As time marched on, much of Houston's development turned to the west of town, and many of the upscale eastern neighborhoods like Glenbrook Valley were no longer in the spotlight, and were increasingly ignored by many people. Obscurity is not necessarily a bad thing, but Glenbrook Valley ceased to be seen as a trendy neighborhood for affluent Houstonians, and had an increasingly older population.

Then came the economic crash of the 1980s, which caused a deleterious affect on the entire area. Many older residents moved away, causing those homes to fall into disrepair. The surrounding neighborhoods were largely low income and working class, and seedy motels and other businesses had sprung up to serve travelers around the airport.

Over the years, some of the original homes had also been remodeled to the point of losing much of the appeal of their original design. Before mid century mod became trendy and in demand again, the style looked dated and old fashioned to many people.

The neighborhood also became more ethnically diverse as time marched on. Minorities, particularly Hispanics and Asians, began to have a larger presence, drawn to the neighborhoods still affordable homes with big yards, less than ten miles from the center of Houston. Glenbrook Valley became home to new generations of Houstonians, and in recent years something interesting happened. A lot of relatively young and hip individuals began to appreciate mid century mod design again. People began to view Glenbrook Valley as a sort of time capsule, a neighborhood of atomic age homes that still retained much of the styling that had made them so groundbreaking and stylish more than 50 years ago. House hunters looking for a mid century home that hadn't had its original features completely destroyed by remodeling began to view Glenbrook Valley as a sort of diamond in the rough. Sure, the surrounding area wasn't great, but the neighborhood itself had a specific character that was unique, and more people began to notice that it was something pretty special.