I need to hear from Woodlanders (Houston, Sugar Land: condos, hotels, houses)

[TXbywayof]

I've lived in Houston the majority of my life in the Hwy 6/290 area. We are getting older and the area is changing, schools are declining (children are grown so schools are not a concern for us...they are for resale value though). The only place I see a home specific to what I am looking for and in our price range is The Woodlands.

What's holding me back? The feeling of being 17 miles north of the beltway. I know The Woodlands has a lot but it doesn't have everything. Since I live in this big city I do like to take advantage of what it has to offer. Do those of you who live in The Woodlands pretty much stay in The Woodlands (other than for work)? Are grocery shopping and errands easy to do? Is there only one Target? Are there organic grocers? Do most of you tend to do your shopping in your own village or do you take advantage of everything all over The Woodlands? Is this convenient?

Also, is there any advantage to living on the Montgomery County side vs. Harris County? I see the tax rate is high in Creekside but looks like it has dropped a little over the years. Does anyone anticipate where it should end up?

I know everyone who lives there just loves it. I would like to hear what they don't like though.

[PedroMartinez]

I don't live there, but I looked there at one time and I visit there from time to time due to friends. With the exception of the museums and performing arts (to an extent), I'm not aware of anything the Woodlands lacks. It has lot's of restaurants, plenty of stores, shopping, a concert venue, etc.

Not that long ago while up there, I was telling my wife that if we didn't have kids, I'd want to get a job at Anadarko and move to one of the condos by the canals. I'd be able to walk everywhere I needed to go.

[crono_clone]

Nowadays the Woodlands can pretty much stand on its own. There's not as much organic grocers as there should be, but there's a Trader Joe's that's already there. I think Sprouts and Whole Foods are planning to come to the area (possibly in the new Hughes Landing addition that's being built). There's an Aldi nearby in Spring, and I think others are also incoming because of the new Exxon campus.

There are plenty of big-box stores (2 Targets and 3 Wal-Marts), shopping (the Woodlands Mall), parks galore, and even a walkable district (Market Street).

Is commute a factor? I've noticed that some empty-nesters are opting to move inside the loop purely to be closer to their jobs, now that school is no longer an issue.

What do you do inside the city that you'd like to be able to do in the Woodlands? Like Pedro said, the city has most of the arts and museums in the area, which is what the Woodlands would lack unless you count the Museum of Funeral History in Spring or the Prison Museum in Huntsville.

[Dopo]

I can tell you one thing The Woodlands is missing .... good ethnic food
And don't tell me that they have Guri Do Sul, because that's not the type of ethnic food I'm talking about

[crono_clone]

Originally Posted by Dopo

I can tell you one thing The Woodlands is missing .... good ethnic food
And don't tell me that they have Guri Do Sul, because that's not the type of ethnic food I'm talking about

This is true, which is something Sugar Land (with their diversity plus proximity to Chinatown, Westchase, and Alief) has an advantage over the Woodlands on.

Even Katy has nominally direct access (20 mins on I-10) to Korea Town, while Cypress and Jersey Village are in proximity to the Veterans Memorial area.

[vwgto]

Pretty much has all the groceries you need in immediate area, including Traders, Hubbell, Walmart, Target, Kroger, Randall's, and several HEB's. The traffic lights going through The Woodlands can be maddening, though they have made good progress on synchronizing Woodlands Pkwy. We like to go into Houston on the weekends, even if just to grab lunch, and it is a long ride. I would stay close to 45 to minimize. Close-by Conroe has the Lake and traditional Texas town feel with more independent businesses. The Woodlands is booming with something new all the time, but you can find many quiet established enclaves as well.

[acousticset]

It is growing very fast, and becoming very congested. They did one fly over to woodlands parkway a while ago and now are under construction for 2 more flyovers on I-45 N/S at FM 242. This small downside wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. Aside from the Central Market HEB's in the area, if I am not mistaken I believe that Hubbel & Hudson is an organic grocer on the waterway.

I pretty much take care of all my business in this area. I seldom visit Houston other than for entertainment purposes (concerts, nice dinner out with spouse that Woodlands doesn't have, sporting events).

[BCEagles01]

I come into Houston for work and the occasional football/baseball/basketball game. My wife loves the water so we'll go to Galveston from time to time. Every village has it's own shopping center. the resturants are good....but I'll eat everything and anything just about,LOL.

She was pretty lucky,most of the concerts she wanted to see this summer where here at the pavilion,so she didn't have to go far. The Mall...she likes it so we rarely go anywhere else. But she wants to visit the Houston Prime Outlets. We drove out to Georgetown to The Woodlands football game this past weekend and we went to the Prime outlets in Round Rock. So now she wants to go here. In that sense I think she wants to go into Houston and just go to different stores,but we pretty much shop out here.

I don't want to go into Houston because I just don't want to deal with the traffic. I can't speak for everyone out here,but I would say that is a big reason most people just stay out here for everything. The traffic. Though I went to the NKOTB/98 degrees/Boys to Men concert with her and her sister back in June and we got in and out quicker than I thought.

[bloodwings19]

Originally Posted by TXbywayof

What's holding me back? The feeling of being 17 miles north of the beltway. I know The Woodlands has a lot but it doesn't have everything. Since I live in this big city I do like to take advantage of what it has to offer. Do those of you who live in The Woodlands pretty much stay in The Woodlands (other than for work)? Are grocery shopping and errands easy to do? Is there only one Target? Are there organic grocers? Do most of you tend to do your shopping in your own village or do you take advantage of everything all over The Woodlands? Is this convenient?

I know everyone who lives there just loves it. I would like to hear what they don't like though.

If you have a young family, definitely make the move, or even retirees. One of the best asset of The Woodlands is their hike/bike trails (goes everywhere) and schooling (very orderly parents). I do not have to go to Houston, if I don't have to. I only go to Houston to get a hair cut at my favorite place, or visit friends. There are 5 Walmarts, 4 Krogers, 3 Randalls, 3 HEBs and countless Walgreens/CVS within 10 miles where I live. What I'm saying is any place where you live in The Woodlands, you will find a place of grocers, or a place of shopping. They have Trader Joe's and every Saturday morning they have a home-grown vegetable/fruit stands around the Wharf area (Randall's Buckthorne). The people for the most part are nice, I know this because when I ride my bike for many years, 9 of 10 let me go, if we hit at a crossing intersection at the same time and I never had to deal with mishaps, or anything that halts my ride except weather. The area is going to get bigger on the outskirts of The Woodlands, they are building 4-5 new hotels within 2-3 years around Home Depot area. I have never gotten a traffic citation from there ever in over 30+ years and most of my neighbors are living with us for over 15+ years. No flooding, I went through Hurrican Alicia and beyond except Timberlake and parts of Grogan's Point. Simply, if you want a peaceful living, it is there. If you enjoy the nightlife, it is not for you, actually they are cracking down on drunks especially those who serve alchohol knowing the customer is already drunk.

The commute is hellish, I've driven in different times, the worst is 6am-9am commute to Houston and out of Houston from 4pm-7pm. If not for navi maps on our phones, it is very easy to get lost on residential streets (good for residents, bad for burglars). Price of gas and restaurant food are a little higher, as well as tax/school and water bill.

The best place to live is Cochran's Crossing and Indian Springs for their modern houses, but for commute purposes to Houston, it would be Grogan's Mill (oldest) and Creekside Park (Grand Parkway). I can get to Houston around UH in 30-40 minutes in non-peak hours from where I live. Good Luck!!!!!!

[testmo]

it isnt houston traffic that is bad it is commute from suburbs into the city. i live in the city and only complain about traffic when im forced to drive out of it. trust me, traffic inside the woodlands is horrible. i couldnt live there and do that. i grew up in a suburb, never leaving that suburb. im so happy i moved away. don't feel like "oh we have all these grocery stores!" that it will make your growing independent teen happy. being so pent up really did a number on some people. im willing to bet the city has more miles of bike and walking trails than any of the suburbs.

as you are older the kids thing probably isnt your issue. than why live in a suburb? you like living close (17 miles WOW) to the city. why not live in it?