Why Memorial Parkway is better than Cinco and the best neighborhood in Katy (an opinion) :-) (Houston: new home, neighborhoods)

[sbhubbell]

Dude, I cannot believe you cannot hear the "reverse snobbery" in your own posts. Your comparison to cars is not even remotely relevant. Yay for you that you like living in an older, small house...quit disparaging the rest of us.

[westres1]

Well if someone gave me house in Cinco I would sell it asap. Because I dont want to live way out there. However, I wouldnt buy a house in Mem Pkwy either!

[djtrancendance]

To be clear (years after I wrote the original post)...it's not that Memorial Parkway is better; you are obviously buying more house/amenities/better-schools...if you buy Cinco.

What's amazing is how much more of the basics (safety, good schools, enough amenities like tennis courts, parks, pools, good nearby shopping, good location) per dollar you get. Other things you lose, like sparkling landscape design/maintenance and low energy use home design, really are not hard to correct for a few thousand dollars either.
One prime example: Cinco Ranch Southpark shares Taylor HS (which is fairly close behind Cinco High in ratings) with Memorial Parkway and Hayes Elementary in Memorial Parkway is rated exemplary. Cinco schools are better, sure, but the margin is surprisingly small compared to the better parts of Memorial Parkway.

And both communities have strong, stable resale values and are surrounded by safe neighborhoods on all sides.
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It's like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus. The Lexus has the sparkling extras but, in many ways, you can manage to get the same foundational usability with the Toyota.

[hbcu]

Yeah but if you play sports your going to get your head beat in at Katy Taylor while Cinco is more competitive

[jd433]

Originally Posted by djtrancendance

To be clear (years after I wrote the original post)...it's not that Memorial Parkway is better; you are obviously buying more house/amenities/better-schools...if you buy Cinco.

What's amazing is how much more of the basics (safety, good schools, enough amenities like tennis courts, parks, pools, good nearby shopping, good location) per dollar you get. Other things you lose, like sparkling landscape design/maintenance and low energy use home design, really are not hard to correct for a few thousand dollars either.
One prime example: Cinco Ranch Southpark shares Taylor HS (which is fairly close behind Cinco High in ratings) with Memorial Parkway and Hayes Elementary in Memorial Parkway is rated exemplary. Cinco schools are better, sure, but the margin is surprisingly small compared to the better parts of Memorial Parkway.

And both communities have strong, stable resale values and are surrounded by safe neighborhoods on all sides.
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It's like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus. The Lexus has the sparkling extras but, in many ways, you can manage to get the same foundational usability with the Toyota.

I have lived in the South Katy area for almost 5 years now. I do like Memorial Parkway but have mixed feelings about it. You see, I am starting to notice Graffiti that wasn't there before. Those apartments up near park Tree and Mason I think they are called the fountains? They are really detracting from that part of Memorial Parkway and creating a demographic shift at Memorial Parkway Elementary. Values are still holding up in there i am sure mostly because of the schools. Memorial Parkway south of Highland Knolls is a little better beause they go to Mcmeans Elementary.

I will be watching closely to see what happens over the next 5 years. I am worried about the scene on South Mason North of Highland Knolls. I have already seen a Krogers close up and see a theme that is turning more and more Latino (not a bad thing just an observation) I am also concerned that with the Grand parkway expanding and the new overpass opening it may take away some of the better traffic from Mason road. this could hurt businesses on Mason road. then you have to worry about the empty old buildings being taken over by 24 hour video stores, liqour stores, massage parlors, tatoo parlors, game rooms, $4.99 hair cut places, thrift stores, churches, and a whole bunch of them just simply vacant. Why are these places there? Because the rents are low and they have a clientel nearby that has the mentality to use a business like that. Also please notice all of the hand writen picket signs.. They say "Foreclosure 4/2 house" Or " House for rent" Look at all of the pan handlers on Mason road

All of these things that I just described used to be only found on the North side of Katy. Now they are creeping there way accross the I-10 and into your back yard.

you want to see what I am worried about just go to the Champions area and drive the 1960 between Veterans memorial and the 45. THAT IS WHAT IA M AFRAID OF!

yes these are all signs of a declining area. Go down to Cinco ranch and count how many of thse kinds of businesses you see? Count all of the vacant store fronts?

[HoustonRonnie]

This thread is three years old. Aren't all those areas ghetto now?

Ronnie

[djtrancendance]

Those apartments up near park Tree and Mason I think they are called the fountains? They are really detracting from that part of Memorial Parkway and creating a demographic shift at Memorial Parkway Elementary. Values are still holding up in there i am sure mostly because of the schools. Memorial Parkway south of Highland Knolls is a little better because they go to Mcmeans Elementary.

Agreed, the apartments are bad news and the better parts of Memorial Parkway are North of Highland Knolls (those are actually zoned to Hayes Elementary though, not McMeans...and Hayes is just as well rated).
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I have already seen a Krogers close up

Indeed, though that Kroger's was badly kept, had much higher prices across the board than the nearby (and increasingly popular) HEB, and was getting little business. You'll notice the other shops around it are getting more business than ever, in fact the Burger King, Taco Bell, Randalls, Saltena's Meditterean...in the same area have all renovated. If anything, business seems getting better and I haven't seen any weirdness at the $4.99 haircut places.
If anything, I worry about the existence of pawn shops and one smoke shop on Mason North of Cimarron rd....but I haven't seen any new ones in the last few years: the nasty things I see have been there for a long time.
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>>They say "Foreclosure 4/2 house" Or " House for rent" Look at all of the pan handlers on Mason road
Though, I haven't seen many "for rent" signs on actual streets around Memorial Parkway, just the main roads. The picket signs do bug me, though...for massages, granite installation, or what not...all on badly kept grass. It seems while the HOA does a good job inside the neighborhood, they don't do anything about keeping Mason Rd. looking good. IMO Mason should be kept well by the HOA, like Fry Rd.
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>>yes these are all signs of a declining area. Go down to Cinco ranch and count how many of thse kinds of businesses you see? Count all of the vacant store fronts?

You're right...the vacant store fronts do bug me...although most of what I see isn't in Memorial Parkway, but in the Cimarron area closer to I-10 (which has been this way for over 4 years, and I can't see much change). But if it moves, you're right, it spells trouble. What amazes me is a possibility that somewhat Cinco-ish $150K+ home subdivisions like Oak Park Trails and Nottingham Country right next door could all go down...I mean, don't all those people also shop on Mason for convenience and are unlikely to start driving to the Grand Parkway extension? Shouldn't they keep the better-kept shops, like the upper scale Mexican restaurants, the 24 hour fitness, very well kept HEB...in business so the shady small stores won't take over?

I mean it could happen...but there would have to be a whole lot of strong neighborhoods going down to let the "bad" part of Mason North of Cimarron move South like that.
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Perhaps the question is...what's the best line of defense (if any)?

Another note: are the picket signs even legal? Could a resident legally just step out of his/her car and take one down?

[djtrancendance]

Side question...say the "bad" part of Mason North of Cimarron rd. near I-10 does work its way South to Memorial Parkway...wouldn't that basically take down Cinco Equestrian Village (a merely mile or so down the road) as well?

If so, boy does that present a dilemma. The only really safe homes then would be the $200K+ ones in Cinco...go figure virtually all the $150-ish ones would be gone. And, by then, large parts of Kelliwood would almost certainly also be toast.

[jd433]

Memorial Parkways future will depend a lot on what will happen when the 35% of homeowners who are aging move on. Yes, there are still a lot of original homeowners in there.

What happens over the next 15 years or so when these homeowners move on will make a huge difference. I see a demographic shift coming. You see, this isn't just happening in Memorial parkway but in the entire US as well.

What kind of people will to want to live there? How many of the properties will become Renter occupied? What will the county do when the infrastructure starts to crumble? You already see a lot of uneven sidewalks and cracked/uneven driveways in Memorial parkway. You see a lot of cracking brick (the brick used on these homes was very poor quality and was also laid on its side to increase coverage) ( also the concrete work was not very well done) A lot of the homes have warped/ uneven trusses and walls, . Will the homeowners have the money to repair all of the aging problems the house has? Most of the homes still have the original Galvanized steel plumbing. Will homeowners do the necessary updating that is needed? And will that work be quality work? Most of the homes still have the original 1970's r-19 insulation, single pane windows, pine cabinets, desks and wet bars that can't be stained, Also many, many, MANY of these homes suffer horribly from years of cheaply and poorly done repairs. And of course there are the floor plans

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by jd433

I have lived in the South Katy area for almost 5 years now. I do like Memorial Parkway but have mixed feelings about it. You see, I am starting to notice Graffiti that wasn't there before.

A year ago the Harris County side of South Katy reminded me of Alief 20 years ago; pleasant but aging and flight to the newer neighborhoods. It seems to have sped up 10 years within the past 6 months to what Alief looked like almost 10 years ago; beginning to be a lower income area with the trappings. Won't be surprised to see pay-day lenders popping up along Mason (and Fry) Road within 18-24 months.

I will be watching closely to see what happens over the next 5 years. I am worried about the scene on South Mason North of Highland Knolls. I have already seen a Krogers close up

The only good thing about that Kroger was the size. I didn't have to walk across a football field to grocery shop but it needed renovation. These days more space is needed to accommodate the multitude of brands for one product.

Hopefully Trader Joe's will open in its place! It's just the right size for their concept and close enough to Cinco Ranch.

I am also concerned that with the Grand Parkway expanding and the new overpass opening it may take away some of the better traffic from Mason road. this could hurt businesses on Mason road.

That section of the Grand Parkway has been there for 18 years and Mason Road is the busiest its ever been on weekends with the population growth within the last 5 years.

then you have to worry about the empty old buildings being taken over by 24 hour video stores, liqour stores, massage parlors, tatoo parlors, game rooms, $4.99 hair cut places, thrift stores, churches, and a whole bunch of them just simply vacant.

Game Rooms. Sounds like the demographics suggest lower-income Whites.

Why are these places there? Because the rents are low and they have a clientel nearby that has the mentality to use a business like that.

Lower-income Whites. That's a fact of life on the Harris County side.

Also please notice all of the hand writen picket signs.. They say "Foreclosure 4/2 house" Or " House for rent" Look at all of the pan handlers on Mason road

Harris County is definitely a lower income area and those signs reflect those realities.

What panhandlers? I'm tempted to bring some to the Grand Parkway underpasses at Cinco Ranch and Westheimer Parkways to show everyone that they can't flee from society's problems (like those office developments such as Park 10 to avoid Downtown and "its problems").

All of these things that I just described used to be only found on the North side of Katy. Now they are creeping there way accross the I-10 and into your back yard.

I see are redneck Republicans wallowing in poverty in Harris County and affluent liberal Obama bumper sticker-touting supporters here in Cinco Ranch. Before night-and-day was North Katy vs. South Katy, now it's Harris County vs. Fort Bend County. Might as well come to the "dark side"! Harris County is a bankrupt, corrupt cesspool.