We just moved out of Sugar Land a little over a month ago. We lived there for almost 15 years. We moved down there when we had a newborn, and had been in the same house the whole time, and had 2 more kids. We lived in Riverstone, right by Sienna Plantation. The whole area is nice and clean as others have mentioned. It's one of the least terrible commutes of all the suburbs.

But the demographics finally just got to be too much for us. Some areas are better and some worse, but all have some element of it.

We initially made the move for schools and all the normal suburban parent stuff, but pulled our kids out of the public schools in elementary and ended up in private because I didn't want my daughter to be the only person who looked like her. Say what you want about that decision, but I wouldn't change it. My daughter couldn't wear a tshirt with a Christmas tree on it to school, or a necklace with a cross on it. But they celebrate Diwali and all the other crap at school. We had enough of it and pulled them out of public.

As others have mentioned, the sense of community is non-existent unless you are part of 'those communities' and they don't welcome outsiders to anything. If you have a good friend group established it can be overcome, but don't expect to move into any new neighborhood in SL and have the neighbors come by to bring casseroles and welcome you to the culdesac poker night. On the flip side, we moved back into Houston proper, and my kids play outside with the neighborhood kids every single day. They start knocking on the doors at 8am. We love it. In SL we basically built a backyard oasis because everything we did was back there, by ourselves.

Holidays sucked. Maybe 25% being generous decorate for Christmas in my old neighborhood. Same amount do Halloween candy. They just don't want to have anything to do with anyone who isn't like them. It was sad for my kids. But boy do the natives like to do their stuff and shoot their fireworks on their holidays. And some of them last for multiple days. I wouldn't even venture to the Towne Center, especially on a weekend. They have call to prayer there. F that.

I know it probably sounds racist and non-inclusive or whatever, but that's just our lived experience. And we were there for a long time. If you like all that diversity, which really isn't diversity, it's all one thing, it's just not white, then go for it.

ccolley68 said:

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We just moved out of Sugar Land a little over a month ago. We lived there for almost 15 years. We moved down there when we had a newborn, and had been in the same house the whole time, and had 2 more kids. We lived in Riverstone, right by Sienna Plantation. The whole area is nice and clean as others have mentioned. It's one of the least terrible commutes of all the suburbs.

But the demographics finally just got to be too much for us. Some areas are better and some worse, but all have some element of it.

We initially made the move for schools and all the normal suburban parent stuff, but pulled our kids out of the public schools in elementary and ended up in private because I didn't want my daughter to be the only person who looked like her. Say what you want about that decision, but I wouldn't change it. My daughter couldn't wear a tshirt with a Christmas tree on it to school, or a necklace with a cross on it. But they celebrate Diwali and all the other crap at school. We had enough of it and pulled them out of public.

As others have mentioned, the sense of community is non-existent unless you are part of 'those communities' and they don't welcome outsiders to anything. If you have a good friend group established it can be overcome, but don't expect to move into any new neighborhood in SL and have the neighbors come by to bring casseroles and welcome you to the culdesac poker night. On the flip side, we moved back into Houston proper, and my kids play outside with the neighborhood kids every single day. They start knocking on the doors at 8am. We love it. In SL we basically built a backyard oasis because everything we did was back there, by ourselves.

Holidays sucked. Maybe 25% being generous decorate for Christmas in my old neighborhood. Same amount do Halloween candy. They just don't want to have anything to do with anyone who isn't like them. It was sad for my kids. But boy do the natives like to do their stuff and shoot their fireworks on their holidays. And some of them last for multiple days. I wouldn't even venture to the Towne Center, especially on a weekend. They have call to prayer there. F that.

I know it probably sounds racist and non-inclusive or whatever, but that's just our lived experience. And we were there for a long time. If you like all that diversity, which really isn't diversity, it's all one thing, it's just not white, then go for it.

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I sincerely appreciate your post, because it 100 percent reflects my experience.

I lived off HWY 6 and Settler's Way for 10 years and my neighborhood slowly became how you just described. We lived across the street from Mesquite park and would often be the only english speaking family there. Very few decorated for Halloween or Christmas. All of our favorite resturants went out of business and were replaced by Asian or Indians places to eat. There was no sense of community anymore but I moved to Greatwood last August and couldnt be happier. American flags on homes all around along with more Aggie flags. My neighborhood has a group of kids that come knock on our door after school to play with my kids.

The construction getting in and out of Greatwood sucks right now but we are very pleased with our decision to move to Greatwood last year.

EclipseAg said:

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MrPlow2010 said:

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I lived off HWY 6 and Settler's Way for 10 years

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When my oldest entered SWE, the art auction at the annual carnival fundraiser was a huge deal. All the parents would try and outbid each other, paying outrageous amounts for class art projects. Everyone knew each other and it was a fun, competitive event for a great cause.

By the time my youngest was leaving SWE, the camaraderie and participation had dwindled to the point where I felt compelled to be the only bidder on classroom projects that had no parents bidding.

It happened that fast.

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Its happening in Katy. My kids go to one of the largest elementaries in the district yet the amount of parent volunteers for the school is shrinking by the year. Sure, the amount of 2-working-parents households can play into that but its coincided with the increase of 1st gen international families that moved in. Its not true in all cases of course. In some of our extra curriculars we just have to be blunt with some families and tell them that if they don't step up, there is no one to run it.

I Am A Critic said:

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digging tunnels said:

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How is your Hindi?

Ask your new neighbors if they know a Ben Chod

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If you're not bilingual, it could be naan-starter.

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Man, if you keep making insensitive jokes, we're going to have to have a chaat.

Maybe somebody will give you a dosa your own medicine.

The question really is where this is not happening in Houston. I grew up in Bellaire from '76 to '92 and the demographics and the 50s style ranch houses that I grew up with are both long gone. The Houston I grew up in has been gone since the 90s

This thread devolved into exactly how I expected it to...and it is glorious!

Reading through this conversation, Greatwood sounds like a military base in a foreign land.

The OP's request comes at a time when my wife and I started looking this very week in B/CS at locations on where we want to move. We have been residents of New Territory for 32 years, first house we ever owned in 1994 and then 5 yrs later built and moved into our current house in the farthest most southwest corner of NT in 4/01/2000. We have seen NT grow from a nice new development of nice houses and well kept yards, kids of all ages playing in the streets, cul-de-sac parties, Halloween parties, 4th of July and New Years Eve fireworks in our streets that our kids looked forward to and still talk about. WSLLL baseball, The Club at NT Basketball league & Flag Football was played by every white, black and hispanic kid in the area. The cul-de-sac street we live on has 15 houses, there once was 11 white families, 1 black family 3 Indian families on it, now there are 3 white families (2 of us from original 11), 2 black families (1 original), 1 Latino family, 1 Asian family and 8 Indian families (2 of the original homeowners).

Now 30 yrs later I don't see any resemblance of that Americana, only tons of cars parked in the streets, 1/3 of them are never driven, every other yard has the tops completely cut out of the 25 yr old oak trees planted when houses were built, people walking at all hours of the day and night, most of them have their faces covered up or never look up to say hi or acknowledge when you pass them. Our neighborhood has 82 houses, last December we counted a total of 24 houses with Christmas decoration up. We have had a total of -0- trick or treaters the last 2 yrs, yes 0 ! We used to buy 6-8 large bags of candy and still run out. On notable flag days there are only about 10 houses in the neighborhood that fly the flag!

I fear that NT, Telfair and most of SL will look like the SW side of Houston within 15 years because the people that moved into our once beautiful area simple do not assimilate and refuse to become an American. The local govt.has also become a trash pot of corrupt, slimy politicians that have no plans other than to get elected.
I can't wait to leave!

kongaggie said:

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All these neighborhood threads just point out how conservatives need to stop running to the far periphery of the city and reclaim the urban core instead of letting liberals run things. The mass development suburbs that aren't planned well are to be taken over by low-effort minorities with their DEI jobs who hate American culture and aesthetics.

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You go first and we'll be right behind you.

Seersucker Ag 2011 said:

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This thread is overly dramatic, IMO. ... You can still find a great life with great people if you do a little research and are the least bit outgoing. Don't write off the area entirely based on a few pockets or posts.

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In my original post, I tried to be as honest as possible and portray Sugar Land without bias. So I listed off a full slate of positive things.

But ...

The demographic change -- and resulting cultural/social issues -- are way more noticeable to older residents who moved here as adults and then lived through the transition. I believe that's what you're seeing in many of these lengthier posts (the ones who aren't just making jokes).

If you grew up here and were a child/young adult in the 2000s, the shift had already begun. SL today is normal to you.