BEST and WORST of The Woodlands? (Friendswood: neighborhoods, best school, colleges)

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by sunny57

It would be like the rest of the US thinking Texas is filled with nothing but Rednecks, Cowboy's and Good Olde Boy's.

You mean it isn't?

But seriously, it was MissDaisy's use of the word "creeps" to describe the "liberal, democratic, left wing activates" that I thought was rather harsh. And I currently live in a place where the left wing extremism is REALLY extreme.

[Peter the great]

The best: Trees, bike paths, lakes, 100 parks, YMCA's, a Christian -centered community, and overall friendly people, great schools, and educational opportunities. Great neighborhoods

The worst: It's so humid and unbearable hot, it is flat, there is not public transportation, and the roads are incredibly crowded and will continue to become more crowded. Water will be a problem in the next 5-10 years, and we will pay a lot more for it. The Woodlands is trying to become the Disneyland of Texas and has invited the entire world to visit us. The Woodlands leadership primarily consists of over greedy business people who are bent on growth, more income and revenue, more shops, and stores, gas stations, and large imposing buildings next to neighborhoods. The taxes here are extremely high, both on the state and local level. Every year the Montgomery county wants to raise the value of my house so they can collect more taxes. This is a great trick as they "Do not raise the tax rate" but in reality they do not have to, because they can count on increased home values.
The sales tax was just raised (voted on by our own residents) to get inline with Houston. All this means is my spending power is decreased on every purchase I make.
Speeding is out of control despite efforts to have sherriff patrol (which I can say is helping), but the main problem is drugs and alchohol (lots of DWI arrests here). This means that on any weekend, there are a high number of people out there driving drunk. Just read our paper, "The villager". Therefore, if you move here, bring your checkbook, because it is expensive, and be prepared for a not so quiet, and serene setting as this place once was.

Peter

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by Topaz

And I currently live in a place where the left wing extremism is REALLY extreme.

I wrote this when I lived in Portland, Oregon. It probably confuses people now that my profile says, "New to Sugar Land, TX," as Sugar Land is not known for its liberal politics.

[mariposa]

I lived in The Woodlands for 17 years, from 1989-2006. I currently work in this area as well. It is a very Republican, conservative community, very white, very married with conservative-to-mainstream Protestant denominations being the majority. Stepfordian is an adjective frequently applied to The Woodlands.

Best: Shopping, dining out, parks
Worst: Drugs, juvenile crime (mostly arson in the parks and vandalism of yard decorations), no activities for teens (see drugs and juvenile crime), unimpressive schools

Drug dogs have been running in the local schools for at least 20 years, due to the problems. I know of a 4th grader who was suspended from my daughter's elementary school due to drunkenness. The first pot bust she saw was a 6th grader at her school.

Juvenile crime has increased quite a bit since 2001, mostly teens. Most of the juvenile crime, besides drug possession, is destruction for the sake of it. There are no youth centers that seem to have activities open to all local teens either, which probably contributes to the juvenile crime rate. The Oak Ridge cop shop books plenty of Woodlands teens on weekends. That, according to a constable I know in the area. Lots of teens hang out around the Tinseltown movie theater, until the cops run them off.

As for "The Villager," at least the paper is now admitting there is crime in The Woodlands. When George Mitchell ran The Woodlands, news was very suppressed. A few incidents (rapists, home invasions) even made it to the Houston TV newscasts.

A homeowner in The Woodlands will also live with a lot of restriction. The RDRC must approve the color of paint used on the exterior of a home, as well as other alterations, in addition to the legally-required building permits. I know people who decided against The Woodlands and moved to Oak Ridge (across the freeway) because they got $10-$15k more house for their money.

When my daughter went to high school there, the principal stated at an assembly that on any given day, 25% of the kids in that school had an F on something. I also found most school staff quite unhelpful when it came to orienting students to the schools. I, and other single parents, also found that they tended to be a bit condescending to us. School sports teams, especially at the high-school level, are almost impossible to join unless one has prior experience in the "right" program. Example: FFPS kids can't make the soccer team, but those who play with Mustang can. Mustang is the "right" program, despite the fact that some of their best have also played in FFPS. Some parents actually have their kids transferred to the schools in Oak Ridge.

I will say it was a good place to live when my daughter was small. We enjoyed the parks and community events. The Wildflower Festival can be fun, and the free concerts at Northshore Park can also be enjoyable. The Woodlands Pavilion also has a few free concerts each year, most notably their 4th of July concert with the Houston Symphony.

I'd think twice about moving here with a teen, unless you're either very church-affiliated or have lots time and money to make sure that teen is kept quite busy.

[Topaz]

Wow, Mariposa, the casual visitor wouldn't know about ANY of this stuff just from visiting. Very interesting.

[SkyeAnjel]

Now I see something totally different. I have teens and from what I see there is all kinds of things for teens to do. They have skate parks , basketball area in the parks, tennis courts, soccerfields, 12 ft deep pools(My kids would LOVE that after being in a neighborhood with 5 ft. pools). They have The Mall, the movie thater and roller skating rink as well as The Main Event which caters to teens. Not to mention the summer concerts.
As far as teens getting into trouble, that is a parental problem. These parents don't know what their kids are doing and maybe that is associated with having alot of money, they also have cars and alot of freedom younger.
School as I have said before will only be as good as the kids who attend. A drunk 4th grader? Where is this childs parents?
The Woodlands is very strict on their rules, I will agree and have warned people relocating about that. It all depends on what you want.

[MJPost32]

How can one get a copy of their paper? We are thinking abour the Woodlands in a few yrs. and I would like to start following some of the news there.

[mariposa]

Originally Posted by MJPost32

How can one get a copy of their paper? We are thinking abour the Woodlands in a few yrs. and I would like to start following some of the news there.

The Villager is their local paper and available online via the Houston Community Newspapers website.

[snappy]

I have to disagree with Mariposa. My family lived in the Woodlands for 7 years and my teenager had a great group of friends and lots to do. We have no religious affiliation and are middle class so I had time for him but not tons of money. I think this is the crux of the issue - the time you give your kids as SkyeAnjel said.

[MLFB]

Let's be realistic. No place is perfect, and there is good and bad with everything. Saying that, before you move to an "Associated" area know the agreement you are signing up to adhere to. YES, you will pay an annual association fee (to keep up the appearance the board stipulates- "Small Town USA”), and it will be a pretty penny. YES, there are "Secret Santas" that wonder throughout the township checking who is naughty and nice while making sure everyone's personal property is within the "standard" of the township; and YES you will be reported and be sent a notice for non-compliance. As far as the schools go, there is not a better community that has all the grade level schools awarded a recommended or higher level certification than The Woodlands. From K-12 all the schools are phenomenal, not that every teacher will be the perfect match for your child's personality, and not that there aren't teachers that I wouldn't say should have retired years ago, but overall, the schools are great. This year The Woodlands High School has made the top 100 in the Country with both their academic and athletic programs. That is to be believed, as Mariposa stated, "School sports teams, especially at the high-school level, are almost impossible to join unless one has prior experience in the "right" program. Well, yes and no, The Girls HS soccer team will not turn down any potential players, not that that means anything, because the coach knows that the $ comes from the Booster Club, and the more players, the more $, but it doesn't mean your child will play (good or bad) unless the coach likes her. And, the Football teams, as far as I know, no one gets cut. At the Jr High level (8th & 9th grade) alone, there are 4 teams per grade level. At the HS there are 4 teams per school, a Varsity, (2) JV's, and a freshman team. As a matter of fact, your child can opt to take a sport as his/her PE class is it is listed (like: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track & field, etc.). And, if your child is exceptional, if they typically put in about 15hrs a week of their own specialized sport training, they can get early release from school to pursue that sport as their PE requirement. As far as other sports, there are plenty of youth team clubs in the area and into Houston that families join, and yes it can be expensive, especially if your child makes the travel teams (usually DIV I, but some DIV II, also). But, there are less expensive programs, too. Academically, the HS is competitive to the point that, just getting a 4.0 doesn’t mean your child will be within the top 10% of the class, there are so many Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) programs, I believe the Valedictorian this year had over 6.0 on a 4.0 grading. In general, this appears to be a very conservative area (I think, because of the original developer, and association by-laws), but this is a very transient area, and there are people from all over the world that live here. The reality is no one likes anyone to encroach in their area, to include someone telling them what to do and how to do it. That includes raising their children. YES, there seems to be an issue with juvenile control to some extent, but, as SkyeAngel said, "Where is this child's parents?" No parent is perfect, but kids of all ages need guidance. And with that guidance, consequences are important, if a child makes an immature decision/choice, parents shouldn't worry if their child is their friend or not. Let me get back on track. In short, know what you want for your family, and know what it means to be in an associated area. This can be a great place to live; the community provides many options for ALL ages and socio-economic backgrounds. But, someone once said, “You only get out what you’re willing to put in.”