Shady Acres emerges from rural roots to upscale Inner Loop living

Shady Acres is a neighborhood in transition from its traditional rural like homesteads with an acre of land to high density new home development. A drive through the neighborhood shows the area is in a whirlwind of construction activity on every street with new two story homes emerging on block after block. Shady Acres is at the center of the building boom that is taking place in many inner loop neighborhoods where location is a major advantage. It is located just south of the North Loop and extends from West 27th Street to West 15th Street. It is bordered by White Oak Bayou on the west and by Durham Street on the east. Adjacent neighborhoods are Clark Pines and West Heights.

As its name implies Shady Acres has been known for its abundance of large shade trees, many in its two parks, Wright-Bembry and Little Thicket. In fact an early photo from 1927 shows a heavily wooded area before any homes were built. In the early 1920's 100 acres were sold to the Shadyacres Investment Company from the Henry Reinermann Original Grant in Harris County. The acreage was sold in lots of one acre or smaller. The John Beall Realty Co. and the W.T. Helberg Realty Co. were two of the realtors who advertised property. The advertisements offered oversized lots and "an acre for the same price as a city lot". They boasted that the land was "close in" and that a gas line was being laid. The Shady Acres Civic Club was founded in 1938. The group's main concerns at that time were getting bus service, dealing with oil drillers and requesting city postal services be extended to the neighborhood.

Today Shady Acres homes are a blend of many different styles from original bungalow to Victorian, Spanish, and remodeled cottages. There are also a variety of townhomes and condos interspersed throughout the neighborhood. Multicolored two story Victorian homes stand side by side along the streets, surrounded by iron fences enclosing landscaped yards and large porches. Home construction and redevelopment will continue in Shady Acres for some time as more homebuyers discover the conveniences of living in the neighborhood.

(Near Northwest Banner, September 1, 2006)