Garden Villas, Houston facts for kids
Garden Villas is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States. It's located north of Hobby Airport and right by Sims Bayou.
This area is known for its large lots, which can be from half an acre to over two acres! Most of the homes in Garden Villas were built in the 1930s and 1940s. Some were also built in the 1950s, and a few even later in the 1980s and 1990s.
Contents
History of Garden Villas
Garden Villas was planned in 1926 by W.T. Carter, Jr., a developer from River Oaks. He had nearly 6,000 pecan trees planted in the neighborhood! Edward Wilkinson, an Englishman and graduate of Rice Institute, was the main architect for Garden Villas. The neighborhood was planned before the city bought the land for Hobby Airport.
In 2007, the local community group started a program to help improve the area. In 2010, the Houston Press newspaper even called Garden Villas one of "The Five Most Underrated Neighborhoods In Houston." This means people thought it was a great place that didn't get enough attention.
What Garden Villas Looks Like
Garden Villas was designed to feel open and natural, almost like the countryside, even though it had a formal layout. It still feels a bit like it's on the edge of Houston, partly because of the nearby airport and industrial areas. The original plan had streets that spread out from a central point near Sims Bayou.
The developers wanted Garden Villas to be a place where people could have chicken coops, fruit trees, and vegetable gardens. That's why the lots are so big, usually about 0.7 acres each. The neighborhood has many pecan trees. In 2010, a writer from the Houston Press said Garden Villas has "great old houses from the '30s and '40s, lots of pecan trees, and reasonable prices."
The W.T. Carter Lumber & Building Co. built the houses with Edward Wilkinson as the architect. Many of the original houses were simple but easy to recognize. One common style was a one-story house with an arched front porch. In 1926, an advertisement for Garden Villas described one house as a "ranch house type." This was one of the first times that term was used in the Greater Houston area.
The area around the 7200 through 7400 blocks of Cayton Avenue is considered the "heart" of Garden Villas. In 1988, it was noted that the streets there didn't have curbs and were lined with pecan trees. The houses often had many additions, making them look "rambling." The yards were open and natural.
Because Hobby Airport is so close, planes are a part of life in Garden Villas. People who live there often say you "get used to the planes."
Education in Garden Villas
Public Schools
Students in Garden Villas attend schools in the Houston Independent School District. The community is part of Trustee District III.
Garden Villas Elementary School was built at the main point of the town plan designed by Edward Wilkinson. The school had an original two-story entrance from 1932 and a two-story addition from 1950.
The schools that serve the Garden Villas neighborhood are Garden Villas Elementary School, Hartman Middle School, and Sterling High School. Even though Ortiz Middle School is very close, students from Garden Villas do not go there. Mount Carmel Academy, which is a charter school, is also located in Garden Villas.
Private Schools
Mount Carmel High School, a Catholic high school, was in the area until it closed in 2008. Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston later opened in the former Mount Carmel building in 2009.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel school, which taught students from Kindergarten through 8th grade, was also in the area. It opened in 1954 and closed in 2020.
Parks in Garden Villas
Garden Villas Park is a "Community Park" run by the City of Houston. It's located at 6720 South Haywood Drive. The Garden Villas Community Center is on the same property. It has an outdoor basketball court, a lighted sports field, a playground, a volleyball court, and a hike and bike trail that is almost half a mile long. The park facilities were built in 1959.
Carter Park is another park in Garden Villas. It has a 60-foot baseball court and swing sets.
