Larchmont Residential Subdivision

[Homebuyer]

Does anyone here have an opinion on the Larchmont subdivision in the Galleria area - it is bounded north-south by Richmond and US59 and east-west by South Rice and Chimney Rock. Prices there seem to be going up and there are some new houses in the area. We are looking to buy a house without a long commute and are considering this subdivision. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[VicMan]

School-wise, Larchmont will get a brand new elementary school.

St. George Place, which is under construction as of Feb 2006, will open to Briargrove ES students in the fall of 2006 while the new Briargrove ES is under construction. Students in the St. George Place zoning boundary (including Larchmont, Afton Oaks, and St. George Place) will enroll their kids in the Post Oak School until the new Briargrove campus is complete. Briargrove kids will move out of the SGP campus and the Post Oak School kids will move in.

Larchmont is zoned to Grady Middle School. Larchmont students have a choice of three high schools: Lamar, Lee, and Westside. Lamar and Westside have better reputations than Lee. Westside is far away, so I would reccommend Lamar.

(EDIT: St. George Place will actually open in 2007 - the campus opened in 2006 as Briargrove Elementary, which will move into its permanent campus in 2007)

Edited August 22, 2006 by VicMan

[jgs1419]

I have some friends (30/40 something couple with one two year old kid) who have lived in Larchmont for 15 years. It is a really nice subdivision with a good mix of older folks who have lived there a long(er) time and some new young couples. The bash/build craze is just starting.

The traffic noise off of 59 isn't as bad as you would think. Lots of great trees

[Homebuyer]

Thanks for the info. We were worried about the Richmond element - that section of Richmond is still being cleaned up I think. Did your friends experience any security related incidents during their stay there.

Also heard that the area has a tendency to flood (heard the city plans new sewers and roads in 2008).

The school will be a great bonus.

[VicMan]

By the way, here are a few links:

*http://www.houstonisd.org/HISDPortal/departments/ContentPage/0,3099,45555309_53732648_64872242,00.html - HISD Rebuild page on St. George Place

*http://www.stgeorgeplace.com/SGP_school_drawing.pdf - Rendering of the school

*http://www.stgeorgeplace.com/HISD__StGeorgesBrochureC.pdf - Brochure about the St. George Place ES

*http://www.stgeorgeplace.com/HISD__school_zoning_2007.pdf - Zoning map for St. George Place ES

*http://www.stgeorgeplace.com/HISD__flyer_for_communities.doc - St. George Place Flyer

* http://ms.houstonisd.org/gradyms <- Grady Middle School Website

*http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Grady_ms.pdf - Grady Middle School Profile

* http://hs.houstonisd.org/lamarhs <- Lamar High School Website

*http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Lamar_hs.pdf - Lamar High School Profile

* http://hs.houstonisd.org/leehs <- Lee High School Website

*http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Lee_hs.pdf - Lee High School Profile

* http://hs.houstonisd.org/westsidehs <- Westside High School Website

*http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Westside_hs.pdf - Westside High School Profile

Grady Middle School was originally an elementary school. It was closed due to a lack of enrollment. It was later re-opened as a neighborhood middle school for Uptown families.

Again, I reccommend Lamar out of the three high schools due to closeness AND good academic performance. Lamar has neighborhood, business magnet, and international baccalaureate programs. Lamar is located next door to River Oaks and is surrounded by Houston's premier shops and restaurants.

Westside would be a good second choice. Westside has regular, advance placement, and integrated technology programs. It is way out past Beltway 8. It was built in 2000.

I do not reccomend Lee. Lee doesn't have a football program and I heard the school is gang infested (remember, you can send your kid to Lamar or Westside instead!)

While they are your neighborhood schools, they are not the only schools available. Houston ISD has many transfer programs and options available for students within Houston ISD boundaries.

Edited February 28, 2006 by VicMan

[lwood]

Does anyone here have an opinion on the Larchmont subdivision in the Galleria area - it is bounded north-south by Richmond and US59 and east-west by South Rice and Chimney Rock. Prices there seem to be going up and there are some new houses in the area. We are looking to buy a house without a long commute and are considering this subdivision. Any feedback would be appreciated.

The condominium tower 3525 Sage immediately east of Larchmont had it's lobby flood during Allison.

[Homebuyer]

I heard the community flooded during Allison - part of the reason why the homes now are so much nicer than they used to be. They were remodeled as part of the repair work after Allison.

Thanks for your feedback and the information on flooding and the schools. This is very helpful.

[Willowisp]

Before we bought our house (just South of Meyerland in Willowbend) we lived in Chateaux Dijon off of Richmond for 5 years. We loved the convenience and the low cost of living at that particular complex and we tolerated the crime in the area the best we could. We lived in a one bedroom apt. for 5 years. That must say something about how much we loved the Galleria area. But, our car stereo was stolen out of the parking lot and you may remember the guy who got shot in the face in that complex a few years back. It's just something you live with in the city. We walk tall and quick and with confidence. I know a friend at work who lived in Larchmont with kids until one night they were broken into and had to call the police and they decided right then and there to move to Sugar Land. I think that kind of thing can happen almost anywhere nowdays though. It's probably followed them out to where they live now. We worry about our living situation here too. There's no escape. We have alarms and do what we can.

Sorry, I don't guess I solved anything with this post! Just don't put your whole choice of where you live based on crime.

I do remember flooding of cars during Allison, but ours weren't flooded and we lived on the 2nd floor. Still, I think it slopes down from Richmond to the 59.

As for noise, there's a huge soundwall, but there's kind of a faint roar over the 2 or 3 streets of subdivision closest to 59. I don't know how it is inside the houses though.

We are dealing with our own noise issues, so I'm sensitive to that issue...

Jason

[jgs1419]

My friends live on Judalon between Chimney Rock and Barryknoll and their house didn't flood during Allison. Getting into the neighborhood was out of the question but not all the houses flooded.

In the early nineties, we had five or six friends that bought houses in Larchmont, many still live there. I think it is a nice neighborhood; I don't know that crime is any more or less of an issue in any quasi-urban neighborhood, including The Heights (where I live).

[mrfootball]

We considered Larchmont when buying our first home.

It's pretty much considered a starter neighborhood for young families that eventually move on to Tanglewood or West U.

The homes are small, but many are redone nicely. The freeway noise is awful. Constant noise...and you will be breathing in the constant stink of 59, so consider that...though all of the air in Houston is pretty bad. It is closer to the no-go zone (ie. Sharpstown).

With that said, its close to everything. Prices aren't bad...and its got trees.

[VicMan]

We considered Larchmont when buying our first home.

It's pretty much considered a starter neighborhood for young families that eventually move on to Tanglewood or West U.

The homes are small, but many are redone nicely. The freeway noise is awful. Constant noise...and you will be breathing in the constant stink of 59, so consider that...though all of the air in Houston is pretty bad. It is closer to the no-go zone (ie. Sharpstown).

With that said, its close to everything. Prices aren't bad...and its got trees.

This would work out conveniently if you decide to start in Larchmont and later move to Tanglewood or Briargrove. Briargrove, Tanglewood. and Larchmont are all zoned to Grady Middle and Lamar/Lee/Westside. Also West U is zoned to Lamar High.

Edited March 3, 2006 by VicMan

[Homebuyer]

We were told that the crime has reduced in Larchmont once they put up the wall on the Chimney Rock side. It does look like a nice starter home neighborhood - the prices have been rising though - homes sold this year are in the $300Ks! Is this value for money? Also, drove by yesterday and saw 3 or 4 new two storied houses ($600-700K) so that is probably a good thing?

The freeway noise is pretty loud - couldnt hear it inside the houses we went to see.

[mrfootball]

Larchmont is a good place to start for inner loop living, but for a nice $200-$300,000 starter I'd start my home over in Briargrove Park. Which isn't as close-in as Larchmont, but is a nicer neighborhood. It has excellent access to the Beltway and Westpark tollroad situated right off Westheimer and Beltway 8 in the Westchase area.

Edited March 5, 2006 by mrfootball

[VicMan]

Larchmont is a good place to start for inner loop living, but for a nice $200-$300,000 starter I'd start my home over in Briargrove Park. Which isn't as close-in as Larchmont, but is a nicer neighborhood. It has excellent access to the Beltway and Westpark tollroad situated right off Westheimer and Beltway 8 in the Westchase area.

Briargrove Park is zoned to Walnut Bend Elementary School, Revere Middle School (with West Briar Middle School as an option), and Westside High School.

Walnut Bend is also getting a brand new campus. West Briar was built in 2002. Westside was built in 2000. I don't think Revere is so hot, so I would choose West Briar.

Websites:

* http://www.walnutbendeagles.com/ <- Walnut Bend Elementary School

* http://www.reverems.org/ <- Paul Revere Middle School

* http://www.westbriar.org <- West Briar Middle School

* http://hs.houstonisd.org/westsidehs/ <- Westside High School

* http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/WalnutBend_ES.pdf <- Walnut Bend's profile

* http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Revere_MS.pdf <- Revere's profile

* http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Westbriar_MS.pdf <- West Briar's profile

* http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/Westside_HS.pdf <- Westside's profile

Edited March 5, 2006 by VicMan

[Homebuyer]

Briargrove is a good neighborhood but the access defeats the purpose of being close in. The Westpark tollway is completely jammed during both the morning and evening rush hours and the Beltway would only get us to either I-10 or US59 on either end to get into downtown and the Galleria. We considered a couple of communities just outside the Beltway and decided against them because of the commute to get into town on either of those freeways.

[jupitercrisis]

I lived in Larchmont for a while during the summer and the roommate I had lived there most of her life. I had a bicycle and rode to work at westpark and buffalo. I think it would be a good starter area, and that roommate graduated Lee. Said it didn't used to be so bad.

[icepickphil]

I graduated from Lee (then Robert E. Lee) in '75 and you're roommate was right-- it wasn't so bad then (though ask an oldtimer about the fall of '74 student drug riots with the HPD). Apparently it's a rough school now though. A large part of the students come from the Gulfton apartments.

Lamar seems like the obvious choice if you're considering the high school options. Pilgrim Elementary will be moving further west right VicMan?

I lived in Larchmont for a while during the summer and the roommate I had lived there most of her life. I had a bicycle and rode to work at westpark and buffalo. I think it would be a good starter area, and that roommate graduated Lee. Said it didn't used to be so bad.

[VicMan]

I graduated from Lee (then Robert E. Lee) in '75 and you're roommate was right-- it wasn't so bad then (though ask an oldtimer about the fall of '74 student drug riots with the HPD). Apparently it's a rough school now though. A large part of the students come from the Gulfton apartments.

Lamar seems like the obvious choice if you're considering the high school options. Pilgrim Elementary will be moving further west right VicMan?

Yes, Pilgrim Elementary is moving west.

Old address: 3315 Barrington Rd

New address: 6300 Skyline

Edited March 11, 2006 by VicMan

[plumber2]

School-wise, Larchmont will get a brand new elementary school.

St. George Place, which is under construction as of Feb 2006, will open to Briargrove ES students in the fall of 2006 while the new Briargrove ES is under construction. Students in the St. George Place zoning boundary (including Larchmont, Afton Oaks, and St. George Place) will enroll their kids in the Post Oak School until the new Briargrove campus is complete. Briargrove kids will move out of the SGP campus and the Post Oak School kids will move in.

Larchmont is zoned to Grady Middle School. Larchmont students have a choice of three high schools: Lamar, Lee, and Westside. Lamar and Westside have better reputations than Lee. Westside is far away, so I would reccommend Lamar.

(EDIT: St. George Place will actually open in 2007 - the campus opened in 2006 as Briargrove Elementary, which will move into its permanent campus in 2007)

What happened to Pilgrim ES? I went there for a short time.

[VicMan]

What happened to Pilgrim ES? I went there for a short time.

The school is moving west to serve the cluster of apartment complexes that have filled the school with its students for several years. Some apartments that used to be zoned to Briargrove are being rezoned to Pilgrim.