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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Clocking in at 1,500 acres, Memorial Park is bigger than New York City’s Central Park. “With the $270 million poured into the park system, it’s one of the jewels of the city,” says Vicki Barazandeh.

Vicki has lived and worked in the Memorial Park area for more than 20 years. She loves the vitality and serenity of all that Memorial Park has to offer.

“Homes in Memorial Park are representative of a mix of young and old — a melting pot of all cultures that creates a fun and unique community,” she says.

With a successful business background and design school cred, Barazandeh has extensive knowledge in architectural design and new construction.

She was first introduced to the real estate profession through her husband, an architect and industry homebuilder, which has helped her become a top-producing agent in the Memorial Park area for over 15 years.

Vicki has expanded her services to include:

• Small remodels to prepare homes for sale
• Consult with buyers on large renovations after purchase
• Assist homebuilders and developers with acquiring the lot, floorplan development, navigating selections and finishes, model home installation, and comprehensive marketing.

Vicki offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in Memorial Park. Here's her guide:

Where to eat & drink
For tacos, Vicki heads to El Tiempo Taqueria on Washington. Canyon Creek Cafe on Westcott is a go-to any time of the day or night for casual grill fare and craft brews (they’re open until 2 am some nights!).

She also recommends Miri's Kitchen on Memorial for amazing Persian food — think hummus, all different types of kebabs, and saffron rice.

And grab an award-winning burger and enjoy the view at Beck's Prime in Memorial Park, which is located right off the golf course.

Where to play
Memorial Park itself is the ultimate playground for all ages. More than 30 miles of trails are available for running, walking, and hiking. There are also tennis and volleyball courts.

The Memorial Park Golf Course is considered to be among the best municipal courses in the country. And the park hosts food trucks seven days a week near Eastern Glades, at the entrance to the Picnic Loop and Vale-Asche Playground.

The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center’s trails are another recommendation from Vicki, as is The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which is the second largest art museum in the United States and houses an impressive collection of 70,000 works.

And if you’re in the market for a bike for all those trails, she suggests West End Bicycles, which has been the premier bike shop in the area since 1985.

Where to live
“We have everything from large estates on large parcels of land to small condos, all ranging in price from the $300s to $7 million and more,” says Vicki of the Memorial Park area. “Due to the rising cost of land, most of the homes are vertical or several stories high on smaller lots — known as vertical living — but there is a sprinkling of cottages and homes.”

Just don’t expect too much yard space. “Memorial Park is considered everyone's backyard, because of the small yards,” she adds. “Any home with an existing pool or sizable yard is a gem.”

The beautifully renovated, soft-contemporary at 216 West Cowan Drive is only a half-block away from Memorial Park and is a prime example of a home in the area.

Another property in Camp Logan that was represented (multiple times!) by Vicki is 6212 Taggart Street. It was purchased as a cottage for her buyer and eventually sold to a builder, and then she sold the two new-construction units on it.

“Vicki is amazing to work with: professional, personable, fun, perceptive of buyers’ and sellers’ needs and desires, a great communicator (the list of attributes is long!),” says one of her clients. “She excels at all aspects of marketing a home. We worked as a team and she staged the home to look like it was a feature in a designer magazine.”

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Vicki Barazandeh works and plays in Memorial Park. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email vicki.barazandeh@sothebys.realty, or call 713-416-4900.