Montrose

For all of the Californians reading this: it’s pronounced “Mon-TRose” not “Mont-rose”. This funky little slice of town is marked by the North/South borders of Allen Parkway and 59, and sits between Shepherd and Taft as its East/West borders. Eclectic, fun, effervescent, groovy, vivid, bright, and colorful: Montrose is in absolutely no shortage of personality. The area is also teeming with the best and brightest in culinary minds, design, and some of the cutest boutiques in town. My favorite restaurants and bars in the area are Rosie Cannonball, Marmo, OSTIA, Traveler’s Table, La Colombe d’Or, Bistro Menil, Candente, and Clarkwood.

The range of different types of homes in Montrose is wide as the day is long. From tiny tear-towns to massive modern titans that rise above the rooflines. A plethora of highrises and midrises are also available, all with stunning views of the downtown Houston skyline. This also happens to be one of the most walkable neighborhoods in town, as the street grid is much tighter than other parts of the city.

When house hunting here, keep these things in mind:

1. A fair amount of stucco can be found over here, so please make sure you get a separate stucco inspection! 
2. Since the area was developed very early and has since been reimagined time and time again, make sure you get a new survey when the property changes hands. Most of the time the previous survey (if not more than 10 years old) is often acceptable if the footprint of the property has not changed. But since this area is constantly changing, its best practice to get a new survey so you know whats yours and whats not. 
3. Is the house on a very very busy street, or does it back up to one? Are you ok with this?
4. Guest and street parking… is there any? 
5. If you are wanting to do a remodel or a new build, what kind of deed restrictions are in place? What does your build time look like?