Just took a job on the W side of Houston. Schools? LLL?

[Ambivalent Dreams]

I just took a job this morning (!) on the West side of Houston in the Town and Country Village near the intersection of the Sam Houston Tollway and I-10.  We currently live in Lousiana and my new job wants me there in 2 weeks!  Where should we live to have access to good schools?  I am thinking Katy ATM but am open to any suggestions.

Looks like the only two exemplary Jr High Schools in Katy ISD are Garland McMeans and Beckendorff, according to the TEA website.  Which one has the better reputation?  Which elementary schools feed into these schools?

What are the best preschools in the area?  Is there a Nanny service?  It looks like DH may be workikng from home, which is great because he can stay home with the kids, but he will need someone to help him out during the day.  We might be looking for a Nanny for while I am out of the house. 

Is there a LLL chapter nearby?

Any other thoughts/tips on living on the West side of Houston?

Thanks!

[Ambivalent Dreams]

Looks like Sugarland will be just as close to my office as Katy.  Is Sugarland somewhere we should consider?

[HeatherB]

Congrats on the new job!

Sugar Land is a pretty easy drive to that area, perhaps better than Katy during rush-hour. (I-10 has a bad reputation for traffic.) I'm in Sugar Land and love it here. We don't use public schools but anyone who does will tell you that Fort Bend ISD is top-notch and the schools around here are supposed to be great. I can't vouch for that, nor have I researched them, but that's the word on the street.

There are various groups around the city like LLL. I know there's a Sugar Land LLL meeting. I lead the Sugar Land babywearing meeting, as well as a new birth support group here. I believe there's a new West Houston/Katy babywearing group starting up. I know there is an LLL meeting out around I-10 at Eldridge, which is near Hwy 6, so West but not all the way to Katy. There are likely more but I haven't been all that involved with LLL.

We have a large Whole Foods here in Sugar Land. They've just announced a new one to come to Katy.

Both are family-friendly areas and each has its own quirks and flavor. The main differences will be in commute, I expect. Housing I would expect to be fairly similar, though some areas of Katy may be cheaper because they're further out. I know some friends were getting great deals in a newer development just south of Katy Mills Mall area.

I'd personally rather drive 59 into town than 10, any day, but I have been driving 59 a lot more than 10 over the years, so my perspective is probably different than those who live in Katy. I do love that we're about 20 minutes from the museums, zoo, Galleria, etc., and not that much further to midtown and downtown.