Braeswood Place, Houston facts for kids
Braeswood Place is a group of neighborhoods in Houston, Texas, United States. Most of this area is in Houston, but a small part is in a nearby city called Southside Place.
Braeswood Place is mostly made up of single-family homes. It's located inside the 610 Loop, which is a major highway. It's east of Bellaire, south of Southside Place and West University Place, west of the Texas Medical Center, and north of Linkwood and Knollwood Village. Braeswood Place has about 2,200 homes and includes seven smaller neighborhoods: Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Manor, Braes Terrace, Emerald Forest, and Southern Oaks.
Contents
History of Braeswood Place
The Braeswood Place Homeowners Association, a group that helps manage the community, started in 1951.
In the 1990s, some residents worked together to buy old apartments and businesses in a four-block area. This led to the creation of the Stella Link Redevelopment Association (SLRA). This group successfully raised money to buy and tear down these old buildings. They put new rules in place for the land and closed two streets. This area was then turned into a community space. The SLRA worked with the City of Houston to create a master plan for the area. Now, this space is a beautiful park area with several community buildings. These include the neighborhood library, the Weekley YMCA, and the main office for The Sheltering Arms, a facility for senior citizens. This project cost $42 million.
In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison caused a lot of flooding in the neighborhood. About 500 of the 2,200 houses, which is about 20% of them, were flooded. Before this storm, many homes were 1950s ranch homes. After the storm, many flooded houses were torn down. This led to a faster change in the neighborhood. Many new, larger homes in styles like Colonial, Tudor, and Stucco were built. Many upper-middle-class families moved into these new houses.
In 2008, the Houston Press newspaper called the Stella Link Road area near Pershing Middle School the "best hidden neighborhood."
What Braeswood Place Looks Like
Braeswood Place has about 2,200 homes. It includes seven smaller neighborhoods: Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Manor, Braes Terrace, Emerald Forest, and Southern Oaks. The community is close to the Texas Medical Center and Rice Village, which is a popular shopping and dining area.
Braes Heights
Braes Heights is located west of Buffalo Speedway. It has 13 sections. A small part of Section 1 is in the city of Southside Place.
In 1995, Braes Heights had 896 houses. It offered a wide variety of homes. Braes Heights was built between 1947 and 1952. The first houses were ranch-style homes. By 1995, over 100 newer houses had been built, especially in the northern part. Many of the original houses were being replaced with new, two-story homes made of stucco and brick by 2013.
Real estate agents have noted that lots in Braes Heights are larger than those in West University Place. Also, the prices for homes in Braes Heights are often lower.
Braes Oaks
Braes Oaks has three sections. This neighborhood has larger-than-average lots and many trees that provide shade. In 2002, Braes Oaks had 131 houses. The original homes were ranch-style. Most of the newer houses were two-story homes. These newer houses were priced around $630,000 in 2002. The houses are usually between 3,800 and 4,000 square feet. After Tropical Storm Allison, some homeowners decided to tear down their flooded houses, while others rebuilt them. Its central location, trees, and large lots make Braes Oaks a very desirable place to live.
Southern Oaks
Southern Oaks has two sections. The lots in Southern Oaks are usually 10-15% larger than in other parts of Braeswood Place. Southern Oaks has 248 houses. The first houses were built in the 1950s. Many homes are on quiet, dead-end streets and have two-car garages. They often feature fireplaces, large bedrooms, hardwood floors, and 1950s-style glass doorknobs. In 2000, most homeowners chose to update their older houses instead of tearing them down. These updates often included adding new master bedrooms and bathrooms, and modern kitchens. The increasing prices of lots and new expensive houses in the wider area have also raised real estate values in Southern Oaks. Homeowners in Southern Oaks are required to buy flood insurance.
People in Braeswood Place
In 2015, the Braeswood (Place) Super Neighborhood had 21,835 residents. Most residents were non-Hispanic white (61%), followed by non-Hispanic Asians (15%), Hispanics (12%), and non-Hispanic blacks (10%).
Local Services
Harris County Precinct One helps serve Braeswood Place. Private security services are provided by the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office.
Braeswood Place is in District 134 for the Texas House of Representatives. It is also in District 17 for the Texas Senate. For the U.S. Congress, it is in Texas's 7th congressional district.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) provides bus services in Braeswood Place. Several bus routes serve the community.
The Harris Health System provides healthcare services. The Martin Luther King Health Center serves residents in ZIP code 77025. The closest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.
Parks and Fun Things to Do
Karl Young Park is a park run by the City of Houston. It has three full basketball courts, three half basketball courts, a 60-foot baseball field, a tennis court, walking trails, two playgrounds, and a picnic area. The park is almost 5 acres in size. It was named after Karl Young, a Houstonian who died in an oil field explosion. In the 1990s, residents raised $300,000 to improve the park.
Helen's Park was named after Helen Dallerup Williams and opened in 2000. It was built with money from Myron Williams, who wanted a park with a beautiful fountain. The Myron Williams Trust helps maintain the park.
The John P. McGovern Campus Park is located on Underwood Street. This 20-acre park used to be the site of apartment buildings that had a lot of crime. Stella Link Park is also in the community. This park is part of a $42 million project and includes Sheltering Arms, a facility for senior citizens.
The community is home to the Weekley Family YMCA. This YMCA replaced an older one in West University Place. It has offices, a gym, an outdoor pool, an outdoor field, and a weight room.
Linkwood Park and Community Center is located in Braes Manor.
Kids in the community can join the West University Little League. This league is based in the city of West University Place. The community used to have its own team called the "Braes Bayou Little League," but it joined the West University Little League in 2005.
Shopping and Businesses
Many businesses that serve the residents are located along West Holcombe Boulevard.
The Braes Heights Shopping Center is a two-story shopping center located in nearby Southside Place. In 2012, the Houston Press called it the "Best Strip Mall." This was because it has many small businesses that make people feel nostalgic. The newspaper said it felt more like Rice Village used to be, before many small businesses left Rice Village. Vanderbilt Square, another shopping center, has a Randall's Food Markets grocery store and a Barnes & Noble bookstore.
Being close to Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center is appealing to residents who work in those areas.
Education
Public Schools
Braeswood Place is part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD).
Two HISD schools, Mark Twain Elementary School and John J. Pershing Middle School, are located next to McGovern Park. The original Mark Twain school building was torn down in 2006 to build a new one. The original Pershing Middle School was also replaced with a new building that opened in 2007.
Parts of Braeswood Place north of the Brays Bayou (like Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, and Ayrshire) send their kids to Twain Elementary. Parts south of the bayou (like Braes Manor and Braes Terrace) go to Longfellow Elementary. Longfellow is located in Braes Manor. All students in Braeswood Place go to Pershing Middle School. Students zoned to Pershing can also apply to Pin Oak Middle School in Bellaire.
Students east of Stella Link (including Braes Heights, Braes Oaks) go to Lamar High School. Students west of Stella Link or south of Brays Bayou (including Ayrshire and Braes Terrace) go to Bellaire High School in Bellaire.
The Rice School, a special public school, is located just east of Braeswood Place.
History of Schools
The original Twain school building was made of red brick. In the 1980s, some parents thought Twain was not a good school. In 1986, a group of parents formed "Friends of Mark Twain" to help improve the school. The school's reputation got better. By 1996, most students living in the neighborhood attended the school.
In 2013, Houstonia magazine said that "Parents, in particular, praise the area’s schools," including Twain and Pershing.
By 2004, the original Twain building was torn down. Students used temporary buildings while a new school, costing $14 million, was built. It was planned to open in 2005.
Private Schools
St. Vincent de Paul School, a Catholic school for kindergarten through 8th grade, is in the area.
St. Mark's Episcopal School in West University Place is also nearby.
Public Libraries
The McGovern-Stella Link Branch of the Houston Public Library is located at 7405 Stella Link Road.
This library, named after doctor John P. McGovern, opened in 2005. The Houston Business Journal gave the library an award in 2006 for its positive impact on the community. In 2007 and 2010, the Houston Press called it the "Best Public Library Branch." The McGovern Library closed after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and was planned to reopen in 2019.
Media
The Houston Chronicle is the main regional newspaper for the area.
The West University Examiner is a local newspaper distributed in the community.
The Village News and Southwest News is another local newspaper distributed in the community.
In the mid-1900s, a community newspaper called Southwestern Times served the Braeswood area.
