Memorial, Houston, Texas
Memorial is a Super Neighborhood named for the major artery that bisects it, located west of downtown Houston. Residential development of the area began in the 1950s with the arrival of well-to-do families who were attracted to the wooded countryside and its proximity to the superlative Katy and Spring Branch school districts. Before annexation by Houston which occurred gradually from the 1950s to the 1980s, Memorial was mainly farmland and sizable country estates.
Seven decades after the first homes were constructed, the landscape is still wooded and the area includes several suburbs including Nottingham Forest, Hedwig Shadows, Westchester, Westwick, Fonn Villas, and a bastion of mid-century modern homes, Memorial Bend. The town of Addicks relocated to the western edge of the Memorial district during the construction of Addicks Reservoir, which flooded the town’s original location.
There are also a variety of office buildings, retail businesses and entertainment venues in Memorial. Many offices in the large business district contain energy related businesses. Major shopping centers include Memorial City Mall, Town & Country Village and City Centre. Entertainment options include bowling alleys, theaters, escape rooms and an ice rink among other amusements. Memorial also contains two public libraries, the Kendall Branch of Houston Public Library and the Spring Branch Memorial Branch of the Harris County Public Library.
Most of Memorial is served by the Spring Branch Independent School District. Some areas are zoned to schools in the Memorial Villages. The western edge of Memorial is zoned to Katy Independent School District. Bendwood Elementary School serves gifted/talented students and special needs students. There is also a charter school for grades 6-12, Westchester Academy for International Studies.
Of course, a neighborhood is not complete without parks. Terry Hershey Park is named for the conservationist who championed Buffalo Bayou and prevented the banks from being covered in concrete. Eleven miles of trails run through its 496 acres. It also features playground equipment, an exercise area and picnic areas. Bendwood Park contains an extensive trail system, a large playground, several picnic areas with grills, sports fields and courts, a fitness center and peaceful nature areas. Nottingham Park offers a splash pad, a playground, an exercise trail lined with exercise equipment, tennis courts and disc golf along with picnic areas and shade canopies.
The best-known park in the Houston area is Memorial Park. Opened more than one hundred years ago, the 1,503 acre park offers something for everyone, from an eighteen-hole golf course to an arboretum. There are also multi-use trails, a variety of sports facilities, skating, cycling and running courses, a swimming pool and a botanical garden.