Community

Something brewing in Grace Presbyterian Church has coffee lovers rejoicing. That's because Sacred Heart Coffee is now open for business inside Grace's Welcome Center at 10221 Ella Lee Lane. Open to the public, the café operates Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Upon entering the Welcome Center, patrons will find a warm ambiance of tables, chairs and sofas that provide a relaxing and inviting place…..Read More

  Even a brief closure late last fall didn’t keep Daido Market Houston from topping the Houston Chronicle’s latest list of ethnic grocery stores in Houston. The beloved store reopened in December after store manager Toyo Hagiwara enlisted help from investors. Ensuring that the city’s first major Japanese grocer didn’t close forever has thrilled loyal customers, and new ones. Daido serves one of the most diverse cultural cities in the U.S. and is a local…..Read More

The City of Houston is striving to create solutions for people experiencing homelessness. It's estimated that there are 4,400 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons in Harris County, Fort Bend County and Montgomery County combined. Westchase District is not immune from the situation as more homeless encampments pop up in our area. To better understand the issue, Don McKinney, vice president of public safety for Westchase District, hosted a presentation by the Houston Police Department Homeless…..Read More

Heroes work in the communities around us. They share a common thread that’s driven by a love of helping others. You might never know about their selfless or tireless work because they don’t seek recognition or the spotlight. Westchase District’s Advisory Board premiered its inaugural Community Impact Awards in 2018 to highlight these heroes. On Thursday, Jan. 9 a new set of honorees was announced for the 2019 awards and presented to Gwyn Buzzini, Beverly…..Read More

The number of tuition-free, public charter schools has spiraled upward in recent years as parents demand more accountability and flexibility from their local school districts. Westchase District is served by two school districts. Students who live north of Westheimer attend schools from the Houston Independent School District while students living south of Westheimer attend Alief ISD schools. Now, for the first time, families living in Westchase District have the option of two public charter schools…..Read More

In 1969, all eyes were on the moon or the little town of White Lake, New York as the first manned space mission landed on the moon and half million people turned out for Woodstock. Closer to home, the Houston faithful were making plans for the first-ever worship of what would become Grace Presbyterian Church. On the first Sunday in December 1969, the new combined church of St. Matthews Presbyterian and Second Presbyterian worshiped together…..Read More

Westchase District is home to 31,000 residents living in multifamily communities, ranging from modest workforce housing to luxury living apartments. While these residents enjoy the benefits of superior mobility, public safety and beautification as maintained by the District, there’s one aspect missing from their lives: nearby parks for recreational and social opportunities. All that is about to change. The City of Houston has purchased two park sites in the area and Westchase District will develop…..Read More

  If you think of ballet as something exclusive, snobby and competitive, then think again. A new ballet school recently opened in Westchase District that welcomes dancers of all ages and abilities. Bayou City Ballet School is in the Westchase Corporate Park at 11231 Richmond Avenue and Alex Pandiscio, the school’s founder and director, has created a classically-based ballet curriculum updated for the 21st century. The perfect fit   “The school aims to prepare aspiring…..Read More

Sgt. Tyler Wilson of the Houston Police Department works double-duty as a lead officer in HPD’s Burglary & Theft Division and an officer of the Westchase District Patrol. He addressed a recent meeting of the Westchase District Public Safety Alliance with some common sense tactics to avoid becoming a victim of burglary or theft. Wilson acknowledged that his tips are already known to most people. “But we’re all busy and we’re all forgetful. We just…..Read More

Mitigation Plan Ensures that More Trees Will be Planted than will be Destroyed Removing trees that are growing in the public right-of-way can be controversial. We think of these trees as “our” shared property and enjoy the shade they provide, the habitat they offer for birds and small critters and the visual appeal of that leafy, green canopy. Sometimes that is the same for trees on private property that must be removed to accommodate a…..Read More