Move to Galveston/Houston from San Diego (Sugar Land, League City: house, neighborhood)

[jdias08]

Hi all,

We're a Coast Guard family of 3 moving to the Galveston/Houston area because my husband will be stationed in Galveston. We have a 2.5 year old daughter and a 10 year old dog. We'll be moving mid June of this year.

We currently live in southern California and am going to miss the lifestyle here. I'm worried about living in the Houston area because my interests include organic foods, farmers markets, yoga, and outdoorsy stuff, like hiking and camping and just being outside in general. I know Houston is a pretty conservative town and it is hot there. My husband is pretty conservative in his political views but enjoys the same interests I do.

So, trying to figure out where the best places to live that my husband wouldn't have to drive more than 45 minutes to work. I would like family friendly, of course, and close access to nearby organic markets and yoga studios if possible. And, a pretty area with parks would be nice. School districts don't matter as much because we'll most likely put my daughter in private school.
any suggestions??

Thank you so much for any info you can give me!!

[jdw7337]

With a 45 minute drive or less, you are limited to only a few areas:
Pearland
Friendswood
Clearlake

each is basically suburban with good schools and great parks near shopping areas. I'm not sure if there are any organic food stores or farmers markets in those areas though & you might be able to find a neighborhood group of yoga enthusiasts that do it out of their homes. To find areas that have the farmers markets and such you would have to expand you ideal driving commute to Galveston.

[Sunderpig]

Yes, it will likely be a big shock. There's more to it than the whole political idealogy stuff. It spills over into other areas as well - which I won't go into - but which essentially ruin many "quality of life" aspectives. There will be a number of areas that you might have to compromise on.

Houston is more multi-cultural, and you could find tiny pockets of like-minded interests (such as organic markets) in a few small areas. The yoga stuff is more widespread, so that should be generally easy to find. Farmer's markers are harder to find, but VeganKris on this site might be able to help. For those things, central Houston would be your best bet.

For outdoorsy stuff, Galveston is a better choice. However, hiking and camping areas are difficult to find anywhere nearby. Keep in mind also that south Texas is very flat, and very hot and humid from May to October. That's a major reason why outdoorsy activities are less of a priority to many in the area. And compared to San Diego, get ready for a dirty-looking brown/green water at the beach!

Good luck to you and your family. I hope it goes well for you.

[Poltracker]

Several of the USCG folks I know live in the League City area.

[jdias08]

Thanks for all your responses. I looked at har.com and there was a very pretty house listed in La Porte area. thoughts about La Porte?

[jzntx]

My husband and I moved from southenr california in 05' not much of an outdoors life style here, at least for us. There is very few weeks of what us californians would considered pleasant weather, the rest tends to be either too hot,humid and mosquito infested or too cold.

We were never the outdoor activities type of people so that doesn't really bother us, life is good here....we are able to make a good living and we are surrounded by very friendly people

[jdias08]

Originally Posted by jzntx

My husband and I moved from southenr california in 05' not much of an outdoors life style here, at least for us. There is very few weeks of what us californians would considered pleasant weather, the rest tends to be either too hot,humid and mosquito infested or too cold.

We were never the outdoor activities type of people so that doesn't really bother us, life is good here....we are able to make a good living and we are surrounded by very friendly people

So, I see you live in Northwest Houston? From the research I've done, it seems this is the more progressive area to be and the southeast is going to be totally different. Is this correct?

[AK123]

Originally Posted by jdias08

So, I see you live in Northwest Houston? From the research I've done, it seems this is the more progressive area to be and the southeast is going to be totally different. Is this correct?

Not necessarily. The more "progressive" areas would probably be central like Montrose, The Heights, etc. Otherwise it will be a mix of different kinds of people. Yoga, healthy eating and farmer's markets seem to be a little more popular out here in Sugar Land as compared to most other suburban areas of Houston... may also be because of the large Asian population. But I'm not sure of the cultural differences, if any, between the northwest and southeast (Clear Lake, Friendswood) sides of town. Like I said, the more "progressive" areas will be those centrally in Houston generally, but the important thing is also to be near work so you're not sitting in traffic or traveling long distances each day.

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by jdias08

So, I see you live in Northwest Houston? From the research I've done, it seems this is the more progressive area to be and the southeast is going to be totally different. Is this correct?

The SE has some great areas too, dont be discouraged. Clear Lake City is a big boating community but with NASA funding reductions impacting contractors, good housing deals might be available in the SE area. Find a good realtor to help you sort through all the variables to find the right city and house for you.

Welcome to Texas

[AK123]

Also, there is decent hiking and camping in Texas, but yes, it is hot/warm much of the year. This is why I think water recreation (boating, beach, lakes, etc.) tends to be more popular.

You are coming from an area of the country with some of the best, if not the best all-around weather, so just about anywhere else (whether Texas, the midwest, or the East coast) is going to be a downgrade in that department.