My Montrose: Joellen Brayshaw, Castle Court Neighborhood Association

Joellen Brayshaw is the President of the Castle Court Neighborhood Association.

How long have you lived in Montrose?

We bought our house in 1998, so it will be 20 years next year.

Why did you choose the Castle Court neighborhood?

I moved to Houston in 1995, and then I met my future husband, who was working for Bechtel in the Galleria. He didn’t like to drive very far to work, so that influenced us quite a bit. As we started looking and saw the new development, we just fell in love with the neighborhood. And I still love it.

Why did you get involved in the neighborhood association?

In 2005, we embarked on a major road improvement project. They needed a liaison to work with the city and the construction crew. I took on that responsibility and was very active in that for about two years. Then I joined the board and began working on other projects. We stay abreast of what’s going on in the neighborhood, and try to get involved. We work closely with the Friends of Mandell Park, for instance.

What would you say is unique about the Castle Court neighborhood?

It’s quiet. We’re a tight-knit community, and the street reconstruction that we went through for a couple of years really brought us all closer together. We all know each other. It’s a very nice neighborhood to live in. We love our Mandell Park. And it’s a very safe neighborhood. We stay in close touch with [Houston City Councilmember] Ellen Cohen, and she’s very involved in the community. I feel this community has the ear of the city government whenever we need some attention.

What are some of the services the neighborhood association provides?

We hold regular picnics at Mandell Park for the community. We have esplanades in our neighborhood, and we come together to maintain the esplanades. And just keep a watch on each other.

I noticed that your website features photos taken at the Montrose District’s bridge lighting ceremony. What did that mean to your neighborhood?

We loved it. We’re right next to U.S. 59, and when the Montrose District decided to do the lighting, it really got us excited. All of us feel it’s a very important introduction to our city for people driving through. We’re just really happy about it, and a lot of us turned out for the ceremony.

What other projects would you like to see the Montrose District undertake?

Well, I’m really excited about the Montrose TIRZ. As far as the Montrose District, we’re looking forward to working with them on improving our streets. We have a few huge multifamily developments, and we’d like some help understanding how that’s going to affect our traffic. That’s a real concern of the neighborhood.

Castle Court Neighborhood Association. castlecourt.org