eightbitgirl

Westpark is awesome because it connects the far west suburbs and neighborhoods like Lakemont and Lakes of Bella Terra with Houston without the traffic nightmare of I-10 or 59. There are great restaurants and shopping experiences to be had, what with Westheimer connecting to the Tollway near West Oaks and 59 near the Galleria. Honestly, it's worth driving down this street (you have to have an EZ Tag though) just to see how short of a drive it is from Katy to downtown.

I'm pretty familiar with Rice and Rice Village, and this street is just like all the others in a mini-college town: quaint, quirky, kitschy, but part of the overall legend that is this area. There's always something to do; the Museum District, Reliant Stadium, Downtown, and the Med Center are nearby, not to mention the events happening on campus. There's a safe jogging trail nearby, and the university itself is the best in the state.

Reagan's one of the main thoroughfares throughout the wonderful Heights district of Houston. Aside from being a quiet artery, it provides easy access to all of the quaint shops littering the area yet also to busy downtown Houston. There is plenty of great food, great shopping, and unique atmosphere surrounding Reagan. The schools are HISD, but there are plenty of charter/magnet/private schools in the area. Being so close to downtown, there are a million places of worship in most every conceivable denomination.

Mason Road, from 290 down to Lakemont (just past Westpark Tollway) has always been a very clean, quiet part of suburban Houston. Some of the most celebrated areas suburbs in the city, such as Cinco Ranch and Nottingham, are along this street. The doctors are fantastic. The access to the city and all of its amenities are great due to proximity to freeways, and there are retail outlets at every corner. Katy Mills, West Oaks, and Willowbrook are the main malls served by Mason. The schools are in LCISD, Katy ISD, and Cy-Fair ISD - all fantastic school districs.

Cypresswood runs for what seems like forever, and every part of it that I've seen has a great ambiance to it. My dad lives on this street, and his neighbors are friendly, fun, and willing to do anything for him. There are restaurants up and down the street, from fast food to fine dining. The Mormon temple is off of this street in a beautifully landscaped area, and I'd recommend just driving past it for its architecture. This is one of the wealthier areas of northwest Houston, and it shows through when you drive past Raveneaux and all of the stunning homes built around it. It is quiet and safe, and just a fantastic drive when you want to see a green part of the city.

Honestly, the only thing on Saathoff are some horrific apartments called the Brandon Oaks. There are drug dealers galore, mice, bats, bugs, raccoons (we're close to the "country,") and the police never seem to do anything about it. The apartments are right behind a strip center on Jones Road, where there is a bar, a nail salon, and an Italian restaurant. There's constant noise twenty-four hours a day, and being off of a major road ensures that your ears will be assaulted by sirens at all hours as well. There's a grocery store within walking distance, and the schools are decent, plus there's a good park to walk and play soccer in closeby. Other than that, I would avoid this street like the plague.

I lived on this street for a very long time - it is my childhood home, and is on one of the quietest streets I have ever seen. After 8:00 pm, there is barely any noise at all. Neighbors are friendly and willing to help you with anything, as long as you ask. The schools are great, in the Cy-Fair district, and you're within about five miles of some great restaurants. There really isn't much traffic in the neighborhood, but Highway 6 is often a pain in the rear.

Living in Southdown on Ridge Park is a steal, because the neighborhood is so quiet and safe (as in, you can let your kids out to play without feeling guilty) and then go out for a fantastic dinner just across the highway. The schools are excellent, there are walkways and parks scattered throughout the neighborhood, and there is always something to do without having to drive all the way to downtown Houston to do it. I lived here for ten years, and not too much has changed. Neighbors are friendly for the most part, but as with most places there are some drama queens around. It's a far cry from living in Sharpstown, where I used to live.

The part of Sharpview that I lived on was right across Fondren from HBU, so it was in a slightly better part of Sharpstown than the Hillcroft side. We had easy access to Memorial Hermann (but that hospital is TERRIBLE,) downtown, and obviously HBU. The local schools are in HISD, so take that for what it's worth. There are always gunshots to be heard and police sirens going off, but rarely is there violence in the neighborhood proper - it's usually down Fondren or 59. Every once in a while, the occasional crime happens in the neighborhood, but such is life in the inner city.

The stretch of 1960 from 290 until I-45 is littered with apartment complexes, restaurants (both sit down and fast food,) malls, retail outlets, and a whole lot of traffic. It is loud and busy, with a few nightclubs peppering the side streets, and a crime rate that increases the further eastbound you go. The apartment complexes range from incredibly nice to incredibly ghetto, and the drivers are typical Houston impatient jerks.