Houston has some great luxury neighborhoods. From hip, urban communities to kid-friendly, family neighborhoods, Houston has a plethora of choices from $500K to $750K. I could spend all day going through every great neighborhood this city has to offer. However, since Norhill Realty is located in and primarily focused on Houston’s near-town neighborhoods, I will focus on the best of those neighborhoods for this post and this series. If I missed one that you think should have been on the list, let me know.
Due to its affordability, location, and historic charm, Greater Heights is one of the most sought after communities in Houston. Most of the Heights was built in the early part of the 20th century and was considered Houston’s first suburb. However, after a few decades of development, the Heights is basically located in the center of town. In its early history, trolley cars could be taken directly to downtown Houston and ritzy boutiques dotted 19th street. The trolley cars are gone and what is left is a great jogging trail and park that cuts through the middle of Heights Boulevard. 19th street still has shopping but today it is mostly filled with small hip boutiques and restaurants. In the 70s and 80s, then neighborhood fell on some hard times. However, today it is one of the trendiest, family-oriented areas of town, and new home development and retail development is flooding into the neighborhood.
The Houston Heights offers a diverse mix of old and new Victorian homes, early century craftsman homes, and contemporary/modern design. Most of the homes feature high ceilings, great craftsman interior finishes, and spaces from 1000 sqft to well over 3500 sqft. Prices range from the low 400s to the high 700s. However, at the 500K to 750K range, you are looking at a new or completely renovated home with a space over 2000 sqft.
Upper Kirby
Upper Kirby can only be described as a wonderful marriage between luxury and urban living. The area is considered one of the hipper neighborhoods in the city. Luxury shopping and chic restaurants proliferate the neighborhood. Multi-use developments such as West Ave and 2727 Kirby provide a wonderful combination of trendy boutiques and restaurants with luxury living. Most everything in this area is within walking distance or a short bike ride.
Upper Kirby is a also centrally located and an easy commute to some of Houston’s largest economic centers, including the adjacent Greenway Plaza, Galleria/Uptown, Downtown Houston, and the Texas Medical Center.
The living options in this area are diverse. From single family bungalows to upscale luxury townhomes to ultra modern single family homes to high rise living, this neighborhood has something for everyone. From $500K to 750K, there are a number of single family home options. Single family homes in that price range will typically be about 2500 sqft or less. They are typically of older construction, but they do have some modern updates and renovations.
New and recently developed townhomes and patio homes are also within reach at this price point in Upper Kirby. These units tend to be newer construction with spaces in excess of 2500 square feet. Many of the developments are actually quite nice with high quality finishes and amenities.
Museum Park Houston is one of Houston’s most culturally rich communities in the city. Home to 13 Museums, Hermann Park, and Rice University, this neighborhood offers walk-ability to many of Houston’s most prized treasures. Uniquely situated between Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center, two of the largest business districts in the state of Texas. Both of these districts are connected to Museum Park by Houston’s light rail system. Museum Park has many recently constructed luxury single family homes, townhomes, and high rise condominiums. The neighborhood is also home to the highest concentration of modern residential development in all of Houston. Norhill Realty is proud to call this vibrant neighborhood our home.
High quality, luxury townhomes and patio homes are plentiful in this neighborhood between $500K to $750. Developments such as The Art Colony, Intexure’s Palm Terrace, and Lovett Homes’ Rosedale Park are some examples of the kinds of luxury home projects that are currently under way in Museum Park. As demonstrated by The Art Colony and Palm Terrace, Museum Park has a large density of modern and contemporary construction at this price point.
Museum Park also has some great high rise properties to consider between $500K and $750K. The contemporary Mosaic on Hermann Park and The high-luxury Warwick Towers offer some gorgeous views of Houston, great community amenities, and wonderful, spacious spaces between $500K and 750K.
Located in Northwest Houston, the area of Oak Forest and Garden Oaks is positioned just outside Houston’s 610 Loop. This near town location provides great access to Houston’s two largest economic centers, Downtown Houston and Galleria/Uptown. The area has seen a significant level of new development in recent years thanks in large part to the fantastic elementary schools, both public and private, as well as the great sense of kid-friendly community that proliferates the neighborhoods. The recently renovated Oak Forest Library is a testament to this communities’ commitment to family and community.
Homes priced between $500K and 750K in this area tend to be a mix between older, remodeled properties and new construction. The existing construction in Garden Oaks tends to be the most attractive in this price point, as these home tend to be much larger than the existing construction in Oak Forest and the lots tend to be enormous. Lots in Garden Oaks can top well over 15,000 square feet and lots over 20,000 square feet are sometimes available as well. The homes tend to have spaces as large as 3500 sqft or more.
Although New Construction can be found in both neighborhoods between this price point, Oak Forest is going through an extraordinary amount of new development at this time. These new homes tend to have all of the size and amenities of quality luxury construction in great suburban communities. New Construction in Oak Forest tends to be constructed with more than 3000 sqft of space, and lots tend to be over 7000 sqft.
Braes Heights/Braeswood Place
Located just west of the Texas Medical Center, Braes Heights and Braeswood Place have become particularly popular with physicians and professionals from the hospitals in the Medical Center. It also very well positioned for people commuting to Greenway Plaza and the Uptown/Galleria area.
With some truly great public schools, such as Mark Twain Elementary and Longfellow Elementary, and some wonderful parks such as Karl Young Park and the recently renovated John P. McGovern Campus Park, this area has become one of the most sought after, kid-friendly family neighborhoods in town. There is also the long trails that traverse the Brays Bayou, which cuts through the neighborhood along Braeswood Blvd. There are also some really top flight private schools in the area, such as St. Vincent de Paul School, a K-8 Roman Catholic school, and St. Mark’s Episcopal School. The recently developed Weekly Family YMCA, which replaced the previous Southwest Branch YMCA in West University Place, is home to a gymnasium, an outdoor pool, an outdoor athletic fields, and a weight room. All of these amenities and resources provide a great suburban like atmosphere in the inner loop.
With respect to the housing options, there is a nice mix of both new and existing construction. The original neighborhood was developed in the 1950s and the existing homes are primarily one story, ranch-style construction. These Properties in the $500k to $750K range are typically in excess of 2000 sqft with at least 3 bedrooms. In this price range, the homes have typically undergone extensive updates and renovation. The area went through a modest building boom in the 90s. These homes are typically 2 story with spaces in excess of 3000 sqft. At this price point, these homes will typically only have modest updates (if any) from their existing construction.
