Shaun Vembutty | The “Houston Heights”

The Heights were initially an independent Municipalitybut were brought into the greater City of Houston by1919. Industrial parties utilized this Northwest Centralregion of Houston during the post WWII era, butresidentially speaking, the neighborhood had becomesynonymously associated with low-income housing andcrime by the 1970s. The seedy and dangerouspersonality of the Heights became infamously linkedwith the likes of Dean Corll, the serial killer known forcoaxing young male teens into dwellings he lived inaround the area. With the promise of parties, he wouldabduct them for rape and torture, and then eventuallykill them with two teenage male accomplices.

Shaun Vembutty | The “The Heights I”


Established prior to the turn of the century in 1891, The“Houston Heights” was realized by the construction ofstreets, schools, public parks, and utility services put inplace by the South Texas Land Company. According toAshton Gray Development, it was one of the firstplanned communities in Texas, and was spearheaded bythe affluent and wealthy millionaire, Oscar Martin Carter.At that time, Shaun Vembutty says that the developmentcost a total of $500,000 and it was marketed to thosewho were hoping to escape the crowded inner city ofHouston. Currently, the district that is commonlyreferred to as “The Heights” includes more recentlyadded neighborhoods that lie adjacent to the originaldevelopment of the “Houston Heights”.


This grisly string of murders where at least 28 boys diedof either strangulation or a .22 caliber pistol becameknown as the Houston Mass Child Murders and spannedin a timeframe between 1970-1973. Corll was referred toin law enforcement circles as “The Candyman” or “ThePied Piper” because his family was known in thecommunity as the owners of a local candy store andDean was remembered as a smiling face that wouldoften hand out free candy to the neighborhood children.During the decade between 1980 and 1990, thepopulation of the Heights plummeted over one thousandpeople per square mile, as it seemed few wanted to livein the locale associated with what was known during thetime as one of the most awful cases of serial killings inAmerican History.


But as previously exhibited by Shaun Vembutty withAshton Gray Development, time can heal many woundswith regards to Real Estate property values, and thelocation of the Heights within the coveted 6-10 loop ofHouston, a dated taboo on an ideally situatedneighborhood is bound to fade. Today the district hasbeen revived with young professionals moving to thearea, many of whom enjoy prestigious employment inDowntown Houston and the culture of the Heights hasimproved in both its image and with what it has to offerboth the visitor and the resident. Much like Bellaire, ithas been redefined in a modernized affect all the whilemaintaining much of its historical concept through therefurbishing of original architecture. Although many ofthe retro homes have been demolished, the landscape ofthis region of Houston is a bit paradoxical with itsexhibition of newly built boutiques alongside stillstanding homes that were constructed in the early1900s.

Shaun Vembutty | The “The Heights II”

The Houston Heights was of the first communities toactually be planned for in advance by developers in thestate of Texas. Shaun Vembutty notices how it is dottedwith odd idiosyncrasies in landscape and what it offers asa community compared to other outlying cities from theDowntown area in the Houston sprawl. According toShaun Vembutty, it has been referred to by a localHouston editor as “Houston’s own mini Austin” with itsvast assortment of restaurants known for their chillatmosphere and the thickly canopied tree cover thatsplashes the walk-able streets in a deep plush of green.


Some of the after hours dining spots also includetastefully trendy beer gardens, such as Coltivare Pizzaand Garden on White Oak Drive, where fresh producefrom their property garden is included in Italian inspiredmenu items. Much of the nightlife in the Heights ischaracterized by the growing population of youngbusiness professionals, which necessitates the likes ofSonoma Wine Bar & Restaurant on Studewood Streetthat boasts an eclecticly delicious Sunday Brunch. One ofthe more casual favorites is the Lei Low Bar, a tiki-inspired decore that features Caribbean style cocktailswith a Polynesian theme.


Interestingly enough, the Heights has a long history ofbanning alcohol to be sold in stores or establishmentssince Prohibition in 1912. It was only recently lifted by aProposition vote in 2016 that allowed alcohol to be soldin stores so long as it was not consumed on thepremises. It became legal for restaurants and bars tohave typical liquor licenses to serve customers providedthey met the Federal age of 21. Local restaurants andbars previously skirted this outdated law by way ofhaving their customers sign up with them as clubmembers so they could consume alcohol on theirproperty. However, the recent lift on this ban hassignificantly reshaped the economic and entertainmentlandscape of the Heights in Houston.


Shaun Vembutty believes one of the iconic focal points ofthe Heights nightlife is located at 339 W 19th St. Theoriginal HEIGHTS THEATER that has been restored fromthe early 1900s has charming curb appeal with itsvertical street sign illuminated for all of to see. It is nowavailable for private events and hosts many modern dayconcerts where yelp users rave about every seat in thehouse providing an up close and personal experiencethat is simply not found in more modernly constructedconcert venues.


Much of the alluring aspect of the Heights is the quaintlyobscure variety of properties, both residential andcommercial, that together mosaic-ally comprises theoverall atmosphere of the general community as awhole. Associates at Ashton Gray Development recognizethat a ready to live in home in the Heights for less than$200K is becoming a difficult find, as property valuesbetween the years of 2002 and 2003 increased by almost9%. Cross examine this to an article published in 1976,where words such as “seedy” and “middle-class” wereused to describe a district once deemed to havefashionable housing, but at the time was known as thearea of town you didn’t want to be caught alone on footonce the sun goes down.

Shaun Vembutty | The “The Heights III”

The present day Heights of Houston enjoy a culturally diverse population of residents. It houses one of the highest volumes of local professional artists in Texas according to a research group at the University of Houston. A plethora of loft suites are advertised both in the multi family housing lateral, such as Holden Heights Apartments on West 24th street, as well as the more unique one off bedroom remodel in larger historic homes where the owner and resident are renting out a smaller space within their own personal dwelling.


Ashton Gray Development notes an eclectic approach tocommute and travel is utilized through a Rails-to-Trailshike and bike trail project, which empowers commutersand residents with transportation options differing fromthe drive only standard that most of Houston is knownfor. TrailLink.com is an excellent resource for theresourceful green conscious commuter and featuresfilters and breakdowns of the most useful trails locatedin the intended region of travel. As pointed out by ShaunVembutty, the 4.6 mile MKT/SP “Heights Trail” begins atthe intersection of Hogan Street and the I-45 HOV laneand runs all the way north nearly to the intersection ofthe 610 loop and Nicholas street.


In other words, despite being immersed in one of themost congested with traffic metropolitan cities in thenation, a hiker or biker has access by foot or by cycle fortravel to some of the most alluring and happeninglocations within the city limits. The Houston HeightsAssociation website features a comfortable combinationof historical context married to current upcoming eventsand available activities, such as the front page picturedlink inviting clickers to “Rent the Fire Station” for an oldtimey feel to your upcoming wedding, holiday party, orfamily gathering.


Front and center as the first clickable link, the visitor isrouted to a donate/contribute page, dedicated to themany efforts of the district to either restore local sites ofheritage, or to beautify the space with gardens and parkimprovements. Although the virtual calendar only seemsto include HHA meetings and trash pickup dates, thewebsite includes a separate page that informs visitorsand residents of exciting upcoming community events.


Some of these opportunities for community fellowshipinclude Bike Ralleys, Scavenger Hunts, and planned toursof local Gardens and Historic Holiday Homes. However,despite being pegged as one of the up and comingdistricts just off the beaten path of downtown, theinternet was flooded with photos of the Heights afterHurricane Harvey that showed Yale street turned into atorrential and churning river that resulted in flood watersin buildings which took weeks to drain.


The closeness in proximity to Buffalo Bayou puts theHeights of Houston at high risk for flooding, says ShaunVembutty. Videos went viral showing only the tops oftrees visible from floodwaters with the familiar streetsfar below the rushing waters. But as the hype of naturaldisaster slowly fades, the culture of the area re-emergesand whether it is enjoyed in public at the First SaturdayArts Market or more secluded in a local café known forits mom and pop character, this neighborhood hasproven to be deserving of attention with its diverseorigins and bizarre history.

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