Bellaire or The Woodlands? (Houston, Sugar Land: fit in, best city, real estate market)

[Suze]

My husband and I are relocating to the Houston area and have about 2 weeks to find schools, temporary housing, and maybe if we're lucky a house (but I'm not betting on it with the holidays near)...We've been told about two areas to consider...Bellaire and The Woodlands...Bellaire looks to be quite a bit closer to my husband's downtown job, but I have not seen as much information on it as compared to The Woodlands. Can anyone provide any information as well as suggested parochial schools...we have two elementary and one high schooler (boy). Coming from the north and knowing winter will be upon us shortly, we are very excited about heading south and enjoying warmer temps and more outdoor activities. Thanks in advance!

[modster]

I am not a suburbanite, so I will tell you up front my perspective is slanted in favor of living closer in. Bellaire High has an excellent reputation. People from all over the city try to get their kids in that High School. Bellaire is its own incorporated city, and is real close to the Galleria area, the medical center, and a lot, lot closer to downtown.

The Woodlands is absolutely beautiful. I just don't know how people make that commute every single day.

[keriberi]

I grew up in the woodlands, and I loved it! the schools are fantastic! It is so beautiful and so much to do! there is a far commute to downtown... that's the only bad part!

bellaire is great too. but you get more for your money in the woodlands.

[boxcar]

I'm definitely rooting for The Woodlands. I love the area. The commute to downtown will be a pain. I hope you don't mind driving. As for Bellaire, I don't have any opinion. I don't particularly like anything close to downtown/west end area. I prefer the "small town country feel, but in a city".

[TootsieWootsie]

Bellaire has a superior school system, Police and Fire Depts. and library--where the courteous librarians will assist your every need (best service I ever got at a library in the country)!
Lived there for 21 years, and never regretted my move to Bellaire...it was Houston I regretted moving to.
Bellaire has gotten really pricey, but, if you can afford anything there, you will not regret it. You will be close to all the city amenities, hotels, restaurants not of the franchise variety--which, that alone, is shocking since Houston is comprised of mostly franchises--art galleries, museums, zoo, Medical Center, etc. etc.
Yes, the Woodlands is probably cheaper; but, if you can afford it, I say Bellaire is great. If I could move Bellaire to another State, I would...it is THAT good overall.

[xtranaut]

You are worlds apart. Both are great neighborhoods. Bellair is an older, inside the loop establishd neighbohood. Bellair has some of the best schools in Houston. Friendswood, Deer Park and the Woodlands also have excellent shcools. If it were me and i had kids and didn't have a million for a house, I would choose the Woodlands. Lots more woods, closer to airport, removed from city problems and gnarly inside-loop traffic.

45 is the compromise to that. It is a tedious commute into Houston and sometimes floods in heavy rain storms.



There are great RE bargains in Houston -- and the cooler Real Estate market makes them even better.Houston is the best big city for Real Estate prices in the country -- only thing, if you don't buy in the right place, you don't leave with much appreciation. RE doesn't escalate in booms as dramatically as other places.

[Nanner]

Yes, The Woodlands and City of Bellaire are worlds apart, but if money were no issue, I'd choose Bellaire.

Downside: all of the huge homes on small lots. They've torn down the majority of the bungalows and ranch homes original to the area and replaced them with the big stucco and brick monsters, with next to no yard. Also, the real estate is close to topping out in that area. With the prices you'll pay for a house and/or land right now, it's doubtful you'll make much of a profit if you ever sell. Meyerland, which is a neighborhood in Houston, is right next door and is following suit. ETA: But there are still sections of Meyerland where you can get a good deal on an older home, and still remain zoned to the good schools.

However, the diversity and proximity to the city center is a huge reason I'd like to live there. Not everyone raising a family wants a gentrified area (i.e., The Woodlands). I personally want to expose my children to all sorts of people, cultures and faiths, and let them experience city living; Bellaire is a great place to do that, while still being able to give them a great education.

[d_golfer]

As others have pointed out, these are indeed two vastly different areas of Houston. Let me be more specific about one big difference – the commute times. From the Woodlands it will take you well over and hour and often times an hour and a half to get downtown during rush hour. I-45 is gridlocked more often than not. Bellaire will normally be around 30 min, and during off-peak times you can do it in 20 or less. My kids and ex-wife live there and I work downtown, so I have made the trip many-many times.

As another poster pointed out – Meyerland can be an option if you don’t want to spend the big Bellaire bucks and are OK with an older home. But if you want a newer home, Bellaire will probably cost you double the Woodlands for the same square footage and as mentioned you will probably have a smaller yard.

On to schools. Yes, Bellaire HS is a good school – IF – your child is a good student and socially accomplished. However, if he is academically below average or socially inept he will NOT be happy there. The school is very snobby and clique-ish. I know because I had one of each. One got good grades and went along with the crowd and did fine. The other struggled with school as well as being a social outcast and was run out of school. He now attends a charter school. HISD was of no help whatsoever and had no interest in helping him to fit in to this school or any other HISD high school.

And actually, I believe you asked about parochial schools. I’m not sure if by that you mean catholic, or any private school. I’m sure there are some private schools in the Woodlands, but the public schools are so good that I imagine the vast majority attend them and there would be less demand for private schools. There are lots of really good private schools near Bellaire, so if that’s a priority, then Bellaire might be a better choice.

I’ve tried to be objective and give you good and bad for both areas. You’ve got a tough decision. If money were no object, I would probably choose Bellaire. If you can’t afford Bellaire, and don’t want the Woodlands commute, there are lot’s of other good suburban neighborhood in Houston that are closer to downtown. There are areas on the West side around Beltway 8 that are reasonable. Also, check out Kingwood and Humble, because traffic along US 59 is MUCH less congested than I-45. There are also closer in neighborhoods along I-45, 249 and 290 to consider. Good luck in your search.

[djsaint]

I'm not sure what City you are coming from and what kind of commute you are used to, but be prepared for an hour to an hour and a half coming from the Woodlands to downtown. If you want to take advantage of all the wonderful things Houston has to offer (dining, theatre, art, parks, museums, Galleria, etc.) be prepared for a long drive--even outside of rush hour. For some reason I-45 gets bogged down in several consistent places all day, even on weekends. And let's face it, no matter how clear the freeway is, the Woodlands is just a long way out of town. But on the other hand, the Woodlands is basically a privatized city unto itself, with an outdoor performance venue, nice shopping areas with all the usual mid and upscale stores you expect, and a lot of natural and man-made beauty, so other than going to work, the right kind of family could rarely feel the need to venture into Houston. Just be aware that The Woodlands is master-planned and suburban, and therefore lacks some of the character, variety and vibrancy of the City. Really it comes down to budget, commute, and what kind of lifestyle you want to have.
Before we decided we wanted to have children, my wife and I rented in an area where West University Place (another very nice city within Houston) and Bellaire meet. We loved it. Easy access to the best restaurants, shopping and entertainment, within minutes of work. But then we decided to buy a house. After we realized we could not afford the kind of house and neighborhood we wanted in town, we moved to Sugar Land. And then a few years later, our daughter was born. And you know what? Not only do we have less time to go out to dinner and theatre and everything, we have less of a desire to do so. Our priorities and focus have changed. You have children, so maybe it's not all that important to have easy access to all the great stuff Houston has to offer. But remember, you will see a lot less of your husband if you live in the Woodlands. When we lived in Bellaire, I sometimes came home from my office in Greenway plaza to eat, walk the dog, etc. You'll be lucky if he gets home in time for a family dinner on many nights.
In Houston, Bellaire is about as close as you can get to a family-friendly, small-town feel. I have friends who have lived in Bellaire for years and raised their kids there, and they love it. All the neighbors know each other and hang out in their front yards to talk. All the best Catholic, Baptist, Episcopal and other parochial schools are nearby. There are small community parks, an excellent police department, beautiful old trees, a great mix of age groups and easy access to everything. But as others have stated, you get more for your money in the Woodlands.
I hate to complicate your decision-making process, but you may actually want to take a look at Sugar Land. I live in Greatwood, a planned community in the ETJ of Sugar Land. It does not have all the pine trees like the Woodlands, but it has a lot of big old oak trees, which I personally prefer. I am actually the furthest from Houston you can be and still have a Sugar Land address, and my morning commute ranges from 30 to 60 minutes to Greenway Plaza. As someone else said, highway 59 is not nearly as bad as 45. Neighborhoods more towards the center of Sugar Land (such as the very nice and quite upscale Sweetwater) have slightly shorter commutes than I do. And once the widening of 59 is complete in a year or two, commute times will be even better. Sugar Land was named 3rd best city by CNN/Money this year. If by parochial you mean Catholic, we love St. Laurence parish and they have a good school that is less expensive than any of your choices in Bellaire (we know--we looked at tuition at our former parish, St. Vincent De Paul).
Money being no object, I'd choose Bellaire. But It would be a harder decision now that I have lived in the subarbs for awhile and see the advantages. I have a nice big yard, friendly and diverse neighbors, I can see the stars at night, there's a state park nearby--all great things.
One tip if you choose Bellaire: be careful not to buy on a street with direct or semi-direct access to the 610 loop. The few homes and townhomes that fit this description seem to be prone to break-ins. Generally, Bellaire is very safe, though.

[TootsieWootsie]

Just want to second d golfer's opinion about HISD not caring if your student succeeds or not. Even at Bellaire HS, the attitude is an each man for himself one. HISD will not care--not make any efforts towards assisting you or your child--should you have a child that is somewhat out of the norm. Terrible service from the schools. I could tell you horror stories!!!! It is actually inexcusable.
I expect this from innercity Chicago...but, somehow, not from a high school in Bellaire.
Shame, shame, shame on HISD for taking such poor care of students that are different. Shame on all of you in the school system there.