Truly there is nothing in the world so blessed or so sweet as the heritage of children

Carolina Oliphant

Spring is not easily defined geographically. Of all the things that confuse people moving here from other area, this is one of the hardest things to explain, but let me try.

What is known as Spring is a large span of real estate that has a total area of 24 square miles located in north Harris County (Houston) and south Montgomery County (The Woodlands). The United States Census Bureau Statistics are one of the best resources of definition and they say that in 2000, there were 36,385 people living in these unincorporated communities.

Within this definition of Spring, three separate school systems serve the area. Harris County residents with Spring addresses attend either Spring ISD or Klein ISD. In Montgomery County, students in Spring attend Conroe ISD.

The dividing line between the two counties is Spring Creek, the site of the Spring Creek Greenway. This ambitious project will connect and protect up to 12,000 acres of forest on both sides of the creek. It all started back in the early 80’s, when then Harris County judge Jon Lindsay purchased several parcels of land including the 150 acres that is now Jesse Jones Park & Nature Center. Another natural jewel of Spring is Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens. Visit the links below to learn more about this ecological, botanical and biologically diverse wild nature adventure that will eventually span 33 miles between the two counties.

Both parts of Spring are peppered with a wide variety of communities. Priced from around $100,000 families can find safe, comfortable neighborhoods with amenities such as pools, tennis and basketball courts. On the other end of the price scale, exclusive, gated luxury communities provide homes with values of several million. This area was rural farm land prior to the oil boom of the 70’s and now it is a destination for Houstonians seeking a family oriented lifestyle within an easy commute to downtown.

Links:

Oldtownspring.com                                        Nostalgic shopping center

SpringCreekGreenway.org                          Spring Creek Greenway

Naba.org/chapters/nababest                     Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas

Hcp4.net/mercer                                             Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens

Texasforestservice.tamu.edu                    Texas Forest Service