The Montrose neighborhood of Houston enjoys a rich cultural and ethnic diversity. Originally platted in 1911, the district was developed by J. W. Link of the Houston Land Corporation. Link’s house on Montrose Boulevard is now the administrative building for the University of St. Thomas. Long known as a Bohemian artist area, property values in Montrose have risen sharply since the 1980s as Houstonians move back into town, permanently altering the demographics of the neighborhood. Montrose today is a polyglot, with graceful old mansions, Arts and Crafts bungalows, new townhouses and patio homes, duplexes, apartments, shops, a university, world-class museums and some of the finest restaurants in Houston.
Each of the neighborhoods which comprise Montrose District has their individual characteristics. Courtlandt Place is a gated boulevard with fine old early 20th century homes, most built 1909-1920. The neighborhood and every home are registered in the National Register of Historic Places. Westmoreland Place, platted 1902, and Avondale also offer historic old mansions plus new construction and multi-family housing. Cherryhurst exudes a small Southern-town atmosphere and encompasses a park and one of Houston’s most historic schools, Woodrow Wilson Elementary. Hyde Park is the most diverse of the Montrose neighborhoods, home to traditional retail and new wave shops, trendy restaurants and clubs, remodeled bungalows, upscale new construction patio homes and town homes, lofts, and multi-family complexes. Winlow Place is a more traditional neighborhood of mostly two-story brick homes, tall trees and wide streets surrounding Lanier Middle School.
Montrose’s melting pot creates a diverse and sophisticated urban personality. Some of Houston’s most exclusive shopping is found along W. Gray, from designer clothes to fine crystal and silver to antique furniture and rugs. Area restaurants rival or surpass others in the city. Montrose boasts a number of fine museums, from the De Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel to the Holocaust Museum and the Byzantine Chapel of the University of St. Thomas.
