Sharpstown, Houston, Texas

Sharpstown is a master-planned community in southwest Houston, Texas. It was one of the first communities to be built as a master-planned, automobile centered community and the first in Houston. Frank Sharp, the developer of the subdivision, made provisions not only for homes but also for schools, shopping and recreation areas. While this model has been duplicated countless times in the past fifty years, at the time it was quite revolutionary, attracting national media attention. The development was dedicated with much fanfare on March 13, 1955.

Overview

The residential architecture in Sharpstown consists of post–World War II bungalows, modern and traditional homes. The materials used in building these homes were of sound quality and have withstood the wear and tear of the baby boomer generation as well as the test of time.

Robindell, a small neighborhood within Sharpstown is built of homes similar to that of Memorial Bend. Robindell also has an L-shaped neighborhood swimming pool. The first pool manager was a neighbor, J.W. Puryear. College men from Georgetown University were recruited to take lifeguarding jobs at the pool each summer. The lifeguards trained the neighborhood children to be racing swimmers and took many ribbons at Houston swimming competitions.

Sharp also donated a 300-foot-wide strip of land through the development to the state of Texas for construction of the Southwest Freeway (U.S. Highway 59). This routing ensured easy access from Downtown Houston to homes in the neighborhood, as well as to Sharpstown Center (1961), Houston's first air-conditioned, enclosed shopping mall.

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 1990s. However, with Sharpstown's close-in location, there is renewed interest in revitalizing the neighborhood. In 2005, median home prices in Sharpstown had roughly doubled since 2000.

The City of Houston instituted the current nine city council districts in 1979. Sharpstown has been districted in District F since 1980. District councilmembers elected to the Houston City Council have been past presidents of the Sharpstown Civic Association - John Goodner (1980-1993), Ray Driscoll (1994-1999), Mark Ellis (2000-2003), and M.J. Khan (2004-present).

Like most Houston neighborhoods, the diversity of its population has increased over time. It has a significant number of persons of Asian descent, especially, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Sharpstown has a little league team called "Bayland Park Little League" (formerly Sharpstown Little League).

In a 2007 "Houston Press" article journalist John Nova Lomax said "residential Sharpstown never changes" and that "the houses are still decent and the apartments still rotten." [Lomax, John Nova. " [http://blogs.houstonpress.com/houstoned/2007/05/another_month_another_longass.php I am a Pedestrian Report: Bellaire] ." "Houston Press". May 25, 2007.]

Fire service

The Houston Fire Department operates the [http://firehouse51.net/ Fire Station 51 Sharpstown] at 6902 Bellaire Boulevard at Bintliff.

Police service

The neighborhood is served by two Houston Police Department patrol divisions.
* Areas north and west of U.S. Route 59 are served by the Midwest Patrol Division, which was formed by dividing Westside Division [http://www.houstontx.gov/police/cs/beatpages/westside.htm] .
* Areas south and east of U.S. 59 are served by the Fondren Patrol Division [http://www.houstontx.gov/police/cs/beatpages/fondren.htm] .

Parks and recreation

The city operates the Sharpstown Park, [http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/CommunityCenters.html# Sharpstown Community Center] , and [http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/CommunityCenters.html# Lansdale Community Center] .

ections

Original sections

Sharpstown Sections 1, 1A, 2, 3, and 5 form the original sections of Sharpstown.

harpstown Country Club Estates

Sharpstown Country Club Estates It was developed in the late 1950s by the Sharpstown expansion west of the Southwest Freeway by Frank Sharp. The neighboorhood is next to the Sharpstown Golf Course and west of the Sharpstown Center.

Sharpstown Country Club Estates was named after the Sharpstown Country Club (now Sharpstown Park and Golf Course) that was east and west of the neighborhood after 1955, Sharpstown CCE surrounded the country club. The neighborhood is known as one of the quietest sections of Houston by its residents. The neighborhood is divided into two sections, Sharpstown Country Club Estates East and Sharpstown Country Club Estates West. Sharpstown Country Club Estates attracted middle to upper class citizens who were involved at the Sharpstown Country Club.

The sections are Country Club Estates 2 and Country Club Estates 3.

harpstown Country Club Terrace

Sharpstown Country Club Terrace includes Country Club Terrace 1, Country Club Terrace 2, and Country Club Terrace 3.

Education

Colleges and universities

Houston Community College System serves Sharpstown. Houston Baptist University, a private university, is located in Sharpstown.

Primary and secondary education

Public schools

Sharpstown is served by several schools in the Houston Independent School District.

[http://es.houstonisd.org/bonhames Bonham] , Neff, [http://es.houstonisd.org/mcnamaraes McNamara] , and [http://es.houstonisd.org/suttones Sutton] Elementary Schools serve Sharpstown's original sections. Elementary schools serving Sharpstown Country Club Terrace include [http://es.houstonisd.org/whitees Ed White Elementary School] and Pat Neff Elementary School. Elementary schools serving Sharpstown Country Club Estates include [http://es.houstonisd.org/emersones Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School] (area north of High Star Drive) and Pat Neff Elementary School (area south of High Star Drive). [http://es.houstonisd.org/sandspointes Sands Point Elementary School] , serving as a relief school, was named after Sands Point Drive in Sharpstown Country Club Estates.

From there, pupils in Sharpstown's original sections, depending on the attendance zone, progress to either [http://ms.houstonisd.org/longms Jane Long Middle School] (any student zoned to Long may apply to Pin Oak Middle School's regular program) or Sharpstown Middle School. Pupils in Sharpstown Country Club Estates, depending on the attendance zone, progress to [http://www.reverems.org/ Paul Revere Middle School] (area north of Sands Point Drive) or Sharpstown Middle School (area south of Sands Point Drive). All pupils in Sharpstown Country Club Terrace are zoned to Sharpstown Middle School.

Sharpstown High School serves Sharpstown's original sections and Sharpstown Country Club Terrace, while Lee High School (with Lamar High School and Westside High Schools as options) serves Sharpstown Country Club Estates.

Sharpview Elementary School was temporarily established at 7734 Mary Bates in order to relieve some Sharpstown-area elementary schools; Sharpview opened fall 2000 and closed in spring 2004. Plans to establish a permanent reliever elementary and/or middle school are, as of 2006, on hold [http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDPortal/departments/ContentPage/0,3099,45555309_53732648_57892378,00.html] .

operates several charter schools along KIPP Way, west of Sharpstown.
* [http://www.kipphouston.org/kipp/KIPP_SHINE_Prep_EN.asp?SnID=171734402 KIPP SHINE Preparatory School] (Elementary school)
* [http://www.kipphouston.org/kipp/KIPP_Academy_Middle_School_EN.asp?SnID=30810363 KIPP Academy Middle School]
* [http://www.kipphouston.org/kipp/KIPP_Sharpstown_Academy_EN.asp?SnID=171734402 Kipp Sharpstown College Preparatory School] (Middle school)
* KIPP Houston High School [http://www.kipphouston.org/kipp/KIPP_Houston_High_School_EN.asp?SnID=171734402]

Gallery of public schools

Private schools

Sharpstown also has three private schools. [http://www.st-francis-de-sales.org/ St. Francis de Sales Catholic School] (grades K-8), Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and Saint Agnes Academy, are located in Sharpstown.

Houston Baptist University is also located in Sharpstown, at the intersection of Beechnut St. and Fondren Dr.

Public libraries

The area is served by the Houston Public Library.

[http://hpl.lib.tx.us/branches/wal_home.html M. E. Walter Neighborhood Library] , a full service branch, is west of Sharpstown. [http://hpl.lib.tx.us/branches/swc_home.html HPL Express Southwest] is located within the Southwest Multi-Service Center east of Sharpstown.

Community services

The Harris County Hospital District operates the [http://www.hchdonline.com/about/facilities/peoples.htm People's Health Center] at 6630 DeMoss Street in Houston.

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/houston/scai/ Sharpstown Community Association]
* [http://www.strotary.org/ Sharpstown Rotary Club]
* [http://eteamz.active.com/baylandparkll/index.cfm Bayland Park Little League]
* [http://www.sharpstowndistrict.com/home.htm Sharpstown Public Improvement District]
* [http://www.firehouse51.net HFD Firehouse 51]
* [http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3207245&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1 What Happened to Sharpstown?] by KRIV