Is Kingwood still a desirable place to live (Houston, Katy: houses, neighborhood)

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Oildog

Kingwood is a nice place to live. Many energy professionals who work by the airport or in the plants on the east side live there.

I'd imagine a lot of them work in Greenspoint or downtown too. The Eastex Freeway is one of the least congested in all of Houston. The widening of it from downtown to 1960 several years back helped out tremendously.

[westsideteacher]

I think Kingwood is awesome because it's right on 59, just twenty minutes to an Astros game. )

I'm looking for a teaching job, and I'd gladly take any position in Kingwood/Humble/Atasocita.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by studiobtm

I personally do not see the attraction of Sugarland or Katy.

They are on the edges of the predominant Western growth. These places have great access by either freeway or arterial road to each other and to the three major business districts of Downtown, Galleria, and Greenway. The 30th Parallel (North Harris/Montgomery) lacks access by arterial road to Galleria and Greenway and SH-249 freeway does not connect to IH-45 (at least not yet).

I'll give the 30th Parallel credit for low population and density. The forests are great as a daytime getaway from the urbanity of Southern Houston but it gets boring being exposed to it every day. Enjoy the relaxed nature while it lasts! The area is starting to become as urbanized as Southern Houston.

[Metro Matt]

I, for one, prefer the wooded areas of Northern Houston versus the flat coastal plains of South Houston & wide open Katy Prairie. The woodsy areas just feel more cozy to me, I guess because it still feels like I'm in the Piney Woods of East Texas, my real home.

Humble, Kingwood, Klien, Champions Forest, & Spring are all under rated parts of Houston IMO. Maybe because they are older than places like Katy, Sugar Land, & Pearland.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

I, for one, prefer the wooded areas of Northern Houston versus the flat coastal plains of South Houston & wide open Katy Prairie. The woodsy areas just feel more cozy to me, I guess because it still feels like I'm in the Piney Woods of East Texas, my real home.

Yeah the areas in Metro Houston have a landscape to fit everyones needs. Well besides people who want mountains... but most others are there.

[BearBranch]

Kingwood really is superb. I purchased here (from California) and it has been great. 100 miles of trails that connect all the villages, great golf, the easiest commute to downtown. new waterfront dining Kings Harbor Waterfront Village car shows, farmers market, friendly people. the trees. I'My home is surrounded by a 500 acre nature that is all original growth with earthen trails. Any I'm also about 1 mile to Kingwood town center and all the shopping, dining, coffee, etc. The schools are exemplary. There is also a new theater complex being build in Kingwood off of Northpark. This is the fastest growing region (NE) in the Metro Area.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by studiobtm

I personally do not see the attraction of Sugarland or Katy. There are some nice neighborhoods there but they are surrounded by not so nice areas. I think Kingwood is the best area in Houston and if I had it to do over I would be living there. I also like the Woodlands, the Champion area and the area around HP. However, I like very large, established areas with lots of trees.

Katy is surrounded by not so nice areas and not Kingwood? Katy is probably the most connected side of the Houston metro. The west side is Houston's most affluent/built up side.

Anyway, Kingwood is a nice area. I just think you don't hear as many suggestions there because there isn't that much new construction. You still hear the Atascocita/parts of Humble as suggestions (especially with the new 59). I think you'll hear the New Caney area in a few years once the park starts construction.

[BearBranch]

Household income in Kingwood

Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2004: $111,183 (Individual Income Tax Returns)
Here: $111,183
State: $47,881


household income in Katy

Read more: //www.city-data.com/zips/77345.html#ixzz0o7JmybVM

Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2004: $43,683 (Individual Income Tax Returns)
Here: $43,683
State: $47,88


Read more: //www.city-data.com/zips/77449.html#ixzz0o7KI8YMp

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by BearBranch

Household income in Kingwood

Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2004: $111,183 (Individual Income Tax Returns)
Here: $111,183
State: $47,881


household income in Katy

Read more: //www.city-data.com/zips/77345.html#ixzz0o7JmybVM

Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2004: $43,683 (Individual Income Tax Returns)
Here: $43,683
State: $47,88


Read more: //www.city-data.com/zips/77449.html#ixzz0o7KI8YMp

Bad example. 77449 is not even the nicest zip code in the Katy area, unlike the one you chose for Kingwood.

[AK123]

Originally Posted by texas7

Sugarland and Katy aren't my personal favorites either - but they seem to be most often recommended perhaps the newness of it all.

Originally Posted by KerrTown

They are on the edges of the predominant Western growth. These places have great access by either freeway or arterial road to each other and to the three major business districts of Downtown, Galleria, and Greenway.

^ This.
IMO, they are recommended mostly because of their close proximity to west-side freeways and thus good access to major employment centers (Energy Corridor and West Houston for Katy; Galleria Area, Medical Center, Stafford/southwest Houston for Sugar Land.)
On top of that, Sugar Land is also an incorporated city with its own almost everything (including its own major employment center), which is a plus for lots of people.
Living in the west/southwest part of metro Houston, I've held three different jobs since living here (ranging from Medical Center to West Houston) and never had a commute of more than about 13 miles. My spouse's last two jobs have actually been at companies in Sugar Land's big business park. In a city as large as Houston and with this much traffic, that shorter commute and easier access to freeways and employment centers has been invaluable.