Downtown
Downtown is defined by the area in between the square of freeways I-10, Hwy 59 and I-45 which curves around on the west and south side, but also counts closely located neighborhoods outside the freeways. It has some historic buildings which are mostly commercially used but also many new structures which give Houston its reputation of continuous development.
The residences downtown may only be a few thousand but are increasing as the area is becoming more popular. Warehouse districts have been turned into townhouses and apartment complexes such as, for example, White Oak Bayou Lofts on the north side of downtown right off I-10. These new developments are the main choice of expats. Other homes includes town homes, which are becoming popular in this area and are more affordable than a single family home.
A drawback to living downtown is the lack of greenery, quiet privacy, and lack of supermarket shopping opportunities.
Downtown is especially appealing if one’s work is located there and a short commute is of great interest, as well as being close to sport stadiums, the Theatre District, happy hour bars, and dance clubs.
Proximity to public transportation is excellent but not very commonly used by expats, as particularly buses run out of low income neighborhoods and expats may feel uncomfortable.
International Schools: There are no International Schools in the immediate area.
Supermarkets: There is a lack of large shopping centers. Downtown has some small stores and only a few large supermarkets that are spotted here and there and are geared towards the majority of residents in the area, meaning they offer many Hispanic goods.
Restaurants: Within downtown, the selection of restaurants is great, from fast-food to fine dining including many restaurants that offer dinner before heading to a theatre or a sports event.
Cinemas: There are no large movie complexes downtown but downtown has the theatre district and other entertainment venues.
Sport Facilities: Downtown is the epicenter for Houston’s professional sports and home to the Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park for basketball, baseball, and hockey and has football and soccer at a very acceptable distance. Recreational sports are limited but Buffalo Bayou Park on the west side of downtown offers a great opportunity for jogging and biking.
Inner Loop, including Midtown, West U and Rice Village
The inner Loop is defined by the area inside loop 610 and includes Midtown, West University Place (called “West U”), and the Rice Village area as well as the Montrose area and the Medical Center. Further out, from Midtown towards west, it reaches the River Oaks area which borders along Memorial Park and with the Galleria area, where we will mention River Oaks.
The area inside the Loop is the most popular with single, young professional expats as it is the primary area for anything that is happening and has an eclectic population. There is a high population of young professionals and artsy types. Homes in this area are often apartments or single or multi-family homes. Home prices are higher in this area.
This area is the most active of Houston with a hip life style and atmosphere due to the museum district and art galleries near Rice University, green parks with large oak trees and some of the finest living in Houston. The area appeals to residents with middle to upper income, has charming shopping centers, usually within walking distance, as well as restaurants and night life. The public transportation system can also be used in these areas but is not necessarily popular with the majority of residents, with the exception of taxis.
International Schools: Annunciation Orthodox School based on Greek Orthodox principles and the German Deutsche Samstagsschule of Houston.
Supermarkets: This area has an abundance of supermarket shopping centers, specialty stores and a great variety of cultural goods available.
Restaurants: As the happening place of Houston, restaurants in this area range from eclectic to fine dining and there is an abundance for every taste, from fast food to fine dining.
Cinemas: There are several movie complexes to see blockbuster movies and the Museum of Fine Arts often shows some Indie films or foreign films in specific arts series.
Sport Facilities: Rice Stadium hosts college sports and there is plenty of opportunity for recreational basketball, soccer and other types of sports including fitness centers.
Memorial and Galleria Area
The Memorial and Galleria area is defined by the area around the Galleria Mall and Memorial Drive near the Loop 610 and also borders with the River Oaks area which often is counted in as well.
The area appeals to residents with high to upper income and offers the most prestigious homes and exclusive shopping. It has lots of greenery with large oak trees and Memorial Park as well as Terry Hershey Park. This area is popular with well-off expats that can afford a home in this area as average home prices are the highest in Houston. Homes are generally single family homes but apartment complexes are also available in this area for younger families or singles.
With the malls and other large shopping centers, the area is a treat for anyone who likes to shop. Public transportation is available but not popular – as in the rest of Houston.
International Schools: The Awty International School is a short distance.
Supermarkets: This area has an abundance of supermarkets, shopping centers, specialty stores and a great variety of cultural goods available
Restaurants: Restaurants in this area range from eclectic to fine dining and there is abundance for every taste, from fast food to fine dining.
Cinemas: The River Oaks Theatre offers a great selection of independent films and foreign films as well as blockbusters. There are also several large movie complexes in the area showing the latest blockbusters.
Sport Facilities: There are quite a few recreational sports facilities such as fitness centers, tennis courts and several premier golf courses. Parks in this area have excellent trails for jogging and biking. Memorial Park is the most popular and largest park in Houston with an abundance of recreational opportunities and fields for every main sport.
The Woodlands
The town of The Woodlands, where some of the most scenic homes with the greatest privacy available, is north of Houston off I-45. Many expats find the scenery of The Woodlands very captivating and beautiful with large pine trees making the area around Woodlands Mall and in many suburbs feel like a big forest. For nature lovers, that alone is great reason to move there. In fact, Sam Houston National Forest is not too far from The Woodlands.
Residents of The Woodlands enjoy the scenery of pine trees with plentiful shade on hot summer days, great shopping with a state-of-the-art mall, several large shopping centers, and dining in a mid to upper level income area.
The Woodlands are family-oriented with the majority of homes being single family homes. Public transportation is lacking but for commuting to downtown, residents can use the METRO bus from a park and ride or carpool.
International Schools: There are no international schools in the immediate area.
Supermarkets: This area has an abundance of supermarkets, shopping centers and a good variety of cultural goods available.
Restaurants: Restaurants in this area range from fast food to fine dining. Due to the size of the Woodlands, the selection of different countries’ tastes are good but not as abundant as in Houston proper.
Cinemas: There is a large movie complex showing the latest blockbusters, but no opportunity to view Indie films or foreign films in the immediate area.
Sport Facilities: There are quite a few recreational sports facilities such as fitness centers, soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis and golf. Some parks in the area offer great jogging and hiking trails.
Inner Loop, The Heights
The Heights is defined by the area in the northwestern part of the Loop and in particular starting north of Memorial Drive, crossing I-10 and not quite reaching as far east as I-45. The Heights is a more homey version of the Midtown, West U and Rice Village area. It offers much of the same, with a population that likes close proximity to restaurants and bars but with more peace and quiet.
The area is also very green with a beautiful stretch of historic buildings and homes on Heights Boulevard marked by beautiful trees. Small shopping centers, but mostly single business stores, and bars are also mostly found in this area near Heights Blvd.
The Heights is more family oriented than parts further south and the most common type of home is the single family home. The area is generally not very popular with expats, probably for the reason that the southern Inner Loop area is just so much more appealing when considering the variety of restaurants and bars.
Public transportation is available but not very popular with the majority of residents.
International Schools: There are no international schools in the immediate area.
Supermarkets: This area has a small variety of cultural goods available and a few large supermarkets but lacks large shopping centers.
Restaurants: Restaurants in this area range from fast food to fine dining. The selection of international food is limited except for the typical Italian and Mexican foods, and restaurants are mostly small, serving traditional American foods.
Cinemas: There are movie complexes nearby showing the latest blockbusters, but no foreign film viewing opportunities.
Sport Facilities: Recreational indoor soccer as well as fitness centers, basketball courts, and tennis.
Outside the Loop West and Northwest
The most popular area on the west side is just outside the Beltway towards Katy in the western part of Houston and then up to the northwest area of Hwy 249, including the Cypress/Fairbanks area and Klein.
The west/northwest part of town is extremely popular with expats who have larger families of two or more children and like large yards, suburbs with community pools and access to great schools. Most homes are located in specific suburbs and are single family homes. However, there are also a large number of apartment complexes that offer great living for small families who just relocated to Houston and haven’t moved to a single-family house yet. In general, though, apartments are mostly preferred by singles as they offer a cheap and convenient way of living. New developments of neighborhoods with townhomes are also becoming an affordable alternative to single-family homes.
There are a lot of shopping centers and two malls in this area, providing a great opportunity for any kind of shopping. Parks, such as Bearcreek, Meyer Park and an abundance of golf clubs and country clubs, make the area green and cozy.
Public transportation is weak but commuting to downtown is easy and convenient through METRO park and rides by bus or carpooling.
International Schools: British School of Houston and the Awty International School, which is located closer towards the Loop and the Galleria area.
Supermarkets: This area has an abundance of supermarket shopping centers and a good variety of cultural goods available inside those supermarkets, but lacks specialty stores.
Restaurants: There is a great variety of family type restaurants serving anything from traditional American food to international cuisine. There is a lack of fine dining in this area and people ‘drive into town’ for finer restaurants.
Cinemas: There are several large movie complexes but they only show the latest blockbusters.
Sport Facilities: The Westside Tennis Club, a lot of soccer fields, fitness centers, recreational basketball and tennis courts and a great selection of golf courses are in the area. There are also quite a few parks with jogging trails.
Sugar Land
Sugar Land is a town located far southwest of Houston with many newly developed parts that are popular with higher income residents. Due to its distance from Houston and lack of social life, such as clubs and bars, it is not very popular with expats living alone in Houston.
Most residents of Sugar Land enjoy the family oriented quietness and distance from the busy Houston city life and those who work downtown chose the METRO park and rides by bus or carpool. Otherwise, public transportation is weak.
Newly developed suburbs are very appealing to middle to upper income families that like the large new shopping centers near the freeway. Sugar Land is also well-known to have one of the best standards of living and is a considerably safe area in which to live. As Sugar Land used to be full of rice and sugar fields, it generally lacks the greenery of the rest of Houston.
International Schools: There are no international schools in the immediate area.
Supermarkets: This area has an abundance of supermarket shopping centers and a good variety of cultural goods available inside those supermarkets, but lacks specialty stores.
Restaurants: There is a great variety of family type restaurants serving anything from traditional American food to international cuisine. There is a lack of fine dining in this area and people ‘drive into town’ for finer restaurants.
Cinemas: There are several large movie complexes but they only show the latest blockbusters.
Sport Facilities: There are soccer fields, golf courses, fitness centers, basketball courts, and tennis in this area.
