MEYERLAND AREA
Meyerland
Meyerland - a 6,000-acre residential community in southwest Houston - was one of the country's cutting-edge post-World War II housing subdivisions. In fact, Meyerland set the standard for "planned" communities in Houston with its deed restrictions and architectural standards. Many of the neighborhood's 2,300 homes were built in the 1950s, in that era's popular brick, one-story ranch style. Today, the name Meyerland is still synonymous with residential beauty, strong restrictions, and solid real estate value.
A Family Legacy
Two generations of the Meyer family were instrumental in the development of Meyerland. Joseph F. Meyer was a young boy when his family settled in Houston soon after the Civil War. During the 1890s, he started buying farmland in the southwest outskirts of Houston until he had accumulated over 6,000 acres. In 1955, his son George developed 1,200 acres of their holdings into a unique subdivision for single-family dwellings. That spring, Vice President Richard M. Nixon cut the ribbon at the neighborhood's grand-opening ceremony.
Meyerland soon garnered accolades: Look magazine devoted four pages to Meyerland in 1957, and the following year, House and Home magazine touted the neighborhood as the "ideal plan" for a subdivision.
One of the neighborhood's distinctive features is the Meyerland Plaza, an outdoor shopping center opened in October 1957, with a celebration of "Around the Shopping World in 80 Acres" featuring hot air balloon rides. Many other civic institutions took hold during the late 1950s: Little League baseball, garden clubs (popular when new homeowners had bare yards and struggling flower beds), and the Meyerland Club, home of the nationally recognized Meyerland swim team.
The Community Today
Today, new and younger families are moving in - many are second-generation Meyerlanders returning to their childhood neighborhood. They see this as a community with friendly people, excellent schools, and convenient shopping in a central location outside the 610 Loop but inside Beltway 8. An active association dedicated to keeping property values high and a 24-hour security patrol are additional incentives for homebuyers.
Though a lot has changed in the five decades since George B. Meyer first envisioned this suburban sanctuary, Meyerland real estate has withstood the test of time.
