League City, Friendswood, Clear Lake pollution/flooding problems? (Houston, Baytown: sales, insurance)

[pritt]

Background: My wife and I live in Santa Clarita, CA (45min-north of LA) and our daughter's family moved to Houston (Katy-Cinco Ranch area) recently.

I'll be retiring in about a 1 1/2 yrs, and I have lived here my whole life. Calif is too expensive anymore and going up all the time due to taxes, overall cost-of-living. We visited them when they lived in McKinney last Christmas (week of snow) and liked the area (loved the old town), although I felt like I had to drive forever for everthing. Now they are in Katy (Cinco Ranch) and I liked the overall feel, although too congested, too much traffic for me in retirement.

Here's my question: I've been checking out The Highlands online (quite expensive) but beautiful and then the coast (League City, Friendswood, Clear Lake and nice Victorian in La Porte). My son-in-law gave me his opinion, "The oil fields are all out there so the air quality is pretty bad. Flooding is gnarly as well. Those are older zones. Even the new areas struggle but the old areas are dangerous when heavy rain blows through. They have 3 levels of zoning since Katrina and Ike. Last but most important, the obvious... Hurricanes.

How do you people who live near the coast feel about his assessment?

[philopower]

Yes he is right. The pollution is particularly bad all over the east and southeast. The refineries are all around Houston but they are mostly concentrated in that part of town. You can't really avoid pollution but you can move to an area on the west or north where there are few refineries. Also rain will be an issue all over Houston but of course the coast is way more vulnerable to hurricanes although they are fairly infrequent.

[pritt]

Originally Posted by philopower

Yes he is right. The pollution is particularly bad all over the east and southeast. The refineries are all around Houston but they are mostly concentrated in that part of town. You can't really avoid pollution but you can move to an area on the west or north where there are few refineries. Also rain will be an issue all over Houston but of course the coast is way more vulnerable to hurricanes although they are fairly infrequent.

Thanks Phil for your valuable input.

[Bad Haggis]

I work all over town including Clear Lake and it doesn't seem polluted to me. Nice neighborhoods, older but well maintained, many very expensive. Flooding may be an issue but I have never seen anything major in several years. Ike didn't seem to do much damage except for the immediate coast. They cleaned up very quickly too. Daily weather is no different than anywhere else in Houston. I even saw a thread in here that showed any pollution mostly blows into the city from the southeast due to the prevailing winds. You can even see the brown ring of pollution hovering over the city driving in on 45. Maybe I am missing something. I am seriously considering moving here.

Can't speak for any other place but LA Porte which I've driven through and it is an industrial town that smells terrible.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Bad Haggis

I work all over town including Clear Lake and it doesn't seem polluted to me. Nice neighborhoods, older but well maintained, many very expensive. Flooding may be an issue but I have never seen anything major in several years. Ike didn't seem to do much damage except for the immediate coast. They cleaned up very quickly too. Daily weather is no different than anywhere else in Houston. I even saw a thread in here that showed any pollution mostly blows into the city from the southeast due to the prevailing winds. You can even see the brown ring of pollution hovering over the city driving in on 45. Maybe I am missing something. I am seriously considering moving here.

Can't speak for any other place but LA Porte which I've driven through and it is an industrial town that smells terrible.

I agree with Haggis. La Porte is closer to the heavy industry along the Ship Channel but the Clear Lake area is the most recreational area in the Houston metro. I don't know what your budget is, but cities like League City, Clear Lake Shores , El Lago, Taylor Lake Village, Kemah, Seabrook are fine. Close to all kinds of water sports and activities, sailing , fishing, ect.

If you consider this area you will have to be clear on what the flood plain is and what your flood insurance rates will be. But if you can afford it, it is a great area for retirees

P.S. The refineries are not "all over Houston" !

[hellpaso]

I've never noticed pollution around Clear Lake. Like Bad Haggis says--worst around LaPorte. And I would think also Baytown. We're up there quite a bit since the kids/grand kids are there, & are in the process of looking for a place right now in Clear Lake. Keep in mind that it'll be a LONG drive to the other side of town in traffic.
Insurance rates are high, but lower the farther inland you go.

[Bad Haggis]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

I agree with Haggis. La Porte is closer to the heavy industry along the Ship Channel but the Clear Lake area is the most recreational area in the Houston metro. I don't know what your budget is, but cities like League City, Clear Lake Shores , El Lago, Taylor Lake Village, Kemah, Seabrook are fine. Close to all kinds of water sports and activities, sailing , fishing, ect.

Due to work I'm considering staying in Clear Lake City, part of southeast Houston. Seems like a pretty nice place but housing inventory has been so low, with lots of those flash sales happening still.

I read something about Clear Lake being the 3rd largest recreational boating center in the US, under Miami and LA. I believe it. The times I've had a picnic lunch by myself on the lake it seems too busy for me, although getting on a jet ski has crossed my mind. Wouldn't mind being invited on someone's million $ yacht either. Otherwise that whole area makes me feel like I'm on a mini-vacation. I'd say it's the easiest-going "busy" part of the entire Houston area.

[hellpaso]

Originally Posted by Bad Haggis

Due to work I'm considering staying in Clear Lake City, part of southeast Houston. Seems like a pretty nice place but housing inventory has been so low, with lots of those flash sales happening still.

I read something about Clear Lake being the 3rd largest recreational boating center in the US, under Miami and LA. I believe it. The times I've had a picnic lunch by myself on the lake it seems too busy for me, although getting on a jet ski has crossed my mind. Wouldn't mind being invited on someone's million $ yacht either. Otherwise that whole area makes me feel like I'm on a mini-vacation. I'd say it's the easiest-going "busy" part of the entire Houston area.

The housing market's crazy. We're trying to find a rental, & the nicer houses last no more than a few days. I'm hoping more will come up after the first!
It's not so crowded once you get out onto Galveston Bay!

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Bad Haggis

Due to work I'm considering staying in Clear Lake City, part of southeast Houston. Seems like a pretty nice place but housing inventory has been so low, with lots of those flash sales happening still.

I read something about Clear Lake being the 3rd largest recreational boating center in the US, under Miami and LA. I believe it. The times I've had a picnic lunch by myself on the lake it seems too busy for me, although getting on a jet ski has crossed my mind. Wouldn't mind being invited on someone's million $ yacht either. Otherwise that whole area makes me feel like I'm on a mini-vacation. I'd say it's the easiest-going "busy" part of the entire Houston area.

Yes and Houston (Clear Lake, Galveston, Freeport) is easily the largest market in Texas for boating of all kinds..

If Clear Lake is too crowded for you, go out on Galveston Bay or Offatts Bayou down in Galveston....

[jasonamd]

I wouldn't agree with the pollution being bad in the Clear Lake area. I've lived here 10 years and never noticed an issue. It's mostly concentrated around the refineries and with our south winds in the summer it doesn't really affect the Clear Lake area a whole lot. There are no refineries in the areas that were asked about other than La Porte. And generally, the largest amount of pollution in the Houston area comes from the vehicles, not the refineries.

Flooding isn't really any worse than anywhere else around the area until you get near the bay an then you run the risk of storm surge flooding during a hurricane. Other than areas right along the coast, Clear Lake and Clear Creek, there was very little flooding from Ike.