Your Expert Guide

Highland Village: Contemporary luxury in a highly desirable location

Agent Jack Swonson.

Photo courtesy of Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

There are so many great places to live in Houston that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community

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“When you reside in Highland Village, you're centrally located and close to so many special places and activities in Houston,” says Jack Swonson, who has been living in the area for 17 years. “In addition to the incredible neighborhoods, there’s a mix of fabulous shopping and restaurants and easy access to the major arteries that connect you to the rest of the city.”

A self-described United States Air Force brat, Swonson also served 21 years in the USAF as an F-16 pilot.

Now he appreciates being able to use the critical skills he developed in the military to positively impact people's lives and help them find their dream home.

A longtime ski whiz who has raced, instructed, and skied all around the United States and Europe, Swonson also puts his experience on the slopes to work for his real estate clients, too.

Having established a dedicated team of knowledgeable, established agents from 18 of Sotheby’s resorts across the U.S. and Canada, he provides Houstonians with the best network of mountain resort expertise when they travel to their favorite vacation destinations.

Closer to home, Swonson shared a few of his personal favorites about life in Highland Village. Here's his guide:

Where to eat & drink
Swonson’s short list includes Escalante's for the best Tex-Mex and Ragin Cajun when you need your gumbo fix.

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations has a wonderful bar and atmosphere, and so does Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette, he advises.

For patio time, he heads to Toulouse Café & Bar, where they often bring in live music, too.

Elois Nichols Grill & Liquors is an American bistro with a great lunch and dinner, and their house cocktails are a food group in their own right.

And for delicious Southern food and old-school River Oaks charm, all you need is Ouisie's Table.

Where to play
“The Ivy Dog Park is a great place to chill and relax in a couple of Adirondack chairs under the trees,” says Swonson.

Where to live
Swonson mentions that Highland Village is turning into the contemporary/modern destination in the city, boasting neighborhoods that work for anyone who wants to be close to the culture of Houston and everything that's luxurious.

“Oak Estates and Afton Oaks, which are part of River Oaks, are in the middle of everything happening in Houston,” he adds.

Swonson recently sold the elegant home at 30 Lana Lane in West Lane Place to clients who were transferring from Chicago.

“This subdivision is known for a more quiet, professional mood, which was perfect for this empty-nester couple,” he says. “The home is luxurious and located in an area where they can walk to any amenities they desire.”

“Professional, knowledgeable, and honest, Jack is here to help — protecting you now and for your future real estate needs,” says the buyer.

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Jack Swonson works and plays in Highland Village. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email jack.swonson@sir.com, or call 713-456-9381.

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Bang for Buck

Surprising suburb unlocks biggest apartments in Houston for $1,500

Photo by Matt Halls on Unsplash

Pasadena has the 6th roomiest apartments on a budget in Texas.

Budget-conscious renters searching for the roomiest apartments in the region should look no further than Pasadena. According to a new study, the east Houston suburb has the biggest apartments on a budget in the metro.

In 2026, Pasadena residents can rent a 1,125-square-foot apartment for $1,500 per month. That's enough space for a two- or three-bedroom unit, and it's four square feet bigger than what renters could get with the same budget last year.

RentCafe's annual report analyzes the places where renters can find the largest apartment sizes across 200 of the most populous U.S. cities for a monthly budget of $1,500. The price per square foot was calculated using the average apartment rent and size per city based on "multifamily properties" containing 50 or more units.

Pasadena offers the 6th most spacious apartments in Texas for $1,500, and Houston ranks 11th statewide.

Renters in Houston proper will net a 976-square-foot apartment for the same price in 2026, a size that has shrunk by more than 20 square feet since 2023.

Apartment sizes across Texas
For the second year in a row, the Rio Grande Valley is the region that has the most spacious apartments for a $1,500 monthly budget, RentCafe found.

McAllen leads the nation with the biggest apartment size – at 1,378 square feet – which is large enough for a three- or four-bedroom unit.

"With rents averaging just $993 and the typical apartment measuring 912 square feet, McAllen renters get a lot more space for their money than most Americans do within that monthly budget," the report said. "Still, that figure is down slightly from last year’s 1,393 square feet — a sign that even the most affordable markets are starting to tighten."

Brownsville, another city on the border located an hour east of McAllen, ranks fourth statewide with apartments spanning 1,213 square feet for the same budget.

These are the top 10 Texas cities that offer the biggest apartments for $1,500 in 2026:

No. 1 – McAllen (1,378 square feet)
No. 2 – Amarillo (1,237 square feet)
No. 3 – Lubbock (1,217 square feet)
No. 4 – Brownsville (1,213 square feet)
No. 5 – El Paso (1,128 square feet)
No. 6 – Pasadena (1,125 square feet)
No. 7 – Corpus Christi (1,115 square feet)
No. 8 – Killeen (1,058 square feet)
No. 9 – San Antonio (1,023 square feet)
No. 10 – Mesquite (988 square feet)

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