Briarhills, Houston
Briarhills is a subdivision in western Houston, Texas.[1] The Briarhills Property Owners Association (POA) and the Briarhills Home Owners Association (HOA) serves Briarhills, Meadowbriar, and Oaks of Parkway.
History
In 2013 Faye Liu, a prospective homeowner quoted in a Houston Chronicle article, speculated that there were many employees at BP and Shell Oil Company who were buying houses quickly in Briarhill since they were able to pay with cash; these employees would be in the later stages of their careers.[2]
Cityscape
The community is in proximity to the intersection of Texas State Highway 6 and Briar Forest.[1][3] Briarhills has 664 houses. Meadowbriar has about 125 houses. Oaks of Parkway has about 100 houses.[3] Lakes of Parkway,[1] Parkway Villages, retail developments, and restaurants are nearby.[3]
As of 1996 the housing sizes are 1,800 square feet (170 m2) to 3,400 square feet (320 m2).[1] In 2003, the lot sizes ranged from 5,500 square feet (510 m2) to 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2). The first generation houses, which were constructed in the late 1970s,[3] include contemporary house and patio houses.[1] In 2003 Nancy Scott, a real estate agent of John Daugherty, Realtors West Houston, stated that these houses had "more-modern kitchens and baths than most houses had" in the late 1970s and that "they were very innovative in their designs".[3] 1980s-built houses traditional patio and "soft contemporary houses". Houses built in the early 1990s included two-story traditional brick houses. The 1990s houses were priced from $140,000 ($271979.63 according to inflation) to $200,000 ($388542.33 according to inflation), or beginning at $70 ($135.99 according to inflation) per square foot; these houses were more inexpensive compared to those in the nearby gated "Parkway" communities. A real estate agent quoted in a 1996 Chronicle article, Rita Tucker Wright, stated that she believed that the diversity in housing styles makes Briarhills "the most unusual neighborhood in the west side of Houston."[1]
As of 2003, according to Scott, the price range of the houses in Briarhills was $160,000 ($265007.24 with inflation) to $290,000 ($480325.62 with inflation).[3]
Government and infrastructure
The community is within the Eldridge/West Oaks Super Neighborhood (SN17).[4]
Education
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/WestBriarMSHouston.jpg/220px-WestBriarMSHouston.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/BarbaraBushESHouston.jpg/220px-BarbaraBushESHouston.jpg)
Residents are in the Houston Independent School District.[5] The zoned schools are Barbara Bush Elementary School,[6] West Briar Middle School,[7] and Westside High School.[8]
Residents zoned to Ashford, Askew, Bush, Daily, Emerson, and Walnut Bend may attend Shadowbriar Elementary School's magnet program.[9]
In 1996 Bush was ranked as an "Exemplary" school, and that year Katherine Feser of the Houston Chronicle stated it was a "selling point" of Briarhills.[1] In 2003 Feser wrote that Bush "was a key factor in buying in the neighborhood" and that it was "highly rated".[3]
Bush opened in 1992.[10] Westside opened in August 2000.[11] West Briar, which was given a name combining those of Westheimer Road and Briar Forest, opened in 2002.[12] Previously residents were zoned to Revere Middle School,[13] and Lee High School.[1][14] Lee High School is over 10 miles (16 km) away from Briarhills. Grant Farris, a resident of Briarhills quoted in a 2003 Houston Chronicle article, stated that the openings of West Briar and Westside increased property values and increased cohesion in the community.[3]
Media
The Houston Chronicle is the citywide newspaper.
The Briarhills POA publishes the Briar Beat.[15]
Parks and recreation
Briarhills has basketball courts, a pool, tennis courts, and a 5-acre (2.0 ha) park. The park includes a clubhouse,[1] and Meadowbriar and Oaks of Parkway residents share the facilities with Briarhills. The community is in proximity to Terry Hershey Park.[3]
The community has a swim team called "The Dolphins".[16]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Feser, Katherine. "Briarhills has wide selection of home styles." Houston Chronicle. Sunday, November 3, 1996. Business p. 10. Available from NewsBank, Record Number HSC11031378029. Available from the Houston Public Library website with a library card.
- ^ Feser, Katherine. "REAL ESTATE - Relocations - In a seller's market, hesitation can hurt - Couple having trouble making a purchase in a popular area where the supply is limited." Houston Chronicle. Sunday, April 14, 2013. Business p. 15. Available from NewsBank, Record Number 15276779. Available from the Houston Public Library website with a library card. "In their preferred neighborhood of Briarhills near Texas 6 and Briar Forest, they are losing out to employees in later stages of their careers at companies such as Shell Oil Co. and BP who can pay cash for a quicker closing, Liu speculated."
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Feser, Katherine. "Briarhills has older homes, modern touch." Houston Chronicle. Sunday, November 23, 2003. Business p. 6. Available from NewsBank, Record Number 3710427. Available from the Houston Public Library website with a library card. "The community, near Texas 6 and Briar Forest, is a shorter commute than from Katy, and taxes are substantially lower, says Farris, who takes the Metro Park & Ride downtown. The location is close to shopping, restaurants and the upscale gated communities of Parkway Villages."
- ^ "Maps" (Archive). Eldridge/West Oaks Super Neighborhood. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
- ^ "HOA%20POA%20Map.bmp" (Archive). Briarhills POA/HOA. Retrieved on May 11, 2014.
- ^ "Bush Elementary Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District.
- ^ "West Briar Middle Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District.
- ^ "Westside High School Attendance Zone," Houston Independent School District.
- ^ "Energy Corridor Boundaries" (Archive). Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on March 18, 2016.
- ^ "Elementary Schools (A-J)" (Archive). Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on May 11, 2014.
- ^ "High Schools" (Archive). Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on May 11, 2014.
- ^ "Middle Schools" (Archive). Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on May 11, 2014.
- ^ "MID98.HTM" (). Houston Independent School District. December 14, 2001. Retrieved on May 11, 2014.
- ^ "HIGH98.HTM" (). Houston Independent School District. April 13, 2002. Retrieved on May 11, 2014.
- ^ The Briar Beat. Briarhills Property Owners Association, August 2013. Volume 1, Issue 4. p. 1 (Archive). Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
- ^ Wright, Billy. "Briarhills Dolphins Swim Team" (Archive). The Briar Beat. Briarhills Property Owners Association, August 2013. Volume 1, Issue 4. p. 5. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
External links
- Briarhills
- Briarhills (Archive)
- Briarhills Swim Team