Back in the 1980s, touring the Bellaire neighborhoods made for a mix of well-kept post World War II FHA homes, and run down rental houses that were ready for the bulldozer to put them to rest. This little city is an island within the metropolitan confines of Houston, and has been so since early 1900s, but it’s own local government had kept a authoritarian rein on development which prevented the area from improving with the times.

Fortunately in the early nineties home developers were let of their tight leashes, and soon new custom luxury homes were being built for the upper middle class of Houston. This soon attracted people that had been looking to live in the prestigious West University area, but could either afford, or find a home they wanted to buy.

Prices in the beginning for the new homes on re-purposed land in Bellaire were quite reasonable compared to it’s bordering communities, but over the last twenty years home prices have come up to the same levels as the rest. Doing a cursory search for real estate currently on the market reveals that their are a dozen single family houses that are priced over the one million dollar mark, which a far cry from the dilapidated rental quarters that stood on the very same spot back in the late 80s.

People new to the area always are in a quandary about why there would be a separate city within the Houston Metro boundaries, and the truth is that when Bellaire, Texas was developed it was quite a distance from the limits of the Bayou City, in fact miles. Originally, Bellaire was a thousand acre ranch that was eventually broken up into smaller farms, and at the center of this agricultural community, there was acreage reserved where a small village was erected for local business trade for the farmers. In nineteen hundred and eighteen, that village became a city of her own, and no longer just an incorporated area in the county.

Having their own police and fire departments makes for a much safer area to live, as they do not have to depend on the services of Houston’s civil services. The reaction times to 911 calls are much quicker, and the Bellaire Police department has always had a reputation for almost being over vigilant about the safety and security of it’s residents. However, even with high crime rates statistics being not far away in adjacent areas Bellaire takes care of their own, and keeps life to a dull roar amongst the fourth largest city in the United States.