West End News

Spotlight on the West End

The New York Times sure seems to like Houston's West End. Look two items down for a story the Times wrote about the West End a year ago, in May 2009, noting that the area had become one of Houston's favorite spots for partying, dining and having fun.

On Sunday, May 9, the Times revisits the city, this time noting, while looking down its nose at our "flat and featureless plain of generic towers sprawling into the horizon," that Houston's inner city now shows exciting signs of life.

"Cool art galleries have sprung up in once blighted neighborhoods," Denny Lee writes. "Midcentury modern buildings have been saved and restored. And former factories have been turned into buzzing restaurants and bars. Yes, oil money still reigns supreme, but it now competes with culture."

What the hell does that mean?

The snobbery aside, it's a flattering article.

Several West End establishments rank mention, among them Max's Wine Dive, the Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery and Pizzitola's Bar-B-Que.

Cool new Houston video from Convention bureau

A few of our favorite West End haunts figure in this nice new video about life in the city from the Houston Visitors and Convention Bureau. See how many you can spot. This video makes Houston look so fine, if I didn't already live here I'd want to jump on the next Greyhound. The music (and it is nice) is by the local band The TonTons.

What they're saying

I'm not sure how I missed this New York Times story on Houston's West End. The story, which was published back in May, touts Washington Avenue as "one of Houston's most popular night spots," does on to discuss establishments such as benjy's, Catalan, Beaver's, the Blue Label Lounge and even Wabash Antiques and Feed Store.

An excerpt:

A drive down Washington Avenue in Houston reveals mere remnants of the decay that pervaded this three-mile strip just a few years ago — a bail bondsman sign, a lone pawn shop and a handful of vacant lots hint at what used to be. Sites like these once dominated the street, but today, Washington Avenue has been transformed into one of Houston’s most popular nightspots.

Thanks to its location abutting downtown and the trendy but dry Houston Heights neighborhood, the avenue has attracted pricey town houses and condos. With them has come a growing collection of stylish restaurants and bars...

Swamp Plot's Got You Covered

Swamp Plot is a cool blog that covers real estate and neighborhood issues in Houston. It's got a few recent items on the West End worth noting. One involves Spec's battle to keep open its store on Washington Avenue at the traffic circle.

The Harris County Attorney's office filed a lawsuit in March seeking to shut it down because it's within 1000 feet of an elementary school. Now Spec's has countersued, saying it entered into a five-year, $2 million lease because the city granted a permit to open the store. The county contends the permits were issued in error.

UPDATE: If you've happened by Spec's recently, you've seen the place boarded up with a sign on the door appealing to customers to lobby city counsel members in the store's behalf.