THE COMMUNITY of seven subdivisions collectively known as Braeswood Place was originally developed in the late 1940s with ranch style homes of brick, stone, wood or shingle. The region encompasses Braes Heights, Ayrshire, and several small subdivisions that share services such as constable patrol.
The boundaries of Braes Heights run from Bellaire Boulevard to the north and Braeswood to the south, with Sewanee as its easternmost border and Stella Link to the west. There Ayrshire begins with the same north and south boundaries and continues to the west ending in cul-de-sacs at the railroad tracks.
Convenient to the Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza and the bike track along Brays Bayou, developments in the area include the recent Vanderbilt Square shopping center, which is anchored by a Randall’s Flagship and Barnes & Noble bookstore. New high-end apartments and recently constructed patio and townhomes lie on the northern fringes of the area.
In recent years, the scene has changed as homeowners who want a new house, but not necessarily a new address, renovate or elect to tear down and build on their lot because they like their subdivision, their neighbors and location. About 11% of some 2,200 original houses that make up Braeswood Place have been replaced, by owners or spec builders, mostly in the northern part. Lot sizes in Braeswood Place are generally bigger than those in neighboring Bellaire or West University.
The Braeswood Place Homeowners Association includes residents of Ayrshire, Braes Heights, and several other neighborhoods. Residents raised almost $350,000 to renovate Karl Young Park. The project included new playground equipment, drainage, and landscaping.
This same type of grass-roots effort led the Stella Link Redevelopment Association to scoop up property adjacent to Ayrshire, located east of Stella Link between Pershing Middle School and Mark Twain Elementary, and develop the multi-million dollar recreational/educational corridor that has become the neighborhood’s crown jewel and includes Helen’s Park, a Sheltering Arms Senior Service Center, a public library, and a YMCA.
