Recent expansion of the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County means that the controversial colonia is now 50 percent bigger than Manhattan.

By advertising exclusively to Hispanics under the name Terrenos Houston (translation: Houston Land), the developer has largely managed to fly under the radar of regulators as it rapidly expands.

Comparison Of Areas in Google Earth

Colony Ridge now occupies approximately 34.5 square miles. The developer also owns additional land in surrounding areas not yet under development or being developed under different names. But I have NOT counted those areas in this comparison.

In contrast, Google Earth shows that the island of Manhattan occupies 22.8 square miles.

That means Colony Ridge is 51% larger than Manhattan. Yet few people have ever heard of Colony Ridge. As proud Texans, we need to change that.

Other Comparisons of Manhattan and Colony Ridge

Population

Of course, Manhattan still has the population edge over Colony Ridge: 1.6 million vs. something less. The exact population of Colony Ridge is unknown because many undocumented aliens live there who avoided the last census.

Commerce

And…

While Manhattan is a center of world commerce, Colony Ridge has a dollar store and an ice machine.

So Colony Ridge has some catching up to do in the “commerce” department.

Car Repair

Many people in Manhattan don’t bother to own cars, so repair places are few and far between.

But people need vehicles to get around in Colony Ridge; there is no public transit. Accordingly, the development has far more shade-tree mechanics.

And the parking is much easier and cheaper in Colony Ridge than Manhattan.

Scenic Rivers

Manhattan is surrounded by iconic rivers. Colony Ridge has rivers of mud. But at least kids can play soccer in them during droughts.

Trash

Manhattan is famous for its trash. In fact, trash there has helped decide mayoral elections going back decades. Colony Ridge doesn’t have a mayor, so trash is rarely an issue.

Advantage Colony Ridge…if you’re a hoarder.

Home Values

Manhattan is also famous for high-priced real estate. Colony Ridge is famous for its low-priced real estate. Advantage: Colony Ridge on that score. No wonder it’s growing so fast!

That’s important. Look at the angle on the left front corner of the home above.

Parking Your Home

Manhattan has absolutely no place to park your home. However, Colony Ridge has thousands of acres. Advantage Colony Ridge…again!

Yes, in Colony Ridge, Liberty County has something to write home about.

Access

Manhattan is famous for its bridges and tunnels. So is Colony Ridge. This bridge on FM1010 has been washed out for six years.

I’d count this one a toss up, however. Why? It still can take hours to get into and out of BOTH Manhattan AND Colony Ridge.

Diversity

Manhattan is widely regarded as a cross-roads of the world and hosts the United Nations.

Colony Ridge IS the united nations…of South America, Central America, and Mexico in Liberty County.

Regardless, I’d have to give the diversity advantage to Manhattan. I don’t see the Colony Ridge developer taking any initiative to reach out to Poles, Jews, Italians, Irish, Asians, Germans, Czechs, Scandinavians, Indians, Africans or other ethnicities.

Fire Hydrants

In Manhattan, people are always tripping over fire hydrants and most buildings are sprinklered.

In Colony Ridge, though, they’ve learned to make do without all those trip hazards that can drive up the developer’s costs. Colony Ridge has a grand total of 59 hydrants in an area 50 percent bigger than Manhattan.

Hotel Costs

A hotel room in Manhattan can easily cost hundreds of dollars per night. But people can pitch tents in Colony Ridge and avoid all those pesky mini-bar fees while they work out their business deals.

Plus, you’ll see waaaay more stars in Colony Ridge. Advantage: Liberty County.

Write Your Favorite Travel Guide

Surely everyone can agree that Colony Ridge deserves a place in all of the state’s travel guides. Colony Ridge is truly a tribute to what lack of regulation and enforcement can produce.

Let’s start a campaign to get it noticed. Write Fodors, National Geographic, TxDoT, Texas Highways, and Texas Monthly.

We have something unique in Colony Ridge that is a tribute to Texas ingenuity – a place that welcomes people without papers and makes entrepreneurs rich. Let’s put it on the tourist maps and focus the world’s attention on a true Texas marvel.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/17/2023

2210 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.