River Oaks, Houston, Texas
Encyclopedia
- "River Oaks" redirects here. For the city in Tarrant County, see River Oaks, TexasRiver Oaks, TexasRiver Oaks is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,427 at the 2010 census.-Geography:River Oaks is located at ....
.
River Oaks is an affluent community located in the geographic center of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
and Uptown
Uptown Houston
The Uptown District of Houston is located 6.2 miles west of downtown and is centered along Post Oak Boulevard, Westheimer Road , and the Galleria...
, the community spans 1100 acres (445.2 ha). Established in the 1920s by brothers William and Michael Hogg, the community became a well-publicized national model for community planning. River Oaks is considered to be one of the wealthiest communities in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and has one of the wealthiest zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s in the United States. Real estate values in the community range from $1 to over $20 million. The community is home to River Oaks Country Club
River Oaks Country Club
River Oaks Country Club is a country club located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States. The club has hosted the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament since 1931....
, which includes a golf facility designed by architect Donald Ross.
History
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Jim Hogg
Jim Hogg
James Stephen "Big Jim" Hogg was a Texas lawyer, doctor and statesman, and the 20th Governor of Texas. He was born near Rusk, Texas. Hogg was a follower of the conservative New South Creed which became popular following the U.S. Civil War, and was also associated with populism. He was the first...
, and attorney Hugh Potter established River Oaks in the 1920s. Potter obtained an option to purchase 200 acres (80.9 ha) around the River Oaks Country Club in 1923, and in the following year William Hogg established the Country Club Estates in order to support the development of the community. The two brothers promoted the sale of lots in the subdivision for $2,200 apiece in 1928. The brothers, along with sister Ima Hogg
Ima Hogg
Ima Hogg , known as "The First Lady of Texas", was an American philanthropist, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during the 20th century. Hogg was an avid art collector, and owned works by Picasso, Klee, and Matisse, among others...
, oversaw the construction of Bayou Bend
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, located in the River Oaks community in Houston, Texas, United States, is a facility of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston that houses a collection of decorative art, paintings and furniture. Bayou Bend is the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg...
, a stately southern-style home on the banks of Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County, Texas, USA. It begins in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas and flows approximately east to the Houston Ship Channel and then into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
.
The development plans ensured that River Oaks's parks and esplanades were planted with oaks, shrubs, azaleas and other flowers. Every detail of the development was planned to establish a well-integrated community. Advertised as a "distinguished experiment in fine living," River Oaks became a national
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
model for community planning. River Oaks' planning standards, residential architecture, and landscape design were publicized during the 1920s and 1930s in national newspapers, real estate media and design journals. Deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
restrictions at the time restricted home prices to over $7,000 and specified architectural styles, with a gentlemen's agreement
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
excluding blacks
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
, Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, and other minorities. Homes along Kirby Drive were restricted to American Colonial or English Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
style architecture.
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
opened during the same year. After the start of the Great Depression 300 families lived in River Oaks. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
River Oaks became predominately of upper class residents. After World War II as Houston experienced its greatest growth, River Oaks would become a haven for the wealthy of the city, and the middle classes and below had to look elsewhere for affordable housing.
River Oaks has been the subject matter of scholarly studies, primarily because its significant contributions to Houston's history and development as an elite suburban community. The community was the site of the 1972 murder of Dr. John Hill (later described in Thomas Thompson's novel, Blood and Money) and the 1997 murder of Doris Angleton
Doris Angleton
Doris Angleton was a Texas socialite and murder victim. Doris Angleton's husband, Robert Angleton, had been accused of planning the crime...
. River Oaks was the home of Jeff Skilling before he began serving his 25 year sentence in a prison in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
for his involvement in the Enron scandal
Enron scandal
The Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas, and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world...
.
The River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics
River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics
River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics is a building at 2503 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, United States listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the "Forum of Civics."...
, located in Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby is a commercial district in Houston, Texas, United States.Upper Kirby contains many businesses, including restaurants. Upper Kirby is east of the Greenway Plaza, southwest of Neartown, north of the city of West University Place, and south of River Oaks.Upper Kirby is considered to be in...
, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the "Forum of Civics" on October 13, 1988. Formerly a county schoolhouse, the building is currently the administrative center for the River Oaks Garden Club.
In 2011 Bloomberg Businessweek ranked River Oaks as the seventh most expensive housing blocks in the United States.
Geography
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
and Uptown
Uptown Houston
The Uptown District of Houston is located 6.2 miles west of downtown and is centered along Post Oak Boulevard, Westheimer Road , and the Galleria...
, River Oaks spans 1100 acres (445.2 ha). The community is located in a region bounded on the north by Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County, Texas, USA. It begins in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas and flows approximately east to the Houston Ship Channel and then into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
, on the east by South Shepherd Drive, on the west by Willowick Road, and on the south by Westheimer Road
Westheimer Road
Westheimer Road is an arterial road in the western half of Houston, Texas, United States. It runs from Bagby Street west to the Westpark Tollway. Westheimer Road runs roughly parallel to and south of Buffalo Bayou throughout its course. The street was named after Michael Louis Westheimer, a...
. River Oaks is located northeast of Uptown
Uptown Houston
The Uptown District of Houston is located 6.2 miles west of downtown and is centered along Post Oak Boulevard, Westheimer Road , and the Galleria...
, north of the Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby is a commercial district in Houston, Texas, United States.Upper Kirby contains many businesses, including restaurants. Upper Kirby is east of the Greenway Plaza, southwest of Neartown, north of the city of West University Place, and south of River Oaks.Upper Kirby is considered to be in...
district, west of Neartown
Neartown Houston
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west...
, and is near to the freeway system and many major thoroughfares such as Westheimer Road, Kirby Drive and San Felipe Street.
River Oaks Boulevard, a road that runs through the center of the community, is lined on both sides by mansions and estates located away from the street. The two square mile (5.2 m2) area of the subdivision comprises approximately 1,400 homes, mostly detached single family homes.
Demographics
River Oaks is within the Houston Super Neighborhood #23 Afton Oaks/River Oaks, a division of the City of Houston that includes River Oaks and some surrounding subdivisions. In 2000 the Super Neighborhood had 14,313 residents; 12,273 of them (85.74%) were non-HispanicHispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Whites. 1,160 (8.1%) were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, 390 (2.72%) were Asian, 247 (1.72%) were Black, 18 were Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, 13 were Native Hawaiian, and 23 were non-Hispanic others. 189 people were of two or more races.
According to the United States census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
in 2000, of the 12,088 residents over 18 years of age, 10,390 (85.95%) were non-Hispanic White. 945 (7.81%) were Hispanic, 353 (2.92%) were Asian, 205 (1.7%) were Black, 17 were Native American, 8 were Native Hawaiian, and 22 were non-Hispanic other. 148 were of two or more races.
The super neighborhood had 8,169 housing units. Of the 7,401 occupied units, 3,573 were rental units and 3,828 were owner units. The Super Neighborhood had 3,518 families with a total of 9,521 individuals. Afton Oaks/River Oaks Super Neighborhood had a lower average family size than the average City of Houston family size. The Afton Oaks/River Oaks average was 2.71, while the city average was 3.39.
River Oaks is considered to be one of the wealthiest communities in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and has one of the wealthiest zip codes in the United States. Residents are predominantly successful professionals, and real estate values range from $1 million to over $20 million.
Culture, parks, and recreation
Hugh Prather
Hugh Prather was a writer, minister, and counselor, most famous for his first book, Notes to Myself , which was first published in 1970, sold over 5 million copies, and has been translated into ten languages.Together with his second wife, Gayle Prather, whom he married in 1965, he wrote other...
, the center, originally known as River Oaks Community Center, was one of the first automobile-oriented retail centers in the United States. Its design, with arcs of retail space on either side of West Gray Avenue, was considered a model for future development. Portions of the historic shopping center were demolished in September 2007 to redevelop the site for a bookstore and parking garage. As of 2008, Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres is the largest art house movie theater chain in the United States. It is owned by Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner through their 2929 Entertainment. The chain shows mostly first run independent, foreign film, and restored classics though some Landmark theaters also show more mainstream...
operates the River Oaks Theatre
River Oaks Theatre
The River Oaks Theatre is a historic movie theater located at 2009 West Gray Street in the Neartown community in Houston, Texas, United States, east of the River Oaks community. The theater has three projection screens; one large screen, downstairs, and two smaller screens, upstairs.-History:The...
, an "arthouse" theater, located in the center. The theater is the last historic movie theater in Houston that is still being used as it was originally designed.
River Oaks is home to the forty-member River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra is a Houston based Chamber Orchestra founded in 2005 by Principal Oboist Alecia Lawyer. Now in its fourth season, the program includes classical music as well as compositions from contemporary composers . The participating musicians represent outstanding players...
. The orchestra is composed of musicians from around the United States and guest conductors from around the world. The training facilities for the Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
and its pre-professional school, the Ben Stevenson Academy, are located on West Gray, east of the River Oaks Shopping Center. In 2010 Ruthie Johnson of the Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
said "It's not surprising that one of the most exclusive zip codes in the country has some pretty fantastic food -- but rest assured that the 'hood isn't all iced tea and crumpets."
River Oaks Country Club
River Oaks Country Club is a country club located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States. The club has hosted the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament since 1931....
, located within the community on the northern end of River Oaks Boulevard, is a country club that includes a golf facility that was designed by architect Donald Ross. Ross is considered to be one of the most significant golf course designers in the history of golfing. Opening in 1923, the country club has hosted the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament
River Oaks International Tennis Tournament
River Oaks Country Club has played host to the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament since 1931. The tournament is the oldest in the country to still be played in its original site, in the original stadium. From the very beginning, the River Oaks International was an amateur tournament, and...
since 1931. The Houston Intown Chamber of Commerce assists economic activity in River Oaks.
Several municipal parks serve River Oaks. River Oaks Park and the River Oaks Community Center, operated by the City of Houston, is located at 3600 Locke Lane. River Oaks Park includes a quarter mile (.402336 kilometer) off-road trail located within the park's boundaries, tennis courts, a playground, and a lighted sports ground. On June 24, 1999, the River Oaks Property Owners, Inc. entered an agreement with the City of Houston; ROPO agreed to maintain and upgrade parks and esplanades in River Oaks. ROPO also has the right to spend its own funds to improve them. Municipal parks assisted by ROPO include Del Monte Park, Mary Elliot Park, Ella Lee Park, Homewood Park, Kirby Park, Rebecca Meyer Park, Olympia Park, Pine Valley Park, and Sleepy Hollow Park.
Primary and secondary schools
Houston Independent School District
The Houston Independent School District is the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and insular municipalities...
(HISD) operates the public schools serving River Oaks. The community is within Trustee District VII, represented by Harvin C. Moore as of 2009.
The attendance boundaries of River Oaks Elementary School
River Oaks Elementary School (Houston)
River Oaks Elementary School is a magnet Vanguard school for the Houston Independent School District. It is located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States and functions as a neighborhood school for the River Oaks, Avalon Place, Oak Estates, and Royden Oaks neighborhoods in...
, Lanier Middle School
Lanier Middle School (Houston)
Sidney Lanier Middle School is an internal charter middle school located at 2600 Woodhead Street in Houston, Texas, United States, with a ZIP code of 77098...
, and Lamar High School
Lamar High School (Houston)
Mirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School is a secondary school located at 3325 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, United States, with a zip code of 77098...
include River Oaks. Lanier opened in 1926, River Oaks Elementary opened in 1929, and Lamar opened in 1937. Between 1986 and 1996, River Oaks Elementary School only admitted magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
students from other areas of the city. The community was divided between the attendance zones of Wilson Elementary School (opened in 1925) and the now closed Will Rogers Elementary School (opened in 1950, closed in summer 2006). In 1995, several River Oaks parents petitioned HISD to re-establish the neighborhood program at River Oaks Elementary School which allows non-magnet students residing in the school's boundaries to attend. Some magnet parents opposed, believing that the River Oaks program would reduce racial diversity at the school. In fall 1996, HISD added a neighborhood program to the school for grades Kindergarten through 2, with grades 3 through 5 phased in over a subsequent three-year period.
Crockett Early Childhood Center is the closest public early childhood center to River Oaks, while Wilson Elementary School's preschool program is the closest tuition-based program. Only economically disadvantaged students, homeless students, students who are not proficient in English, or children of active-duty members of the U.S. military or whose parent has been killed, injured, or missing in action while on active duty may be enrolled in tuition-free HISD preschools. Students who are eligible for HISD's preschools may attend any Early Childhood Center in Houston ISD for free. Students not eligible may enroll in tuition-based HISD preschool programs.
Several independent (private) schools
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
serve the community. Since the 1970s and by 1995, most of the children in River Oaks were sent to private schools. Catholic schools, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston encompasses of ten counties in the southeastern area of Texas: Galveston; Harris; Austin; Brazoria; Fort Bend; Grimes; Montgomery; San Jacinto; Walker; and Waller.The chancery of the diocese is located in Downtown Houston. The Archdiocese's...
, include St. Thomas High School (9-12, males only, north of River Oaks along the north edge of the Buffalo Bayou)
and St. Anne Catholic School
St. Anne Catholic School (Houston, Texas)
St. Anne Catholic School is a Roman Catholic parochial school located at 2120 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, United States. A part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the school is located at the southeast corner of River Oaks at the intersection of Westheimer and...
(K-8, between River Oaks and Neartown
Neartown Houston
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west...
). Other private schools in the area and private schools marketed to River Oaks families include St. John's School (K–12, in Upper Kirby), Annunciation Orthodox School
Annunciation Orthodox School
Annunciation Orthodox School, or AOS, is a private school located in Houston, Texas, United States, established in 1970.Annunciation Orthodox School began as a ministry of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Over the years it has grown from one early childhood class to a school averaging 670...
(K-8, in the Neartown area), River Oaks Baptist School
River Oaks Baptist School
River Oaks Baptist School is a private primary and secondary school located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas. The school serves students in Discovery through the 8th grade. The official school mascot is the Raider....
(K-8, in River Oaks), Episcopal High School
Episcopal High School (Bellaire, Texas)
Episcopal High School is a co-educational private day school in Bellaire, Texas, United States. The high school is located on a campus in the city, which is partially surrounded by the city of Houston....
(9-12, Bellaire
Bellaire, Texas
Bellaire is a city in southwest Harris County, Texas, United States, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 15,642 and is completely surrounded by the cities of Houston and West University Place....
), The Kinkaid School
The Kinkaid School
The Kinkaid School is a K-12 non-sectarian school in Piney Point Village, Texas, United States.The Kinkaid School is the oldest independent coeducational school in the Houston, Texas area . The student body is divided into the Lower School , the Middle School and the Upper School...
, and St. Francis Episcopal Day School (Texas)
St. Francis Episcopal Day School (Texas)
St. Francis Episcopal Day School is a private Episcopal elementary and middle school located at 335 Piney Point Road in Piney Point Village, Texas, United States, near the city of Houston....
in (Piney Point Village
Piney Point Village, Texas
Piney Point Village is a city in Harris County, Texas. The population was 3,380 at the 2000 census. Piney Point Village is also considered one of the wealthiest communities in the Greater Houston area.-History:...
). In 2006 St. Anne Catholic School received the Blue Ribbon Award
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
.
Colleges and universities
River Oaks is within the Houston Community College SystemHouston Community College System
Houston Community College System is a community college system that operates community colleges in Houston, Missouri City, and Stafford in Texas....
boundaries. The closest campuses are the Central Campus in Midtown and the West Loop Center. Four-year universities and colleges in close proximity to River Oaks include University of St. Thomas in Neartown and Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in the Houston Museum District
Houston Museum District
The Houston Museum District commonly known as, “The Museum District,” is an association of museums, galleries, cultural centers and community organizations located in Houston, Texas, dedicated to promoting the arts, sciences, and cultural amenities of the area.The Houston Museum District currently...
.
Libraries
Houston Public Library
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. The library system has its headquarters in the Marston Building in Neartown Houston.-History:It can trace its founding to the Houston Lyceum in 1854...
. The current Looscan Branch building opened in September 2007. The former Americans with Disabilities Act non-compliant library, which was established in 1956, closed on August 27, 2005 and was demolished in February 2006.
The previous Looscan branch had around 61,000 visitors in the fiscal year 2005. The original plans for Looscan called for the library to get a 5.37 million renovation. An Upper Kirby group proposed a new site near the Upper Kirby YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
. Around that period the group Friends for Neighborhood Libraries began raising funds. The replacement library, with a cost of $6.2 million, had twice the staff and two and one half times the size of the previous facility. Friends of Neighborhood Libraries had raised one million dollars in four months, and around 2.5 million in total to help fund the new library; the group spent about 30,000 dollars for the expenses. The 21000 square foot library, designed by Jackson & Ryan Architects, houses over 60,000 books and is the first city LEED-certified facility. It includes a 120 seat multipurpose meeting room and a 14 seat private conference room. The library has several reading areas, including the Marsha Moody Children's Reading Room, a teenager reading area, and a periodical reading area. The exterior was designed to match visual cues of buildings in the surrounding area, such as the River Oaks Baptist Church and School
River Oaks Baptist School
River Oaks Baptist School is a private primary and secondary school located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas. The school serves students in Discovery through the 8th grade. The official school mascot is the Raider....
. The Emily Scott and Joseph Wood Evans Clock Tower, a part of the library's exterior, includes a garden book archive and works of art.
Media
The River Oaks Buzz is a monthly magazine mailed free of charge to all residents. The River Oaks Buzz is about people, products and services in the community. The Houston ChronicleHouston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
is the area's regional newspaper. On Thursdays, residents receive the Bellaire
Bellaire, Texas
Bellaire is a city in southwest Harris County, Texas, United States, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 15,642 and is completely surrounded by the cities of Houston and West University Place....
/West U
West University Place, Texas
West University Place, often called West University or West U for short, is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and southwestern Harris County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population of the city was 14,211...
/River Oaks/Meyerland
Meyerland, Houston, Texas
Meyerland is a community in southwest Houston, Texas, outside of the 610 Loop and inside Beltway 8.A notable feature of Meyerland is Meyerland Plaza, a large outdoor shopping center. Meyerland also is the center of Houston's Jewish community...
section, which covers events specific to the covered neighborhoods. The River Oaks Examiner and Village News are local newspapers distributed in the community.
Local government
Houston Fire Department
City of Houston Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States...
operates Station 3 River Oaks at 3735 West Alabama at Cummins, near River Oaks. The fire station is in Fire District 28. Station 3 moved to its current location in 1958. The station underwent a renovation in 2003 and 2004 and re-opened in the northern hemisphere spring of 2004. The community is within the Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
's Central Patrol Division, headquartered at 61 Riesner. River Oaks has one of the lowest crime rates in Houston.
The River Oaks Property Owners, Inc. offices are at 3923 San Felipe Road. The community operates its own private security force, River Oaks Patrol. The Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The DPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement and vehicle regulation. The Public Safety Commission oversees the DPS. Its five members are appointed by the Governor of Texas and confirmed by the...
classifies the force as a guard, alarm, and investigation company. The community is within Super Neighborhood #27 and its recognized council was established on October 15, 2001. Each super neighborhood represents a group of civic clubs, places of worship, businesses, and other institutions and community interests. River Oaks is a part of the Houston City Council District G.
County, state, and federal government
River Oaks is located in District 134 of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. Beginning in 2011, Sarah Davis, a Republican, will represent the district after defeating incumbent Ellen Cohen (D) in the November 2010 election. River Oaks is within District 13
Texas Senate, District 13
District 13 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Fort Bend and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 13 is Rodney Ellis.-2006:-2002:-1998:-1994:...
of the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
. As of 2008 its state Senator is Rodney Ellis
Rodney Ellis
Rodney Glenn Ellis is an African-American politician from the state of Texas. He has served on the Texas State Senate since 1990, representing Texas Senate District 13.Senator Rodney Ellis was elected to the Texas Senate in 1990...
.
The community is within Texas's 7th congressional district
Texas's 7th congressional district
Texas District 7 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves a small area of western Harris County...
. As of 2008 the representative is John Culberson
John Culberson
John Abney Culberson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party caucus...
. The United States Post Office (USPS) operates the River Oaks Post Office at 1900 West Gray Street in Neartown, supporting the zip codes 77027, and 77019. The post office sits on a 109159 square foot property with a gross building area of 18098 square foot. In addition the Julius Melcher Post Office is near River Oaks. In January 2009 the USPS announced that it will put the River Oaks Post Office property up for sale. In October of that year the USPS announced that it, for now, will not sell the River Oaks and Melcher post offices.
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston . It operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County...
(METRO) operates bus services in River Oaks. Lines serving River Oaks include 3 Langley/West Gray, 18 Kirby Limited, 35 Fairview, 73 Bellfort Crosstown, and 82 Westheimer.
Notable residents
- Jim Bath, businessman - His house was behind the house of Khalid bin MahfouzKhalid bin MahfouzKhalid bin Mahfouz was a wealthy Saudi Arabian businessman residing in Ireland. He was accused of supporting al-Qaeda.As of 2002, he was believed to be confined in a hospital in Taif by Saudi authorities...
- Dan DuncanDan DuncanDan L Duncan was an American born in Center, Texas. He was the co-founder, chairman and majority shareholder of Enterprise Products.- Philanthropy :...
, businessman - Clyde DrexlerClyde DrexlerClyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
, professional basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player - Carolyn FarbCarolyn FarbCarolyn Farb is a successful professional fundraiser, self-styled as "The First Lady of Philanthropy." Farb has raised more than 35 million dollars for numerous charitable causes. She is a resident of River Oaks, a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, U.S.A....
, philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes... - Andrew FastowAndrew FastowAndrew Stuart Fastow was the chief financial officer of Enron Corporation that was based in Houston, Texas until the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into his and the company's conduct in 2001...
and Lea FastowLea FastowLea Weingarten Fastow is the wife of former Enron executive and convicted felon Andrew Fastow and is the second former Enron executive to go to prison after Enron collapsed due to fraud in December 2001....
, primary figure of the Enron scandalEnron scandalThe Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas, and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world...
and his wife - Tilman J. FertittaTilman J. FertittaTilman Joseph Fertitta is an American businessman and the founder, chairman of the board, President, CEO and primary shareholder of Landry's Restaurants...
, developer and restaurateur - Ima HoggIma HoggIma Hogg , known as "The First Lady of Texas", was an American philanthropist, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during the 20th century. Hogg was an avid art collector, and owned works by Picasso, Klee, and Matisse, among others...
, philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and art collector - Molly IvinsMolly IvinsMary Tyler "Molly" Ivins was an American newspaper columnist, populist, political commentator, humorist and author.-Early life and education:Ivins was born in Monterey, California, and raised in Houston, Texas...
, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and liberalLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
iconIconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches... - Bob LanierBob Lanier (politician)Bob Lanier is a businessman in the real estate industry who served as mayor of the city of Houston, Texas from 1992 to 1998...
, former Mayor of Houston - Khalid bin MahfouzKhalid bin MahfouzKhalid bin Mahfouz was a wealthy Saudi Arabian businessman residing in Ireland. He was accused of supporting al-Qaeda.As of 2002, he was believed to be confined in a hospital in Taif by Saudi authorities...
, Saudi Arabian oil figure (in the 1970s he bought and lived in a $3.5 million River Oaks chateaux-style house, later named "VersaillesPalace of VersaillesThe Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
") - John W. Mecom, Sr.John W. Mecom, Sr.John W. Mecom Sr was an American businessman.John Whitfield Mecom Sr found success as an independent oilman by acquiring abandoned oil wells and then making them profitable. He also developed new fields from Louisiana to Saudi Arabia.He was once ranked as one of the top oil independents; however,...
- Robert MosbacherRobert MosbacherRobert Adam Mosbacher, Sr. , was an American businessman, accomplished yacht racer, and a Republican politician. In sailing, Sports Illustrated called him "the unquestioned master of fleet racing." In business in 1954, he found a million-dollar field of natural gas in South Texas...
, businessman and politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making... - Fayez SarofimFayez SarofimFayez Sarofim is a Coptic Egyptian American fund manager for a number of Dreyfus family stock funds. He is divorced with five children, and lives in Houston, Texas. With an estimated net worth of between $1.8 billion to $4 billion, Sarofim was ranked by Forbes as the 428-richest person in the world...
, investorInvestorAn investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
on the Forbes 500Forbes 500The Forbes 500 was an annual listing of the top 500 American companies produced by Forbes Magazine. The list was calculated by combining five factors: sales, profits, assets, market value, and employees... - Jeffrey SkillingJeffrey SkillingJeffrey Keith "Jeff" Skilling is the former president of Enron Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas. In 2006 he was convicted of multiple federal felony charges relating to Enron's financial collapse, and is currently serving a 24-year, four-month prison sentence at the Federal...
, primary figure of the Enron scandalEnron scandalThe Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas, and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world... - Lynn WyattLynn WyattLynn Sakowitz Wyatt is the daughter of the late Bernard Sakowitz and Ann Baum as well as the sister of Robert T. Sakowitz. She is a well known Houston socialite, philanthropist and third-generation Texan. Her grandfather started the Sakowitz Department Store chain...
, socialiteSocialiteA socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes... - Oscar WyattOscar WyattOscar Sherman Wyatt, Jr. is an American businessman. He was the founder of Coastal Corporation. In 2007 he pled guilty in a U.S. federal court to illegally sending payments to Iraq under the Oil for Food program.-Early history:...
, oil baron
See also
- History of HoustonHistory of HoustonThis article documents the wide-ranging history of the city of Houston, the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States.-Houston's turbulent beginning:...
- Geographic areas of Houston
- Bayou Bend Collection and GardensBayou Bend Collection and GardensBayou Bend Collection and Gardens, located in the River Oaks community in Houston, Texas, United States, is a facility of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston that houses a collection of decorative art, paintings and furniture. Bayou Bend is the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg...
- The Briar ClubThe Briar ClubThe Briar Club is a private social club in Houston, Texas. It is located in the River Oaks area, at the corner of Westheimer Road and Timmons Lane. It is between The Galleria and Downtown Houston. As of 2004 it has 1,100 members....