Memorial West (Houston, The Woodlands, League City: insurance, crime, new home)

[EasilyAmused]

Yes, the Beltway, being able to access the neighborhood only by the Beltway access road on the western side, and the Beltway noise have kept MB prices down. New builds are over a million just like everywhere else though. But if you're only in it for the schools, I guess that's a choice.

Our children started their school career in private school because at the time we lived in the Tanglewood and Briargrove areas. The schools are ok through 5th, and after that you're on your own. Large class sizes weren't ideal for our learners either. We stayed In the private system even with living in 77079 because our kids were very happy in their schools, however most of their childhood friends were in public. Most went to Meadowood and Wilchester, a few to Nottingham and Rummel Creek.All graduated from Stratford,and went to mostly Ut and A&M. But one Nottingham friend got a full Ride to A&M through the corp.So, I guess the schools produce plenty of capable students. It felt as if 80% of the sfh residents used the public schools K-12,but I'm not sure of the actual numbers. The families are awesome in that area imho, and it's been a consistently solid and safe place (for a big city) to live for decades. But you have the like living with white collar conservatives, a large number of homeowners who grew up and went to HS there themselves,lots of elderly original owners,a good percentage of SAHMs, and almost rabid PTOs.If you hate that culture, you're going to not like the area.

I would make appointments and tour the individual schools you are concerned about. Walk the sfh neighborhood zoned to them and actually Talk to the people who send their children there. That will give you more insight than anything.Good luck.

And yes, as said above, many of the older apartment complexes are coming down. And that should change things even more.

[gwarnecke]

Originally Posted by marksmu

To me, its one of the gems of Memorial -its only drawback is the fact that the Beltway cuts it in half - which I will admit is a significant drawback, but I would pick this area for schools/appreciation alone long before I settled on something where the schools are much more inferior. In Houston, schools drive property values, and it is zoned to all 3 excellent schools. Rummel Creek, Memorial, Memorial. That is hardly roughing it.

I meant "rough it" in regards to the quality of home that you can find for under $600k, not in the quality of the neighborhood as a whole. I love the neighborhood, in fact my wife and I are strongly considering it as a future place to live. Other than the beltway bisection (and associated traffic noise) and the poor condition of the streets within MB, it offers lots of strengths.

But a $600k budget puts you in an awkward position. You can get a small (~2000 sq ft or less) original home, but any investment on updating it is basically throwing good money after bad, since original homes in MB are considered teardowns. I've looked a couple of these homes and tried to make the numbers work, but as it stands I plan to wait until we can afford to buy one and immediately build a new home on the lot.

By comparison, $600k will get you a newer/larger home in Stratford HS 77079 or a much newer/larger home in KISD 77079.

[LocalPlanner]

While there's no question about the reputation of Memorial High and its feeders, I can't imagine it's any significant step down to Stratford and its feeders. Unless you have a very specific academic reason to think that, partaking of that line of thinking could earn you a reputation as one of those fanatically paranoid school zone reputation home buyers - the fact that such folks are rampant in Houston doesn't diminish the fact of their fanaticism or the likely inaccurate perceptions they create to differentiate school zones.

Bottom line - I can't imagine any justification for guilt regarding the choice of the Stratford zone instead of Memorial.

[gwarnecke]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

While there's no question about the reputation of Memorial High and its feeders, I can't imagine it's any significant step down to Stratford and its feeders. Unless you have a very specific academic reason to think that, partaking of that line of thinking could earn you a reputation as one of those fanatically paranoid school zone reputation home buyers - the fact that such folks are rampant in Houston doesn't diminish the fact of their fanaticism or the likely inaccurate perceptions they create to differentiate school zones.

Bottom line - I can't imagine any justification for guilt regarding the choice of the Stratford zone instead of Memorial.

My perception is that, once parents are splitting hairs between two excellent schools like MHS and SHS, decisions are guided less by quality of education and more by (real or perceived) exclusivity, appreciation potential, and opportunities to network with other wealthy parents.

[marksmu]

I got a message that no houses zoned to Rummel creek goto Memorial Middle & Memorial High, and Memorial Bend is the exception to this. Its in 77024, no 77079 - and the elementary is Rummel Creek, but Middle School and High School are both Memorial. We have a rental property in this neighborhood.

The creek/bayou through Terry Hershey Park behind the neighborhood are the dividing line for 77024 and 77079.

So whomever left me that not, just FYI. This neighborhood is somewhat of an anomaly in the area.

[bilz987]

Any issues with flooding in memorial bend in the Memorial day storm? I think spring valley area was hit the hardest in that part of town.

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by marksmu

I got a message that no houses zoned to Rummel creek goto Memorial Middle & Memorial High, and Memorial Bend is the exception to this. Its in 77024, no 77079 - and the elementary is Rummel Creek, but Middle School and High School are both Memorial. We have a rental property in this neighborhood.

The creek/bayou through Terry Hershey Park behind the neighborhood are the dividing line for 77024 and 77079.

So whomever left me that not, just FYI. This neighborhood is somewhat of an anomaly in the area.

You are correct, Memorial Bend on the southwest corner of Memorial has been zoned to MHS for a while, while homes on the Northwest side go to Stratford and are 77079.

The access to that section has always thrown me off. Can kids get the other neighborhoods from there? Ie., a cut through or park access near the water treatment plant? Never really Investigated.

[gwarnecke]

No flooding in Memorial Bend on Memorial Day, if you believe this map:

See the scope of the damage from Houston's Memorial Day flood - Houston Chronicle

The southern part of Isolde, south of Boheme Dr, is in the floodplain, however.

The SW portion of Memorial Bend is connected to both the bird sanctuary and Terry Hershey Park, via separate entrances. I guess kids could get to other 77079 neighborhoods by way of THP.

The SE portion of Memorial Bend has a couple of short cul-de-sacs that connect to the BW8 feeder road and nothing else. Homes on these streets seem to take forever to sell.

[diggity101]

$600K for a teardown right next to the beltway. What's not to love?

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

You are correct, Memorial Bend on the southwest corner of Memorial has been zoned to MHS for a while, while homes on the Northwest side go to Stratford and are 77079.

The access to that section has always thrown me off. Can kids get the other neighborhoods from there? Ie., a cut through or park access near the water treatment plant? Never really Investigated.

EDIT:There was no flooding...the beltway is a giant drainage ditch there, so that area is unlikely to ever flood.

My rental property is outside the beltway....Hansel/Tosca, etc - the entire neighborhood is zip code 77024.

Look at the attachment map I outlined...every house in that area goes to Memorial Middle and Memorial High. I am 100% certain of this, as my tenants have high school kids at Memorial High School, and did all last year as well.

Also, there is an entrance to the park that access the other side of Rummell Creek....

I added the map, b/c perhaps you are not certain of the area I was referring to as "Memorial Bend" which is the legal name of this neighborhood.

And yes, the cut off from the beltway is an issue which is holding down property values more so than the rest of the area zoned to the same schools...but $500K for a lot and having to make a uturn over the beltway is much better to me than some of the $750K & $800K lots that come up in Tealwood, and Frostwood.