Inwood Forest, Houston facts for kids
Inwood Forest is a neighborhood located in northwest Houston, Texas, United States. It's about three-quarters of a mile west of the historic Acres Homes area. This community is known for its green spaces and family-friendly feel.
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Discovering Inwood Forest's Past
The land where Inwood Forest now stands was once a hunting area for Native American groups. Later, in the 1860s, German American farmers began to settle near the White Oak Bayou.
For about 100 years, until 1963, a family named Fuchs owned the land that would become Inwood Forest. Then, a real estate developer bought the land. Many of the first homes in Inwood Forest were built for people who worked as executives in oil companies.
In 1975, the City of Houston officially added the Inwood Forest area to the city. This added about 2,125 acres (or 860 hectares) of land to Houston. The neighborhood started to change after a difficult economic time in the late 1980s. Many businesses closed, and some families moved to other areas outside the city.
During Tropical Storm Allison, which brought a lot of rain, many homes in the neighborhood experienced flooding. After Hurricane Katrina, many people who had to leave their homes moved to the Houston area. This caused apartment buildings around Inwood Forest to become almost completely full. People noticed more children playing outside in the streets, which was a sign of new families moving in.
Over several years, the City of Houston has been tearing down older apartment buildings in the area to help improve the community. For example, the Gables Apartments were taken down in 2011.
Exploring the Inwood Forest Area
Inwood Forest is bordered by Gulf Bank Road to the north, U.S. Route 290 to the west, Pinemont to the south, and T.C. Jester to the east. It is made up of 32 smaller sections called subdivisions.
The community is conveniently located, making it easy to get to Downtown Houston, Uptown, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in about 30 minutes. It's also very close to the 610 Loop, a major highway around Houston.
The neighborhood was planned to fit well with the golf course of the Inwood Forest Country Club. Many streets have wide, grassy areas in the middle (called esplanades) and lots of old, tall trees. Some streets even have large, custom-built houses with big, well-kept yards. While Inwood Forest has many single-family homes, some older apartment buildings nearby are not as well maintained.
Learning in Inwood Forest
Public Schools for Students
The schools in Inwood Forest are part of the Aldine Independent School District.
- Early Childhood and Kindergarten: Some parts of Inwood Forest send their youngest students to Vines Early Childhood/Prekindergarten/Kindergarten or Stovall EC/PK/K.
- Elementary School: For elementary grades, students attend J. Ruth Smith Elementary (which used to be called Smith Academy) or Caraway Elementary School.
- Middle and High School: All students in Inwood Forest attend Floyd Hoffman Middle School, Eisenhower Ninth Grade School, and Eisenhower High School.
In the past, all students in the community went to the same set of schools, including Vines Early Childhood/Prekindergarten, Smith Academy, Caraway Intermediate, Hoffman Middle, Eisenhower Ninth Grade, and Eisenhower High.
Some nearby areas are served by Klein Forest High School, which is part of the Klein Independent School District.
Parks and Fun in Inwood Forest
The Inwood Forest Country Club used to be a popular spot in the community, but it closed in 2007.
On April 7, 2011, the City of Houston bought the land where the golf course was located. The city plans to turn this area into a "passive" park, which means it will be a quiet place for people to relax and enjoy nature. The city also plans to use the land to help improve how water drains in the area, which can help prevent flooding.
