Bellaire, Texas
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement
Bellaire is a city in southwestern Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Template:Nowrap metropolitan area.<ref name="Handbook">Template:Handbook of Texas. Retrieved on January 24, 2010.</ref> As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city population was 17,202. It is surrounded by the cities of Houston and West University Place. Bellaire is known as the "City of Homes", owing to its mostly residential character;<ref>Mayor Cindy Siegel's State of the City Address Template:Webarchive. Template:Sic City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 14, 2008.</ref> but it has offices along the I-610 Loop within the city limits.
History
[edit]
Bellaire was founded in 1908 by William Wright Baldwin, who was the president of the South End Land Company. Baldwin, a native of Iowa, was well known as the vice president of the Burlington Railroad. Bellaire was created on what was part of William Marsh Rice's Template:Convert ranch. Baldwin surveyed the eastern Template:Convert of the ranch into small truck farms. He named them "Westmoreland Farms". Baldwin started Bellaire in the middle of "Westmoreland Farms" to serve as a residential neighborhood and an agricultural trading center. South End Land Company advertised to farmers in the Midwestern United States. Baldwin stated that the town was named "Bellaire", or "Good Air" for its breezes. Bellaire may have been named after Bellaire, Ohio, a town served by one of Baldwin's rail lines.<ref name="Handbook"/>
Six miles of prairie were a buffer zone between Houston and Bellaire. Originally, the town was bounded by Palmetto, First, Jessamine, and Sixth (now Ferris) Streets. In 1910, Edward Teas, a horticulturist, moved his nursery to Bellaire from Missouri so he could implement Sid Hare's landscaping plans. Bellaire was incorporated as a city with a general charter in 1918, 10 years after its founding. Bellaire had a population of 200 at the time.<ref name="Handbook"/> Because of the 1918 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Bellaire's territory into its city limits, while annexing surrounding areas that were unincorporated.<ref name="Annexbitter">Lee, Renée C. "Annexed Kingwood split on effects." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. "Some of the area communities that incorporated as cities and escaped annexation by Houston:" Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is not included in the online edition.</ref>
Bellaire's population had reached 1,124 in 1940. After 1940, Bellaire had a rapid population explosion in the post-World War II building boom. On December 31, 1948, the city of Houston had annexed the land around the city of Bellaire, stopping the city of Bellaire's land growth. Bellaire remained independent of Houston, and adopted a home rule charter with a council-manager government in April 1949.<ref name="Handbook"/> By 1950, the city's residents had numbered 10,173, with 3,186 houses. Each subsequent year for the next two years, though, an additional 600 to 700 new houses were added. Due to the resulting population increase, several schools, including Bellaire High School, Marian High School, and two elementary schools, were established in that period, and Condit Elementary received a new addition. In the 1960s, 250 houses in Bellaire were demolished to make way for the right-of-way of the I-610 Loop, which bisected the city.<ref name=McBeeL>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to a Bellaire resident quoted in the Houston Post, prior to 1992, the tax base of the city of Bellaire had been decreasing. After neighbor West University Place eased restrictions on developers, new houses were constructed in West University Place, and the city gained a larger tax base. Bellaire decided to also liberalize its development restrictions to allow for new development by streamlining its no-growth building permit process. According to Karl Lewis, a vice president and sales manager at John Daugherty Realtors, when the prices of West University Place land reached about $20/sq ft, area home buyers began to consider Bellaire, which had an average price of $10–12/sq ft. Don Stowers of the Houston Press said that Bellaire and West University Place had "comparable" attributes such as independent fire and police departments, zoning, recreation facilities and parks, and schools "among the best in Houston." Michael Blum, president of Blum & Associates Realty, said "Bellaire is a bargain." Blum added that Bellaire was affordable compared to similar American neighborhoods and that Bellaire had proximity to business districts, "excellent" municipal services, and "superior" schools.<ref name="StowersSmallBig">Stowers, Don. "Bellaire small-town flavor, big-city convenience." Houston Post. April 26, 1992. L section. Available from the microfilm desk at the Jesse H. Jones Building of the Houston Public Library Central Library.</ref> Affluent families increasingly moved to Bellaire. The price of an average house in Bellaire increased from $75,000 to $500,000 from 1986 to 2006.<ref name="Swartz">Swartz, Mimi. "The Gangstas of Godwin Park." (Alt) Texas Monthly. June 1, 2006. Retrieved on November 2, 2011.</ref>
In 2002, the City of Bellaire attempted to acquire all or part of the Template:Convert Teas Nursery, Bellaire's oldest business and the oldest nursery in Greater Houston, for park development. The company fought the city's take-over attempt. During that year the owners of Teas sold Template:Convert at the rear of the property to Lovett Homes, a home developer. Frank Liu, the owner of Lovett Homes, said that it had an option to buy the remaining Template:Convert. When the City of Bellaire denied a replat application sent by Teas Nursery, in June 2002 the nursery filed a lawsuit against the city and its zoning commission. In 2005 the lawsuit was settled out of court.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During the Hurricane Rita evacuation, a bus filled with residents from Brighton Gardens, a nursing home in Bellaire, caught on fire and exploded in the city of Wilmer. The September 23, 2005, explosion killed 24 of the 38 residents and employees on the bus.<ref>"Bus Explosion Kills 24 in Dallas ." Associated Press at Fox News. Friday September 23, 2005. Retrieved on June 4, 2009.</ref><ref>Belli, Anne and Lisa Falkenberg. 24 nursing home evacuees die in bus fire. Houston Chronicle. September 24, 2005.</ref> The resulting lawsuit was settled in June 2009.<ref>Langford, Terri. "Families settle for $80 million in Rita bus fire case." Houston Chronicle. June 4, 2009. Retrieved on June 4, 2009.</ref> On March 23, 2008, a tour bus carrying Tejano singer Emilio Navaira crashed in Bellaire.<ref>Rendon, Ruth and Ramiro Burr. Doctors begin raising Navaira's body temperature. Houston Chronicle. March 25, 2008.</ref><ref>Tejano star still critical . KTRK-TV. Monday March 24, 2008.</ref><ref>Grammy winner Emilio 'may not make it' Template:Webarchive. CNN. Monday March 24, 2008.</ref> By 2008, an increasing number of houses sold for over $1,000,000.<ref>Sarnoff, Nancy. More are willing to spend $1 million on a home. Houston Chronicle. April 14, 2008. Accessed on November 19, 2008.</ref>
On December 31, 2008, Bellaire police officers confronted Robbie Tolan, the son of former Major League Baseball player Bobby Tolan, in the driveway of his house at the 800 block of Woodstock.<ref name="LavenderaProfiling">Lavendera, Ed. Questions surround shooting of baseballer's son. CNN. Retrieved on January 8, 2009.</ref><ref name="AllanTurnerindict">Turner, Allan. Officer charged with shooting Bellaire ball player. Houston Chronicle. April 6, 2009. Retrieved on April 6, 2009.</ref> Officers suspected Tolan, who was unarmed, of stealing a sports utility vehicle in the driveway and shot Tolan in the chest; Tolan's family owned the vehicle. Tolan was hospitalized with injuries to one lung and his liver. The incident sparked allegations of racial profiling.<ref name="LavenderaProfiling"/> Members of minority groups reported that Bellaire police racially profiled people. In 2002, José Cruz Jr., son of baseball player José Cruz, was stopped since his vehicle was missing a front license plate. He was arrested by Bellaire police and spent one night in jail after Bellaire law enforcement told him that he had a warrant for his arrest. The Houston Chronicle said that the Bellaire police decision to arrest Cruz was a mistake. In January 2009, Cruz accused the police of racial profiling. Mayor Cindy Siegel said that she was unaware of racial profiling by police.<ref name="Tolson">Tolson, Mike. Resident minorities say police have a habit of focusing on them / Bellaire shooting unearths unease. Houston Chronicle. January 11, 2009. A1. Retrieved on January 11, 2009.</ref> Siegel announced that the city would investigate racial profiling and hire an independent consultant to look at traffic stop data.<ref>Gomez Dong, Alana. Bellaire Mayor To Investigate Racial Profiling Allegations Template:Webarchive. KPRC-TV at MSNBC. Thursday February 5, 2009. Retrieved on February 5, 2009.</ref> The local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branch said that it had established a pact with the City of Bellaire; people may report civil rights violations from Bellaire Police to the branch if they do not wish to contact the City of Bellaire.<ref>Tolson, Mike. NAACP, Bellaire establish pact for reporting complaints. Houston Chronicle. February 10, 2009. Retrieved on February 10, 2009.</ref> However, the NAACP branch has not yet provided the city with any civil rights violations.
On April 6, 2009, a Harris County grand jury indicted Sergeant Jeffrey Cotton, the police officer, for aggravated assault by a public servant. If convicted, Cotton could face up to life in prison.<ref name="AllanTurnerindict"/> In addition, the family sued the police department and the police officer.<ref>Khanna, Roma. Tolans sue Bellaire officials, officer in shooting. Houston Chronicle. May 1, 2009. Retrieved on May 1, 2009.</ref> The trial in Harris County District Court on criminal felony charges against Cotton began on January 25, 2010.<ref>Reopening the wounds in police shooting. Bellaire Examiner. January 6, 2010. Retrieved on May 1, 2009.</ref> Jury selection was scheduled to begin on May 3, 2010.<ref>Rogers, Brian. "Bellaire police officer's trial begins in driveway shooting." Houston Chronicle. May 3, 2010. Retrieved on May 4, 2010.</ref> The officer was found not guilty in his criminal trial in May 2010.<ref>Connelly, Richard. "Bellaire Cop Found Not Guilty In Robbie Tolan Shooting Template:Webarchive." Houston Press. Tuesday May 11, 2010. Retrieved on May 12, 2010.</ref><ref>Houston Chronicle. April 2, 2012.In Federal Judge Harmon ruling stated the Tolans' allegations on race were based on their "personal beliefs." "There is simply no admissible evidence ... that either officer was motivated to act due to the race of any of the plaintiffs," she wrote. She also found that Cotton acted reasonably and like any other officer would have when he shot Tolan, who reached for his waist where the officer feared he had a gun hidden. "Sergeant Cotton misinterpreted Robbie Tolan's intended actions," she wrote, "but his firing on Robbie Tolan did not violate Robbie Tolan's constitutional rights because Sergeant Cotton feared for his life and could reasonably have believed the shooting was necessary under the totality of the factual circumstances evidenced by the summary judgment record."</ref>
Teas Nursery closed in 2010; the company president, Tom Teas, intended for the property to be redeveloped into single-family houses. The Teas Nursery business was either going to move to a new location or be liquidated.<ref>Sarnoff, Nancy. "Teas Nursery to be redeveloped Template:Webarchive." Houston Chronicle. November 6, 2009. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.</ref> In December the Rubenstein family bought the Teas property; the family planned to donate it to the City of Bellaire for community purposes.<ref>Aguilar, Charlotte. "Last-minute reprieve: Bellaire family buys Teas property for civic use." West University Examiner. Updated December 15, 2009. Retrieved on December 17, 2009.</ref> The Teas property has two historic buildings. Scott Rubenstein, who handled negotiations for the Rubenstein family, described the Teas lot as "the last largely undeveloped tract in the city, and frankly, in the inner loop of the city of Houston where you can do something that can be used by people from all around the city."<ref>Foster, Robin. "Teas property to be preserved for the Bellaire community." Houston Chronicle. December 29, 2009. Retrieved on January 24, 2010.</ref> Mayor of Bellaire Cindy Seigel said, "I am just thrilled we'll be able to preserve a historical property that is an important piece of Bellaire's history."<ref>Bivins, Ralph. "Leafing a Legacy at Teas." CultureMap Houston. January 4, 2010. Retrieved on January 24, 2010.</ref>
In January 2010, Siegel announced that she would oppose a plan to locate a permanent, privately funded Houston Dynamo stadium at the intersection of South Rice and Westpark, near Bellaire.<ref>Aguilar, Charlotte. "Bellaire mayor challenges Dynamo stadium plan; others on board Template:Webarchive." Memorial Examiner. January 28, 2010. Retrieved on January 28, 2010.</ref> In April 2010, the Dynamo stadium, now known as BBVA Compass Stadium, was announced as being built in East Downtown Houston.
Andrew Friedberg became the mayor in November 2015 and remained in his position after a 2019 election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In August 2017, the city was affected by Hurricane Harvey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of July 31, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, 78 people were confirmed to have had the disease; at that time, no Bellaire residents had died from it.<ref name=Aragon>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> Ryan Nickerson of the Houston Chronicle stated that "local officials" credited the lower population density and the relative wealth of Bellaire residents.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first COVID deaths in the city occurred by March 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography and climate
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Bellaire is located at Template:Coord. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, all land. The city is surrounded by Houston, West University Place, and Southside Place.<ref name="Handbook"/>
Cityscape
[edit]Bellaire's housing lots are Template:Convert by Template:Convert, allowing for houses larger than those that could be built on typical Template:Convert by Template:Convert West University Place lots. A Bellaire lot can accommodate a house with a detached garage and a swimming pool, while the typical West University Place lot could accommodate a newly constructed Georgian house described by Don Stowers of the Houston Post as "lot-hugging". The more spacious and inexpensive housing lots prompted area home seekers to consider Bellaire.<ref name="StowersSmallBig"/>
The original Bellaire housing stock typically consisted of three-bedroom, one-bathroom, post-World War II houses described by Stowers as "smallish". Because of the attributes, developers did not hesitate to tear these houses down and build new houses. Some individuals chose to renovate their houses instead of having them torn down. Many individuals who would otherwise renovate the houses reconsidered their decisions as the land value increased. In some cases, the land value was higher than the value of the structure on the lot. Some subdivisions had larger houses, particularly the Carroll subdivision south of Bellaire Boulevard and the Braeburn Country Club Estates subdivision between Chimney Rock and Rice. Many of the houses in those subdivisions were built in the 1950s and early 1960s, and many were on Template:Convert lots. Karl Lewis, the vice president and sales manager of John Daugherty Realtors, said that many of the houses were "still quite attractive" and "similar to the large Tanglewood homes." In 1992 smaller lots in Bellaire were about $50,000 (equivalent to $Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year) and up, while larger lots were $300,000 to $500,000 (equivalent to between $Template:Format price and $Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year).<ref name="StowersSmallBig"/>
In a 2007 Houston Press article John Nova Lomax, a journalist, said that parts of Bellaire's downtown had "a certain raffish 1950s charm – the Bellaire Broiler Burger, for example – but it's boring."<ref>Lomax, John Nova. I am a Pedestrian Report: Bellaire. Houston Press. May 25, 2007. Retrieved on August 4, 2009.</ref> Lomax stated in a 2008 Houston Press article that, due to the growth and dominance of Houston, municipal enclaves with their own services, including Bellaire, "are little more than glorified neighborhoods."<ref>Lomax, John Lova. "The Seoul of Houston: The Weather Was Not the Strong Point on Long Point." Houston Press. Wednesday January 30, 2008. Retrieved on November 17, 2009.</ref>
Many Bellaire streets, such as "Holly," "Holt," "Maple," and "Pine," are named after trees. The word "Holt" means a small grove or a forest of trees.<ref>Rust, Carol. "Houston has street sense (and nonsense as well)" (). Houston Chronicle. Wednesday April 16, 1997. Houston 1. Retrieved on October 26, 2011.</ref>
One community in Bellaire, Southdale, was developed by William G. Farmington, the developer of Tanglewood. Southdale was originally developed in the late 1940s with two-bedroom houses. The houses were marketed to World War II veterans. The houses were about a fourth as expensive as Tanglewood houses, around $25,000 each (equivalent to $Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year).<ref name="Bigger houses">Fester, Katherine. "Bigger houses transforming neighborhood." Houston Chronicle. Houston Chronicle. Sunday March 30, 2003. Business 8. Retrieved on October 13, 2012.</ref> Another subdivision in Bellaire is named "Broad Acres."<ref>Khou.com. "Broad Acres: Pricey U of H-themed jewelry among items swiped from home."Template:Dead link KHOU-TV. November 20, 2012. Retrieved on November 20, 2012.</ref>
Demographics
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 10,188 | 59.23% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 281 | 1.63% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 28 | 0.16% |
| Asian (NH) | 4,072 | 23.67% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 9 | 0.05% |
| Some other race (NH) | 90 | 0.52% |
| Mixed/multi-racial (NH) | 704 | 4.09% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,830 | 10.64% |
| Total | 17,202 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,202 people, 6,755 households, and 5,627 families residing in the city.
The 2019 American Community Survey determined Bellaire had a population of 18,971.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 65.2% non-Hispanic White, 2.8% Black and African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 22.3% Asian, 1.3% multiracial, and 8.2% Hispanic and Latin American of any race.
At the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2010, 16,855 people, 6,053 households, and 4,688 families were residing in the city. The population density was 4,319.0 people/sq mi (1,668.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 72.6% non-Hispanic White, 1.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 14.1% Asian, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race comprised 9.5% of the population.
Of the 6,053 households, 44.2% had children under 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together (56.1% had children), 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were not families. About 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.78, and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city, the age distribution was 31.3% under 19, 5.6% from 20 to 29, 10.6% from 30 to 39, 17.2% from 40 to 49, 24.9% from 50 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 2019 American Community Survey determined the 6,753 households had an average of 2.78 people per household in the city. Around 2020, the median household income was $201,629, and the average life expectancy was 87.4. Roughly 13% of the city's residents rented their residences.<ref name=Aragon/> The city's population had a per capita income of $101,097 in 2019 and 2.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
Religion
[edit]Holy Ghost Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is in the Houston city limits, one city block away from Bellaire. In 2006, it had about 4,000 regular parishioners. It holds services in both English and Spanish, with three masses per language each week. In 2006, the pastor was bilingual in English and Spanish.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A group of volunteers created stained-glass windows that were put in the church by 2008; the project began around 1983.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bellaire also has St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, one of three Coptic Orthodox churches in the Houston area.<ref name="Varanewhome">Vara, Richard. "New home is 'miracle' for Coptic Christians" (). Houston Chronicle. August 21, 2004. Retrieved on May 3, 2014.</ref>
Government and infrastructure
[edit]Local government
[edit]
Bellaire currently has a city manager style of government. The home-rule government was established on April 2, 1949, replacing the general law form of government. The city council is made up of the mayor and six city council members. All are elected at large. The mayor is elected for two-year terms, while each city council member is elected for four-year terms. The mayor may not serve for more than four terms in that position. A city council member may have no more than two terms.<ref name="Mayorandcouncil">Mayor and Council Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved June 17, 2008.</ref> Bellaire has zoning ordinances that dictate types of structures and uses throughout sections of the city.<ref name="ZoningMap">Zoning District Map Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.</ref> As of 2015, the mayor is Andrew Friedberg. The six council members are, in order of position, Neil Verma (1), Trisha Pollard (2), Gus Pappas (3), Pat McLaughlan (4), Michael Fife (5), and David Montague (6).<ref>["http://tx-bellaire.civicplus.com/Directory.aspx?did=82]. "City of Bellaire". Retrieved on May 1, 2015.</ref> City hall is located on blocks 31 and 32 of the original Bellaire town site.<ref>Harris County Block Book Map Volume 7, Bellaire Townsite Index Map on Volume 7 Page 35 (PDF and JPG). Marked as "Bellaire". Corresponds with the address of city hall: "City Hall 7008 S Rice Avenue Bellaire, TX 77401"</ref>
The Bellaire Fire Department is housed at 5101 Jessamine Street.<ref>Fire Department Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> The fire station includes two fire engines (a main engine and a volunteer/backup engine), two medic units (a main medic unit and a backup unit), an on shift commander vehicle, a vehicle for each the chief and assistant chief, a cascade unit, and a hazardous materials trailer.<ref>Bellaire Fire Department Engines Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.</ref><ref>Medic 81 Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.</ref> The fire department operates the Citizens Fire Academy, a fire and life safety program for Bellaire citizens held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.<ref>Citizens Fire Academy Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.</ref> The old fire station was demolished on December 4, 2009, with demolition continuing on Monday December 7, 2009, and operations are temporarily relocated at the Chevron building. A new fire station was scheduled to be built in the location of the previous fire station. The groundbreaking for the new station was held on December 17, 2009.<ref>"Fire Station." City of Bellaire. Retrieved on January 7, 2010.</ref>
The Bellaire Police Department is housed at 5110 Jessamine Street.<ref>Home Page. Bellaire Police Department. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> As of 2008 the Chief of Police is Byron Holloway.<ref>Staff Directory. Bellaire Police Department. Retrieved on March 16, 2013.</ref> The police department's patrol division, the organization's largest division, includes patrol, detention, motorcycle, and bicycle units.<ref>Patrol Division. Bellaire Police Department. Retrieved on March 16, 2013.</ref> The support services division includes court, records, and communications divisions.<ref>Support Services Division Template:Webarchive. Bellaire Police Department. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.</ref> The police department offers the "House Watch Program," where interested residents allow police to check their houses while they are away on vacation.<ref>House Watch Program Template:Webarchive. Bellaire Police Department. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.</ref> Voters approved the creation of a new emergency medical services unit in a 2019 election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Local politics
[edit]Zoning and land use controversies, common throughout Bellaire's history, resulted in the 1977 recall of the mayor and three council members.<ref name="Handbook"/> The City of Bellaire voted against banning smoking in bars and restaurants on Monday January 15, 2007. Mayor Cindy Siegel and Pat McLaughlan, one council member, voted for the ban, while the other five members, including Peggy Faulk, voted against the ban. The National Restaurant Association asked Bellaire to consider adopting a smoking ban to put it in sync with the City of Houston, which adopted a similar ordinance in 2005.<ref>White, Tara. Bellaire council votes against smoking ban / Restaurant group sought to unify no-smoking law with Houston's. Houston Chronicle. Thursday January 18, 2007. ThisWeek 1. Retrieved on August 4, 2009.</ref> In December 2009 the city voted to ban texting while driving.<ref>Mark, Steve. "Bellaire and West U both ban texting while driving." Bellaire Examiner. December 9, 2009. Retrieved on January 25, 2010.</ref> Bans of texting while driving were passed in Bellaire and West University Place, Texas within hours of one another.<ref>Connelly, Richard. "OMG 4 Rlz, No Texting While Driving In Bellaire Or West U Template:Webarchive." Houston Press. Tuesday December 15, 2009. Retrieved on January 25, 2010.</ref> In 2010 the city voted 5–2 to ban the feeding of cats on public property and establish a rule requiring the permission of the owner of a piece of private property in order to feed cats on private property. The city received negative e-mail feedback from various locations, including Switzerland.<ref>Foster, Robin. "Battle over Bellaire's feral cats may not be over Template:Webarchive." Ultimate Bellaire. November 18, 2010. Retrieved on November 19, 2010.</ref>
In 2011, Phil Nauert was elected as the new mayor of Bellaire.<ref>"Pasadena, Lamar OK bond issues." Houston Chronicle. Tuesday November 8, 2011. Retrieved on November 11, 2011.</ref> In 2014, long-time City Manager Bernie Satterwhite retired and was replaced by Paul Hofmann.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2011, Bellaire High School principal Tim Salem attempted to remove the Bellaire city government's operating license of a food cart vendor who was popular with students.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
County, state, and federal government
[edit]Bellaire is within Harris County Precinct 3. As of 2008, Steve Radack serves as the commissioner of that precinct.<ref>Precinct Maps : Precinct 3. Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> It is in Constable Precinct One. As of 2008 Jack Abercia heads the constable precinct.<ref>Precincts on the Web! Template:Webarchive. Harris County. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.</ref>
Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) operates the nearest public health clinic, Valbona Health Center (formerly People's Health Center) in Greater Sharpstown, and the nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.<ref>Template:Cite web - See ZIP code 77401. See this map for relevant ZIP code: 77401.</ref>
Bellaire is located in District 134 of the Texas House of Representatives. As of 2011, Sarah Davis represents the district.<ref>House District 134 Template:Webarchive. Texas House of Representatives. Accessed October 11, 2008.</ref> Bellaire is within District 17 of the Texas Senate.<ref>Senate District 17 Template:Webarchive Map. Senate of Texas. Retrieved September 28, 2008.</ref>
Bellaire is in Texas's 7th congressional district; as of 2018, Lizzie Fletcher is the representative.<ref>Congressional District 7 Template:Webarchive. National Atlas of the United States. Retrieved on November 21, 2008.</ref> The designated United States Postal Service office is the Bellaire Post Office along Bellaire Boulevard in Bellaire.<ref>Post Office Location - Bellaire Template:Webarchive. United States Postal Service. Retrieved on November 22, 2008.</ref> Bellaire first received a post office in 1911.<ref name="Handbook"/>
Economy
[edit]
The City of Bellaire has property zoned for light industrial, commercial, and mixed-use residential and commercial uses.<ref name="ZoningMap"/> Bellaire has some high-rise office buildings along Interstate 610.<ref name="Handbook"/> Frost Bank's Houston-area offices are located in Bellaire.<ref>Career Opportunities Template:Webarchive. Frost Bank. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> AT&T Inc. operates its Houston-area headquarters in an office building at 6500 West Loop South in Bellaire; the building was with SBC Corporation before it absorbed the former AT&T.<ref>AT&T re-brands West Loop building. Houston Business Journal. Monday August 14, 2006. Retrieved on February 1, 2009.</ref><ref>AT&T Occupational Recruiting Events - 2006. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> The Houston Metropolitan Chamber, previously the Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce,<ref>"Houston Chamber Re-Invents Itself after 61 years with a New Image" (Archive). Houston Metropolitan Chamber. January 7, 2011. Retrieved on April 23, 2014.</ref> assists economy activity in Bellaire.<ref>Welcome to Southwest Houston! Template:Webarchive. The Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on December 11, 2008.</ref> The main offices of the Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce were previously located in Bellaire.<ref>Contact Us Template:Webarchive. Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on November 22, 2008.</ref> In addition, South Texas Dental has its corporate headquarters in Bellaire.<ref>"Contact Us." South Texas Dental. Retrieved on September 7, 2013. "Houston 6300 West Loop South Ste. 650 Bellaire, TX 77401" and "Dallas 2501 Oaklawn Ste. 860 Dallas, TX 75219"</ref><ref>"2012 LIST OF REGISTERED LOBBYISTS WITH EMPLOYERS/CLIENTS (EMP/C) SORTED BY LOBBYIST NAME Template:Webarchive." Texas Ethics Commission. February 13, 2013. p. 9. Retrieved on September 7, 2013. "South Texas Dental 6300 W. Loop S. Ste. 650 Bellaire, TX 77401"</ref>
Chevron has a Template:Convert campus,<ref name=Smithvacate>Template:Cite news</ref> at 4800 Fournace Place in Bellaire, that is the headquarters for the Chevron Pipe Line Company along with several other business units.<ref>Contact Us - Americas Template:Webarchive. Chevron. Retrieved on December 24, 2008.</ref> S. I. Morris Architects Built the building in 1977. The land contains an 11-story building,<ref name=Smithvacate/> with Template:Convert of area, that was built for Texaco;<ref>Dawson, Jennifer. "Chevron ends space odyssey with landmark lease." Houston Business Journal. Friday March 3, 2006. Retrieved on November 11, 2009.</ref> In August 1963 officials from the company asked the city government to rezone a parcel of land so the laboratory could be built.<ref name=Smithvacate/> It belonged to the company prior to its merger with Chevron.<ref>Sarnoff, Nancy and Jenna Colley. "ChevronTexaco to acquire downtown tower intended for Enron." Houston Business Journal. Friday February 27, 2004. Retrieved on October 3, 2009.</ref><ref>Lezon, Dale. "Herzog, 98, longtime Texaco geophysicist." Houston Chronicle. Sunday December 8, 2002. A43. Retrieved on October 3, 2009.</ref> The section of the street which the building was on was originally Gulfton Drive, but it was changed to Fournace, after Bellaire resident J.J. Fournace, because the Texaco management did not want their building on a street with a name similar to that of rival company Gulf Oil.<ref name=Smithvacate/> In 2016 900 employees, working in company's pipeline division and other divisions, worked in the office.<ref name=Pulsinellitosell>Template:Cite news</ref> The parcel was the only portion of Bellaire zoned to be a "Technical Research Park" or TRP. That year Chevron announced that it was going to move the employees to its offices in Downtown Houston and sell the building.<ref name=Smithvacate/> The employees were scheduled to leave by the end of 2017.<ref name=Pulsinellitosell/> HISD officials considered the idea of buying the property so a new Bellaire High School could be built there.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1953, the Consulate-General of Sweden moved to Bellaire.<ref name="Handbook"/> At one point the Consulate-General of Honduras in Houston was located in Suite 360 at 6700 West Loop South in Bellaire.<ref>Baylor Shoulder to Shoulder Program Template:Webarchive. Baylor College of Medicine. Retrieved on January 13, 2009.</ref> As of 2009 the Honduran Consulate-General and the Swedish Honorary Consulate are located in Houston.<ref>Consular Corps. Greater Houston Partnership. Retrieved on January 13, 2009.</ref>
Bellaire had 8,120 employed civilians as of the 2000 Census, including 3,835 females. Of the civilian workers, 5,368 (66.1%) were private, for-profit wage and salary workers. Of these, 689 (8.5% of the total Bellaire civilian workforce) were employees of their own corporations; 952 (11.7%) were private, non-profit wage and salary workers; 446 (5.5%) worked for local governments; 479 (5.9%) were state government workers; 111 (1.4%) were federal workers; 754 (9.3%) were self-employed; none of them worked in agriculture, forestry, fishing, or hunting; and 10 (.1%) were unpaid family workers.<ref>Class of Worker by Sex, Place of Work, and Veteran Status: 2000 - Bellaire, Texas Template:Webarchive. US Census Bureau. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.</ref>
Parks and recreation
[edit]
Bellaire has several parks within the city limits operated by the city. Bellaire Zindler Park, a Template:Convert park,<ref name="Parks">Parks Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> was given its current name in honor of Marvin Zindler, a Houston journalist; it was originally named Bellaire Park.<ref>Bellaire park gets Marvin Zindler's name. KTRK-TV. November 19, 2007.</ref> Bellaire Zindler Park includes a neighborhood pool, two lighted tennis courts, a gazebo, a picnic area, a jogging trail, an open playground, the Bellaire Recreation Center, and the Bellaire Civic Center, which includes auditoriums and meeting rooms.
The Template:Convert Vic Driscoll Park consists entirely of open green space.
The Template:Convert Evergreen Park includes a neighborhood pool and a playground and picnic area.
The Template:Convert Feld Park includes an adult softball field, a playground, two lighted tennis courts, and the Feld Scout House.
The Template:Convert Joe Gaither Park includes a play structure with swings and green space.
The Template:Convert Horn Field (Avenue B at Holly Street) includes two lighted baseball fields, youth soccer (football) fields, and a T-ball field. The Template:Convert
Jacquet Park consists of a playground and picnic area.
The Template:Convert Lafayette Park includes a playground and picnic area, an open play area, and the Officer Lucy Dog Park.
The Template:Convert Locust Park consists of an open play area and a shaded picnic area.
The Template:Convert Loftin Park consists of open green space.
The Template:Convert Mulberry Park at 700 Mulberry Lane includes a playground area, a picnic shelter, a youth baseball field, and three lighted tennis courts.
The Template:Convert Paseo Park along Bellaire Boulevard includes an esplanade, the Bellaire Trolley and the Special Event area.
The Template:Convert Pin Oak Park along the West Loop South (610 Loop) includes two lighted baseball fields, one lighted soccer and American football field, one jogging track, and three basketball/tennis courts.
The Template:Convert Russ Pitman Park includes the Henshaw House, the Nature Discovery Area, a playground area, a sheltered picnic area, a self-guided nature trail, two pavilions, and an aviary.<ref name="Parks"/>
Evelyn's Park, on the former Teas Nursery property, is Template:Convert large.<ref name=WitthausEvelyn>Template:Cite news</ref> The dedication ceremony of the future Evelyn's Park was held on June 25, 2011.<ref>"Evelyn's Park dedication in Bellaire Template:Webarchive." Houston Chronicle. June 26, 2011. Retrieved on August 19, 2011.</ref> The groundbreaking was in June 2015, and the opening was scheduled for April 22, 2017.<ref name=WitthausEvelyn/> The Yellow House has food establishments;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> it housed the Ivy & James restaurant until June 30, 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
As of 1996, Bellaire prohibits smoking in public parks and dogs in all non-dog public parks; as of that year, smoking in public parks incurs a fine of $500. The ordinance was adopted around 1996 by a 4–3 vote.<ref>Verhovek, Sam Howe. As Indoor Fights Smolder, Combatants in Smoking Wars Take BattleOutdoors.Template:Sic The New York Times. May 5, 1996. Retrieved on March 24, 2010.</ref>
Bellaire holds annual Fourth of July parades and annual "'snow' in the park" Christmas celebrations.<ref name="SouthwestChamberBel">Bellaire. Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on November 18, 2008. "Several private schools are also available to Bellaire residents, including Episcopal High School, Saint Agnes Academy, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, and St. Thomas Episcopal School." The page lists several area private schools, so there is a published list of private schools associated with Bellaire.</ref>
Bellaire's Little League baseball team entered the Little League World Series in 2000; the team lost to the team of Maracaibo, Venezuela.<ref>Wawrow, John. Little league world series. Associated Press at The Seattle Times. August 27, 2000. Retrieved on March 24, 2010.</ref> In 2002 Bellaire's little league team was placed in the same league as the West University Place team. Previously they played in separate leagues.<ref>Martin, Betty L. "Little Leaguers pit Bellaire and West University neighbors" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday June 20, 2002. Retrieved on September 23, 2015.</ref>
The Weekley YMCA in Houston includes Bellaire in its service area,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It opened in 1951 as the Southwest YMCA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in West University Place. The current facility in Braeswood Place, Houston broke ground in 2001.<ref name="Stantondeathvalley">Stanton, Robert. "'Death Valley' coming back to life." Houston Chronicle. Thursday July 19, 2001. Retrieved on January 7, 2012.</ref>
Education
[edit]
Primary and secondary public schools
[edit]The city is served by Houston Independent School District (HISD).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bellaire is within Trustee District V.<ref>Trustee Districts Map Template:Webarchive. Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 11, 2008.</ref><ref>Bellaire City Template:Webarchive. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 1, 2009.</ref><ref>Board V Template:Webarchive. Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on April 30, 2009.</ref>
Pupils who live in Bellaire inside of the 610 Loop are zoned to Paul W. Horn Academy<ref>"Horn Elementary Attendance Boundary."Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on January 11, 2019.</ref> for elementary school, while students in Bellaire outside of the 610 Loop are zoned to either Al J. Condit Elementary School<ref>"Condit Elementary Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on January 11, 2019.</ref> or Lovett Elementary School,<ref>"Lovett Elementary Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on January 11, 2019.</ref> the latter of which is in Houston. Condit Elementary is located on blocks 29–30 of the original Bellaire townsite.<ref>Harris County Block Book Map Volume 7, Page 49: Bellaire Blocks 29-30 (PDF and JPG) - Marked as "Harris County School" which would be Condit Elementary. Also seen in the Bellaire Townsite Index Map on Volume 7 Page 35 (PDF and JPG).</ref>
In addition, all Bellaire pupils are zoned to Pershing Middle School<ref>"Pershing Middle School Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on January 11, 2019.</ref> in the Braeswood Place neighborhood of Houston and Bellaire High School in Bellaire.<ref>"Bellaire High School Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on January 11, 2019.</ref> In addition, a middle school called Pin Oak Middle School, which was built in 2002, is located in Bellaire. Students zoned to Johnston, Long, and Pershing Middle Schools may choose to attend Pin Oak instead; therefore Bellaire students may attend Pin Oak.<ref name="PinOakLetter">Pin Oak Middle School. The Southwest District. Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.</ref> Pin Oak was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2008.<ref>Twenty-six Texas public schools named NCLB- Blue Ribbons Schools Template:Webarchive. Texas Education Agency. September 9, 2008.</ref><ref>Feds award 26 Texas schools with 'blue ribbon' Template:Webarchive. Houston Chronicle. September 9, 2008.</ref>
Gabriela Mistral Early Childhood Center is the closest public early childhood center to the city of Bellaire and Kolter Elementary School is the closest school with a tuition-based early childhood program.<ref>Early Childhood Center Map Template:Webarchive. Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.</ref><ref name="ECInfo">Early Childhood and Prekindergarten Programs Template:Webarchive. Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.</ref> Only economically disadvantaged students, homeless students, students who are not proficient in English, or children of active-duty members of the U.S. military or whose parent has been killed, injured, or missing in action while on active duty may be enrolled in tuition-free HISD preschools. Students who are eligible for HISD's preschools may attend any Early Childhood Center in Houston ISD for free. Students not eligible may enroll in tuition-based HISD preschool programs.<ref name="ECInfo"/>
HISD built a new campus for Condit Elementary School.<ref>"Design of new Condit ES reflects school's connection to community." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 1, 2014.</ref> Designed by VLK Architects, it has a capacity of 750 students.<ref name=Pulsinellifirstschool>Pulsinelli, Olivia. "First school under HISD's $1.89B bond program breaks ground." Houston Business Journal. November 10, 2014. Retrieved on September 11, 2015.</ref> The building has 33 classrooms and a total of Template:Convert in space.<ref name=FundraisingCondit>Template:Cite web</ref> The groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 10, 2014,<ref name=Pulsinellifirstschool/> and the new school building opened in 2016.<ref name=FundraisingCondit/>
History of schools
[edit]
Bellaire's first school opened in 1909; the school moved to a new site in 1914 and an addition opened in 1927; when the addition opened the school was renamed "Condit." Horn opened in 1949, Pershing opened in 1927, and Bellaire High School opened in 1955.<ref name="SchoolHistoriesHISD"/> Condit received a new wing with 12 classrooms in the 1950s.<ref name=McBeeL/> Pin Oak opened in 2002. Pershing's current campus opened in January 2007.<ref name="SchoolHistoriesHISD"/> The current Horn and Lovett buildings were scheduled to open in August 2011. The rebuilds of Horn, Lovett, and Herod Elementary of Houston together had a cost of $49 million and were a part of a $1 billion bond program approved by HISD voters in 2007.<ref>Foster, Robin. "Horn, Herod and Lovett schools benefit from upgrades Template:Webarchive." Houston Chronicle. August 16, 2011. Retrieved on August 19, 2011.</ref>
Maud W. Gordon Elementary School in Bellaire does not have a zoning boundary; before 2012 it drew excess students from apartments west of Bellaire, in Houston, to relieve other schools in Houston west of Bellaire such as Benavidez, Cunningham, Elrod, and Milne. From its opening to 1953 to 1983 Gordon served as a neighborhood school. After its closure Gordon temporarily housed the Post Oak School and later served as administrative offices. It re-opened as a relief school in 1988 for Elrod and Cunningham schools.<ref name="SchoolHistoriesHISD">School Histories Template:Webarchive. Houston Independent School District. Retrieved October 4, 2008.</ref> It was scheduled to re-open in September of that year.<ref>Staff. "Principal of alternative school named." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday July 27, 1988. Section 1, Page 16. Retrieved on December 8, 2011.</ref> In 2012 HISD opened the Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School Chinese language-immersion magnet school,<ref>"HISD Accepting Applications for Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School." (Archive, PDF, Archive of PDF) Houston Independent School District. January 25, 2012. Retrieved on February 8, 2012.</ref> in the former Gordon Elementary building.<ref>"HISD Mandarin Chinese Immersion Magnet School Template:Webarchive." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on August 4, 2012.</ref> It is HISD's first Chinese immersion school.<ref>"Chinese Immersion School Now Accepting Teacher Applicants for the 2012-2013 school year Template:Webarchive." (Archive) Houston Independent School District. January 27, 2012. Retrieved on February 8, 2012.</ref> The school was scheduled to move to the St. George Place area of Houston;<ref>"Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School breaks ground for new facility." Houston Independent School District. December 8, 2014. Retrieved on December 15, 2014. See HISDTV video</ref> it was scheduled to open in August 2016.<ref name=Bairdopening>Baird, Annette. "August 2016 opening planned for Mandarin Chinese Language school." Houston Chronicle. Monday December 29, 2014. Retrieved on June 24, 2016.</ref> In 2017 HISD announced plans to demolish the Gordon/former MIMS campus so Bellaire High School's baseball practice field could be relocated there, allowing HISD to easily rebuild the high school main campus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On April 29, 1992, during an attendance boundary hearing committee for Southwest Houston, residents of a small portion of Bellaire zoned to Cunningham Elementary School, a school in Houston that was one block away from the city limits of Bellaire, advocated for a rezoning to Condit Elementary School, a facility in the City of Bellaire that was about Template:Convert away from that section. Condit was about 50% White and had a middle class student body while Cunningham was 95% Hispanic. On May 21, 1992, the HISD board voted to rezone that portion to Condit.<ref>McAdams, p. 55.</ref>
Around the early 1990s portions of Bellaire west of the 610 Loop were zoned to Jane Long Middle School,<ref name=McAdamsp57>McAdams, p. 57.</ref> while portions inside the 610 Loop were zoned to Pershing.<ref name=McAdamsp58>McAdams, p. 58. "Bellaire residents who lived east of the 610 loop were zoned to Pershing Middle School"</ref> During that decade, the Bellaire Area School Improvement Committee, or BASIC, was formed to improve the reputation of HISD in Bellaire and to improve Bellaire area schools. The committee opened after HISD's failed attempt to acquire property in Bellaire for the West University relief school.<ref name="McAdamsp57"/> An attempt to buy land at Bissonnet Street at Newcastle Drive in the City of Bellaire for a school to relieve West University Elementary School failed since City of Bellaire officials and parents living in Bellaire complained when they learned that they would not be zoned to the new school while losing what Tim Fleck of the Houston Press described as "a prime chunk of taxable property."<ref name="Fleck3">Fleck, Tim. "What Went Wrong at the Rice School?." Houston Press. August 21, 1997. 3. Retrieved on September 8, 2009.</ref>
After its formation, BASIC installed a gifted and talented magnet at Jane Long, a school which Donald R. McAdams, a former HISD school board member and author of Fighting to Save Our Urban Schools—and Winning!: Lessons from Houston, described as a school that was "unacceptable" to Bellaire residents since it was less than 10% white.<ref name=McAdamsp57/> McAdams added that even with the new program, to many parents in Bellaire, Long was "never going to be acceptable" due to the overwhelming Hispanic presence.<ref name=McAdamsp57/> Therefore, there was a proposal to convert Gordon into a small middle school for Bellaire.<ref name=McAdamsp57/> The school would have space for about 500 students and would be at least 50% White, so it was popular among many Bellaire residents, particularly those outside of the 610 Loop. However those inside the 610 Loop did not want to lose access to Pershing, a full service middle school that was about 40% White. An attendance boundary committee for at HISD met from December 1992 to March 1993. McAdams wrote that the committee was "an all-out war" between the two sides.<ref name=McAdamsp58/> In February 1993 pro-Gordon persons argued that HISD should purchase a commercial building north of Long and renovate it into an elementary school which would relieve Gordon Elementary and other overcrowded are schools. McAdams wrote that the staff members of HISD superintendent Frank Petruzielo "liked the idea, but unfortunately, on close examination the building proved to be inadequate."<ref name=McAdamsp58/> In April 1993 the HISD board declared that the Gordon campus would continue to be an elementary school. McAdams wrote that the Gordon supporters and many Bellaire residents were "furious".<ref name=McAdamsp58/>
Primary and secondary private schools
[edit]
Three independent (private) schools, including Episcopal High School (9–12), The Post Oak School (Montessori K–8), and the Veritas Christian Academy (K–8), are located in Bellaire.<ref>Home Template:Webarchive. The Post Oak School. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref><ref>Home Page. Veritas Christian Academy of Houston. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> Episcopal High School opened in fall 1984. Its campus previously housed Marion High School and the Congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, a Roman Catholic school operated by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament and within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.<ref>Episcopal High School Template:Webarchive. Greater Houston Community Foundation. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.</ref><ref>History of Episcopal High School Template:Webarchive. Episcopal High School. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> The current campus of the Post Oak School opened in 1986;<ref>Campus & Facilities Template:Webarchive. The Post Oak School. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> the school had been previously housed in the Gordon Elementary School campus.<ref name="SchoolHistoriesHISD"/>
Holy Ghost School, a Catholic private K–8 school, is located in Houston and adjacent to the Bellaire city limits.<ref>School Location and Directions Template:Webarchive. Holy Ghost School. Retrieved on November 19, 2008.</ref> Another Catholic K–8, St. Vincent de Paul School, is nearby.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other private schools near Bellaire in areas of Houston include Saint Agnes Academy, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, and St. Thomas' Episcopal School.<ref name="SouthwestChamberBel"/> Template:As of The Village School in the Energy Corridor area has a bus service to an area along Westpark, via Royal Oaks Country Club. This stop serves students living in Bellaire.<ref>Template:Cite web - Village Bus Routes 2018-2019 Template:Webarchive (states: "Sam's Club @5301 S. Rice Bellaire (used by students in Galleria, Bellaire, West University, etc.)") and Royal Oaks/Westpark Bus Route Template:Webarchive (states: "Families who live in the Galleria, West University, Bellaire, etc. areas may access this service from the Sam's Club stop.") - Note the Sam's Club is in the Houston city limits.</ref>
Community colleges
[edit]The Texas Legislature designated Houston Community College System (HCC) as serving Houston ISD (including Bellaire).<ref>Sec. 130.182. HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.</ref>
The community college district operates the HCCS Gulfton Center, located at 5407 Gulfton Drive in the Gulfton area of Houston. Gulfton Center, a Template:Convert campus building owned by HCCS, opened in 1990 after Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Co. sold the building to HCCS for $700,000 (equivalent to $Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year dollars). The West Loop Center, an HCCS-owned campus at 5601 West Loop South which opened in Spring 1999, is in Houston and in close proximity to Bellaire.<ref>TSPR Houston Community College System Template:Webarchive. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Retrieved on September 23, 2008.</ref><ref>Bivins, Ralph. Lower-priced buildings keep office sales humming. Houston Chronicle. July 22, 1990. Business section, page 6.</ref> Both the Gulfton and West Loop campuses are part of the district's Southwest College.<ref>Southwest College Template:Webarchive. Houston Community College System. Retrieved on April 22, 2009.</ref>
Public libraries
[edit]
The city of Bellaire also operates its own library, the Bellaire City Library, at 5111 Jessamine Street.<ref>Library Template:Webarchive. City of Bellaire. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref> In 1951 it opened; initially the sole librarian worked only part-time.<ref name=McBeeL/> The Friends of the Bellaire Library, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established that year to support the City of Bellaire Library.<ref>About Us Template:Webarchive. Friends of the Bellaire Library. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.</ref>
Media
[edit]The Houston Chronicle is the area regional newspaper. Residents receive the Bellaire/West U/River Oaks/Meyerland local section.<ref>Bellaire * River Oaks * West U. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on November 15, 2008.</ref>
The Village News and Southwest News is the oldest local paper currently published in Bellaire; its offices are at 5160 Spruce Street.<ref>"Advertising with us is easy!" (Archive) Village News and Southwest News. Retrieved on April 13, 2014.</ref> The Bellaire Examiner is a newspaper distributed free to residents.<ref>Bellaire Examiner. Houston Community Newspapers Online. Retrieved on December 11, 2008.</ref> The Bellaire Buzz, one of four magazines produced by the Buzz Magazines, is a monthly publication about people, products and services in the community. It is mailed free of charge to all residents the first week of each month. BellaireConnect.com is a community website for Bellaire and its surrounding neighborhoods. Bellaire•West University Essentials<ref>Bellaire•West University Essentials</ref> is an informational community magazine that is delivered monthly to all homes in the city.
In the mid-20th century the community newspaper Southwestern Times served Bellaire and surrounding communities.<ref>Southwestern Times (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 24, 1946. Page: 1 of 16 (Page view). Posted at the Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas. Retrieved on March 2, 2017.</ref> The paper was headquartered in Rice Village, and it served as an official publication for the city.<ref>Southwestern Times (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 22, 1948. Page: 2 of 20 . Posted at the Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas. Retrieved on March 2, 2017. "2510 Times Boulevard, Houston 5, Texas (In The Village)"</ref>
The Bellaire Texan, which served the community in the mid-20th Century,<ref>The Bellaire Texan (Bellaire, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 31, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 14, 1955. p. 1 of 16 (see page). At the Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas. Retrieved on March 2, 2017. "215 N. 6th St., Bellaire, Texas"</ref> was headquartered in Bellaire and published by the Texan Publishing Corporation. It was an official paper of that city.<ref>The Bellaire Texan (Bellaire, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 31, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 14, 1955. p. 4 of 16 (see page). At the Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas. Retrieved on March 2, 2017. "215 N. 6th St., Bellaire, Texas"</ref> By 1975 it became known as the Bellaire & Southwestern Texan and was published by the Preston Publishing Company. It was then headquartered in Houston.<ref>The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan (Bellaire, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 8, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 25, 1975, Page: 2 of 47 (see page). At the Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas. Retrieved on March 2, 2017. "6622 Ferris St. Houston, Texas 77036"</ref> Jack Gurwell had established the newspaper in 1954; Lynn McBee of the Bellaire Examiner described him as "a Damon Runyonesque character".<ref name=McBeeL/>
Transportation
[edit]
Bellaire is a member city of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO).<ref>A Comprehensive Look at the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas Template:Webarchive. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas. Retrieved September 10, 2008.</ref> The city is served by bus lines 2 (Bellaire), 9 (Gulfton/Holman), 20 (Canal/Memorial), 49 (Chimney Rock/S Post Oak), 65 (Bissonnet), 309 (Gulfton Circulator), and 402 Bellaire Quickline.<ref>System Map Template:Webarchive. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.</ref> The Bellaire Transit Center, located at 5100 Bellaire Boulevard at South Rice Avenue, has six lines (2, 20, 49, 65, 309, 402).<ref>Bellaire Transit Center Template:Webarchive. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.</ref> As of 2010 METRO has proposed to build the Bellaire Station as part of the METRORail University Line.<ref>"METRO Solutions Phase 2 University Corridor. Template:Webarchive" Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas. Retrieved on January 22, 2010.</ref>
In Bellaire's early history, Bellaire Boulevard and a historic street car line connected Bellaire to Houston. The street car line, which ran a four-mile (6 km) stretch from central Bellaire to Houston's Main Street, started construction in 1909. The streetcar line consisted of one railway track and an overhead electric wire. A waiting pavilion and a turnaround loop were located at the terminus in Bellaire. The Houston Electric Company had simultaneously constructed a south end line from Eagle Avenue to what is now Fannin Street to connect to the Bellaire Boulevard line. Service, with one required transfer at Eagle Avenue, began on December 28, 1910. The streetcar was nicknamed the "Toonerville Trolley". On September 26, 1927, the trolley line was abandoned and replaced by a bus line. This was due to frequent derailments caused by a worn-out track and the advent of the automobile.<ref name="Handbook" /> In 1985, a similar streetcar was acquired in Portugal and brought to Bellaire for permanent display.<ref name="trolley1985">Template:Cite journal ()</ref>
Notable people
[edit]- Jon Bass
- Ezra Charles
- Bubba Crosby
- José Cruz Jr.,<ref name="Tolson"/> longtime MLB outfielder and coach
- Richard Linklater
- Emeka Okafor, former college and NBA player
- Dennis Quaid
- Randy Quaid
- Brent Spiner
- Jaylen Waddle
- Josh Wolf (born 2000), baseball player in the Cleveland Indians organization and for Team Israel
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- McAdams, Donald R. Fighting to Save Our Urban Schools – and Winning!: Lessons from Houston. Teachers College Press, 2000. Template:ISBN, 9780807770351.
External links
[edit]Template:Geographic Location 2
Template:Bellaire, Texas Template:Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown MSA Template:Harris County, Texas Template:Texas Template:Authority control Template:Good article