Welcome to OurBlok Neartown!

Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is just south of downtown and roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west. Neartown neighborhoods include Montrose, Courtlandt Place, Winlow Place, Hyde Park, Cherryhurst, and First Montrose Commons. The neighborhood at Van Buren St. was the Houston Press "Best Hidden Neighborhood" in 2002. 

Neartown is considered one of the eccentric and demographically diverse areas of Houston. In recent decades, the area hosts a significant community of young adults, gay men and lesbians, punk rockers, artists, as well as a vibrant thrift, vintage, and second-hand shopping area.  According to the Neartown Association, the areas character is often likened to Greenwich Village section of Manhattan, New York City.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Neartown was known for its Bohemian flavor—this would spawn both the Westheimer Colony Art Festival in 1971 and the subsequent street fair in 1973, which would become known as the Westheimer Street Festival. Starting in the 1990s , the area has become increasingly gentrified with a trend towards remodeled and new homes / town homes, high rents, upmarket boutiques and restaurants. 

Neartown has many of Houston's oldest neighborhoods. The Neartown Association began in 1963.^[2] Thorne Dreyer and Al Reinert of Texas Monthly said that Neartown's history "wound a tortuous course from Silk Stocking and Low Rent and back again."^[3]

Houston's urban real estate boom starting in the 1990s transformed Neartown and significantly increased property values. The area around the intersection of Montrose Boulevard and Westheimer Road went from being a place of abandoned buildings, sexually-oriented businesses, and low rent; to a neighborhood of yuppies and new condominium / town home construction. Inner Loop neighborhoods such as Neartown have been prime markets for redevelopment increasing the median home price to $230,200 in 2005.

From the United States Census 2000 demographics, about one-quarter of the residents are homeowners. Three quarters are renters including many students from the University of Houston, Rice University, and the University of Saint Thomas, and employees working at the Texas Medical Center, Downtown Houston, and Greenway Plaza. The area is ethnically diverse, with Whites, Latinos, Filipinos, and Asians living in the area.

The City of Houston's Planning Department refers to the Neartown area as a mixed-use community which serves as a model for other neighborhoods to follow. Since the 1990s gentrification, the demographics of renters have changed. Due to higher rents, musicians and artists are increasingly being replaced with yuppies and professionals (attorneys, educators, medical professionals). Other Houston neighborhoods, such as Meyerland, Westbury, and Second Ward (east of Downtown Houston) have become popular for the artistic and gay and lesbian communities as Neartown became more expensive. Twenty-three working artists resided in Neartown during 2006, according to a Houston Chronicle survey. 

At the western edge of Neartown just east of River Oaks is the River Oaks Shopping Center, Houston's first shopping center.   Constructed in 1927 and designed by architect Hugh Prather, the center, originally known as River Oaks Community Center, was one of the nation's first automobile-oriented retail centers. Its design, with arcs of retail space on either side of West Gray Avenue, was considered a model for future development.^[4][7][8] Portions of the historic shopping center were demolished in September 2007 to redevelop the site for a Barnes and Noble bookstore and a parking garage. As of 2010, Landmark Theatres operates the River Oaks Theatre, an "arthouse" theater, located in the center. The theater is the last historic movie theater in Houston that is still being used as it was originally designed. 

The "Westheimer Strip" is a commercial area along Westheimer Road. Dreyer and Reinert said that Neartown became "identified" with a group of European-style restaurants and sidewalk cafés along five blocks of that strip; many of the restaurants were housed in renovated pre-World War I houses. The two said that the establishments are giving Neartown the title "Houston's Left Bank" "not altogether deservedly." They added that the restaurants and "an electric assortment of" antique stores, boutiques, specialty shops, "and the like" give the Westheimer commercial avenue "a little cosmopolitan flash to an otherwise languid Boomtown." Non-Americans started the sidewalk café phenomenon in Neartown.

City of Houston Representation 

The Houston Police Department's Central Patrol Division^[19], headquartered at 61 Riesner.^[20] The Neartown Storefront Police Station is located at 802 Westheimer.^[20] The City of Houston purchased the building used for the storefront with federal community development funds. By September 20, 1990 the Neartown Business Alliance spent around $4,000 per year to maintain the storefront.

Houston Fire Department Fire Station 16 serves the area. The fire station is in Fire District 6.^[22] The station opened at the intersection of Westheimer Road and Youpon in 1928. The station moved to the intersection of Richmond and Dunlavy in 1979.^[23]

City Council District D covers Neartown.^[24] As of 2010 Wanda Adams represents the district. 

County, State, and Federal Representation

Harris County Precinct One, as of 2010 headed by El Franco Lee, serves Neartown. The county operates the Neartown Office at 1413 Westheimer Road.^[26]

A portion of Neartown is located in District 134 of the Texas House of Representatives. As of 2010 Ellen Cohen represents the district.^[27] A portion of Neartown is located in District 147 of the Texas House of Representatives. As of 2010 Garnet F. Coleman represents the district.^[28] Neartown is located in District 13 of the Texas Senate.^[29] As of 2010 its representative is Rodney Ellis.

The community is located within Texas's 7th congressional district.^[30] As of 2010 the representative is John Culberson.

The United States Postal Service operates two post offices, the University Post Office at 1319 Richmond Avenue and the River Oaks Station Post Office at 1900 West Gray Street, in Neartown.^[4][31][32] The River Oaks post office sits on a 109,159 square feet (10,141.2 m²) property with a gross building area of 18,098 square feet (1,681.4 m²). In January 2009 the USPS announced that it will put the River Oaks Post Office property up for sale.^[33] In October of that year the USPS announced that it, for now, will not sell the River Oaks post office.

 

Events and Places of Interest

Museums

• Menil Collection art museum
• Rothko Chapel
• Houston Center for Photography
• Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum
• Museo Guadalupe Aztlan
• Museum of Printing History
• Dan Flavin permanent exhibit

Consulates

• Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China
• Consulate-General of Norway

Radio

• KPFT 90.1 FM, a Pacifica Radio affiliate, located at 419 Lovett Boulevard

Television

         *  The studios of KHOU-TV are located along Allen Parkway in Neartown

Festivals

• The Houston Greek Festival is usually held in October on the grounds of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral located on Yoakum Boulevard.
• The Houston Italian Festival is usually held in October on teh grounds of the University of St. Thomas. 

Parades

• The annual Houston Pride Festival and  Parade is usually held on the final Saturday in June.
• The annual Houston Art Car Parade is held the first Saturday in May along Allen Parkway Blvd.

Theater

         *  Stages Repertory Theatre - 3201 Allen Parkway

Colleges and Universities

Neartown is home to the University of Saint Thomas.

Neartown is also in close proximity to Rice University, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Houston Community College Central, and University of Houston–Downtown.