Moving to Bellaire and West University – Houston, Texas
The different colored street signs – red in Bellaire, blue in West University Place – are sure giveaways that these popular residential enclaves hugging the 610 Loop are separate cities. Long valued as safe and stable urban enclaves at a time when surrounding Central Houston neighborhoods were perceived otherwise, Bellaire, West U and the adjacent city of Southside Place never experienced the boom-and-decline cycles common to other parts of the Houston area. Nonetheless, these cities have been remarkably transformed in past decades, with modest frame and brick homes giving way to large newly constructed homes. This rebuilding trend continues today.
Functioning as bedroom communities for Houston, these small cities are home to treefilled parks and esplanades, well-regarded schools, and independent police departments. Bellaire gained a significant green
space about a decade ago when the city acquired the landmark Teas Nursery for a new park.
Rice Village – Living Close to the Texas Medical Center
These neighborhoods are also sought-after because of their proximity to the Texas Medical Center, Rice University and the popular Rice Village shopping district. As it passes through the area, Kirby Drive is also lined with many upscale stores and restaurants.
