What you see of Sharpstown now is what it has always been. I definately remember the drive in. "[20] Chris Chumley, a spokesperson for PlazAmericas, stated that "Anybody who knows the back story to the mall knows that it's been distressed for a number of years." These are the best restaurants with outdoor seating near Houston, TX: People also liked: restaurants for lunch, vegan friendly restaurants. Sharpstown Middle School (formerly Sharpstown Junior High) was originally a consolidated junior and senior high in the beginning around 1971 to 1974. In 1999, the mall was sold to Simon Property Group. Would go to Greenspoint everyday for lunch at the food court. Skip the oddly textured rice paleta in favor of strawberry and, of course, mango. It is the largest mall in Texas and the seventh largest mall in the United States with 3 million square feet (280,000 m2) of gross leasable area and 400 stores. I used to think that elevator right in front of the arcade was the most awesome thing in the world. I thought that was what it must be like in Hollywood. Get yours drizzled with a thick glaze of melted milk chocolate, stuffed with sticky dulce de leche, or transformed into a sundae topped with Blue Bell ice cream. This is where Sharp wound up living in 1949. Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the University of Houston. What are: TIRZ and PID? The alignment of the Southwest Freeway was changed to go through the middle of Sharpstown since Frank Sharp donated the right-of-way for the freeway. At least one of those was used for PE when I went there. I'm sure a lot of people in Oak Forest, for example, are there not because they were jumping up & down to live in Oak Forest, but b/c their first choice areas such as Garden Oaks & Heights didn't offer acceptable homes in their price ranges, or maybe they were out of their price range altogether. The little baseball field was right behind them. The area includes the Jewelry Exchange Center, a ten-story building. "[5] First Colony would also eventually seal the fate of Westwood Mall, which closed in 1998 and converted to a technology-focused office center, and eventually would impact West Oaks Mall as well. By Maybe a similarly named one? The success of the first phase led Sharp to expand the development, and by the early 1970s Sharpstown had become one of Houstons largest and most successful planned communities. WebOPEN NOW. The development allowed for schools, recreation, and retail areas as well as nice post-war homes (a new concept at the time), making Sharpstown one of the nation's first master-planned developments, and the first such community in Houston. [18] By January 11, 2008, Sharpstown was operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was up for sale. She's still a little scary. There is no definitive answer to this question as opinions will vary depending on who you ask. Your subscription will be migrated over. I remember PE in that old school room with Mrs. Robinette. Not sure what is driving the home values up in Sharpstown (near the Sharpstown country club), but I agree, many neighbors are good people and many are even native Texans to boot. Jones Fried Chicken wasserving spicychicken-and-rice long before the Halal Guys arrived in Houston. He profitted and we laughed! September 15, 2014 What is the first shopping mall in the world? WebPlazAmericas, formerly known as Sharpstown Mall and earlier Sharpstown Center, is a shopping mall located in the Sharpstown development in Greater Sharpstown, Houston, You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Draloc, Inc. By I remember in the 80's when they added the 2nd floor with the big remodel. I have a photo of the Clock of Texas. 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The then owner of the mall, Urban Mall Houston, was over $53 million in debt.[19]. For people in the $125,000 to $175,000 price bracket, there are other options that a lot of people will find more attractive than Sharpstown. In 1996, First Colony Mall opened in the suburb of Sugar Land, which resulted in Sharpstown losing many of its national retailers and a core customer base in Fort Bend County that had long been critical to the mall's survival. Sam Wisialowski, president of the Y'alls Texas Store chain, stated that sales were declining annually by about 25 to 30 percent at its Sharpstown store when the chain decided to close said store in 1990. Back then, their electronics section was the bomb. A neighborhood staple since the area was anchored by the still-new Sharpstown Mall, this friendly taqueria has even retained the same colorful dcor over the decades. Chron Sharpstown was affected by the Sharpstown scandal. The scandal combined with a set of apartment complexes that became run-down ensured that Sharpstown became a neighborhood surrounded by crime by the mid-to-late 1990s. [citation needed] Crime increased in the 1990s with the deterioration of area apartment complexes. My dad worked at Sharpstown mall when I was young and we used to go every Saturday, this was in the 60s & early 70s. These are the best vegan friendly restaurants near Houston, TX: People also liked: restaurants with outdoor seating, restaurants for lunch. Shelby Stewart. It was Houston's answer to New York's Levittown and was touted as the "World's largest residential development." This isn't a slam on Sharpstown, a lot of great neighborhoods benefit from some level of default factor. 61. The mall's decline began as many of the nearby apartment complexes, once dominated by young professionals and single adults, became notorious as residential arrangements for low-income dwellers, which in turn resulted in an increase in criminal activity. Of course, call them in advance and you also may want to check if the Houston Public Library has been given copies of the images. WebPlazAmericas Mall 201 Sharpstown CtrHoustonTX77036 (713) 777-1111 Claim this business (713) 777-1111 Website More Directions Advertisement Photos See More Hours **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. The new windows look almost like the old (that 60's geometric style) but they look thicker and are able to be opened. If the staff is reading this, the only change I'd make is to upgrade the bathroom. I always made it a point to climb the side of the building when I got there. The unidentified man gained control of Adams' gun and shot the officer, Finner said. One house is on the north side of W. Belfort between Willowbend and Chimney Rock. Faux wood over the walls, old glass cases to showcase things, and a 1987 calander of a woman in a bikini holding a fish. During this time, Sharpstown Mall also had to compete with West Oaks Mall for customers out of Fort Bend County. I have very vivid memories of Sharpstown Mall. Generous parrillada platters, crave-worthy, spicy salsas, and a quick-and-easy drive-thru have made the restaurant a dependable favorite in southwest Houston for years. Tags hpd ice cream incomes taxes Lucienne Bellefontaine nicolas chavez police shooting Political Roundup politics taxes. If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. I'm glad you asked, Cory, because I'd be interested to know myself. Then Westwood Mall opened a little further down 59. The city finally got started on work my uncle spear headed years ago by getting the TIRZ and PID implemented. I met a person attending SHS in year 2000. The Foley's was huge. Bought my first CD from Foleys! I live in Westbury and have seen some homes pop up near here that are part of this disturbing trend to ruin the vintage look. The mall was renamed Sharpstown Center at this time. Oh for it to be 1982 and a teen again - except with all the income and knowledge I have now. The Sharpstown Mall was Houston's first indoor, air conditioned shopping mall. MSN In the 1949 City Directory, Frank W. Sharp is shown residing on Meadow Lake Lane, just off San Felipe and Weslayan. prominent middle to upper middle class? Her response was, "that was your class?" Some people may feel that Sharpstown is a great area because it offers a variety of amenities and is relatively safe. (And I think later an Amco). I remember all that same stuff. Therefore, Sharpstown's nice clothing stores, big name department stores pulled out, leaving it with many privately owned urban clothing stores, shoe stores, etc. Thanks for the photos MaxConcrete! local news and culture, Chris Lane If anyone has any questions about Sharpstown, I'd be happy to answer them and I promise to visit the site more often to do so. The intersection improvements are the first piece in a $33 million renovation of Bellaire Boulevard from U.S. 59 to Beltway 8 and Fondren from U.S. 59 to Westpark. Guess it's closed now. To alleviate flooding along Fondren, Pittman said 36-inch and 42-inch drainage lines under Bellaire Boulevard will be replaced with 60-inch pipes, which will run west to a drainage ditch that runs parallel to Fondren. I guess that photos of Sharpstown are rare. This mall in Houston is an outdoor shopping center that features numerous retail shops, dining options, and entertainment areas for the whole family. When I lived there beginning in 1969, Sharpstown had 3 sections referred to as Sharpstown 1 (Bintliff east area, Sutton Elem., Jane Long Jr. High), Sharpstown2 (Sandpiper to SW Freeway), and Sharpstown 3(West side of SW Freeway, Mary Bates area, Pat Neff Elem., Sharptown Jr. High. Trust me, the food is life-changing. Jocelyn Kerr. assessments on property that is within the city or within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). I met my wife there. The noodles were perfectly cooked, mandu(steamed dumplings) were juicy.more, SeafoodCajun/CreoleChicken Wings$$Braeburn, You can get seafood anywhere in Houston. They finally got rid of it many years later. http://oscarmail.net/photos/sharpstown_con_circa_1965.jpg, Also, check out these images of the corner of Bellaire and US 59, http://community.webshots.com/album/94213053YBeTbI, http://community.webshots.com/photo/942130049276982aNZCCZ. SHS Class of '83. Youll need to bring a small army to finish it all, but thats the best way to enjoy the ample servings of sauted beef tibs and spicy bowls of doro wat (and seemingly never-ending baskets of fresh injera bread) at this spacious restaurant. Then you have Westbury. Old "Sharp" himself may have even donated the land for this purphose ?? Drove a '66 Ford Fairlane with an "ooooga" horn on it. The SFH around the golf course and across Bellaire as well as next to Braeburn are truly beautiful and property values are rising dramatically. The Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority announced Tuesday that a contractor will be selected from two bidders - Jerdon Construction of Stafford and Reytec Construction Resources Inc. of Houston - to complete intersection improvements at Bellaire Boulevard at Fondren Road. Sharpstown Mall Stores in Sharpstown Houston, TX - Yellow Pages They like to keep stuff spicy but there are some stuff that isn't spicy. I also went to Strake Jesuit so I knew Bellaire before it became Chinatown West. Jeffrey Toobin Connects Timothy McVeigh, Guns, Militias and January 6, Become a member to support the independent voice of Houston One month after DJ Screw died, Chad eased his black Lincoln Navigator into a handicapped space near the entrance to Sharpstown Mall. Reading this really brings back memories. [12] In addition to the loss of businesses and customers to the Sugar Land area, further compounded by many big box retailers opening new locations in and around said area,[4] such aforementioned big box stores as well as discounters including Walmart and Target have grown on the loyalties of customers who used to frequent shopping malls. The mall remains open, but several stores and restaurants are closed or empty. [17] Mere days after the Macy's announcement, on January 9, 2008, Finger Furniture announced that it would also be closing its Sharpstown location. Trust me. I unfortunately had to sell our property after owning it when new in 1966. According to Houston Police Department data, the intersection was listed among the city's Top 50 Accident Locations from Jan. 1-March 31, 2005. When Sharpstown's potential customers who had disposable incomes left because of problems, the replacement low income families and thugs had much less money to spend. I *think* there were only two temporary buildings way back then. It was the place to be mall-wise. She stopped and experienced a burst of nostalgia after hearing from a viewer post that some area of the property may have been demolished.