Wife and I are having some conflict on where to raise our 3 children eduction wise. My kids are ages 3, 8 and 9 years old. My wife wants to move into a smaller,older and more expensive home to be in the Woodlands proper and be in one of the best schools (the Woodland h.s.). I on the other hand think we can still have very good education for our kids living in the more newer areas that don't have the reputation as the Woodlands. Anyone have any take on this kind of situation?
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Need advice from those familiar with Spring/The Woodlands area
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Last: 5 yr ago by Bassmaster
My wife and I were having this same debate in another area of Houston between 2 neighborhoods with basically the exact parameters. We are about 3 weeks out from looking and ultimately had to decide on one and did. For us, we ultimately decided that we didn't need a massive home, we could always upgrade a home to our liking but ultimately we can never change a homes location.
Nobody here is going to have the right answer for you and nothing I'm gonna say here is going to change your perspective... but there is an answer for what is right for your family and only you and your wife can answer it. Sit down, get some distance from the kiddos so you can both be thoughtful and maybe get some clarity and write down the pros and cons and reconcile them to something that works out for both of you.
Lame advice but it is your best course of action, not asking a message board.
If you can't decide on one area, consider renting in one area for a while.
Nobody here is going to have the right answer for you and nothing I'm gonna say here is going to change your perspective... but there is an answer for what is right for your family and only you and your wife can answer it. Sit down, get some distance from the kiddos so you can both be thoughtful and maybe get some clarity and write down the pros and cons and reconcile them to something that works out for both of you.
Lame advice but it is your best course of action, not asking a message board.
If you can't decide on one area, consider renting in one area for a while.
We made this decision almost 2 years ago.
In our opinion, the Woodlands was/is overpriced among other issues (traffic being the other major drawback). We're in a newer community east of 45 and south of Grand Parkway. By doing what we did, we got more house for less money while still being in Conroe ISD. We're also zoned to the new Grand Oaks HS.
We can be in the Woodlands in 10 minutes when we want to be. Also, we can be downtown in about 25 straight down Hardy.
Still no regrets. Most people living over here made the same decision. Lots of families and neighbors love the schools.
In our opinion, the Woodlands was/is overpriced among other issues (traffic being the other major drawback). We're in a newer community east of 45 and south of Grand Parkway. By doing what we did, we got more house for less money while still being in Conroe ISD. We're also zoned to the new Grand Oaks HS.
We can be in the Woodlands in 10 minutes when we want to be. Also, we can be downtown in about 25 straight down Hardy.
Still no regrets. Most people living over here made the same decision. Lots of families and neighbors love the schools.
I posted this on the Houston forum, too:
I'm in The Woodlands, zoned to Tomball ISD. I've been very happy with the schools and like the fact that Tomball high school isn't as big as the ones in The Woodlands. The downside is Tomball High School is not at all conveniently located where we live. But the elementary school and jr high are all within walking/biking distance, so it's a trade-off.
Other school zones in the area are Klein, Magnolia, and Montgomery. There are other high schools in addition to The Woodlands High and Woodlands College Park that are also part of Conroe ISD. I've heard good things about them all.
The one school zone that I would definitely avoid up here is Spring ISD. There are some new/expensive houses near the XOM campus that are zoned to Spring.
I'm in The Woodlands, zoned to Tomball ISD. I've been very happy with the schools and like the fact that Tomball high school isn't as big as the ones in The Woodlands. The downside is Tomball High School is not at all conveniently located where we live. But the elementary school and jr high are all within walking/biking distance, so it's a trade-off.
Other school zones in the area are Klein, Magnolia, and Montgomery. There are other high schools in addition to The Woodlands High and Woodlands College Park that are also part of Conroe ISD. I've heard good things about them all.
The one school zone that I would definitely avoid up here is Spring ISD. There are some new/expensive houses near the XOM campus that are zoned to Spring.
Following. I'm literally in the exact same boat only waiting on our current house to get an offer then moving to the Woodlands area.
I'll post this reply here, too...
I'm in Creekside and have been thrilled with the schools so far. I originally wanted to be in the "old" part of The Woodlands because I wanted my kiddo to have access to the math and science academy at Woodlands College Park. But when I moved here, the housing market was crazy, and I couldn't find anything that I both liked and could afford.
At the $130/sq ft price point, you are going to get a nicer, newer, bigger house in Creekside. New construction is well above that price, but you could easily find something that's 5-10 years old. That's a harder price to target in the original part of The Woodlands, but not impossible. It's just going to be older and probably need some updating.
There was some flooding in Creekside, but it was all in the west side of Kuykendahl, and a good realtor and/or message board can tell you exactly what streets were affected. The development on the east side of Kuykendahl was fine. There was also some flooding in the original part of The Woodlands, along Flintridge, between Panther Creek and Gosling, and of course Timber Creek/Timber Ridge.
You can easily get a new (or nearly new) house in Woodforest (with all the upgrades and amenities one would expect in a new house) for $130/sq ft.
With that said, I don't think your kids are going to be happier in one district or another. They can get a great education and be involved in lots of activities in all of the ones I listed in my previous post. The bigger issues are probably the house and your commute, both of which will affect your wife's happiness. At your price point, I don't think there is any reason to sacrifice on the house or make your commute worse (there are certain areas of The Woodlands that it can take 20-30 min just to get to 45) just to be in a specific school district. They are all good.
I'm in Creekside and have been thrilled with the schools so far. I originally wanted to be in the "old" part of The Woodlands because I wanted my kiddo to have access to the math and science academy at Woodlands College Park. But when I moved here, the housing market was crazy, and I couldn't find anything that I both liked and could afford.
At the $130/sq ft price point, you are going to get a nicer, newer, bigger house in Creekside. New construction is well above that price, but you could easily find something that's 5-10 years old. That's a harder price to target in the original part of The Woodlands, but not impossible. It's just going to be older and probably need some updating.
There was some flooding in Creekside, but it was all in the west side of Kuykendahl, and a good realtor and/or message board can tell you exactly what streets were affected. The development on the east side of Kuykendahl was fine. There was also some flooding in the original part of The Woodlands, along Flintridge, between Panther Creek and Gosling, and of course Timber Creek/Timber Ridge.
You can easily get a new (or nearly new) house in Woodforest (with all the upgrades and amenities one would expect in a new house) for $130/sq ft.
With that said, I don't think your kids are going to be happier in one district or another. They can get a great education and be involved in lots of activities in all of the ones I listed in my previous post. The bigger issues are probably the house and your commute, both of which will affect your wife's happiness. At your price point, I don't think there is any reason to sacrifice on the house or make your commute worse (there are certain areas of The Woodlands that it can take 20-30 min just to get to 45) just to be in a specific school district. They are all good.
How is your access to things like: restaurants, grocery stores, etc. in Creekside?
The Catfish said:
How is your access to things like: restaurants, grocery stores, etc. in Creekside?
I can walk from my house to the HEB, Walgreens, and several restaurants (Crust Pizza, Fieldings Local, Levure Bakery, and a few others). It's less than 0.5 miles. The development is big, and I'm about as close to the shops as you can get, but no house is more than about 1-2 miles away. Trader Joe's (and another HEB) is about 4 miles to the north (at Woodlands Pkwy and Kuykendahl).
The Creekside HEB stayed open the entire time during Harvey. We all learned we have everything we need within walking distance. I used to joke that I never needed to go into town/leave The Woodlands to get what I need. Now, I almost don't even have to leave my neighborhood.
There is also a Wal-Mart really close (at Kuykendahl and Augusta Pines). You can walk/bike there, but it's a little farther than HEB.
It's about a 20 min drive into The Woodlands (Market St/Waterway/mall area). Another 20 or so (depending on traffic) to the south is a new shopping center at Kuykendahl and the Grand Parkway that has Target, DSW, Ulta, and a bunch of other stores. A big Cinemark is one light past the Grand Parkway, and Lowe's at Kuykendahl and 2920.
A lot of people love Creekside. It didn't work for me because of the issues getting over Spring Creek (which are finally being resolved) and the lack of trees. I'm not a fan of developers that plant palm trees as though we are on the Florida coast. To me, part of the benefit of living in The Woodlands is the woods. It's not open prairie and it's not a neighborhood built in the 60's with two live oaks on either side of the front yard. I've got over twenty trees on my lot and that's after losing a number of them over the course of the 30 years since the house was built.
Bismarck said:
A lot of people love Creekside. It didn't work for me because of the issues getting over Spring Creek (which are finally being resolved) and the lack of trees. I'm not a fan of developers that plant palm trees as though we are on the Florida coast. To me, part of the benefit of living in The Woodlands is the woods. It's not open prairie and it's not a neighborhood built in the 60's with two live oaks on either side of the front yard. I've got over twenty trees on my lot and that's after losing a number of them over the course of the 30 years since the house was built.
I had the same concerns about getting over Spring Creek (and even wondered how the developers were allowed to build such a huge subdivision with such crappy infrastructure). Now that the Kuykendahl bridge is 4 lanes, it is so much better. Gosling is still a mess, though, and it's unclear when it's going to be expanded to four lanes over the bridge (which is shared by Montgomery and Harris Counties).
Funny story about the trees...according to people who have been in the area much longer, all of the property that was developed into Creekside was originally open fields. The trees that are there were planted something like 15-20 years ago so that there would be trees by the time they got around to developing the land. I like trees, too, but I don't want one falling on my house during a storm, so I'm ok with not having them in my yard.
Fwiw As someone who's lived in the woodlands all my life and currently lives in panther creek area I will say I love the older part of the woodlands beacuse it feels closer to everything and the trees that are abundant in the yards. But the downside ive noticed is that the older part of the woodlands tends to have the older folks living there as well. Families with younger kids seem to be living in the "newer" parts. My neighborhood is a decent size and the only,kids I see are junior high and older. So that is a major con since I have 2 small children.
That's true about the trees, TX. Part of the risk you run to have them, I suppose.
John is also right about the Panther Creek area. It's in the early stages of turning over from the empty nesters. Our kids meet plenty of playmates at school but the kids on the street are still few and far between. Of course the plus side to this is that the folks that have lived in the neighborhood a long time tend to have a lot of history they can pass your way and a network in place to look out for each other. Our neighbors love having little ones on the street again.
John is also right about the Panther Creek area. It's in the early stages of turning over from the empty nesters. Our kids meet plenty of playmates at school but the kids on the street are still few and far between. Of course the plus side to this is that the folks that have lived in the neighborhood a long time tend to have a lot of history they can pass your way and a network in place to look out for each other. Our neighbors love having little ones on the street again.
johnrth said:
Fwiw As someone who's lived in the woodlands all my life and currently lives in panther creek area I will say I love the older part of the woodlands beacuse it feels closer to everything and the trees that are abundant in the yards. But the downside ive noticed is that the older part of the woodlands tends to have the older folks living there as well. Families with younger kids seem to be living in the "newer" parts. My neighborhood is a decent size and the only,kids I see are junior high and older. So that is a major con since I have 2 small children.
I've noticed the presence of families and young kids seems to correlate to the size of the house. In Creekside, there are way more families in the mini 'hoods that have 3000+ sq ft houses. I live in a <2500 sq ft patio home - of the 22 houses on my street (all under about 3k sq ft) there is only one other house with kids. The rest are 50+ or couples/singles with no kids. The other mini 'hoods with <3000 sq ft homes are also very light on kids. Given the age of most of the homes in Panther Creek, I'd be willing to bet the average size is smaller, too, and that's why there are fewer families.
Panther Creek also tends to be more expensive per sq ft.
Have an email I can shoot you a few questions to? We're moving back to Houston after being in the NE for 2 years and likely headed to Woodlands or Spring. The homes in this area look nice online and have a few Qs about the area.
We are in SE Montgomery County as well as ktown (Benders Landing Estates). Lots of development in this part of the county with Benders, Harmony and Woodson's Reserve. Have had a great experience at Snyder Elementary and neighbors in other Conroe ISD schools love it. Lots more retail and restaurants around here now compared to when we moved in summer 2012.
TXTransplant said:Bismarck said:
A lot of people love Creekside. It didn't work for me because of the issues getting over Spring Creek (which are finally being resolved) and the lack of trees. I'm not a fan of developers that plant palm trees as though we are on the Florida coast. To me, part of the benefit of living in The Woodlands is the woods. It's not open prairie and it's not a neighborhood built in the 60's with two live oaks on either side of the front yard. I've got over twenty trees on my lot and that's after losing a number of them over the course of the 30 years since the house was built.
I had the same concerns about getting over Spring Creek (and even wondered how the developers were allowed to build such a huge subdivision with such crappy infrastructure). Now that the Kuykendahl bridge is 4 lanes, it is so much better. Gosling is still a mess, though, and it's unclear when it's going to be expanded to four lanes over the bridge (which is shared by Montgomery and Harris Counties).
Funny story about the trees...according to people who have been in the area much longer, all of the property that was developed into Creekside was originally open fields. The trees that are there were planted something like 15-20 years ago so that there would be trees by the time they got around to developing the land. I like trees, too, but I don't want one falling on my house during a storm, so I'm ok with not having them in my yard.
I think someone must be messing with you. I've been in Creekside for 10 years and they removed literally thousands of fully mature trees (decades old) since then. The whole area looked like the nature preserve. They have a tree stump with a 200 year old tree at the pavilion. No way in the world the area was open fields 20 years ago.
BTW the elementaries and junior high are as highly ranked as anything you'll find in CISD. Hopefully the high school follows suit as kids start to matriculate to Tomball High or they finally build a new high school.
Gosling is definitely a mess from 5-6pm. Otherwise it's not a big deal.
I believe that story was told by people affiliated with the development at a village association meeting a couple of years ago when people were really riled up about the trees and what was being cut down for new construction. It seems a bit extreme to publicly mislead residents with a story like that, but I guess it doesn't really matter now.
As far as a new high school goes, I don't think we should hold our breath. Tomball High is only at about 50% capacity, and it's predicted to barely reach about 2/3 capacity in the next five or so years. Tomball Memorial is getting very crowded, though, and the last plan I saw showed ta proposal to rezone the district to move kids from Tomball Memorial to Tomball High.
Take this with a grain of salt (like the tree story), but TISD officials have said that majority of the new growth is in the south part of the district, so a third school would most likely be down there (they've built a bunch of elementary and intermediate schools down there, too). And supposedly there isn't a large enough plot of land up here that is zoned to TISD and that the district could afford to build a third school. So, I think we are stuck with it. The school isn't an issue for me, just the location. If there were a more direct route to 2978, that would be such an improvement, but I don't expect that to happen, either.
As far as a new high school goes, I don't think we should hold our breath. Tomball High is only at about 50% capacity, and it's predicted to barely reach about 2/3 capacity in the next five or so years. Tomball Memorial is getting very crowded, though, and the last plan I saw showed ta proposal to rezone the district to move kids from Tomball Memorial to Tomball High.
Take this with a grain of salt (like the tree story), but TISD officials have said that majority of the new growth is in the south part of the district, so a third school would most likely be down there (they've built a bunch of elementary and intermediate schools down there, too). And supposedly there isn't a large enough plot of land up here that is zoned to TISD and that the district could afford to build a third school. So, I think we are stuck with it. The school isn't an issue for me, just the location. If there were a more direct route to 2978, that would be such an improvement, but I don't expect that to happen, either.
Bumping this thread because I'm likely going to be offered a job that will soon be located in Spring, just south of the Woodlands. Existing office is further up in the Woodlands for the immediate future.
Have they officially updated flood maps for this area? Including the 200/500 yr areas? Those in this thread that were in Bender's Landing, did you flood during Harvey?
Trying to get a handle of the cost of living, seeing a plethora of $500M+ homes with builder-grade fireplaces, showers, and fixtures along with low-end granite countertops and Merilat-esque cabinet "upgrades" is a sign that it is going to be a lot more costly than originally expected.
Have they officially updated flood maps for this area? Including the 200/500 yr areas? Those in this thread that were in Bender's Landing, did you flood during Harvey?
Trying to get a handle of the cost of living, seeing a plethora of $500M+ homes with builder-grade fireplaces, showers, and fixtures along with low-end granite countertops and Merilat-esque cabinet "upgrades" is a sign that it is going to be a lot more costly than originally expected.
SWCBonfire said:
Bumping this thread because I'm likely going to be offered a job that will soon be located in Spring, just south of the Woodlands. Existing office is further up in the Woodlands for the immediate future.
Have they officially updated flood maps for this area? Including the 200/500 yr areas? Those in this thread that were in Bender's Landing, did you flood during Harvey?
Trying to get a handle of the cost of living, seeing a plethora of $500M+ homes with builder-grade fireplaces, showers, and fixtures along with low-end granite countertops and Merilat-esque cabinet "upgrades" is a sign that it is going to be a lot more costly than originally expected.
They have not updated the food maps, and I actually don't expect that the boundaries of the 100 and 500 year flood plains will change. I could be wrong. But I just don't see it happening this fast. Your best bet is to just talk with someone who is very knowledgable about the area. High end houses that flooded are starting to come back on the market (many of them at or near what they would have sold for pre-flood).
I don't live in Benders Landing but I have coworkers who do. There are some houses there that did flood.
And, yes, there are a plethora of $500k+ homes with builder-grade finishes. This is especially true with new construction. I've been here just over 5 years and have steadily watched the quality of construction decline while prices per sq ft went up. Prices seem to have leveled-off for now, but I personally am disappointed by what you get for $150-$200/sq ft. The only time I see higher end cabinets, light fixtures, etc, is when I see a 10+ year old house that has been updated - and those are few and far between.
I am in Bender's Landing Estates and did not come close to flooding. The vast majority of homes here did not. The ones that did typically were on streets that border the development closest to Spring Creek/San Jac. River. Most of those that did flood were on streets that we had marked off of our list when house hunting several years ago because it was obvious that the flooding potential was there.