Silverlake, Texas facts for kids
Silverlake is a special neighborhood in Brazoria County, Texas, near the city of Pearland, Texas. It's a "planned community," meaning it was designed and built with a specific layout for homes and businesses. This area is part of the larger Greater Houston region.
Silverlake covers about 1,000 acres (405 hectares). It has around 2,500 single-family homes. There are also 230 acres (93 hectares) set aside for shops and other businesses. Parts of Silverlake are under the planning control of both Manvel, Texas and Pearland.
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History of Silverlake
Before Silverlake, there was a housing area called Southwyck built around 1985. It was located along Texas State Highway 288. A company called Johnson Development saw that this area had a lot of promise. Even though the first developer had some problems, the land already had a 29-acre lake, a golf course, and a club.
Johnson Development officially opened the Silverlake community in April 1995. The developers had a plan: they looked for large pieces of land close to major highways. This way, people living there could get to their jobs quickly. For Silverlake, they told people it would be easy to travel to Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center using Highway 288.
In the 1990s, home sales in the Pearland area started to grow a lot. Just over two years after Silverlake opened, it became the second best-selling housing development in the entire Houston area. For about three years, it stayed in that top spot. Even later, it was still one of the top four selling communities. Silverlake helped make the Highway 288 area and Pearland a very popular place for new homes.
In 2005, some residents had concerns about their Home Owners Association (HOA). They filed a lawsuit asking for more information on how their dues were being spent. The original plans for Silverlake included about 2,815 single-family homes.
Education Opportunities
Silverlake is part of the Pearland Independent School District. This means students attend schools within this district.
Colleges and Universities Nearby
For higher education, Silverlake is also within the Alvin Community College district. The main campus of Alvin Community College is about 5 miles (8 km) away.
There are several other colleges and universities within a short drive:
- San Jacinto College South is about 10 miles (16 km) away.
- University of Houston and Texas Southern University are each about 15 miles (24 km) away.
- University of Houston–Clear Lake is about 17 miles (27 km) away.
- Rice University is about 20 miles (32 km) away.
- University of St. Thomas is about 23 miles (37 km) away.
Schools for Kids and Teens
Students in Silverlake attend schools in the Pearland Independent School District.
- Elementary Schools: Three elementary schools serve different parts of Silverlake: Silvercrest Elementary, Silverlake Elementary, and Massey Ranch Elementary.
- Middle Schools: Students go to Jamison Middle School or Rogers Middle School.
- Junior High Schools: Some residents attend Berry Miller Junior High School, while others go to Pearland Junior High South.
- High School: All high school students from Silverlake are zoned to Glenda Dawson High School.
In the mid-2000s, students in Silverlake went to Pearland Junior High East and Pearland High School. There is also a private school, the Montessori School of Downtown, which has a campus in Silverlake.
Public Libraries
The Brazoria County Library System has a branch nearby called the Pearland Westside Library. It's located in an area behind the H-E-B store, at the intersection of Business Center Drive and Memorial Hermann Drive.
Parks and Fun Activities
Silverlake offers many places for residents to play and relax. The community has a private clubhouse and a private JR Olympic Swimming pool with a fun interactive play structure.
There is also SilverLake Park, which is a great place to spend time outdoors. For sports, there's the Stonebridge Baseball Field and the Stonebridge Park Soccer Field. If you like volleyball, there's a private sand volleyball court. Kids can also enjoy a private splash pad. For tennis lovers, there are four private tennis courts available.
