Kingwood "the livable forest" is a master planned community that was once its own town. Unfortunately, the citizens lost a bitter battle vs. Houston to avoid annexation by the city in the 1990s. Kingwood is similar to The Woodlands in that it is a master planned community in a pine forest, but Kingwood has two distinct advantages over The Woodlands. Living in Kingwood offers easy access to water recreation on Lake Houston and it is slightly closer to the city center than The Woodlands. Kingwood is also home to many pilots and airport employees due the proximity to Bush IAH.