Nottingham Forest VIII
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| President: | Walt Thome |
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| Value: | $294,000 USD |
| Built: | 1967 |
| Houses: | 505 in neighborhood, 929 with Westchester |
| Education: | Spring Branch ISD: Nottingham Elementary School |
| City: | Houston, Texas |
Nottingham Forest VIII (), also called Nottingham Forest in general, is a middle-class neighborhood located on the far west side of Houston, Texas, south of Interstate 10 and west of Beltway 8. It is bordered by Memorial Drive to the north, the neighborhood of Westchester to the east, and the Buffalo Bayou to the south and west.
Nottingham Forest VIII is one of the many neighborhoods and apartment complexes that sprung up in the 1960s in west Houston. Much like many other neighborhoods in the surrounding area, it is populated by numerous clapboard and brick one- and two-story houses surrounded by thick oak trees that are fed by the slow-maneuvering bayou that curls around the area.
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[edit] History
The neighborhood was first developed in 1967. The area was mainly grassland and wood, with little commercial development. Interstate 10 had recently been built north of the area, bringing more people out to the western edge of the city.
In 1973, the neighborhood's architectural restrictions were approved by the city of Houston, and most recently re-approved on May 27, 2004.
The area continued to grow through the 70's and 80's, including traffic lights at intersections, new shops and restaurants, and more residential development.
2001 saw Tropical Storm Allison. The "500 year flood" didn't reach the west side of the city, but heavy rain was reported.
In 2005, Hurricane Rita was set on a path right for Houston. Residents in the neighborhood evacuated, and Nottingham Elementary was closed for six days.
Both storms did no damage to the neighborhood.
Also in 2005, blacktop pathing was done for Nottingham Oaks Trail, beginning a new trend of road renovation to finish in the next 20+ years.
In 2006, the Houston Chronicle listed Nottingham Forest as one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the west Houston superneighborhod (outside Beltway 8) [1], with the most expensive house listed around $425,000 USD. Unlike the rest of the city, in 2007 Nottingham Forest (along with the rest of the Memorial area) reported an 8% increase in home sales, one of only seven areas in Houston to report a sales increase.[2] The poor performance in the Houston housing market has been caused by the mortgage crisis.
[edit] Crime & conflicts
Historically, the neighborhood has had a low crime rate.
The recent arrival of Hurricane Katrina evacuees has caused crime in the neighborhood to rise dramatically. There have been multiple robberies and assaults, all committed by evacuees, in the past year. Because this upper-middle class neighborhood is located next to an apartment complex which is accepting Section 8 vouchers, it has become a target for evacuees. This has caused tension among residents, primarily over the issues of where the security guard's priorities need to lie, and how the neighborhood security should handle people who are loitering in the neighborhood.
[edit] Police coverage
The neighborhood is served by the Houston Police Department's Westside Patrol Division [3].
[edit] Decrease in patrol coverage
In spite of the HPD's announcement to cut police forces in the city overall, the neighborhood is currently "taking action" to convince the Houston city council to increase patrol officers in the area, bearing in mind that the Westside division is short 100 officers and that response time to crimes is relatively longer than accepted.
In May 2007, representatives from Nottingham Forest VIII and Westchester met with council member Pam Holm and HPD Captain Richard Gerstner to discuss changes to the area.[4] Unlike other places in the city, crime in the area is slightly higher than earlier in 2006. Nottingham Forest and Westchester are hoping for approval from the council to increase forces.
[edit] Layout
The neighborhood has 12 streets:
- Nottingham Oaks Trail (entrance street)
- Chadbourne Drive
- Broadgreen
- Cindywood
- Carolcrest
- Kellywood Lane
- Shady Forest
- River Forest
- Bayou Knoll
- Briar Knoll
- Oak Bend
- Bramblewood
Nottingham Oaks Trail includes the St. John Vianney Church, an apartment complex (which is not affiliated with the neighborhood), and Nottingham Elementary School, along with the neighborhood's housing. The 11 other streets include more housing.
[edit] Education
The neighborhood is located inside the Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) and has its own school, Nottingham Elementary. Middle and high school students go to Spring Forest Middle School and Stratford High School.
| Name | Location | Phone number (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|
| Stratford High School | 1050 Dairy-Ashford Road | 281-560-7653 |
| Spring Forest Middle School | 14240 Memorial Drive | 281-560-7500 |
| Nottingham Elementary School | 570 Nottingham Oaks Trail | 281-497-2954 |
There is also one Houston Public Library branch in the area:
| Name | Location | Phone number (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|
| Kendall Branch Library | 14330 Memorial Drive | 281-497-3590 |
[edit] Sports
The neighborhood has three local sports teams:
- Stratford Spartans (American football)
- Stratford Spartans (Baseball)
- Memorial-Ashford Team (Little League Baseball)
[edit] Parks
Two parks are popular in the neighborhood:
A jogging trail/grass park that runs right along the Buffalo Bayou, accessible from the neighborhood.
- Nottingham Park
Large park with a water park, playground, baseball fields, tennis courts and jogging trail. Located 1 mile from the neighborhood on Country Place Drive.
[edit] Area attractions & events
[edit] Attractions
- Town & Country Village: Memorial Drive at Beltway 8
- Memorial City Mall: Gessner Road at Interstate 10
- Bear Creek Pioneers Park: 3535 War Memorial Drive
[edit] Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 7 | Church Fair — A large fair located at the St. John Vianney Catholic Church every October. |
| October 28 | School Carnival — The school's carnival, held every October. |
| October 31 | Church Halloween Party — A small party held inside the church a few hours before trick-or-treating. |
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
- ^ Houston Chronicle HomeFront
- ^ The Houston Chronicle, March 19, 2008. Page D1, "Real Estate" section.
- ^ Houston Police Department - Westside Patrol Division page Last accessed September 1, 2007
- ^ RAP news stories at Westchester.org
Other Notes
- The "president" mentioned in the information table on the top right-hand spot on the page is the Board of Directors' President.
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