The Woodlands Property Management

Located 28 miles north of downtown Houston along Interstate 45, The Woodlands is a sprawling master planned community that was originally conceived and developed by oil investor George P. Mitchell in 1974.

Mitchell came up with the idea for The Woodlands after attending a symposium from American City Corporation on how to develop HUD financed Title VII towns (like Columbia, Maryland). His plan was to develop everything people needed in one singular location. This included affordable and high-end housing, hotels, conference centers, restaurants, office parks, retail malls, golf courses, schools, distribution centers, commercial facilities, and more.

When Mitchell and his team set out to develop The Woodlands, they had a very particular vision and, for the most part, that vision is still honored to this day. The primary goal was to maintain the natural environment. This meant preserving and maintaining as much forest preserve land as possible, maintaining greenbelts along natural waterways, and establishing strict and uniform setback lines and landscape standards for properties.

Development-wise, the plan was to create a complete community where residents could “live, work, play, and learn.” Housing was developed in a counter-clockwise fashion around what is known as the Town Center – i.e. downtown. Neighborhoods are known as villages; convenience and safety are two of the major goals.

“The Town Center has always been viewed to be different from the residential villages,” explains Robert Heineman, Vice President of Planning for The Woodlands Development Company. “The residential villages are designed to have a small town feel in a forested setting. The residential neighborhoods, park and pathway system, schools, institutional uses, and village centers are designed to accommodate most of a family’s daily needs within a 1 to 2 mile radius. The variety of retail and professional office contained in each village center allows and even encourages residents to visit several destinations during a single trip (for example, supermarket, drugstore, gas, cleaners, hardware store). This makes destinations convenient and efficient to access.”

Interestingly enough, Heineman points to the fact that more than 75 percent of today’s sales tax receipts come from visitors to The Woodlands. This means that, while The Woodlands is a tight-knit community, it’s also seen as a vibrant destination by those nearby.

As mentioned, The Woodlands is a master planned community, it is comprised of different villages – each like a small town with different shopping centers, schools, recreation facilities, community organizations, and places of worship.

Per Mitchell’s vision, there is variety among the neighborhoods. Some are relatively small, while others are quite large. There are different home styles, price ranges, and geographical settings, including lakeside properties, golf course lots, greenbelt properties, urban living spaces, and gated communities.

Recent data shows that the median single family homes sales price was $557,349 in 2016, an increase of nearly 55 percent since 2010. The average home size is 3,423 square feet.

It’s virtually impossible to be bored for long in The Woodlands. There’s always something to do or see. The Waterway is one of the more popular spots, featuring a number of bars and restaurants, shopping, and live music. When the weather is nice, the Riva Row Boathouse is a fun place to rent a kayak and enjoy the afternoon.

If shopping is your thing, you’ll love Market Street. This mixed-use development features popular retail stores like Tiffany & Company, Vineyard Vines, Tumi, Alex & Ani, and more. You can easily spend an entire afternoon window shopping, people watching, and enjoying the beautiful weather.

If your idea of a fun Saturday afternoon involves getting cozy with nature, you’ll love the George Mitchell Nature Preserve. As part of the Montgomery County Spring Creek Greenway, the Mitchell Preserve offers a little bit of everything. It covers nearly 1,700-acres of shaded forest and offers a two-mile main hiking trail loop, three miles of bike trails, natural surface, sustainable tracks, and a secluded path along Bedias Lake.