Best places near I-45 (North Freeway) and BW 8 (Houston, The Woodlands: crime, houses)

[Authorized User]

What are the best places to live if you work near I-45 (North Freeway) and Beltway 8 and you want:

• Stable middle or upper class neighborhoods
• Prefer older, established, desirable neighborhood, even if inner city, but can do suburbs.
• An area that will probably stay stable for at least a decade or two.
• Can get good quality homes, abt. 2000 sq or more for $350K-ish.
• 30 minute or less commute in typically bad traffic (i.e., 30 minutes isn't "best case scenario").
• Single family detached homes.
• Public schools that are good from elementary through high school. OK with inner city schools as long as they are good, have significant middle class presence in student body, and have high parental involvement, such as good PTA and scout units based out of the school.
• Area that has more character than paved over cropland.

Also, it appears that I-45 (North Freeway) and Beltway 8 area has declined considerably in the past couple of decades. Is this true? Has this decline stabilized, or is it going to sink further?

[DejaBlue]

Klein ISD/Cy-Fair/Spring. That area has declined considerably and I don't see it improving and with that you have to move out to get what you want and just deal.

You just have to get use to a suck it up on commute times if you want all that safety, great schools, etc not to far from your job. Klein isn't too far but on a regular commute I'd say 30-45 minutes. It's not horrible by any means.

Considering your location and the fact that you want more bang aka house for your money you're looking at Klein and Cyfair. Just avoid Klein Forest because it's the downside to KISD but the other schools have good elementary to high schools and I do believe the Cyfair schools are all pretty good.

[bloodwings19]

Originally Posted by Authorized User

Also, it appears that I-45 (North Freeway) and Beltway 8 area has declined considerably in the past couple of decades. Is this true? Has this decline stabilized, or is it going to sink further?

The area Greenspoint is now known to some Houstonians as "Gunspoint." The area is still iffy and some of the crime moved up north around FM1960. Greenspoint Mall used to be a 2nd-tier mall (with Galleria Mall being 1st-tier), now it barely exists and part of the mall is now a Houston Police Dept. The area is safe as long as you are aware of your surroundings, just like anywhere actually.

If you want good schooling, you will need to venture to Kingwood/Humble area, or Cy/290 area. The houses around 290 is newer than around 59 area. And if you want to live in the city, Heights is a good place which is closer than going to 290 and 59. Most of the good schools and areas are on the borders of Harris County, with exception to I-10 East.

[Authorized User]

Just curious: why Kingwood/Humble or Cy/290 over The Woodlands/Spring?

[bluelion_ms3]

Certain parts of Spring/The Woodlands are in Conroe ISD. which from my understanding, is better than spring isd..please correct me if im wrong...my son hasnt even turned 2 yrs old.

[Authorized User]

Originally Posted by bluelion_ms3

Certain parts of Spring/The Woodlands are in Conroe ISD. which from my understanding, is better than spring isd..please correct me if im wrong...my son hasnt even turned 2 yrs old.

Interesting. I get the feeling that Spring ISD has declined considerably in the past two decades.

[Authorized User]

The more I look into it, looks like The Woodlands is the place to be, especially with Exxon putting its huge new facility in there in a couple of years.

[Authorized User]

Originally Posted by bluelion_ms3

Certain parts of Spring/The Woodlands are in Conroe ISD. which from my understanding, is better than spring isd..please correct me if im wrong...my son hasnt even turned 2 yrs old.

I pulled out some maps, and looks like The Woodlands proper is almost entirely in Conroe ISD.