Museum Park-Museum District
Where to live in Houston from $300k to $500k
The Houston Neighborhoods in this price range offer a good mix of lifestyle and housing options. You will find urban and residential options that are close to all of Houston’s hot spots. Since we focus on Houston’s near-town neighborhoods, we’ll take a look at the best options in this area.
Montrose
Montrose is an eclectic urban neighborhood that was recently recognized as one of the Ten Best Neighborhoods in the country by the American Planning Association. The street grid lends itself to being very walkable to the diverse mix of retail and entertainment options along Montrose Blvd and Westheimer. Lower Westheimer in particular is experiencing a rebirth with several new restaurants that have opened recently or are under construction. These include El Real, Uchi, and Underbelly. The location offers easy access to all the major business districts including Downtown, The Texas Medical Center, Greenway, and the Galleria.
Housing options in this price range are as diverse as the residents and include stately restored homes, classic bungalows, new construction townhomes, and mid-rise condos. This price range is a starting point for homes in this neighborhood as prices for prime real estate can easily reach the $1million mark.
Rice Military & Washington Corridor
Rice Military and the Washington Corridor is one the most popular neighborhoods for young professionals. Its close proximity to Memorial Park makes it the perfect option for those who enjoy the outdoors and the excellent jogging trails. Entertainment options along Washington Avenue are diverse and numerous. Some of our favorites include El Tiempo, Max’s Wine Dive, and Star Pizza. The central location also offers easy access to the major business districts.
The predominant housing option in Rice Military is new construction, recent-build townhomes and patio homes. Towards the middle and higher end of this price range, you can find many free-standing units with small yards. Home builders continue to find land to develop and home buyers continue to gobble up the new construction as they build it.
Museum Park
Museum Park has a special place in our heart because it’s home to our office. This neighborhood is centrally located between two of the largest business districts in the state of Texas, Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center. Folks that love the outdoors love this neighborhood because it’s walking distance to Hermann Park and the Houston Zoo. If it’s culture that you’re looking for, you’ll find 13 museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Natural Science, and the Children’s Museum. Entertainment options in the Montrose area and Rice Village are close by as well.
Housing options are very diverse in this neighborhood. You’ll find some original stately homes, recent-build townhomes, modern new construction, and high-rise condos. Speaking of modern design, Museum Park is home to the highest density of this architectural style in Houston.
Houston Heights
Houston Heights is one of the more hip and kid-friendly neighborhoods in Houston. Entertainment and shopping options are plentiful along the Historic Heights Shopping District on 19th Street. Outdoor enthusiasts will be at home in the Heights at the hike and bike trail along Nicholson and the jogging trail on Heights Blvd. Families flock to the Heights for its quiet residential lifestyle.
You will find updated bungalows, recent-build patio homes, and stately historic homes in this great neighborhood. Some sections of the Heights are designated historic districts which helps retain the original look and feel of the neighborhood. This price range is just a starting point for homes in this area with many properties priced above the $500k mark.
Timbergrove Manor & Lazybrook
Timbergrove Manor and Lazybrook are two neighborhoods that border one another and offer the same lifestyle and housing options. Young professionals and new families love these neighborhoods for the large lot sizes and kid-friendly atmosphere. The two neighborhood parks, Jaycee Park and 11th Street Park, are a nice urban oasis. Entertainment options in the Heights are just a short drive away and many new dining options in nearby Shady Acres have opened recently.
This area was developed in the late 50s and early 60s so you’ll primarily find single story ranch style homes. Most of them will have lot sizes over 7,000 SF which is great for kids and pets. The homes in this price range will have lots of updates and some may even have master-suite additions.
Mark Brawley
Mark is a real estate broker serving Houston's close-in neighborhoods. Read what Mark's clients have to say about his service at Zillow.com. Connect with Mark on Google+ or contact him at mark@norhillrealty.com or on his mobile at 281-650-3384.
Where to live in Houston from $500k to $750K
Houston has some great luxury neighborhoods. From hip, urban communities to kid-friendly, family neighborhoods, Houston has a plethora of choices from $500K to $750K. I could spend all day going through every great neighborhood this city has to offer. However, since Norhill Realty is located in and primarily focused on Houston’s near-town neighborhoods, I will focus on the best of those neighborhoods for this post and this series. If I missed one that you think should have been on the list, let me know.
Houston Heights
Due to its affordability, location, and historic charm, Greater Heights is one of the most sought after communities in Houston. Most of the Heights was built in the early part of the 20th century and was considered Houston’s first suburb. However, after a few decades of development, the Heights is basically located in the center of town. In its early history, trolley cars could be taken directly to downtown Houston and ritzy boutiques dotted 19th street. The trolley cars are gone and what is left is a great jogging trail and park that cuts through the middle of Heights Boulevard. 19th street still has shopping but today it is mostly filled with small hip boutiques and restaurants. In the 70s and 80s, then neighborhood fell on some hard times. However, today it is one of the trendiest, family-oriented areas of town, and new home development and retail development is flooding into the neighborhood.
The Houston Heights offers a diverse mix of old and new Victorian homes, early century craftsman homes, and contemporary/modern design. Most of the homes feature high ceilings, great craftsman interior finishes, and spaces from 1000 sqft to well over 3500 sqft. Prices range from the low 400s to the high 700s. However, at the 500K to 750K range, you are looking at a new or completely renovated home with a space over 2000 sqft.
Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby can only be described as a wonderful marriage between luxury and urban living. The area is considered one of the hipper neighborhoods in the city. Luxury shopping and chic restaurants proliferate the neighborhood. Multi-use developments such as West Ave and 2727 Kirby provide a wonderful combination of trendy boutiques and restaurants with luxury living. Most everything in this area is within walking distance or a short bike ride.
Upper Kirby is a also centrally located and an easy commute to some of Houston’s largest economic centers, including the adjacent Greenway Plaza, Galleria/Uptown, Downtown Houston, and the Texas Medical Center.
The living options in this area are diverse. From single family bungalows to upscale luxury townhomes to ultra modern single family homes to high rise living, this neighborhood has something for everyone. From $500K to 750K, there are a number of single family home options. Single family homes in that price range will typically be about 2500 sqft or less. They are typically of older construction, but they do have some modern updates and renovations.
New and recently developed townhomes and patio homes are also within reach at this price point in Upper Kirby. These units tend to be newer construction with spaces in excess of 2500 square feet. Many of the developments are actually quite nice with high quality finishes and amenities.
Museum Park
Museum Park Houston is one of Houston’s most culturally rich communities in the city. Home to 13 Museums, Hermann Park, and Rice University, this neighborhood offers walk-ability to many of Houston’s most prized treasures. Uniquely situated between Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center, two of the largest business districts in the state of Texas. Both of these districts are connected to Museum Park by Houston’s light rail system. Museum Park has many recently constructed luxury single family homes, townhomes, and high rise condominiums. The neighborhood is also home to the highest concentration of modern residential development in all of Houston. Norhill Realty is proud to call this vibrant neighborhood our home.
High quality, luxury townhomes and patio homes are plentiful in this neighborhood between $500K to $750. Developments such as The Art Colony, Intexure’s Palm Terrace, and Lovett Homes’ Rosedale Park are some examples of the kinds of luxury home projects that are currently under way in Museum Park. As demonstrated by The Art Colony and Palm Terrace, Museum Park has a large density of modern and contemporary construction at this price point.
Museum Park also has some great high rise properties to consider between $500K and $750K. The contemporary Mosaic on Hermann Park and The high-luxury Warwick Towers offer some gorgeous views of Houston, great community amenities, and wonderful, spacious spaces between $500K and 750K.
Garden Oaks/Oak Forest
Located in Northwest Houston, the area of Oak Forest and Garden Oaks is positioned just outside Houston’s 610 Loop. This near town location provides great access to Houston’s two largest economic centers, Downtown Houston and Galleria/Uptown. The area has seen a significant level of new development in recent years thanks in large part to the fantastic elementary schools, both public and private, as well as the great sense of kid-friendly community that proliferates the neighborhoods. The recently renovated Oak Forest Library is a testament to this communities’ commitment to family and community.
Homes priced between $500K and 750K in this area tend to be a mix between older, remodeled properties and new construction. The existing construction in Garden Oaks tends to be the most attractive in this price point, as these home tend to be much larger than the existing construction in Oak Forest and the lots tend to be enormous. Lots in Garden Oaks can top well over 15,000 square feet and lots over 20,000 square feet are sometimes available as well. The homes tend to have spaces as large as 3500 sqft or more.
Although New Construction can be found in both neighborhoods between this price point, Oak Forest is going through an extraordinary amount of new development at this time. These new homes tend to have all of the size and amenities of quality luxury construction in great suburban communities. New Construction in Oak Forest tends to be constructed with more than 3000 sqft of space, and lots tend to be over 7000 sqft.
Braes Heights/Braeswood Place
Located just west of the Texas Medical Center, Braes Heights and Braeswood Place have become particularly popular with physicians and professionals from the hospitals in the Medical Center. It also very well positioned for people commuting to Greenway Plaza and the Uptown/Galleria area.
With some truly great public schools, such as Mark Twain Elementary and Longfellow Elementary, and some wonderful parks such as Karl Young Park and the recently renovated John P. McGovern Campus Park, this area has become one of the most sought after, kid-friendly family neighborhoods in town. There is also the long trails that traverse the Brays Bayou, which cuts through the neighborhood along Braeswood Blvd. There are also some really top flight private schools in the area, such as St. Vincent de Paul School, a K-8 Roman Catholic school, and St. Mark’s Episcopal School. The recently developed Weekly Family YMCA, which replaced the previous Southwest Branch YMCA in West University Place, is home to a gymnasium, an outdoor pool, an outdoor athletic fields, and a weight room. All of these amenities and resources provide a great suburban like atmosphere in the inner loop.
With respect to the housing options, there is a nice mix of both new and existing construction. The original neighborhood was developed in the 1950s and the existing homes are primarily one story, ranch-style construction. These Properties in the $500k to $750K range are typically in excess of 2000 sqft with at least 3 bedrooms. In this price range, the homes have typically undergone extensive updates and renovation. The area went through a modest building boom in the 90s. These homes are typically 2 story with spaces in excess of 3000 sqft. At this price point, these homes will typically only have modest updates (if any) from their existing construction.
Vincent Biondillo
Vincent is a Realtor serving Houston's "inner loop" with phenomenal home buying and home marketing services. Read what Vincent's clients have to say about his service at HAR.com. Connect with Vincent on Google+ or contact him at vincent@norhillrealty.com or on his mobile at 713-449-2416.
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