Best Woodlands areas? (The Woodlands, Spring: apartments, HOA, new home)

[narya]

We're considering a move from south Denver to the Woodlands, and I'm wondering if anyone can give me a little insight into the different neighborhoods there. Probably good to spend around 300k or a little more (that's about what it takes to get a 3BR house where we are now); we have a toddler who would be starting school in a few years.

I love older houses (like early 20th c. or so), but I understand that's not possible in the area. Is there a neighborhood there that might have some of that feel, though? Older styles of homes, even though not actually old? Do some of the neighborhoods have different feels to them or distinctly different character?

It would be great to hear from someone who lives/has lived there! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Seoid]

There are some "older" parts of The Woodlands immediately east of I-45 north of Rayford-Sawdust (oak Ridge North) and but even then, I think those are 1970s homes. I personally think they are nice, the neighborhood has lots of large trees.

[BCEagles01]

I tend to stay within my village. They're all nice. Some a bit older,some a bit newer.

I find the difference in each village to be in the names of the streets and subdivisions.

Go to TheWoodlands.com. You can take a look at the different areas on there. As a whole,the area is quiet and nice,from what I see.

Certainly lots of families.

Check out Grogans Mill or Indian Springs maybe ?

I'm kinda new here myself.

[narya]

Thanks for the replies. My husband's work would be right there in the Woodlands so commute would not be an issue there. As an example of what I'm asking about (it's a little ephemeral and unclear, I know), if someone were moving to my current area and wanted to know about the neighborhoods, I would tell them that the houses around here were all built about the same time period (70s), but that Willow Creek has a more diverse mix of house sizes. The price per square foot is about the same, but you can get into the neighborhood a little more affordably because there are smaller houses in the mix. Fox Ridge is about the same price per square foot, but the houses are generally bigger and so more expensive. Walnut Hills has a much looser HOA so it's a little rougher around the edges, although not *rough* - perfectly safe.

That's the sort of thing I'm wondering about - the neighborhoods might all be within a square mile or whatever, but there might be differences like that.

I would love to have an old Craftsman bungalow or 30s neo-Colonial, but I don't see that happening. We just can't justify a commute when it's not strictly necessary and there are great places to live right around work.

[ohmanon]

One area you might want to take a look at is the neighborhood off of North Millbend in Grogan's Mill. Older construction (circa late 70's+) and probably no craftsman style (love those too) but there are some pretty appealing styles. I actually prefer older homes and I drive around that area a lot as it has a peaceful feel. I just looked at a few on HAR.com putting in your price range (min. $275/max. $325) and zip code 77380 - saw some I really liked. Much better quality than my neighborhood just a mile down the road...bigger price tag too.

[narya]

Thanks, ohmanon, that looks like a helpful site. Some of those houses I think I passed by on Realtor.com because of the massive house overload, but looking at them again, they look good. We've been seeing a lot in Cochran's Crossing too, is that a good place to check out?

[vwgto]

Bonny Branch in Sterling Ridge is newer but tries to do that old-time look at a reasonable price. The neighborhood is close to more expensive houses, central location, garages and driveways via rear access roads.

[JenniferT]

Hi. I'm a 25 year resident of the Woodlands. I know you don't want a "old house" but just a older home with character right? I personally prefer older bungalow houses so we customized ours with those details and love it! We are in Grogan's Mill (the oldest village). The homes here are very wooded and have large established lots. The newer neighborhoods (Creekside, Sterling Ridge and Alden Bridge) have much smaller lots, the houses are very close together and very little trees. It is a preferred area because its so new. Our house was built in 1984. The homes are not from the "70's" here. The Woodlands started building in 1978. North of Research Forest Drive on Grogan's Mill is a neighborhood that has new homes (about 5-8 years old) that are built in a bungalow style - they even have grass up the middle of the driveway. Very cute.
Also, Indian Springs has a area with "Life Form" houses that look like tree houses to me. They are mostly wood and have a feel to them.
Another neighborhood that is super cute is "Cottage Green" in Alden Bridge. They have cute cottage style houses that all have porches. Many have "garage apartments" that are used as a office. The garages are behind the house in an ally.

For 300k you can get a lot of square footage here. I think you have to know what you are looking for! I know a lot of people that have moved here from California and buy a huge house because they can afford it! Later they regret their $600+ electric bill from their air conditioner! We have a 2000 sq ft home with 4 bedrooms/2 baths/playroom that is about $150,000.

Another thing that is something to think about is driving. The Woodlands is huge! Its ALL stop lights. To go from one end to the other takes me almost an hour. I like my Grogan's Mill location because I'm close to the freeway, the mall, all the shops, library, and even the pavilion. I have a friend that lives in the "back" and she is so far from so many things. I think Indian Springs or Cochran's Crossing east would be my preference.

Regardless, it is so different from the some of the beautiful neighborhoods up there. There are so many free concerts everywhere, festivals, and family events going on all the time. Check out woodlandsonline.com

Hope this helps!

[JenniferT]

At least buying a older home in Grogan's Mill, Panther Creek or Cochran's Crossing is a little cheaper and you can afford to remodel a little. I guess it matters how long you would be staying too!

[narya]

Thanks, JenniferT, that's a big help and gives us a lot to look at. The electric bill is the opposite here in CO - buy a big house with high ceilings and end up paying a fortune during the winter!