‘TAMPICO HEIGHTS’ IS NOW A THING ON GOOGLE MAPS 
Near Northside residents who didn’t want their neighborhood to be called Tampico Heights have been successful in their campaign to keep the new name out. But it looks like Tampico Heights may be settling in as a new neighbor. A reader reports — and a quick online search confirms (see screen capture at left) — that Google Maps has now begun applying the new name Tampico Heights to area maps. Northside Village has been spared the Heights creep: The Tampico Heights name appears to have been applied to inner-loop neighborhoods Brooke Smith, East Sunset Heights, and portions of Sunset Heights west of I-45 and east of North Main, and not to Northside Village or the Near Northside, which lie east of I-45. That’s a more reasonable spot for a Tampico Heights to land anyway, since it incorporates the Tampico Refresqueria at 4520 N. Main St. and Tampico Seafood & Cocina Mexicana, at 2115 Airline Dr. [Previously on Swamplot]
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I doubt these Google map makers have ever actually been to Houston, they probably just rely on some local wingnut to supply them with information on Houston, never bothering to ascertain whether this person is actually a reliable source or someone with a personal agenda to rename area’s randomly on some idiotic whim.
As a resident of Brooke Smith, this sh*t pisses me off. Brooke Smith is one of the older neighborhoods in Houston with a documented history. The neighborhood was named after Brooke Smith of Brownwood, Texas. Upon his family’s relocation to Waco, he worked as a clerk at the local store and 10 years later, moved out west (Brownwood) to open his own store. With no banks in town, he stored financial records and held onto deposits/funds for farmers and ranchers in town. He eventually became a banker who heavily and developed the local city infrastructure. (And some years down the road, he would be elected as mayor and sit on the board of the local colleges.)
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In addition to his contributions in Brownwood, the origin of the Houston neighborhood named after him is also attributed to him. Blocks and streets were laid out in this area, and the streets were graded; tracks were laid to join with the Houston streetcar system. Many bungalows were built. Amongst these new homes included a residence belonging to George Archer, who was one of Smith’s local agents. (Does Archer St. ring a bell?)
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So yeah, calling it Tampico Heights? Great job for allowing history to fall into obscurity for the sake of being trendy and fashionable.
Coconutbutter, me thinks your outrage is a bit misplaced. Better you should be concerned about some of the shitholes marketed as homes in your neighborhood – you know the ones with multiples cars parked in the grass in the front yard, guarded by a pack of feral dogs living off the the scraps littering Monte Beach Park.
@c.l. – Bitter much? My neighborhood isn’t perfect, but I can appreciate and value the history behind old neighborhoods in Houston. However, due to your exceptional, well-crafted feedback, I’ll extend my outrage at the fact that no one has a cure for world peace, war, or cancer. Go read a book.
Tampico Heights is NOT the real name for this neighborhood. Why is this even on here. It is offensive. Who is propagating this lie?
Looks like Tampico Heights is no more. Well, on Google Maps at least. An official Google Reviewer/Editor has deleted the designation.
Details of the edit can be found at https://www.google.com/mapmaker?gw=55&editids=vGbUaT900Fir_osXzC&iwloc=0_0.
@coconutbutter: I live on Archer Street in Brooke Smith and have been searching for more information on the history of the neighborhood. Any resources you can point me to? Thanks!
It’s the Streisand Effect