Upper Kirby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Upper Kirby
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Upper Kirby (Looking West from NE corner of intersection of Westheimer Rd. and Kirby Drive)
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Harris County |
| City |  Houston |
| Population
(2009)
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| • Total | 17,369 |
| • Density | 4,841/sq mi (1,869/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
77005, 77027, 77048, 77098
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| Area code(s) | 713, 281, 832 |
| Website | Upper Kirby District Website |
Upper Kirby is a busy area in Houston, Texas, United States. It's known for its many shops and restaurants. The area gets its name from Kirby Drive, which was named after a person called John Henry Kirby.
Upper Kirby is located near other well-known parts of Houston. It is east of Greenway Plaza, southwest of Neartown, north of West University Place, and south of River Oaks.
You can find Upper Kirby by looking for these boundaries: west of South Shepherd Drive, east of Buffalo Speedway, north of Bissonnet Street, and south of Westheimer Road.
Contents
History of Upper Kirby
The River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics building is in Upper Kirby. It's a historic place, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. This building used to be a schoolhouse for the county. Now, it's where the River Oaks Garden Club manages its activities.
To help the Upper Kirby area grow and have its own identity, the Texas Legislature created a special group called the Harris County Improvement District #3. This group is also known as the Upper Kirby Management District. In 1999, the Houston city council also set up a special funding zone called Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 19.
Before these groups were formed, Upper Kirby didn't really have a unique feel. To give it a special identity, people decided to use British-style decorations and the name "Upper Kirby." At one time, there were even working red phone booths and a double decker bus that took people to different restaurants!
In 2006, there were plans to open a "teen center" in Upper Kirby. This center would have been for students from nearby schools like Lamar High School, Lanier Middle School, and St. John's School. However, the center's opening was delayed because of money issues.
Businesses and Economy
Upper Kirby is home to many different businesses. For example, the TV station KTRK-TV ABC 13, which broadcasts news for the Houston area, has its studios here. The company Solvay America also has its main office in Upper Kirby.
Another company, cPanel, which helps websites run, has an office in this district. You can also find the main office for Restaurants Acquisition I, L.L.C., which runs Black-eyed Pea restaurants in Texas.
If you need to book a flight with Pakistan International Airlines, they have an office in Upper Kirby. Also, several radio stations like KHMX, KILT-AM, KILT-FM, KLOL, KKHH, and KIKK are located here as part of CBS Radio Houston.
Fun and Recreation
The people who helped create the Upper Kirby district wanted to make it feel special. One idea was to connect it to the United Kingdom, partly because "Upper Kirby" shares the same initials as "United Kingdom." This is why you might have seen red phone booths around the area!
The Upper Kirby YMCA Extension is a great place for activities and is located right in Upper Kirby.
Upper Kirby also has a wonderful green space called Levy Park, which is run by the City of Houston. The land for the park was given to the city in 1941 by Leon Levy. The Upper Kirby district has worked to improve the park over the years. In 2003, they added a community garden. A big renovation costing $15 million was finished in 2017, making the park even better. Levy Park now includes a dog park and a softball field for everyone to enjoy.
The historic Alabama Theatre was built in 1939 and used to be a popular place for entertainment. Later, it became a Bookstop bookstore, and then a Barnes & Noble. In 2009, the bookstore closed, and now the building is a Trader Joe's grocery store.
Many of the restaurants in Upper Kirby are part of larger chains. However, there are also some unique, local Houston restaurants to try. While many places serve American food, you can also find a good variety of international restaurants if you're feeling adventurous!
The Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) has its main office, called the Eastside Main Center, in Upper Kirby.
Education in Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby has several schools for students of all ages.
Schools for Kids and Teens
For public high school, students in Upper Kirby attend Lamar High School. There's also St. John's School, which is a private school for students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.
Younger students in Upper Kirby go to different elementary schools, including Poe, River Oaks, and West University. For middle school, students attend either Lanier Middle School or Pershing Middle School, depending on where they live in Upper Kirby. Students zoned to Pershing Middle School also have the option to attend Pin Oak Middle School.
Public Libraries
The community is served by the Adele B. Looscan Neighborhood Library, which is part of the Houston Public Library system. The current library building opened in September 2007. The old library, built in 1956, was closed and taken down to make way for the new, bigger one.
The new library cost $6.2 million and is much larger than the old one, with more staff. A group called Friends for Neighborhood Libraries helped raise a lot of money to make the new library possible.
Media and News
Several media companies have offices in Upper Kirby.
The Jewish Herald-Voice newspaper has its offices here.
The River Oaks Examiner is a local newspaper that is given out in the community.
For regional news, the Houston Chronicle is the main newspaper for the area.
Also, KTRK-TV, which is the local ABC News station for Houston, has its studios in the neighborhood on Bissonnet Street.
Images for kids
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Solvay America offices
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Upper Kirby bus shelter
