Where to live in Houston? (Sugar Land, The Woodlands: best neighborhood, house, construction)

[fnh]

OK, halfway between the airport and Sugar Land along the beltway is the Jersey Village area. Commute is 30 minutes to downtown, 30 minutes to IAH, 30 minutes to Sugar Land. Usually less. We bought here with similar commutes (to IAH and Galleria, now downtown). Schools are good, prices are reasonable, location is quite convenient.

There are four Buddhist temples in this area as well as four Sikh temples and the (lovely) Vietnamese Catholic cathedral at Fairbanks and 290, for example. Our elementary school (Gleason) is 20% Asian. This area may not be overwhelmingly Asian like Sugar Land but you would definitely not feel at all out of place. It is one of the most equally diverse areas of town. Take a look.

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by fnh

OK, halfway between the airport and Sugar Land along the beltway is the Jersey Village area. Commute is 30 minutes to downtown, 30 minutes to IAH, 30 minutes to Sugar Land. Usually less. We bought here with similar commutes (to IAH and Galleria, now downtown). Schools are good, prices are reasonable, location is quite convenient.

There are four Buddhist temples in this area as well as four Sikh temples and the (lovely) Vietnamese Catholic cathedral at Fairbanks and 290, for example. Our elementary school (Gleason) is 20% Asian. This area may not be overwhelmingly Asian like Sugar Land but you would definitely not feel at all out of place. It is one of the most equally diverse areas of town. Take a look.

That area is mostly Vietnamese Asians, which are quite different than Chinese.

School is declining also. There are better options.

[ALMN]

Hi, I am from Gujarat. I am planning to move to the USA with my family with one kid ( 16) are relocating to Houston. My new job is in Lake Charles (Louisiana) . I am planning to put my family in Houston due to the education of my children. Can you suggest where the good school a is located, and she can find some Indian students for my children. She is in 11th Grade. Can you suggest its good move? I am really in a big dilemma. Pl suggest.

[fnh]

Please ipuck, enlighten us with these better options of which you speak, that simultaneously satisfy the OP's half hour commute needs to both downtown and IAH (while also being within easy reach of your beloved Sugar Land), that also have Asian-inclusive populations with six-figure median incomes and good schools, for a housing budget of $400K? Because the Jersey Village area pretty much hits the spot.

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by fnh

Please ipuck, enlighten us with these better options of which you speak, that simultaneously satisfy the OP's half hour commute needs to both downtown and IAH (while also being within easy reach of your beloved Sugar Land), that also have Asian-inclusive populations with six-figure median incomes and good schools, for a housing budget of $400K? Because the Jersey Village area pretty much hits the spot.

If i am going to JV, why don't I stay in NE houston or better yet go to TW. There is nothing in JV that would make people want to move there, especially OP situation. Is it better school? Is there better restaurant? is there better commute? It is 0 for 3 and you are asking for a reason. There are many more, but we will just use those 3.

[alexanderwangsun]

Again thanks to all for your replies. I truly appreciate it. After a little bit further exploration, I found that Kingwood and The Woodlands are too far away from Chinatown where we are going to shop and Chinese school which our kids are going to during weekends. Memorial is a good choice, however the houses are too expensive. Katy and Sugar lands are all good but long commuting. Then what about Cypress? It's about 30 minutes to Chinatown, less than 40 minutes to downtown and Airport. Schools in Cypress are pretty good and have a big percentage of Asians. Wonder why nobody mentioned it here?

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by alexanderwangsun

Again thanks to all for your replies. I truly appreciate it. After a little bit further exploration, I found that Kingwood and The Woodlands are too far away from Chinatown where we are going to shop and Chinese school which our kids are going to during weekends. Memorial is a good choice, however the houses are too expensive. Katy and Sugar lands are all good but long commuting. Then what about Cypress? It's about 30 minutes to Chinatown, less than 40 minutes to downtown and Airport. Schools in Cypress are pretty good and have a big percentage of Asians. Wonder why nobody mentioned it here?

Asians living in Cypress are mostly South Asians and Vietnamese. There is very little Chinese food or stuff there. There really is nothing wrong with it, it is just there are better options available generally. The schools are good, but there are better. The area is still developing and you generally get better deals because it is not prefer location for lot of people. Shopping is also somewhat lacking, especially if you move further in to the newer neighborhoods.

I think you not going to found anything at Memorial. It is one of the most desirable area in Houston, and unless you up your budget, you won't found anything decent.

Also, there is massive construction on 290 for another 10 years, so traffic is horrid.

[DanielWayne]

Originally Posted by ALMN

Hi, I am from Gujarat. I am planning to move to the USA with my family with one kid ( 16) are relocating to Houston. My new job is in Lake Charles (Louisiana) . I am planning to put my family in Houston due to the education of my children. Can you suggest where the good school a is located, and she can find some Indian students for my children. She is in 11th Grade. Can you suggest its good move? I am really in a big dilemma. Pl suggest.

That is a long commute subject to traffic, weather conditions, accidents, and construction. If you plan to live in Lake Charles and only see your children in Houston on the weekends, then that would make sense. Otherwise, it is wiser to live closer to Lake Charles. There are a lot of Indian people in Beaumont partially due to Lamar University. Best high school in Beaumont is an expensive private school called Kelly.

[alexanderwangsun]

Originally Posted by ipuck

Asians living in Cypress are mostly South Asians and Vietnamese. There is very little Chinese food or stuff there. There really is nothing wrong with it, it is just there are better options available generally. The schools are good, but there are better. The area is still developing and you generally get better deals because it is not prefer location for lot of people. Shopping is also somewhat lacking, especially if you move further in to the newer neighborhoods.

I think you not going to found anything at Memorial. It is one of the most desirable area in Houston, and unless you up your budget, you won't found anything decent.

Also, there is massive construction on 290 for another 10 years, so traffic is horrid.

Thanks ipuck for the valuable info. This makes me so hard to make a decision. I think we'll rent an apt in Memorial area temporarily and then look for houses when we get there.

[fnh]

I encourage you to search ipuck's history of posts and you will learn to disregard much of his 'advice' as hyperbole or outright lies. The "massive construction on 290 for another 10 years" is actually largely completed and scheduled to finish next year:
Home

OP, you haven't seen Cypress recommended much because you indicated a preference for thirty minute commute times. You wouldn't have that for either IAH or downtown. The commute to downtown from Jersey Village area that I recommended to you is thirty minutes, and JV is half the distance from downtown to Cypress.

Further above I too endorsed NE Houston or The Woodlands until proximity to Sugar Land was tossed about, and now you indicate your children will attend Saturday Chinese classes. Our friends and neighbors attended Saturday classes at the Chinese community center along the west beltway, and we've joined them for Lunar Festivals there. It is an easy 20 minute drive straight down the beltway.

So you are considering three commutes really, and I maintain that you will not find a better option for your budget than the Jersey Village area. These are the closest nice neighborhoods with the best schools for your budget, an area that minimizes all three commutes. North of 290 I recommend you look at neighborhoods east and west of the beltway that are zoned to Post or Gleason, south of 290 stay west of the beltway.
Link to full article:
Inside the Loop, affordable housing giving way to high-dollar development - Houston Chronicle