Anyone move to houston from connecitcut? (Stamford, West: real estate, renting, house)

[iypoon]

I'm getting sick of living in CT

The winters are rough (but not as bad as some other places in the US), housing is retarded expensive, and there's nothing to do (although if you like nature, CT has beautiful places to hike/camp/enjoy scenery)

I look through your damn real estate listings and your mega mansions that cost 200K would probably be 1 million + over here. I'm mad as heck about that.

Plus it seems like you got all the jobs.

Any former CT residents who moved to houston regret it? Or was the move great for you?

What was the biggest shock? The biggest things you missed about CT?

[LostInHouston]

I lived in CT for a year before I moved down here... before that I lived my entire life in Michigan. The reason I moved to CT is I needed an entry level job coming out of college and they were the first to offer. The reason I moved to TX was I found a job in the specific area of my major that I had always wanted to work in.

I really like CT, but you're right, the cost of living is high. We were renting a house 15 miles north of Hartford and prior to finding the job down here were looking at buying. For the amount of house we bought down here, it would have been at least 1.5-2X more expensive in CT.

I prefer the climate of the NE/upper midwest over the climate here in Houston. Nothing beats the fall weather up there. If you hate snow, the winters up there can be brutal... but the same goes for summers down here, which are brutal and unrelenting from June til September.

As far as things to do, I'm a bit surprised you found CT so boring. Obviously Houston (being a massive city) has everything under the sun... with the exception of winter outdoor sports. But remember that Houston is extremely spread out... and in CT (depending on where you are) you are pretty much always 1-2 hours away from either NYC or Boston... so I see that as a wash.

[annie80]

we lived for over 4 years in CT and moved to Houston last year for work. Personally, I loved living in CT. We lived in Stamford and really enjoyed our stay there. Yes, the winter months were harsh, but the summer here isnt any nicer.

I am surprised you find CT boring. Drive 2-3 hours and you have so many choices of places to visit/ things to do. NYC is also limitless on things to do.

[annie80]

ps- good housing in good areas of Houston isnt cheap either. We recently closed on a house, we could not afford to buy in the heart of the city, the ineer loop and had to opt for suburbs and the commute time.

[Weatherguy]

My step-mom is from New Haven and moved to Houston's West University (next to Rice University) in the 70s. Parts of West University have a northeastern feel due to the trees and architectural styles of the older homes, and she has always loved living in that neighborhood. But it's expensive now (400K for a very modest home to millions for the largest homes).

[Weatherguy]

I forgot to mention that parts of the city and metro area (northwest through northeast portions) are in the southern piney woods, and if you get into the rural areas, particularly north of the city, it will remind you of the northeast. There are state forests, national forests, lakes and parks north of the city. The Big Thicket National Preserve is well worth seeing. You can go on tours in swamp buggies through forests that are so thick it's like being in a jungle. Many Houston neighborhoods are very woodsy and park-like, particularly northwest through northeast parts of the city. Take a look at Google Earth streetview and view the neighborhoods west of the West Loop (610) and south of I-10.

The southern part of the metro is completely different, mostly coastal grasslands. Many years ago the southern metro had some beautiful woodlands interspersed with the grasslands, but they were cleared for rice and other farming.

All of the metro is generally rainy, humid, and green. May through September are brutal, just like anywhere in the south, and October through April are generally very nice except for intermittent rainy or foggy spells. It can get cold enough that people complain (with light snow on rare occasions) but the cold spells don't last long and the next thing you know it's back in the 60s or 70s, even in January.

[SouthernBoy205]

How long does it take to get from CT to Houston?

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

How long does it take to get from CT to Houston?

By car? I did that drive about a year ago - it took 3 days, but it could have been done faster.

[SouthernBoy205]

Whoa.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

Whoa.

No, that was driving the speed limit - and never driving over 9 hours a day. Trust me, I was with a family member that complained if I went over the speed limit and if we didn't stop after 9 hours.