Tomball
Tomball? Why an article about a dinky town that many Texans can’t pinpoint on the map? You’ve heard people say “location, location, location.” In Tomball’s case, that is a very good selling point. First of all, Tomball is conveniently located near the 99 Grand Parkway, 249 Tomball Parkway, 290 NW Freeway, with Interstate 45 and Sam Houston Tollway 8 only a few minutes’ drive away. The Woodlands is very close, and downtown Houston, Katy, and Magnolia are just a short drive away.
Our children’s education should be another key determining factor in where we choose to live, and Tomball is home to several highly rated public schools. Tomball Memorial High School, Willow Wood Jr High School, Northpointe Intermediate School, Lakewood Elementary, Willow Creek Elementary, Canyon Pointe Elementary, and Creekview Elementary are all highly rated and well above average on Great Schools.org.
Finally, you can’t beat the laid-back feel of a town like Tomball. There is plenty of land for folks to spread out, and depending on the neighborhood, much more distance between homes than in the big cities. From my home in a traditional subdivision-type neighborhood, we only have to drive a couple of minutes (literally) to see horses, cows, longhorns and pastures as far as the eye can see.
Public parks
I’ve travelled all over the world several times, while active-duty military and later as a civilian with my wife and daughter. Wherever we are in the world, some of our favorite places to visit are botanical gardens and parks. When we moved from northern Virginia to Houston, our first thought was “well, it’s just a big flat area made up of several other cities, no seasons, and not a whole lot to see.”
It wasn’t until we started asking around and doing research that we started finding these gardens and parks; and they are sprinkled all over the Houston and surrounding area. Here is a list of some of our favorites to get you started:
North Houston, Tomball, Spring area:
Mercer Botanical Gardens
22306 Aldine Westfield Rd, Humble, TX 77338
Cypresswood Water Conservation Garden
4107 Evening Trail Dr, Spring, TX 77388
Mandolin Gardens Park
10315 Summit Bridge Ln, Houston, TX 77070
Closer to downtown and south Houston:
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
4501 Woodway Dr, Houston, TX 77024
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
6003 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77007
Japanese Garden (Hermann Park)
6000 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030
McGovern Centennial Gardens (Hermann Park)
1500 Hermann Dr, Houston, TX 77004
Rose Garden (Hermann Park)
5555 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030
Houston Botanic Garden (Southeast of downtown Houston)
8200 Park Pl Blvd, Houston, TX 77017