Missouri City

Ever since it was first built in the early 1970s, Quail Valley has been a neighborhood with a clear vision. The area was one of the first planned communities in Missouri City and was created to be a well-organized golf course district. “This neighborhood is a true gem that has stood the test of time, like a fine wine, just aged beautifully,” says Mark MacInerney, a broker and president of Codemark Financial. Built around the Quail Valley Golf Course & City Centre, the community is a haven for golfers who want to spend their free time on two extensive courses. As residents stroll around the multiple organized subdivisions that make up their neighborhood, they may even get a peak at the community’s namesake bird population. Quail Valley is zoned within the Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD), and multiple local schools are conveniently located near the community. Quail Valley Elementary School has a B-plus grade on Niche, while Quail Valley Middle School received an A grade. Elkins High School is also A-rated and is the host school for the FBISD Engineering Academy. Students from across the district can come to Elkins to complete advanced science and math courses to prepare for a college degree in engineering. Quail Valley is within 5 miles of both the Southwest and Stafford campuses of Houston Community College. The University of Houston at Sugar Land is about 9 miles away. Quail Valley is built around the Quail Valley Golf Course and City Centre, which has always been the community's centerpiece. The two 18-hole courses, El Dorado and La Quinta, can both be reached on La Quinta Drive and are popular with golfers of all ages. In addition to these distinctive courses, Quail Valley is dotted with some community parks. One of the most prominent spaces is MacNaughton Park on Hampton Drive, which is popular for its large playground built to resemble a pine forest. Quail Valley Golf Course and City Centre has the perfect spot for southern comfort food right on the course. The Bluebonnet Grille serves lunch and dinner all week long, including boudin balls, pork rinds and chicken fried steak. On the weekends, it adds a breakfast menu, with must-try dishes like Belgian waffles and cinnamon swirl pancakes. There are no houses of worship within the community itself, but nondenominational churches, like the Arabic Church of Houston and The Freedom Center, are about a mile outside the neighborhood off of Cartwright Road. There are also no stores within Quail Valley, but Missouri City Shopping Center is a short drive away off Highway 6 and has everyday needs like Target and Kroger. While the original Quail Valley community had around 3,000 homes, this number has increased as several small subdivisions have been added to the area over the years. There are 15 separate subdivisions in Quail Valley, most of which are overseen by the Quail Valley Fund HOA. Many homes in these subdivisions were built in the 1970s when the area was first established. “Development was ahead of its time. Not one single home was built to look the same, all the homes were custom,” MacInerney says. Cape Cod structures with pitched roofs and dormer windows, Colonial Revival residences with stately brick facades, and stone-accented ranch homes are some of the most popular styles. These homes are also frequently outfitted with large yards, backyard pools and outdoor patios. The price range for a one-of-a-kind Quail Valley property is between $250,000 and $400,000. The overall CAP Index Crime Score for the neighborhood is 3, which is lower than the national average score of 4. There is almost no public transportation easily accessible in Quail Valley, so residents rely on their own vehicles to get around. Highway 6 runs along the area, and connects to the neighboring city of Sugar Land, 10 miles away. Sugar Land has a large retail and medical district off of Interstate 69, with large malls located alongside acclaimed healthcare facilities like Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and Sugar Land Medical Center. The larger metro of downtown Houston is about 25 miles away via Interstate 69. The closest commercial airport, William P. Hobby Airport, is 23 miles away on the southern side of Houston.

Nina Patel, who was in Sienna for 25 years, calls her neighborhood “the bubble.” “You can live, work and play in Sienna, and it’s totally doable within the bubble,” says Patel, who is Team Lead for the Nina and Neel Team with eXp Realty, one of the top-producing real estate teams in Houston. Sienna is a master planned community 30 miles outside of Houston where locals enjoy a neighborly community alongside many recreation and entertainment options. Residents have access to a several fitness complexes, top-rated schools, and proximity to family members who often move to the area to stay close to their loved ones. “Multi-generational living is becoming more important. My parents actually moved to Sienna from California, and they’ve made a lot of friends here,” Patel says. “And my kids are going to college with kids they’ve known since elementary school, how cool is that?” The community also has a crime rate of only 2 on the CAP Index, making it one of the safer areas of the metro. Like many other parts of Houston, the community was damaged by flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, but Sienna residents have worked hard to rebuild their neighborhood in the years since the storm. Sienna is zoned within the top-rated Fort Bend Independent School District. Local schools like Sienna Crossing Elementary School, Billy Baines Middle School and Ridge Point High School all earn an A score on Niche. Ridge Point High School has academic offerings in agriculture tech, architecture, journalism, business marketing and law, and students’ neighbors often teach these courses. “Teachers live in the community, which helps because they’re interested in the development of their students,” Patel says. “It’s not just about the education; kids feel a sense of community as well as they grow up.” For children who want to continue their education close to home, Sienna is 15 miles away from the University of Houston at Sugar Land campus. Sienna was designed with outdoor amenities and recreation in mind. Residents are granted membership to the Sawmill Lake Club along Mount Logan, a lakeside fitness club with a lounge and an outdoor pool. This club also hosts community events, including the annual Sienna Art Festival with live performances and art exhibits. Locals can also access Club Sienna on Scanlan Trace, a large green space with a fishing dock, waterpark, and amphitheater. For golfers, the Sienna Golf Club & Grille offers a course along Waters Lake Boulevard. Another neighborhood recreation spot is Camp Sienna, a giant sports complex with multiple baseball and soccer fields and basketball courts along Camp Sienna Trail. The “bubble” of Sienna is 30 miles away from Houston, but that does not mean the community is removed from shopping and dining. Locals can start off the day at Bean Here Coffee Lab and Studios on Sierra Parkway, which serves creative specialty drinks like a honey lavender rose latte or coconut pandan latte. On Highway 6 are Mexican eateries like El Regio Mexican Grill & Bar and Taqueria El Taco Grill and the regional fast food takeout spot Take the Wheel. For groceries and essentials, Kroger, H-E-B, Aldi and Walmart are all located along Highway 6. Sienna is filled with recently built homes, many of which were constructed after 2010. These contemporary-style properties typically span 2,000 to 3,000 square feet and have features like dormer windows, stone detailing and sharp, asymmetrical roofs. Sienna consists of multiple subdivisions that are well-organized, with plenty of sidewalks and big lawns dotted with towering oak trees. Many Sienna properties are priced between $400,000 and $700,000, but large, 4,000-square-foot homes with sprawling corner lots can go for between $800,000 to $1 million. Sienna has no public transportation options, so residents rely on their cars. Fort Bend Parkway connects Sienna directly to downtown Houston, 30 miles away. Highway 6 connects to Sugar Land, which not only offers retail shopping but also medical facilities like Memorial Hermann, St. Luke’s, Houston Methodist and Kindred Hospital. Sienna is next to Houston Southwest Airport, which mainly serves private aircraft. The closest large public airport is William P. Hobby Airport, about 27 miles away.

Buffalo Run residents wake in ranch-style homes on meandering suburban streets in an established part of Missouri City. "It's pretty ideal for the schools, commuting and the atmosphere is very family friendly," says Realtor Taylor Webster with Winhill Advisors, a regional expert who sells homes in Buffalo Run. A neighborhood park by the same name was established in Buffalo Run in 2020, balancing out an industrial presence in the neighborhood's northeastern section with manufacturing companies and warehouses. Flowing south of there, Buffalo Run is primarily suburban, however Houston Community College and a few grocery stores settle residential sections. The neighborhood's convenience to Houston lies at its boundaries, where Highway 90, Sam Houston Tollway and Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road all meet on three sides. If locals want to head downtown, they can get there in about 20 miles. Residential streets in Buffalo Run are lined with established brick traditionals are capped by tall trees and shaded sidewalks. Older homes price from the $200,000 to the mid $300,000s depending on condition and square footage. Homebuyers seeking a new construction might look toward Buffalo Run's northern and southern sections where a wave of neo traditionals are being built, priced from the $200,000s to $400,000s. Some of these new homes are made entirely from white brick bringing in a fresh feeling; others are finished with shiplap paneling common in modern farmhouse styles. Missouri City is prone to flooding but the last major storm to hit Buffalo Run was in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey. The lake at Buffalo Run Park safely diverted much of the rain, ensuring that homes and businesses remained dry. Still, flood insurance may be wise. The neighborhood's CAP Score Crime Index is is 3 out of 10, which is lower than the national average of 4 out of 10. Students are served by the Fort Bend Independent School District, which earns an A rating from Niche. They may start out at Hunters Glen Elementary School, which scores a B minus on Niche, before moving on to Missouri City Middle School, which gets a B ranking. From there, they may progress to Thurgood Marshall High School. Though the high school gets a C-plus rating overall, it offers an Early College Program that allows students to earn an associate degree before their college years begin. For a convenient college track, Houston Community College is right in the neighborhood. Due to the neighborhood's spread out nature, cars are important. However, bus stops line Fondren Road and Chasewood Drive, providing commuter options. Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road, U.S. Route 90 and the Sam Houston Tollway ring Buffalo Run on three sides. William P Hobby is around 20 miles east via the tollway when flights are needed. St Luke's Health in Sugar Land is just over 10 miles west along the same route. Local houses of worship dot the area, including Ethiopian Christians Fellowship Church on Present Street and CityRise Church on Missouri Street. At 96 acres, Buffalo Run Park is by far the neighborhood's largest and most popular green space, thanks in large part to its four interconnected lakes. Anglers are drawn to its fishing piers and there are several boat ramps for a ride along the water. The park features paved and unpaved trails with footbridges connecting its lakes. And it has two drinking fountains with doggie bowls, allowing furry friends to grab a cool drink on runs with their owners. The park is the site of Missouri City's annual Fourth of July celebration, which features mechanical bulls, pony rides, a rock wall and more—all before the fireworks show! Hunters Glen Park is another popular spot during the summer for its splashpad where kids run gleefully through the sprinklers. Texas Parkway has neighborhood shops and eateries. Residents swing by Fiesta Mart for groceries and meet for lunch at Boogies Chicago Style BBQ, known for its brisket and loaded spuds. Pupuseria Lazo is a local favorite for thick corn tortillas stuffed with meat, refried beans and cheese. The Missouri City chain 7Spice settles along the parkway as well, serving Cajun-style seafood. And Walgreens enters the mix for everyday conveniences. The Missouri City Shopping Center is just over 5 miles southeast with a Target, Home Depot, Starbucks and more. The neighborly nature of Buffalo Run and other enclaves in the city tends to stick with people. “People who grew up in Missouri City come back to Missouri City. That’s a trend I’ve noticed,” says Realtor Nina Patel of Nina and Neel Team who has 20 years of experience selling in Houston.