West University Place

History

West University was developed in 1917 by Ben Hooper.   The name comes from it nearness to Rice University.   Many of the streets were named after famous authors, poets, colleges, and universities.   West University incorporated in 1924 with the intent to remain separate from the city of Houston.  By 1948 West University was completely surrounded by Houston.  Today West University looks much like the vision of its founders because of zoning codes and restrictions.

Location

inside loop 610West University Place often called West U for short is located to the west of Rice University.  The cities boundaries are the Union Pacific tracks to the west, Bellaire Boulevard to the south, Kirby to the East, and Bissonnet to the North.

West University Place is completely surrounded by the city of Houston.   The city is within the Houston Independent School District.   West University Place is the 8th wealthiest location in Texas per capita income.  WestUniversity continues to develop as one of the most desirable and affluent parts of the Houston area.

Housing

West University Place is a city inside of a big city.  West University Place has it own Police Department, Mayor, City Hall, Park Department, and Courts.  There are numerous neighborhood parks with pools, tennis courts, and playgrounds.  West University Place is known as the place to raise a family in Texas.  As of the 2000 census the population of the city was 14,211.  The city features homes designed by America’s best architects for over 80 years.

The original housing stock of West University Place consisted of mid-20th century bungalows and cottages.  The Houston Real Estate market has seen over half of the bungalows and cottages of WestUniversity replaced by newer homes by 2002.  These new two story homes are built by builders such as Covington Builders, Belmont Custom Homes, Rohe & Wright, Windham Builders, Lovett Homes, Parker House, Keystone, Scott Frasier and Classic American.  These new homes are priced from $800,000 to $3,000,000.  They vary in square footage from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet.  The original homes sell from $340,000 to $800,000 depending upon size and location.  WestUniversity has become the place to live for Houston’s young professionals.

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Source: Houston Association of Realtors; Wikipedia