Inner Loop Neighborhoods for Families (Houston, Spring: 2015, house, top schools)

[gwarnecke]

Originally Posted by bu2

Note that there is quite a difference between the various Spring Branch ISD schools. Memorial HS and Stratford HS are much more highly regarded than Northbrook HS and Spring Woods HS. That impacts property values.

True, but all of the Villages are zoned to Memorial High School, except for the sliver that is in HISD.

[FTWRunner]

1. There are also some Villages north of I-10 that are bit further east and are zoned to great schools (Spring Valley/Hedwig Village). I think you will really like the area, though I highly recommend coming down for a visit as each Village/areas of Memorial have a different feel.

Just keep in mind the further west you go the longer your commute. Personally I live right north of Spring Valley and my AM commute to downtown is avg 25 min door to door, PM avg is 30 min. If you are closer to the Beltway I would add another 10 mins at least as traffic tends to start stacking up more on I-10 right past the Wirt/Chimney Rock exit. What is nice about the area is that there are multiple ways to get to downtown so if traffic is bad you have some options.

2. You won't be right against commercial in the Villages themselves, as they have more of a traditional neighborhood layout. I have found that people in Houston don't seem to be as concerned about being near commercial in general, some see it as a plus. But with your budget you won't have any issues finding a traditional house on a large lot vs the more high density communities that are becoming popular in the area.

3. The public schools are generally good to great in the area, though some people do private for middle. Some of the southern villages are zoned to HISD which might not be as highly rated as Spring Branch ISD. Generally people prefer to be zoned to Memorial High or Stafford High. There are many private schools in the area also.

4. The area is very family friendly, I know Spring Valley does movie nights in one of their parks, you will see people out walking and riding bikes and there are lots of parks. Along with the general kid stuff, like dance, karate, sports, etc.

5. There is a Facebook group called MAR Memorial Area Real Estate that can be helpful to get an idea of what homes are available in the Memorial/Villages area and who some of the agents are that work the area.

6. We are 10 minutes from Memorial Park which has a 3 mile running loop and south of I-10 there a lot of trails, surprisingly, considering the weather, Houston has an active running scene.

It's not Lakewood, but I think the motivation for living there (or West U) to be the same as Lakewood; not wanting to spend hours commuting, being able to use what the city offers, etc.

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by Bowser78

I cannot thank you all enough for taking the time to offer your insight. As a Dallas native, it is very bittersweet to be moving. What I know of Houston is simply how long it takes to get through (I grew up visiting grandparents in Texas City). The traffic and congestion is a huge concern for me. i was sort of looking for an oasis in the city that made me feel like I wasn't so urban. No disrespect to the park cities in Dallas but we specifically chose to plant our family in Lakewood for the culture, the feel, the proximity to a green belt/lake, and the larger lots. Sounds like to me that West U is very similar to University Park. It appears the villages may be better suited to us (larger lots, less traffic, good schools, aesthetically pretty, etc). And for what's it's worth, my husband is in the energy business but will be working downtown.

Questions on the villages:

1) Any major differences between them? Reasons to pick one over the other or simply let the right house dictate?
2) I know Houston zoning or lack thereof allows for commercial buildings in and around neighborhoods. Will I find commercial buildings w/I the villages?
3) what percentage of kids go to private vs public in this area?
4) assuming this area is very family friendly and has active neighborhood camaraderie?
5) does real estate here go quickly? Is there a who who's real estate agent/firm to use?
6) are there parks/running trails in this area

West U is definitively more like the Park Cities...I think you have made an accurate comparison there.

To answer your questions:

1. Schools are the main reason people pick a general area of Memorial. ALL areas of Memorial have exceptional Elementary schools. When you get to Middle School, the best middle School is "Memorial middle" so to get zoned to that school you have to buy within its boundaries. It is somewhat full so I would avoid buying on any of the boundaries as it is likely to shift its zoning map in the next 10 years. For the high school Memorial High school is the preferred choice. The zoning area for Memorial high is very large, so you are pretty safe with any of the villages East of the beltway.

2. You will find very little commercial building in the villages. Zoning is strictly enforced.

3. The percentage of private v public is impossible to know, but I would guess about 15-20% of the area kids goto private school. This tends to be the group whose parents also went to private school. Private schools are very competitive in Houston, and very expensive, so even if you can afford the tuition, your child may not get in. The percentage of public v private increases as you travel east closer to the Galleria. Bunker Hill and Frostwood areas, are more public than private. Hedwig, Piney Point, etc, tend to become more private than public....the big shift is middle school.

4. The area is family friendly, but the neighborhoods vary greatly. Much of the camaraderie will come through parents you meet. School functions, sports, school fundraisers, PTA, etc. It is what you make of it. If you are very outgoing you will be fine. Some neighborhoods are very active, while others are very quiet. If you want to meet people quickly you may want to join one of the "clubs" Westside, Lakeside, memorial forest club, etc...there are many, and all are very social.

5. Well priced homes sell quickly. There is a plethora of homes on the market in the $1.5-$2M range at the moment. A good buyers agent who is familiar with the area is invaluable. A good quick reference for market health is found here: MarketWatch Summary for Ten Price Ranges, 19 Zip Codes in Houston, TX I would suggest setting a consumer search on HAR.com and limiting your market zip code to 77024. You can also filter by schools if you wanted to do that. It will help familiarize you with the area and its prices.

6. Most parks are at the schools in this area. The school playgrounds are open after school hours and lots of folks visit them. Most of the area has sidewalks, and the area is heavily wooded, so the jogging/exercise is on the sidewalks. The streets are quiet, and the sidewalks are always filled with people, even before 5am. There are also many city parks...Terry Hershey is nearby, and so is Memorial park...both are very popular.

Good luck....it takes a long time to find the perfect place, and it helps tremendously to know the area before you buy.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by HTownNearNative

On the Oak Forest recommendation, that is a good one. Right now, it's one excellent elementary school is Oak Forest. Make sure the home is zoned to Oak Forest Elem. You would have to go private for middle and high school.

I knew a lot of Oak Forest kids going to magnet schools.

[chris_ut]

Originally Posted by Vicman

I knew a lot of Oak Forest kids going to magnet schools.

Parts of OF are zoned to Stevens and Smith which are okay but not as good as OFE.

[LizzySWW]

Originally Posted by bu2

West U. is NOT liberal. Its mostly Republican. Its just not 80-90% Republican, more like 60%.

Nope. West U is mostly democrats. Memorial strongly votes republican.

West University = liberal
Trump: 904
Clinton: 927


Bunker Hill Village = conservative
Trump: 1429
Clinton: 675

Piney Point Village = conservative
Trump: 1212
Clinton: 499

Hunter's Creek Village = conservative
Trump: 1672
Clinton: 731


UPDATED: Where Trump Lost Harris County, Mapped | Swamplot

[PinkLadyK]

I don't think the Trump/Clinton numbers are a good count of Democrats vs. Republicans in an area. And I wouldn't say 23 more votes for one candidate is enough to declare an area to be one or the other.

Memorial is more conservative, for sure. But Austin summers are hotter than Houston. Doesn't mean Houston summers are mild.

[Waterdragon8212]

Wow. West U must have changed a lot since we lived in Houston over a decade ago. At that time, it may have looked like UP/HP on the outside (big houses, small lots), but if you looked closer, it was much more like Lakewood than UP/HP (liberal enclave, valued diversity, re-energized neighborhood school with a substantial economically disadvantaged population.) And that's coming from a native Dallas-ite with plenty of UP/HP experience.

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by PinkLadyK

I don't think the Trump/Clinton numbers are a good count of Democrats vs. Republicans in an area. And I wouldn't say 23 more votes for one candidate is enough to declare an area to be one or the other.

Memorial is more conservative, for sure. But Austin summers are hotter than Houston. Doesn't mean Houston summers are mild.

This. The last election really shouldn't be a barometer, even more so with the small margin

[Vicman]

If anything West U elementary is now so popular that they don't have enough space for all the neighborhood kids.

I think West U is still fairly liberal.

Originally Posted by Waterdragon8212

Wow. West U must have changed a lot since we lived in Houston over a decade ago. At that time, it may have looked like UP/HP on the outside (big houses, small lots), but if you looked closer, it was much more like Lakewood than UP/HP (liberal enclave, valued diversity, re-energized neighborhood school with a substantial economically disadvantaged population.) And that's coming from a native Dallas-ite with plenty of UP/HP experience.