Cinco Ranch Question (Katy, West, Mason: cul-de-sac, HOA, daycare)

[rholden35]

We have two girls (aged 3 and 5), and are hoping to move this summer ... possibly to Cinco Ranch. Is there an area of Cinco Ranch where there are younger children? I would love to move to an area where my girls will have friends to play with after school and on weekends like I did when I was a kid. From what I see and what a friend has told me, you can't go wrong anywhere in Cinco, but I want to get other opinions if we should target a specific area. Thanks in advance

[Sollaces]

Hrm. ... .


I guess you can get online and look at school boundaries for elementary schools and where the kids go to school. That would give you an idea of their bus route. You can also go online and look at homes in Cinco Ranch and look at the 'bird's eye' view on the map and see playgrounds either in the subdivision or in back yards. It's easy to see where kids live from those maps.


My thought is your kids will go to school and make their own friends there. It's up to you to get in touch with the other parents and whether to invite back and forth or not. Sure there will be kids on the street you'll live in but for whatever reason they may not like your kids. This isn't a problem with younger children like yours but when they're teens it is.


If you belong to a church you could use that contact and see where you could attend in Cinco Ranch and what their numbers are for children. Church is usually the place to meet people and make lasting friendships.


I've lived in the 'old Cinco' for five years and Cinco SW for nine. While I've seen kids on the block in both areas. . . My observation is. . . Both parents work. Kids are in after school daycare and are seldom home. When home the parents are doing laundry, meals, homework, and early bedtime. It seems like kids these days aren't always playing on the street with the neighbors. They're more homebound and on the computer or games.


Cinco is a great place for young families. The local library has story hour and reading programs. Everything is close from doctors to hospitals, entertainment, and shopping. Each subdivision in old Cinco has some sort of playground for young kids. They also have a bunch of pools, tennis courts, and a golf course, lakes, etc. Cinco Ranch HOA is managed within the community. Which is really nice. They're strict though. There are sidewalks and walking trails.


Cinco has their own web page. Cinco-Residential-Property-Association-Inc-Announcements
They have a long list of deed restrictions. The one I remember most is you can only have 2 of each type pet. 2 dogs. 2 cats. Not 3 dogs.

[Jana K]

Keep in mind that not all homes in Cinco Ranch (and Katy ISD) have school bus service. You have to be a certain distance away from the school to have this service. Even if you don't intend to use the bus for your children, it does have an impact on the value of your home. This does not answer your question, but should be a consideration.

[azinwood]

it's more or less the same wherever you are in CR.

the west side of 99 may potentially have more younger families, but if they do it won't be dramatically different than the east side

[sonic0boom]

What everyone above said is good advice. I'm in the "old" part of CR, east of 99. My observation is that there is a mix where it is either older families that have been here for 20 years or so when this area was being built out, or it is the new families who bought the homes from the older families when they became empty nesters. My kids walk to school with some neighbors and love that. But as someone said, even if your kids have neighbors who are peers, there's no guarantee they'll want to play together, anyway. Also, i work from home, so i get a decent picture of what the neighborhoods are like during the day. I do see a good number of people walking around, biking, etc. When i drive out to the newer sections of CR (west of 99) during the day, i find it really creepy sometimes as it seems as if the place is abandoned. Just missing the tumbleweeds But i don't think you really have to worry too much. Just look for a house you like with the amenities, etc that matter. I personally like the older section due to the mature landscaping and easier access to get in to town.

[Lbjen]

You're more likely to find young families on a cul-de-sac, so bear that in mind too.

[35 Outlaw]

Cinco, East of 99. I've been on this side since 1998. I prefer this side due to traffic patterns and avoid 99 when I can. Fry road will get you to 10 quickly, while Mason will get you to the Westpark Toll quickly. Too bad you arent ready to move now, my home is on the market.....PM if interested. Ha!

[mike650i]

I'm on the west side of 99. It's "newer," which I'm guessing may attract more young families. I have an 8 month year old daughter myself.

Most people in my neighborhood are 35-55 and almost all have school-age kids. Not to say east of 99 doesn't have young families, but west of 99 definitely does.

[Lbjen]

Depending on your budget, you may find you are restricted to older homes that need updating in old Cinco, whereas you can get something newer in west Cinco. That was the problem we had which is why we didn't buy there (west Cinco was just too far out of our commute limit).