Southside Place, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Southside Place, Texas
A sign with Southside Place's logo
A sign with Southside Place's logo
Location of Southside Place, Texas
Location of Southside Place, Texas
Coordinates: 29°42′35″N 95°26′8″W / 29.70972, -95.43556
Country United States
State Texas
County Harris
Area
 - Total 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
 - Land 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation 49 ft (15 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 1,546
 - Density 6,270.9/sq mi (2,421.2/km²)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 77005
Area code(s) 713
FIPS code 48-69272[1]
GNIS feature ID 1347529[2]

Southside Place is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,546 at the 2000 census.

Southside Place is completely surrounded by the cities of Houston and West University Place.

As of 2000, Southside Place is the 14th wealthiest location in Texas by per capita income.

Southside Place functions as a bedroom community for middle and upper-middle class families. Many businesses are located in Southside Place; all are along Bellaire Boulevard.

The United States Postal Service uses "Houston" for all Southside Place addresses; "Southside Place, TX" is not an acceptable postal city name for mail addressed to locations in the city [1].

Royal Dutch Shell's Bellaire Technology Center is located at 3737 Bellaire Boulevard in Southside Place [2].

Contents

[edit] Geography

Southside Place is located at 29°42′35″N, 95°26′8″W (29.709629, -95.435442)[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,546 people, 618 households, and 370 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,270.9 people per square mile (2,387.7/km²). There were 647 housing units at an average density of 2,624.4/sq mi (999.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.72% White, 1.03% African American, 4.14% Asian, 1.81% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.47% of the population.

A marker indicating the city of Southside Place
A marker indicating the city of Southside Place

There were 618 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the city the population was spread out with 33.2% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.

A billboard owned by the city of Southside Place
A billboard owned by the city of Southside Place

The median income for a household in the city was $81,267, and the median income for a family was $163,303. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $48,654 for females. The per capita income for the city was $57,021. About 3.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Southside Place City Hall
The Southside Place City Hall

Southside Place's city council meets on the second Tuesday of each month. The mayor and the city council are elected for two-year terms. Two and three vacancies are on the council on alternate years. Elections are held during the first Saturday in each May. Any qualified voter may be placed on the ballot for Mayor or a city council position. The Mayor and each council member receive a one U.S. dollar per year salary in accordance with a Texas state law which requires all city officials to receive a salary.

The current (as of 2005) mayor is Richard Rothfelder. Jeffrey Elkin is the Mayor Pro Tem. Lisa Thornton Roy, Charles W. Evans, Champ D. Warren III, and Renato Pereira are the city council members.

[edit] Federal and state representation

Southside Place is in Texas's 7th congressional district [3].

[edit] Retail

The city of Southside Place includes many shops and stores along Bellaire Boulevard.

[edit] Emergency services

The Southside Place Police Department and the Southside Place Fire Department are headquartered along with the city administration at 6309 Edloe Avenue. The Fire Department is a two engine company house. The majority of its members are volunteers. It has a mutual aide agreement with the cities of West University Place and Bellaire.

[edit] Postal services

Southside Place houses north of Bellaire Boulevard have the postal code 77005, served by Weslayan Post Office at 5340 Weslayan Street, Houston, Texas, 77005-1048.

Southside Place houses south of Bellaire Boulevard have the postal code 77025, served by the Astrodome Post Office at 8205 Braesmain, Houston, Texas, 77025-9998.

Both offices are operated by the United States Postal Service.

[edit] Transportation

A Southside Place street sign and street light
A Southside Place street sign and street light
A Southside Place street sign. The larger street signs are plain compared to the smaller street signs
A Southside Place street sign. The larger street signs are plain compared to the smaller street signs

Southside Place is a member city of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). The city is served by bus lines 2 (Bellaire), 68 (Brays Bayou Crosstown), 70 (Memorial), and 73 (Bellfort Crosstown).

Southside Place residents commute to Downtown Houston via Highway 59 or via Main Street.

Bellaire Boulevard, a major Houston traffic artery, traverses Southside Place for several blocks. The Southside Place Police Department vigorously enforces the speed limit within its jurisdiction. At least one motorist reports receiving a speeding ticket for driving just one mile per hour over the posted limit.

[edit] Education

[edit] Primary and secondary education

[edit] Public schools

West University Elementary School serves areas of Southside Place north of Bellaire Boulevard
West University Elementary School serves areas of Southside Place north of Bellaire Boulevard
Mark Twain Elementary School serves areas of Southside Place south of Bellaire Boulevard
Mark Twain Elementary School serves areas of Southside Place south of Bellaire Boulevard

The city is served by Houston Independent School District and the Houston Community College System.

Pupils who live in Southside Place north of Bellaire Boulevard are zoned to West University Elementary School in West University Place[4], and people who live in Southside Place south of Bellaire Boulevard are zoned to Mark Twain Elementary School in the Braeswood Place neighborhood of Houston[5]. All Southside Place pupils are zoned to Pershing Middle School in Braeswood Place in Houston[6] ; any student zoned to Pershing may apply to Pin Oak Middle School (in Bellaire)'s regular program.[7] Pupils in Southside Place who are west of Stella Link and south of Bellaire Boulevard are zoned to Bellaire High School in Bellaire[8], while all other pupils in Southside Place are zoned to Mirabeau B. Lamar High School (in Upper Kirby in Houston), also in Houston.[9]

Gabriela Mistral Early Childhood Center is the closest early childhood center to the city of Southside Place. Since only poor students, homeless students, students who are not proficient in English, or children of active-duty members of the U.S. military or whose parent has been killed, injured, or missing in action while on active duty[10] may be enrolled tuition-free in HISD preschools, most Southside Place residents rely on private preschools. Beehive [4], preschool located on the grounds of West University Elementary, serves many pupils from West University Place, Southside Place, and other communities. Students who are eligible for HISD's preschools may attend any Early Childhood Center in Houston ISD.

[edit] Gallery of public schools

[edit] Colleges and universities

Southside Place is served by the Houston Community College System.

[edit] Public libraries

Southside Place is near three public libraries. Harris County Public Library system operates a branch in West University Place. The Houston Public Library system operates the McGovern-Stella Link Branch in a nearby area in Houston. The city of Bellaire also operates its own library.

[edit] Media

The Houston Chronicle is the area regional newspaper. On Thursdays, residents receive the Bellaire/West U/River Oaks/Meyerland [5] local section.

The West University Examiner is a local newspaper distributed in the community [6].

The Village News is a local newspaper distributed in the community.

[edit] Trivia

A different type of Southside Place street sign found in areas south of Bellaire Boulevard
A different type of Southside Place street sign found in areas south of Bellaire Boulevard
The dismantling of the Southside Place water tower
The dismantling of the Southside Place water tower

Southside Place once had its own landmark water tower. The distinctive green tower with a silver roof and legs was covered with the Southside Place logo, which bears two children and a dog running down a hill. In 2004 the tower was deemed cost ineffective and removed.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Flag of Texas Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown
METROPOLITAN AREA
Counties Austin | Brazoria | Chambers | Fort Bend | Galveston | Harris | Liberty | Montgomery | San Jacinto | Waller
"Principal"
cities
Houston | Sugar Land | Baytown | Galveston
Cities and
towns
Alvin | Angleton | Bellaire | Cleveland | Clute | Conroe | Dayton | Deer Park | Dickinson | Freeport | Friendswood | Galena Park | Hitchcock | Hempstead | Humble | Jacinto City | Jersey Village | Katy | Lake Jackson | La Marque | La Porte | League City | Liberty | Meadows Place | Missouri City | Pasadena | Pearland | Richmond | Rosenberg | Santa Fe | Seabrook | Sealy | South Houston | Stafford | Texas City | Tomball | Webster | West University Place
Unincorporated areas Atascocita | Channelview | Cloverleaf | Cypress | Klein | Spring | The Woodlands