Southwest Houston is a large region in Houston, Texas that comprises the space from Beltway 8 to Highway 6. Overall, Southwest Houston is a very affordable place to live. It includes many different neighborhoods, each of which has unique character and amenities. Most notably, Southwest Houston includes Greenway Plaza, Rice Village, West University Place, Texas Medical Center, and Uptown.
Southwest Houston Office Space | Lease Data & Trends
Overall, Southwest Houston office space is very affordable and accessible. The area houses more than 6 million square feet of commercial space inventory in total, and about 25% of it is available to new renters. On average, these spaces cost just over $17 per square foot to rent. However, exact pricing depends on the area of Southwest Houston one looks for space. Popular areas of Southwest Houston include Greenway Plaza, where office space averages $34 per square foot; Bellaire, where office space averages $24 per square foot; and Medical Center, where office space averages $30 per square foot.
Most Southwest Houston office buildings are categorized as Class B, which costs an average of $17/sqft to rent. However, some Class A spaces are available. They are still quite affordable and cost approximately $27/sqft to rent. Southwest Houston rental prices are comparable to other popular areas such as FM 1960, Gulf Freeway, NASA, and Clear Lake.
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Southwest Houston is located within Fort Bend and Harris Counties. Westchase and George Bush Park/Eldridge border it to the north; Missouri City borders it to the south; Sunnyside and Southeast Houston border it to the east; and Aliana and Sugar Land border it to the west. Not only roads but also bayous and creeks help define Southwest Houston’s boundaries. Downtown Houston is about a 25-minute drive away.
Southwest Houston is a diverse area that contains multiple popular neighborhoods for office space seekers and residents. Businesses looking for a science community, an upper-class environment, lots of neighboring businesses that work in the energy industry, or just somewhere really affordable will all find what they’re looking for in Southwest Houston. The Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce dictates that the following neighborhoods, among others, are part of Southwest Houston:
Greenway Plaza
Greenway Plaza is a Houston business district and the city’s first mixed-use development. It is one of Houston’s largest employment centers. Current office tenants are Humana, PBK Architects, Amerigroup, and Occidental Petroleum. Landlords charge about $34/sqft to rent commercial real estate space in Greenway Plaza. Class A spaces in Greenway Plaza cost about $36/sqft to rent, and Class B spaces tend to cost $27/sqft.
West University Place
West University Place, home to lots of upper-class families, is a safe place to live full of high-class residential spaces. Office space costs $27/sqft to rent on average. Class A spaces cost about $31/sqft, while Class B spaces go for approximately $21/sqft.
Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center is Houston’s medical district and a core business district. It houses 54 not-for-profit medical institutions and is the largest life sciences destination in the world. Notable institutions include the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas A&M College of Medicine, and Baylor College of Medicine. Office space here costs about $30/sqft to rent. Class A spaces go for about $33/sqft, while Class B spaces cost $28/sqft.
Bellaire
Bellaire is an affordable place to live with lots of residential spaces. It also has areas designated for industrial and commercial uses. Frost Bank and AT&T Inc. both have offices here. Bellaire commercial space costs just over $24/sqft to rent. About half of available office spaces are Class A.
Energy Corridor
Energy Corridor is a business district between Beltway 8 and Grand Parkway. BP America, Citgo, Toyota Distributors, and Shell Oil Company all have offices or headquarters here. In this neighborhood, office space seekers can expect to pay just under $30/sqft. Class A spaces cost about $34/sqft, and Class B spaces cost about $21/sqft.
Because Southwest Houston is so spread out, public transportation isn’t readily accessible everywhere. That’s one reason for the Park and Ride service, which allows commuters from Southwest Houston to park their cars at several locations then use public transportation for the remaining part of the journey. In general, transportation choices in Southwest Houston vary greatly depending on which area one is considering. For example, carpooling is particularly uncommon in Medical Center because no freeways provide direct access to the neighborhood. Residents instead choose public transportation provided by the Texas Medical Center Transit Center. West University locals tend to choose public transportation, most commonly the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Texas (METRO) bus lines. Greenway Plaza’s many surrounding highways and easily accessible underground parking garages make it convenient for carpooling. The William P. Hobby Airport and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport are within comfortable driving distance of all parts of Southwest Houston.
Southwest Houston offers more than just office space. This area of Houston is rich in opportunity for recreation and exploration. West University might be the best area of Southwest Houston to look for beautiful parks. One volunteer board dedicates all its time to improving the neighborhood’s parks. Some popular ones are Wier Park, West University Place Recreation Center, and Colonial Park. Texas Medical Center is home to the Houston Zoo, which has more than 800 types of animals. Every Saturday, Greenway Plaza’s local Urban Harvest Farmers Market sells fresh produce, seasonal jam, bread, flowers, coffee, and more.
Southwest Houston History
Southwest Houston’s history indicates how it became one of the Southern United States’ most diverse neighborhoods. Most of the area’s current African-American population moved there between 1980 and 1990. Most of the area’s Asian-Americans—mostly Chinese American, Indian America, and Pakistani American—also moved to Southwest Houston during that decade. Particular areas of Southwest Houston have their own unique stories. For example, almost all the streets in West University are named after authors and poets because they were named by a college English major.
