Sunset Terrace/Montclair, Houston

Sunset Terrace and Montclair Place are two Inner Loop neighborhoods of Houston, Texas, United States. The two subdivisions are served by the Sunset Terrace/Montclair Civic Association.

History

A cemetery was once located at the intersection of Auden and Drake in what is now Sunset Terrace. In 1956 the Sunset Terrace Garden Club planted oleanders to beautify a ditch formerly belonging to a Harris County poor farm.

Created in the late 1940s and annexed by the city shortly thereafter, many of the houses therein are from that era. Reflecting the naming structure of streets in nearby West University Place, several are allusions to universities and colleges throughout the United States.

From January 1990 to October 1991 housing values increased by 21%. In October 1991 the average house price was $102.46 per square foot. A study conducted by the Sage Realty Advisors and the University of Houston Center for Public Policy stated that Sunset Terrace was one of the neighborhoods with the most quickly increasing house prices.

Cityscape

The community is inside the 610 Loop. Together the area that Sunset Terrace and Montclair occupy is bounded by Weslayan Street to the west, Westpark Drive to the north, Edloe Street to the east, and Bissonnet Street to the south. The community is between the City of West University Place and U.S. Route 59 (Southwest Freeway). It is in proximity to Highland Village, Rice Village, Rice University, and The Galleria.

The community has many mature oak trees. The street names in the community originate from U.S. universities and colleges. The sizes of lots in Sunset Terrace/Montclair are larger than typical properties in the City of West University Place. Several lots are over 10,000 square feet (930 m²) of area. In 1995 Joanne Flynn, a Sunset Terrace resident and a real estate agent with John Daugherty, said "You get a little bit larger lot in Sunset Terrace for the same amount of money. They're deeper than your typical West U. lot." In 2009 Kathleen Dunwoody Graf, a real estate agent with Greenwood King Properties, said that house buyers choose Sunset Terrace mainly due to the central location and large lots.

Houses and multifamily complexes

As of 2009 Sunset Terrace housing prices ranged from $300,000 to almost $2 million. The lower priced houses include late 1940s and 1950s one story ranch houses, typically each with three bedrooms and two bedrooms. Each house, as of 2009, is priced from $300,000 to $600,000. By 2009 many of the older houses had been demolished, and newly-built stone houses and stucco houses, tupically priced up to $2 million, had replaced them. The houses often have stucco siding, summer kitchens, outdoor areas, and large entertainment spaces. In 2009 Dunwoody Graf said that there was an increasing trend of house buyers buying older houses for inexpensive amounts and refurbishing them. In 1995, older houses were priced from $130,000 to $250,000 and newer houses were priced at $300,000 and above.

As of 1995 several multifamily complexes are within Sunset Terrace/Montclair. Some apartments are located along Law Street. Some duplexes are located on the edges of the subdivisions.

Government and infrastructure

In 1995 the civic club was discussing with the City of Houston the possibility of installing speed bumps. The community had experienced a lot of vehicular traffic going to The Galleria and Greenway Plaza.

Culture

Many Sunset Terrace residents plan neighborhood events.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

The Houston Independent School District serves residents of Sunset Terrace.

• West University Elementary School
• Pershing Middle School (Pin Oak Middle School as an option)
• Lamar High School

Before August 1994, a portion of the neighborhood was served by West University Elementary, and a portion was served by Will Rogers Elementary School. Historically West University Elementary had higher test scores than Will Rogers. After The Rice School opened, West U Elementary was relieved of many students, and the West U attendance boundary was modified to include all of Sunset Terrace/Montclair. In 1995 C.T.I. Information Services stated that test scores of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test at West U, Pershing, and Lamar were above average. Davis Whiteford, president of the Sunset Terrace/Montclair Civic Association, said that the schools attracted many homebuyers to Sunset Terrace.

Colleges and universities

Houston Community College System serves Sunset Terrace.

Postal services

The closest United States Postal Service office is the Weslayan Post Office at 5340 Weslayan Street, Houston, Texas, 77005-1048.

Media

The Houston Chronicle is the area regional newspaper.

The West University Examiner is a local newspaper distributed in the community [1].

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

Further reading

• Sarnoff, Nancy. "Developers move ahead on luxury complex near West U." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday October 3, 2012.
• "Sarnoff: Council vote looms on density outside Loop." Houston Chronicle. Friday December 2, 2011. - Discusses a meeting with the Sunset Terrace association

External links

• Sunset Terrace/Montclair Civic Association (Neighborhoodlink)
• Sunset Terrace/Montclair Civic Association (Archive)