With over 54 institutions and a staggering 106 000 workers, the Texas Medical center is a bustling hub of activity. Such a thriving medical center attracts countless workers, volunteers, visitors, and, of course, patients!
Regardless of your reason for moving near the Texas Medical Center, you’ll need to decide where to live. How can you choose the best neighborhood near the Medical Center? Let’s review a few of the best neighborhoods to move into, as well as why the medical center is so popular.
Table of Contents:
- The Texas Medical Center: Why So Popular?
- Best Neighborhoods Near the Texas Medical Center
- Tips for Choosing A Good Neighborhood
- The TMC and Doctor Loans
- The Bottom Line
The Texas Medical Center: Why So Popular?
In the heart of Houston, the Texas Medical Center (TMC) is home to the number one cancer center in the world, performs more heart surgeries than anywhere else in the world, as well as being the largest life center destination in the world.
Over 7 million people visit the TMC every year, and it boasts 8 academic research centers and 21 different hospitals.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of what you can find at the Texas Medical Center, and it’s already clear why the TMC is a destination for millions of people - both visitors and residents - every year.
Regardless of what type of work brings you to the TMC, you’ll need to find a great neighborhood to live in. Many of the surrounding neighbors offer easy access to public transport and the MetroRail Red-line. Like any other bustling center, countless neighborhoods and towns have sprung up around the Texas Medical Center. Now, you just need to decide where to live.
Best Neighborhoods Near the Texas Medical Center
There are plenty of considerations you’ll need to think about before choosing the right neighborhood for you. You might want to be close to friends or family, near to public transport and amenities, or just as close as possible to the medical center itself.
For most new residents, however, the biggest consideration is price. We’ll discuss three bands of neighborhoods: top-priced, moderately priced, and the lower priced neighborhoods.
Top Priced Neighborhoods
If price isn’t your main concern, you may be able to look at some of the more expensive neighborhoods. In the following four neighborhoods, the price of the average house is upwards of $650,000.
Bellaire is a beautiful, scenic location, conveniently close to the Texas Medical Center, as well as other thriving areas of Houston. Bellaire is a good choice for families with children, as it has excellent schools.
There’s also plenty to do in Bellaire, with parks and other scenic locations, as well as easy access to downtown Houston, Medical Center, Galleria, and more.
West University is another fantastic location, with exceptionally beautiful homes to buy or rent. Like Bellaire, West University is conveniently close to the TMC. There’s plenty to do in West University, with local amenities, parks, restaurants, and other entertainments.
West University is a diverse and luxurious place to live. It’s great for families with children, but it can also be a perfect environment for singles, couples, and professionals. The popular public schools such as West University Elementary continue to make West U a popular choice for homeowners.
Rated as one of the top five areas to raise a family in Houston, Braeswood is a beautiful and relaxed area, ideal for all kinds of families and households.
There are many new construction homes in the Braeswood area with reasonable price points for new construction. Homes in Braeswood are zoned to great public schools.
For couples, people of retirement age, and busy professionals, River Oaks is the perfect location. River Oaks is an ideal place for retirement, but its proximity to the Texas Medical Center makes it a good location for professionals, too.
River Oaks boasts plenty of diversity, popular restaurants, and great shopping. Homes in River Oaks are priced up to $20+ million, but townhomes and patio homes can be priced as low as $600,000.
Moderately Priced Neighborhoods
If the top-priced neighborhoods are out of your price range, there are still plenty of fantastic locations in Houston to choose from. Many of these areas have great schools, close proximity to the TMC, and beautiful, scenic locations to raise a family.
Knollwood is a popular neighborhood near the Medical Center with prices that continue to increase.
Montrose is an excellent choice for residents with a Bohemian vibe. It’s close to the Texas Medical Center but allows for plenty of entertainment and relaxation in your free time. Montrose is a bustling, diverse town, and is known for its thriving LGBT community.
Schools and colleges in Montrose are particularly good, with particularly notable colleges for performance and art.
Montrose also offers the kind of entertainment you would expect, such as parks, restaurants, and other venues. In short, Montrose has a little bit of everything, and a highly cultured vibe.
Greenway/Upper Kirby is an excellent location for all kinds of families. For households with children, Greenway/Upper Kirby boasts great schools, good housing, and provides an overall excellent place to raise a family.
For singles, couples, and busy professionals, Greenway/Upper Kirby has something for everyone. It’s a bustling, diverse town, with fabulous nightlife and plenty of entertainment. Of course, Greenway/Upper Kirby is also conveniently close to the Texas Medical Center.
Lower Priced Neighborhoods
Working with a lower budget than West U/River Oaks doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice comfort, quality, and convenience. Even lower-priced neighborhoods in Houston still offer convenient proximity to the Texas Medical Center, good schools, and all the usual entertainment venues and scenic locations that you would expect from living close to downtown.
For its price, Midtown is one of the best places to live in Texas. Boasting excellent nightlife, popular public schools, and plenty of entertainment and places to go, Midtown is a good fit for most families.
In Midtown, you can expect parks, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and much more. While Midtown is certainly suitable for all types of families, it’s very popular among couples and young professionals.
The Museum District is exactly what it sounds like - full of museums! With 20 fabulous museums in this neighborhood, the Museum District is also close to many other attractions, such as the Houston Zoo, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Aside from boasting plenty of attractions, the Museum District is conveniently situated between the Texas Medical Center and Midtown/Downtown. The Museum District also has highly rated schools and countless opportunities for learning.
This makes the Museum District perfect for active families with children.
The Meyerland Area is one of the best places in Texas to raise a family. It’s also suitable for young professionals, boasting an active nightlife and plenty of things to do.
As the perfect mix of urban and suburban, the Meyerland Area manages to walk the line and offer something for everyone. Its schools are highly rated, and you can expect to find a diverse selection of residents.
Tips for Choosing A Good Neighborhood
Choosing a new neighborhood can be overwhelming. If you’re moving to the Houston area, there’s a good chance the proximity to the TMC is high on your list of priorities. Even so, there’s plenty of other considerations to think about.
Let’s discuss a few tips to help you choose a good neighborhood - in Houston, Texas, or anywhere else.
1. Properly assess your needs and the needs of your family.
This may seem obvious, but it’s important to fully understand what you and your family will need from a home. For example, if your family only has one car, how will the kids get to school? How will you or your partner get to work? Are you close to public transport and other local amenities?
2. Visit the location several times.
A home can look very different at twilight, or on a grey, rainy day. If you can, try visiting the location several times, at different times of the day.
3. Contact the local police station for up-to-date information on local crime, and do your own research online.
The local police can tell you more about the crime stats for your area. The neighborhood may have a low crime rating, but certain areas can be more problematic than others.
4. If you have local friends or family, ask them about the location.
There’s no better way to understand a neighborhood than by talking to the locals. Speak to anyone you know who lives locally, as well as any neighbors.
5. Keep an eye out for red flags.
Graffiti, vandalism, gangs, or unfriendly locals are all signs that the neighborhood is not as safe as you’d like. This is even more important to think about if you have children.
The TMC and Doctor Loans
The Doctor Loan Program at First United supports the medical community by helping with mortgage financing. With this Doctor Loan Program, you’re guaranteed a 30-year rate on jumbo and conforming loan amounts. Any medical professional with the designations, MD, DO, DDS, and DMD, are eligible for this program.
Additionally, you can get your student loans deferred for a minimum of 12 months, helping to alleviate any stress due to financial reasons. That way, you can focus on helping improve the lives of others, knowing your finances are taking care of themselves.
The Bottom Line
Moving to a new home is always going to be stressful, even if you’re confident you’re choosing the right location. You might worry about transport, activities, and how your family will adapt to a new environment.
However, many of the neighborhoods we’ve discussed today are top-rated for a reason. Combining safety, housing quality, price, and things to do, these neighborhoods are the best places in Houston, Texas, for anyone to live.
