Potential NYC -> Houston transplant.... Houston neighborhoods/house types with lowest crime?

[StartMeOver]

Originally Posted by crone

My daughter has lived on the upper west side for 20 years. She thought about moving back to Texas for a couple of years. She decided it was cheaper to stay in Manhattan.

You can get by without a car, but it will not be easy. It will be a large PITA.

Get the job before you come.

Welcome to Houston.

Why would it be cheaper to stay in Manhattan? Isn't that one of the most expensive places to live?

[cool the kid]

Originally Posted by deckhanddavy

I've lived all around Houston, at places that are so-so, and luxo apartments. Myself or my roommates have had our car broken into at all of them. It doesn't matter where you are, there are thieves peeping into cars even at the gated locations.

With that said, based on your needs and work location, I think a GREAT apartment you should seriously look into is 4444 Westheimer Apartments: apartments for rent in Houston rental apartments rent apartments in Houston

Me and my fiance were there for 2 years. It's gated. Has good amenities. Perfect location...seriously, it's next to 610 and Westheimer, and is located just at Highland Village, which is a really great starting point to accessing a lot of what Houston has to offer, great food, etc.. I was paying $680 3 years ago for a 750sf apartment, 1br. Not sure how much it's changed since, so you may wanna check.

I really miss driving a mile away to the village plaza's, taking a quick drive up to Montrose and Rice, then picking up some hot beignets and cafe au lait from Crescent City. Wow...I'm really missing that right about now.

If you have any questions, pls feel free to ask me

Thanks, I will def keep this in mind. Sounds like Houston is really big on food, which is great as wifey and I are too

Originally Posted by StartMeOver

Why would it be cheaper to stay in Manhattan? Isn't that one of the most expensive places to live?

Depending on how she lives, it could be, but for the same money it sounds like Houston has a MUCH better quality of life. NYC, you could get a place to live for $1000/mo, but it would DEFINITELY be with a roommate or in a really small studio somewhere far out, and then there's the subway, etc. etc. I'm just tired of it all to be frank.

Anyone know if there are motorcycle track days near Houston?

[crone]

A friend has a rent controlled apartment on CPW. She pays around 1200 a month. The exact apartment above her rents for 7000 a month. She's been there since 1961. Depends on who ya know. There are also apartments that are rent stabilized. The landlord can only raise the rent a specified percent a year. If the tenant moves out, the apartment can go up to market value.
Many urban centers with falling down housing gave it away in the 70's just to get investors to bring it up to code. There are buildings like that all over New York. They are hard to buy into and have income requirements. A nurse or a school teacher in NYC can get an apartment in Harlem and north for $250,000. The transit monthly pass is about a hundred a month.
It is the folks on Wall street and media paying millions of dollars for housing. If one is patient and wise, a good deal is there to be had.
My relative bought a 2 bedroom in a building that was being converted from projects to condos for 195,000. All of the tenants could purchase their apartments if they wanted, or just continue to rent. The original purchaser could sell for what they could get. As the welfare tenants moved on or died, the building owner redid the apartment. If you could get in at the conversion and stay put 15 years, the apartments sell for a million up.

[cool the kid]

Subletting rent controlled apts is illegal... I have heard multiple stories of people losing their apts just for having their kids live there while they lived elsewhere

My apartment now is rent controlled but its $2000 for a 600 sq ft 1 bedroom (walk up!!!). If I stayed here long enough it might pay off but I'm not gonna hang around long enough to see. Co-ops are a somewhat better deal, but still, your purchase prices don't factor in maintenance costs, which are absurdly high for even a mediocre place

Large 3 Bedroom Co-op

180K 3 bedroom, a good 60-90 mins from city work, $1000/mo maintenance that will only go up every year (on top of property taxes), wiping out the whole reason to buy. If you want to own a building outright, it's either gonna be a million dollar brownstone in need of a ton of work, or a house on a 40x80 lot in a neighborhood a good hour plus out of the city, on the more expensive commuter rail line. Not to dump on NYC, its great when you come in with the right parameters... but its definitely not cheap for the average person.

[crone]

Originally Posted by cool the kid

Subletting rent controlled apts is illegal... I have heard multiple stories of people losing their apts just for having their kids live there while they lived elsewhere

My apartment now is rent controlled but its $2000 for a 600 sq ft 1 bedroom (walk up!!!). If I stayed here long enough it might pay off but I'm not gonna hang around long enough to see. Co-ops are a somewhat better deal, but still, your purchase prices don't factor in maintenance costs, which are absurdly high for even a mediocre place

Large 3 Bedroom Co-op

180K 3 bedroom, a good 60-90 mins from city work, $1000/mo maintenance that will only go up every year (on top of property taxes), wiping out the whole reason to buy. If you want to own a building outright, it's either gonna be a million dollar brownstone in need of a ton of work, or a house on a 40x80 lot in a neighborhood a good hour plus out of the city, on the more expensive commuter rail line. Not to dump on NYC, its great when you come in with the right parameters... but its definitely not cheap for the average person.

Nobody is doing anything illegal. Don't you think the landlord would know who is in his building?

[cool the kid]

If your friend doesn't live in the apt with your daughter its illegal. I'm not ratting, I'm just saying (if I understand your post correctly).

But the subletted rent controlled apt is basically winning the lottery, not really a viable option for most NYers (me anyway).