Acres Homes is about ten miles northwest of downtown Houston, but when you drive through this community you might not think you’re in the city. The historic neighborhood, once considered to be the South’s largest unincorporated African American community, is a unique mix of rural and urban. Acres Homes was developed during World War I and got its name because land there was sold by the acre, instead of by the lot. The land was cheap and offered rural settlers plenty of room for their chickens, horses and gardens.
Because of its proximity to downtown and the vast amount of affordable, heavily-wooded land that still exists today in Acres Homes, local painters and sculptors have been drawn to the community. The artists enclave has also attracted the attention of a number of developers, including hip hop artist Slim Thug who grew up in Acres Homes. Other big names from Acres Homes include: Houston's Former Mayor, Sylvester Turner, award-winning actress Loretta Devine, and rappers Camillionaire and Paul Wall.
If you’re looking for a great park with a top-notch baseball field, then you don’t want to pass up a visit to Sylvester Turner Park, which is home to the Houston Astros and Major League Baseball’s youth softball and baseball programs. The fields are fantastic and there’s also a great walking trail.
The "44" as some residents affectionately call it (after the Metro bus that runs through the community), also boasts some of the best barbecue joints in the city, and one of the most popular is the family-owned Burns BBQ.
