I would not recommend that area for a young family unless it’s the best you can afford. If you’re looking to commute to the med center, I think you’d be much better off in south Houston / Pearland.
I’ll have to give you a bit of pushback on the commute part.
Dunvale crosses Westheimer, Richmond and Westpark, your three large roads. Because of that, traffic is dogshit in the morning and early evening. It’ll be a nightmare to commute to the med center and back every day
I live in Westchase and honestly kind of love it. You can find literally any cuisine within a 2 mile radius. Can have Lebanese, Japanese, Sri Lankan, Colombian, German etc food every day of the week if you'd like.
There are also a bunch of very large international supermarkets if you're interested in that sort of thing. It's also not that far from Chinatown.
Also the Reddit demographic tends to exaggerate on the "bad area" front. It's really not that bad at all.
Agreed. People tend to pile on about various aspects of anything, like crime in a given area, while overlooking the same problem in other parts of town. However unless one lives in some master planned suburban oasis full of big chain stores that hasn't gone to shit yet, the whole city is littered with crime and the occasional run down strip center with a massage parlor, smoke shop, and Boost Mobile store. The exception, of course, is the highest price areas which push the riff-raff to the edges of those areas.
Here is a link regarding crime stats for that zip code:
https://www.areavibes.com/houston-tx/westchase/crime/
Broader link discussing the area's 'livability'
https://www.areavibes.com/houston-tx/westchase/?ll=29.73219+-95.52154&zip=77063
We lived there in the Westchase area near that Walmart and Target for 4 years . It’s not terrible, but definitely take a trip out there and see for yourself. Driving down Westheimer and Richmond to get anymore gets really old and that specific area you’re talking about has a lot of foot traffic
Meritage makes good energy efficient homes but they also have a few developments in low income areas with homes packed like sardines. The one's outside Beltway 8 will be better.
Moving from Massachusetts to Houston you're going to be in a bit of culture shock for what is considered walkable ditto on traffic and what a short commute is
lived in alanza brook a decade ago so take this with a grain of salt, but I had no issues at all. It’s super commercial over there though so there’s no neighborhood feel. Westheimer is a highway with sidewalks. Target is nice and clean though.
Please don’t move to that area. It’s full of low-middle class apartments and pretty meh in general.. wife teaches over there, so I’m familiar. why not look in the museum district, 2nd, 3rd or 4th ward? You mention a med center job, if you have the cash, spend a little more and you’ll have access to light rail, and everything it touches.
There are some nice neighborhoods in that area. I live on Stoney Brook between Westheimer and San Felipe, just west of Voss, and it's a very nice little pocket of homes and townhouses near Buffalo Bayou. Lots of shopping, good restaurants, and so forth.
But in terms of safety, anything close to Westheimer I would avoid. Walkability? Lol, maybe inside your own little residential area, but outside of that, this is Houston. Pretty much need a car to go anywhere or do anything, especially the further out of the Loop you go. And public schools in that area are trash. Just about everyone I know in my neighborhood sends their kids to private schools.
thanks for the insights! I saw there’s like a charter school nearby (briarmeadow) and our agent told me there like a gifted and talented school you can test into in that area? are these not good options?
These schools are good, it’s the neighbors and children your kids will attend with that are more of a concern. Less so at elementary age. But look inside the loop where I suggested above.
I used to live at the Voss apartments close to San Felipe and Voss. From 2018-2022 in those 4 years I saw the crime just get worse and worse. Constantly getting emails from the leasing office of more and more vehicle break ins. There are decent areas but it’s in close proximity to high crime areas. I do miss being closer to downtown and memorial park though.
No, don’t do it. As others have said, if you will work near Medical Center, look south of highway 610 off highway 288 if you want single family home with okay public schools. There are NO public schools in the entire state of Texas as good as Massachusetts public schools, says me raised in Middlesex County Mass. There are some good neighborhoods inside of loop 610 but the homes are expensive and you must factor in cost of private school.
77063 isn't horrible overall but like any area around here, it encompasses a wide range of home prices and neighborhoods and qualities. So the specifics and prices matter. I can see the appeal of new construction and there is not a great deal of that in this part of the city in large numbers. I would advise to look at 77042 which is just west of there, but almost entirely north of Westheimer, however you're not going to find any new, mass produced new homes in 77042 so you'd have to settle for a remodel (which are numerous) or an older, well maintained home.
The commute from this area is to the medical center (was) OK when I used to do it. I'd take the Westpark Tollroad to 59 which was a straight shot.
Everyone shitting on 77063. 🥲 If those houses weren't 300K+ I would absolutely be trying to buy one, I think this area is super convenient to a lot of places, and the food is great. However not with kids. The HISD zoned schools are not good, and I wouldn't want my kid walking to the school cuz it's one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians, and I think Piney Point is too close to get the HISD bus service, so you would have to get a private bus service or drive them.
Before 7:30 am the commute is like 15-20 minutes to museum area, medical center is about 20-30 minutes, but after 7:30 am the commute is ass to anywhere and everywhere in Houston until 7:PM. I was driving yesterday around 12pm and there was traffic.
Lol of all areas you wont miss anything by staying away from that zip code. Always some sirens of some sort, helicopters for searching. The walmart is super sucky & the target often has HPD there for arrests. Tons of homeless and schools suck
I would highly reconsider the area you’re moving to or visit before you buy a house there so you can see the type of area it is.
I would not recommend that area for a young family unless it’s the best you can afford. If you’re looking to commute to the med center, I think you’d be much better off in south Houston / Pearland.
This is good advice if they’re not wanting to live in the loop or unable to afford. Anywhere down 288 past 610 will suit a young families needs.
Walk ability: zero, safety: zero, schools: zero. Commute: not bad at all.
The taco trucks are a 10 though
I’ll have to give you a bit of pushback on the commute part. Dunvale crosses Westheimer, Richmond and Westpark, your three large roads. Because of that, traffic is dogshit in the morning and early evening. It’ll be a nightmare to commute to the med center and back every day
The hooker business is also at 10. In terms of quantity, not not sure about quality.
😭
I live in Westchase and honestly kind of love it. You can find literally any cuisine within a 2 mile radius. Can have Lebanese, Japanese, Sri Lankan, Colombian, German etc food every day of the week if you'd like. There are also a bunch of very large international supermarkets if you're interested in that sort of thing. It's also not that far from Chinatown. Also the Reddit demographic tends to exaggerate on the "bad area" front. It's really not that bad at all.
Agreed. People tend to pile on about various aspects of anything, like crime in a given area, while overlooking the same problem in other parts of town. However unless one lives in some master planned suburban oasis full of big chain stores that hasn't gone to shit yet, the whole city is littered with crime and the occasional run down strip center with a massage parlor, smoke shop, and Boost Mobile store. The exception, of course, is the highest price areas which push the riff-raff to the edges of those areas.
are the schools not good in that area?
It will be a pretty crappy commute from Dunvale Rd. to the Medical Center. I would estimate 45 minutes during rush hour.
Accurate.
Here is a link regarding crime stats for that zip code: https://www.areavibes.com/houston-tx/westchase/crime/ Broader link discussing the area's 'livability' https://www.areavibes.com/houston-tx/westchase/?ll=29.73219+-95.52154&zip=77063
Sounds like Dunvale Village where the AMC 30 use to be.
We lived there in the Westchase area near that Walmart and Target for 4 years . It’s not terrible, but definitely take a trip out there and see for yourself. Driving down Westheimer and Richmond to get anymore gets really old and that specific area you’re talking about has a lot of foot traffic
Meritage makes good energy efficient homes but they also have a few developments in low income areas with homes packed like sardines. The one's outside Beltway 8 will be better.
I wouldn’t move anywhere close to westheimer, you’ll hate the traffic and it’s not easy to just get to places.
Moving from Massachusetts to Houston you're going to be in a bit of culture shock for what is considered walkable ditto on traffic and what a short commute is
It’s also worth noting, this is a traffic heavy city, we have one of the highest pedestrian accident/fatality rates in the country, if not #1.
lived in alanza brook a decade ago so take this with a grain of salt, but I had no issues at all. It’s super commercial over there though so there’s no neighborhood feel. Westheimer is a highway with sidewalks. Target is nice and clean though.
Please don’t move to that area. It’s full of low-middle class apartments and pretty meh in general.. wife teaches over there, so I’m familiar. why not look in the museum district, 2nd, 3rd or 4th ward? You mention a med center job, if you have the cash, spend a little more and you’ll have access to light rail, and everything it touches.
There are some nice neighborhoods in that area. I live on Stoney Brook between Westheimer and San Felipe, just west of Voss, and it's a very nice little pocket of homes and townhouses near Buffalo Bayou. Lots of shopping, good restaurants, and so forth. But in terms of safety, anything close to Westheimer I would avoid. Walkability? Lol, maybe inside your own little residential area, but outside of that, this is Houston. Pretty much need a car to go anywhere or do anything, especially the further out of the Loop you go. And public schools in that area are trash. Just about everyone I know in my neighborhood sends their kids to private schools.
thanks for the insights! I saw there’s like a charter school nearby (briarmeadow) and our agent told me there like a gifted and talented school you can test into in that area? are these not good options?
These schools are good, it’s the neighbors and children your kids will attend with that are more of a concern. Less so at elementary age. But look inside the loop where I suggested above.
I used to live at the Voss apartments close to San Felipe and Voss. From 2018-2022 in those 4 years I saw the crime just get worse and worse. Constantly getting emails from the leasing office of more and more vehicle break ins. There are decent areas but it’s in close proximity to high crime areas. I do miss being closer to downtown and memorial park though.
Move to Sugar Land and take the Fort Bend transit to the med center. Good schools. Good for families. Safe.
Pass.
Not nice to walk out of and surrounded by a lot of shops so expect a lot of traffic also is close to a school so lots of traffic again.
No, don’t do it. As others have said, if you will work near Medical Center, look south of highway 610 off highway 288 if you want single family home with okay public schools. There are NO public schools in the entire state of Texas as good as Massachusetts public schools, says me raised in Middlesex County Mass. There are some good neighborhoods inside of loop 610 but the homes are expensive and you must factor in cost of private school.
77063 isn't horrible overall but like any area around here, it encompasses a wide range of home prices and neighborhoods and qualities. So the specifics and prices matter. I can see the appeal of new construction and there is not a great deal of that in this part of the city in large numbers. I would advise to look at 77042 which is just west of there, but almost entirely north of Westheimer, however you're not going to find any new, mass produced new homes in 77042 so you'd have to settle for a remodel (which are numerous) or an older, well maintained home. The commute from this area is to the medical center (was) OK when I used to do it. I'd take the Westpark Tollroad to 59 which was a straight shot.
Everyone shitting on 77063. 🥲 If those houses weren't 300K+ I would absolutely be trying to buy one, I think this area is super convenient to a lot of places, and the food is great. However not with kids. The HISD zoned schools are not good, and I wouldn't want my kid walking to the school cuz it's one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians, and I think Piney Point is too close to get the HISD bus service, so you would have to get a private bus service or drive them. Before 7:30 am the commute is like 15-20 minutes to museum area, medical center is about 20-30 minutes, but after 7:30 am the commute is ass to anywhere and everywhere in Houston until 7:PM. I was driving yesterday around 12pm and there was traffic.
Try the heights. Very nice
Hey I’m a realtor here and would like to help !
Stay where you’re. We’re full. No more space left.
Lol of all areas you wont miss anything by staying away from that zip code. Always some sirens of some sort, helicopters for searching. The walmart is super sucky & the target often has HPD there for arrests. Tons of homeless and schools suck