Braeswood Place, Houston, Texas

Braeswood Place is a group of subdivisions in Houston, Texas, United States.

Braeswood Place is a mainly single-family neighborhood inside the 610 Loop, east of the city of Bellaire, south of the cities of Southside Place and West University Place, west of the Texas Medical Center and the neighborhood of Old Braeswood, and north of the neighborhoods of Linkwood and Knollwood Village. Braeswood Place was built during the 1950s. It consists of approximately 2,300 homes and includes seven subdivisions: Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Manor, Braes Terrace, Emerald Forest, and Southern Oaks.

History

Braeswood Place opened during the mid-1950s.

In the mid-1960s the Link Valley Apartments opened. By July 17, 1988 the apartments became derelict and were seen as a haven for criminal activities. [Cobb, Kim. " [http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1988_556944 Drugs, neglect transform `single scene' to slums] ." "Houston Chronicle". July 17, 1988. Section 3, Page 1.] In the 1990s a group of community-minded residents spearheaded the effort to purchase the apartments and commercial businesses in the 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. [" [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/homefront/neighborhoods/872539.html Braes Heights keeps changing with updates] ," "Houston Chronicle", April 9, 2001] . 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 site include the neighborhood library, the Weekley YMCA, the national headquarters for The Sheltering Arms senior citizens facility [" [http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2001_3320897 Residents rise up in southwest Houston / Seeds of activism are taking root in community] ." "Houston Chronicle".] . The center includes the McGovern Park ballfields for Little League and girls' softball, the neighborhood fire station, Helen's Park, and Beal Park.

The neighborhood was deeply impacted by Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 which flooded about 20% of the homes [" [http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/storm2001/1065110 Post-flood fallout has residents wondering about neighborhood] ," "Houston Chronicle" October 1, 2001] . Before Allison, the neighborhood had been in a slow transition from mostly 1950s style ranch homes to two-story Colonial, 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. [" [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/homefront/neighborhoods/1424016.html Floodwaters speed evolution of Braes Oaks] ." "Houston Chronicle". May 28, 2002. Accessed July 12, 2008.]

Politics

Local government

Braeswood Place is in the Houston City Council District C [http://www.houstontx.gov/council/maps/c.html] .

Federal and state representation

Braeswood Place is in Texas's 7th congressional district [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/tx07_109.gif] .

Subdivisions

Subdivisions that are covered by the Braeswood Place Homeowners Association include Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Manor, Braes Oaks, Braes Terrace, "Emerald Forest", and Southern Oaks.

Fire service

Houston Fire Department Fire Station 37 Braes Heights [http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station37.html] is located in Braeswood Place at 3828 Aberdeen Way. The squad is nicknamed the "Braes Heights Hellfighters."

Police service

The neighborhood is within the Houston Police Department's Southwest Patrol Division [" [http://www.houstontx.gov/police/cs/beatpages/southwest.htm Crime Statistics for Southwest Patrol Division] ." "Houston Police Department".] , headquartered at 4503 Beechnut." [http://www.houstontx.gov/police/vip/vip_cops.htm VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support] ." "City of Houston".]

Patrol services are privately contracted to the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office. [" [http://braeswoodplace.org/index.cfm?menuitemid=128 BPHA CONSTABLE PATROL PROGRAM] ." "Braeswood Place".]

Parks

Karl Young Park, a park operated by the City of Houston, is located at 7800 Stella Link [http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/images/NeighborhoodList4.gif] .

Helen's Park, located next to the YMCA.

Education

Public schools

Next door to the recently redeveloped McGovern Park are two Houston Independent School District schools, Mark Twain Elementary School and Pershing Middle School. The original Mark Twain campus, which was built in the 1950s, was demolished to make way for a brand new campus in 2006. The original Pershing Middle School campus was also recently demolished, replaced with a new campus that opened in January, 2007. The Rice School, a magnet public school, is located just east of Braeswood Place.

Parts of Braeswood Place north of the Brays Bayou (including Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, and Ayrshire) are zoned to Twain Elementary. [" [http://dept.houstonisd.org/ab/schoolboundarymaps/TwainES.pdf Twain Elementary Attendance Zone] ." "Houston Independent School District".] Parts south of the bayou (including Braes Terrace) are zoned to Longfellow Elementary. [" [http://dept.houstonisd.org/ab/schoolboundarymaps/LongfellowES.pdf Longfellow Elementary Attendance Zone] ." "Houston Independent School District".] All parts of Braeswood Place are zoned to Pershing Middle. [" [http://dept.houstonisd.org/ab/schoolboundarymaps/PershingMS.pdf Pershing Middle Attendance Zone] ." "Houston Independent School District".] Any student zoned to Pershing may apply to Pin Oak Middle School's (of the city of Bellaire) regular program. [" [http://web.archive.org/web/20020214054405/http://dist.houstonisd.org/southwest/schools/pin_oak/letter5.htm Pin Oak Middle School] ." "The Southwest District". "Houston Independent School District".]

Pupils east of Stella Link (including Braes Heights, Braes Oaks) are zoned to Lamar High School [" [http://dept.houstonisd.org/ab/schoolboundarymaps/LamarHS.pdf Lamar High School Attendance Zone] ." "Houston Independent School District".] in the Upper Kirby 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 [" [http://dept.houstonisd.org/ab/schoolboundarymaps/BellaireHS.pdf Bellaire High School Attendance Zone] ." "Houston Independent School District".] in the city of Bellaire.

Gallery of public schools

Private schools

[http://www.svdp-edu.org/ St. Vincent de Paul School] , a K-8 Roman Catholic school operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, is in the area.

St. Mark's Episcopal School in the city of West University Place is also nearby.

Public libraries

The neighborhood is served by the McGovern-Stella Link Branch of the Houston Public Library.

Media

The "Houston Chronicle" is the area regional newspaper.

The " [http://www.westuexaminer.com/west_university West University Examiner] " is a local newspaper distributed in the community [http://www.westuexaminer.com/about_us/] .

The "Village News" is a local newspaper distributed in the community.

Community information

Members of the community place their children in the West University Little League [http://www.westull.org/] (of the city of West University Place). Originally the community had its own little league team called the " [http://www.braesbayou.com/ Braes Bayou Little League] ." The team was merged into the West University Little League in 2005 [http://www.braeswoodplace.org/index.cfm/MenuItemID/120/MenuGroup/Home%20Front.htm] ; players of the Braes Bayou Little League living in the ZIP codes of 77035 and 77096 were redirected to the Westbury Little League.

References

ee also

External links

* [http://www.braeswoodplace.org/ Braeswood Place Homeowners Association]
* [http://www.westull.org/ West University Little League]