It’s All Happening in Houston
They say life is too short not to live it as a Texan, and what better place to hang your hat than Houston, the Lone Star State’s biggest city?
Houston is not only the most populous city in Texas, it’s also always rapidly expanding, with new developments springing up on the city’s former outskirts with each subsequent wave of arriving Houstonians. Inner Loop Houston, defined as the neighborhoods within the boundaries of I-610, is still the core of the city, home to relatively denser residential areas that offer proximity to downtown and Midtown Houston as well as the Museum District.
Meanwhile, the suburbs stretch from Katy, a suburb so big that there’s Katy proper and Greater Katy, all the way up to and beyond The Woodlands, whose growth and prominence has earned it its own identity, separate from H-Town. These suburbs are young metropolises — towns that grew out of farmland and forest in the past 50 years, with houses, office parks, newly created lakes, and golf courses emerging from rural lands where only cows and feral pigs once roamed. As Houston’s economy has diversified and as the region has created more new jobs, Houston residents have looked farther and farther out for more space to settle. Greater Houston is booming and there’s no better place to call home.
Houston
Houston is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the high level of happiness of Houstonians — whether they’re born-and-bred natives or recent transplants — makes it clear why H-Town has become so hot. Houston’s Inner Loop neighborhoods are a marvel of urban cool, with walkability scores that defy the stereotype of Texas gridlock. Houston is always evolving and in recent years, a superlative food scene has blossomed. Locals know that the best way to live is one bite at a time, and there’s no shortage of great eateries in this food-obsessed town. There’s plenty of science and culture here, too, with NASA and all things interplanetary leading to the nickname of “Space City,” as well as the dense museum district, with culture spots ranging from the likes of the Rothko Chapel, an unusually meditative structure with 14 Rothko paintings in various shades of black, to the Houston Zoo.
On the Market
The House: A lovely three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom house built in 2006 nods to a Victorian-style facade with a two-story porch and a pretty blue exterior with contrasting brick-red trim. The main level has an open-concept floor plan, with the kitchen opening directly to the dining and living areas. The primary bathroom has dual sinks, a jetted tub, and a walk-in shower, while the primary bedroom opens directly to the second floor balcony, perfect for a morning coffee or a moment of evening contemplation. There’s also a fenced-in front yard and a two-car garage.
The Place: The house is located in Shady Acres, an area occasionally included as part of the Heights, but which can proudly stand alone as a separate neighborhood. Blessed with proximity to the Heights and all of its amenities, Shady Acres is a little more urban than its neighbor, with more of a mixed-use feel, including boasting a lively bar scene and a greater mix of townhouses and apartment buildings among the single-family houses. There are great restaurants and a newly renovated park with tennis and basketball courts within walking distance from the front door, and it’s a short drive to downtown Houston.
Listed By: Christine Lahori of Corcoran Prestige Realty.
The House: Fun and modern, this three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhome is sited on a quiet corner, spans three interior levels and also boasts a rooftop terrace and a private ground-level side yard. Unusually, the main living area is on the second floor, with a couple of stairs separating the raised kitchen and dining area from the slightly sunken living area. There’s one bedroom and bathroom on the lower level, while the other two bedrooms, each with an en suite bathroom, are laid out on the third floor. The primary suite includes a large walk-in closet and opens up to a private balcony. If desired, the bedroom on the first floor could be transformed into a home office or guest room.
The Place: Located in the Museum District, this townhouse is the perfect home base for any culture vulture, as it’s minutes away from the 21 museums and cultural organizations that give the neighborhood its name, including the Menil Collection, the Rothko Chapel, the Houston Zoo, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The Museum District is also close to Texas Medical Center and Midtown Houston, making it an easy commute for many.
Listed By: Erin McKie of Corcoran Prestige Realty.
Katy
They say everything is bigger in Texas, so it’s fitting that even Katy, a suburb of Greater Houston, is itself divided into Katy proper and Greater Katy. Generally, people are referring to the larger area when talking about Katy, as the city itself is quite small. Residents in Greater Katy have a Katy address and are part of the Katy Independent School District, but most of the homes are actually considered to be part unincorporated Harris County, Fort Bend County, or Waller County. This technicality makes little difference in day-to-day life, as all of Katy cheers together every Friday night at Legacy Stadium: The $70 million dollar high school football stadium opened in 2017 and serves all ten Katy high schools. Much of Katy is dominated by master-planned neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality and each boasting amenities like gorgeous pools, tennis courts, golf courses, community gardens, and even on-site restaurants.
On the Market
The House: Every day is a vacation in this four-bedroom house in Katy’s Pine Mill Ranch community, with flexible spaces like a home office, a media room (currently set up as a home theater) and an entertainment room (presently home to a foosball table, pool table, and arcade games) that can be configured to best meet a family’s needs. Whether you use the areas as a home gym, a book-filled library, a music or art studio, or a combination of all of these possibilities, there’s enough space for everyone to have a room of one’s own. Outside, there’s a covered patio, a pool, and the perfect spot for a grill or a portable pizza oven.
The place: Pine Mill Ranch is a popular master-planned community in Katy, with its own spray park, swimming pool, catch-and-release fishing lake, tennis courts, and plenty of walking trails. It’s also a short drive from Pine Mills Ranch to Katy’s most popular shopping and dining destinations, including La Centerra at Cinco Ranch or to Meadowbrook Farms Golf Club.
Represented by: Nicole Freer of Corcoran Genesis.
The House: This baronial one-and-a-half-level house has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and two powder rooms, comfortably spread out on one floor. There’s a formal living room, a separate dining area, and a family room all connected to each other, but in a more delineated layout than an open floor plan. The bedrooms surround the shared common areas, including a primary bedroom suite with an enormous en suite bathroom and two separate walk-in closets. Upstairs, there’s a flexible space set apart from the main living quarters that can be used as a playroom, home office, or a media room.
The place: Cinco Ranch is a Katy master-planned community that is so large it effectively serves as a self-contained town. Covering five square miles with a population of almost 17,000, Cinco Ranch has 11 pools, every kind of sport court, as well as a cricket pitch, and plenty of parks and playgrounds. Residents can walk, bike, or roller skate between the park, school, and home without ever having to get into a car with Cinco Ranch’s greenbelt trails. There’s also LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, a dine-shop-play destination that has a Trader Joe’s, a farmers market, as well plenty of great restaurants and upscale shopping.
Represented by: Nicole Freer of Corcoran Genesis.
The Woodlands
The Woodlands may technically be considered suburban Houston, but it is the rare suburb with national name recognition and its own well-defined identity. Created in 1974 by gas baron George P. Mitchell, The Woodlands was envisioned as a self-contained community where residents could live, work, and play without ever leaving the area. Today, The Woodlands has succeeded beyond what its original planners could have ever imagined, with a flourishing town center, corporate campuses, and a beautiful waterway. There are nine residential villages, each with its own character, set amid lush and heavily forested land. The Woodlands, technically a special-purpose district rather than a city, stretches across two counties, Montgomery County and Harris County, and the schools, police, and other public services are under each local district’s jurisdiction.
On the Market
The House: A strikingly gorgeous house, built in 1978 by Tom Cox, Sr., one of the original homebuilders and community leaders of The Woodlands, has been completely renovated, resulting in a fresh and modern house that still honors the community’s founding ideal of homes tucked inside verdant swaths of nature. There are four bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a gourmet kitchen with an adjoining breakfast room, a formal dining room, and a special wine storage room. The double-height living room has a contemporary fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open directly onto a patio and the yard.
The Place: The Village of Grogan’s Mill was the first community to be developed in the Woodlands, and was the home of George P. Mitchell himself, the founder of the Woodlands. Mitchell envisioned the Woodlands to be its own perfect community, with all of life’s needs within its boundaries, and Grogan’s Mill is a sterling example of Mitchell’s grand plan. Home to the Woodlands Town Center, or the “downtown” of Woodlands, Grogan’s Mill is very close to all the shopping, dining, and activities one’s heart might desire, while being surrounded by mature trees and lush, green spaces.
The House: A beautiful three-story contemporary house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two powder rooms showcases a different and custom chandelier in every room and offers an open plan layout that flows easily between the kitchen, dining area, and living area, with large windows on two sides that flood the space with natural light. There’s also a secret pet area under the stairway for Fluffy or Fido to stash their favorite catnip mice or chew toys, while the third floor has a versatile flex space that can be set up as a home office, gym, or playroom. The primary suite has a large walk-in closet and a spa-style bathroom, with a walk-in shower and a soaking tub. The HOA maintains the yard and greenery.
The Place: The house is located in East Shore, a new urbanism community in the Woodlands Town Center, so named because the neighborhood offers lakefront property within walking distance of the Woodlands Waterway. Thanks to the urban planning that emphasizes walkability, East Shore homes are just walk or bike ride to Market Street, the Mall, and Hughes Landing. East Shore has its own private clubhouse with a workout room, a pool, a fire pit, and a full kitchen and event space.
