Insta-Communities

Master-planned communities (MPC) are big in Houston. "Big" as in both "really large" and "popular." Basically, these developers come in and plan out an entire community. I am not talking about a subdivision with a few cul-de-sacs. Oh no, I mean huge communities, some as big as 10,000 acres, that are essentially self-sufficient. They have neighborhoods within the community, at varying price ranges, as well as schools, churches (It's Texas so there are LOTS of churches....), hospitals, shopping centers, libraries, etc. In a lot of ways, it is a great set-up, especially with kids and especially if you are new to the area. But, when we visited Cinco Ranch (one of the "best" MPCs in the suburban Houston area), I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. There is something really creepy about a place that has no history. Or, at least, the history that is/was there, no longer is because it's been eradicated by these developments. In the case of the Katy area, it is/was a prairie, so it's flat and barren. To Houstonites, MPCs are a way of life, and, yes, there are definite bonuses to living in one. But, there's a part of me that can't quite cope with the inauthenticity of it all. Until, that is, I start looking at the model homes and the cost of living. Then then the materialist in me appears, shallow as can be. Screw authenticity; I am going to have a cool house!