What are the nicest areas to live, where are the best schools?
TIA
TIA
Tell me about Katy...
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Last: 8 yr ago by 88jrt06
It's far, flat, and there's a lot of concrete.
Do you use bleach?
Page 1
Cinco Ranch.
Also this article shows 9 of the top 10 elementary schools in Houston area are in Katy.
https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-elementary-schools/best-overall/m/houston-metro-area/?source=fba_e_tx_houston
Also this article shows 9 of the top 10 elementary schools in Houston area are in Katy.
https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-elementary-schools/best-overall/m/houston-metro-area/?source=fba_e_tx_houston
It sucks. Move ITL, send kids to a nice private school. EOT
You couldn't pay me enough to live ITL. I am a country boy and need some acreage
stay south of 10.
quote:
Cinco Ranch.
Also this article shows 9 of the top 10 elementary schools in Houston area are in Katy.
https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-elementary-schools/best-overall/m/houston-metro-area/?source=fba_e_tx_houston
Public schools
I'm a lifer out in Katy. I grew up in the original Cinco Ranch development east of 99, and I now live in Firethorne which is west of Katy Mills Mall. I'm also a Realtor in the area as well. Feel free to email me with any specific questions that you have in case this thread fails to get any traction.
username@gmail.com
username@gmail.com
Enjoy
You want to be South of I-10, East of 99, and between 1093 and highland knolls.
quote:
stay south of 10.
The Cinco Ranch developer will be changing that mentality over the next 10 years. Elyson is going to be huge.
Not knowing anything about your situation, I'll give you my thoughts in general.
Katy is a nice place to raise a family if suburbia is what you are looking for. We have lived in SW Cinco Ranch for the past two years. New house. Nice neighborhood with no rif raf at all. Good diversity of people. I assume the schools are all fine and probably at the top of a public school range - we have a 9 mo old. Location wise it is way out there. It makes commuting very challenging - even if it is on a weekend - getting in and out of the neighborhood and weaving through Katy can be painful. However a lot of business is moving west, so more opportunity to lessen those commutes for some.
Amenities wise - you can stay out in Katy and never leave for the most part. Decent eateries, local brewery, La Centerra is fun when you can find a park and don't mind kids everywhere (kind of like a City Centre). Plenty of other stuff to do with kids. Cinco has a ton of pools if that is your thing. Good access to College Station with 99 or 359. Katy Mills Mall is a painful experience but it has everything you need.
Best location? If I could do it all over again, I would probably live right around Westheimer and Peek (east of 99). Close to the YMCA. Gives good access to that older part of Cinco that is more established and just feels nicer to me with established trees, etc. Some shops, etc you could bike or even walk to. This area is zoned to Cinco Ranch HS, which I have heard is on the decline but I assume its just fine and like any normal mega High School with kids who have wealthy parents. I do like the access that being off Westheimer gives you to cut through George Bush Park for commuting, although there are some significant back-ups if you're not early.
With all the development going on, it is really going to be congested and always will be. That is the main knock I have on it, but then again, we live in the 4th largest city in the US. Pretty hard to avoid.
Katy is a nice place to raise a family if suburbia is what you are looking for. We have lived in SW Cinco Ranch for the past two years. New house. Nice neighborhood with no rif raf at all. Good diversity of people. I assume the schools are all fine and probably at the top of a public school range - we have a 9 mo old. Location wise it is way out there. It makes commuting very challenging - even if it is on a weekend - getting in and out of the neighborhood and weaving through Katy can be painful. However a lot of business is moving west, so more opportunity to lessen those commutes for some.
Amenities wise - you can stay out in Katy and never leave for the most part. Decent eateries, local brewery, La Centerra is fun when you can find a park and don't mind kids everywhere (kind of like a City Centre). Plenty of other stuff to do with kids. Cinco has a ton of pools if that is your thing. Good access to College Station with 99 or 359. Katy Mills Mall is a painful experience but it has everything you need.
Best location? If I could do it all over again, I would probably live right around Westheimer and Peek (east of 99). Close to the YMCA. Gives good access to that older part of Cinco that is more established and just feels nicer to me with established trees, etc. Some shops, etc you could bike or even walk to. This area is zoned to Cinco Ranch HS, which I have heard is on the decline but I assume its just fine and like any normal mega High School with kids who have wealthy parents. I do like the access that being off Westheimer gives you to cut through George Bush Park for commuting, although there are some significant back-ups if you're not early.
With all the development going on, it is really going to be congested and always will be. That is the main knock I have on it, but then again, we live in the 4th largest city in the US. Pretty hard to avoid.
quote:EOT.
..... it is really going to be congested and always will be.
quote:Cinco Ranch had nowhere to go but down. It is still a good school. Once apartments are zoned to a school everyone assumes the decline has begun. It will never be as pasty white as it was when it first opened
Cinco Ranch HS, which I have heard is on the decline
quote:lolz
You couldn't pay me enough to live ITL. I am a country boy and need some acreage
quote:I've noticed most of you Katy people are.
I'm a lifer out in Katy.
quote:40 acres and a Beltway?quote:lolz
You couldn't pay me enough to live ITL. I am a country boy and need some acreage
quote:
You couldn't pay me enough to live ITL. I am a country boy and need some acreage
The average lot size for homes sold in Katy this year is .196 acres.
Yea but there are still places where you can own 2+ acres for a decent price
South of I-10 is a traffic cluster, especially from 99 west. 100,000 new homes built around a few two-lane roads sound like a good idea? I tell everyone who asks me about living in that area to drive around down there between 5 and 6 PM on a weekday a few times and if you can deal with the traffic, then it's a great place to live.
Personally, every time I have to drive down there I'm thankful I didn't buy that house in Firethorne back when it was just a few dozen houses in the middle of an empty field. But that's just me.
Personally, every time I have to drive down there I'm thankful I didn't buy that house in Firethorne back when it was just a few dozen houses in the middle of an empty field. But that's just me.
it's awful, break in's galore..shootings, muggings..DON'T MOVE HERE....
kidding kidding, I live in Oak Park Trails and while it's been a major adjustment from ITL life, Katy literally has everything plus some. We're 2 minutes from Church, 5-10 min from a choice of 30+ different restaurants.. shorter commute to SA (big for our extended family) great schools, can get to the bus in 5 min, gym in 5 min, and I have a large backyard..
My one complaint isn't necessarily with traffic, where you have strong schools you will almost always have families flood there, but good God whoever designed 99 to be as small as it is with that number of people hopefully is unemployed right now..never seen a dumber construction project with that interchange off of I-10.
Is it City Council who controls road expansion?? Literally every major road needs another lane and it's been obvious for several years..Westgreen, Mason, Cinco Ranch Blvd, Westheimer Pkwy, both sides of Grand Pwky.
but seriously don't move here...I don't want to fight you coming down Mason
kidding kidding, I live in Oak Park Trails and while it's been a major adjustment from ITL life, Katy literally has everything plus some. We're 2 minutes from Church, 5-10 min from a choice of 30+ different restaurants.. shorter commute to SA (big for our extended family) great schools, can get to the bus in 5 min, gym in 5 min, and I have a large backyard..
My one complaint isn't necessarily with traffic, where you have strong schools you will almost always have families flood there, but good God whoever designed 99 to be as small as it is with that number of people hopefully is unemployed right now..never seen a dumber construction project with that interchange off of I-10.
Is it City Council who controls road expansion?? Literally every major road needs another lane and it's been obvious for several years..Westgreen, Mason, Cinco Ranch Blvd, Westheimer Pkwy, both sides of Grand Pwky.
but seriously don't move here...I don't want to fight you coming down Mason
Well the 99 interchange was designed almost a decade ago before the area population doubled. We were lucky the state found the funds to complete this let alone do a complete redesign. As far as widening the other roads in katy, all those surface streets sit in unincorporated harris or fort bend county. Good luck getting them to find the cash. As far as widening the ONLY free stretch of Grand Parkway (SH 99), it would involve getting it converted to a toll road as it seems the state can't do any highway construction project without getting some assistance from tolls now.
They've hit the high points. Live South of I-10 unless you're in Old Katy, and depending on where you work, live east of 99 to avoid traffic on Grand Parkway. If you have to commute towards Houston, it SUCKS. I just moved from Highland Trails subdivision, which is a little cheaper than the surrounding Kelliwood neighborhoods but with the same schools and location. Personally, I wasn't willing to move further west than Westgreen or further south than Highland Knolls because I was commuting downtown every day.
There isn't a ton of adult stuff to do like ITL, but if you have kids, your time is dominated by their stuff anyway. There are lots of chains, but I do know a great little restaurant/wine bar who used to sponsor this forum ("yelp" me).
Most importantly: 2 margaritas from Tony's on Mason is the wife's magic number... never 3.
There isn't a ton of adult stuff to do like ITL, but if you have kids, your time is dominated by their stuff anyway. There are lots of chains, but I do know a great little restaurant/wine bar who used to sponsor this forum ("yelp" me).
Most importantly: 2 margaritas from Tony's on Mason is the wife's magic number... never 3.
For you snobs 
I can afford to live comfortably ITL, send my kids to private school, and say I'm from the right zip code. But F that. Houston today is not the same city I grew up in back in the 70s and 80s. Lack of zoning, poor infrastructure, terrible public transit, and an influx of newbies make H Town feel like LA...and yes, I lived there too. Getting around is damn near impossible. Crime is out of control. My solution? We're building in Cinco. Not going to miss living in the dump Houston turned into. When I can build custom for $200+ per ft, vs $400 in 77005 or 77019, no thanks. I'm not that much of a snob. I prefer suburbs all day long... Maybe being close to 50 creates this appeal for space and affordability. My office and kid's private schools are on the west side so it won't be that bad. When I get home at night, and feel that Katy wind and enjoy my quiet suburbia, there won't be a damn thing I miss about living ITL.
I can afford to live comfortably ITL, send my kids to private school, and say I'm from the right zip code. But F that. Houston today is not the same city I grew up in back in the 70s and 80s. Lack of zoning, poor infrastructure, terrible public transit, and an influx of newbies make H Town feel like LA...and yes, I lived there too. Getting around is damn near impossible. Crime is out of control. My solution? We're building in Cinco. Not going to miss living in the dump Houston turned into. When I can build custom for $200+ per ft, vs $400 in 77005 or 77019, no thanks. I'm not that much of a snob. I prefer suburbs all day long... Maybe being close to 50 creates this appeal for space and affordability. My office and kid's private schools are on the west side so it won't be that bad. When I get home at night, and feel that Katy wind and enjoy my quiet suburbia, there won't be a damn thing I miss about living ITL. quote:
For you snobs
No, it's the $400/sf....which is about location, not "snobbinesss". "The dump Houston turned into" is a pathetic rationalization, and insulting to those hundreds of thousands of us who did far better than you (per your own acid-tinged bitterness) at building a terrific life in Houston.
I've already been stuck in massive traffic jams in Cinco, and you've only seen the tip of the iceberg, per every demographic study out there. Enjoy the converted ricefields, and bye from Houston. Based upon your vitriol, it seems you won't see Houstonians or Houston much.
Win-Win!
Ive lived in the Heights, Timbergrove, OF/GO, Rice Military/Cottage Grove, West Loop.
It definitely is a much different place now than I remember as a kid in the late 80's and 90's. Parents weren't rich, in fact I'm first generation college graduate. People in college acted like I was from the hood when I told them where I'm from and went to high school. Now every house in these areas has an Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, or whatever parked in front next to their $50k truck or SUV. Sometimes when I'm driving down TC Jester or Shepherd I find myself thinking it looks like a rich neighborhood when in the 90's it was roads full of mid 80's Hondas and datsuns.
Someone who thinks its worse must have a much different perspective from me.
It definitely is a much different place now than I remember as a kid in the late 80's and 90's. Parents weren't rich, in fact I'm first generation college graduate. People in college acted like I was from the hood when I told them where I'm from and went to high school. Now every house in these areas has an Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, or whatever parked in front next to their $50k truck or SUV. Sometimes when I'm driving down TC Jester or Shepherd I find myself thinking it looks like a rich neighborhood when in the 90's it was roads full of mid 80's Hondas and datsuns.
Someone who thinks its worse must have a much different perspective from me.
Katy high school rankings among public schools in the Houston area by US news & world reports this week:
3. Seven Lakes
8. Cinco Ranch
11. Taylor
18. Morton Ranch
29. Katy
34. Mayde Creek
US News & World Reports
3. Seven Lakes
8. Cinco Ranch
11. Taylor
18. Morton Ranch
29. Katy
34. Mayde Creek
US News & World Reports
quote:
Katy high school rankings among public schools in the Houston area by US news & world reports this week:
3. Seven Lakes
8. Cinco Ranch
11. Taylor
18. Morton Ranch
29. Katy
34. Mayde Creek
US News & World Reports
Yes, and after you lock in at 300k watch them pinball all over the place. Ft. Bend should be your clue. Sure, GreaterKaty will be the exception. Because, it's so appealing.
quote:quote:
For you snobs
No, it's the $400/sf....which is about location, not "snobbinesss". "The dump Houston turned into" is a pathetic rationalization, and insulting to those hundreds of thousands of us who did far better than you (per your own acid-tinged bitterness) at building a terrific life in Houston.
I've already been stuck in massive traffic jams in Cinco, and you've only seen the tip of the iceberg, per every demographic study out there. Enjoy the converted ricefields, and bye from Houston. Based upon your vitriol, it seems you won't see Houstonians or Houston much.
Lighten up Mayor Parker. Sheesh.
It's clear you've never left Houston except for aggieland. I still love Houston now AND the one I grew up in...there's just something about H Town that outsiders don't understand. Having lived all across the U.S. I'm qualified to make the "dump" comment. Doesn't mean I'm not happy to be home. I just have an open mind and an opinion of my home city that differs from yours. Oh, and I have a wonderful life and don't long for much... ITL or in Katy. Again, take a deep breath. I didn't insult you personally. If I did, I sincerely apologize.
Katy is below Morton Ranch? Damn, as a KHS alum, I find that incredibly hard to believe. Guess I grew up in the hood.
quote:quote:I've noticed most of you Katy people are.
I'm a lifer out in Katy.
If that were true would it be growing like it is?
Thanks for this guys and gals. Let me broaden the question to really get the ITL vs suburb debate raging...
Lets say you have a young family (oldest is 7) that is used to suburbs, a good Christian private school but is not opposed to good public school. Job would be in the westheimer/beltway 8 vicinity.
Leaving price off the table, what would the good options to solve for 1) good schools 2) decent work commute, 3) sense of community in neighborhood, 4) amenities 5). Value/pool/larger lot/ decent $/sq ft. 6) safety (not necessarily in that order...). Obviously Katy, but are there other good options?
Lets say you have a young family (oldest is 7) that is used to suburbs, a good Christian private school but is not opposed to good public school. Job would be in the westheimer/beltway 8 vicinity.
Leaving price off the table, what would the good options to solve for 1) good schools 2) decent work commute, 3) sense of community in neighborhood, 4) amenities 5). Value/pool/larger lot/ decent $/sq ft. 6) safety (not necessarily in that order...). Obviously Katy, but are there other good options?
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