Braeswood Place is a group of subdivisions in Harris County, Texas, United States. The vast majority of the land is in Houston while a small part is in Southside Place.

Braeswood Place is a mainly single-family neighborhood inside the 610 Loop, east of the city of Bellaire, south of the cities of Southside Place and West University Place, west of the Texas Medical Center and the neighborhood of Old Braeswood, and north of the neighborhoods of Linkwood and Knollwood Village. Braeswood Place consists of approximately 2,200 homes and includes seven subdivisions: Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Manor, Braes Terrace, Emerald Forest, and Southern Oaks.

History

The Braeswood Place Homeowners Association was charted in 1951."BPHA CONSTABLE PATROL PROGRAM." Braeswood Place. Retrieved on December 7, 2008.

On September 19, 1988,Sparrow, Malcolm K. Imposing Duties: Government's Changing Approach to Compliance. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. 88. Retrieved from Google Books on January 8, 2012. , . a group of robbers murdered 66-year-old Gloria Pastor in her Braeswood Place house. Police traced the first suspect to an apartment in the Link Valley area, less than away. The apartments were nicknamed "Death Valley" due to drug-related crime. The Pastor murder led to members of the Braeswood Place community and other nearby communities into putting pressure on the city government, asking for a cleanup of the Link Valley area.Cobb, Kim. "Zeroing in on `Death Valley`/Shocked neighbors turning up heat on drug nest" (). Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 16, 1988. C1. Retrieved on January 7, 2011. "THE MURDER of Gloria Pastor last month horrified her Braeswood Place neighbors, unaware that they lived so close to a cluster of rundown apartments police say is a magnet for drug-related crime. The 66-year-old woman was stabbed to death Sept. 19 with a butcher knife from her own kitchen. The woman apparently was asleep when her attackers broke through a rear window of her house at 3859 Tartan and gathered items to steal. " As a result, police evicted criminal elements from Link Valley in a 1989 raid.Kunerth, Jeff. "." Orlando Sentinel. February 5, 1989. A1. Retrieved on January 7, 2012.

In the 1990s a group of community-minded residents spearheaded the effort to purchase dilapidated apartments and commercial businesses in a four-block area. The Stella Link Redevelopment Association (SLRA) emerged from the early efforts and further organized the fund-raising endeavors. SLRA was successful in its attempts and the apartments and commercial buildings were purchased and torn down.Feser, Katherine. "Braes Heights keeps changing with updates." Houston Chronicle. April 9, 2001. Retrieved on May 11, 2009. New deed restrictions were put into place, two streets were closed and the area was developed into a neighborhood asset. SLRA created a master plan for the area and worked with the City of Houston and other independent entities to turn the once-blighted blocks into a landscaped backdrop for several community activities. The facilities now located on the $42 million Stella Link Park community service corridor site include the neighborhood library, the Weekley YMCA, and the national headquarters for The Sheltering Arms senior citizens facility.Stanton, Robert. "Residents rise up in southwest Houston / Seeds of activism are taking root in community" (). Houston Chronicle. Thursday August 19, 2001. ThisWeek 2. Retrieved on May 11, 2009.

The neighborhood was deeply impacted by Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 which flooded about 500 of the community's 2,200 houses, which amounts to about 20% of the houses.Kever, Jeannie. "Post-flood fallout has residents wondering about neighborhood." Houston Chronicle. October 1, 2001. Retrieved on May 11, 2009.Feser, Catherine. "Floodwaters speed evolution of Braes Oaks." Houston Chronicle. May 28, 2002. Accessed July 12, 2008. Before Allison, the neighborhood had been in a slow transition from mostly 1950s style ranch homes to two-story Colonial, Tudor, and Stucco houses. With the razing of many houses flooded by Allison, the transition pace quickly accelerated. Many upper-middle-class families moved into the newly built houses.

In 2004 Anjali Athavalley of the Houston Chronicle said "Established areas like Braes Heights, Braes Terrace and Weslayan Plaza have performed solidly over the past five years. But real estate agents say the chances of finding a bargain in those areas are slim."Athavalley, Anjali. "Inner Loop: Finding happiness as an Inner Looper." Houston Chronicle. Sunday July 11, 2004. Wednesday April 18, 2007. Retrieved on November 27, 2011. In 2008 the Houston Press named the Stella Link Road area by Pershing Middle School as the "best hidden neighborhood.""Best Hidden Neighborhood: Stella Link near Pershing Middle School." Houston Press. Retrieved on November 23, 2008.

Cityscape Braeswood Place consists of approximately 2,200 homes and includes seven subdivisions: Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Manor, Braes Terrace, Emerald Forest, and Southern Oaks."The Organization." Braeswood Place Homeowners Association. Retrieved on July 25, 2017. The community is in proximity to the Texas Medical Center and Rice Village.Feser, Katherine. "Floodwaters speed evolution of Braes Oaks." Houston Chronicle. Sunday May 26, 2002. Business 6. Retrieved on October 22, 2012.

Braes Heights Braes Heights, located west of Buffalo Speedway,Feser, Katherine. "Southern Oaks homes prove value over time." Houston Chronicle. Sunday January 30, 2000. Business 8. Retrieved on October 22, 2012. consists of 13 sections, numbered 1 through 13."Braes Heights Restrictions." Braes Heights Homeowners Association. Retrieved on October 23, 2012. Blocks 1 and 2 of Section 1 are in the City of Southside Place.Braes Heights Section 1 Blocks 1-2 (JPG). Harris County. Retrieved on March 24, 2019."Southside Place city, TX." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 24, 2019.

As of 1995 Braes Heights has 896 houses.Feser, Katherine. "Braes Heights area talking about trash." Houston Chronicle. Sunday April 23, 1995. Business 10. Retrieved on October 22, 2012. Available from NewsBank, accessible with a Houston Public Library library card. Katherine Feser of the Houston Chronicle said that Braes Heights had "a broader range of properties" than Southern Oaks.

Braes Heights was developed from 1947 to 1952. The original houses were ranch style houses. By April 23, 1995, over 100 newer houses had been built, mostly in the northern part of Braes Heights. In 1995, the original houses had a price rage from $130,000 ($ in current money) to $250,000 ($ in current money), while the "tear-downs" (houses to be purchased and demolished so new construction can be built) were priced from $90,000 ($ in current money) to $135,000 ($ in current money) and newer houses were priced from $275,000 ($ in current money) to $450,000 ($ in current money). In 2000 Feser said that in terms of all of the subdivisions in Braeswood Place, most of the demolition older houses occurred in Braes Heights. By 2000 120 new houses had been constructed in Braeswood Place. In Braeswood Place, a lot described by Feser as being in a "prime corner" would have a price from $190,000 ($ in current money) to $210,000 ($ in current money) while an interior lot would have a price from $175,000 ($ in current money) to $180,000 ($ in current money). By 2013 many of the original houses were being demolished and replaced with stucco and brick two-story houses.Holley, Peter, John Lomax, and Todd Spoth. "25 Hottest Neighborhoods" (Archive). Houstonia. June 1, 2013. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.

A real estate agent quoted in a 2013 Houstonia article, Linda Marshall, stated that the lots are larger in Braes Heights than in West University Place, and that the prices are 30% lower in Braes Heights than in West University.

Braes Oaks Braes Oaks has three sections, 1, 1A, and 2."Braes Oaks Restrictions." Braeswood Place Homeowners Association. Retrieved on October 23, 2012. Braes Oaks has lots that are larger than average and many trees that provide shade. As of 2002 Braes Oaks has 131 houses. The original houses consisted of ranch-style houses. Most o the newer houses were two story pier and beam foundation houses. The newer houses were priced around $630,000 ($ in current money) around 2002. The houses range in size from to . After Tropical Storm Allison, which flooded several Braes Oaks houses, some homeowners decided to tear down their houses, while others decided to rebuild. Katherine Feser of the Houston Chronicle said that the central location of Braes Oaks, the trees, and the large lots made Braes Oaks "prime".

Southern Oaks Southern Oaks has two sections, numbered 1 and 2."Southern Oaks Restrictions." Braeswood Place Homeowners Association. Retrieved on October 23, 2012. In Southern Oaks, lot sizes tend to be 10-15% larger than in other subdivisions in Braeswood Place. Southern Oaks has 248 houses. The original houses were built in the 1950s. Most houses are located on dead-end streets and had two car garages. Many featured built-in fireplaces, large bedrooms, closets small by standards in the year 2000, hardwood floors, and 1950s-style glass doorknobs. In 2000 most homeowners decided to restore their older houses instead of tearing them down. Usually restorations involved adding master bedroom and bath suites and adding kitchens with finishes and luxury appliances. In 2000 Steve Anton, a real estate broker of Hallmark Properties, said that a general trend of increasing lot prices and the addition of expensive houses in the wider area increased the prices of Southern Oaks real estate values. The prices of Southern Oaks houses in good condition ranged from $190,000 ($ in current money) to $300,000 ($ in current money). The price per square foot ranged from $100 ($ in current money) to $140 ($ in current money). Homeowners in Southern Oaks are required to buy flood insurance.

Demographics In 2015, the City of Houston-defined Braeswood (Place) Super Neighborhood had 21,835 residents. 61% were non-Hispanic white, 15% were non-Hispanic Asians, 12% were Hispanics, 10% were non-Hispanic blacks, and 2% were non-Hispanic others. In 2000 the super neighborhood had 18,797 residents. 68% were non-Hispanic white, 12% were non-Hispanic Asians, 11% were Hispanics, 7% were non-Hispanic blacks, and 2% were non-Hispanic others.

Local government

The homeowners association, Braeswood Place Homeowner's Association (BPHA), is headquartered in Suite #112 at 4010 Blue Bonnet Boulevard."Contacting the BPHA." Braeswood Place Homeowner's Association. Retrieved on December 7, 2008. The association has six officers, with each serving one or two years, and twelve area directors, each serving three years. A nominating committee selects candidates and members of the homeowners association cast ballots to elect the members. Area directors select "block captains" for each block. A block captain delivers the Sentinel, the homeowner's association newsletter, and communicate with area residents.

Most of Braeswood Place is in the Houston City Council District C,City of Houston, Council District Maps, District C ." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011. while a portion south of the Brays Bayou is in District K.City of Houston, Council District Maps, District K ." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.