![BraeswoodPlaceTXSign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/BraeswoodPlaceTXSign.JPG)
Braeswood Place is a group of subdivisions in
Harris County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The vast majority of the land is in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
while a small part is in
Southside Place.
Braeswood Place is a mainly single-family
neighborhood inside the
610 Loop
Interstate 610 (I-610) is a freeway that forms a loop around the inner city sector of the city of Houston, Texas. I-610, colloquially known as The Loop, Loop 610, The Inner Loop, or just 610, traditionally marks the border between the ...
, east of the city of
Bellaire, south of the cities of
Southside Place and
West University Place, west of the
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrat ...
and the neighborhood of
Old Braeswood, and north of the neighborhoods of Linkwood and
Knollwood Village
Knollwood Village is a subdivision in Houston, Texas. It is managed by the Knollwood Village Civic Club (KVCC), which governs Knollwood Village sections 1-10 and Braes Terrace II.
History
The site that is currently Knollwood Village originally ho ...
. Braeswood Place consists of approximately 2,200 homes and includes seven subdivisions: Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Manor, Braes Terrace, Emerald Forest, and Southern Oaks.
History
![Fire Station 37](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Fire_Station_37.jpg)
The Braeswood Place Homeowners Association was charted in 1951.
[BPHA CONSTABLE PATROL PROGRAM]
" ''Braeswood Place''. Retrieved on December 7, 2008.
On September 19, 1988,
[Sparrow, Malcolm K. ''Imposing Duties: Government's Changing Approach to Compliance''. ]Greenwood Publishing Group
Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (GPG), also known as ABC-Clio/Greenwood (stylized ABC-CLIO/Greenwood), is an educational and academic publisher (middle school through university level) which is today part of ABC-Clio. Established in 1967 as Gr ...
, 1994
88
Retrieved from Google Books
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...
on January 8, 2012. , . a group of robbers murdered 66-year-old Gloria Pastor in her Braeswood Place house. Police traced the first suspect to an apartment in the
Link Valley area, less than away. The apartments were nicknamed "Death Valley" due to
drug-related crime
A drug-related crime is a crime to possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse (such as cocaine, heroin, morphine and amphetamines). Drugs are also related to crime as drug trafficking and drug produc ...
. The Pastor murder led to members of the Braeswood Place community and other nearby communities into putting pressure on the city government, asking for a cleanup of the Link Valley area.
[Cobb, Kim.]
Zeroing in on `Death Valley`/Shocked neighbors turning up heat on drug nest
Archive
. ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Sunday October 16, 1988. C1. Retrieved on January 7, 2011. "THE MURDER of Gloria Pastor last month horrified her Braeswood Place neighbors, unaware that they lived so close to a cluster of rundown apartments police say is a magnet for drug-related crime. The 66-year-old woman was stabbed to death Sept. 19 with a butcher knife from her own kitchen. The woman apparently was asleep when her attackers broke through a rear window of her house at 3859 Tartan and gathered items to steal. " As a result, police evicted criminal elements from Link Valley in a 1989 raid.
[Kunerth, Jeff.]
HOUSTON CLEANS UP DRUG AREA FORMER CITY 'HOT SPOT' TODAY'S DEATH VALLEY
" ''Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
''. February 5, 1989. A1. Retrieved on January 7, 2012.
![House3859TartanLane](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/House3859TartanLane.JPG)
In the 1990s a group of community-minded residents spearheaded the effort to purchase dilapidated apartments and commercial businesses in a four-block area. The Stella Link Redevelopment Association (SLRA) emerged from the early efforts and further organized the fund-raising endeavors. SLRA was successful in its attempts and the apartments and commercial buildings were purchased and torn down. New deed restrictions were put into place, two streets were closed and the area was developed into a neighborhood asset. SLRA created a master plan for the area and worked with the City of Houston and other independent entities to turn the once-blighted blocks into a landscaped backdrop for several community activities. The facilities now located on the $42 million Stella Link Park community service corridor site include the neighborhood library, the Weekley
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
, and the national headquarters for The Sheltering Arms senior citizens facility.
[Stanton, Robert.]
Residents rise up in southwest Houston / Seeds of activism are taking root in community
(). ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Thursday August 19, 2001. ThisWeek 2. Retrieved on May 11, 2009.
The neighborhood was deeply impacted by
Tropical Storm Allison
Tropical Storm Allison was a tropical storm that devastated southeast Texas in June of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. An arguable example of the " brown ocean effect", Allison lasted unusually long for a June storm, remaining tropical or s ...
in 2001 which flooded about 500 of the community's 2,200 houses, which amounts to about 20% of the houses.
[Feser, Catherine.]
Floodwaters speed evolution of Braes Oaks
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. May 28, 2002. Accessed July 12, 2008. Before Allison, the neighborhood had been in a slow transition from mostly 1950s style
ranch home
Ranch (also known as American ranch, California ranch, rambler, or rancher) is a domestic architectural style that originated in the United States. The ranch-style house is noted for its long, close-to-the-ground profile, and wide open layout. ...
s to two-story
Colonial
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
,
Tudor, and
Stucco houses. With the razing of many houses flooded by Allison, the transition pace quickly accelerated. Many upper-middle-class families moved into the newly built houses.
In 2004 Anjali Athavalley of the ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' said "Established areas like Braes Heights, Braes Terrace and Weslayan Plaza have performed solidly over the past five years. But real estate agents say the chances of finding a bargain in those areas are slim." In 2008 the ''
Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' named the
Stella Link Road
Stella, in Harris County, Texas was formerly an unincorporated area located approximately 10 miles southwest of downtown Houston. It existed there during the late 1800s through the 1920s and then it disappeared from area maps. During the 1950s th ...
area by Pershing Middle School as the "best hidden neighborhood."
Cityscape
Braeswood Place consists of approximately 2,200 homes and includes seven subdivisions: Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Manor, Braes Terrace, Emerald Forest, and Southern Oaks.
[The Organization]
" Braeswood Place Homeowners Association. Retrieved on July 25, 2017. The community is in proximity to the
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrat ...
and
Rice Village.
[Feser, Katherine.]
Floodwaters speed evolution of Braes Oaks
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Sunday May 26, 2002. Business 6. Retrieved on October 22, 2012.
Braes Heights
Braes Heights, located west of Buffalo Speedway,
[Feser, Katherine.]
Southern Oaks homes prove value over time
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Sunday January 30, 2000. Business 8. Retrieved on October 22, 2012. consists of 13 sections, numbered 1 through 13. Blocks 1 and 2 of Section 1 are in the City of Southside Place.
As of 1995 Braes Heights has 896 houses.
[Feser, Katherine.]
Braes Heights area talking about trash
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Sunday April 23, 1995. Business 10. Retrieved on October 22, 2012. Available from NewsBank
NewsBank is a news database resource that provides archives of media publications as reference materials to libraries.
History
John Naisbitt, the author of the book ''Megatrends'', founded NewsBank.Andrews 1998, p. 17. The company was launched ...
, accessible with a Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States.
History Houston Lyceum and the Carnegie Library
The Houston Public Library system traces its founding to the creation of the second Houston Lyceum in 1 ...
library card. Katherine Feser of the ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' said that Braes Heights had "a broader range of properties" than Southern Oaks.
[
Braes Heights was developed from 1947 to 1952. The original houses were ranch style houses. By April 23, 1995, over 100 newer houses had been built, mostly in the northern part of Braes Heights. In 1995, the original houses had a price rage from $130,000 ($ in current money) to $250,000 ($ in current money), while the "tear-downs" (houses to be purchased and demolished so new construction can be built) were priced from $90,000 ($ in current money) to $135,000 ($ in current money) and newer houses were priced from $275,000 ($ in current money) to $450,000 ($ in current money).][ In 2000 Feser said that in terms of all of the subdivisions in Braeswood Place, most of the demolition older houses occurred in Braes Heights. By 2000 120 new houses had been constructed in Braeswood Place. In Braeswood Place, a lot described by Feser as being in a "prime corner" would have a price from $190,000 ($ in current money) to $210,000 ($ in current money) while an interior lot would have a price from $175,000 ($ in current money) to $180,000 ($ in current money).][ By 2013 many of the original houses were being demolished and replaced with stucco and brick two-story houses.][Holley, Peter, John Lomax, and Todd Spoth.]
25 Hottest Neighborhoods
Archive
. '' Houstonia''. June 1, 2013. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.
A real estate agent quoted in a 2013 '' Houstonia'' article, Linda Marshall, stated that the lots are larger in Braes Heights than in West University Place, and that the prices are 30% lower in Braes Heights than in West University.[
]
Braes Oaks
Braes Oaks has three sections, 1, 1A, and 2. Braes Oaks has lots that are larger than average and many trees that provide shade. As of 2002 Braes Oaks has 131 houses. The original houses consisted of ranch-style houses. Most o the newer houses were two story pier and beam foundation houses. The newer houses were priced around $630,000 ($ in current money) around 2002. The houses range in size from to . After Tropical Storm Allison
Tropical Storm Allison was a tropical storm that devastated southeast Texas in June of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. An arguable example of the " brown ocean effect", Allison lasted unusually long for a June storm, remaining tropical or s ...
, which flooded several Braes Oaks houses, some homeowners decided to tear down their houses, while others decided to rebuild. Katherine Feser of the ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' said that the central location of Braes Oaks, the trees, and the large lots made Braes Oaks "prime".[
]
Southern Oaks
Southern Oaks has two sections, numbered 1 and 2. In Southern Oaks, lot sizes tend to be 10-15% larger than in other subdivisions in Braeswood Place. Southern Oaks has 248 houses. The original houses were built in the 1950s. Most houses are located on dead-end streets and had two car garages. Many featured built-in fireplaces, large bedrooms, closets small by standards in the year 2000, hardwood floors, and 1950s-style glass doorknobs. In 2000 most homeowners decided to restore their older houses instead of tearing them down. Usually restorations involved adding master bedroom and bath suites and adding kitchens with finishes and luxury appliances. In 2000 Steve Anton, a real estate broker of Hallmark Properties, said that a general trend of increasing lot prices and the addition of expensive houses in the wider area increased the prices of Southern Oaks real estate values. The prices of Southern Oaks houses in good condition ranged from $190,000 ($ in current money) to $300,000 ($ in current money). The price per square foot ranged from $100 ($ in current money) to $140 ($ in current money). Homeowners in Southern Oaks are required to buy flood insurance
Flood insurance is the specific insurance coverage issued against property loss from flooding. To determine risk factors for specific properties, insurers will often refer to topographical maps that denote lowlands, floodplains and other areas tha ...
.[
]
Demographics
In 2015, the City of Houston-defined Braeswood (Place) Super Neighborhood had 21,835 residents. 61% were non-Hispanic white, 15% were non-Hispanic Asians, 12% were Hispanics, 10% were non-Hispanic blacks, and 2% were non-Hispanic others. In 2000 the super neighborhood had 18,797 residents. 68% were non-Hispanic white, 12% were non-Hispanic Asians, 11% were Hispanics, 7% were non-Hispanic blacks, and 2% were non-Hispanic others.
Local government
The homeowners association, Braeswood Place Homeowner's Association (BPHA), is headquartered in Suite #112 at 4010 Blue Bonnet Boulevard. The association has six officers, with each serving one or two years, and twelve area directors, each serving three years. A nominating committee selects candidates and members of the homeowners association cast ballots to elect the members. Area directors select "block captains" for each block. A block captain delivers the ''Sentinel'', the homeowner's association newsletter, and communicate with area residents.
Most of Braeswood Place is in the Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.
Currently, there are sixteen members, 11 elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every four years, w ...
District C, while a portion south of the Brays Bayou is in District K.
Houston Fire Station #37 Braes Heights of the Houston Fire Department, at 7026 Stella Link,[Station 37]
" City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010. is in Fire District 21. The original Station 37, located on developer-donated land at 3828 Aberdeen Way, in a residential area, opened in 1955. The current Station 37 building, on the new site, opened on September 24, 2009. The grand opening ceremony for the station was held at 11 AM on October 16, 2009. The station features artwork at the main entrance and at the rear door. The front door "stained glass look" artwork resembles a water hose spraying water, and the back door artwork portrays a squirrel in an outdoor environment. The back door artwork ties into a story of firefighters at the original Station 37 feeding a "station" squirrel.[
The neighborhood is within the ]Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department (HPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. With approximately 5,300 officers and 1,200 civilian support personnel it is the fifth-largest ...
's Southwest Patrol Division, headquartered at 4503 Beechnut Street.[VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support]
" ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on December 7, 2008.
County, state, and federal representation
Harris County Precinct One, headed by Commissioner Rodney Ellis
Rodney Glenn Ellis (born April 7, 1954) is an American politician. He represented Texas' 13th state senate district in the Texas Senate from 1990 to 2017. The district contains portions of Harris County, including downtown Houston, and Fort Ben ...
, serves Braeswood Place. Patrol services are privately contracted to the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office.
Braeswood Place is located in District 134 of the Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
and represented by Ann Johnson.
Braeswood Place is within District 17 of the Texas Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per co ...
.
Braeswood Place is within Texas's 7th congressional district. As of 2018, the representative is Lizzie Fletcher
Elizabeth Ann Fletcher (née Pannill; born February 13, 1975) is an American attorney and politician from the state of Texas. A Democrat, she represents in the United States House of Representatives. The district includes much of western Houston ...
.
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (stylized as METRO) is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service ...
(METRO) operates bus services in Braeswood Place. Bus routes 2 Bellaire, 4 Beechnut, 8 South Main, and 68 Brays Bayou Crosstown serve the community.
Harris Health System
The Harris Health System, previously the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), is a governmental entity with taxing authority that owns and operates three hospitals and numerous clinics throughout Harris County, Texas, United States, includin ...
(formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
Health Center in southeast Houston for ZIP code 77025. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital
Ben Taub Hospital is a public hospital located in Houston, Texas within the Texas Medical Center. Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students f ...
in the Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a medical district and neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States, immediately south of the Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 60 medical institutions, largely concentrat ...
.
Parks and recreation
Karl Young Park, a park operated by the City of Houston, is located in the community. It includes three full court basketball courts, three half court basketball courts, a baseball field, a full court tennis court, a trail system, two playgrounds, and a picnic pavilion. The park is slightly less than in size. It was named after Karl Young, a Houstonian who was killed when an oil field exploded. In the 1990s a woman named Judy Siverson, a community service volunteer in Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.
Currently, there are sixteen members, 11 elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every four years, w ...
District C, and her neighbors raised $300,000 to improve Young Park.
Helen's Park, named after Helen Dallerup Williams, was dedicated in October 2000. Williams was the wife of Myron Williams, a man who died in 1990. In his will Myron Williams stated that his remaining funds would be used to build a park with a fountain "of outstanding beauty, composed of lovely colors." The Myron Williams Trust maintains the park.
The John P. McGovern Campus Park is located along Underwood Street. The site of the park previously included apartment complexes known for criminal activity. Stella Link Park also is in the community. The park, a part of a $42 million project, houses Sheltering Arms, a senior services facility built for $9 million. The center opened on Saturday July 21, 2001, with 60 employees.[Stanton, Robert.]
'Death Valley' coming back to life
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Thursday July 19, 2001. Retrieved on January 7, 2012.
The community houses the Weekley Family YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
, which replaced the previous Southwest Branch YMCA in West University Place. The groundbreaking of the original $3.5 million facility occurred in September 2001. It houses office spaces, a gymnasium, an outdoor pool, an outdoor field, and a weight room. The Southwest YMCA opened in 1951.
Linkwood Park and Community Center is in Braes Manor Section 1.[Braes Manor Section 1]
block book map. Harris County Government. Retrieved on July 24, 2017.
Members of the community place their children in the West University Little Leagu
(of the city of West University Place). Originally the community had its own little league team called the
Braes Bayou Little League
" The team was merged into the West University Little League in 200
players of the Braes Bayou Little League living in the ZIP codes of 77035 and 77096 were redirected to the Westbury Little League.
Economy
Many of the businesses serving area residents are along West Holcombe Boulevard.
The Braes Heights Shopping Center, a two-story, mid-century modern shopping center, is located in the nearby City of Southside Place.[Braes Heights Shopping Center]
" ''Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
''. Retrieved on October 13, 2012. "Braes Heights Shopping Center 3800 Bellaire Blvd. Houston, TX" In 2012 the ''Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' ranked the center the "Best Strip Mall - 2012" due to its abundance of small businesses that made the editors feel nostalgic. The editors said "In many ways, Braes Heights seems more like Rice Village than Rice Village" because many iconic small businesses had left Rice Village by 2012.[ Vanderbilt Square, a shopping center located in a nearby area in Houston, had been built by 1995. A ]Randall's Food Markets
Randalls operates 32 supermarkets in Texas under the ''Randalls'' and ''Flagship Randalls'' banners. The chain consists of 13 stores located around the Houston area and 15 stores located around the Austin area as of May 2020. Randalls today forms ...
store and a Barnes & Noble bookshop anchor the center.[
Cheryl P. Rose of the '']Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' stated in 2013 that the proximities to Downtown and the TMC are "appealing" to residents who work in those areas.[
]
Education
Public schools
Braeswood Place is within the Houston Independent School District
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...
(HISD).
Next door to McGovern Park are two HISD schools, Mark Twain Elementary School and John J. Pershing Middle School. The original Mark Twain campus, which was built in the 1950s, was demolished to make way for a new campus in 2006. The original Pershing Middle School campus was also demolished, replaced with a new campus that opened in January 2007.
Parts of Braeswood Place north of the Brays Bayou (including Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, and Ayrshire) are zoned to Twain Elementary. Parts south of the bayou (including Braes Manor and Braes Terrace) are zoned to Longfellow Elementary. Longfellow is in Braes Manor Section 1.[ All parts of Braeswood Place are zoned to Pershing Middle. Any student zoned to Pershing may apply to ]Pin Oak Middle School
A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together.
Pin or PIN may also refer to:
Computers and technology
* Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system
** PIN pad, a PIN entry device
* PIN, a former Dutch ...
's (of the city of Bellaire) regular program.
Pupils east of Stella Link (including Braes Heights, Braes Oaks) are zoned to Lamar High School in the Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby is a commercial district in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after Kirby Drive, so indirectly takes its name from John Henry Kirby.
Upper Kirby contains many businesses, including restaurants. Upper Kirby is east of the Gre ...
district of Houston while students west of Stella Link or south of Brays Bayou (including Ayrshire and Braes Terrace) are zoned to Bellaire High School in the city of Bellaire.
The Rice School, a magnet public school, is located just east of Braeswood Place.
History of schools
The original campus of Twain was a red brick building. Originally Twain's magnet program was focused on after-school programs. In the 1980s parents in the area considered Twain to be an undesirable school. In 1986 a group of parents at Bethany United Methodist Weekday School decided to organize the group Friends of Mark Twain to call for an improvement in Twain and lobbied on its behalf. The school's reputation improved and, according to former principal Joyce Dauber, by 1996 75% of the parents of students lived in the school's neighborhood.
In 1995 Jim Ainsworth, a resident quoted in the ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'', said "There's been a real resurgence in the schools. The biggest problem that we found was perception because of a lack of a peer group for both kids and parents. That has changed a lot and is continuing to change as more kids go to the school."[ In 2013 '' Houstonia'' stated that "Parents, in particular, praise the area’s schools" including Twain and Pershing.][
By 2004 the original Twain building was razed. Students at Twain were put in temporary buildings while a new school building, financed by the 2002 Rebuild Houston school bond program, was under construction. Its cost was $14 million and it was scheduled to open in 2005.][
]
Private schools
St. Vincent de Paul School
a K-8 Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
school operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
, is in the area.
St. Mark's Episcopal School in the city of West University Place is also nearby.
Public libraries
The McGovern-Stella Link Branch of the Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States.
History Houston Lyceum and the Carnegie Library
The Houston Public Library system traces its founding to the creation of the second Houston Lyceum in 1 ...
is located at 7405 Stella Link Road.
The library, named after physician John P. McGovern, opened on January 8, 2005. The ''Houston Business Journal
American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor New ...
'' awarded the library a Landmark Award for Community Impact in 2006. In 2007 and 2010 the ''Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' ranked the branch the "Best Public Library Branch." The McGovern Library closed after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017. Its tentative reopening is in 2019.
Media
The ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' is the area regional newspaper.
The ''West University Examiner
The ''Examiner'' group of newspapers are a set of four community newspapers owned by the Hearst Corporation, doing business as Houston Community Newspapers (HCN). The publications include the '' Bellaire Examiner'', '' Memorial Examiner'', ''River ...
'' is a local newspaper distributed in the communit
The ''Village News and Southwest News
The ''Village News and Southwest News'' is a local newspaper in Greater Houston, headquartered in Bellaire, Texas.Davis, Mitchell P. (editor). ''Power Media Bluebook: W/ Talk Show Guest Directory'' (15th Edition). Broadcast Interview Source, Inc, ...
'' is a local newspaper distributed in the community.
In the mid-20th century the community newspaper ''Southwestern Times'' served the Braeswood area and surrounding communities. The paper was headquartered in Rice Village.[''Southwestern Times'' (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 22, 1948]
Page: 2 of 20
Posted at the Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School, ...
. Retrieved on March 2, 2017. "2510 Times Boulevard, Houston 5, Texas (In The Village)"
See also
References
Further reading
*
* Nicholson, Heather.
Braes Heights finds solid place in the real estate market
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. October 29, 2009.
External links
Braeswood Place Homeowners Association
West University Little League
Elementary schools:
Twain Elementary School
Longfellow Elementary School
{{coord, 29.695, -95.430, type:city_dim:3km_region:US-TX, display=title
Neighborhoods in Houston