Can't Choose, need help - Rice Military - Nottingham Park - Katy (Houston: apartments, condo)

[Kotya]

Thank you all in advance for your advice.

We (myself, my husband and our little boy) have just moved to Houston from overseas. We are looking at buying a 3-bedroom house or townhouse. Our budget is around 300K. As we are new to Houston we don't have any "inside" info on neighborhoods.
We have chosen these three - Rice Military (for townhouses near Memorial Park, close to husband;s work), Nottingham Forest (single family homes, Spring Branch ISD, close to the city) or Seven Meadows in Katy (good schools, nice homes, safety). I personally like the 2-3 year old townhomes in Rice Military close to the Park, but I recently heard it's really not safe there. That's a huge concern...Is it really that bad? What's a reputation of Rice Military? Why are all elementary schools in Rice Military are 80-90% spanish? (we are prepared to send our child to private school anyway, I am just wondering).

What about Nottingham Forest? Is is a good neighborhood for a family with a small kid?

Is Seven Meadows really that far? How long would it take to get to Post Oak blvd? My husband really enjoys the idea of Seven Meadows, but it just seems soooooooo far! (we haven't been there yet, only looked on maps).

All of your comments would be highly appreciated!

[cheryjohns]

Seven Meadows will be a long commute to downtown. The Rice Military townhomes would be great for a childless couple - for a little boy - not so much. Nottingham Forest will go up in value, be closer to work than Katy, and be a good environment for your son.

[Kotya]

Cheryjohns,

Thank you for your comments! I also like Nottingham Forest, it lookes nice, settled, rooted, you know. The only thing is crime rate, I saw some statistics, not encouraging. So I wonder, is it just stats or actual facts? I just wonder if you can walk-jog-bike safely through a neighborhood. I don't want to sound paranoid, I just never lived in the US so I don't know what to expect. In that part of Dubai where we lived recently it was very safe. I could leave my pram with my purse and wallet in a mall and take my kid for a walk for an hour, and nothing ever got lost or stolen. This feeling of security is easy to get used to!

[Oildog]

Thats not how it is here, but its not necessary bad crime. Agree w chery RM is a nice area for singles and those w/o kids. If you want a yard you need to hit the burbs.

[ohmanon]

My sister (no kids) has had a townhome in Rice Military for 10 years. She's very active and wouldn't live anywhere else, across from Memorial Park near the pool/playground. She's on the trails every day, has never had a problem and loves, loves, loves the location. I know her former neighbor had 2 little children and they were out and about all the time - they did attend private school. She considers the park the yard.

[Kotya]

Oildog,

Thank you for your comment!

What are the disadvantages for a child in Rice MIlitary except that houses don't have yards? I really like the proximity to Memorial Park, there are two very nice playgrounds there, fresh air, a swimming pool. Plus, we got membership in Houston Zoo and Children's Museum, will be easy to go there every week. I just wonder how safe the area is. Also, I can't figure out why all schools in that area are 80-90% Hispanic. I don't mind learning Spanish, but I don't want to have to learn it.

[Kotya]

Originally Posted by ohmanon

My sister (no kids) has had a townhome (or condo, not sure) in Rice Military for 10 years. She's very active and wouldn't live anywhere else, literally right across from Memorial Park where the pool and playground is located. She's on the trails every day, has never had a problem and loves, loves, loves the location. I know her former neighbor had 2 little children and they were out and about all the time - they did attend private school. She considers the park the yard.

Ohmanon,

Thanks! Rice Military townhomes was our first choice for affordability and proximity to everything. And they actually are really nice homes - interior, kitchen appliances etc is great. We have already been to several open houses there - some are just immaculate inside and outside. But we also considered if we buy there, in few years we will have to send our son to a private school. Which is not a huge deal, but I think I would prefer him to go to a good public school just for better diversity. But like I said earlier I don't want to have to learn Spanish to communicate to parents of other kids. We are bilingual anyway, and I don't think it would be that easy for my son to learn a new language now, when he is only 1.5 year old and confused enough with two languages already.

[cheryjohns]

The crime rate near Nottingham is a little off because that area will include Westheimer (a busy street with businesses) and some apartments. The neighborhoods are a different matter. It is safe to walk, bike, etc.

The problem with cooping up a child in a Inner Loop townhome is not only the lack of a yard, but the lack of ability to be around other children. Since the trend is usually to move to the suburbs once children arrive, your son will not have many (or any) other children to play with.

I had a client move to a townhome there with a small boy and realized after 6 months that they should have moved to a regular neighborhood, and are going to take a loss now to move. I had told them, but they really liked the Rice Military area and chose to buy one anyway.

[Kotya]

Cheryjohns,
O wow, thanks for comment! How old is their child? I realize there are no playgrounds right in RM, but there are usually tons of kids in Memorial Area. I guess my son is too small now (he is 1.5 y.o), and has always been with me (no nannies-nurseries etc), so we don't have yet any experience playing with other kids except on playgrounds - usually, small children become interested in actual play with other kids only by age 2.5 - 3. In Dubai I used to take him daily to several playgrounds. So I kind of don't know what to expect in next few years.

[Kotya]

Also wanted to note, I have always lived in apartments (Europe, Australia) in the downtown areas, so what lots of people here see as a disadvantage - little yard, busy streets, no parking space, proximity to your neighbors - is actually what I am used to and what I like - being a part of a huge community. That's why RM looks so attractive to me, specially that it is close to Memorial Park, so I hope quality of air is not too bad there. But I am a bit worried that when we start living in RM we find out something unpleasant - like crime, pollution or flooding or whatever.
Areas like Seven Meadows look very pretty etc, but when I imagine I will walk outside of my house and not see one person, only trees, I panic! But then, schools are good, and clean etc.
That's why I am so undecided.