It's official! HOU by the end of the week... (Houston: how much, house)

[PHXtoHOU]

Our house in Phoenix is nearly ready to go and by the end of the week we'll be Houston bound. We found a nice place to live in Katy (Cinco Ranch) and after moving in and "camping indoors" for a few days, we will be eagerly looking forward to the relocation truck arriving with the rest of our stuff. Hooray!

My first question is in regards to my wife's commute:

How much will her round trip to and from work cost along the Westpark Tollway? In the morning she'd be getting on at Mason Rd and getting off at Fondren Rd. Coming home she'd be getting on at Gessner Rd and getting off at Mason Rd. From the HCTRA map, it looks like $2.40 heading east and $2.25 heading back west for a daily total of $4.65. Is this correct?

And before we get our EZ TAGs:

What's the best way to do the commute from Fry Rd/Mason Rd to Harwin Dr/Hillcroft Ave and back again (in a relatively decent timeframe) during traffic?

My next question is in regards to staying in shape:

I see that there are a few gyms in the area (Lifetime, 24hr, YMCA, CrossFit, Bally, etc). Any recommendations? I'm for sure looking for a place for myself, but possibly a place where my wife would be comfortable to join as well.

Lastly, for now, I have a question relating to sitting on my butt:

I love to play poker, and live within 5min of a Harrah's casino right now. I know that I'm going to have to give that up, but I'd like to still be able to play on some level. Here in Phoenix there's a great FREE poker tournament league that can be found in several bars every night of the week. Is there such a thing in Houston?

Thanks for your help and insight in advance! We're not looking forward to the drive, but we're definitely looking forward to the destination!

[HookTheBrotherUp]

The commute length varies depending on time of day. It could get costly using the tollway each day, but some people do, and it is fast. Having said that, even the Westpark Tollway comes to a crawl depending on the hour of the day. Your wife's work hours will be the deciding factor. If she is not in a hurry, she could travel east on Westheimer Parkway, continue on to Westheimer and then turn south on Fondren all for free.

Re gyms. All the ones you mention around Cinco are good and your wife will most likely feel comfortable at any of them. You will see that the Cinco Ranch area/neighborhoods are nice, clean and safe, no gangs, no stares, etc.

There are no casino's in the Houston area, but there is always Louisiana and you can find groups, buses going there every weekend, or you can drive there, only 2.5 hours on I10 East. While there are bars in the area, the Katy/Cinco area is not a place you will find too many, it is very sub-urban like in every sense. The closer you get to Houston, the more you will find; I'm sure someone here wll know iof they have Poker tournaments.

Welcome to Katy/Houston. You are used to the heat already, just throw in 90%+ humidity. The good thing about the humidity is that it keeps your skin looking younger, less wrinkles as you age.

[Seoid]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

It could get costly using the tollway each day, but some people do, and it is fast. If she is not in a hurry, she could travel east on Westheimer Parkway, continue on to Westheimer and then turn south on Fondren all for free.

Yep. It's surprising how fast it adds up. I stopped using the toll road every day and now just use it for appointments/places I have to be during rush hour/Fridays/or major accidents. It's not breaking the bank but it's spending that can be controlled easily.

And well, you will definitely have an adjustment period. I'm originally from El Paso so I understood high temps but there is a huge difference between dry and humid heat. You'll acclimate though and be fine. Plus, it doesn't tend to be 100+ here as much as it is in the southwest.

Welcome! We've been really happy in Houston. Hope you find the same!