Moving to Houston January of 2012; Where would be some good places in Houston for a young college student to live? (Dallas: apartment complexes)

[Newbe10]

I' am looking to move from Dallas to Houston early next year to finish out my Community College time at HCCC. Where are some fairly safe and somewhat cheap areas to live in while going to school in Houston? I really like Houston and can't wait to move there. My budget for apt. rent is $550 to $700 (1 bedroom/bath). I really like the natural areas in Houston as well, so if there are any neighborhoods near any HCCC campuses that are also near nature parks or city parks, I would really appreciate the info!!

[Svensk08]

Will you definitely be at HCC Central? There are many HCC campuses and not all courses are offered at all locations. If you move here, you'll need a car, as Houston is huge and our current public transportation system is inconvenient at best.

Are you planning on working while attending classes? Most HCC students do, so you may need to consider job location as well.

[Newbe10]

Originally Posted by Svensk08

Will you definitely be at HCC Central? There are many HCC campuses and not all courses are offered at all locations. If you move here, you'll need a car, as Houston is huge and our current public transportation system is inconvenient at best.

Are you planning on working while attending classes? Most HCC students do, so you may need to consider job location as well.

Well, I would like to be at an HCC campus that would best allow me to finish my prep for major courses for business finance (my current major). I do have a car and I' am very familiar with the freeway system as I have made many visits to the area. Not so much with the side streets though! Also, the school doesn't have to be right next to or really close to a park or natural area, as I will be willing to drive a few miles.

I' am curious about if there is a campus near Sheldon Lake SP or one in The Woodlands or near downtown Houston...

[cheryjohns]

Like Svensk08 mentioned - you need to go online and look at the different campuses and see which one offers your classes. You are putting the cart before the horse in talking about apartments before you know which campus you need to be near.

[westhou]

Any HCC campus in West Houston will be near a park. Terry Hershy Park runs parallel to Buffalo Bayou and you'll have Memorial Park to the far east and George Bush Park to the far west.

[Svensk08]

If you're going to a two-year college for basic foundation courses, you might want to consider Lone Star College. There's one in The Woodlands.

[MrSykes]

Originally Posted by Newbe10

Well, I would like to be at an HCC campus that would best allow me to finish my prep for major courses for business finance (my current major). I do have a car and I' am very familiar with the freeway system as I have made many visits to the area. Not so much with the side streets though! Also, the school doesn't have to be right next to or really close to a park or natural area, as I will be willing to drive a few miles.

I' am curious about if there is a campus near Sheldon Lake SP or one in The Woodlands or near downtown Houston...

The two most populated HCC campuses are Central and West Loop. The University of Houston offers joint student housing for HCC students at the Moody Towers. Spaces are limited, though. If you are going into business then you will likely be taking most of your classes at Central, which is home to the Business Careers Center. Bissonnet Village Apartments is about midway between the two campuses in West U, and seems to be very popular with students. Last I heard they offered student discounts on many of their units.

The closest HCC campus to Sheldon that I know of is Northeast, which is home to the Law Enforcement Training Academy and Truck Driving School. As mentioned above, though, you would do well to find out exactly where the courses you need (at the times most convenient for you) are being taught so you can plan accordingly.

[Newbe10]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

The two most populated HCC campuses are Central and West Loop. The University of Houston offers joint student housing for HCC students at the Moody Towers. Spaces are limited, though. If you are going into business then you will likely be taking most of your classes at Central, which is home to the Business Careers Center. Bissonnet Village Apartments is about midway between the two campuses in West U, and seems to be very popular with students. Last I heard they offered student discounts on many of their units.

The closest HCC campus to Sheldon that I know of is Northeast, which is home to the Law Enforcement Training Academy and Truck Driving School. As mentioned above, though, you would do well to find out exactly where the courses you need (at the times most convenient for you) are being taught so you can plan accordingly.

Hey thanks! Appreciate the good info. that you and everyone else has put on this thread. I agree that I will have to look into each HCC campus myself and or the Lone Star Campuses as well.

I want to go to the one that will give me the best chance to either transfer into UH's business school or any of the business schools of the UT system.

I will definitely check out that deal with the HCC central campus. That all sounds pretty good! I think the central campus would be cool being near downtown and many of Houston's other entertainment/cultural areas. I imagine that I would be pretty close to memorial park there as well, which from what I have heard and seen on other websites, appears to be a perfect place for the nature walks, and daily jogging.

[Newbe10]

I forgot to ask one thing: is $550-700 per month realistic for a decent 1 bedroom/bath apartment in either The Woodlands, Spring, or Conroe or do I need to increase my budget a little more?

I was just in the Houston area this past weekend and while spending some time in the areas mentioned above, I noticed several apartment complexes that not only looked nice and in a relatively safe area, but also in a good location (i.e. near I-45). While in The Woodlands, I noticed several newer complexes by the waterway (a very beautiful area I might add), including the Millineum (sorry if the spelling is wrong on that) apartments along The Woodlands Pkwy. Would that area be way outside of my price range, even if I increased my budget to $600 to $850?

[ttufin10]

get a roommate (a college student...not some old weirdo)...much more realistic and you get more for what you pay. rent is too expensive for a 1BR. a roommate is better than ending up in the ghetto.