Katy TX Residents

[d2creative]

We might want to move out that way or closer to it. Going to be needing a larger home. We are currently in spring branch just north of I-10 and our property value has gone up so much since we bought it 8 years ago that we can sell it and afford a MUCH nicer house out in the burbs. I'm wondering what are the best neighborhoods, anywhere between Beltway 8 and George Bush Park (cinco ranch area would be the absolute furthest out we would want and that is pushing it)? I'd like to keep home price under $400k with over 3,000 sq ft, to give you an idea of what we are looking for. Any suggestions?

We need easy access to downtown and right now, especially with I-10 all redone, Katy seems like it would be the best drive, but open to other suggestions. Sugarland and Pearland seems worse, although we do like Sugarland a lot. Cypress is for sure out of the question as is the Woodlands right now.

[corralup]

Region Selection Form

TXLS is how we found our 10 acres.

[d2creative]

Thanks. I know how to search for properties. What I'm looking for is personal opinions on the different areas pertaining to every day living. Commutes, schools, amenities, etc. For instance, I know people that just love living out in Sienna Plantation and could go on and on about what they like, the advantages/disadvantages, etc. That's what I'm looking for. We're used to the no kids/in-town living so the whole family in the burbs scenario is kinda foreign to us.
Only then does it make sense to start searching for actual properties.

[Anthony Martinez]

I'm not sure how relevant my input will be, but here goes nothing. My family moved to Katy from Malaysia about 13-14(?) years ago. I went to high school here, left and did the college thing (and then the Army thing), and came back a year ago. The area has changed tremendously each time I've left and returned. Once, during a block leave while I was in the Army, I actually got lost driving home. Not lost in the sense that I did not know where I was; lost in the sense that I had no idea how to get from where I was to where I was going. That was back during the massive freeway expansion on I-10.

Right now I live right off Grand Parkway and Highland Knolls. Katy ISD is apparently good. Most parents I know today still love the district. I had a different perspective as a student a decade ago, but I'm not sure how relevant that is. Should I ever have children I won't do public education. Period.

The commute is a bear. I go to UH and that leaves me with 72 miles per class day, minimum. Fortunately, my motorcycle gobbles up miles without much fuel cost at all. On the commute, if you have a toll tag (or a motorcycle) you will not suffer the same fate as the rest of the commuters. I-10 from around 7-9:30 is best described as torture if you happen to find yourself eastbound between Barker Cypress and Beltway 8. There is not a logical explanation for why this is true. It doesn't matter if there are accidents or not, that particular piece of highway suffers from the common Houstonian fate of people staying in the fast lane until 13 feet before their exit when they are then shocked that you can't very easily dart across 50 yards of interstate. Where the HOV lane dumps back into the main flow, the start of the Katy Tollway, and the exit for Highway 6 all join together has been particularly terrible for as long as I can remember (we used to lived on Dairy Ashford.. so I've experienced this pain from every possible angle). I actually just ordered a TxTag for my 4-wheeled vehicle because the commute without one while my motorcycle has been out of service has made me wish I was driving a Bradley Fighting Vehicle again several times. The Westpark tollway is another option for getting into town - just don't take it to get downtown at hours when 59 is a parking lot. You're better off on I-10 then.

As far as amenities go there's basically everything out here that there is in town. There's a Home Depot or a Lowe's close by basically no matter where you are. Ditto a Super WalMart. There's boutique shopping, there's regular shopping, there's a lot of shopping period. The only things I have to go into town for, other than school, is to make it to a homebrew supply store or to Houston Camera Co-op.

If there's anything specific you're looking for I can try to field an answer from my POV, or I can ask my folks what they think.

[Tom]

We looked all over Houston before buying last year. Wife works at 290/Belt and I work near downtown.

After searching through Sugarland, Richmond, Katy, Cinco, JV, Magnolia, Tomball and NE Houston, Spring/Klein/Hoodlands and Kingwood, we decided on Kingwood.

Reasoning:

• The commute down 59 is EASY. My drive is 30mi and it takes 25-45 minutes every day. Generally about 30-35.
• Right on Hwy 59. We live 2.5mi from the freeway entrance. Easy access. The nicer neighborhoods in Katy were pretty far from the highway. Don't want to drive 20-30minutes down crappy roads like Mason and Fry to get to the highway, so I can drive 40 minutes into town.
• Kingwood is far from the gulf, therefore less hurricane damage (looking your way Sugarland)
• Kingwood has great schools.
• Great grocery stores. Lots of things close to us. Within about 6 miles of our house, we have two Super Targets, about 8 grocery stores including a great HEB and a very nice, new theater.

For a newer house, you may want to check out Fall Creek. It is right at 59 and 8 and is very nice. Your commute downtown would be less than 20 minutes. However, right now, you dont have the same access to stores there as you do in Kingwood. If I had $400k on a house, I would have probably bought there.

We like the area of the Woodlands better, however 45 sucks ass and the Woodlands is at least 45 minutes to downtown. We go out in the Woodlands a lot.

[d2creative]

Originally Posted by Anthony Martinez

I-10 from around 7-9:30 is best described as torture if you happen to find yourself eastbound between Barker Cypress and Beltway 8. There is not a logical explanation for why this is true. It doesn't matter if there are accidents or not, that particular piece of highway suffers from the common Houstonian fate of people staying in the fast lane until 13 feet before their exit when they are then shocked that you can't very easily dart across 50 yards of interstate.

Wow, i'm actually a bit surprised. I get on I-10 in the mornings at 8am at Blalock/Echo Lane and traffic is almost always moving fairly well, usually slowing right at 610 but then I get off at Washington. I would have thought it would be faster as you backed away from downtown, not slower.

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

We looked all over Houston before buying last year. Wife works at 290/Belt and I work near downtown.

After searching through Sugarland, Richmond, Katy, Cinco, JV, Magnolia, Tomball and NE Houston, Spring/Klein/Hoodlands and Kingwood, we decided on Kingwood.

Reasoning:

• The commute down 59 is EASY. My drive is 30mi and it takes 25-45 minutes every day. Generally about 30-35.
• Right on Hwy 59. We live 2.5mi from the freeway entrance. Easy access. The nicer neighborhoods in Katy were pretty far from the highway. Don't want to drive 20-30minutes down crappy roads like Mason and Fry to get to the highway, so I can drive 40 minutes into town.
• Kingwood is far from the gulf, therefore less hurricane damage (looking your way Sugarland)
• Kingwood has great schools.
• Great grocery stores. Lots of things close to us. Within about 6 miles of our house, we have two Super Targets, about 8 grocery stores including a great HEB and a very nice, new theater.

For a newer house, you may want to check out Fall Creek. It is right at 59 and 8 and is very nice. Your commute downtown would be less than 20 minutes. However, right now, you dont have the same access to stores there as you do in Kingwood. If I had $400k on a house, I would have probably bought there.

We like the area of the Woodlands better, however 45 sucks ass and the Woodlands is at least 45 minutes to downtown. We go out in the Woodlands a lot.

Thanks for the tips. I forget about the Kingwood area. Will look at that Fall Creek.

[Anthony Martinez]

Originally Posted by d2creative

Wow, i'm actually a bit surprised. I get on I-10 in the mornings at 8am at Blalock/Echo Lane and traffic is almost always moving fairly well, usually slowing right at 610 but then I get off at Washington. I would have thought it would be faster as you backed away from downtown, not slower.


Thanks for the tips. I forget about the Kingwood area. Will look at that Fall Creek.

There's a lot of oil business along I-10 at basically every single exit from Barker Cypress to BW8. It's also my experience that things lighten up once you get past BW8 and stay clear until you come up on Antoine/Silber/Post Oak/610 where they're clear again until Studemont/Taylor/I45. The chunk out West does seem to be the worst though. Allegedly Katy is the fastest growing "city" in the country, so that might have something to do with it.