Peace and Quiet Around the Corner
Published Nov 21, 2008
Research Valley is home to a number of scenic lakes. Allyssa Boatright and Brandt Carlson enjoy the shores of Lake Bryan.
Across Research Valley, a movement is quietly taking shape: people are saying no to rush-hour traffic, no to concrete boxes and no to long lines.
Living in a small community never looked so good.
“We have a beautiful county,” says Shirley Curtiss, a real estate agent in Grimes County. “The rolling hills and quiet country life draw a lot of people here from the big city.”
Navasota, the largest city in the county at about 7,500 people, is a mere 26 miles from Bryan-College Station and 75 miles from Houston.
The area is often billed as one of the best-kept secrets in Texas, but that image is rapidly becoming obsolete, says Curtiss. The area has seen a tremendous surge in the last several years, including a population growth of 10 percent in the last eight years by some estimates.
“The secret is out,” she says. “You’ve got the small-town atmosphere, but you still have the ability to feel like you have the qualities of a city.”
The city of Franklin in Robertson County also rubs elbows with Bryan-College Station, but has managed to keep the simple life intact.
“Living in a small town, you’re able to park your car and walk to take care of your business without even having to get in and drive away,” says Robbin Bohler, business manager of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
The nice thing about Research Valley is that not only is a trip to the big city a car ride away, but it’s a car ride away in just about any direction.
“People who buy from me will say, ‘Where are my kids, and where do I want to be? I want to be right in the middle of easy access to all my kids,’” says Melinda Scott, a real estate agent in Caldwell. “Their kids are in San Antonio, they’re in Houston, they’re in Dallas. And they pick a point right in the middle, and we’re it.”
Accessibility to the major metros draws parents, business folks and young families. Another growing demographic, especially in Burleson County, Scott says, is retirees attracted by a central location and open spaces.
“There aren’t the long lines, and they don’t have to worry about the traffic like in these bigger towns that they’ve lived in their whole lives,” she says.
In many cases, the scenery of a pasture alongside the road or a historic building anchoring a downtown is just as important as a quick trip to Wal-Mart and rising property values.
Washington County is the site where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed, and even if the 150 some-odd historical markers weren’t there to remind you, the town’s old-fashioned charm wouldn’t let you forget it.
“It’s a very scenic and historic community, and that appeals to a lot of people who may have come from suburbs or just random, nameless cities,” says Page Michel, President/CEO of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. “This is really a family-oriented community where people come and put down roots.”
Story by Michaela Jackson
Photo by Jesse Knish
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