Meadowbrook / Allendale

Right off I-45 and on the south side of Loop 610, this area is very tightly packed. Amid a vast number of houses, there are also many industrial plants, a train yard, and a landfill. The houses are on the small side, but many of the streets appear busy with heavy vehicle traffic and parked cars. Finding an affordable, comfortable home should be no problem here. There are small trees in most yards, so while there are few 'forests' in Houston, this will feel pleasant enough. Meadowbrook/ Allendale feeds into Chavez High School for the most part, which is part of HISD. Overcrowded, under-taught. The area hosts a majority immigrant population. And because of the hard-working, spirited population here, you can expect to have friendly neighbors and plenty of outings to take your kids. Granted, dogs and other animals may become a nuisance when you are trying to sleep. The area also hosts many parks. I have very mixed feelings for this area. While I enjoy the closeness with the neighbors, there seems to be a lot that can cause disruption to daily life. For peace and quiet, the train yard, industrial plants and landfill would cause too much noise. The schools in the area are weak. The parks also look difficult to access, as they are mostly surrounded by houses. Of course, shopping is somewhat difficult to get to, but there are plenty of shopping centers and places alike on the freeway, and with I-45 so close, you are never far from other places in Houston.