WVK

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC07757.jpg One bedroom one bath apartment with 2 car garage for $525.00 month (includes water & gas). New carpeting and fresh paint. No pets or smoking. Private, fully fenced. 713-641-6413

The Five Most Underrated Neighborhoods Everyone knows THE places to be in Houston. It's just a question of which one fits your taste (and wallet). River Oaks, the Heights, Montrose, Bellaire -- everyone knows those places. But Houston is so vast, so unpredictable, that little bubbles of terrific neighborhoods pop up in the weirdest places. Here are five of the most underrated neighborhoods in Houston, not ranked, just listed: 1.<a href="http://idylwood.org/photo-gallery/">Idylwood Inside the loop, but southeast of downtown instead of the more fashionable west, Idylwood was developed in the 1930s and, like most of these underrated places, watched helplessly as development trended elsewhere. Left behind were affordable classic homes, winding lanes covered by perfect trees, with parks and open space that takes advantage of Brays Bayou and the Villa de Matel convent, pictured above. 2. Oak Forest Even though its homeowners association's webpage is as intimidating as you'd want -- full of bossy announcements about parking and permits -- Oak Forest itself is a less prominent little sister to Garden Oaks, which used to be an underrated neighborhood but now is on everyone's radar. Oak Forest offers everything Garden Oaks does, more or less, but at cheaper prices. On the northwest side of town, it's outside the Loop but if traffic disaster strikes on the mainlanes there are plenty of alternative ways to get home. 3. Garden Villas Let's get the bad news out of the way upfront -- you're near Hobby Airport. Planes will be a part of your life. But so will great old houses from the `30s and `40s, lots of pecan trees, and reasonable prices. You get used to the planes, we're told. 4. Robindell Hey, the guys at Swamplot voted it the city's most underappreciated neighborhood, so who are we to argue? Robindell is a small neighborhood on the borders of Bellaire and Meyerland. It's got the trees those areas have, but instead of McMansions it's been able to keep its older homes from being uprooted. Like many of these neighborhoods, you don't have to travel far to find trouble, but it's worth the occasional siren going by in the night. 5. Glenbrook Valley Hey, the guys at Houston Press (that's us!!) named it the city's "Best Hidden Neighborhood," so who are we to argue? (It'd be a little schizophrenic, really.) Our description from last year: "it reminds us of a much more stylish Sharpstown, with houses that would do a Mad Men character proud set on lots practically the size of small farms." The neighborhood's webpage embraces the `60s feeling, and residents there have been resolute in preserving the history of the place.

Newly renovated Garden Villas website: http://www.gardenvillas.org/outside_home.asp

Back in 80 I was humping up and down utility poles for GTE in League City. by 9am my leather belt was sweat soaked. There was a fellow on the crew how had just moved from upper "snow belt" New York state. Talk about suffering! WVK

And this morning: http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06917.jpg WVK

From Garden Villas! Different houses on 3/4 acre lots of the type in this discussion: McMansion currently under construction: http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06843.jpg Modest bungalow build a few years ago: http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06840.jpg Old Shotgun under renovation: http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06841.jpg

I had 1/4" thick glass pane made the size of the entire window, installed weather striping tape around the inside edge finished with the black wood frame (30s Garden Villas house) WVK

Speaking of yards, this visited ours this morning: Front: http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/W...nt=DSC06816.jpg Back: http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/W...nt=DSC06817.jpg wvk

Here's one: http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

We are relative newcomers to Garden Villas - 22 years. I believe that the reason for so many long time residents is the sense of privacy and "room to breath" that a 3/4 acre lot with an abundance of mature trees and shrubbery provide. The pecan lined streets are "tunnels of shade", temperatures inside the neighborhood are several degrees cooler than the surrounding areas. Garden Villas is ideal for all outdoor activities such as jogging, biking, gardening. Note yard: http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y The value is in the land. which, at this moment , is rather cheap. WVK

http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/W...nt=DSC06805.jpg

There is a bunch of rehab work currently going on in GV.

I would appreciate a fencing contractor recommendation. (time to tighten up security) WVK

Highly recommended: Loma Foundation Repair 6721 Dillon St, Houston, TX 77061-3821, United States (Map) Phone: (713) 645-6401

No mention of Garden Villa History of Garden Villas: http://www.gardenvillas.org/GVdocs/historymain.htm WVK

http://www.vhnd.com/articles/080125-01.shtml

New management district aims to forge 'real identity' for Hobby area "If the newly created Hobby Area Management District joins forces with civic organizations like the Rotary Club of Gulfway-Hobby Airport and the Greater Hobby Area Chamber of Commerce, the area stands to gain not only capital improvements, but a sense of community, a district board member said at the Wednesday, Oct. 3, chamber luncheon." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/eas...ws/5186242.html WVK

While I would also be hesitant to live directly underneath the flightpath I would bet that whoever lives there now dosen't notice. This adjustment is quite remarkable, after a few weeks living here the preception of the sound simply gets filtered out. I have yet to find an exception to this. WVK

Plane noise seems to be an issue only for those who don't live in the the neighborhood. I don't recall it being raised at civic assoc meetings in the 20 years that we have lived here. Hobby does not (and has no plans) to fly in freight, a 24/7proposition. It is a commuter airport so the traffic pattern there is roughly the same as road traffic, heaviest in the morning and afternoon. It is light at night, during the day and weekends. 95% of the time the planes are landing when they fly over therefore only fractionally as loud compared to takeoff. Also the traffic tends to be erratically spaced unlike a annoying dripping faucet. I believe this is why the noise has been a non-issue even for those who live right under the flightpath. The flight path runs about 3 lots west of and roughly along Prentiss. If you stay about 5 house lots distance from this path in either direction you should have no problems with noise. If anyone has any questions about Garden villas I will try to help. WVK

"IN 1926, a River Oaks developer platted the Garden Villas community north of Hobby Airport on the banks of Sims Bayou and planted 6,000 pecan trees that today form a shade-giving canopy over the 876-acre neighborhood's neat streets, churches, schools and homes on large lots. Those are among the amenities the Garden Villas Civic Association is promoting as part of its revitalization plan prepared by the organization's Vision Committee. The plan, which outlines the neighborhood's vision, mission and goals, was unveiled Sept. 11 by Susan Hernandez Lee, committee chairwoman, at Garden Villas United Methodist Church, 7155 Ashburn St., before about 150 local residents." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/eas...ws/5152347.html WVK

I enjoy it a lot since I work from home. The privacy afforded by 3/4 acres (and your neighbors having 3/4 acres) is true luxury. I met the rear neighbor (who was working on his gas line located in the easment) a couple months ago for the first time in 20 years! Once experienced there is no going back to a track house on a dinky lot. WVK

Last year the average for june/july/august/2006 was aprox $35.00 per month, this year I had it on once. Since I work from home I micro manage the usage. I believe the majority are Papershell.

Thanks, there is a 9 zone sprinkler system fed from a seperate "sprinkler" meter. The original house was 2br, 1 bath built in the 30s. In 1958 a master BR, 2nd bath and a room that now serves as a home office was added. The entire house was reroofed and rebricked for uniformity. All of it pier & beam construction. (Unlike many that are a mixture of slab & pier & beam) The garages and mother- in- law house were also added in 1958. Yes that is a pecan tree in the drive and has always been the most productive of the 7 trees. Go figure. WVK

A few views of our house backyard of opposite position: http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06032.jpg "mother-in-law house" http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06033.jpg http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06034.jpg http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06037.jpg http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd244/WEVK/DSC06035.jpg It has been a labor of love (and a buttload of$!) WVK

Most folks like it here and stay forever. After 20 years we are considered newcomers. We are seperated from Bellford by Sims Bayou, there are no entrances into the neighborhood from Mykawa. Telephone road is improving, a new middle school school there cleaned out a LOT of trash. Interestingly the recent new houses built or currently being built are in the 4-5000 sq ft range WVK