favorite areas of houston (The Woodlands, Pearland: apartment complex, townhomes, neighborhoods)

[Bike4Life]

Being close to work in the Texas Medical Center comes first as it gives me several transportation options. I like adventure that's not on the freeway. Friends prefer to meet at my home and I can be called at the last minute to an Astros baseball game. Memorial Park and Hermann Park is a world away from the city right inside the Loop. Easy lunch in Rice Village or dinner in Meyerland Plaza (Remember Marvin Zindler ate at Los Tios? He too, lived close to work at Channel 13). Night life in Midtown and Downtown Houston is sexy (suburbans are trying to copy this in their Town Centers but guess what!? They attract teenagers).

But most of all about living close in the city is for my children to get a real-world exposure, not a hush-hush sheltered life in the lame suburbs.

[texas7]

Where you move should really depend upon where you work - the commute can be awful if you live on one side and work on the opposite. There are nice suburbs on just about every side of town with what you are looking for. Any ideas yet what side of town you will work on?

[houston-nomad]

Originally Posted by Bike4Life

Being close to work in the Texas Medical Center comes first as it gives me several transportation options. I like adventure that's not on the freeway. Friends prefer to meet at my home and I can be called at the last minute to an Astros baseball game. Memorial Park and Hermann Park is a world away from the city right inside the Loop. Easy lunch in Rice Village or dinner in Meyerland Plaza (Remember Marvin Zindler ate at Los Tios? He too, lived close to work at Channel 13). Night life in Midtown and Downtown Houston is sexy (suburbans are trying to copy this in their Town Centers but guess what!? They attract teenagers).

But most of all about living close in the city is for my children to get a real-world exposure, not a hush-hush sheltered life in the lame suburbs.

Bikeforlife, I'm with you in loving the inner-loop life, but do you always have to be so harsh in your critique of the suburbs? Not everyone can afford to live right in town. You make it sounds like people are stupid in their choices, when in fact they may not have a choice. It's fine to love where you live but chill out in your critique of places you don't live.

[averysmommy]

not exactly. Right now we both work from home which is what makes this move possible because of minimum down time. However, I am looking to find outside work sometime soon and I am in the medical field.

[Topaz]

I'm new to town but I've explored a few areas.

1. I love the pine trees in the Woodlands. The drive to there from downtown is rather awful, though.

2. Sugar Land (where I live) is extremely pleasant. Whole Foods Market, Lifetime Fitness, nice parks, strict sign ordinances that keep the aesthetic appealing, affordable houses, and terrific schools are a few of my favorite things.

3. I just visited Uptown / River Oaks for the first time this weekend and that area is extremely upscale and nice, with wonderful dining and shopping. Pricey for homes, though.

My next adventure will be to the Museum District - I was looking at the list of Houston museums last night and this has got to be one of the best cities in the country for museums. The Children's Museum, in particular, looks excellent.

[EasilyAmused]

I love OTL, but really Houston's so big now and there's so much money,culture and good eats within the Beltway, ITB, that it's a great choice as well. Still darn pricey for most though.

[modster]

Here's my list

Best "money is no object" area:

The enclaves of the museum district, the private place streets of Remington & Longfellow, and the areas right around it such as Shadowlawn, & North & South Blvd. The areas that make up the communities of Shadyside, Shadowlawn, Broad Acres & Boulevard Oaks. Grand old Mansions on oak-canopied streets, walking distance to the Museums and Hermann Park. Loaded with character. Honorable mentions to River Oaks & Southampton.

Best "exurb:"

The suburbanites will argue this one all day long, but my vote would go to the Woodlands. It has the trees, the lake, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the waterway, the mall and the market street, which while I know is a "Disney-fied" version of a main street, their version just seems to pull it off better. The Woodlands also has the Hardy Autobahn to get you into town and overall just seems to pull off the whole master planned thing better IMO. Honorable mention to Clear Lake.

Best "in the middle of the action" area:

Hands down Montrose. While some would give it to mid-town, midtowns collection of uninspiring strip centers, pharmacies, drive thru banks, suburban style apartment complexes (with the exception of one, Post midtown), and cookie cutter townhomes pale in comparison the the 'trose. Its collection of everything upscale to funky, differnet coffee shops, antique shops, clubs, resale places, etc. just gives it a character no other part of town can match. See it while you can before all those quaint bungalows are replaced with 4 story stucco townhomes. Honorable mentions to the Galleria area.

Best inner-loop Bargain area:

Idylwood. While most are totally unfamiliar with this east end enclave, its rolling hilly terrain, big trees, and well-maintained bungalows give it a unique feel for Houston. The houses look straight out of West U, (before the McMansion invasions). Insulated by wide swaths of institutional green spaces, including the Villa De Matel convent and basilica to the north. An 80 acre compound with a Maurice Sullivan designed chapel. Braes bayou and a huge, very beautiful cemetery that forms a cradle in the south east and south sides, and Gus Wortham golf course, (originally the Houston C.C. before it moved to Tanglewood) on the east. Low crime, strong Civic club, and super close to downtown. (honorable mention Lindale Park)

Best suburban bargain area:

Memorial Northwest. Sandwiched between much pricier Gleannloch Farms and Champion Forest, the subdivision offers some of the best schools in popular Klein ISD and some of the lowest prices per foot compared to its pricier neighbors. Well maintained esplanades, strong HOA, and enormous size homes at bargain prices. A bargain for a popular area.

Best Galleria area bargain:

Briarmeadow. Great curb appeal, relatively close in, but much cheaper than the areas to the north of Westheimer.

Best old historic neighborhood:

Courtlandt Place. Platted in 1906 and modeled after the private place Boulevards of St. Louis, it is gated now, but originally opened up to where Brennan's restaurant is, back when that building housed the Jr. League. it is one block south of Lower Westheimer. Honorable mention goes to the 6th ward.

Best Mid-Century Modern neighborhood:

tie between Meyerland and Old Braeswood. Both areas are getting hit hard with McMansions so see them while they last. Honorable mentions to Memorial Bend and Glenbrook Valley

Best rich Republican neighborhood: Memorial Villages

Best rich Democrat neighborhood: Bellaire

Best geographic location: River Oaks hands down. Right in the middle of downtown and the Galleria areas, and just north of Greenway Plaza.

That's my list and probably enough on there to start a few arguments!

[Bike4Life]

lol. Actually, some places in the city are cheaper than in the suburbs. But I know what you mean. It's where I grew up. Then my parents ditched the 'burbs for life in the city. Best move I ever heard.

And when it was my turn to buy a house, I was not impressed with the developer's same-old-same-overpriced-matchbox houses in the suburbs. They support shopping malls to encourage teenagers' high consumption spending because there is nothing else to do. Then developers encourage more searing hot concrete on the freeway to make more room for more exburbs.

It's the downfall of our American society.

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

Bikeforlife, I'm with you in loving the inner-loop life, but do you always have to be so harsh in your critique of the suburbs? Not everyone can afford to live right in town. You make it sounds like people are stupid in their choices, when in fact they may not have a choice. It's fine to love where you live but chill out in your critique of places you don't live.

[Bike4Life]

Right on, Idylwood is like walking back in time of simplicity and honor. I wondered...West U could be here and Idylwood over there.

Originally Posted by modster

Best inner-loop Bargain area:

Idylwood. While most are totally unfamiliar with this east end enclave, its rolling hilly terrain, big trees, and well-maintained bungalows give it a unique feel for Houston. The houses look straight out of West U, (before the McMansion invasions). Insulated by wide swaths of institutional green spaces, including the Villa De Matel convent and basilica to the north. An 80 acre compound with a Maurice Sullivan designed chapel. Braes bayou and a huge, very beautiful cemetery that forms a cradle in the south east and south sides, and Gus Wortham golf course, (originally the Houston C.C. before it moved to Tanglewood) on the east. Low crime, strong Civic club, and super close to downtown. (honorable mention Lindale Park)

[averysmommy]

Originally Posted by modster

Here's my list

Best "exurb:"

The suburbanites will argue this one all day long, but my vote would go to the Woodlands. It has the trees, the lake, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the waterway, the mall and the market street, which while I know is a "Disney-fied" version of a main street, their version just seems to pull it off better. The Woodlands also has the Hardy Autobahn to get you into town and overall just seems to pull off the whole master planned thing better IMO. Honorable mention to Clear Lake.



Best suburban bargain area:

Memorial Northwest. Sandwiched between much pricier Gleannloch Farms and Champion Forest, the subdivision offers some of the best schools in popular Klein ISD and some of the lowest prices per foot compared to its pricier neighbors. Well maintained esplanades, strong HOA, and enormous size homes at bargain prices. A bargain for a popular area.

Best Galleria area bargain:

Briarmeadow. Great curb appeal, relatively close in, but much cheaper than the areas to the north of Westheimer.

Best Mid-Century Modern neighborhood:

tie between Meyerland and Old Braeswood. Both areas are getting hit hard with McMansions so see them while they last. Honorable mentions to Memorial Bend and Glenbrook Valley

Ok, where are these places ... remember I'm going off of maps here, no actual knowledge of the city.
1. Woodlands?
2. Memorial Northwest?
3. Briarmeadow?
4. Meyerland and Old Braeswood?
5. Museum District?

Most of the others I was able to find on a search or by looking closer at the online maps. Referencing other larger areas and freeways when giving areas is helpful. I'm noticing that there are a lot more separation of areas down there than there is up here. And the "knicknames" like Museum district, have me totally confused.