Revitalizing
A mix of styles in an early example of master-planned communities
Sharpstown is an early example of master-planned communities.
Cultural backgrounds and architectural styles collide in Sharpstown, the southwest Houston neighborhood encompassing part of Chinatown as well as a 1960s shopping mall now aimed at the Hispanic market.
When home prices in closerin neighborhoods spiked during the last boom, more Houston iansg ave the area a second look because real estate there remained on the affordable end of the spectrum.
But the area was hardly immune from the boom.
The median price per square foot in Sharpstown Country Club Terrace shot up 54 percent from 2011 to 2015, according to single-family sales data from the Houston Association of Realtors.
Today, houses priced below $200,000 generally require some fixing up, but many of those approaching the $300,000 level already have new kitchens, bathrooms and upgraded flooring.
The architectural styles include post-war bungalows, traditional ranch es and midcentury moderns.
Sharpstown was one of Houston’ s first master-planned communities where housing mixed with shops, schools and parks. A municipal golf course has18 holes and four sets of tees for players at varying skill levels.
Frank Sharp developed the area, naming it after himself, along with the large shopping mall at U.S. 59 and Bellaire. That mall today is known as PlazAmericas.
Sharpstown suffered from a wave of crime in the 1990s when a set of apartment complexes became rundown, according to the Sharpstown Civic Association. But the recent price appreciation demonstrates interest in revitalizing the neighborhood.