hlraphael

I am looking for a preschool program in the West Houston area for my 3 year old. We are moving from Calgary in a month. I would appreciate any input. It could be a mothers day out, 2,3, or 5 day program. We aren't to picky on the price, location or amoutn of time she spends there, but we do want a safe and clean environment. It could be religious or not. Thanks in advance!

I am an early childhood teacher. I'm not sure who the designer was, but I think the design won some awards. I remember reading about it in the paper. It has a really child friendly design, with all classrooms surrounding an inner courtyard. There are tricycle trails and a playground in the coutyard, along with landscaping. The classes have huge floor to ceiling windows looking into courtyard. I think the design was so good that they replicated it 4 times.

I would love to teach Pre-K there!

I've had marble before, and as long as I kept it waxed and wiped up spills it was beautiful. It does require alot more care than granite, but its doable for me. BTW It's great for rolling out pastries.We don't have pictures as we are moving from Canada on a job transfer. We have only seen the house once on a house hunting trip. Scary huh?

The atrium was concreted over by the previous owners, so i will have to use potted plants. The ficus sounds like a great option. Maybe a fountain too. Thanks! I like the look of the white rocks in your pictures. It looks better than cracked concrete!

William Jenkins own house on Willowisp had marble countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Lots of kitchens had 4" tile counters too, though it seems kind of "country" looking to me in the kitchen.

Painting paneling is a no go for me. I just don't like the look of it. I would consider repaneling it with a plywood veneer you really like and stain it accordingly. Our walnut paneled wall brings a great warmth to the room and it probably wasn't much more expensive than painting.

Jason

Thanks, we may do a marble or maybe soapstone, because those would have been available materials back then. The soapstone has a very pretty and dark finish. I'll keep thinking about the paneling, but as the room is 21 x 12 it's very cave like. Since it's an addition, we may end of tearing the room out and starting over. The dark brown shag carpeting does nothing for me either! BTW- we haven't moved in yet, so we have alot of work to do.

What plants are good for an enclosed atrium? It's kind of a dead space right now.

I was in a house in Old Braeswood that had used a silestone product for counters that looked just like poured in place terrazzo. I think that would be a good option for counters. Stainless steel countertops look good too. You might look at Floorazzo or Fritz tile for flooring. VCT can be a good look as well. Also go on lottaliving.com and you can get a lot of answers there.

Thanks for the ideas, but I am interested in using materials they used in the 60's. Did they use stone countertops? (maybe old fashioned marble?) I would like to preserve the house as much as I can. So I was thinking of using tile on the counters and floor. I was born in 74, so I have no idea what tiles were popular in the 60's- subway tiles, square, matte, shiny? What colors were popular- other than pink, aqua, or plain white. Any advice would be great.

Is it real or fake? If it's real wood paneling (tounge and groove), don't paint it. It will be very difficult to undo, should you or a future owner ever want to. If it's plywood paneling, you can probably paint it without a guilty conscience.

It's the cheap tacky fake kind-terribly nasty stuff.

Can anyone advise me on what materials to use for a kitchen remodel of a 60's ranch home. It's not a mod, but it has some mod touches. I don't want to use formica/linoleum, and I'm thinking of using tile. What color/kind of tile would be appropriate. (I don't want granite/stainless steel look, but clean fresh and in keeping with thw home) I am also looking for ideas on redoing a 1970's den addition that is paneling. should I paint?

I have lived in homes with speed bumps in front and homes without speed bumps. I have found that they are there for a reason, as they are placed on streets with fast and frequent traffic. My old home backed onto Westheimer, and the drag racers were so dangerous and loud. i wished there were speed bumps, but i know itwas not a reasonable place for them. I hate commuters who race through neighborhoods trying to shave off a few minutes in traffic. I was almost hit by a truck while walking my baby in her stroller one day,(No sidewalks) and I think speed bumps would have helped prevent this.

I leave the house by 6:30 and get to work by 7:00, and I'm 3 miles off of Hwy 6 and Hwy 59. From that specific intersection you could probably do it in less time. However, the later you leave the worse it gets. I can't say how long it takes later in the morning.

Thanks for the information. My husband leaves for work early too. It just makes sense when you live in a crowded city like Houston. We sure will miss the light traffic in a smaller town.

How long would a commute from Hwy 6 and 59 to the galleria take? (sugar creek edition) We are moving back to Houston from Canada, and we want a decent commute for my husband(less than 40 minutes if possible). We have been spoiled by the traffic in Calgary, as it takes my husband 5-10 minutes to get to work here!

I am so pleased to have you respond. Briarmeadow is my top pick right now. You can't beat the home value, large lots and location. It's so close to everything, and it reminds me of the neighborhood I grew up in. Thanks for the info!

Dodo's chicken on Richmond west of the beltway has the best Columbian food!!!Roasted chicken, beans and rice and arepas- cheap and delicious! I wish I could eat here, but I live in Canada now. I can't wait to move back.

Luling City Market 4726 Richmond Ave, Houston

This is a little off topic, but the best cheap but delicious food is at Dodo's chicken. It's a columbian restaurant on richmond near the beltway. People come from all over the city to eat the roasted chicken, beans and rice, and arepas. It looks like a little hole in the wall, but TRUST ME it's awesome!!! The family that runs it is so nice, and the name comes from a nickname from one of their children. (Called the father DoDo) I prefer this place to Americas(which is fabulous). You get a wing and breast + 2 or 3 sides and a drink for under 7 bucks. The columbian restaurant next door is pretty good too, but I can't remember the name. I live in Canada now, so I haven't been for a few years. My husband goes back whenever he's in Houston on business. BTW I am a white attractive female and I have gone here by myself, and it's always busy no matter what time of day it is.

My situation is a little bit different than most people because I am a teacher. When I go back to work, she will go to school in the district I teach at. So I'm not worried about the school situation. This is one of the many advantages a teaching professional has! I have observed classrooms in SBISD, KISD, HISD, and AliefISD. If the teacher is good, even somewhat "rough" schools can provide a good education(acceptable ratings +). Here's a tip for non-teachers- Don't pick the most in demand teacher on a grade level. (You know the one every parent wants!) They are usually given the worst behavior problems because administrators know they can handle them. They also usually have a higher number of students, as well as special needs learners. I would choose a good teacher who has been teaching a while. (No newbies, pregnant teachers, teachers with newborns, or recent grade level changers) I think most school districts allow in- district transfers to other campuses. (HISD does)

Just my 2 cents!

Thanks for posting this. This is such important information for parents to have. I am a fully certified elementary school teacher (1-8), Early chilhood specialization (PK-1), English as Second Language, and Gifted certified. I have been staying home with my daughter for a few years or else my stats would be on AISD. I looked up some teachers that I remember as being questionable, and guess what- they flunked MANY times. I have taken and passed these tests with an A or B. They aren't that difficult, and any reasonably prepared teacher should pass the 1st time. (Alternative Certification teachers are sometimes an exception because they got their degree in a field other than education. Sometimes they fail on the 1st attempt because they don't have an "education" background. I would never put my daughter in a classroom where the teacher failed the tests!!!

Thanks for your replies!! Hope to be in Texas soon!

Thanks for replying! It's so frustrating looking for a home when I'm so far away. Every person I talk to is either living in or moving to Katy or Sugarland, but I don't want to live out there. I don't understand the fascination for gigantic cookie cutter homes 1- 1&1/2 hours away from work?

I am living in Canada, and I am moving back to Houston. (I am so excited! No more snowy winters and cool summers- it was 50 degrees and rainy yesterday, and it's JUNE!!) I am hearing a bunch of stuff about the real estate bubble collapsing in the states. Is this happening in Houston? I have also been hearing about near suburbs collapsing. I love modern architecture and or / 50's and 60's ranch style homes, and these are not so popular with the masses. What are your thoughts on this?

Hi,

This is my 1st time posting here, and I hope someone will be able to help me out. I lived and taught in the Houston area for 8 years, until my husband transferred to Canada. We are moving back to Houston, and we are concerned about the increase in crime recently. I have always liked the areas of Briargrove, Briarbend, and Briarmeadow/ Westmont / Tanglewilde area. We want to live as close as possible to the Galleria, and not pay more than 250,000. Obviously we are limited in how many homes we can afford, but I found some on HAR.com. I am wondering if the area is just to rough now. I know that Briarmeadow resident pay for a 24 hr off duty police officer, and I looked at the crime stats maps, BUT I really want to live around there. Any thoughts from someone who knows the area?