Houston Heights, Houston, Texas

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A sign at the entrance to the Houston Heights
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A sign at the entrance to the Houston Heights
A Victorian house seen in the Heights
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A Victorian house seen in the Heights

Houston Heights, often nicknamed "The Heights," is a large community located in northwest-central Houston, Texas.

When Houston Heights was founded in 1891, it was a streetcar suburb of Houston. It had its own municipality until the City of Houston annexed the Heights in 1919. To date, the community retains a liquor ban.

Much like its sister community, Montrose, it boasts a diverse population. During the early 1990s, the Heights area was known as an artist community. At one time, it was home to the art car community although not every art car artist was a Heights-area resident.

Since the deed restriction enforcement is mandated in the Heights area, a majority of late-19th century homes still retain the Heights character, large gentrification efforts have taken place.

Famous residents include Red Adair, oil fire-fighter; Dan Rather, anchorman; and Abby Terrell, local journalist.

The old 7,000 square foot former fire station at 12th Street at Yale Street was constructed as Houston Heights' city hall and jail, and fire station in 1914. After annexation, it served as a city of Houston fire station from 1918 until 1995. The Houston Heights Association took a 30 year lease on the property from the city and refurbished the property [1].

Contents

[edit] Police service

The Houston Police Department's Central Patrol Division [2] serves the neighborhood.

[edit] Education

The Houston Public Library Heights Branch
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The Houston Public Library Heights Branch

The Heights is served by Houston Independent School District.

Elementary schools that serve portions of the Houston Heights include:

  • Crockett
  • Field
  • Harvard
  • Helms
  • Love

Middle schools that serve portions of the Houston Heights include:

  • Hamilton
    • Areas east of Yale and north of East 14th Street
    • Areas west of Yale and north of West 12th Street
  • Hogg
    • Areas east of Yale and south of East 14th Street
    • Areas west of Yale and south of West 12th Street

High schools that serve portions of the Houston Heights include:

  • Reagan (Almost all of the Heights (areas east of North Shepherd) is zoned to Reagan)
  • Waltrip (A small portion of the Heights (areas west of North Shepherd) is zoned to Waltrip)

In addition, several charter schools including the Houston Heights Learning Academy [3] and Houston Heights High School, are located in the Houston Heights area.

At one point, all of the Houston Heights was zoned to Reagan. In 1997, a small portion was rezoned to Waltrip [4].

The Heights Branch (built in 1924) of Houston Public Library is one of the oldest libraries in Houston (the blaxploitation film Sugar Hill (1974) depicted the library as the "Voodoo Museum of Natural History").

[edit] Community information

The closest United States Postal Service office is the Heights Post Office at 1050 Yale Street.

The Northwest Branch YMCA is the closest YMCA to the Houston Heights.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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