Right here in front of you-towering up like a shiny, slightly nostalgic time capsule-is Houston House Apartments. Now, you might look at this 31-story high-rise and think, “Classic modern city living,” but back in 1966, when it first opened, this place was the fresh face on the block. Designed by Charles M. Goodman-who had a real knack for mid-century flair-it brought almost 400 apartments to downtown Houston, long before high-rises were all the rage for city living.
Picture it: Lyndon B. Johnson was president, bell-bottoms were about to take over, and these apartments seemed unstoppable. Fast-forward a few decades-add a few owners, including Larry Hill and his crew-and Houston House managed a rare feat: actually staying residential in the heart of the business district. Not many old towers can boast about outlasting the trends, but here, even in 2007, 90% of the units were filled. Some of these apartments are just 500 square feet-cozy, if you’re being generous. You’d pay somewhere between $800 and $1,300 for the privilege, so… not bad if you want to trade space for skyline views.
Now, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. One wild night in 2007, a car in the garage actually went straight through a wall and landed upside-down on a neighboring roof. Talk about a plot twist no building manager wants. And as for renovations-there have been plenty. Multiple sales attempts, a dashed deal with a Chicago company, and then finally, an enormous investment just to keep the place slick and livable.
So, if you hear the echoes of past decades here, you’re not imagining it. Houston House has held on-through disco, dot-coms, and whatever’s next-still calling itself home to a long parade of Houstonians. That’s staying power.
