As reported last year in the Houston Chronicle and recently here on Neighborhoods.com, millennials are flocking to Texas. Considered the generation born between 1981 and 1997, millennials have generally looked for urban centers to call home. Houston has been a big recipient of this migration, as it ranked No. 8 on the list of cities that millennials are moving to. 

Besides urban environments, what is it that millennials want from places? A report from the University of North Carolina suggested that millennials are generally looking to live close to where they work. Millennials are also interested in living where public transit is a priority, and they enjoy cities where they can easily bike.

What about shopping, though? Some reports suggest that millennials enjoy “showrooming," which means they test-drive products in brick-and-mortar stores before buying them online. But they also patronize small, local businesses and have contributed to the growth of Small Business Saturday. 

If millennials are looking to work close to home, get around via bike lanes and public transit, and shop local, where are the best places in Houston for them? Here are some of the neighborhoods that are likely to appeal to millennials.

Montrose

It’s impossible to begin any list of millennial appealing neighborhoods in Houston without starting with Montrose. If you’re a cyclist, it’s one of the neighborhoods in Houston that participates in the city’s bike-share program. Plus, Montrose is a scenic area to go cycling in general, with its many shady, tree-lined streets.

When it comes to working, it’s a well-positioned destination. Montrose is bordered on the south by Interstate 69 and on the east by Interstate 45. Residents can easily access areas like Downtown Houston, Midtown, Upper Kirby, or the Galleria, putting them within a short drive of some of the most industrious parts of town.

However, it may be the eclectic character of the neighborhood that millennials will find most appealing. Residents can find vintage clothing stores, vinyl record stores, locally owned coffee shops, and more scattered throughout the area. 

EaDo

Photo courtesy of 8th Wonder Brewery

One of the up-and-coming neighborhoods in Houston, East Downtown, aka EaDo, has developed quickly over the last few years. New homeowners will find plenty to enjoy that fit the desires of the current millennial generation. It’s well connected with highways, linking it to north and west Houston. It’s just over the highway from the Central Business District and the greater Downtown Houston area, plus it has Midtown just across its western edge. This puts it close to some of the most commercially driven areas of town. 

It’s not as connected to the bike-share program, with only one station close to the Downtown Houston area. However, it’s home to locally owned breweries and restaurants. Anyone enjoying a diverse range of foods, from Vietnamese to Cajun, will find plenty to enjoy from one end of the neighborhood to the other. EaDo is also home to the Houston Dynamo soccer stadium. According to a Gallup poll, millennials have driven the growth of soccer in the U.S. over the last few years.  

Midtown

There’s no way to get away from the popularity of Midtown, and it’s almost tailor-made for the tastes of millennials. While Downtown Houston may have more bike-share stations than any other part of the city, Midtown is pretty packed with them as well. Plus, the neighborhood is full of winding roads set beneath shady trees and plenty of residential property, making it an appealing area for almost any cyclist.

It’s also among the most centrally located of all of Houston’s neighborhoods, with Montrose to the south, Downtown Houston and East Downtown to the east, and the Museum District just a short drive along the highway. With so much of the city just minutes away, Midtown is located next to many of the city’s biggest employers. The only thing it might lack is locally owned stores that appeal to millennials. However, with Montrose just a minute away, it’s not hard to find those either.