Areas in Houston that are similar to Southern Orange County, California (Plano: houses, transfer to)

[Houston parent]

There’s no area in Houston very similar to the newer parts of Orange County. All the nicest parts of town are smaller in size, most are older and most of the best neighborhoods have a lot more trees. What you are looking for is rare in most of the country.

[Jack Lance]

Try Pearland then, why not ?

[usc619]

Originally Posted by DoBetterHouston

My wife and I are having trouble finding areas in Houston that are similar to Orange County (Irvine-Newport Beach Area), California. Most of Orange County has really great roads, all underground utilities, great schools, and well-maintained shopping centers. Haven't seen an area in Houston anywhere near that well-developed. The Woodlands seemed appropriate at first, but it's ultimately way too far from our offices and I find the tree canopy claustrophobic.

Sugar Land has ancient construction and tons of power lines. Sienna Plantation doesn't have enough stores (one grocery store and a Panda Express? LOL). Cypress seems...okay, but I am not impressed with the quality of the shopping centers (mostly dilapidated strip malls). Is Katy any better? Haven't explored it too much. We just want something upscale and not too close to a burned-out shopping center, which is very hard to find in the Houston area.

Even an area similar to Plano/Allen in N. Texas would be nice, but I haven't seen anything so far like it...

Our budget is $1m. thx.

You’re not going to find it in Houston, Collin County (DFW) is the closest you’ll get

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by usc619

You’re not going to find it in Houston, Collin County (DFW) is the closest you’ll get

Agreed. I'd recommend they try Fulshear or maybe Brookshire - they have a good chance of becoming something like that in time.

But no, sounds like the OP would be best off in Plano or Frisco.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

The answer is obviously the Woodlands and Montgomery County. Not that there aren't other nice suburbs, that's just the most upscale and centered around the attempt to maintain perfection in every aspect. If its too far from your job and you don't like trees, you'll have to look elsewhere, but if the question is what is the closest thing to OC in the area, there you go.

I do, however, recommend checking out perhaps the Villages and areas near CityCentre.

That area is full of trees so OP will likely get claustrophobic.
But yeah the places that are zoned to Memorial High School is probably his best bet.
You're never more than a few miles from eyesores in most of Houston so OP will likely need to adjust expectations or look elsewhere.

[LocalPlanner]

While I agree that the best approximations of OC masterplanned suburbs are probably SW Collin County and maybe a few other locations to the north and northwest of Dallas (and increasingly the western hill suburbs of Austin) it should be clear that massing all upper middle class and upscale suburbs together in one spot that goes on for miles and miles, while leaving the rest of the metro to be primarily lower and middle class, is in no way preferable to the Houston model of stringing such suburbs out to enable closer proximity to all classes of residents and providing more upscale options on all sides of the metro.

[Raider Scott]

"I want the place I am moving TO, to be exactly like the place I am leaving"


...we have seen this movie before. LOL

[NTexas2010]

Originally Posted by Raider Scott

"I want the place I am moving TO, to be exactly like the place I am leaving"


...we have seen this movie before. LOL

Based on the content of OP posts (and name - "Do Better Houston"), I am sure this is absolutely 100% genuine and not at all misleading or an abuse of people's interest to help CD posters. I think there is a word for this kind of behavior, but it currently eludes identification, possibly hiding under a bridge where such words reside.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

While I agree that the best approximations of OC masterplanned suburbs are probably SW Collin County and maybe a few other locations to the north and northwest of Dallas (and increasingly the western hill suburbs of Austin) it should be clear that massing all upper middle class and upscale suburbs together in one spot that goes on for miles and miles, while leaving the rest of the metro to be primarily lower and middle class, is in no way preferable to the Houston model of stringing such suburbs out to enable closer proximity to all classes of residents and providing more upscale options on all sides of the metro.

That’s your opinion. And while I agree with you, there’s many people that rather it the southern OC way like OP and there’s nothing wrong with liking it that way.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Anyway, as mentioned above, your best bet is the corridor from Sugar Land to Cinco Ranch.

Another place I would recommend is Conroe because it’s pretty slept on and booming. And the trees there aren’t as “everywhere” as Woodlands so you should be ok. Only thing though is that if the Woodlands is too far from your job, Conroe probably will be as well.