Stone Oak...Help me find a solution to my problem. (Houston: how much, houses)

[dendox]

I was just about to recommend emerald forrest. I think this would be well worth the look given your parameters.

[dvlpr]

Originally Posted by SAAggiemom

How nice to read opinions about Stone Oak from people who actually LIVE in Stone Oak. It's a shame that's not a requirement for posting. We moved here 12 years ago. The traffic is worse but it is still a very easy drive to get to all the places we need to go. (airport, downtown, Fort Sam, etc.) We wanted new or newer construction in the NEISD and that was not available inside the loop in our price range. So here we are and we have no regrets.

You know, you'd be hard-pressed to find a person who dislikes Stone Oak as intensely as I do.

But some of the responses to the OP have been out-of-line. The OP never asked if her family should move to Stone Oak. Rather, she asked for help/opinions on the least traffic-riddled places in the area. Of course, I think that when a primary factor in choosing a neighborhood (and I use that term loosely) is your daily commute, that speaks volumes about the quality of life in suburbia. Still, the OP didn't ask about that, wrote that she understood traffic was a problem, and actually went out of her way to indicate that they were fine with a long commute.

To Sharon:

I'd avoid any subdivisions east of 281 (basically, those served by Bulverde Road). You'll find that local traffic is especially problematic there, and crossing 281 during peak times will mean long waits. If your husband is going to be at BAMC, heading east on 1604 and south on 35 should be a pretty easy commute. The problem is that if you're in Cibolo Canyons/Bulverde Village/Indian Springs, it can sometimes take 10-15 minutes just to get out of our subdivision, mostly because Bulverde Road isn't large enough to handle the traffic.

By that same logic, I'd avoid any subdivisions served by Blanco Road, as well.

281 is a mess during peak times, and will continue to be a mess for 5-7 years. Yes, the super-street will help for local traffic, and will help commuters a little. But the Far NC sub-market (the part of SA served by 281) will continue to see 1,000-2,000 new homes constructed every year, so whatever temporary measures are taken will be a band-aid on bullet wound.

Subdivisions that come to mind for your price range: Rogers Ranch, Renaissance at Vinyard, and Quarry at Iron Mountain. Sonterra should have some good resales, and is less impacted by the traffic nightmares. And if you can find any resales off Stone Oak Pkwy that work for you, that should be okay.

My only PSA for this thread is this: don't move to this part of the world thinking that "someone" is going to fix the traffic problems. The county & city don't have the funds to upgrade Bulverde Road & Blanco Road to what's really required. TXDOT is a mess, and is equally broke. There's simply not enough money to provide the auto infrastructure that these neighborhoods require. Traffic's gonna get way worse before it gets better.

Good luck, and welcome to the SA metro area (sorry, I couldn't resist!!!).

[RGJ]

previous post by TexHwyMan about Bulverde Rd north of 1604 to Evans

"I just saw recently that the City is preparing to bid the widening of Bulverde Rd. from Loop 1604 to Evans as a "Construction Manager at Risk" project, which essentially means that whoever wins the contract will bid a "guaranteed maximum price" and will manage the entire project from design through completion. The City has already done some preliminary design work; the contractor will take that and finish detailed design and then do the actual construction. The City is currently estimating that construction will start in October 2010 and be completed in March 2013."

[stoneoak]

I would be cautious with the Quarry at Iron Mountain though. That borders the Steubing Ranch which will be developed soon. Those views of pristine, open land today may be a strip mall tomorrow. And I don't think the Quarry is actually in Stone Oak -- which means no benefits of the POA.

And yea!! for all the positive views of Stone Oak -- from people who actually KNOW the area (eh, eh, Smugboy) If you have to live in San Antonio, this is definitely the place to hang your hat. Our realtor also tried to discourage us, but having lived on the west side (blech) and the south side (AHHH!) we knew this was the only place we would finally be comfortable, safe and happy -- and where our children would receive the best education. Still hate San Antonio, but love Stone Oak.

[RGJ]

quit hating!

[smuboy86]

As long as it keeps her/him in stone oak and out of my San Antonio I don't care.

[dvlpr]

Originally Posted by stoneoak

I would be cautious with the Quarry at Iron Mountain though. That borders the Steubing Ranch which will be developed soon. Those views of pristine, open land today may be a strip mall tomorrow. And I don't think the Quarry is actually in Stone Oak -- which means no benefits of the POA.

And yea!! for all the positive views of Stone Oak -- from people who actually KNOW the area (eh, eh, Smugboy) If you have to live in San Antonio, this is definitely the place to hang your hat. Our realtor also tried to discourage us, but having lived on the west side (blech) and the south side (AHHH!) we knew this was the only place we would finally be comfortable, safe and happy -- and where our children would receive the best education. Still hate San Antonio, but love Stone Oak.

If you live in Stone Oak, it makes total sense that you hate San Antonio.

[TXEX06]

Originally Posted by stoneoak

Still hate San Antonio, but love Stone Oak.

You love blandness? Stone Oak looks exactly like parts of every city in the country. Nothing unique about it.

[stoneoak]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

You love blandness? Stone Oak looks exactly like parts of every city in the country. Nothing unique about it.

Unique -- probably not. Clean and well-kept -- yes. And I think we can ALL agree that much of san antonio is lacking in that department.

To dvlp -- agree. Someone above said Stone Oak is filled with transplants and that is true. We have seen the light so to speak of what it's like to live in other parts of the country and probably see more clearly San Antonio's downfalls. That's probably why we all gravitate towards this part of town...it's not like the rest of San Antonio .

[dvlpr]

Originally Posted by stoneoak

Unique -- probably not. Clean and well-kept -- yes. And I think we can ALL agree that much of san antonio is lacking in that department.

To dvlp -- agree. Someone above said Stone Oak is filled with transplants and that is true. We have seen the light so to speak of what it's like to live in other parts of the country and probably see more clearly San Antonio's downfalls. That's probably why we all gravitate towards this part of town...it's not like the rest of San Antonio .

Hey man, individual choice is a great thing. Plenty of folks love Stone Oak, and wouldn't think of living anywhere else.

But I wouldn't necessarily concede the point that people who live in SA's old neighborhoods are less-traveled/worldly than our suburban brothers & sisters.