . . after the jump!
This week’s puzzle prompted some terrific efforts again from our photo-detective readers. With four votes each, Timbergrove and Oak Forest were the most popular guesses. Next came Garden Oaks (with 3 votes), followed by Tanglewood, Meyerland, Willow Meadows, Willowbend, Knollwood Village, and Shepherd Forest, with 2 votes each. Other guesses were Bellaire, Norhill, Timberside, “Mandell/Montrose on Banks or Milford,” Highland Village, Mangum Manor, Lazybrook, Sharpstown, Stella Link/Med Center area, Woodside, Woodshire, Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Afton Oaks, Piney Point, Hedwig Village, Bunker Hill Village, and Briargrove.
This week’s winner is Starkeshia, a guessing-game regular who was the first to name . . . Oak Forest!
The house looks like nearly a total redo, but there also appear to be some original features left such as the front windows, and the front door, hardwoods everywhere, sliding closet doors…I’d say this is a mid century home. Looks too small to be in Meyerland or Bellaire, however.
Our honorable mention goes to margo, for identifying an entertaining but perhaps not especially useful clue: there appear to be burglar bars on the bathroom windows!
Karen also had some comments that helped build the Oak Forest-area consensus:
I see aluminum windows and molding that say early 50s. Small kitchen w/o breakfast area says small house. Ceilings are too low for a bungalow. Wood floors are all new, so could be an Alison redo, but the kitchen base cabinets look original to me, so odds are there was no flood here, just a nice updating job.
Stay with us for the scoop!
C’mon everybody . . . it’s time to play the Neighborhood Guessing Game. You know you want to!
You can ogle plenty more photos of this week’s mystery house below. What neighborhood is it in? As always, the first accurate answer wins the contest . . . but smart observations will win you a special mention.
We’ll be playing again with the same twist in the rules introduced last week: If you already know this house well enough to send us an email with a link to the MLS listing, go ahead and do that. Then make a wrong guess in the comments, but justify it well enough to confuse your competitors. If you do this well, you’ll get special recognition for your efforts. (If you do know the house but don’t like playing dirty, just make sure the way you describe your “guess” doesn’t ruin the game for everyone else.)
Ready for more photos of this week’s puzzle palace?
