Taylor Lake Village

In 1961, when John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would go to the moon and astronauts suddenly became more famous than movie stars, the men and women of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center drove to work each morning from their homes in Taylor Lake Village. Dubbed “The Community of Moonwalkers,” Taylor Lake Village was built on a tree-covered peninsula jutting out into Taylor Lake, a refuge from the prying eyes of reporters and paparazzi where John Glenn, Gus Grissom and Wally Schirra would gather for backyard barbeques while aeronautical engineers solved vector operations on cocktail napkins. The neighborhood is no longer strictly reserved for NASA employees, but Taylor Lake Village remains proud of its ‘star-studded’ past; street names honor historic moments in space exploration, and the neighborhood pool is shaped like a Mercury space capsule.

Located west of Seabrook in southeastern Harris County, Taylor Lake Village enjoys the rare distinction of being among Niche’s best places to retire and best suburbs to raise a family in Texas, a testament to the town’s tranquility, scenery and amenities. “It’s right between Galveston and Houston,” says Nichelle Richards, a local of Taylor Lake Village and a salesperson with Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “So you can enjoy the beaches in Galveston and the nightlife in Houston on the same day.” The weather in Houston is notoriously balmy, but the locals take full advantage of their waterfront location; homes in Taylor Lake Village have backyard pools and private boat docks, the parks provide jet ski rentals, and many of the local waterfront restaurants include spaces to park your boat. “It feels like a vacation away from home without being away from home,” says Richards.

The architectural diversity displayed among the homes in Taylor Lake Village speaks to the community’s rapid development in the early 1960s, when hundreds of families moved to the outskirts of Houston to work for NASA’s Manned Space Program. Colonials, raised Acadians, Tudors and Federal-style houses are just some of the many types of homes that you’ll find along the wide streets and quiet cul-de-sacs in Taylor Lake Village, neatly arranged on large lots with driveways, detached garages and backyard pools. Sidewalks are uncommon; instead, locals walk their dogs in the middle of the street, admiring their neighbor’s gardens and enjoying the shade from one of the many mature oak or southern magnolia trees. The relatively modest homes in Clear Lake Forest are priced from $300,000 to $500,000, while the 5-bedroom waterfront mansions in Timber Cove can reach $1.5 million.

Pristine lakes surround Taylor Lake Village, inviting residents to spend their weekends fishing or boating from any number of public boat docks on Taylor Lake. If you’d rather remain on dry land, Taylor Lake Village is home to the Armand Bayou Nature Center, America’s largest urban wilderness preserve, where visitors can reconnect with nature through night hikes, safari tours and educational programs. The neighborhood boasts three large parks – Clear Lake Park, Taylor Lake Village Community Park and Baronridge Park Playground – that provide additional space for playdates, ball games, morning walks, evening swims and everything in between.

Grocery shopping is easy along Kirby Boulevard, Taylor Lake Village’s busiest street and the center of commerce, culture and convenience. Pick up groceries from Arlan’s Market, or grab everything for your backyard BBQ at Bay Area Meat Market & Deli, a Texas-style butcher shop with meats, cheeses and an adjacent smokehouse restaurant. Hunsa Thai Kitchen offers authentic Thai food in a decidedly chill atmosphere, while Valdo’s Seafood House serves Mexican-style seafood from local waterways.

Students in Taylor Lake Village begin their education at G.W. Robinson Elementary, a highly rated K-5 school with an overall A-rating from Niche. Seabrook Intermediate School also earned an overall A-rating from Niche, thanks in large part to its innovative educational programming and Science Magnet Program. From there, students move on to Clear Falls High School, where the 96% graduation rate and extensive extracurricular opportunities helped the Falcons earn recognition as one of America’s best public schools from US News.

Written By

Jack Hale

Video By

Paris Lape