River Oaks

River Oaks is one of Houston’s most exclusive neighborhoods with broad boulevards, lined by massive live oak trees and flowering azaleas, beautifully manicured lawns and some of Houston’s most impressive homes. Many of the city’s most prominent citizens call it home.

 

In the 1920s Hugh Potter, a visionary and founding father of River Oaks, outlined his thoughts about the new subdivision he was planning. His “modern” ideas have served the River Oaks community for nearly 100 years.

 

“To produce for the Houston citizen of discriminating taste, a complete residential community in the most advantageous locality…then, having created a beauty spot, to keep it just that, by a most rigid and thoroughgoing maintenance.”

 

River Oaks was established by William and Michael Hogg, sons of former governor of Texas Jim Hogg, along with attorney Hugh Potter and became a national model for community planning with strictly enforced deed restriction and building codes. The already established River Oaks Country Club was an enticement for the lot sales surrounding it. Plans were made and lands allocated for the first neighborhood shopping center and River Oaks Elementary School.

 

Many of the initial River Oaks homes were designed by some of the country’s most outstanding architects including John Staub, Hiram Salisbury and Birdsall Briscoe.

 

Today the original River Oaks Corporation has been replaced by the River Oaks Property Owners Association, referred to as ROPO by residents. ROPO provides a 24-hour neighborhood security force, maintains deed restriction compliance, contracts for back door trash collection service, and maintains the neighborhood parks and esplanades. An interesting note: as you drive through the neighborhood, you never see a For Sale sign as the restrictions forbid them!

 

River Oaks is approximately 1,100 acres in size, but its central location allows for great access to retail, dining, entertainment and educational facilities, as well as the downtown area, the medical center, the Galleria, Highland Village, and Uptown Park. Memorial Park, just minutes away, has more than 1500 heavily wooded acres, an outstanding public golf course, baseball fields, volleyball courts, tennis and swimming facilities, and miles of biking and jogging trails. The boundaries of the subdivision are Buffalo Bayou to the north, South Shepherd to the east, San Felipe and Westheimer to the south, and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks to the west.

 

Home values in River Oaks range from an appraised value of over $1,000,000 to over $15,000,000. Today many of the original homes have been torn down, and considerable new construction is taking place. Many of the architecturally outstanding homes are being renovated. Others are choosing to make substantial major additions.

 

Residential neighborhoods have developed on all sides of River Oaks and include Avalon, Royden Oaks, Afton Oaks, Glendower Court, Oak Estates, Highland Village and Lynn Park, Memorial Park, Crestwood, and Briar Hollow. Though River Oaks is strictly a single family subdivision, with generous lot sizes, nearby today you will find three- and four-story townhomes and high-rises.