Ralph Bivins stated in a newspaper article published by the Chicago Tribune that decades before 1995 the area along Washington Avenue was a "major corridor of commerce" as people used the road to travel between Downtown Houston, the Sixth Ward, and the Houston Heights. Bivins described Washington Avenue in 1995 as a "decrepit" road with used car lots, "boarded-up" buildings, and second-hand stores.[2] Around 2009 the area around the road gentrified and gained a "Yuppie" population.[3]
Around 2009 the area became a popular entertainment area due to its location near Downtown Houston and the Houston Heights, a community within Houston that forbids the sale of alcohol within its boundaries. By May 2009, the Washington Avenue area gained expensive town houses and condominiums, restaurants, and bars.[4] John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press argues that the spread-out nature of Washington Avenue could cause issues that lead to the decline of the Richmond Strip, a popular party-going district in the 1990s.[5] To alleviate the issue, the clubs on Washington Avenue added jitneys and similar tools to ferry people between clubs.[5]
Craig Hlavaty said "Most Houstonians look at Washington as a destination for Outer Loopers (people living outside of the 610 Loop) hoping to live out a club-life fantasy. For suburbanites, the bottle service, flashing lights, valets, dress codes, long lines and discriminating bouncers are more inviting than off-putting" while "For a seasoned Inner Looper (a person who lives within the 610 Loop), though, one step into Blue Label Lounge or Reign is enough to beat a hasty retreat to Domy Books. The seizure-inducing lighting, random Asian businessmen, pukey-faced girls, fire-breathing bartenders, dancing lingerie models and bachelorette parties chugging bottles of Grey Goose give these clubs a larger-than-life cartoon quality that beats anything on an MTV reality show."[6]
In 2012, Katharine Shilcutt of the Houston Press said that the entertainment "scene" began moving to Midtown and the East End. As a result, many restaurants in the corridor began to increase the quality of the food and many of the clubs had closed. Shilcutt argued that it was more likely that Washington Avenue would become a restaurant-focused area than become a decrepit area like the Richmond Strip.[7]
In his 2010 article, Hlavaty said that Washington Avenue's main area extended for 3 miles (4.8 km), from TC Jester to Houston Avenue, "plus one block (give or take) to the north and south."[6] In her 2012 article, Shilcutt defined the club district as on Washington Avenue, between Studemont Road and Westcott Street; she said this was because the area east of Studemont is the Old Sixth Ward and the area west of Westcott is Rice Military.[7] The Rice Military Civic Club defines Westcott as its western boundary.[8][9]
In December 2012 administrators of the city government planned to seek approval to install parking meters along the corridor.[10]
Galleryedit
Washington Avenue at Yale St., looking east (Houston, TX)
Washington Avenue at Heights Blvd., looking east (Houston, TX)
Pearl Bar on Washington Avenue (Houston, TX)
Washington Avenue (Houston, TX) near Pearl Bar
Washington Avenue (Houston, TX) heading west
Washington Avenue (Houston, TX) near bakery
Washington Avenue (Houston, TX) fire station number 6
Washington Avenue Corridor Arts District street sign
^"WashingtonAveHouston.com :: Your Online Guide to Washington Avenue's Bars and Restaurants". www.washingtonavehouston.com. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
^Bivins, Ralph. "CLOSE-IN HOUSING PROJECT TO PROVIDE JUMP-START FOR AGING HOUSTON THOROUGHFARE THAT HAS FALLEN ON HARD TIMES." Chicago Tribune. 5S Real Estate. July 9, 1995. Retrieved on March 22, 2009.
^Swartz, Mimi. "Street Smarts: Washington Avenue, Houston." Texas Monthly. January 1, 2009. Retrieved on March 25, 2009.
^Ghahremani, Yasmin. "In Houston, a Party Corridor." The New York Times. May 31, 2009. Retrieved on May 30, 2009.
^ abMcGuff, Mike. "." KIAH-TV. October 8, 2010. Retrieved on May 27, 2012. "[It was] firearms, autos and alcohol in too great of concentration I think," said John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press."
^ abHlavaty, Craig. "Washington Life." In: Hlavaty, Craig, Shea Serrano, and Mike Giglio. "Wild on Washington." Houston Press. February 9, 2010. Retrieved on October 23, 2012.
^ abShilcutt, Katharine. "Top 10 Restaurants on Washington Avenue." Houston Post. Tuesday October 23, 2012. Retrieved on October 23, 2012.
^Martin, Betty L. "RICE MILITARY/WOODCREST / Realtors, builders look to neighborhood for continued growth." Houston Chronicle. Thursday April 17, 2008. ThisWeek 7. Retrieved on October 21, 2012.
^RMCC By-Laws. () Rice Military Civic Club. Last accessed September 24, 2006.
^Miller, Doug. "Parking meters may soon pop up on Washington Avenue." KHOU. December 3, 2012. Retrieved on February 5, 2013.
External linksedit
March 17, 2024
washington, avenue, houston, texas, washington, avenue, road, houston, texas, united, states, named, washington, county, part, original, route, from, houston, brenham, seat, washington, county, washington, avenuewashington, avenue, studemontlength4, locationha. Washington Avenue is a road in Houston Texas United States It is named for Washington County as it is part of the original route from Houston to Brenham the seat of Washington County 1 Washington AvenueWashington Avenue at StudemontLength4 5 mi 7 2 km LocationHarris County TexasWest endHempstead RoadMajorjunctionsI 10East endI 45U S Highway 90 was routed along Washington Avenue prior to the opening of the Katy Freeway Ralph Bivins stated in a newspaper article published by the Chicago Tribune that decades before 1995 the area along Washington Avenue was a major corridor of commerce as people used the road to travel between Downtown Houston the Sixth Ward and the Houston Heights Bivins described Washington Avenue in 1995 as a decrepit road with used car lots boarded up buildings and second hand stores 2 Around 2009 the area around the road gentrified and gained a Yuppie population 3 Contents 1 Entertainment district 2 Gallery 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksEntertainment district editAround 2009 the area became a popular entertainment area due to its location near Downtown Houston and the Houston Heights a community within Houston that forbids the sale of alcohol within its boundaries By May 2009 the Washington Avenue area gained expensive town houses and condominiums restaurants and bars 4 John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press argues that the spread out nature of Washington Avenue could cause issues that lead to the decline of the Richmond Strip a popular party going district in the 1990s 5 To alleviate the issue the clubs on Washington Avenue added jitneys and similar tools to ferry people between clubs 5 Craig Hlavaty said Most Houstonians look at Washington as a destination for Outer Loopers people living outside of the 610 Loop hoping to live out a club life fantasy For suburbanites the bottle service flashing lights valets dress codes long lines and discriminating bouncers are more inviting than off putting while For a seasoned Inner Looper a person who lives within the 610 Loop though one step into Blue Label Lounge or Reign is enough to beat a hasty retreat to Domy Books The seizure inducing lighting random Asian businessmen pukey faced girls fire breathing bartenders dancing lingerie models and bachelorette parties chugging bottles of Grey Goose give these clubs a larger than life cartoon quality that beats anything on an MTV reality show 6 In 2012 Katharine Shilcutt of the Houston Press said that the entertainment scene began moving to Midtown and the East End As a result many restaurants in the corridor began to increase the quality of the food and many of the clubs had closed Shilcutt argued that it was more likely that Washington Avenue would become a restaurant focused area than become a decrepit area like the Richmond Strip 7 In his 2010 article Hlavaty said that Washington Avenue s main area extended for 3 miles 4 8 km from TC Jester to Houston Avenue plus one block give or take to the north and south 6 In her 2012 article Shilcutt defined the club district as on Washington Avenue between Studemont Road and Westcott Street she said this was because the area east of Studemont is the Old Sixth Ward and the area west of Westcott is Rice Military 7 The Rice Military Civic Club defines Westcott as its western boundary 8 9 In December 2012 administrators of the city government planned to seek approval to install parking meters along the corridor 10 Gallery edit nbsp Washington Avenue at Yale St looking east Houston TX nbsp Washington Avenue at Heights Blvd looking east Houston TX nbsp Pearl Bar on Washington Avenue Houston TX nbsp Washington Avenue Houston TX near Pearl Bar nbsp Washington Avenue Houston TX heading west nbsp Washington Avenue Houston TX near bakery nbsp Washington Avenue Houston TX fire station number 6 nbsp Washington Avenue Corridor Arts District street signSee also edit nbsp Texas portal nbsp U S Roads portalRichmond StripReferences edit WashingtonAveHouston com Your Online Guide to Washington Avenue s Bars and Restaurants www washingtonavehouston com Retrieved 2016 06 17 Bivins Ralph CLOSE IN HOUSING PROJECT TO PROVIDE JUMP START FOR AGING HOUSTON THOROUGHFARE THAT HAS FALLEN ON HARD TIMES Chicago Tribune 5S Real Estate July 9 1995 Retrieved on March 22 2009 Swartz Mimi Street Smarts Washington Avenue Houston Texas Monthly January 1 2009 Retrieved on March 25 2009 Ghahremani Yasmin In Houston a Party Corridor The New York Times May 31 2009 Retrieved on May 30 2009 a b McGuff Mike Richmond Strip not dead yet KIAH TV October 8 2010 Retrieved on May 27 2012 It was firearms autos and alcohol in too great of concentration I think said John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press a b Hlavaty Craig Washington Life In Hlavaty Craig Shea Serrano and Mike Giglio Wild on Washington Houston Press February 9 2010 Retrieved on October 23 2012 a b Shilcutt Katharine Top 10 Restaurants on Washington Avenue Houston Post Tuesday October 23 2012 Retrieved on October 23 2012 Martin Betty L RICE MILITARY WOODCREST Realtors builders look to neighborhood for continued growth Houston Chronicle Thursday April 17 2008 ThisWeek 7 Retrieved on October 21 2012 RMCC By Laws Archive Rice Military Civic Club Last accessed September 24 2006 Miller Doug Parking meters may soon pop up on Washington Avenue KHOU December 3 2012 Retrieved on February 5 2013 External links edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Washington Avenue Houston Texas amp oldid 1095067882, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
