The Woodlands, TX Apartment Renter's Guide

"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word. And there's an opening convey of generalities. A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner!" - John Steinbeck

If you want to live near Houston without ever needing to actually venture into the city, then The Woodlands might have been created with you in mind. This carefully-planned community is located 30 minutes north of downtown Houston, and it has nearly everything you could possibly want within the community -- including entertainment venues, office headquarters, schools, shopping centers, YMCAs, recreation areas, libraries and more. Oh, and trees. Lots of them, as you may have guessed from the name.

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Similar to Houston, there are many different types of rental housing in The Woodlands for you to choose. You can find a house rental, a condo for rent, a studio apartment, a one-, two-, or three- bedroom apartment - whatever size fits your needs.

Do you like the finer things in life? While The Woodlands have a variety of different types of rentals, the area specializes in luxury apartments. Many of the apartments feature spacious floor plans, garden tubs, high ceilings, crown molding, upscale finishes, granite countertops, open floor plans and other features that are sure to impress your friends.

If green living is a high priority for you, The Woodlands also has you covered there. The community was one of the first places in Houston to build a LEED Certified Silver apartment building, called Millennium Waterway Ave.

Of course, sometimes even the most spacious apartment floor plan isn't enough to house you and your enormous personality. If you're looking more space, you can find homes to rent in all sizes in the area.

Neighborhoods are so pass. Wouldn't you rather live in a village? That's what the various sections of The Woodlands are called. Each village is then subdivided into different neighborhoods. Here are some of the residential villages you choose from in The Woodlands.

Town Center: You're a complicated individual. You want a small town feel, but you like to be in the middle of the action. Town Center might be the right choice for you. Town Center is considered to be the downtown area of The Woodlands. This area is home to the community's top dining, shopping and entertainment options - including the popular outdoor amphitheater the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Residents of Town Center can also get prime views of the water because this area is connected by The Woodlands Waterway, which provides a cool aquatic transportation option and water shows to boot. The residences in this area tend to be luxury apartments, townhouses and lofts.

Grogan's Mill: Grogan's Mill is the oldest village in The Woodlands and it's sometimes known as being in the Historic District (even though it's not actually very old.) Still, if you're looking for something that's not brand-spanking-new, Grogan's Mill has a more established feel to it. If you like to work on your swing, you'll like that this area houses two golf courses. This village is in a prime location because it's close to I-45, giving you fast access to the highway that will take you into Houston. It's also near Town Center, so you can easily access the community's top shopping and entertainment location without being right in the thick of things.

Indian Springs: If you were drawn to The Woodlands for its gorgeous scenery, you might be a good fit for Indian Springs. This area is known for its nature-centric beauty. Think lots of forested areas, rolling hills and homes with views of the water. This area may not have the bigger attractions that some other areas offer, but it still boasts many of the conveniences, including grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants and drug stores. Then again, the lack of concert venues and golf courses may be part of the relaxing charm that you're after.

There are plenty of great aspects to living within commuting distance of the fourth largest city in the country. You can zoom down to Houston to catch major events like concerts, theater productions, symphony performances and - of course - the rodeo.

And there are also some good reasons to reside outside of the city in a smaller community. Like the thought of running into a familiar face at the mall or the grocery store? Well, that's a much more likely scenario in The Woodlands than it is in a huge metropolis of over two million people.

By living in The Woodlands, you escape Houston's traffic issues, sprawling footprint and big city feel and you can enjoy a more small-town, idyllic lifestyle. Hate long drives? The city was designed so that anything you might need is within a 10-15 minute drive from your home. The community has grocery stores, shopping malls, golf courses, schools, restaurants, YMCAs, as well as its own emergency services and police force. In other words, even though you're within driving distance of Houston, you really have everything you need in The Woodlands.

Of course, some planned communities can have that uncomfortable, cookie-cutter feel. But just because The Woodlands is a meticulously planned community doesn't meant that everything is uniform. The Woodlands' distinct villages give each area its own unique vibe and feel. You can live in a gated community, on a golf course, in a more urban setting or on a property with a view of the lake.

The houses and apartments also have great deal of variety, so you have the flexibility to choose a trendy loft, a classic brownstone or design your own perfect home with one of the more than 40 custom homebuilders that provide services to the area.

Wondering about transportation? Houston is notorious for being a city built for motorists. While residents of The Woodlands largely get around by car, the community does offer some limited public transportation options, including a trolley route and a waterway cruiser. These public transportation methods primarily take riders around town center, which is the downtown area of the community. So while they may not be appropriate for taking you to and from your home, the do offer other options for getting around.

The community also offers an option for people commuting in to Houston from The Woodlands. Instead of braving the traffic in their own cars, commuters can save gas and be more productive (or just spend more time browsing Facebook) by signing up for the Woodlands Express, a park and ride service that makes several stops in some of Houston's popular business centers.

Are you into nature? You may have gathered from the name that The Woodlands is known for its, well-wooded areas and outdoor recreation. This is about as far from a concrete jungle as it gets. Seriously. Even as The Woodlands continues to grow, the area has maintained almost 7,000 acres of preserved green space - with plans for even more green spaces in the future.

What does this mean for residents? Basically that you're never more than a hop, skip and a jump away from heaping dose of relaxing nature. Many of the roads and small streets are lined with trees and the community includes numerous forest preserves, seven golf courses and 129 parks.

So what if you're the active type and you're not content to just enjoy a pretty nature view? That's no problem. The Woodlands has more than 200 miles of trails for hiking and biking, plus numerous jogging tracks, dog parks, basketball courts, tennis courts and even BMX tracks. The community also boasts a five-acre fishing lake, a lazy river its own boathouse where you can rent kayaks, giving you multiple ways to get out and enjoy yourself, whether by land or by sea.