Larchmont Residential Subdivision

[nkob44]

New to the forum - great discussions here that definately bring this transplant more up to speed on Houston neighborhoods. Have lived here for 10 yrs (first inner loop as a single then to "near Katy surburbia" after married) and still don't know all the neighborhoods! We've decided to move back either near or inner loop - not a condo or apt but want a single-fam house for no more than low 300s. Have yet to read anything here about the Larchmont neighborhood near the Galleria.

This has been suggested to us but know nothing about it except the favorable location (in terms of commute for us). I'm wondering about the crime level though??? Please advise -- thanks!

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[nkob44]

I'm somewhat new to Houston myself, and have never heard of Larchmont. Tell me what you already know.

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Not much other than it's an older neighborhood located near the Galleria (off Richmond I think?) with ranch-style homes in our price range... cannot afford W. Univ/Bellaire or probably even Braeswood at this point but want to live closer in. Hopefully some of the knowledgeable real estate members here can provide more input. BTW: I'm not in real estate nor development. Just an average home owner who is tired of the Katy Freeway commute and misses living closer in. Trying to decide where to move to shorten our commute and get closer to all the ameneties we like inside the loop.

Another "older" neighborhood we like is Memorial Bend (near Town & Country around Memorial) but that would be a longer commute into town. Shorter than we have now but still somewhat dependent upon the Katy. The cool thing about Memorial Bend is that alot of the homes were designed by some of those famous '50s Houston architects, having things like butterfly roofs, etc.. Some of the houses in there are run down a bit, others are well kept. A few have been "remodeled" so they no longer resemble the original architecture - awful! The good thing is that the schools are in Spring Branch. Depending on the location inside the loop, we might have to consider sending our child to private school which adds to our expenses of relocating...

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[Astro]

I think Larchmont is the neighborhood bounded by Chimney Rock, Richmond, S. Rice and US 59. It seems like a pretty nice neighborhood. It is pretty well separated from the outside world since all the entrances off of Chimney Rock have been closed off and there is only one entrance off Richmond. There is a huge sound wall along the U.S. 59 border and they are actually planning to continue the wall along the Chimney Rock side as well. On the other side of Chimney Rock is an area of lower income apartments, industrial buildings and "adult entertainment" establishments, so that is probably a big reason why the wall is being built on that side.

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[Astro]

If you're looking for 50's & 60's mod, checkout Tanglewilde. It's not in the greatest shape as a neighborhood - but it has quite a few mods.

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Yes, or else a little closer in is Briar Meadow (bounded by Hillcroft, Westheimer, Dunvale and Westpark). There are a few good mods there as well.

Hmmm.. the school issue would put them going to Robert E. Lee I think. It doesn't look like it would be a nice school from the outside, but then again, how can you really judge a schoool by its chain link fence?

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That's what I was thinking that it would put them at Lee High School. I dont know anything about teh school but it is in sort of a rough looking area. That whole area bounded by Hillcroft, Westheimer, Chimney Rock, and Westpark isn't too wonderful but I think maybe it's been slowly improving over the past 10 years or so??

[Astro]

Property values will surely continue to rise in Larchmont since a lot of very expensive homes are being built on the North side of Richmond from it.

[nkob44]

Yes, or else a little closer in is Briar Meadow (bounded by Hillcroft, Westheimer, Dunvale and Westpark).  There are a few good mods there as well.

That's what I was thinking that it would put them at Lee High School. I dont know anything about teh school but it is in sort of a rough looking area.  That whole area bounded by Hillcroft, Westheimer, Chimney Rock, and Westpark isn't too wonderful but I think maybe it's been slowly improving over the past 10 years or so??

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Ok - now I know where y'all are talking about too. No - Hillcroft/Westheimer/CR/Westpark is not desirable for us. Nor is Fondren (Westbury, et. al.) I'd rather pay the premium for closer in than that, like Braeswood, and get the better/best HISD schools inside loop.

But it sounds like Larchmont is closer in and not "run down" - the thing that bothered me was being "off Richmond" but if it is that close in, that puts it around Sage/Post Oak it sounds like. Not too bad from a commuting and shopping standpoint but again, not sure about the schools there. Probably would do private as several good ones are not that far.

Houston is so interesting - you can drive along streets like Richmond and things look nice, then all of a sudden, you know you're in a run down area. Like when you're on Richmond and you pass Gessner (Tanglewilde there I think?). Not good to me past that point for a while...

I also have to remember that the Westpark Tollway is now open and that probably would be a better commute than the Katy Frwy to get inside the loop...

Anyway, thanks for the info!

[nkob44]

Property values will surely continue to rise in Larchmont since a lot of very expensive homes are being built on the North side of Richmond from it.

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Hmmm... I'm sure you're right about that given the location. Something to consider. Thanks --

[Astro]

No problem!

One important thing you may want to look into is that I think Larchmont maybe has had some problems with flooding in the past??

I think that Tanglewilde and Briarmeadow aren't so bad except for the area right along Richmond. You should be able to find something pretty nice in the northern sections of those neighborhoods closer to Westheimer. But then again I'm not too sure about the schools.

I'd also agree with Glen above that Westbury or Maplewood might be worth looking into. That's a very nice area... (well, parts of Westbury are nicer than others) It's close to Bellaire and Meyerland.

[nkob44]

No problem!

One important thing you may want to look into is that I think Larchmont maybe has had some problems with flooding in the past??

I think that Tanglewilde and Briarmeadow aren't so bad except for the area right along Richmond.  You should be able to find something pretty nice in the northern sections of those neighborhoods closer to Westheimer.  But then again I'm not too sure about the schools.

I'd also agree with Glen above that Westbury or Maplewood might be worth looking into.  That's a very nice area... (well, parts of Westbury are nicer than others)  It's close to Bellaire and Meyerland.

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Thanks Astro! We'll keep it all in mind. Meyerland is a little further south than we were thinking about - and you're right about the flooding issues. I know that Braeswood is well-known for it's flooding too. In the end, you just gotta "pick" somewhere... So much of Houston is "one big flood plain..." isn't it? All in all, I think it's an attractive place to live, and so affordable compared to other parts of the country. One of the reasons I decided to move here back in the mid-90's. Many good things have come into place since I got here - many improvements to downtown and other areas as far as I can tell. We'll be here for the long haul as my spouse is a native. Can't see him moving to either Dallas or Austin, that's for sure!

[kzseattle]

Houston is so interesting - you can drive along streets like Richmond and things look nice, then all of a sudden, you know you're in a run down area.

[Astro]

nkob44, I know what you mean how you just need to "pick" somewhere. Good luck in your search

kzseattle... Yep I agree with you... much of the time it's the strip centers on the major thoroughfares that gives you the impression you're driving through a bad neighborhood, when the resdiential areas off of the thoroughfare are often quite nice.

[kzseattle]

kzseattle... Yep I agree with you... much of the time it's the strip centers on the major thoroughfares that gives you the impression you're driving through a bad neighborhood, when the resdiential areas off of the thoroughfare are often quite nice.

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And I guess thats what often give careless visitors and newcomers a rather negative first impression of certain neighborhoods, and perhaps Houston as a whole. From what I have seen so far, Memorial Drive and Briar Forest/San Felipe are the only roads that stay nice pretty much their entire lengths between Highway 6 and Downtown, primarily because they are mostly residential and I hope they stay that way.

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[nkob44]

For the low 300's I have to recommend Briargrove. They start around 300k, but you'll get a prime public education. That neighborhood also dumps out onto Westheimer just west fountainview, so you'll be on target for staying close to the uptown area.

The elementary school is Briargrove elementary, which is verrry nice for HISD. I went by there to visit a friend and as I stepped into the main hallway, it  was like walking through a time machine to my childhood. It really felt like a traditional, well ran, and well kept school.

You'll have Grady for the middle which only serves the Uptown/Woodway/Tanglewood/Briargrove/Larchmont area from I-10 down US59 and I-610 to around where the Villages start. All good areas, and no slums, so I would think the bad element would be lower than average there.

As for the high school, no matter where you live uptown, you're slated for Robert E. Lee. All the kids from Gulton, Harwin, & Tanglewilde go there as stated above, so I'm sure it's quite a mix. I would recommend private school for high school if in HISD and NOT going to Westside, Lamar, Bellaire, Waltrip, Westbury, and maybe Lee (I've never been told anything good or bad about this one). This is simply based on the neighborhood makeup and what people have told me that went various schools in Houston.

I would use these maps: HISD Maps

And overlay them on this map: Super Neighborhoods Map (You can click on each neighborhood to learn more about it.)

Again, good luck with the move back into town.

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Sounds good and thanks for the links!

[rps324]

Larchmont only has a couple of houses for sale right now. Both in the low 200's. With that location it should always do pretty well, especially with all the new development to the North, and now new townhomes spilling west of Chimney Rock.

The potential downside is most of the homes are smaller. Many less than 1500 square feet. Unless you are willing to and/or wanting downsizing it can be a tough fit for someone coming out of a larger suburban house.

I was showing in Briarmeadow a week ago and showed a really nice modern in decent shape with a pool, 4 bedrooms & I believe it was $244k. Around 2500 sf or so. That neighborhood is nice but I am not sure about schools.

One advice I would give for anyone looking closer in. Don't get too hung up on the junky strip centers, etc that fill neighboring main streets. When you get back into the older sections of the city, (inner-loop, Montrose, Heights, Galleria, etc), some unattractive junk nearby can easily come with the territory in our unzoned city, although there are a few exceptions mentioned previously. It can take an adjustment coming from newer suburban environments, especially if you are living in a master planned development. But being too picky about it can limit your options on places that you might find very satisfying to live in, and a good investment as well.

Areas can & do change, and you want to look at what direction the area is going in when taking account of the surrounding territory & any negatives involved. Back in the mid 90's when I was a leasing agent at some apartments at Washington & Westcott, the biggest objection I ran across was "what about that bad neighborhood behind you?" (referencing to Rice-Military). I wonder how many of those people looking to pay $400 a month rent back then now wish they had put that money towards purchasing in that "bad" neighborhood when they could! It is a mistake I see repeated over and over again as people look only at the here and now & not the trend of the overall area.

[KinkaidAlum]

I don't think Larchmont is zoned to Briargrove. I am fairly certain it is zoned to Pilgrim Elementary. It is zoned to Grady Middle and Lee High.

However, the wealthier westsiders have pressured the city into allow "special consideration" options to opt out of Lee. Lee has gone downhill BIG TIME. My older siblings are Lee grads but by the late 80s, the school was rough. It's not a typical school anymore as evidenced by the fact that football was dropped due to the changing demographics. Most of the Tanglewood/Brairgrove kids go to Lamar now if they remain in public education.

The options are to send your kids to either Lamar or Westside. Westside is new and I know nothing about it. However, Lamar is a good school. 75% of the graduates head off to college (66% to 4 year schools). The average SAT score is 1055. The national average is 1020, Texas 991, and HISD 937. This past year, there were 53 National Merit Scholars. Lamar also offers a college prep curriculum and is HISD's only Business Magnet school. The Lamar College night draws schools like Rice, Bryn Mawr, NYU, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Davidson, Vanderbilt, the service academies, Colgate, Emory, Northwestern, etc...

[debmartin]

hisd is broken up by area districts i.e. southwest, west etc. the west district fares a little better on the decent scale and another thing most parents do not take into consideration, the area ofice which is on tanglewilde just off westheimer is very responsive to all issues. pilgrim and piney point are both disasters, although both my kids went to briargrove in the early 90's and it was fine.

the best kept secrets in the west district are the school at post oak, which is moving out of the post oak ymca and the briarmeadow charter school. my younger son attended both of these schools and they are both quite parent driven. in some cases this could be construed as a minus but in this case both schools were facilitated by parents who were creative and innovative. the charter school loses points for location (they built on to and rennovated the old hisd tech center on dunlavy off richmond/before westpark) but makes up for it with full length paintable art walls and casio keyboard labs, as well as a tv/weather station. its kind of like children's museum meets school, but it does fill up and keep a wait list.

school at post oak will be located behind the galleria where hisd has been keeping some prime real estate and were supposed to build a middle school for the past 10 years. it is only k-5th but maybe that will change. the school has a real international flair and the principal drue mcclure knows every child by name.

forget middle and high school in hisd, period, unless you happen to build a mcmansion next door to bellaire high school which is the only way your child will get in the front door there. even if your child has chosen a magnet field of study or gets accepted into the health careers program they should hire a bodyguard or wear a bullet proof vest. some of my friends tell me grady is getting ghetto, and revere is still like a 70's prison movie. westbriar middle and westside high were built for the wealthy kids across the beltway but since these neighborhoods are going down so are the schools. westside does have a water polo team and compared to lee, well there is no comparison. lee is scheduled to become a charter for illegal immigrant students up to age 21. my son plays hockey with a few emo kids who go to lamar and play chess and do oddysy of the mind, mensa type stuff. for personal reasons i took my son out of public school and he attends a local private academy.

hisd has an open door policy which means kids can go anywhere in the district, as long as there is an opening and they get their own transportation. they also have virtual school which my older son signed up for which is kinda cool for kids on the go and they log on and do the work online. kids from all over the us are on virtual school as well as a few from other countries. its not cheap but less than some private schools.

deb martin

[nkob44]

hisd is broken up by area districts i.e. southwest, west etc.  the west district fares a little better on the decent scale and another thing most parents do not take into consideration, the area ofice which is on tanglewilde just off westheimer is very responsive to all issues.  pilgrim and piney point are both disasters, although both my kids went to briargrove in the early 90's and it was fine.

the best kept secrets in the west district are the school at post oak, which is moving out of the post oak ymca and the briarmeadow charter school.  my younger son attended both of these schools and they are both quite parent driven.  in some cases this could be construed as a minus but in this case both schools were facilitated by parents who were creative and innovative.  the charter school loses points for location (they built on to and rennovated the old hisd tech center on dunlavy off richmond/before westpark) but makes up for it with full length paintable art walls and casio keyboard labs, as well as a tv/weather station.  its kind of like children's museum meets school, but it does fill up and keep a wait list.

school at post oak will be located behind the galleria where hisd has been keeping some prime real estate and were supposed to build a middle school for the past 10 years.  it is only k-5th but maybe that will change.  the school has a real international flair and the principal drue mcclure knows every child by name.

forget middle and high school in hisd, period, unless you happen to build a mcmansion next door to bellaire high school which is the only way your child will get in the front door there.  even if your child has chosen a magnet field of study or gets accepted into the health careers program they should hire a bodyguard or wear a bullet proof vest.  some of my friends tell me grady is getting ghetto, and revere is still like a 70's prison movie.  westbriar middle and westside high were built for the wealthy kids across the beltway but since these neighborhoods are going down so are the schools.  westside does have a water polo team and compared to lee, well there is no comparison.  lee is scheduled to become a charter for illegal immigrant students up to age 21.  my son plays hockey with a few emo kids who go to lamar and play chess and do oddysy of the mind, mensa type stuff.  for personal reasons i took my son out of public school and he attends a local private academy.

hisd has an open door policy which means kids can go anywhere in the district, as long as there is an opening and they get their own transportation.  they also have virtual school which my older son signed up for which is kinda cool for kids on the go and they log on and do the work online.  kids from all over the us are on virtual school as well as a few from other countries.  its not cheap but less than some private schools.

deb martin

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Interesting... probably why my doctor is building one of those McMansions in Bellaire now! Thanks for the info --

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[KinkaidAlum]

As 27 said, Bellaire isn't the only decent school available for HISD kids.

In fact, the nation's top 783 out of 14,000 total were ranked according to graduation rates, AP scores, and the likelihood of going on to a 4 year college. Here's how Houston area schools fared...

80. Bellaire (HISD)

243. Memorial (Houston kids who live in 77024 go here)

260. DeBakey for Health Professions (HISD)

356. Katy Taylor

357. Clear Lake

373. Sugar Land Clements

481. Stratford

604. Lamar (HISD)

624. The Woodlands

681. Cypress Creek

[nkob44]

As 27 said, Bellaire isn't the only decent school available for HISD kids.

In fact, the nation's top 783 out of 14,000 total were ranked according to graduation rates, AP scores, and the likelihood of going on to a 4 year college. Here's how Houston area schools fared...

80. Bellaire (HISD)

243. Memorial (Houston kids who live in 77024 go here)

260. DeBakey for Health Professions (HISD)

356. Katy Taylor

357. Clear Lake

373. Sugar Land Clements

481. Stratford

604. Lamar (HISD)

624. The Woodlands

681. Cypress Creek

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Yes, Memorial is in Spring Branch, and one big reason why we are considering this area. Stratford is now under a total remodeling and closed I believe - the kids are moved into the other schools and it's disruptive but ours wouldn't go to Memorial for a while yet. T&C is still not as close in as we would love to be BUT with children you go with the schools, don't you?

[nkob44]

"Westside wasn't built for the "wealthy kids", it was built for all the residents in that area. Coincidentally, they are the children of successful parents. No matter, if this were ghetto, a school still would have been built."

I have to agree with you on this - the area is just well-to-do and needed some schools. Building here is on the upswing. Some of the homes nearby we could afford but it isn't as close in as we'd like to be. And I wouldn't call Lakes of Parkway a "ghetto..." Million dollar plus homes - even the "Villas" will cost you a minimum of 500K to build. Neighborhood off Briar Forest next door to Westside.

[kjb434]

Ever though about building/buying a home in the northwest corner of the Loop 610. In this area east of TC Jester and around Ella, many homes are being built that have a Victorian look and are in the low 300's.

I'm actually finishing a patio home in the Cottage Grove area (just northwest of the intersection of TC Jester and I-10). My home is a three bedroom two bath that is $180k. There are several larger ones in the lower 200s that are being build. This would put you in clost proximity to downtown and uptown.

[Guest danax]

I've never seen a "70's prison movie". What are they like?

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You never saw "Escape from Alcatraz' with Clint Eastwood? Guy comes up to Clint in the shower and....naw, she's exagerating.

[nkob44]

Ever though about building/buying a home in the northwest corner of the Loop 610.  In this area east of TC Jester and around Ella, many homes are being built that have a Victorian look and are in the low 300's.

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You mean Shady Acres? Could also consider Garden Oaks just outside the loop... I worked with somebody who bought a home there years ago and now it's worth alot (the lot is huge!).

[kzseattle]

You mean Shady Acres?  Could also consider Garden Oaks just outside the loop...  I worked with somebody who bought a home there years ago and now it's worth alot (the lot is huge!).

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What about Spring Branch area, closer to Spring Valley? I dont know much about the area except that it isnt too far from inner loop and someone mentioned that it is an up and coming area so could be worth more in the future.

[nkob44]

Larchmont only has a couple of houses for sale right now.