The Heights has undergone many changes in recent years. Old houses are being knocked down to make way for impressive new ones and many new businesses have popped up. Some would say these changes have morphed the identity of the neighborhood. That the Heights no longer is what it once was. But at its essence, the Heights is still an old, historic neighborhood with a tight-knit community. Just ask the people who live there. That’s what Maggie Martin of Houston Matters did.

Martin recently caught up with three longtime Heights residents to talk about the neighborhood they love. She sat down with Mitch Cohen, artist and founder of First Saturday Arts Market (Heights resident for 21 years), Viula Torgerson, creator of The Heights Life blog (11 years), and David Leftwich, executive editor of Sugar and Rice magazine (11 years). They discussed how the Heights has changed a great deal in recent times and is growing in popularity. The group acknowledges that the area is much different than it was even ten years ago. That being said, they still feel that the neighborhood’s history and sense of community are the driving forces behind its appeal.

Torgerson and Leftwich both touch on the historic value of the Heights. Leftwich explains how there’s such a rich history of the Heights with it being one of the first suburban neighborhoods in Houston. Torgerson, a resident of the Norhill area of the Heights, says that living in a historic district is very important to her. She wanted to live in a place that wasn’t prone to constant developmental changes and being in a historic district has protected against that. Unfortunately, not all parts of the Heights are protected from new developments.

With the neighborhood growing in popularity, a lot of old houses in the area are being torn down to make way for new ones that will sell for a huge price. Developers aren’t concerned with whether the new houses will fit into the neighborhood, or even really fit their lot, but with how much they’ll sell for. For longtime residents, this is mostly disappointing to see, but they’ll tell you that, despite all the new developments, the Heights has maintained its small town feel.

Torgerson describes how these new houses and the neighborhood’s increased popularity have actually led to a greater sense of community. Partly because of the new developments and partly because of the desirability of the Heights, houses in the area are no longer seen as starter homes. People are buying houses and staying in them. As a result, residents are getting to know their neighbors better and developing enduring relationships with them.

One of the biggest changes Leftwich has seen in his eleven years in the Heights is in the number of small, independent businesses. He sees a lot more of these small restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the neighborhood today and says that they’ve created a very vibrant community. Torgerson agrees, adding that many people in the Heights are getting to know fellow residents by frequenting the same local businesses. This has only increased the already high sense of community in the area.

Many people are moving to the Heights because of its magnificent new houses and popular reputation. But Cohen says that the real reason people continue to come to the Heights is for its small town feel. He describes the “front porch mentality” of the neighborhood’s residents and how, despite the changes, there is still an overwhelming sense of community. It truly feels like you’re living in a small town. The Heights may not be the same place it was twenty, or even ten years ago, but as the people who live there will tell you, if you take a close look, it’s really not that much different either.

Listen to Martin’s full conversation with Cohen, Torgerson and Leftwich here.

Buying or selling a home in the Heights? Give me a call at 713.829.3052 or email me at cynthia@cynthiamullins.com.

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