Look-alike exteriors on sound-alike streets of the garden variety line the ring of roadways within Garden Oaks Court, a gated compound off 34th St. west of Shepherd Dr. Neat rows of (closed) front-loading garages have shallow setbacks and support a repeating pattern of porches, balconies — and the occasional bay window. A shingles-and-siding-fronted specimen of the latter (at right) was listed earlier this week with an asking price of $298,500. Its official description touts the home’s location within the 9-year-old development as having no railroad tracks, power lines, or neighbors behind it. With 61 homes in the niche neighborhood and a popular restaurant-bar within walking distance, however, plenty of folks are close by.
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Most of the first floor is wide open — and lit by the large windows facing the walkway between homes and the back yard:
There’s a lack of seating at the moment, but the kitchen island’s oversized countertop doubles as a breakfast bar.
Upstairs, the master bedroom gets balcony access and the west-facing “bay” view, which means it’s located over the garage:
Built in 2004, the home has 2 secondary bedrooms:
Here’s the second full bathroom. There’s also a downstairs half bath, not pictured.
Even at 2,760 sq.-ft., the narrow lot has room for a house, lawn, patio, and garden area. This property’s fenced yardlet abuts a street serving the next row of homes, including one with its own (slightly different) bay-window unit.
Side neighbors are a bit closer. The community is sandwiched between the independent-living seniors at The Orchard at Garden Oaks (to the west) and an apartment complex (adjacent to Shepherd). Across that busy street is Cottonwood.
At 2,059 sq. ft., this home is its block’s largest by about 100 to 300 sq. ft., HCAD records indicate. The current listing is by the third owners, who picked it up in 2010 for $249,900. The community comes with a walking path, fountains, and a little extra parking for visitors. There’s an annual a monthly maintenance fee of $135.
- 3410 Garden Crest Ln. [HAR]
I believe that fee might be $135/month — maybe double check that one.
You too can now own a piece of the blandest suburban design has to offer yet only minutes away from downtown.
Nice interiors, but zero street appeal. When will we get over the first-floor-as garage design?
I’m not really into townhouses myself but I’ve seen worse examples. There are a couple of decent bars and restaurants nearby and, I believe, a park next to Cottonwood. Miller’s Cafe and Brother’s Pizza and a gym (soon to be another gym) not far away. Too bad the old movie theater is a church now…unless that suits your fancy. If the area remains popular for a while, it might be a nice little neighborhood for walkers. The only major obstacle is N. Shepherd.
@roadchick, would you prefer the garage on the second floor?
Criticizing suburban design in Garden Oaks, or any 40s-60s neighborhood, is ridiculous. I know it’s the go to complaint along with “cookie cutter”, but that era is the birth of suburban design. Try to remember that Garden Oaks and the surrounding neighborhoods were the burbs when they were built.
Over it- try to remember garden oaks is no longer in the suburbs. Also, “suburban” when used to describe these townhouses was not meant to describe the location of the houses, I believe it was intended to describe the bland lackluster cookie cutter massproduced look not exactly en vogue in town.
The article said no railroads, that is true if you exclude the one behind them. Do you remember going under the RR bridge north of 34th on shepherd? Thats where it is!!
Garden Oaks is a deed-restricted 2nd-ring suburb with large lots. That the old single-family homes are getting replaced by bigger newer single-family homes and back-filled by trendy and affluent white people does NOT make the place suddenly ‘urban’.
Regarding these detached single-family homes built on narrow and deep lots, yeah it’s true that they’re adding people at the 34th Street margins, but the closest thing that I’ve ever seen to these townhomes with back yards were out near San Jacinto Mall in Baytown; the next closest example is in north Katy. These look nicer, but they’re hardly an urban form.
Cheap granite, poor kitchen layout, only suitable for reheating takeout meals. No natural light or windows in kitchen. Do any of these people actually cook?
So when a neighborhood is dense, the complaint is that it doesn’t “look” urban enough?
I wonder if, in 40 years, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances will be looked at same way as formica countertops and avacado green/harvest gold appliances are today?… I’m sure I’ll be amused by the “Turn of the millenium vintage kitchen” description in the HAR listing in 2053.
I just notice, one of the bathrooms doesn’t have a shower. That’s really shitty.
The property is just oozing with “meh”….
That bathroom does have a shower– it’s just not pictured. Just because something is not shown, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Duh.
Interesting comments from a few of you who seem to have such an opinion of somewhere you don’t stay. Please don’t bother visiting our house Roger as I wouldn’t want you to be near my cheap granite and reheated meals. I presume you live in Katy or such places. As a great cook who entertains frequently, the kitchen design is spot on. It’s a great neighborhood and if you are so lucky as to know someone who lets you visit this wonderful community, you may just see what the charm is. It’s disturbing to think people can be so judgmental.