Frontenac and Lakes of Fondren (Houston, Bellaire: for sale, real estate, apartment complexes) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

robertrulez · 09-20-2009, 08:02 PM

So we just found some great affordable land and we want to build a new custom home. Anyone have any experiences in the area? We passed by today and were stunned at how nice it looked, geese were chilling everywhere, all the homes were nice, but gessner isnt the most appealing drive if you know what I mean.

rb4browns · 09-20-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertrulez

So we just found some great affordable land and we want to build a new custom home. Anyone have any experiences in the area? We passed by today and were stunned at how nice it looked, geese were chilling everywhere, all the homes were nice, but gessner isnt the most appealing drive if you know what I mean.

I live in nearby Fondren SW. The challenge with the neighborhood is the number of low rent, crime infested apartments in the area. It's generally safe but it only takes one crackhead looking to break in to a home to ruin your whole day. Check Houston Crime Maps and you can get a feel for the amount of, and types of crime in the area.

bamba_boy · 09-21-2009, 06:53 AM

I live right in Lakes of Fondren. You're right, Fondren Lake is wonderful, ducks, geese, and dozens of turtles and a giant carp to keep the algae down naturally. I believe there are still a couple of Lakefront lots (though one is held up in some nasty probate dispute I think).

It's really pretty far from any of the nasty apartments - thankfully a ruined one was demolished about a year ago that was probably the closest. Last year our private security reported no violent crimes and no break-ins, only some stolen bikes, etc from outside the houses. It's run by a former HPD assistant chief and has a guard station at the head of the subdivision with frequent drive-throughs.

Been there several years and love it. Very convenient to the whole of Houston via nearby Beltway 8 and SW FWY 59. Just close your eyes if you come to it from the north on Gessner or Fondren. :-) It's very picturesque coming from the freeways on Airport (big beautiful Jewish synagogue and Turkish Turquoise Center, etc).

robertrulez · 09-21-2009, 04:10 PM

nice! thanks bamba!

btw how much is the home owners association and what does it include, im pretty sure that community pool and security dont pay for itself

bamba_boy · 09-22-2009, 11:25 AM

$100/month for security, pool, tennis, fish-stocking the lake, trimming the trees and grass in the park around the lake, maintainance on the poolhouse/party room building and it's bathroom, a lawyer on staff for enforcing deed restrictions, etc. Pretty good deal I'd say.

btw how much is the home owners association and what does it include, im pretty sure that community pool and security dont pay for itself[/quote]

annals · 08-25-2013, 04:29 PM

So we have been looking for a large lot with the view of building a house later, and were intrigued by the Lakes of Fondren and Frontenac subdivisions. They are indeed very nice, but the area just outside is intimidating. There seems no way to reach the subdivision without driving through very rough-looking neighborhoods. We talked to a few residents and all of them seem to be happy with the quality of life and security. We liked the quality of people we saw (very diverse successful professionals), and of course the location is great. My boyfriend works in the Energy Corridor and I near the Med Center, so this would be a very nice halfway point for us. We are an Indian/Russian couple.

I know that this thread is a few years old, but if any residents are reading it, could you please provide a few updates on these subdivisions? Here are some questions I have:

Does real estate appreciate in this neighborhood? There are a couple of houses for sale there and the price seems to be really low. E.g. a huge 5-bedroom, 3.5 bath house with a pool is listed at $224,000.

There are a number of empty lots, some of which have been listed, and people seem to be just holding on to others. We didn't see any ongoing construction. Has there been more interest in buying lots there, or is it pretty stagnant?

How do you deal with getting into and leaving the neighborhood, especially after dark? The streets outside (Gessner, Airport, Fondren) feel unsavory. Do you ever get used to it or has it gotten old already? How about shopping/dining out -- does it feel unsafe coming home?

All of these questions can be summed up as: do you feel the area is changing for the better or for worse? Are we crazy to even be considering it?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

hbcu · 08-25-2013, 11:42 PM

I live nearby and if you call those areas "ghetto"...stay out of Sunnyside or the bottoms of 3rd Ward where people live in wood frame apartments on bricks....come on...you call those 3 bedroom homes at the front Ghetto?

I grew up across the tracks near 2234 and never figured I would live on this side of town as I saw it at its peak to where it is now...with the access to Houston its only going to get better. Its more transient on Fondren as opposed to airport

annals · 08-26-2013, 12:32 PM

If you re-read my post, you will see that I did not call this area "ghetto". I lived in Eastwood before and drove through the Third Ward all the time, and it's easy to see the difference. Still, the neighborhood looks pretty rough.

Thanks for your comments about access -- Airport does seem to be better. So, have you seen your property value go up recently? Full disclosure -- I now own a house in Westbury east of Hillcroft, north of Bellfort. It's pretty close to the Fondren apartments, but the house values have gone up considerably in the last couple of years. On the other hand, I fear that won't happen at Frontenac etc. for quite a while yet.

P.S. Thank you to whoever submitted the reputation comment about the neighborhood. I cannot bring it up again, it seems to be gone -- but it was really helpful!!

hbcu · 08-26-2013, 06:05 PM

rough is a strong word....this side of town has been ignored for quite some time but with TIRZ zones heading this way and its location to downtown (15 minutes)....its only going to get better...and you can go anywhere in HISD

bamba_boy · 08-27-2013, 07:53 AM

If you take the Beltway 8 or SW-FWY exits at Airport you avoid the big scarey Apartment Complexes. I've really enjoyed living in Lakes of Fondren as I mentioned in my post in 2009. If anything it's getting better with a few more new businesses and the large new HPD Police Station about 300 yards from the front entrance. Another big improvement is South Main turning into a freeway with limited access ramps all the way to Loop 610 from Gessner or Fondren. Means downtown Houston is just 15 minutes away (or 20 minutes on the old SWF route). In 6 years haven't experienced any crime at all. I even go regularly to Timmy Chan's on Bellfort and haven't got mugged. The neighborhood outside is never going to Mayberry RFD but its improving. Won't be Bellaire for a decade or two if ever but that's all right by me, I don't want to pay Bellaire Mini-Mansion tax rates and I think moderate price appreciation is possible given current trends .