We love Katy. We didn’t know we would when we were set to move here over 3 years ago, to be honest, neither of us were super excited about moving here. Not that we had heard anything bad, but it just hadn’t been in our plans to move to Katy, Texas. But, now that we are here and settled, we can’t deny that we love it. Everything is at our finger tips, no need to go in town (except maybe for work of course), tons of diversity, and the main thing: it’s so FAMILY FRIENDLY! So many events happening daily for kids and families, and every neighbor is raising their family right along side you.
The lovely, Onyi Silmon, wrote the following blog for us. She is a local mom and real estate agent, and gives her unique perspective on 7 Reasons Why Moms and Kids love Katy!
I cannot deny my bias when I say Katy is the best place to raise kids in Houston. I have been a Katyian (yes, that is a real word or at least in my head it is!) since my family moved here 12 years ago.
Since then I have been a die hard, hands in the air, not ashamed to shout fan. Katy is a wonderful place for families! With my biased now confirmed that doesn’t mean there isn’t any truth in it!
Besides, moving with children whether it is across the country or across the street is no easy feat and if you have teenagers as I do, multiply that by 100.
All moms want to ensure that where they move to will give them the ability to raise their children to their fullest potential. Culminating with having a safe place to pursue their own personal calling.
Well, Katy is all that and more! Here are seven reasons Katy is the best place for your family.
1. LOCAL ASIAN TOWN
Exposing your children to different cultures is a good thing. Because by experiencing the beautiful melting pot that exists here in Houston it expands their growth and learning.
Katy is one of the ONLY suburbs with a Asian Town next door. Katy’s Asian shopping center is a 150,000 square foot development featuring Asian grocery stores, beauty boutiques, restaurants, and dessert stores northeast of I-10 and Grand Parkway.
No more traveling to the southwest of town to go to one of the most popular Asian grocery stores H-Mart. Katy has its own 40,000 sq. foot building right here.
At Jang Geum Tofu inside H-Mart, your kids can enjoy Korean BBQ at it’s best. If they have a hankering for burgers and tacos then you don’t want to miss out on Oh My Gogi.
Skincare is another reason this shopping center is such a great spot.
Have you heard of the 10-step Korean skincare routine? Well if you haven’t Google it later and you can thank me when it changes your life!
Moms, there is nothing better in the world than after a long day putting a sheet mask on after slathering things like snail mucilage and bee venom on your face and lying down and pretending the kids are gone. Well, at least that is what I do!
Sounds good? Never fear you can go to stores like Its Skin and Tony Moly to get your fix.
2. HOME VALUE
While there are amazing and trendy parts of Houston like the Heights and Eado, real estate in Katy affords you more bedrooms and square footage at a greater value. Families in Katy enjoy homes with more bedrooms and backyard space than many other suburbs in Houston.
With a median sold price of just over $275,000. Katy is the perfect place for moms who need wide open spaces for the kids without the need to take out a second mortgage.
Top neighborhoods have sprawling developments and amazing amenities that speak to both children and moms alike. For instance, Cinco Ranch invites food trucks with diverse culinary options from all over Houston every third Friday of the month inside their neighborhood.
3. TOP RANKED SCHOOLS
Katy schools are nationally ranked and sought after. Many Houstonians elect to leave the inner loop and move to Katy for the school district.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Katy’s elementary’s schools dominated the list for the top schools in Houston.
When schools districts consistently perform well like this. This will attract the best teachers many of whom are veterans. Many Katy schools have 85% of the teachers educating for three years or more.
In addition, high schools draw many families to the area. Schools such as Seven Lakes and Cinco Ranch are named the top schools to attend in the Houston area year after year.
4. ENERGY CORRIDOR PROXIMITY
If you are working in the oil and gas sector then you are aware of the importance of the Energy Corridor to the local economy.
Plus nobody has got time to be sitting in lovely Houston (that my friends is the epitome of sarcasm!) traffic for hours trying to get to work!
Katy is the area for you to avoid this hassle and headache.You can take a quick route using I-99 or I-10.
The Energy Corridor is not only home to the oil and gas industry but the conveniently located medical sector as well. Hard working moms have the ability to avoid commuting to the medical center for employment.
5. UNIQUE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
If I possessed the talent to write a catchy song about how much LaCenterra is the best-kept secret when it comes to family fun and restaurants in Katy I would!
LaCenterra has two parks for the kids and great children shopping options. Many of the restaurants have outdoor seating areas so you can enjoy food and people watch. Families can also enjoy the free organized and kid-friendly fun the center puts on each week.
Katy Mills Mall is an outlet mall that is sure to please also.
For working moms looking for the perfect work outfit head to Neiman Marcus Last Call where you can get stylish finds without the price tag!
6. TOP RANKED HOSPITALS
We know our kids are fond of getting in scrapes and no one wants the stress of traveling far distances when your child needs treatment.
Lucky for Katyians we don’t have to travel far to take advantage of top-ranked hospitals. We have our own Houston’s Children’s Hospital right off of I-10 and Barker Cypress.
This is Houston’s first suburban hospital designed exclusively for children. One of the great things about this hospital is that they have an Urgent-Care clinic next to the emergency center so if you need more urgent services you do not have to sit in the emergency room to receive them.
Other hospitals that are synonymous with the Medical Center is Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist.
Both hospitals are consistently ranked by U.S. News and Health each year as the best overall regional hospital in the nation. Memorial Hermann is also consistently top-ranked in children specialties.
7. FAMILY-FRIENDLY PARKS
Katy’s parks are one of the greatest reasons to move to Katy because they are family friendly by catering to the entire community.
Parks such as VFW or the Veterans of Foreign Wars is centrally located and hosts some exciting family activities that are fixtures in the community.
The biannual Community Campout at VFW is a great event for families who enjoy camping. During the day families can enjoy the park and then, later on, settle down with a hot dog dinner and outdoor movie with fellow campers.
Another great event is Katy Summer Nights. You can bring chairs, food, and drinks. While Katy provides a movie and popcorn to enjoy with your family!
In the fall, there are events for our four-legged friends. Bring your fur baby to the Howl-O-Ween event at the Katy Dog Park.
Dress up your pets in their scariest costumes for an annual costume contest to celebrate Halloween in style.
Katy is the perfect place to raise children and send them off into the world knowing they have what they need to succeed. It is the perfect place to call home for both moms and kids! Come join us and become the next Katyian!
To learn more about Onyi Silmon, head over to her website and follow her on social media:
www.thesilmongroup.com
@thesilmongroup (Facebook & Instagram)