Memorial - the very name conjures up miles of beautiful trees, large lots, manicured lawns and some of the most expensive homes in Houston.

Although Memorial Drive originates in downtown Houston, the ‘Memorial Area’ is generally referred to as those neighborhoods that lie between the 610 Loop on the east, west to Highway 6, I-10 (Katy Freeway) on the north to the natural boundary of Buffalo Bayou on the south. Almost all of this area is serviced by the award-winning Spring Branch Independent School District.

At the Loop, the Houstonian, a complex consisting of a luxury high-rise, a fine hotel and a health and fitness center, rises majestically to anchor the east end of Memorial. Just a few yards away is the gated community of Stablewood, built in the 1990s and featuring large, luxury homes. The large neighboring lots in Bayou Woods and Sherwood Forest are the perfect setting for both old and new construction mansions. The same is true throughout the Memorial area. Gated communities have become so popular that even the neighborhood of Saddlewood voted to buy their street and gate it!

West of Chimney Rock, the Memorial Villages begin. Hunters Creek, Piney Point, Bunker Hill and Hedwig Villages are independent municipalities with their own police and fire departments, water system and governing bodies. Spring Valley and Hilshire Village, although located north of I-10, are also referred to as Memorial Villages.

As Memorial Drive winds its way west through some of the most beautiful terrain in Houston, one must go down narrow lanes and winding streets to find special neighborhoods.

One of these is Sandalwood, where homes are built around 3 lakes that are used for swimming, boating and fishing. Memorial Forest, Whispering Oaks, Frostwood, Tealwood and Fonn Villas are neighborhoods located east of Beltway 8, each having unique characteristics of their own.

At Gessner and Beltway 8, Memorial City Mall and Town & Country Shopping Center provide upscale shopping and dining. Hermann Memorial Hospital and Healthcare Center is a popular regional medical center nearby.

The opening of Beltway 8 has provided the area with quick access to all parts of the city. Both airports are within a 30-minute drive, and I-10 and I-59 are just a few minutes away. Development along this corridor is in full swing, bringing more homeowners to the Memorial area and enhancing life with additional amenities.

Going west on Memorial from “The Belt”, neighborhoods such as Memorial Bend, Gaywood, Yorkchester, Yorkshire, Wilchester, Nottingham, Nottingham Forest and Westchester are family neighborhoods with wooded lots and sometimes other surprises. For instance, back along the bayou is not only a wide jogging trail, but also many stables housing horses belonging to neighbors!

Three neighborhoods, Barkers’ Landing, Fleetwood and Marywood, while part of “Memorial”, are zoned to Katy Independent School District. In Thornwood, children attend schools in both SBISD and KISD. Those in Memorial Thicket attend HISD.

In the mid 1900s, no one dreamt that “give me a home where the buffalo roam” would be taken so literally and by so many. Three elements seem to ensure the continued popularity of the Memorial area: the beauty and acreage of the lots, the excellent school systems and the continued western expansion of the city.