The Woodlands vs Sugar Land - help?? (Houston, Victoria: sales, 2013)

[helen_02]

We are relocating from DFW this spring & we're having a hard time deciding between The Woodlands and Sugar Land. I know the obvious differences - The Woodlands has more trees (which we LOVE) & is a bit more... "uppity" & Sugar Land is more culturally diverse & a bit closer to all the "good stuff" a family may want to frequent in Houston (zoo, museums, etc).
My husband will be based out of our house & covering the entire Houston area (I think he said from Conroe to Victoria?) & I will be a stay at home mom, so location isn't necessarily an issue (especially since traffic will be bad everywhere ). We are drawn by the fact that The Woodlands will save us about an hour in the commute back to DFW, which we will probably make quite frequently... but something about Sugar Land just draws me in!

I'm not sure what info will help us narrow down which city is best, but I'd love opinions on one town vs the other. We do have an almost 5 year old (so he'll be starting kinder) & another one on the way, but I think the schools & family-friendliness is going to be pretty comparable in either area. (Right?) We love outdoor activities (running, cycling, hiking, "exploring", etc), which either will likely fit. I'm guessing crime rates are about the same in both towns also, right?
We plan to rent for at least a year before we buy, so we can always change our minds, but I'd really like to get my son settled into in an area we plan to stay long term.

[cheryjohns]

Schools are comparable. So is the housing stock.

Why not look at a few in both areas? After a few hours in each - you will have a preference. It varies with different people as to which. Both are nice.

[LITTB]

I know more about the Woodlands than Sugarland, but the Woodlands does have a diverse population with all the amenities you expect from a master planned community; just like Sugarland. The Woodlands have lead home sales in greater houston for the last 20-30 years. I haven't timed a drive from Sugarland but I 'm pretty sure it's more than an hour to the Woodlands. Renting is a good idea if you can't decide where you want to be, but rental prices have risen in Houston because of the growth we've seen; our economy is better than most. Having said that keep in mind that home prices are recovering and interest rates will probably rise sometime in 2013(the FED has promised to keep them for for a while). This is a great time to buy! Do what you feel most comfortable with. Don't add misery to your move.

[Topaz]

The political climate is different between Montgomery County and Fort Bend County. For example, in 2010, 51.7% of the Fort Bend County vote went to Rick Perry (R), with 46.9% to Bill White (D). In Montgomery County, it was 75% to Rick Perry and 23% for Bill White.

[AK123]

Go look at homes in both. That will help you get a feel.

The Woodlands is more wooded, less diverse ethnically and politically, and further out from Houston and its best amenities. I wouldn't say it's more upscale, they're probably about equal.

Sugar Land is quite a bit closer to areas of interest in Houston (Museum District, zoo, TMC). It's much more diverse (though mostly White and Asian without much else) and multicultural. The established subdivisions have nice trees, though they're mostly oaks as opposed to the pines of The Woodlands.

Both places have very good amenities (dining, entertainment and shopping) compared to other Houston-area suburbs in my opinion.

[CDeb]

The commute back to DFW shouldn't be a major factor. How often are you going to be doing it? Twice a month?

You're going to be living in your community every day, so go with which one you like best.

[David Dollar]

Sugarland is about an hour and a half from The Whitelands. Traffice on 45 is terrible. Really terrible. I have started taking 59 from Gunspoint to go to Houston. You will find a lot Chad in the sweater vest in The Whitelands. It can can be very pretentious, but that may be your scene. I prefer Sugarland by a landslide.

[jr1038]

Originally Posted by jenny77

woodlands=white
sugar land=indian/chinese

Not a fair generalization. Sugar Land has a white plurality - 45% non-Hispanic white, 35% Asian. There is a significantly larger Asian population in Sugar Land than in The Woodlands, but Asians are not the predominant demographic in Sugar Land.

[CDeb]

Originally Posted by jr1038

Not a fair generalization. Sugar Land has a white plurality - 45% non-Hispanic white, 35% Asian. There is a significantly larger Asian population in Sugar Land than in The Woodlands, but Asians are not the predominant demographic in Sugar Land.

I have no statistics to back this up, but my impressions of the Asians in Sugar Land are that they are well-distributed amongst Chinese, Philippinos, Vietnamese, Indians, Pakistanis, along with several others.

[Hawk11ns]

Originally Posted by helen_02

We are relocating from DFW this spring & we're having a hard time deciding between The Woodlands and Sugar Land. I know the obvious differences - The Woodlands has more trees (which we LOVE) & is a bit more... "uppity" & Sugar Land is more culturally diverse & a bit closer to all the "good stuff" a family may want to frequent in Houston (zoo, museums, etc).
My husband will be based out of our house & covering the entire Houston area (I think he said from Conroe to Victoria?) & I will be a stay at home mom, so location isn't necessarily an issue (especially since traffic will be bad everywhere ). We are drawn by the fact that The Woodlands will save us about an hour in the commute back to DFW, which we will probably make quite frequently... but something about Sugar Land just draws me in!

I'm not sure what info will help us narrow down which city is best, but I'd love opinions on one town vs the other. We do have an almost 5 year old (so he'll be starting kinder) & another one on the way, but I think the schools & family-friendliness is going to be pretty comparable in either area. (Right?) We love outdoor activities (running, cycling, hiking, "exploring", etc), which either will likely fit. I'm guessing crime rates are about the same in both towns also, right?
We plan to rent for at least a year before we buy, so we can always change our minds, but I'd really like to get my son settled into in an area we plan to stay long term.

The woodlands, hands down. Sugarland is nice too but there has been an increase in crime and lower living conditions spread throughout ever since the sugarmill went out of business years ago.