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| Neighborhoods and Communities |
Finding Your Home in the Houston Area
When Houston was rated as the best city in which to live, work and play, a main criterion was reasonable living costs. Houston and the area don’t disappoint in this category, particularly regarding housing costs. According to the most recent ACCRA Cost-of-Living Index, the Houston area’s housing costs are approximately 20 percent below the nationwide average and nearly 40 percent below the average for the large metro areas. Find your neighborhood in this section that includes detailed descriptions of many communities along with a locator map.
Many newcomers appreciate the variety of housing options—in fact, there are more than 5,000 neighborhoods in the greater Houston area from which families can choose—from downtown lofts to new spacious homes in surburban or rural communities to convenient townhouses within easy access to downtown.
The Houston area is also known for its choice of master-planned communities, including The Woodlands, which is north of Houston in Montgomery County; Kingwood, which is situated east of the city; Cinco Ranch located to the west of Houston, Bridgeland in the northwest area and Shadow Creek Ranch, south of the city in Brazoria County.
In addition to the information in this section, you’ll be working with a real estate agent who will be your key resource throughout the homebuying process. Contact the Houston Association of REALTORS® (www.har.com) for names of qualified agents or contact advertisers in this guide. You also can ask your company’s relocation office for contacts as well as go online to research specific neighborhoods or master-planned communities. Other local resources are the neighborhood newspapers, the Houston Chronicle, the region’s major daily paper as well as free real-estate resource guides usually found at grocery stores. The following detailed neighborhood descriptions will help you find your new home in Houston.
INNER LOOP
For those who want to live where the action is and want to be part of the city’s vibe, the place to live is in the Inner Loop, which is an area that includes the cities of Bellaire and West University, as well as those parts of Houston located inside Loop 610.
— Bellaire
Bellaire (www.ci.bellaire.tx.us), “the little city inside of Houston,” has witnessed older homes being replaced by large stately homes. There has been an overall increase of 9 percent in property values in the previous year, and sales of homes are ranging from $280,000 to more than $1.5 million. The homes in Bellaire are a mixture of 1950s and 1960s two- and three-bedroom ranch styles and brandnew Georgian brick and Mediterranean stucco mansions. The area is well known for Bellaire High School, which consistently graduates the highest numbers of National Merit Finalists in the country in addition to regularly producing state champion baseball teams.
— Braeswood/Stella Link
Originally part of oil tycoon Walter William Fondren’s ranch, Fondren Southwest is one of Houston’s most accessible and civic-minded communities with a mixture of multifamily dwellings and residential subdivisions. Property values in Fondren Southwest have steadily risen in the past several years, and the area is becoming known as a great place to live and work. Homes are selling for between $360,000 and $1 million. Recently the Brays Oaks Management District was created to finance projects related to public transportation and mobility, community safety, beautification, economic development and others.
— Downtown Houston
For many, living and working downtown is the perfect combination. More are selecting this lifestyle as new high-rises are completed, including One Park Place, a 37-story downtown luxury apartment residence with 346 units and 28 typical residential levels with penthouses on the upper level. Levels 2 through 7 are used for parking and more than 20,000 square feet of retail space is on the pedestrian level. With a current downtown residential population of approximately 3,000, experts believe that will only increase as more housing opportunities develop. For those who enjoy the urban experience with close proximity to world-class dining, entertainment and sports, this is the perfect location. Another advantage is that you can get to any place downtown by walking or transit and can comfortably leave your car in the garage. Visit www.downtownhouston.org for more information.
— Fifth Ward
Close to downtown, the Fifth Ward is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and has a rich history that has contributed to the city’s artistic, culinary and musical heritage. In 1989, the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation (www.fifthwardcrc.org) was established to revitalize the area. Since its formation, it has built more than 300 new homes, two multifamily complexes totaling 336 units, two commercial developments, four public art installations and two community gateway monuments.
— Galleria/Uptown
The Galleria area of Houston, also known as Uptown (www.uptown-houston.com) is a unique urban environment just outside of downtown yet still centrally located. This area combines a thriving business district, acclaimed retail stores, luxury hotels, condominium and apartment complexes and upscale residential neighborhoods with Houston’s natural beauty to create a vibrant community. This is an active urban center with a focus on national and international business. The area’s high-rise offices and hotels, fine restaurants and retail centers (such as the world-famous Galleria mall) host 200,000 office workers, shoppers and out-of-town visitors every day. This bustling commercial scene is dotted with lovely homes and landscaped public spaces, such as Memorial Park, which boasts a fine public golf course, tennis courts, jogging and biking trails and baseball fields. Single-family home sales range from nearly $270,000 in Larchmont to $6 million in Tanglewood.
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