By Charlotte Byus
I was born in the Heights of Houston, Heights Hospital, and my sister Dolores was born in the upstairs bedroom at Whiteoak and Heights Blvd. Mom was from Austin and Daddy’s family moved from Louisiana to Houston Heights when he was a young boy. Dad’s family opened a grocery store on Whiteoak and Heights Blvd with their small home attached to the store. Mom and Dad met on Thanksgiving evening in downtown Houston at a dance, married and purchased the property from my Grandmother. They opened a cleaning shop there and Grandmother lived in her home behind the shop. Daddy and brothers and brothers-in-law built a 4 car garage and a two bedroom home on top, hence, a garage apartment and that is where Dolores and I grew up.

This past week I had lunch in the Heights and picked up a magazine similar to our Coast from Galveston. This magazine is filled with realtors and companies of real-estate. Oh My Goodness! Why did we not keep that land! In the area where we grew up, a two bedroom, one bath, no garage, are going for $500,000 and UP! Some of the old two stories and been refurbished and going for millions!

The parks and boulevards are totally refinished with benches, gardens and playgrounds. Our home and cleaners are long gone and a three story mansion is in it’s place, guess I can’t go home now, but I remember.

Daddy and Mom purchased the property across the alleyway and built a garage apartment, and a beauty shop in front. My sister and her new husband, Ray, moved into the apartment in 1951 when they got married and we were all together. The bus traveled Heights Blvd to downtown Houston and that made it easy for Dolores, Ray and my Grandpa Newman to travel to work. Many a day, in the summer, I would walk to the bus stop with Grandpa and Dolores and wave goodbye and be there waiting as they arrived home by bus. Hand in hand, we would walk the short distance home and talk about our day.

When RR and I married, I suggested we save our monies and buy a home in the Heights and he said he had grown up there and things were not looking good in the area. I agreed. Not that I would have ever been able to change his mind on this subject, darn we would be really rich or shot by now.

Things happen for the best, I guess.

Have a great week. Remember school is starting soon and we will have our paradise back and Hwy 87.

[8-20-2018]