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Highrise Tower

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  1. Highrise Tower
    I was browsing the newspaper The Union Review dated May 7, 1920 and came across a social dance article that had the dance at Joyland Park, 22nd and Boulevard, Galveston. Attention! May Fest Social Dance Do you know that the Woman’s International Union Label League No. 142 is giving a dance at Joyland Park, 22nd and Boulevard, Friday, May 7, Gents 50c – Ladies 25c. Music by Schelewa’s Orchestra sure, I’ll be there. Will you? Arrangement Committee – Mrs. T.J. Moore, chairman; Mrs. Saliba, Mrs. Flake, Mrs. Boening, Mrs. Thomas. The Union Review dated Friday, May 13, 1921: Joyland Park “The Center of The Beach Activities” Offers For Your Diversion and Pastime, the--- “Garden of Tokio” Dance On a Floor Par Excellence to the Latest “Hits” Rendered by Schelewa’s Superb Orchestra. For A Real Joy Ride The “Dodge ‘Em and Derby Can’t Be Beat. Don’t Miss a Booth, Each One Has Something To Interest You. Joyland Park “Where Every Minute is a “Joy Minute”. The Daily Tribune dated February 21, 1927: North Alert To Texas Gulf Coast Beach Development Is Depended On Advertising Fund. The Texas gulf coast is in on the eve of a great development era, J.E. Stratford, manager of Joyland Park and the Garden of Tokio, declared last night. He returned from a several week’s visit to Northern and Eastern points.
  2. Highrise Tower
    I found a rare, obscure 1940s amusement park! I've never seen it discussed on the internet or in the library archives before! I was searching around Twitter for Playland Park. A Twitter account that documents Houston history posted some Playland Park memories and (wrongfully) included a Speer Park flyer in the post body. At first thought I thought Speer Park was just a rebranding of Playland Park, but it appears it's a whole different amusement park! Anyone know about this park? I wonder why it's never spoken about? Maybe Playland Park overshadowed the smaller park? I just don't know why this park didn't have any daily/weekly newspaper articles and advertisements. No press whatsoever! The park was located in the opposite direction of Sivils' Drive-In Restaurant At 8001 South Main St. and Prince's Hamburgers Drive-In Restaurant At 8101 South Main St. The developer, owner, and manager was Sim L. Speer. "Houston's Permanent Family Playgound - Cool Speer Park" In the April 10, 1943 edition of Billboard Magazine, there was a listing of all the Texas amusement parks: Galveston- Beach Amusement Park Sam Serio, Manager. Has eight rides, six concession games. Houston- Playland Amusement Park John E. Williams - Secy. On South Main St. Houston- Speer Park Sim L. Speer - Owner. Has 10 rides, 20 concession games. Houston- Sylvan Beach Park E.L. Crain, Owner / H.W. Dahse, Manager. Has five rides, four concession games. Another Billboard Magazine article from the early 1940s: Houston, April 11 - Speer Park, under management of Sim L. Speer, opened its season yesterday, with all special low prices for kids under 12 to be in effect thruout season, Fridays thru Sundays. Park has 10 rides and 20 concession games. Billboard article about a day in Houston visiting Playland Park and Speer Park: 1940s ground water report specifying the location of Speer Park that was 5-3/4 miles southwest of the Houston courthouse. Here's a 1955 aerial image of the South Main/Old Spanish Trail "Y" Split. The two drive-in restaurants are located in the center, off of South Main. I'm not sure which side Speer Park was on. The amusement park might have been dismantled and demolished by the time of the photograph? I'll have to look at Google Earth Desktop a bit later to see the 1944 images. Maybe you can see the park with Google Earth. Can anyone spot the park?
  3. Highrise Tower
    One Discovery Way: Unknown Street: Collaborative Building: Helix Park, 1st section going up fast! Helix Park, 2nd section: Helix Park, 3rd section: Helix Park, 4th and final section has broken ground! Two Discovery Way: Mixed-Use Garage:
  4. Highrise Tower
    Levit Green Boulevard: Side walk:
  5. Highrise Tower
    Looking good!!
  6. Highrise Tower
    This week's construction update:
  7. Highrise Tower
    Side: Rear:
  8. Highrise Tower
    A new electrical panel? What's happening here? The building next door looks to have new pipes as well. Related?
  9. Highrise Tower
    I noticed some digging towards the front entrance. Sewer disconnect?
  10. Highrise Tower
    Nice signage! Old:
  11. Highrise Tower
    Westheimer's race track was actually located in between West Alabama and Richmond. You can see a small road leading to the race track off West Alabama. Image dated 12/31/1943: The Lamar High School campus on the upper right: I assume this shape in the upper middle of the image was a grand stand? In the 12/31/1952 image you can see two things. 1) Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company Campus At 3102 Buffalo Speedway. 2) The formation of road Buffalo Speedway itself. Looks like the Exxon campus was smack in the middle of Westheimer's race track. Given it was a high profile company like Exxon I'm sure they knew what was previously there?
  12. Highrise Tower
    This West University Place subdivision promotional advertisement that was found in the newspaper The Houston Post dated May 29, 1917. In the drawing of the area around West University, you can see the Rice Institute campus, the original Hermann Park that was larger before the commercial development of the Texas Medical Center, and finally an unnamed field simply called Aviation Grounds. Who owned the flying field in 1917? Or maybe different companies/aviation crews used the airfield? I know of 4 different airfields in the immediate vicinity: Bellaire Flying Field. Cox Airfield. Rice Airfield. Southern Aircraft Flying Field.
  13. Highrise Tower
    I was reading the newspaper The Houston Post dated July 10, 1919 and came across a business advertisement for Republic Tire Company located at 1111 Main Street. Manager was Geo E. Blohm. They were having an event at the Southern Aircraft Flying Field on the south end of Main Street. Will your car win four Republic Tires Free. In order to acquaint more car owners of Houston and vicinity with the famous Republic Tires, a complete set of four tires will be given without cost to the car owner who picks up the winning number to be dropped from an aeroplane of the Southern Aircraft Corporation at its flying field Saturday, July 12, at 4 o’clock p.m. Southern Aircraft Flying Field. In addition to the tire event, an enjoyable flight program has been arranged and prominent Houstonians will make their first flight over the city. Come and get a close-up view of the operations of a modern aeroplane. Get out the car and bring the family to the flying field of the Southern Aircraft Corporation, south end of Main Street, near the Rice Institute.
  14. Highrise Tower
    I'm trying to find out more information about the old automotive performance shop on Willowbend Blvd. near Stella Link. That area of South Main had a lot of oval-shaped tracks. I wonder if one of the race tracks belonged to Kruger Motorsports? A car racing shop would need a small track for customers and self enjoyment, no? This would have been in the 1960s and 1970s. I assume the business was registered with the state. I cannot find anything online about the company. Maybe the legal registered name was different? HAIF member @LarryDallasmentioned this in another neighborhood thread a decade ago: Stella Link between W. Belfort and Willowbend has very clean and well maintained light office buildings and warehouses. In fact, Al's Formal opened a building there a few years ago. The warehouses that were there on Willowbend between Stella Link and the rail tracks to the west have remained the same. There was also a plant nursey that was located on Willowbend that closed last year. The land has been turned into a baseball field that is maintained to perfection. Next to the rail tracks on Willowbend there used to be Kruger Motorsports (closed in 2000 and now demolished) and a small used car lot (closed shortly after Kruger....building stands abandoned). Anyone know more info about Kruger? They looked to me like they were struggling to pay rent towards the end cause they hardly had any customers and it looked run down. Had they been there since the 50s or 60s? Was it the place to go to get custom performance work done on your car in SW Houston? __ There were actually two oval tracks at Willowbend and Craighead. They spanned a decade apart. Maybe the new track was just an unearthed version of the old? The old race track was overgrown with grass and they just cleared the grass to discover the old track? Timeline: 1962 the track appeared. 1966 the track disappeared. 1973 the track reappeared. 1976 the track was disappearing. 1981 - present day 2023 the track has completely disappeared and commercial development built over. In the 1962 image below. Looks like you can see a small road leading to the oval track from Craighead Drive. I'm not sure if Kruger Motorsports was active in the neighborhood at that time. If the performance automotive shop was in business, it would be logical that the track belonged to them.
  15. Highrise Tower
    I recently had Tapester's Grill's veggie burger and man! That burger was fantastic! I believe it was a home made patty. They offered me a frozen peach bellini as well! Great restaurant. Anyone ever shop at this retail center? The area has potential, with the abandoned police substation and water works nearby. This shopping center is owned and managed by MC Management, of the Meyer Family. Loopnet listing: Currently not available, maybe all the space is occupied? https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/4520-4534-Beechnut-St-Houston-TX/11995520/
  16. Highrise Tower
    I was reading the book Houston : your complete guide to Texas' largest city published in 1985 and noticed this activity. I assume these were the walking-tours? I wonder if this tour group is the same as the Houston Historical Tours? Sounds like the Visitor Information Center at 1522 South Braeswood Blvd. is an official TMC-branded tour? Details on the Houston Historical Tours group: https://www.houstonhistoricaltours.com/tmcwalking.html https://www.houstonhistoricaltours.com/TexasMedicalCenterTours.html Texas Medical Center Visitor Information Center 1522 Braeswood Central 790-1136 Tours 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday - Friday; reservations necessary; afternoon tours available for groups of 10 or more. Free. One of the most renowned medical complexes in the world, the Medical Center covers 355 acres and includes more than15 hospitals and medical and nursing schools. It is locked south of downtown and is-- bounded by Holcombe, Fannin, MacGregor, and Outer Belt Drive. The Medical Center attacks patients from around the world who come seeking the services of a medical community that includes heart surgeons Dr. Michael E. DeBakey and Dr. Denton Cooley. Tours include a 35-minute van ride through the complex and a video presentation explaining the Medical Center. Specials tours are available for students and large groups.
  17. Highrise Tower
    I was browsing the publication Texas Gay Rodeo Association program for the Third Annual Texas Gay Rodeo dated in 1986 and came across this club called The Ranch Houston located at 9150 South Main Street. Did anyone ever go here? This was the original location before it traded hands (or burned down?) and moved around the block on Buffalo Speedway.
  18. Highrise Tower
    I was looking at the Geological Survey Almeda Quadrangle, map, 1982; Reston, Virginia. and noticed a trailer park off of Buffalo Speedway near Simsbrook Drive. On the map you can see the Townwood Park that has a current, 2023, address of 3402 Simsbrook Drive. Well, maybe I should throw away this thread. I just found the name of the development! Of course, the trailer park might have changed hands in the past 40 years. Might have been called several things over the years. It is currently called the Village Green Mobile Home Park located at 3502 Darlinghurst Drive.
  19. Highrise Tower
    I was reading the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated April 12, 1967 and came across a classified listing containing the Ashcroft Trailer Park located at 7311 Ashcroft Anyone remember this place back in the 1960s? Pekingese AKC - 8 Weeks - 2 males $25.00 - $35.00. Ashcroft Trailer Park - 7311 Ashcroft Lot 20.
  20. Highrise Tower
    I was reading the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated October 28, 1970 and came across a classified listing for Pine Shadows Trailer Court at 8080 South Main Street. Anyone remember this place? Were there multiple trailer parks a long South Main? 1956 Mobile Home, all metal 47x8, furnished, 2 bedrooms, good condition. Reasonable. 667-4939. 8080 South Main. Pine Shadows Trailer Court.
  21. Highrise Tower
    Noticed this on Wulfe & Co's website. Cool little retail center. This is at the corner of South Main and Buffalo Speedway, off of the South Loop 610.
  22. Highrise Tower
    Mission Constructors is one of Houston's famed construction companies founded in 1978. They have done a lot of projects in the Houston area, but one of the projects that stands out is the Museo Plaza on Fannin Street. I wonder when the 60 year old building at 3818 Buffalo Speedway will be demolished? The current tenant is Mission Constructors. They actually might own the building? I often drive by and think of it as being out of place and surrounded by high rises. Website: https://missionconstructors.com/
  23. Highrise Tower
    Very cool find! Looks like there was a La Quinta Inn (later Motel 6?) located in the Central Houston Nissan campus off of the South Loop and Buffalo Speedway/Fannin area. I believe the La Quinta Inn Astrodome was renamed to La Quinta Inn Houston Medical/Reliant Center? I know the (present-day) Motel 6 is located near the Central Houston Nissan campus. Maybe Nissan purchased the old motel to expand their campus and it was demolished so they moved down the block? Current address for the Motel 6 is 3223 South Loop West. If you look on satellite, you can see what looks like a previous, white, foundation on the surface lot. This must be the demolished building leftovers? La Quinta Astrodome (E2), 9911 Buffalo Speedway; 713-668-8082. Edit: This was from a 2005 City of Houston guide.
  24. Highrise Tower
    I noticed we didn't have a thread for the Eden's Terrace Shops Shopping Center at 5115 Buffalo Speedway. I remember going to Qin Dynasty Chinese Restaurant with my coworkers back in the day. I've also been in that Starbucks as well. Website: https://edens.com/property/terrace-shops/
  25. Highrise Tower
    Anyone have experience with the apartment complex called Westridge Gardens located in the Texas Medical Center at 2501 Westridge Street? I wonder how much longer this garden-style multifamily complex can last? I bet it will be demolished for a mid-rise building within 10 to 15 years. Westridge Gardens may have been called South Main Apartments at one time? Their website mentions South Main Apartments several times. Not exactly located on South Main, but within 1 or 2 miles probably. Website: https://www.residenceatwestridge.com/
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