Community

Things to See and Do in Dallas and Houston

At Darling Homes, we take pride in ensuring that every part of your experience with your dream home is authentic and distinctive. That includes where we build our homes. While all of our communities are located in either the Dallas or Houston area, each individual city has its own unique attractions and personalities.

It’s the individual character and flavor of the area that helps set our communities apart. Take a look at some of the highlights each community has to offer its residents and see which best fits your lifestyle.

Greater Houston Area

Cypress

Located approximately 20 miles northwest of Downtown Houston, Cypress is one of Houston’s largest suburbs with a thriving economy, outstanding public and private schools, and plenty of local recreational, cultural and entertainment choices. The town that was once rural farmland is now a booming and exciting place to call home. 

If you enjoy the outdoors, Cypress is a fantastic place to find plenty of parks and hiking trails. You can find a complete list of the expansive options here.

Cypress is also surrounded by prestigious golf courses, making it the perfect destination for any golf fanatic. Black Horse Golf Club, Longwood Golf Club and Cypress Lakes Gold Club are all popular choices for public golfing. Private golf courses include Raveneaux Country Club, Hearthstone Country Club and Houston Oaks Country Club and Family Sports Retreat.

Shopping in Cypress is abundant with options like Houston Premium Outlets, Cyfair Town Center, Vintage Park, Willowbrook Mall, Traders Village, and The Boardwalk at Towne Lake, a beautiful shopping, dining, and wellness center surrounded by a picturesque body of water. 

Darling Homes’ communities in Cypress are situated conveniently close to the U.S. 290 employment corridor for easy commutes. Communities include the peaceful retreat of Alden Woods, a luxury development nestled among a luscious landscape of trees and stunning surroundings, and Bridgeland, a connected community with access to 900 acres of lakes and waterways, parks, and a resort-style swimming complex. Like all Darling Homes, homes in Alden Woods and Bridgeland are beautifully crafted with thoughtful floorplans and distinctive design details.

Sugar Land

Originally founded as a sugar plantation in the mid-1800s, Sugar Land offers residents a lifestyle just about as sweet as it sounds. Located approximately 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is home to master-planned communities and welcoming neighborhoods that enhance the feeling of belonging.

There is so much to do in Sugar Land. From sightseeing to shopping, there is always something to do here. If you’re a lover of golf, you can find 12 different golf clubs around the city including Greatwood Golf Club and Sugar Creek Country Club. If shopping is more your style, you can spend your time exploring First Colony Mall which offers a variety of stores and restaurants, or you can take the short drive into Houston and spend time at The Galleria.  

If you’re looking to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, take advantage of the biking trail and BMX track at Lost Creek Park or hike the Oyster Creek Trail. Baseball fans can enjoy the weather from the stands at Constellation Field, home to the Sugar Land Skeeters professional baseball team.

A number of high-profile businesses including The Minute Maid Company, Fluor Corporation and Noble Drilling have chosen Sugar Land as their corporate home, making the town a business-friendly environment with a bounty of opportunities.

Darling Homes offers two master-planned communities in Sugar Land, Imperial and Avalon at Riverstone. Imperial is the largest development within the prestigious Fort Bend area and offers homebuyers a series of homes that maintains a lifestyle-focused design while providing the space and modern living requirements homebuyers are looking for in their next home.

Avalon at Riverstone is beautifully situated in the heart of Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston’s shopping district at The Galleria and offers residents the experience to live within an enchanting forest setting complete with miles of serene walking trails, sparkling lakes and ponds, and plenty of pocket parks.

The Woodlands     

Founded in 1974, The Woodlands is a 28,000-acre escape just waiting for you. The community cares about preserving the beauty of the natural environment by setting aside large amounts of land for parks, allowing plenty of opportunities for residents to enjoy the gorgeous world around them. Not to mention, the area offers excellent housing options, plenty of great places to work, an amazing school system, and an abundance of retail shopping and dining. All of this makes The Woodlands a wonderful place to call home.

The Woodlands is a premier place for shopping, too. In fact, Southern Living Magazine named The Woodlands “One of America’s Best Shopping Destinations”. If you consider the more than 11 million square feet of world-class shopping featuring a variety of retailers and exclusive boutiques, you can easily see how shoppers thrive here.

If you’re looking for premier dining in The Woodlands, you won’t need to look far. There are a variety of options that are sure to please. From dining on Waterway Square to enjoying a meal on Market Street, you’ll never go hungry here.

Darling Homes offers elegantly authentic homes in beautifully master planned communities. The Woodlands, Cassena Grove is the perfect community for outdoor enthusiast with a total of 13 pools, several golf courses and two wide walking and biking trails running along the banks of Lake Paloma. The Woodlands, Village of Creekside Park is a newer expansion of The Woodlands and features distinctive designs from Darling’s Founders Collection that exude modern styling with timeless elegance.

You can also explore The Woodlands, Waterbridge with single family luxury homes surrounded by lakes and featuring dramatic entries with curved staircases and outdoor courtyards.

Somerset Green

Looking for a unique living experience near the hustle and bustle of the city? Look no further than the new VUE collection at Somerset Green. The new concept for city living offers homebuyers the unheard-of opportunity to select from a series of single floor layouts, stacking them to create their ideal home design.

The homes come equipped with elevator shafts (elevator optional), outdoor living spaces, generous storage options as well as access to Somerset Green amenities like an on-site pool with entertainment area, dog parks and more.

The location means Somerset Green is next to some of Houston’s most desirable destinations including Memorial Park, Washington Corridor, the Heights, Buffalo Bayou Park, the Galleria and Uptown Park, the Energy Corridor and downtown Houston.

Houston offers its residents the best of the best. From exquisite shopping malls like the famous The Galleria mall to fine dining at lavish locations like Brenner’s on the Bayou or the newest expansion of the world famous Japanese restaurant Nobu Houston.  

Downtown Houston also provides beautiful scenery throughout the city. One can enjoy the beautiful weather outdoors at Buffalo Bayou Park or jog through the gorgeous oak trees on the grounds of Rice University. Other popular attractions are Space Center Houston, home to NASA’s Mission Control and the largest Fine Arts Museum in the Southwest.

Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Frisco

Just last year, Frisco was rated the number one place to live by Money Magazine. The city that was once a small quiet community is now the most sought out place to call home. So why all the fuss? The city of Frisco provides a higher quality of life for its residents. From its outstanding schools to its spectacular shopping and dining, Frisco is making a name for itself that is recognized nationwide.

Jobs in Frisco are projected to grow by nearly 15% over the next four years, thanks to the reasonable cost of living the city affords its residents. Blue-chip companies like AT&T, Toyota and Oracle have built offices in Frisco so they can provide jobs where houses are affordable for their employees. Employees relocating to Frisco will experience a diverse community of skilled workers that are delighted in the city’s lower cost of living and shorter commute times.

With the high quality of life and the rapid population growth, there is plenty of room for home builders to flourish in Frisco. Darling Homes is among the top builders with 9 authentic communities to choose from.

The communities these homes are located in are not your average neighborhoods. Newman Village, a master-planned community built around a deep appreciation for European and Mediterranean architecture, has created an eclectic streetscape like no other. The Estates at Shaddock Park is another master-planned community that offers residents a central location with resort-style amenities and a 6-acre park. Edgestone at Legacy provides residents with miles of winding trails throughout the community as well as neighborhood parks and upscale amenities like a fitness center and a clubhouse with a swimming pool. Canals at Grand Park is home to low-maintenance luxury properties that offers homebuyers modern style with upscale suburban comfort.

To learn more about Frisco check out our blog: Best Places to Live: Frisco

Irving

Located just 12 miles away from Dallas, Irving is both a great place to live and experience. With an abundance of excellent dining, entertainment, arts, music, theater and so much more, you’ll never run out of things to explore.

Attractions in Irving include the meandering along the popular Mandalay Canals, diving into the West Irving Aquatic Center and experiencing the expansive Irving Arts Center. Outdoor living in Irving is plentiful through enjoying the beautiful weather hiking Campión Trails or hitting one of the four 18-hole golf courses.

Known for its fresh and inspired culinary scene, Irving is home to some of the nation’s best chefs and innovative dining venues. From fine dining to exceptional BBQ and Tex-Mex, Irving has so many delicious flavors to experience. Check out some notable options here.

Darling Homes provides excellent options for luxury living in Irving. Stonegate is located conveniently in central Irving and features diverse architectural style with open and flowing designs that break the mold of cookie cutter neighborhoods. The Terraces at Las Colinas is the newest Darling community in Irving built in the exclusive Las Colinas location. Residents will get to experience an exciting, upscale, urban lifestyle with shopping and dining within walking distance. Darling Homes will be offering the popular City Collection of new homes featuring zero lot line, low maintenance, luxury living.

McKinney

McKinney’s tagline is “Unique by Nature” which reigns true when you take a look at the elements that make up the town into all that it is today. From the beautiful tree-lined streets to McKinney’s diverse residential neighborhoods, this town is nothing but ordinary.

The community spirit in McKinney friendly, safe, and inviting making McKinney the perfect place to call home. In fact, in 2014, Money Magazine ranked McKinney the #1 Best Place to Live in America. The town offers its residents unique shopping and dining in the historic downtown area, fun festivals throughout the year, year-round outdoor activities, and great opportunities for business.

Darling Homes are featured in some of McKinney’s most prestigious master-planned communities. Auburn Hills is a part of the gated Willowcreek enclave and includes picturesque trails and a pond. Darling Homes offers seven two-story home designs with Traditional, English Tudor, and French Elevations. Tucker Hill is a place where community comes first with opportunities to create lasting friendships and family memories. The wide-open feel of this new home community provides residents with a place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Darling Homes offers residents five one and two-story home designs with English Tudor, Four Square, French, Craftsman, and American Classic Elevations.

Already in love with these beautiful communities and cities? Let us help you find the lifestyle you’ve been dreaming of in the home of your dreams in Dallas or Houston.