Super Neighborhoods
SN 18 - Briar Forest
NAME: Briar Forest
DATE RECOGNIZED: 08.11.2009
STATUS: Active
COUNCIL DISTRICT: G
MAYOR’S ASSISTANCE OFFICE: West Side
CONTACT AND MEETING INFORMATION:
Bryant Banes
3rd Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Monthly
Heathlake Clubhouse, 12010 Carriage Hill Drive, Houston, Texas 77077
emailer@briarforestsn.org
briarforestsn.org
LOCATION: The Briar Forest area is bounded by Buffalo Bayou to the north, Gessner to the east, Westheimer to the south and Dairy Ashford to the west.
COMMUNITY DESCRIPTON AND HISTORY: The area is largely single family residential with some multi-family, patio and townhomes located along the area’s major thoroughfares. Office complexes are located along the Sam Houston Parkway in the Westchase District, on Wilcrest, along Westheimer and on Dairy Ashford. From the early days of the Akokisa until after World War II, the area making up the Briar Forest neighborhood was one which people largely passed through on their way to and from places such as the Habermacher ranch to the west, or from Dairy (now known as Alief) on the road (later Dairy Ashford road) to the Ashford stop on the Houston & Texas Central Railroad. Along the way, they would follow or cross over the neighborhood’s most significant landscape feature, Buffalo Bayou. For those who chose to stay in the area, rice and cotton became a way of life, with farms and mills providing a large portion of the jobs and livelihoods for many residents up until the last three decades of the 20th century.
By the 1960s, urban sprawl resulted in bedroom communities, such as Ashford, Lakeside and Briargrove Park – developed by Walter Mischer, Sr., emerging from the forests. Farms disappeared and a small two lane road became a massive thoroughfare and anchor for successful commerce – Westheimer - bordering the southern boundary of the neighborhood. By 2000, at least 42,000 Houstonians chose to call the Briar Forest area home.
Whereas the Briar Forest area was once far from Houston, it now sits on the edge of what is rapidly becoming the very center of the entire metropolitan area. Westchase District, the first management district of its kind in Texas, supports the southern portion of the neighborhood, with outstanding business and commercial opportunities, tremendous beautification efforts and master plan style management. The Energy District sits just to the west and north and City Centre, Town & Country and Memorial shopping are a stones throw to the northeast.
Within the Briar Forest area residents and visitors also enjoy access to outstanding recreation and entertainment opportunities. Adventurous mountain bikers ride the “Ant Hills” trail alongside the southern bank of Buffalo Bayou. Joggers and walkers are able to experience a peaceful run or stroll under the trees along the Robin Trail in Terry Hershey Park or in Francklow Park. If you are lucky, you may spot an armadillo, raccoon, river otter, coyote, Mississippi Kite, heron, Loggerhead turtle, coral snake or other fauna found along the Bayou. Golf and tennis enthusiasts will enjoy Lakeside Country Club and Westside Tennis Center, possibly even spotting one of the Rockets outside their training facility. Residents and guests also enjoy some of the best French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, Brazilian, Italian, Spanish and Tex-Mex cuisine found in the city.
With easy access to I-10, the Beltway, Westpark Tollway, Westheimer, Westchase District and the Energy Corridor, the Briar Forest area is superbly placed to develop as one of Houston’s premier 21st century neighborhoods.
CIVIC CLUBS:
PARKS:
| • | Francklow Park | 1300 Seagler | 77042 |
| • | Waldemar Park | 11700 Waldemar | 77077 |
|
BYLAWS: |
Bylaws |
Contact Us
City Hall900 Bagby, Public Level
Houston, TX 77002
The Department of Neighborhoods has five divisions that help neighbors resolve neighborhood concerns. Together, we help improve the quality of life in Houston neighborhoods through people-focused programs and strong community partnerships.
