Posts Tagged ‘Hill’
Cedar Hill, Tx Apartment Market Report
Looking for a new apartment in Cedar Hill, Texas? Maybe you’re just doing research on Cedar Hill apartments and you’re looking for rent information and area statistics. If so, you won’t be disappointed. Renters looking for an apartment in Cedar Hill can look forward to many great neighborhoods and luxurious apartment communities to choose from.
Cedar Hill is a city in both Dallas and Ellis county located sixteen miles south of downtown Dallas. With an estimated population of 44,422 and a median age of 32 years, Cedar Hill has something to offer anyone. Like many cities in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, the economic stability of Cedar Hill is based in the strong employment market of the city. Therefore, residents have many options for employment and have benefited from the opportunities available and the median family household income in Cedar Hill is ,416. Just as important as employment opportunities to renters looking for their next home is the educational options for their family. Cedar Hill residents are served by the Cedar Hill Independent School District with only a small percentage served by Duncanville and Midlothian Independent School Districts. The quality of the school system within any city is crucial to the success of both the city and its residents. Cedar Hill also has something to offer to renters looking for recreational and cultural activity outlets. Residents and visitors alike enjoy Cedar Hill for their Boxcar Club, a restaurant and bar that is partially constructed from an old railroad box car. Another interesting fact about the city of Cedar Hill is that it’s had a major economic boom in recent years with several large retailers finding a home in one of the newly developed retail centers.
Throughout the city of Cedar Hill, there are a grand total of ten apartment communities offering approximately 1,458 individual units for lease. These Cedar Hill apartments come in a wide array of price ranges, with the average one bedroom apartment renting for 8 per month. If renters are looking for a two bedroom apartment in the Cedar Hill area, recent data suggests that the average rent is approximately 9 per month. For renters that may need more bedroom space, they will find the rent for a three bedroom apartment in Cedar Hill averages around 3 per month.
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With so many options to choose from in Cedar Hill, many renters look beyond just the floor plan of an apartment community’s available unit. Most renters are looking for a few “extras” that make the apartment community stand out from the competition when conducting the search for their next apartment home. These “extras” are typically referred to as the amenities of an apartment and can include unit specific amenities such as fireplaces, flooring options, and washer and/or dryer connections; or they can also refer to amenities that are included for the entire apartment property such as covered parking, on-site workout facilities, gated access, and in-unit security. Consequently, most of the apartments in Cedar Hill offer a variety of amenities. For example, if a renter requires upgraded parking options as a necessity for their next apartment home, five apartment communities offer covered parking if you would rather not park your vehicle in the open areas. If covered parking isn’t enough, three apartment properties offer assigned detached garages and an additional property offers a garage that is attached to the apartment unit itself. In most cases, renters may prefer a specific geographical location within the city, also known as a neighborhood, due to employment commute or school zoning, but still have very specific amenities they are searching for. This may make the search slightly more limiting, but with so many options available in Cedar Hill, it definitely does not make the search impossible. With the right resources, a renter that needs an apartment in a particular school zone within Cedar Hill’s school district, for example, and they also need upgraded parking options, they would be able to narrow their search down and list only the properties that meet their needs.
While the apartment statistics included in this article don’t conclusively depict the individual diversity of every apartment community in Cedar Hill, they do help to identify the many options that renters have among the Cedar Hill apartment market, as well as the challenges that renters can face without taking advantage of the right resources. Using an apartment locator, a service firm of licensed real estate brokers who specialize in acting as an intermediary between the apartment communities and apartment searchers, can not only save renters time, but can also ensure that they are aware of all of their options considering their personal apartment home criteria. One of these apartment locating firms, UMoveFree, Texas’ largest apartment locating company, allows renters to register on their website and search the most all-inclusive apartment database available online for the Cedar Hill area. Because renters are able to limit the search results to display only apartments for rent that meet their exact criteria; which can include number of bedrooms as well as required amenities, as well as view photos and floor plans online without visiting a single apartment community, this resource can really help to focus the renters’ time and attention to a select number of apartments that are guaranteed to meet their needs.
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/cedar-hill-tx-apartment-market-report-1937372.html
Malampuzha ? A Beautiful Hill Station in God?s Own Country
Malampuzha is a major tourist attraction for its trekking trails and the large irrigation dam. Malampuzha is also considered the headquarters of the inland fishery activities of Kerala.
How to reach Malampuzha
By Bus:-
Malampuzha is well-connected to almost all the cities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu by state government public transport buses. Number of deluxe buses is available from major cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Trivandrum, Kozhikode and Cochin to Palakkad. From Bangalore, it is a comfortable drive over the Bandipur-Mudumalai Hills and the eastern face of the Western Ghats from Coimbatore.
By Train:-
Palakkad Junction, the most important junctions of the southern railways, is the nearest railway station to reach in Malampuzha. Palakkad is an important railway station which is well-connected with all cities in India. Palakkad Junction is almost 5 km away from the main city of Malampuzha.
By Air:-
Coimbatore is the nearest airport to Malampuzha which is almost 55 km away, and the taxi fair is about Rs. 1000. Cochin International Airport, which is connected with all cities in India, is the other nearest airport to reach in Malampuzha. The distance from Cochin to Malampuzha is around 160 km and the taxi fair is about Rs. 3000.
Things to see and enjoy
1. Malampuzha Dam:-
Malampuzha dam is one of the well-known dams in Kerala. The dam project was begun in the year, 1949 and ended in 1955. Malampuzha dam, the largest reservoir in Kerala, is 6,066 feet high and it crosses the Malampuzha River. The capacity of this dam is 115.06 meters and it created the largest irrigation system in Kerala with a network of canals.
2. Malampuzha Garden:-
Malampuzha garden, known as the vrindavan of Kerala, is one of the major attractions at Malampuzha. The rose garden itself is reputed to have over a hundred verities. The beauty of the river, surrounding mountains, lush green lawns, glittering pools, and water fountains attract the tourists again to this place.
3. The Reservoir and Garden House:-
The reservoir created by the dam is used as a boating destination for the tourists. The reservoir has amusement facilities. One can hire rowboats, pedal-boats, water scooters and motor-boats from 10 am to 6 pm to take you around the reservoir’s cool blue lake. There is also a fairly decent swimming pool for the people to enjoy.
4. Fantasy Park:-
Malampuzha’s Fantasy Park is the first amusement park of Kerala. It was designed by Neo Tech Amusements and Resorts Ltd. There are beautiful gardens and fountain for people to enjoy. It offers a menu of 20 rides. The largest wave pool in the park can give you some thrilling moments in your life. Zip Zap Zoop, Swing slam bob, Dragon Coaster, Oriental Express Train, Saya Trooper, and Water Merry-Go-Round, Tora Tora etc. are for adult as well as for children to try. Water Kiddy Ride, Baby Train and Battery Car are there for kid’s entertainment. Conveniently enough, there is a hygienic restaurant and ice-cream parlour in the park.
5. The Passenger Ropeway:-
The passenger ropeway, claimed to be the first and the only one in South India, will give you a clear picture of the Malampuzha gardens, the dam, the distant hills, the blue strip of the reservoir etc. from a height of 60 ft. The 20-minute ride in the sky will thrill your kids.
6. Fish Shaped Aquarium:-
The fresh water aquarium in Malampuzha is itself in the shape of a fishes .People get inside the aquarium through the wide opened mouth of the fish. The aquarium complex is artistic in architecture and is amazing in structure though only few fishes are there. The aquarium is surrounded by water with lot of fishes. We can see that fishes swim by propelling themselves in a wave-like fashion. The aquarium is opened to all visitors from 11 am to 8 pm.
7.Thread Garden:-
Thread garden in Malampuzha has been designed by Mr. Antony Joseph, using only embroidery colour threads and without the aid of needles or any special devices. Years of labour and yards of coloured embroidery thread have resulted in a rich collection of life-like replicas of plants and animals, all made of thread.
8. Snakes Park:-
Snakes Park in Malampuzha was set up in 1984 by the state government. In the park you can see a variety of vipers like rock pit viper, saw-scaled viper, hump-nosed pit viper and Russell viper. Several kinds of cobras are also there like common cobra, king cobra, spectacled cobra and monocled cobras. The rare species of snakes like the Forsten’s cat snake, the brown vine snake etc. is also in the park. Other species of snakes are krait, India rock python, wolf snake and trinket snake. Also in the park are some varieties of water snakes, crocodiles and the American green iguana.
9 .Hanging Bridge:-
Other attractions here are the beautiful hanging bridge across the river. The bridge is made up of rope. It can’t carry more than 50 people at a time. Some people are afraid to go through the bridge while some of them take it as craze.
10. Sculpture of Gigantic Yakshi:-
Another interesting feature in Malampuzha is the enormous statue of Yakshi, sculptured in concrete by Kanai Kunjiraman, Kerala’s best-known contemporary sculptor. She sits with her head flung back, hands about to tear her hair, with nary a stitch on her body. The specialty of this statue is that only one huge piece of rock is used for its construction. The Yakshi, who sits in the main part of Malampuzha Garden, attracts all the tourists mainly because of her huge naked body.
11. Rock Garden:-
Malampuzha Rock Garden is the first rock garden of South India. The garden is a master work of sculptor Padmasree Neck Chand Saini of Chandigarh. The most interesting feature of the rock garden is that the whole place of this garden is made up of unwanted and broken pieces of bangles, tiles, used plastic cans, tins and other waste materials. If you happen to visit the garden on a weekend or on a national holiday, you will find it bathed in coloured lights from 7-8 pm. On other days, if there are enough visitors, you can get the officials to turn on the lights for a fee.
12. Telescopic Tower:-
The telescopic tower in the garden with a powerful telescope provides a terrestrial view of up to 40 miles. It gives you a panoramic view of the park around the lake.
13. Japanese Garden:-
This is a small exotic garden designed in Japanese Style. The wonderful work of the human mind and its creativity mould ones mind rosy.
14 .Road Train:-
The road train is a toy train for amusement that runs on the Road with inflatable wheels. All the bogies of this train is in the shape of different types of toys. It attracts children. It takes one around Malampuzha Garden and its vicinity.
Important Places around Malampuzha
1.Palakkad
Palakkad is known as the Rice Bowel of Kerala. This quiet town is the gateway between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Palakkad Fort built by Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1776, now popularly called Tippu’s Court is one of the best preserved forts of Kerala. It is protected by the Archeological Survey of India. The children’s park in Palakkad is a major amusement for children.
2.Nelliampathy
Nelliampathy is a small, beautiful tea-and-orange hill station worth a visit. It is almost 89 kms away from Malampuzha. Evergreen forests, waterfalls, valleys and tea gardens around this area attract more visitors to this place. Seethakundu at Nelliampathy is a very beautiful spot from where we can get a panoramic view of almost the whole of Palakkad town.
3.Pothundi Reservoir
The Pothundi Reservoir, a nice picnic spot, is on the way to Nelliampathy. It is 17 kms out of Palakkad. This is a good place to stop to stretch your legs on your way to Nelliampathy. There are also provisions in place for boating.
4.Chulannur
There is a Peacock Protection Centre in Chulannur. It is 22 kms away from Palakkad. The tropical forest named Kunjan Nambiar Smrudhi Forest is also in Chulannur area. (Kunjan Nambiar was one of the famous poets in Malayalam.)
5.Parambikulam Sanctuary
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 285 sq km, spread around three dams-Parambikulam, Peruvaripalam and Thoonakkadavu. The highest point in the sanctuary is Karimala Gopuram, from where several streams originate and flow down to Chalakudi River. This place is an ideal home for animals and birds. This virgin valley that is the pride of Palakkad district is 124 kms away from Palakkad town. There is also a national park and a reservoir in the location.
6.Silent Valley National Park
The Silent Valley Forest was declared as a National Park on 15th November 1984 by the Sate Government under the act of Wildlife Protection. It is located at southwest corner of Nilgiri Hills. The park is home for several exotic species of trees and plants. It is 40 km away from Mannarkkadu. (Mannarkkadu is an important town in Palakkad district). Silent Valley is home to the largest population of animals like lion tailed macaque, elephant, leopard, tiger, nilgiri thar, malabar giant squirrel, deer, gaur and large population of birds like hornbills, malabar whistling thrush etc. It is considered one of the most ecologically diverse areas on the planet.
7.JP Smrithivanam and Deer Park
JP Smrithivanam and Deer Park are located at Walayar Reserve Forest. This is situated 22 kms away from Palakkad town in Palakkad-Coimbatore road. The animals roam here as natural habitats of the region. Facilities for elephant riding are also available here.
8.Dhoni
Dhoni is a reserve forest area with its small and beautiful waterfalls. This is one among the most magnificent gift of nature to mankind. There is also a farm house, harbouring hundreds of cattle of Swiss variety.
Other Important Places
Mangalam Dam, Kottayi, Meenkara Dam, Chulliyar Dam, Thiruthala Temple, Jain Temple, Attappady, Chittur Gurumadam, Killikurissi Mangalam etc. are other important tourist spots around Malampuzha.
Where to Stay
Important Hotels in Malampuzha
Malampuzha has good place to stay. Malampuzha Hotels give you an unforgettable budget stay. The important hotels in Malampuzha are the following.
1. The Irrigation Department’s Malampuzha Resort: – It is very near to the Malampuzha gardens.
2. Malampuzha Garden House: – It offers all essential facilities needed for a comfortable stay. It arranges boating on the lake.
3. Tripenta Hotel: – It is a professionally managed three star hotel. It offers ayurvedic massages.
4. Hotel Dam Palace: – It is also a good option near the dam.
Important Hotels in Palakkad
Numbers of hotels are available in Palakkad. One can decide the hotels according to the budget. Almost all the hotels in Palakkad are famous for its hospitality. The important hotels among them are given below.
1. Sri Chakra International
Location: – 3 kms from Palakkad Bus Stand.
Facilities: – Room service, parking, laundry, travel desk, doctor, locker, business centre, foreign exchange, health club, pool, ayurvedic centre and restaurant.
2. Santhigiri Ashram
Location: – 7 km from Palakkad Town.
Facilities: – Ayurvedic treatment, taxi arrangement, room service, laundry and restaurant.
3. Fort Palace Hotel
Location: – West Fort Road.
Facilities: – Parking, doctor, room service, laundry, TV, travel desk and restaurant.
4. Hotel Indraprastha
Location: – English Church Road.
Facilities: – Travel assistance, safe deposit, foreign exchange, book shop, internet, TV and doctor.
5. Hotel Rajadhani
Location: – Near KSRTC Bus Station.
Facilities: – Travel desk, room service, doctor, parking, laundry and restaurant.
6. ATS Residency
Location: – Yakara Road, near DPO.
Facilities: – Room service, taxi arrangement, doctor, laundry, travel desk, laundry, TV and restaurant.
7. KPM International
Location: – Press Club Road.
Facilities: – Sightseeing trips, parking, room services, laundry, doctor, beauty parlour, taxi arrangement and restaurant.
8. Hotel Gazala
Location: – Town Centre, near Head Post Office.
Facilities: – Pick-up and drop to bus/station, room services, parking, laundry, travel desk, doctor and restaurant.
9. Hotel Revathy
Location: – Robinson Road, opposite of Government Hospital.
Facilities: – Room service, parking, taxi arrangement, laundry and restaurant.
Malampuzha, the beautiful hill station in God’s own country, certainly will give you some unforgettable memories and experience in your life. So get ready soon for a family picnic and enjoy your life.
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/361917_malampuzha-a-beautiful-hill-station-in-gods-own-country
Austin Texas Real Estate -the Deer Park at Maple Run Neighborhood in Oak Hill
The Deer Park at Maple Run subdivision is one of the many southwestern Austin neighborhoods comprising what is more commonly called Oak Hill. A more recent addition to this area, Deer Park developed rather quickly from the mid to late 1990s, where nearly 150 homes popped up in just a few short years.
Deer Park’s boundaries are generally Mopac to the west, Brodie Lane to the east, Alexandria Lane to the immediate north and the Sendera subdivision to the immediate south. Boundaries in this part of Austin though can be confusing, as it is not uncommon for neighborhoods to share streets and flow into one another. Turn off of one street heading south or west and you may suddenly be in Sendera; go too far down Alexandria or Copano and you’re in the older Maple Run neighborhood. Development in this part of town was fast and furious in recent years, and those abrupt transitions from one neighborhood to another are a sign of that.
Like the rest of Oak Hill, Deer Park sits at the tip of a visually beautiful but also environmentally sensitive area that is critical to the region: the Edwards Aquifer, a massive underground layer of porous, water bearing rock 180 miles long that serves as the major groundwater system for central Texas. Much closer to home, you will find to the east of the subdivision the 18 acre Karst Preserve, a network of cave structures, rock formations and a sinkhole. The City of Austin and the Texas Cave Management Association jointly oversee the preserve, protecting the caves and the species that inhabit them.
Children here will attend Cowan Elementary School, Covington Middle School, and Bowie High School.
Homes here are indicative of the style of 1990s construction that can be found throughout newer Austin neighborhoods: a mix of one and two story structures spaced closely together, with brick or stone exteriors, vaulted ceilings and two car garages. There are typically modest front and back yards with privacy fencing in the rear of the home. Because this is still a fairly young neighborhood, homes here are generally in excellent condition. You can find homes here in a variety of sizes, on the small end at about 1,600 square feet to the 2,500 range, and in a few cases as much as 3,000 or 4,000.
Like the other neighborhoods in this immediate area, Deer Park at Maple Run makes a good first impression, due to the fact that properties are as a general rule immaculate and very well-maintained. This owes in large part to an active homeowners association which has a strong presence here. The rules are clear, and strictly enforced: keep your yard trimmed and free of weeds and clippings; no boats, campers, trailers or commercial vehicles parked in driveways or on the street; trash cans out of site after garbage pick-up; prior written approval before any exterior changes to your home or yard.
Deer Park’s homeowners association has what is called an “architectural control committee” which was involved in some headline-generating controversy in the late 1990s, when the subdivision was still developing. When homebuilder Kaufman & Broad arrived here and bought up several dozen lots on which to build new homes, residents were angered and the committee was alerted to a possible problem. Many were convinced that K&B had strong-armed its way into the area to build low-quality, ugly, shoddy prefabricated homes that would destroy the aesthetics and standards of Deer Park and drive down overall home values. This was unacceptable to neighbors, many of whom had purchased new homes just a couple of years earlier and were worried that their new home investments would now be for nothing.
News stories of the day chronicled the intensive efforts of residents, including picket lines, yard signs and even the use of an FM radio frequency to advise buyers against doing business with K&B. Accusations flew back and forth and it even came to dueling lawsuits between the homebuilder and residents. By 2005 the lawsuits were settled out of court, and K&B even agreed to fund certain improvements to common areas of the neighborhood. It would appear that no long-term harm came to the subdivision, its neighbors, or property values.
Deer Park’s activism also included efforts in 2003 to turn back a move by Wal Mart to build a 200,000 square foot Supercenter at Slaughter Lane and Mopac. Much like the K&B controversy, many residents feared that increased traffic congestion and urban sprawl would negatively impact their property values. Along with other neighborhood groups as part of the larger Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods, Deer Park successfully defeated the plan and celebrated when it was learned that not only would the development never happen, but a large tract of the land was deeded to the city of Austin for use instead as permanent parkland. Deer Park residents have been vigilant to make sure that no “big box” retail or other development would come here that might upset the quality of life.
It looks as if Deer Park at Maple Run has survived these early turbulent battles and has emerged as a maturing and pleasant neighborhood in which to live.
Austin Texas Real Estate: the Sendera Neighborhood in Oak Hill
Sendera is one of the neighborhoods you will find among the cluster of multiple adjoining southwest Austin subdivisions better known collectively as Oak Hill. This is a more recent addition to the immediate area, with construction on homes here having started in the mid 1990s and finishing around 2003.
Its boundaries are Davis Lane to the north, Mopac to the west, Slaughter Lane to the south (although there are homes on both sides of Slaughter) and to the east it sits adjacent to the older Deer Park at Maple Run neighborhood. Yet as you drive the area keeping track of boundary lines could be tricky business: you may find yourself abruptly outside of the official Sendera boundaries and inside the Deer Park section. Due to the way in which this area developed, it is not uncommon to turn off of one street and suddenly find yourself in another subdivision. Don’t let this concern you, since the neighborhoods flow together nicely and are fairly uniform in their look and feel.
Like other neighborhoods here, you can expect Sendera to make a pleasant first impression: it is clean, quiet and nicely landscaped; yards are neatly trimmed and exteriors and public areas well-maintained. Some streets dead-end to cul-de-sacs and most streets are set back from busy Mopac and Slaughter Lane, giving an interior, insulated feel.
Sendera is just minutes away from downtown Austin, due to its close proximity to northbound Mopac. It’s also a short drive from the famed Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and the beginning of the Hill Country, and minutes from the Escarpment Village Shopping Center, opened in 2006. That’s where HEB located a new supermarket to serve residents of all the local neighborhoods. The center also includes several popular restaurants.
You’ll also now find some other options much closer, almost at your doorstep. As you immediately exit the subdivision toward Slaughter Lane, you will encounter a grouping of retail sites, including a Walgreen’s pharmacy, Wendy’s, Starbucks and other “fast casual” restaurants. Slaughter Lane on this side of the neighborhood is noticeably busy, with a fairly heavy and constant flow of traffic.
Sendera is dominated by owner-occupied single family homes, although it includes the Camden Stoneleigh apartments on Sendera Mesa. The complex is fairly large with multiple buildings, but because it sits on several acres, has a gated perimeter and is positioned far from the street, it blends with its surroundings in a way as to be almost unnoticeable.
Otherwise, Sendera is a mix of one and two story dwellings, ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to 2,800. Construction is what has come to be expected in more recently built Austin neighborhoods – brick or stone exteriors, two car garages, vaulted ceilings and modest front and back yard space, with privacy fencing separating the properties.
Sendera has its own outdoor pool facility at Sendera Mesa and Lanna Bluff, not far from the apartments. It is a generously sized pool with up to six lanes for swimming. The facility itself is immaculate, monitored by security cameras and surrounded by a handsomely landscaped lot with swings and a playscape for kids. In addition to the pool, a recreation committee oversees events like the annual fun run, a garage sale and a Memorial Day barbeque cook-off. There is a playgroup for parents and small children that meets weekly at the pool.
Sendera, like the other neighborhoods in Oak Hill, is governed by an active homeowners association. In addition to enforcing strict deed restrictions on building, property maintenance and noise, the association is also alert to crime and nuisances. Recent discussion here concerns efforts to discourage solicitors from canvassing the neighborhood, as well as the revamping of a neighborhood watch program.
The Sendera Homeowners Association is part of the larger Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods, a politically active group of residents from surrounding subdivisions who have the ear of local developers, city council members and other local community leaders. Like other Oak Hill neighborhoods, Sendera has been right in the middle of recent battles over growth, development and the environment. In 2003 residents had a major role in helping defeat Wal Mart’s plans to build a massive Supercenter at Mopac and Slaughter, at the edge of the subdivision. Sendera expects to remain involved in these kinds of issues, as the Austin City Council in 2005 mandated a long-range strategy for the future development of this and the rest of Oak Hill.
Neighbors have found natural allies in partnering with local environmental groups as they fight to protect the environmentally sensitive Edwards Aquifer, the massive underground porous rock formation that serves as the major groundwater supply for central Texas. It begins here and stretches some 180 miles through several counties. While environmentalists lobby to limit any industrial or retail development that might negatively impact the water quality, residents keep track of anything they feel might drastically increase traffic congestion and urban sprawl, ultimately driving down property values and upsetting the quality of life here.
Children here will attend Cowan Elementary School, which has been given a very good “Recognized” rating by the Texas Education Association. Covington Middle School is rated “Academically Acceptable”, as is Bowie High School.