Hi friends,
Today I thought it would be fun to add to my relocation series, and share with you, things I think you should know when relocating or moving to The Woodlands. If you have any questions, or think I missed an important point, please leave it in the comments below, and/or you can find my contact information at the end of the post. Let's get started..
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Moving to The Woodlands, TX – What you should know!
The Woodlands is not a city; it is a township!
The Woodlands Township is a special-purpose district that was created in 2007 through legislation, a referendum and regional participation agreements with the cities of Houston or Conroe. These agreements also released The Woodlands from potential annexation by Houston and Conroe until 2057 in exchange for a portion of the community’s sales tax. | The Woodlands Township contemplates future path to eventual incorporation, May 2016 & Kingwood annexation fight hurts entire Houston area, November 1996
Much of The Woodlands is actually Spring, TX.
To explain this is greater detail, I actually wrote a blog post explaining just this. You can read the blog post here. The Woodlands Township is what defines The Woodlands, but The Woodlands Area is more of a perception. Other cities that encompass The Woodlands Area include Tomball, Magnolia, and Conroe. You can see the outline of the township in the map below.
The Woodlands is broken up into villages.
The Woodlands was founded as a master planned community in 1974 by George Mitchell. It has grown to encompass 25,000 acres with 110,000 residents. During its development, it was developed in villages. The purpose of the villages was to promote a sense of community found in small towns, where neighbors knew one another. Each village has its schools, supermarket, retail shops, parks, open spaces, churches, and so much more. Each village is a thread of The Woodlands community. Below you can see my favorite map of The Woodlands. | You can download the whole map here.
One thing to note, is that the villages are also broken into enclaves, but most of enclaves are just pretty signs at the entrance of a particular section, that help people not get lost, and originally, really helped the new home sales people who sold The Woodlands those years ago.
In 1974 the first village, Village of Grogan's Mill opened. In 1976, the second village, Village of Panther Creek opened. In 1983, The Village of Cochran's Crossing opened. In 1984, The Village of Indian Springs opened. In 1995, The Village of Alden Bridge opened. The sixth village to open was Sterling Ridge in 1999. The Village of College Park followed. In 2007, The Village of Creekside Park opened. It was the final village, and is the only village to not reside in Montgomery county, but in Harris county. This village houses the prestigious gated enclave: “Carlton Woods” at Creekside and The Club at Carlton Woods, which has two golf courses.
There are lots of trees in The Woodlands.
Many people who visit The Woodlands for the first time are typically surprised by the overwhelming amount of trees. There are trees everywhere, and they create the sense of being in a forest. Many of the villages' shopping centers are hidden behind a layer of trees, with small signs barely making their presence known.
One of the seven goals of the master planned community was to preserve 25% of the woodland environment.
There is an abundance of upscale shopping and restaurant options.
Market Street, The Waterway, and Hughes Landing are the three main hot spots for entertainment and shopping, in addition to The Woodlands Mall. From Louis Vuitton to Trulucks, you will find a bevy of options offered scarcely throughout all of Houston.
The Woodlands houses The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
This amphitheater rivals the large venues downtown in terms of booked talent, but with the more intimate setting we all prefer.
The Woodlands lake has an average depth of 8 feet.
With public parks and waterfront access, Lake Woodlands functions as a recreational and visual amenity for the community. Swimming is not allowed and boating is limited to motor boats and skulls to prevent noise pollution or disturbance. Gasoline-powered craft are not allowed. Residential neighborhoods front the western and eastern shores, while major office campuses are located on the northern reaches of the lake.
The Woodlands offers a private bus system into Downtown Houston.
The Woodlands Express Park and Ride is the commuter bus that provides an economical way to commute to Downtown, the Texas Medical center, Greenway Plaza, and the Central Business District. Learn more about the Park and Ride, and other transportation of The Woodlands here.
The Woodlands is close to everything!
Bush Intercontinental Airport is just 25 minutes away.
Downtown Houston is just 30 miles south.
You have easy access to I-45, Hardy Toll Road, and Grand Parkway 99.
There is not much new construction left.
Most of The Woodlands has been built out. Although there are some higher end areas with some inventory homes left. The developer of The Woodlands has begun construction of a new master planned community to the north called The Woodlands Hills, that does come up when you search “The Woodlands”. The bulk of the homes are in Creekside, and East Shore, as well as a gated active living community called Del Webb. You can find all of the new construction in the area by clicking here.
Conroe ISD has been recognized nine years in a row for high academic achievement!
Conroe ISD is one of the only three of the 1,100+ public school districts in Texas to be recognized nine years in a row for high academic achievement while maintaining cost-effective operations. The schools that received an A rating from the Texas Education Agency include these elementary schools: Birnham Woods, Broadway, Buckalew, Bush, the two Tomball ISD elementary schools in Creekside, David, Deretchin, Galatas, Kaufman, Powell, Ride, Snyder, Stewart, and Tough. These “middle” schools: Clark Int., Collins Int., Knox JH, McCullough JH, Mitchell Int, and York JH. And these high schools: College Park, Grand Oaks, and The Woodlands.
The high school sports scene is competitive.
I haven't experienced it personally, but the high school sports scene is very competitive. I have heard many stories about try outs, and how many athletes are turned away, so this is something to be aware of, especially if you have a child in high school who loves football, basketball, or baseball.
There is always something happening in The Woodlands.
I have never lived anywhere where there were as many events on the calendar as in The Woodlands. The Woodlands has free concert series, an arts festival and so much more! The Township's website does an amazing job at keeping the calendar full! Check out the calendar here.
I hope this list has been beneficial in helping you make your decision to move to The Woodlands. I created a relocation guide for The Woodlands, that I would love to share with you. You can see the post, complete with video, and link to e-book by following this link here.
I love nothing more than providing education and answering questions, so if you are looking for a local realtor to help you find your dream home, please reach out to me; no matter where you are in the home buying process, I look forward to hearing from you.
Your Realtor,
Jordan Marie Schilleci, REALTOR®, Jo & Co. Realty Group
Call/Text 832-493-6685 | Email | Facebook | Reviews | Home Search App | YouTube
Check out our most popular blog posts:
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- Download our e-book, Moving to The Woodlands, https://byjoandco.com/downloadthewoodlandsebook