Hello. Just wanted to add my two cents in the Inwood Forest discussion.
I have lived in IF for about three years. I moved to Houston from the east coast in '01 and lived in an apt near Riv Oaks for two years. Surprised that I chose to move to "a place like" Inwood from River Oaks? Well, I looked in places like Timbergrove Manor, Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, etc. Basically, I found too little "cookie-cutter" 1950's-style houses for too much money.
Then a coworker of mine (office near the Galleria) said I should take a look at the house up the street from him in IF. I'd never been out that far before as I had been looking closer to the loop. The house for sale was a 3/2/2, 2300sf with a pool on the golf course. Compared to what I had seen in the other neighborhoods, I was amazed. It seemed to be a great value to have all this space and be able to look out the "wall of windows" in the living room of a custom-built home (1978) and instead of seeing the ubiquitous 6' privacy fence that boxes in just about every back yard in Houston, to have the lovely pool, the green open spaces of the fairway and friendly, smiling golfers waving as they wiz by in thier golf carts.
The community association has an active Citizens on Patrol proram and publishes a monthly news letter with crime statisitcs from Inwood Forest and the surrounding areas. IF crime is always 10% or less of that on the outside of the community. I can't say that I've heard of any serious crime (such as break in's, carjackings, etc) from any of my neighbors. (I have had my lawn mower stolen from my open garage. A pretty low-level and common theft from my experience.)
My daily commute on Antione Drive does pain me. How I long for a Starbucks or a nice restaurant or gourmet shop to appear! I expect it will be a long time if/when that ever happens. However, those things do exist nearby; at the Antione Dr. exit off 290, right on my way to-from work every day, there are a number of decent shops including a new Starbucks and a Randalls.
It ain't perfect, that's for sure and Inwood Forest has seen better days. Yet it remains something of an oasis in the midst the unplanned and umnplesant sprawl one frequently finds in staunchly and forever un-zoned Houston. And that will probably inhibit, to some extent, any gentrification that may take place.
I have heard the neighborhood refered to lately as "Lavender Forest" owing to the number of gay/lesbian people moving to the community. As in the past here in Houston and seen in other cities, perhaps this will be the first wave of an upturn in the fate of Inwood. Gay people are frequently the "urban pioneers" moving into neighborhoods considered to be less desirable by the more "main-stream" home buyer.
Not sure if I will stay forever. I doubt if there has been much if any appreciation in my home's value and not sure if should expect anything more than a few percent per year at that for the near future.
There are some lovely homes in IF. There is a strong neighborhood association, a healthy mix of people, reasonable proximity to the rest of the city and for now anyway, its home.
Thanks.
P.S. Why not extend T.C. Jester Park north beyond where it currently ends (near Tidwell, I think) all the way up to Inwood? There is a lot of undeveloped land along T.C. Jester that could be incorporated into the rest of the White Oak bayou greenway with bike paths and trails that terminate at Inwood. (Ashame to see the remaining open space developed into additional strip malls, Dollar Stores or God forbid low-rent apartments!)
Inwood Forest Developments
in Other Houston Neighborhoods
Posted
Hello. Just wanted to add my two cents in the Inwood Forest discussion.
I have lived in IF for about three years. I moved to Houston from the east coast in '01 and lived in an apt near Riv Oaks for two years. Surprised that I chose to move to "a place like" Inwood from River Oaks? Well, I looked in places like Timbergrove Manor, Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, etc. Basically, I found too little "cookie-cutter" 1950's-style houses for too much money.
Then a coworker of mine (office near the Galleria) said I should take a look at the house up the street from him in IF. I'd never been out that far before as I had been looking closer to the loop. The house for sale was a 3/2/2, 2300sf with a pool on the golf course. Compared to what I had seen in the other neighborhoods, I was amazed. It seemed to be a great value to have all this space and be able to look out the "wall of windows" in the living room of a custom-built home (1978) and instead of seeing the ubiquitous 6' privacy fence that boxes in just about every back yard in Houston, to have the lovely pool, the green open spaces of the fairway and friendly, smiling golfers waving as they wiz by in thier golf carts.
The community association has an active Citizens on Patrol proram and publishes a monthly news letter with crime statisitcs from Inwood Forest and the surrounding areas. IF crime is always 10% or less of that on the outside of the community. I can't say that I've heard of any serious crime (such as break in's, carjackings, etc) from any of my neighbors. (I have had my lawn mower stolen from my open garage. A pretty low-level and common theft from my experience.)
My daily commute on Antione Drive does pain me. How I long for a Starbucks or a nice restaurant or gourmet shop to appear! I expect it will be a long time if/when that ever happens. However, those things do exist nearby; at the Antione Dr. exit off 290, right on my way to-from work every day, there are a number of decent shops including a new Starbucks and a Randalls.
It ain't perfect, that's for sure and Inwood Forest has seen better days. Yet it remains something of an oasis in the midst the unplanned and umnplesant sprawl one frequently finds in staunchly and forever un-zoned Houston. And that will probably inhibit, to some extent, any gentrification that may take place.
I have heard the neighborhood refered to lately as "Lavender Forest" owing to the number of gay/lesbian people moving to the community. As in the past here in Houston and seen in other cities, perhaps this will be the first wave of an upturn in the fate of Inwood. Gay people are frequently the "urban pioneers" moving into neighborhoods considered to be less desirable by the more "main-stream" home buyer.
Not sure if I will stay forever. I doubt if there has been much if any appreciation in my home's value and not sure if should expect anything more than a few percent per year at that for the near future.
There are some lovely homes in IF. There is a strong neighborhood association, a healthy mix of people, reasonable proximity to the rest of the city and for now anyway, its home.
Thanks.
P.S. Why not extend T.C. Jester Park north beyond where it currently ends (near Tidwell, I think) all the way up to Inwood? There is a lot of undeveloped land along T.C. Jester that could be incorporated into the rest of the White Oak bayou greenway with bike paths and trails that terminate at Inwood. (Ashame to see the remaining open space developed into additional strip malls, Dollar Stores or God forbid low-rent apartments!)