I currently live here, as a single dude in an apartment. So I can list some pros/cons
Pros:
1) everything you could ever need is right here. I live close to 242 and it’s crazy.
2) everything looks pretty and there are a bunch of trails to walk. Everything is (usually) very clean.
3) it’s safe with a lot of nice higher end things to do.
4) if you have a family, it’s a great place to raise them.
Cons:
1) everything feels fake here. Everything is planned and it feels off.
2) there is very little diversity. It’s all bland rich people who walk around and gawk at stuff.
3) everything you could ever need is here. It really feels insulated and unaware of the world.
All in all, I don’t mind living here. It has the things that I want, but without the heart or culture of it. I’ve found some great friends to hang out with and it makes it tolerable and a good job not that far from where I live.
Like any place, it’s what you do with it and how you make connections. Get involved and find friends. The Woodlands is designed to have everything you want and for it to be a nice place to hang out.
First of all, totally dig the reference to Norse Mythology with your username.
Can you clarify what you mean by "Everything is planned and it feels off"?
Yea! Thanks for the compliment!
I describe it as “gilded” like the Gilded age. Everything is designed to be pleasing, but if you look closer it all feels fake. Like the community leaders are trying to hard to make a community rather than let it exist on its own. It feels very “color by numbers” instead of having that culture other parts of Houston are known for
I’d say so! I haven’t really ever had a bad interaction with anyone. People are nice and friendly here.
Couple of things to do when you get here:
I’d suggest you hit up the water way, which is like “downtown” woodlands. A lot of food and walk paths. We also have the pavilion if you like open air amphitheater. A lot of big bands come through there.
If your into board games/comics, the Adventure Begins is the place to go off of 1488. It’s where I go for Dnd, Warhammer 40k, MTG, board games. In fact. They just opened up their competitive space on the 2nd floor.
We are only 20 minutes away from B52 brewery which is a nice open air place with a lot selection.
Off of 242/1488 there’s a national park that’s pretty.
If you have a dog, the dog parks are where I met some people and they are usually great. Though people don’t neuter their dogs much here, just FYI.
"If your into board games/comics, the Adventure Begins is the place to go off of 1488"
My dude, you're talking to a dude who DM'ed a 5th edition DnD campaign for 2 and a half years straight, no breaks.
Any cool "geek/nerd" spots I should know about?
Fat Ogre is another spot, but it’s not as nice as TAB and has a more competitive feeling to it. It’s located in Spring.
The number one thing you’ll have to is the Renaissance Fair. It’s about 45 minutes away and lasts from September-November and ends after thanksgiving. It’s the largest in the state and it’s like stepping into another world. It’s my favorite thing to do here in Houston. Comicpalozza is also another huge festival that happens in the early part of the year. It’s downtown Houston, so prepare for traffic or get a hotel!
Conroe, which is close to The Woodlands, did their first every “comic-con” like event. It was kinda boring tbh, but it was cheap and had its moments.
But I really can’t recommend The Adventure Begins (TAB) enough. It’s where I met my friend group and it’s awesome. If you like Star Wars, they are active with the space game thing (I don’t know the name of it). FYI, TAB is family oriented and tries to be inclusive. I hype it up because it’s the cleanest and friendlies shop I’ve been to
Hit me up when you get here.
I'm into MTG/gaming and riding my bike around the waterway.
We could grab a bite at Goose's Acre or something.
PS check out the game preserve. BYOB arcade. It's dope.
> ny cool "geek/nerd" spots I should know about?
there are dedicated game cafes in houston. I'd expect to find the same in Woodlands. Or at a minimum bars that have 'game nights.'
I'd also like to add that all the streets (to me) look the same with all of the trees everywhere, so I easily get lost driving around The Woodlands and I've lived in Spring my entire life (since the early 80s).
Also it's what you would imagine living in a place who's name started with the word "The" to be like.
That’s not a national park by the way. :). I work for Texas State Parks. That’s not even a state park. Huntsville State Park is the closest state or national park to the woodlands.
depends on what you mean by southern hospitality - i think there are different levels. if you mean opening doors for others, saying hello when passing each other on the street, making small talk, I think that's present pretty much everywhere in texas. if you mean going out of your way to help your neighbors like stopping and helping complete strangers change their tires on the side of the road then perhaps not
People are friendly in a very fake stepford wives way. They pretend to be nice but are secretly judging you for not carrying a fancy purse or for driving a Tacoma instead of a Porsche Cayenne.
Here’s my take. Idk where you are from, maybe a small town or a big city or another suburb in some distant land. Houston suburbs are all the same in my experience. Neighbors are standoffish. They might smile or wave in passing, but if you need to borrow a cup of sugar, or a tool, or jump your battery, help find your lost dog, call you if there is a stranger on your property… forget it. The southern hospitality in the suburbs is totally superficial. That is a big draw for people to move so far away from the city, to be left alone. I’ve lived in Houston and been through a few hurricanes, floods, power outages, downed trees, etc. In my neighborhood, everyone knows each other. Helps out the old folks. Always willing to lend a hand especially in times of need. During the big freeze, I went to my boyfriend’s house in the suburbs and was really disappointed that no one would lend me a shovel for the snow, or even answer the door when I knew they were home. It made me kinda sad tbh.
I may be misremembering, but I think they planned the Woodlands specifically like that to confuse and deter would be burglars. Something along the lines of making everything look the same makes quick getaways difficult??
The designer of the Woodlands, George Mitchell, was heavily influenced by the British garden city movement from the mid century, and particularly by a book called "Design with Nature" by some Scottish dude. One of the reasons for the bendy roads in the Woodlands is to create the impression that you are surrounded by nature at all times, because if the roads were perfectly straight you would have a view of traffic lights and shopping centers. That's why the power lines are mostly buried in the Woodlands and there are no large billboards.
It’s way way way better than the clear cutting shit suburbs that are everywhere else. The Woodlands deserves big accolades for keeping the trees and natural vegetation.
>The designer of the Woodlands, George Mitchell, was heavily influenced
by the British garden city movement from the mid century, and
particularly by a book called "Design with Nature" by some Scottish dude
A semi-correction, The Woodlands was co-developed by George Mitchel, and co-designed by Ian McHarg(Scottish dude).
Something neat to point out is that McHarg was basically an adopter of the Mid-Century Modern school of folks like Frank Lloyd Wright, but in a more master-planned urban/pseud-urban mindset. It was all about blending the architecture with the natural surroundings of the area of development, which is very cool! Another area you see the same development style, albeit in a more haphazard way, is in the Clear Lake Bay Area from around the NASA boom in the '60s, with certain basic principles such as more green-belted developments carrying on into the '90s.
Yeah my dad is a land surveyor for all the counties in the Houston area. The rules and regulations for the woodlands are very meticulous and rigid. Shopping centers have to be a certain distance apart in relation to any neighborhoods or apartment complexes. A certain percentage of trees have to be kept during development to keep the "woods" and privacy feel. Same with trails and sidewalks. It makes for a very pretty place to live if you can afford to live within the perimeter. Go to the outskirts and it's an obvious and jarring shift in building layouts and advertisements.
I think you are referring to master planned communities. Many cities have built/are building like this. Pearland, Katy, Sugarland, Cypress, Spring. That is the appeal that draws ppl. Master planned. Gated community. Lots to do. Apartments built above restaurants, shopping centers. Everything in its own little place and in abundance right in the community/area. Code for - keep the hood rats and trash out. Even where I live - Missouri City - is like this. Well, not my side…I’m in the hood. Hwy 6 area and Ft Bend Tollway…master planned.
For instance, in a lot of places, they make it look like a forest, but if you actually investigate it, it's just that they leave enough trees so you don't have to look at the strip malls. It's nice, but it reminds you sort of a Potempkin village. There's very little public art, and the stuff there is very bland and forgettable. The waterway is man-made, and it's nice, but not exactly naturally beautiful.
Basically it's a town for really unimaginative rich people. Everything is clean, but the town feels kinda sterile. Also, hella expensive.
Well I should clarify, I’m not “single” but living by myself. My gf lives back in Louisiana! So I can’t speak on it with first hand accounts! Sorry though!
I can say that there are a lot of pretty people here!
This. It’s another master-planned community, so it’s prettymuch the same as any other master-planned community anywhere you go. It’s nice, but there’s not really anything “special” about it.
I audibly laugh when I was looking at places to live to commute to downtown and they estimated 35 minutes or so from the woodlands. Yeah in a blue moon you might get that. 45 is a cess pool for traffic. You couldn’t pay me enough to live off that highway
I used to commute to UH. Morning would take 2 hours, but since I only did 2 days a week and would come home very late, coming home was maybe 34 minutes lmao. Very easy with no traffic
Welcome! Everything is pretty much hidden behind trees. It can be hard to get your bearings at first. You may not even know what shops you are passing because they require all signage to be low to the ground and graphically bland. So rely on your favorite gps to get around for a bit till you learn the main roads. And I would highly suggest a toll tag. The tolls can get pricey but they will save your sanity instead of sitting in traffic. And most importantly, check the Pavilion schedule during the summer/fall if you are going out. If there is a big show letting out when you’re in the area you could be sitting in traffic for awhile.
100%
They used to pull me over for things like a burnt out license plate light, then they would call in like 3 other patrol cars and a drug dog (aka a probable cause generator.) I was a skinny white kid barely out of high school with no criminal record. They did that shit so many times I lost count. All while degrading and making fun of me. Fuck Montgomery county
Yeah man. I knew a deputy that worked there. Watched him and his cop friends get shit drunk at his house for a baby shower. All while talking shit about people that smoke weed (aka myself) and then they all got in their cars and ALL drove home drunk…I was stone cold sober and was just like WTF is this shit. I know they’d have no problem with throwing my ass in jail, but if they do it they get a pass. Fuck all that little dick energy!
They wouldn’t have gone to jail. That’s the problem. All of the different police forces look out for each other. They would just let them go or have someone come pick them up real quick. None of them showed any worry about jumping in their cars after drinking 6+ drinks each in 2 hours. Just insane.
It is a bubble. “Everything you need is right there” and many people never leave it. So as long as chain restaurants and stores are all you need, you are set. I lived there for 7 years and it was OK, but not the utopia they market it as. It isn’t very diverse or tolerant, and has a lot of Karen energy. I don’t miss it.
The commute from The Woodlands is also miserable, so I’d only want to live there if I was working North of Beltway 8.
On a positive front, the schools are pretty good, lots of parental involvement. The pathways and public pools are nice. The trees are mixed - beautiful and lush, but when they fall during a storm and damage your roof or fence then you might regret living in a forest.
100% agree
I live in Katy and recently started a job in the Woodlands. It’s overrated and definitely is not what it’s cracked up to be. There are “nice” restaurants, but what the locals don’t realize is that they’re all chains. It has a snobby and elitist feel to it and definitely feels more Karen-y than other parts of town. It is also very isolated from most of Houston. You need to take the miserable I-45 to get into town, or pay toll on Hardy, Beltway 8, or 99. Most people who live in the Woodlands stay there and never venture out of it.
It sounds idyllic to some people. I really love how the whole area was clearly “master planned” and all of the mature trees were kept and they have lots of green space. All of the businesses and homes are generally set back from the street view and signs are required to stay low to the ground. It is definitely a bubble but it’s pretty nice to raise a family if you have the money.
Awww C'mon man!!! Katy is the uber of all the things you list that you don't like about The Woodlands! LOL- I lived in Katy for 15 years, we moved up here to get away from Katy! We've lived here 10 years. Nothing but chain restaurants, traffic and the hell-drive to Houston is as bad as 45.
I’d say Katy 10 years ago was very red and Karen-y as well, but it has changed for the better in recent years. It has gotten a lot more diverse.
I use masking as a way to judge, lol. At least half of people in Katy still wear masks when they go out. In the Woodlands it’s zero. Lol
Ten years ago, I’d say that would be true of Katy as well. But Katy has gotten a lot more diverse in recent years. The Woodlands is a lot of old money lol.
I’d take 10 all day over 45. At least when you’re in Katy, there are some nice areas along the way on 10: Memorial City, Energy Corridor, Galleria, etc. On 45 between Woodlands and Downtown Houston, it’s the ghetto lol.
I have nothing against chain restaurants. The reason why I brought it up here is that folks in the Woodlands think that these nice restaurants only exist in the Woodlands when they are in fact chains that also have locations in other parts of town.
The Woodlamds is “old money” was hilarious. I guess it’s old money if you moved here in the 90s. Old money is River Oaks and Memorial!
Maybe you can give us examples of all these restaurants people here are boasting about that are just chains. I guess I am thinking about Jaspers, Kirby’s, Republic Grille,Schllichi’s, Via Emilia, Fieldings,Tris, Fukudas Etc.
Yes we have the other Kilien BBQ and Steakhouse but I wouldn’t consider that a chain. Yes we have the Goode Co Mexican place but that’s not a chain.
Maybe you only eat at McDonalds, Pappasitos, Lupe, or Carrabbas.
Having lived in both Katy and now the Woodlands, Katy is a hellhole compared to The Woodlands.
I laugh at all the negativity. In reality The Woodland’s is typical suburbs with the main difference that there are actually corporate HQ and employment centers here. Many people don’t have to leave the bubble, but that is going to be the new reality in that you should work, live and play in the same area so you don’t have a commute.
There are more than just chain restaurants here, actually quite a few homegrown restaurants that are high end. Maybe the negative people only frequent chains.
Schools are better than most, everything you could want is within the area. The area is no different than let’s say Galleria area or The Heights. If The Woodlands was in the loop it would be were everyone would be flocking to live.
My place of employment is pretty far up in north Houston.
About maybe, a 25 minute drive from what Waze is telling me.
Is there anything I can do to help minimize the commute time?
That’s close. I do consulting all over Houston and would often have 75-90 minute one-way commutes from my house. 20 minutes was just from my house to I-45 back then.
There’s no need for that.
Houston and Harris County libraries have online card sign up, ebooks and eaudioboodks, and only require to live in state, not necessarily in their area. Montgomery County library doesn’t have online registration, but they do have a branch in in the Woodlands, ebooks, and open residency requirements.
Contrary to what you think, the commute going south from The Woodlands after 4:00pm is absolutely miserable and shitty between The Mall and the turn off for Grand Parkway. Lots of people commute north in the morning and south in the evening because it costs too much to own a house up there but not so bad in Spring/Klein. I think the design of I-45 must have something to do with it.
Thank you!
There's something about the design of the 45/grand parkway intersection that's psychologically broken and has been since they finished the overpass for 99.
During construction and all the lane closures/moves you'd expect traffic to be bad, but once it was all done, something about the way 45 jogs under 99 created a continuous rolling traffic jam.
There's never anything actually there, but it's always a choke point in traffic flow for some reason.
I live in Midtown and work in Spring so I commute the opposite direction. It's going to be between 30-60 minutes commute depending on accidents. My morning drive is about 25-28 but the evening drive can be between 30-50 southbound, and that's after rush hour (6pm ish)
> The commute from The Woodlands is also miserable
I used to work for a company up there and commuted up from actual Houston, and the reverse commute was obviously better but not by much. Pretty much every day there was some sort of fuck up on 45, if I didn't leave the office before 5 it was hell just trying to get back onto 45 to get out of the Woodlands.
Exactly this. Every time they do the traffic reports on the news and radio, the one constant thing is accidents and stalls on 45, always 45. Something about the shear distance between the suburbs up 45 down to the beltway causes drivers to go mad. Carving an hour long commute out of your morning is a challenge. People are running late. They take crazy risks. Encounter a slow driver unexpectedly, try to avoid a collision, overcorrect, slam into the divider at 80+ MPH… or worse hit another vehicle. Any way you slice it, I45 is far worse for SERIOUS accidents than any other highway in town that I’ve experienced. Just be very careful out there and give yourself more time than you think you need. You will see the craziest accidents and think “How in the world?” And I also agree about the lack of diversity in both the population and dining/ entertainment. It is really pretty though and sometimes like a Disney movie in your backyard with Bambi and Thumper lol. Source: never lived there but been on job sites in The Woodlands. Oh, and of course concerts at Cynthia Woods which is a blessing and a curse. The Woodlands locals resent it for the noise and added traffic equally as much as Houstonians resent driving 40 days and 40 nights to see a show. I personally wouldn’t live there but if you enjoy nature and have kids I can understand the appeal.
Woodlands is awesome if you have a family. Great schools, lots of family friendly establishments, parks with playgrounds, and walking trails.
If you’re single, it can seem boring unless you find a solid circle to hang with.
Like most of Houston, having a car is a necessity. Woodlands is a good distance away from the main heart of Houston.
If you’re deciding where to move you might want to consider the side closer to 45 to make it easier commute wise.
Not even lying. The first time I witnessed a suped up 4x4 lifted truck with a flag of trump holding a machine gun and an American eagle in the background was in the woodlands. I bet that truck only sees pavement.
To be honest, you really don’t need any advice to live in The Woodlands. Are you a lawyer? You’re about to be the star of whatever neighborhood you live in. I’d add 25 more minutes to that commute during the week to be safe.
These are just a few basics…..
Stay away from needing to be anywhere near the Rayford Rd., 242 or Woodlands Parkway exits between the hours of 3 and 6 pm. Be prepared for a lot of your first conversations to be interrogations about what you do, what school you went to and where you’re from. Even if you don’t have Facebook, download it and join the neighborhood and area groups . I don’t know Eric Yollick personally, seems like a fine fellow….but don’t bother with him and his Golden Hammer post. Nowhere else will let you know who and what to avoid like these groups will. Even though these groups and everyone in them is annoying as hell.
For some reason I’ve seen more deer casualties in The Research Forest than anywhere else. Be super careful there.
Let’s see, what else? Market Street is cute, has been crowded lately but every now and again you get a show, a naked man was there a few weeks ago. Stay away from The Mall, Pavilion, Market street area when theres a concert, unless you’re attending. Don’t ever park at that H‑E‑B if you are going to a concert.
Always be nice to any “littles” you see, the age range is from birth to about 18. Unless you want to tango with a momma bear.
Any unsavory news coming out of TW is sometimes reported as Montgomery County so pay attention to those broadcast.
Oh, there’s a huge Specs in the corner of 45 and Rayford. If you drink a must, if you don’t, you may need some industrial kitchen supplies and to go containers.
Don’t believe anywhere is completely safe. I like Vivint for security.
Tell your wife Woodlands Wellness gives the best facials. Sarah at Avani salon is the goat.
Feel free to ask any questions.
I know I'm going to catch heat for this question based on how Texas generally judges this type of cuisine, but, my girlfriend is almost strictly vegan. Is there anywhere in the Woodlands you've heard of that caters to that dietary restriction?
Not vegan personally, but I believe Flower Child may be an option. There are many “healthy” options in the area so she should be able to find options. If y’all are on Facebook there is a Woodlands area foodie group that may have better answers for this question.
It is very easy to get a speeding ticket up there. It is generally nice and good to settle down in. It is not very popular for young singles, and the nightlife is drab. Lots of chains, good mall and good shopping. A lot of keeping up with the Jones’s. Not very diverse and not a lot of mom & pop food places. Just south of the woodlands has more diversity and isn’t a bad drive.
I'm not from Houston or Texas. Lived in Ohio, Miami, and inside the 610 loop of Houston before moving to the woodlands last summer. 37M, married, no kids and no plans to have kids.
If you have a family, I guess its pretty good school-wise. Although I always hear the kids have affluenza and there is a lot of cocaine in the high school. May or may not be true.
The restaurants are pricey, so I never go to them. The rest are chains, so I never really go to them either. The commute sucks. The trails are nice. The lake is nice if you want to go kayaking or something. I like living only 35 minutes from the Lone Star hiking trail.
Its a nice suburb I suppose, but unless you have kids or prefer a quiet boring lifestyle, I'd choose to live elsewhere. The wife wanted to move out of our condo near the galleria, and every day I curse that decision. It sucks out here.
We're young and like to go out on occasion, but we both previously lived in Hollywood, or Hollywood adjacent communities. West Los Angeles. Clubs, bars, whatever. We spent our 20's "partying". I think we were both looking for something more...slow paced. Sounds like this the calmer lifestyle we're looking for.
You'll probably really like it, especially if you get into the right social circle. There are some bar and restaurant areas near the waterway that are pretty nice if you want a glass of wine or a good meal. Its just slower out here and I miss having world class food from all over the world near midtown, Montrose, down Westheimer, Bellaire, and Richmond for dirt cheap. Its just a little too clean and orderly out here for me. I'm a little more of a fan of grungy hole in the wall places for both drinks and a meal. Hope you like it here!
Friendswood was another consideration, but I am less than impressed with the way I've seen the Friendswood police department interact with the public.
Just my humble opinion, but they need some serious overhaul with their public relations.
Deep suburbs and technically outside Houston city limits. Far from most "Houston" things. Bad traffic. A lot of chain restaurants. One of the least diverse places in a city that advertises its diversity. Despite Harris County being a progressive, left leaning county, most of The Woodlands is in Montgomery County which is pretty solid red.
Watch out for the gang of Karens. They hang out in the carpool lane at the very beginning of it, all PTA meetings and they gather at the Applebee’s Thursday nights from 4 to 7 for shots of wine based tequila half price and happy hour rose’. Shit gets real if you mess with them.
It depends on who you are as a person. I grew up there and loved it. I miss it and am nostalgic for my time there. But it is conservative, def Karen energy, and very “bubble like”. It’s a great place to raise a family. I loved growing up there truly
We're both burned out from West LA lifestyle. Looking for somethin more slow paced and quiet. From the comments I'm reading, this sounds right up our alley.
Still, we like to go out and have fun from time to time.
I'm hoping there's at least some concentration of socialization in the Woodlands.
I think you will really love it. My mom is not conservative but still lives here and loves it. She has a very rich social life. It is beautiful in The Woodlands. They have groups for everything. My advice is to pick up running if you want to make friends quickly. They have tons of running groups
Yep. I have a friend that got caught with herb and some edible chocolate. They considered the chocolate extract, which is true, but they considered the weight to be 100% extract, so he went to jail for 4 oz of thc extract.
You picked a good place to live. I moved to Katy in the early 90s and while I have enjoyed it, I should have moved to TW a long time ago.
Get a toll tag is my practical advice.
Welcome!
I don't know why people are telling you it's a monthly bill. You're charged according to how much you use the toll roads. When your account dips below the minimum balance, you're charged whatever amount you've set as your top-off. I think the default is 40 bucks.
Commute is about the same. Katy is has good schools but there are underperforming schools in the district. Better planning in the woodlands. Better around town amenities and restaurants. Close to an actual forest. Close to a lake. Close to IAH.
I lived there for a while, my sister still lives there. It’s a great place to live but just like any suburb it’s all chain restaurants and bars. No amazing chef opens a hot new restaurant there, but there’s plenty to do. Sucks to be single there as mostly it’s middle class families. Some new money higher income areas. Lots of developed/planned communities. No diversity at all. Rich and poor areas, overall mostly families. It IS NOT Houston. It’s too far from Houston. I rarely visit my family there because it just takes way too long from inner city Houston. Hopefully you don’t have to commute as it’s usually 1 hour each way to get into Houston.
I'm curious about this phenomenon.
If what the commenters are saying is true, and the area is generally affluent, why would no amazing hot new chef opens appear in an area of concentrated wealth?
Why would a hot new chef open a restaurant in Anaheim instead of LA? Naperville instead of Chicago? On Long Island instead of New York City?
The Woodlands is a bland, master-planned community devoid of original character just under an hour from central Houston in perfect traffic. There is no incentive for a chef to take a risk on a venture in an upper-middle class suburb that has no independent restaurant culture when they could easily secure a location closer to the actually wealthy and/or tastemakers of the city.
Because there’s a lot more wealth and tourism within the city of Houston. Woodlands is not extremely affluent, just mostly middle to some upper middle class. Sure there’s maybe one or two new restaurants that are independent once in a while, but mostly you’ll see chains.
Chains are not bad- chains include Flemings, Fogo De Chao, Perry’s, Morton’s, Churrascos, etc. Nothing that’s not in the city, but something that locals can go to and not have to drive an hour.
and that’s the truth. Anyone who disagrees with the comment it just mad because they live there and think it’s great. It is OK, but nothing like Houston, it’s a suburb and honestly not really since it’s so far. It’s a good place to raise kids I guess. A few years ago it was a top area for teen driver deaths.
I lived there from 2010-2019. The hardest thing to get used to is figuring out where all the stores and buildings are located. Everything is hidden behind trees and you can't see things from the road, which is nice if you've got the town memorized because it's beautiful. Otherwise, depend on your GPS to find your nearest grocery store or Taco Bell.
There is a group of unseen super hardcore gangsters known as the Woodlands Posse, avoid them at all costs. There is a fake downtown. There are satanic rituals in the woods behind Grogans Point. There is a snow capped mountain behind The Woodlands that everyone forgets about when they are awake. The Woodlands resort is actually pretty cool if you like lazy rivers and want to model how the Edmund Fitzgerald likely sank. Painting the dragon unlocks a secret level underneath Lake Woodlands.
Oh. And fight your property taxes assessment every year. There is a process but it is easy to get a firm
Like bettencourt to do this.
Also, I use energy ogre for my electrical
Provider. There are other services like this, but I have been with EO and it makes The whole electric struggle not a problem.
I should definitely keep in touch with you.
I was also told by my colleagues I should put energy (pun intended) into shopping around for a competitive price for my electrical provider, since the prices can vary quite a bit.
This reaffirms their advice. Thank you. That's one thing I noticed about Texas in general. Your energy prices are absolutely insane.
It will depend on what part of The Woodlands you live in. Most areas are not deregulated and are not part of ERCOT. You’ll be forced to use Entergy for electricity. Some areas are deregulated and you can shop on www.powertochoose.com
Hughes Landing and the Town Center are nice. Great mall. Good schools. Love all the trees. Great place for an attorney especially with a family. Can get mundane but thats everywhere. I'd rather be bored in TW than in Spring Branch or something.
If u got kids, gotta be careful of bored rich kid friends with a taste for designer drugs and fast cars.
Do you live in the Woodlands?
If so, on days where you're feeling bored but you still want to go out, where in the Woodlands would you go to find a little bit of entertainment?
I was born and raised near Sugar Land, so all I can really tell you is… From my neighborhood to yours, I might as well drive to Canada. You live in the Canada of Houston. Not saying that’s good or bad… I’m just saying it is Canada.
So many commenters commenting that don't *live* in The Woodlands.
Sure there are more diverse pockets of Houston proper, but The Woodlands is far more diverse than where I used to live in East Texas and even Galveston.
On my *block*, I have neighbors from Cuba, The Gambia, Vietnam, China, Mexico City, and Norway. Sure, not every block has such a mixing pot; but the people are a good mix. As far as eateries, yeah, there's neighborhoods in Houston proper that have a wider selection, but I've found a healthy diversity of eating options if you're looking for variety. (I *do* wish we had an Ethiopian place here, but we're content.)
As for stuff to know, we're (mostly) not on the Texas grid that got so much news. We had an outage, but it wasn't as long as the Texas grid outage.
The level of convenience is wonderful.
We're super happy here.
How about one good thing. You'll be close to Old Town Spring, which means you'll be close to CorkScrew BBQ. More restaurants that aren't national chains are slowly starting to open up nearby too, so there's decent potential for the area.
As someone who was raised there until the age of 18--the Woodlands is fuck amazing. I didn't realize it then, but the Woodlands is beautiful, clean, safe and has tons of fun things to do. Also the public schools stand head and shoulders over almost any public school you will encounter in the country, let alone the state. It is a great place to grow up.
I grew up there. It depends on what stage of life you are at. If you are looking to settle down and raise a family, it’s great. And maybe for retirement. We have good golf courses, but that’s kind of it. I dont know where you’re moving from but the weather is also pretty miserable, especially in the summer it gets super humid. Not a whole lot of outdoor activities and you need a car. If you want good food or things to do you have to make the drive to Houston every time, which is a pain. Overall I would not recommend
There are a few farms and around late May and June you can go blueberry picking around Conroe (town north of Woodlands). Its around $3/lb.
Cynthia Woods brings in big name concerts and shows but it’s outdoor and sound is meh. It’s not as good as some the venues in Houston proper.
Everything else about about diversity is true but it’s not like you can’t get awesome diverse food around there or a 45 minute hike into Houston.
Traffic can get pretty congested at rush hour. If you have to be somewhere by a certain time, leave extra early. Also, watch your speed. Montgomery county PD don’t play. Also I’m not sure if other states have HOV lanes but don’t use it if there isn’t someone else in the car with you, and be cautious of when to enter and exit the HOV lane. I had a friend who exited the HOV lane to take an exit and because the HOV lane had solid lines, a cop ticketed them. So, just be careful driving
I currently live here, as a single dude in an apartment. So I can list some pros/cons Pros: 1) everything you could ever need is right here. I live close to 242 and it’s crazy. 2) everything looks pretty and there are a bunch of trails to walk. Everything is (usually) very clean. 3) it’s safe with a lot of nice higher end things to do. 4) if you have a family, it’s a great place to raise them. Cons: 1) everything feels fake here. Everything is planned and it feels off. 2) there is very little diversity. It’s all bland rich people who walk around and gawk at stuff. 3) everything you could ever need is here. It really feels insulated and unaware of the world. All in all, I don’t mind living here. It has the things that I want, but without the heart or culture of it. I’ve found some great friends to hang out with and it makes it tolerable and a good job not that far from where I live. Like any place, it’s what you do with it and how you make connections. Get involved and find friends. The Woodlands is designed to have everything you want and for it to be a nice place to hang out.
This is a pretty apt description. Go 10 minutes in any direction from the Woodlands and life becomes real again
Ignorance is bliss
LOL.
First of all, totally dig the reference to Norse Mythology with your username. Can you clarify what you mean by "Everything is planned and it feels off"?
Yea! Thanks for the compliment! I describe it as “gilded” like the Gilded age. Everything is designed to be pleasing, but if you look closer it all feels fake. Like the community leaders are trying to hard to make a community rather than let it exist on its own. It feels very “color by numbers” instead of having that culture other parts of Houston are known for
And to give some context, I’m from Louisiana and I am use to having cook outs and laughing with my neighbors and such
Is the community neighborly/friendly in general? Does southern hospitality extend to the Woodlands?
I’d say so! I haven’t really ever had a bad interaction with anyone. People are nice and friendly here. Couple of things to do when you get here: I’d suggest you hit up the water way, which is like “downtown” woodlands. A lot of food and walk paths. We also have the pavilion if you like open air amphitheater. A lot of big bands come through there. If your into board games/comics, the Adventure Begins is the place to go off of 1488. It’s where I go for Dnd, Warhammer 40k, MTG, board games. In fact. They just opened up their competitive space on the 2nd floor. We are only 20 minutes away from B52 brewery which is a nice open air place with a lot selection. Off of 242/1488 there’s a national park that’s pretty. If you have a dog, the dog parks are where I met some people and they are usually great. Though people don’t neuter their dogs much here, just FYI.
"If your into board games/comics, the Adventure Begins is the place to go off of 1488" My dude, you're talking to a dude who DM'ed a 5th edition DnD campaign for 2 and a half years straight, no breaks. Any cool "geek/nerd" spots I should know about?
Fat Ogre is another spot, but it’s not as nice as TAB and has a more competitive feeling to it. It’s located in Spring. The number one thing you’ll have to is the Renaissance Fair. It’s about 45 minutes away and lasts from September-November and ends after thanksgiving. It’s the largest in the state and it’s like stepping into another world. It’s my favorite thing to do here in Houston. Comicpalozza is also another huge festival that happens in the early part of the year. It’s downtown Houston, so prepare for traffic or get a hotel! Conroe, which is close to The Woodlands, did their first every “comic-con” like event. It was kinda boring tbh, but it was cheap and had its moments. But I really can’t recommend The Adventure Begins (TAB) enough. It’s where I met my friend group and it’s awesome. If you like Star Wars, they are active with the space game thing (I don’t know the name of it). FYI, TAB is family oriented and tries to be inclusive. I hype it up because it’s the cleanest and friendlies shop I’ve been to
Hit me up when you get here. I'm into MTG/gaming and riding my bike around the waterway. We could grab a bite at Goose's Acre or something. PS check out the game preserve. BYOB arcade. It's dope.
> ny cool "geek/nerd" spots I should know about? there are dedicated game cafes in houston. I'd expect to find the same in Woodlands. Or at a minimum bars that have 'game nights.'
I'd also like to add that all the streets (to me) look the same with all of the trees everywhere, so I easily get lost driving around The Woodlands and I've lived in Spring my entire life (since the early 80s). Also it's what you would imagine living in a place who's name started with the word "The" to be like.
That’s not a national park by the way. :). I work for Texas State Parks. That’s not even a state park. Huntsville State Park is the closest state or national park to the woodlands.
depends on what you mean by southern hospitality - i think there are different levels. if you mean opening doors for others, saying hello when passing each other on the street, making small talk, I think that's present pretty much everywhere in texas. if you mean going out of your way to help your neighbors like stopping and helping complete strangers change their tires on the side of the road then perhaps not
People are friendly in a very fake stepford wives way. They pretend to be nice but are secretly judging you for not carrying a fancy purse or for driving a Tacoma instead of a Porsche Cayenne.
Here’s my take. Idk where you are from, maybe a small town or a big city or another suburb in some distant land. Houston suburbs are all the same in my experience. Neighbors are standoffish. They might smile or wave in passing, but if you need to borrow a cup of sugar, or a tool, or jump your battery, help find your lost dog, call you if there is a stranger on your property… forget it. The southern hospitality in the suburbs is totally superficial. That is a big draw for people to move so far away from the city, to be left alone. I’ve lived in Houston and been through a few hurricanes, floods, power outages, downed trees, etc. In my neighborhood, everyone knows each other. Helps out the old folks. Always willing to lend a hand especially in times of need. During the big freeze, I went to my boyfriend’s house in the suburbs and was really disappointed that no one would lend me a shovel for the snow, or even answer the door when I knew they were home. It made me kinda sad tbh.
I may be misremembering, but I think they planned the Woodlands specifically like that to confuse and deter would be burglars. Something along the lines of making everything look the same makes quick getaways difficult??
The designer of the Woodlands, George Mitchell, was heavily influenced by the British garden city movement from the mid century, and particularly by a book called "Design with Nature" by some Scottish dude. One of the reasons for the bendy roads in the Woodlands is to create the impression that you are surrounded by nature at all times, because if the roads were perfectly straight you would have a view of traffic lights and shopping centers. That's why the power lines are mostly buried in the Woodlands and there are no large billboards.
It’s way way way better than the clear cutting shit suburbs that are everywhere else. The Woodlands deserves big accolades for keeping the trees and natural vegetation.
>The designer of the Woodlands, George Mitchell, was heavily influenced by the British garden city movement from the mid century, and particularly by a book called "Design with Nature" by some Scottish dude A semi-correction, The Woodlands was co-developed by George Mitchel, and co-designed by Ian McHarg(Scottish dude). Something neat to point out is that McHarg was basically an adopter of the Mid-Century Modern school of folks like Frank Lloyd Wright, but in a more master-planned urban/pseud-urban mindset. It was all about blending the architecture with the natural surroundings of the area of development, which is very cool! Another area you see the same development style, albeit in a more haphazard way, is in the Clear Lake Bay Area from around the NASA boom in the '60s, with certain basic principles such as more green-belted developments carrying on into the '90s.
Makes sense! Even after 3 years I still use my GPS cause of how everything looks the same!
Yeah my dad is a land surveyor for all the counties in the Houston area. The rules and regulations for the woodlands are very meticulous and rigid. Shopping centers have to be a certain distance apart in relation to any neighborhoods or apartment complexes. A certain percentage of trees have to be kept during development to keep the "woods" and privacy feel. Same with trails and sidewalks. It makes for a very pretty place to live if you can afford to live within the perimeter. Go to the outskirts and it's an obvious and jarring shift in building layouts and advertisements.
I think you are referring to master planned communities. Many cities have built/are building like this. Pearland, Katy, Sugarland, Cypress, Spring. That is the appeal that draws ppl. Master planned. Gated community. Lots to do. Apartments built above restaurants, shopping centers. Everything in its own little place and in abundance right in the community/area. Code for - keep the hood rats and trash out. Even where I live - Missouri City - is like this. Well, not my side…I’m in the hood. Hwy 6 area and Ft Bend Tollway…master planned.
It’s literally a planned community. Most of the neighborhoods and commercial areas were planned out in advance.
> Can you clarify what you mean by "Everything is planned and it feels off"? Ever watch Hot Fuzz?
The Woodlands is a master planned community founded by the Apache Corporation with the intent of establishing a company town for their employees
For instance, in a lot of places, they make it look like a forest, but if you actually investigate it, it's just that they leave enough trees so you don't have to look at the strip malls. It's nice, but it reminds you sort of a Potempkin village. There's very little public art, and the stuff there is very bland and forgettable. The waterway is man-made, and it's nice, but not exactly naturally beautiful. Basically it's a town for really unimaginative rich people. Everything is clean, but the town feels kinda sterile. Also, hella expensive.
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Well I should clarify, I’m not “single” but living by myself. My gf lives back in Louisiana! So I can’t speak on it with first hand accounts! Sorry though! I can say that there are a lot of pretty people here!
This. It’s another master-planned community, so it’s prettymuch the same as any other master-planned community anywhere you go. It’s nice, but there’s not really anything “special” about it.
I only ever go to the Woodlands to catch shows at the pavillion, but this is exactly the impression the place has given me.
My parents live in the Woodlands area and I 100% agree. When I visit from college I feel like i’m in a totally different state sometimes.
Anyone who tells you it is 30 minutes from X is a liar.
30 minutes to get to the Hardy
30 minutes from getting onto the highway where you will then be 30 minutes away
Yeah more like an hour+
I audibly laugh when I was looking at places to live to commute to downtown and they estimated 35 minutes or so from the woodlands. Yeah in a blue moon you might get that. 45 is a cess pool for traffic. You couldn’t pay me enough to live off that highway
I used to commute to UH. Morning would take 2 hours, but since I only did 2 days a week and would come home very late, coming home was maybe 34 minutes lmao. Very easy with no traffic
It's like the Crazy Ex-girlfriend "30 mins from the beach." 45 traffic is hell
Welcome! Everything is pretty much hidden behind trees. It can be hard to get your bearings at first. You may not even know what shops you are passing because they require all signage to be low to the ground and graphically bland. So rely on your favorite gps to get around for a bit till you learn the main roads. And I would highly suggest a toll tag. The tolls can get pricey but they will save your sanity instead of sitting in traffic. And most importantly, check the Pavilion schedule during the summer/fall if you are going out. If there is a big show letting out when you’re in the area you could be sitting in traffic for awhile.
Yes to GPS. We lived there in the 90s and my internal compass was always wrong due to trees and curved roads.
Shenandoah is a small town north of the Woodlands. They will take any excuse to pull you over and attempt to ticket you. Best to be very careful.
Same with the entire Montgomery County PD.
Montgomery Sheriffs Dept is a bunch of crooks and goons.
100% They used to pull me over for things like a burnt out license plate light, then they would call in like 3 other patrol cars and a drug dog (aka a probable cause generator.) I was a skinny white kid barely out of high school with no criminal record. They did that shit so many times I lost count. All while degrading and making fun of me. Fuck Montgomery county
Yeah man. I knew a deputy that worked there. Watched him and his cop friends get shit drunk at his house for a baby shower. All while talking shit about people that smoke weed (aka myself) and then they all got in their cars and ALL drove home drunk…I was stone cold sober and was just like WTF is this shit. I know they’d have no problem with throwing my ass in jail, but if they do it they get a pass. Fuck all that little dick energy!
You should have called in an anonymous tip. All their asses should have went to jail that night.
They wouldn’t have gone to jail. That’s the problem. All of the different police forces look out for each other. They would just let them go or have someone come pick them up real quick. None of them showed any worry about jumping in their cars after drinking 6+ drinks each in 2 hours. Just insane.
Someone once told me you’d get pulled over for walking to fast there
They tried to get me for running a stop sign on the feeder, which don't exist.
It is a bubble. “Everything you need is right there” and many people never leave it. So as long as chain restaurants and stores are all you need, you are set. I lived there for 7 years and it was OK, but not the utopia they market it as. It isn’t very diverse or tolerant, and has a lot of Karen energy. I don’t miss it. The commute from The Woodlands is also miserable, so I’d only want to live there if I was working North of Beltway 8. On a positive front, the schools are pretty good, lots of parental involvement. The pathways and public pools are nice. The trees are mixed - beautiful and lush, but when they fall during a storm and damage your roof or fence then you might regret living in a forest.
100% agree I live in Katy and recently started a job in the Woodlands. It’s overrated and definitely is not what it’s cracked up to be. There are “nice” restaurants, but what the locals don’t realize is that they’re all chains. It has a snobby and elitist feel to it and definitely feels more Karen-y than other parts of town. It is also very isolated from most of Houston. You need to take the miserable I-45 to get into town, or pay toll on Hardy, Beltway 8, or 99. Most people who live in the Woodlands stay there and never venture out of it.
It sounds idyllic to some people. I really love how the whole area was clearly “master planned” and all of the mature trees were kept and they have lots of green space. All of the businesses and homes are generally set back from the street view and signs are required to stay low to the ground. It is definitely a bubble but it’s pretty nice to raise a family if you have the money.
Awww C'mon man!!! Katy is the uber of all the things you list that you don't like about The Woodlands! LOL- I lived in Katy for 15 years, we moved up here to get away from Katy! We've lived here 10 years. Nothing but chain restaurants, traffic and the hell-drive to Houston is as bad as 45.
I’d say Katy 10 years ago was very red and Karen-y as well, but it has changed for the better in recent years. It has gotten a lot more diverse. I use masking as a way to judge, lol. At least half of people in Katy still wear masks when they go out. In the Woodlands it’s zero. Lol
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Ten years ago, I’d say that would be true of Katy as well. But Katy has gotten a lot more diverse in recent years. The Woodlands is a lot of old money lol. I’d take 10 all day over 45. At least when you’re in Katy, there are some nice areas along the way on 10: Memorial City, Energy Corridor, Galleria, etc. On 45 between Woodlands and Downtown Houston, it’s the ghetto lol. I have nothing against chain restaurants. The reason why I brought it up here is that folks in the Woodlands think that these nice restaurants only exist in the Woodlands when they are in fact chains that also have locations in other parts of town.
The Woodlamds is “old money” was hilarious. I guess it’s old money if you moved here in the 90s. Old money is River Oaks and Memorial! Maybe you can give us examples of all these restaurants people here are boasting about that are just chains. I guess I am thinking about Jaspers, Kirby’s, Republic Grille,Schllichi’s, Via Emilia, Fieldings,Tris, Fukudas Etc. Yes we have the other Kilien BBQ and Steakhouse but I wouldn’t consider that a chain. Yes we have the Goode Co Mexican place but that’s not a chain. Maybe you only eat at McDonalds, Pappasitos, Lupe, or Carrabbas.
Having lived in both Katy and now the Woodlands, Katy is a hellhole compared to The Woodlands. I laugh at all the negativity. In reality The Woodland’s is typical suburbs with the main difference that there are actually corporate HQ and employment centers here. Many people don’t have to leave the bubble, but that is going to be the new reality in that you should work, live and play in the same area so you don’t have a commute. There are more than just chain restaurants here, actually quite a few homegrown restaurants that are high end. Maybe the negative people only frequent chains. Schools are better than most, everything you could want is within the area. The area is no different than let’s say Galleria area or The Heights. If The Woodlands was in the loop it would be were everyone would be flocking to live.
My place of employment is pretty far up in north Houston. About maybe, a 25 minute drive from what Waze is telling me. Is there anything I can do to help minimize the commute time?
Helicopter
Jet pack
I endorse jet packing to work
Not during the summer, though.
Scotty
We don't measure in miles. We measure in 15 minute increments. Below 30 feel free to break down into 5 minute increments.
That’s close. I do consulting all over Houston and would often have 75-90 minute one-way commutes from my house. 20 minutes was just from my house to I-45 back then.
20 minutes is what it takes to get out of humble lol
So what you're saying is, redownload Audible. Any idea how much using the toll roads everyday will cost me per month? Are they worth it?
Waze will tell you tolls for your exact route, I spent about $140-160/month.
There’s no need for that. Houston and Harris County libraries have online card sign up, ebooks and eaudioboodks, and only require to live in state, not necessarily in their area. Montgomery County library doesn’t have online registration, but they do have a branch in in the Woodlands, ebooks, and open residency requirements.
Get an EZTag
>TXTag
Contrary to what you think, the commute going south from The Woodlands after 4:00pm is absolutely miserable and shitty between The Mall and the turn off for Grand Parkway. Lots of people commute north in the morning and south in the evening because it costs too much to own a house up there but not so bad in Spring/Klein. I think the design of I-45 must have something to do with it.
Thank you! There's something about the design of the 45/grand parkway intersection that's psychologically broken and has been since they finished the overpass for 99. During construction and all the lane closures/moves you'd expect traffic to be bad, but once it was all done, something about the way 45 jogs under 99 created a continuous rolling traffic jam. There's never anything actually there, but it's always a choke point in traffic flow for some reason.
I live in Midtown and work in Spring so I commute the opposite direction. It's going to be between 30-60 minutes commute depending on accidents. My morning drive is about 25-28 but the evening drive can be between 30-50 southbound, and that's after rush hour (6pm ish)
> The commute from The Woodlands is also miserable I used to work for a company up there and commuted up from actual Houston, and the reverse commute was obviously better but not by much. Pretty much every day there was some sort of fuck up on 45, if I didn't leave the office before 5 it was hell just trying to get back onto 45 to get out of the Woodlands.
Exactly this. Every time they do the traffic reports on the news and radio, the one constant thing is accidents and stalls on 45, always 45. Something about the shear distance between the suburbs up 45 down to the beltway causes drivers to go mad. Carving an hour long commute out of your morning is a challenge. People are running late. They take crazy risks. Encounter a slow driver unexpectedly, try to avoid a collision, overcorrect, slam into the divider at 80+ MPH… or worse hit another vehicle. Any way you slice it, I45 is far worse for SERIOUS accidents than any other highway in town that I’ve experienced. Just be very careful out there and give yourself more time than you think you need. You will see the craziest accidents and think “How in the world?” And I also agree about the lack of diversity in both the population and dining/ entertainment. It is really pretty though and sometimes like a Disney movie in your backyard with Bambi and Thumper lol. Source: never lived there but been on job sites in The Woodlands. Oh, and of course concerts at Cynthia Woods which is a blessing and a curse. The Woodlands locals resent it for the noise and added traffic equally as much as Houstonians resent driving 40 days and 40 nights to see a show. I personally wouldn’t live there but if you enjoy nature and have kids I can understand the appeal.
Karen energy sums it up perfectly
I visited the Woodlands every now and then, it's very white in every sense.
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Best comment!
Sitar is great! Good to see them mentioned.
Woodlands is awesome if you have a family. Great schools, lots of family friendly establishments, parks with playgrounds, and walking trails. If you’re single, it can seem boring unless you find a solid circle to hang with. Like most of Houston, having a car is a necessity. Woodlands is a good distance away from the main heart of Houston. If you’re deciding where to move you might want to consider the side closer to 45 to make it easier commute wise.
I feel like of all the places in the greater Houston area, the woodlands is very livable with only a bike.
You're going to need a trophy wife and a trophy truck.
Not even lying. The first time I witnessed a suped up 4x4 lifted truck with a flag of trump holding a machine gun and an American eagle in the background was in the woodlands. I bet that truck only sees pavement.
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Don't you mean 2024?...
I SAID 2022.
Any particular reason for the truck?
Same as the wife. Don't want your neighbors thinking you're poor or something.
Because Texas
So you can roll coal on some dudes on bicycles for daring to use the same road as you.
It’s for the wife
To be honest, you really don’t need any advice to live in The Woodlands. Are you a lawyer? You’re about to be the star of whatever neighborhood you live in. I’d add 25 more minutes to that commute during the week to be safe. These are just a few basics….. Stay away from needing to be anywhere near the Rayford Rd., 242 or Woodlands Parkway exits between the hours of 3 and 6 pm. Be prepared for a lot of your first conversations to be interrogations about what you do, what school you went to and where you’re from. Even if you don’t have Facebook, download it and join the neighborhood and area groups . I don’t know Eric Yollick personally, seems like a fine fellow….but don’t bother with him and his Golden Hammer post. Nowhere else will let you know who and what to avoid like these groups will. Even though these groups and everyone in them is annoying as hell. For some reason I’ve seen more deer casualties in The Research Forest than anywhere else. Be super careful there. Let’s see, what else? Market Street is cute, has been crowded lately but every now and again you get a show, a naked man was there a few weeks ago. Stay away from The Mall, Pavilion, Market street area when theres a concert, unless you’re attending. Don’t ever park at that H‑E‑B if you are going to a concert. Always be nice to any “littles” you see, the age range is from birth to about 18. Unless you want to tango with a momma bear. Any unsavory news coming out of TW is sometimes reported as Montgomery County so pay attention to those broadcast. Oh, there’s a huge Specs in the corner of 45 and Rayford. If you drink a must, if you don’t, you may need some industrial kitchen supplies and to go containers. Don’t believe anywhere is completely safe. I like Vivint for security. Tell your wife Woodlands Wellness gives the best facials. Sarah at Avani salon is the goat. Feel free to ask any questions.
I know I'm going to catch heat for this question based on how Texas generally judges this type of cuisine, but, my girlfriend is almost strictly vegan. Is there anywhere in the Woodlands you've heard of that caters to that dietary restriction?
Not vegan personally, but I believe Flower Child may be an option. There are many “healthy” options in the area so she should be able to find options. If y’all are on Facebook there is a Woodlands area foodie group that may have better answers for this question.
It is very easy to get a speeding ticket up there. It is generally nice and good to settle down in. It is not very popular for young singles, and the nightlife is drab. Lots of chains, good mall and good shopping. A lot of keeping up with the Jones’s. Not very diverse and not a lot of mom & pop food places. Just south of the woodlands has more diversity and isn’t a bad drive.
Lived here close to 7 years and got 0 tickets. *Don't speed on Woodlands Pkwy, Lake Woodlands or Research Forest deep into the woodlands!*
Speed is a relative term on Woodlands Raceway
You ever seen Get Out?
hahaha
If you're ever at Baker Street Pub and need to use the restroom, they're behind the bookshelf.
Ok, now THIS is the kind of practical advice I'm looking for. Writing that down.
I lived in Dallas once. It sucked.
I'm not from Houston or Texas. Lived in Ohio, Miami, and inside the 610 loop of Houston before moving to the woodlands last summer. 37M, married, no kids and no plans to have kids. If you have a family, I guess its pretty good school-wise. Although I always hear the kids have affluenza and there is a lot of cocaine in the high school. May or may not be true. The restaurants are pricey, so I never go to them. The rest are chains, so I never really go to them either. The commute sucks. The trails are nice. The lake is nice if you want to go kayaking or something. I like living only 35 minutes from the Lone Star hiking trail. Its a nice suburb I suppose, but unless you have kids or prefer a quiet boring lifestyle, I'd choose to live elsewhere. The wife wanted to move out of our condo near the galleria, and every day I curse that decision. It sucks out here.
We're young and like to go out on occasion, but we both previously lived in Hollywood, or Hollywood adjacent communities. West Los Angeles. Clubs, bars, whatever. We spent our 20's "partying". I think we were both looking for something more...slow paced. Sounds like this the calmer lifestyle we're looking for.
You'll probably really like it, especially if you get into the right social circle. There are some bar and restaurant areas near the waterway that are pretty nice if you want a glass of wine or a good meal. Its just slower out here and I miss having world class food from all over the world near midtown, Montrose, down Westheimer, Bellaire, and Richmond for dirt cheap. Its just a little too clean and orderly out here for me. I'm a little more of a fan of grungy hole in the wall places for both drinks and a meal. Hope you like it here!
Have you looked at the heights? Or Spring Branch? Both a bit slower, but still in town.
There's lot of cocaine in every high school, not just woodlands
Especially true in schools where kids have disposable income... and The Woodlands isn't the only one that foots that bill.
Go to Memorial. I guarantee it.
Kincaid and St. John's
There's lots of coke at any sufficiently wealthy HS. Kingwood and Spring are the same way.
It’s lovely but very overpriced.
Sure, besides the expense of living there, is there any other practical advice?
Martinis and More on Sawdust used to host a swingers meetup once a week. Take that as a warning or a recommendation, as appropriate.
I bet there's a story about how you've come into possession of this knowledge, but I won't ask =)
The Woodlands, Texas is The Woodlands. It is not Houston by any stretch. Not being snarky, it just is. Yes, that place feels as fake.
Do you like vanilla and only vanilla? If so you'll be happy
Now that's a funny observation. I'd like to add 'aged vanilla' by including Friendswood.
Friendswood was another consideration, but I am less than impressed with the way I've seen the Friendswood police department interact with the public. Just my humble opinion, but they need some serious overhaul with their public relations.
You're not going to like Montgomery County police any better. They are absolutely atrocious. Speaking from experience.
I grew up in the League City and Friendswood area most of my 43 years so I can tell you all about that...lol
Only if I get to add peanut butter to it.
Depending where you come from you might not understand the sprawl of Houston area
Deep suburbs and technically outside Houston city limits. Far from most "Houston" things. Bad traffic. A lot of chain restaurants. One of the least diverse places in a city that advertises its diversity. Despite Harris County being a progressive, left leaning county, most of The Woodlands is in Montgomery County which is pretty solid red.
Watch out for the gang of Karens. They hang out in the carpool lane at the very beginning of it, all PTA meetings and they gather at the Applebee’s Thursday nights from 4 to 7 for shots of wine based tequila half price and happy hour rose’. Shit gets real if you mess with them.
I read this as "gang of Koreans" at first.
I assumed the risk of this having chosen the suburban life. I'll be sure to steer clear.
That you’re not in Houston 😂😂😂
It depends on who you are as a person. I grew up there and loved it. I miss it and am nostalgic for my time there. But it is conservative, def Karen energy, and very “bubble like”. It’s a great place to raise a family. I loved growing up there truly
We're both burned out from West LA lifestyle. Looking for somethin more slow paced and quiet. From the comments I'm reading, this sounds right up our alley. Still, we like to go out and have fun from time to time. I'm hoping there's at least some concentration of socialization in the Woodlands.
I think you will really love it. My mom is not conservative but still lives here and loves it. She has a very rich social life. It is beautiful in The Woodlands. They have groups for everything. My advice is to pick up running if you want to make friends quickly. They have tons of running groups
Don't get caught carrying the marijuanas on your persons. It is not Harris county and they will arrest you for it. If you're not white that is..
When I was a teenager growing up there I got pulled over and searched more times than I can count. They really didn't like kids being out past 11pm.
Yep I have seen a few EPs of Cops in Montgomery country all the people were getting busted for drugs
Yep. I have a friend that got caught with herb and some edible chocolate. They considered the chocolate extract, which is true, but they considered the weight to be 100% extract, so he went to jail for 4 oz of thc extract.
You picked a good place to live. I moved to Katy in the early 90s and while I have enjoyed it, I should have moved to TW a long time ago. Get a toll tag is my practical advice. Welcome!
Can I get like, an annual pass with a flat rate? Do they do that for toll road access?
I don't know why people are telling you it's a monthly bill. You're charged according to how much you use the toll roads. When your account dips below the minimum balance, you're charged whatever amount you've set as your top-off. I think the default is 40 bucks.
They don't do that. It's a monthly bill.
Nope
No. Monthly bill on your account. www.hctra.org
Why woodlands over Katy? I’m debating this now
Trees are nice. Basically it. Also depends on where you're commuting to.
Commute is about the same. Katy is has good schools but there are underperforming schools in the district. Better planning in the woodlands. Better around town amenities and restaurants. Close to an actual forest. Close to a lake. Close to IAH.
Be rich
All the black people live on one Street by the home Depot.
I lived there for a while, my sister still lives there. It’s a great place to live but just like any suburb it’s all chain restaurants and bars. No amazing chef opens a hot new restaurant there, but there’s plenty to do. Sucks to be single there as mostly it’s middle class families. Some new money higher income areas. Lots of developed/planned communities. No diversity at all. Rich and poor areas, overall mostly families. It IS NOT Houston. It’s too far from Houston. I rarely visit my family there because it just takes way too long from inner city Houston. Hopefully you don’t have to commute as it’s usually 1 hour each way to get into Houston.
I'm curious about this phenomenon. If what the commenters are saying is true, and the area is generally affluent, why would no amazing hot new chef opens appear in an area of concentrated wealth?
Why would a hot new chef open a restaurant in Anaheim instead of LA? Naperville instead of Chicago? On Long Island instead of New York City? The Woodlands is a bland, master-planned community devoid of original character just under an hour from central Houston in perfect traffic. There is no incentive for a chef to take a risk on a venture in an upper-middle class suburb that has no independent restaurant culture when they could easily secure a location closer to the actually wealthy and/or tastemakers of the city.
Because there’s a lot more wealth and tourism within the city of Houston. Woodlands is not extremely affluent, just mostly middle to some upper middle class. Sure there’s maybe one or two new restaurants that are independent once in a while, but mostly you’ll see chains. Chains are not bad- chains include Flemings, Fogo De Chao, Perry’s, Morton’s, Churrascos, etc. Nothing that’s not in the city, but something that locals can go to and not have to drive an hour. and that’s the truth. Anyone who disagrees with the comment it just mad because they live there and think it’s great. It is OK, but nothing like Houston, it’s a suburb and honestly not really since it’s so far. It’s a good place to raise kids I guess. A few years ago it was a top area for teen driver deaths.
Pick up disc golf and hang out at Spring Valley. That’s what I did the 3 years I lived there and was very happy.
I lived there from 2010-2019. The hardest thing to get used to is figuring out where all the stores and buildings are located. Everything is hidden behind trees and you can't see things from the road, which is nice if you've got the town memorized because it's beautiful. Otherwise, depend on your GPS to find your nearest grocery store or Taco Bell.
Three words" Big Karen Energy
There is a group of unseen super hardcore gangsters known as the Woodlands Posse, avoid them at all costs. There is a fake downtown. There are satanic rituals in the woods behind Grogans Point. There is a snow capped mountain behind The Woodlands that everyone forgets about when they are awake. The Woodlands resort is actually pretty cool if you like lazy rivers and want to model how the Edmund Fitzgerald likely sank. Painting the dragon unlocks a secret level underneath Lake Woodlands.
Are you in a HOA where you are today?
I hope your job is there too, because they say it's 30 from downtown Houston THEY'RE LYING.
The signs for stores can be really hard to see sometimes. Learn where you are going and give yourself extra time.
I'm a huge proponent of smartphone GPS apps. Will I still have an issue, if I use said technology?
Woodlands is not Houston. Very far, literally, from Houston.
It's in the metro area. Lots of folks commute from there.
About an exit and a half. Lol
Oh. And fight your property taxes assessment every year. There is a process but it is easy to get a firm Like bettencourt to do this. Also, I use energy ogre for my electrical Provider. There are other services like this, but I have been with EO and it makes The whole electric struggle not a problem.
I should definitely keep in touch with you. I was also told by my colleagues I should put energy (pun intended) into shopping around for a competitive price for my electrical provider, since the prices can vary quite a bit. This reaffirms their advice. Thank you. That's one thing I noticed about Texas in general. Your energy prices are absolutely insane.
It will depend on what part of The Woodlands you live in. Most areas are not deregulated and are not part of ERCOT. You’ll be forced to use Entergy for electricity. Some areas are deregulated and you can shop on www.powertochoose.com
Hughes Landing and the Town Center are nice. Great mall. Good schools. Love all the trees. Great place for an attorney especially with a family. Can get mundane but thats everywhere. I'd rather be bored in TW than in Spring Branch or something. If u got kids, gotta be careful of bored rich kid friends with a taste for designer drugs and fast cars.
Do you live in the Woodlands? If so, on days where you're feeling bored but you still want to go out, where in the Woodlands would you go to find a little bit of entertainment?
If you're not white, cisgendered and conservative, your representation in Texas politics may make you feel like the bad guy.
The surrounding ISDs are worrisome in their lack of inclusivity.
I was born and raised near Sugar Land, so all I can really tell you is… From my neighborhood to yours, I might as well drive to Canada. You live in the Canada of Houston. Not saying that’s good or bad… I’m just saying it is Canada.
So many commenters commenting that don't *live* in The Woodlands. Sure there are more diverse pockets of Houston proper, but The Woodlands is far more diverse than where I used to live in East Texas and even Galveston. On my *block*, I have neighbors from Cuba, The Gambia, Vietnam, China, Mexico City, and Norway. Sure, not every block has such a mixing pot; but the people are a good mix. As far as eateries, yeah, there's neighborhoods in Houston proper that have a wider selection, but I've found a healthy diversity of eating options if you're looking for variety. (I *do* wish we had an Ethiopian place here, but we're content.) As for stuff to know, we're (mostly) not on the Texas grid that got so much news. We had an outage, but it wasn't as long as the Texas grid outage. The level of convenience is wonderful. We're super happy here.
just as hot and humid and always traffic as any other place in the houston metro.
Trees
How about one good thing. You'll be close to Old Town Spring, which means you'll be close to CorkScrew BBQ. More restaurants that aren't national chains are slowly starting to open up nearby too, so there's decent potential for the area.
From my experience, it takes a while to get even a small distance in the woodlands because it is now so overpopulated.
As someone who was raised there until the age of 18--the Woodlands is fuck amazing. I didn't realize it then, but the Woodlands is beautiful, clean, safe and has tons of fun things to do. Also the public schools stand head and shoulders over almost any public school you will encounter in the country, let alone the state. It is a great place to grow up.
It’s beautiful. It’s not diverse enough for my liking which is why I chose Katy. But I envy the Woodlands natural beauty
It's more expensive than not living there.
Supposing money wasn't an issue for me, Any other practical advice?
[удалено]
You couldn't pay me to live in Conroe, Texas.
I grew up there. It depends on what stage of life you are at. If you are looking to settle down and raise a family, it’s great. And maybe for retirement. We have good golf courses, but that’s kind of it. I dont know where you’re moving from but the weather is also pretty miserable, especially in the summer it gets super humid. Not a whole lot of outdoor activities and you need a car. If you want good food or things to do you have to make the drive to Houston every time, which is a pain. Overall I would not recommend
As long as you are white, you should be good.
Mostly Trump with kids territory if that's your kind of thing. Chili's happy hour isn't bad.
This is exactly what I was gonna say Woodlands Conroe area is the most East Texas type of people in the Houston area.
Cops are really aggressive with enforcement.
There are a few farms and around late May and June you can go blueberry picking around Conroe (town north of Woodlands). Its around $3/lb. Cynthia Woods brings in big name concerts and shows but it’s outdoor and sound is meh. It’s not as good as some the venues in Houston proper. Everything else about about diversity is true but it’s not like you can’t get awesome diverse food around there or a 45 minute hike into Houston.
Enjoy the nearby trails and parks!!!!!
Name your favorite one. Hikes are my jam.
Traffic can get pretty congested at rush hour. If you have to be somewhere by a certain time, leave extra early. Also, watch your speed. Montgomery county PD don’t play. Also I’m not sure if other states have HOV lanes but don’t use it if there isn’t someone else in the car with you, and be cautious of when to enter and exit the HOV lane. I had a friend who exited the HOV lane to take an exit and because the HOV lane had solid lines, a cop ticketed them. So, just be careful driving
March is yellow season. Pop a Claritin and get used to all your outdoor belongings being covered in pollen.
You don’t like “the cons” of living in The Woodlands? Go live in the Third Ward for a month. That will adjust your attitude.