Inwood Forest....could it come back? (Houston, Aldine: transfer, buy, school district)

[AcresHomes44]

If you're scared of the hood, don't move to Inwood because it's in close proximity to Acres Homes, like right next door. Periodically, Inwood Forest suffers from spillover crime from Acres Homes. As far as Acres Homes is concerned, that's my home neighborhood so I know it better than most. Unlike most hoods in Houston, Acres Homes has that community spirit where everyone knows everyone and while it does have crime issues, it's nowhere near a warzone. It's not as bad as it used to be. Acres Homes' crime heyday was the mid to late 80s to 90's. After the 90's, crime has been steadily dropping. Acres Homes is one of the few neighborhoods in Houston that has avoided gentrification; for how long remains to be seen.

[DejaBlue]

Originally Posted by AcresHomes44

If you're scared of the hood, don't move to Inwood because it's in close proximity to Acres Homes, like right next door. Periodically, Inwood Forest suffers from spillover crime from Acres Homes. As far as Acres Homes is concerned, that's my home neighborhood so I know it better than most. Unlike most hoods in Houston, Acres Homes has that community spirit where everyone knows everyone and while it does have crime issues, it's nowhere near a warzone. It's not as bad as it used to be. Acres Homes' crime heyday was the mid to late 80s to 90's. After the 90's, crime has been steadily dropping. Acres Homes is one of the few neighborhoods in Houston that has avoided gentrification; for how long remains to be seen.

Acres Homes is my growing up, go to grandma's/great aunts and uncle's hood so I know it too. It's good as far as old people. However, grandma's 40-60 year old drug using children who live with her now are the problem. Them and their late 20s-30 something children.


I know *side eyes 47 year old cousin I haven't seen in 7 years who's still selling off stuff in his mom's house for a fix*

[hbcu]

the key to gentrification is how many people actually own land in the area folks want?

Won't be easy pulling land from people in Sunnyside and Acres Homes. Certain parts of 3rd ward folks were career renters so it was easy but not the same once you cross OST.

Little easier in the Heights.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by Houston parent

Check out the schools if you have kids. Probably not that good.

Here are the exact schools serving Inwood Forest (map here: Neighborhood Map – IFCIA )

• Early childhood/PreK: Vines https://aldineisd.org/UserFiles/Serv...dary%20map.pdf
• Elementary: J. Ruth Smith Academy https://aldineisd.org/UserFiles/Serv...dary%20map.pdf
• Intermediate: Caraway https://aldineisd.org/UserFiles/Serv...dary%20map.pdf
• Middle: Floyd Hoffman https://aldineisd.org/UserFiles/Serv...dary%20map.pdf
• 9th grade: Eisenhower https://aldineisd.org/UserFiles/Serv...dary%20map.pdf
• 10th-12th: Eisenhower https://aldineisd.org/UserFiles/Serv...dary%20map.pdf

Unlike Houston ISD, Aldine ISD has specific attendance boundary maps for its preK centers.

Originally Posted by fnh

The schools will eventually follow though it will take a while it is true, just look at what has happened in west Memorial. This being TX, many families would rather live relatively cheaply closer to town and send the kids to private schools anyway.

I'm not sure how soon the Aldine ISD schools here will gentrify, as northside HISD schools haven't yet done so either (although Oak Forest Elementary has a great reputation).

BTW the HS zone immediately to the south of the Eisenhower zone (in which Inwood Forest is to the north) is the HISD Scarborough High zone https://www.houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/...borough_HS.pdf

[carrayvan]

I have been researching neighborhoods looking for a home for my family for the past 6 months or so. I’ve toured several homes in the Inwood area and I think the ONLY thing holding me back is not traffic nor fear of danger but the ISD. It’s Aldine ISD and not HISD, my children currently attend magnet schools within HISD and i wouldn’t want to transfer them out, i really like the Houston ISD schools, even through the constant drama i still like the well balanced culture within the school system. Otherwise i could get so much bang for my buck, a big beautiful house with a pool on a golf course would be amazing along with walking trails and a backyard park basically. Unfortunately I’ve been looking in Oak Forest and while the schools are good the houses are tiny! I don’t see our family of 5 sharing only 1 bathroom浪 if only I had a relative that has a HISD address I would totally buy in Inwood Forest!

[AcresHomes44]

Do people know how many times Acres Homes has been discussed for redevelopment/gentrification? Hundreds, and each time it's failed because for one thing, the residents wouldn't go for it. Acres Homes is one of the first black neighborhoods in Houston, my home neighborhood and it's respected all over Houston. You have the convenience of being next to 45, 249, 290, and 610. The closest thing to gentrification AH will get is the southern, northern and western parts of the community, that and you'd have to pay big money to move everyone out of AH for it to be redeveloped. Guess what? Those former Acres Homes residents would have to go somewhere, like Tomball, Inwood Forest or even to the South/SW side of Houston.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by carrayvan

I have been researching neighborhoods looking for a home for my family for the past 6 months or so. I’ve toured several homes in the Inwood area and I think the ONLY thing holding me back is not traffic nor fear of danger but the ISD. It’s Aldine ISD and not HISD, my children currently attend magnet schools within HISD and i wouldn’t want to transfer them out, i really like the Houston ISD schools, even through the constant drama i still like the well balanced culture within the school system. Otherwise i could get so much bang for my buck, a big beautiful house with a pool on a golf course would be amazing along with walking trails and a backyard park basically. Unfortunately I’ve been looking in Oak Forest and while the schools are good the houses are tiny! I don’t see our family of 5 sharing only 1 bathroom浪 if only I had a relative that has a HISD address I would totally buy in Inwood Forest!

At this rate, why doesn't Aldine ISD consolidate into HISD? It can be an act of the state legislature, or it can be a referendum held in both districts approving consolidation.

[timtemtym]

On the Looped in Podcast they recently had an interview with a houston real estate developer who talked about Inwood Forest and Independence Heights as being the two neighborhoods he thinks are up for big comebacks. So it might be a great place to buy.

I've always thought Acres Homes (the southern part of it with those huge lots near Tidwell) will eventually come back as well. Those big lots might be tempting for all those townhome fill-ins. Especially if they can buy enough of them to bulldoze and re-plat.

It might take a few decades, but it'll happen eventually! Out here in Los Angeles I was driving through an old industrial area and saw they put in a new gated community by getting enough big old warehouse areas and dozing them completely. Those townhomes were starting at 500k which is a bargain for LA but there is literally nothing around there but light industrial! When the land pressure gets enough there are going to be some swanky developments going in weird places. They're even building nice new apartments on slivers of land between roadways and freeways that are about as wide as a Jack in the Box or Burger King.

On another of those Houston podcasts a developer was talking about Houston doing that in the future. Right now there is still too much open land for that kind of foolishness, but some day...

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by carrayvan

I have been researching neighborhoods looking for a home for my family for the past 6 months or so. I’ve toured several homes in the Inwood area and I think the ONLY thing holding me back is not traffic nor fear of danger but the ISD. It’s Aldine ISD and not HISD, my children currently attend magnet schools within HISD and i wouldn’t want to transfer them out, i really like the Houston ISD schools, even through the constant drama i still like the well balanced culture within the school system. Otherwise i could get so much bang for my buck, a big beautiful house with a pool on a golf course would be amazing along with walking trails and a backyard park basically. Unfortunately I’ve been looking in Oak Forest and while the schools are good the houses are tiny! I don’t see our family of 5 sharing only 1 bathroom浪 if only I had a relative that has a HISD address I would totally buy in Inwood Forest!

There is no longer a golf course in Inwood Forest. The golf course closed some time ago, and is now city parkland and water detention.

[carrayvan]

Originally Posted by Vicman

At this rate, why doesn't Aldine ISD consolidate into HISD? It can be an act of the state legislature, or it can be a referendum held in both districts approving consolidation.

Trust me I’ve googled that option myself for Inwood Forest to become part of HISD! But the proximity of Eisenhower High School is right there so I don’t know how that would work 😕