Hello from the great white north! (Houston, Dallas: crime, neighborhoods, elementary school)

[qstar1000]

First of all, I like to thank those of who have kindly offer their knowledge and opinions on this very helpful forum. I know many out of town folks like myself appreciate that very much.

With that said, I would like to ask for your suggestions and opinions..........
Our family will be moving to Houston this summer (around July 08) from Canada and so looking forward to the nice, warm weather that we've heard so much about. Anyway, my wife will be working in 77040 area(on Guhn rd, just on w Tidwell and south of 290) and I will be in 77013 area(oates rd and wallisville rd, just east side of 610 and 90). We have a 7 year old daughter and looking for a good public school for her to attend. After many months of search on the internet, I came to the conclusion of Jersey Village might be the answer. I wanted to be close to my wife's work and a decent school for our child, as for myself I guess that I have to put up with the commute. Can anyone suggest any other area that will work best for our family considering school for our child and commute for both of us.

Thanks..........................

[Premont]

Jersey Village is nice, but you might want to go a little further back west and consider Cy Fair. It will add a little to your commute time, but it's still in the general 290 area and there's lot of great schools and neighborhoods out there.

[Premont]

Wait a minute, scratch that. I just looked up 77013. That's way out to the east. I'm going to say forget 290 entirely. The Heights would be a good choice commute wise, but it can be expensive. I just don't think I'd want to be doing Jersey Village to east of the loop every day. 290 and the 610 loop can be brutal. Maybe someone that lives out there has a better suggestion.

[Ga.Peach]

The Woodlands in Spring Tx is a nice area from what I remember from y visit there . But if you don't speak spanish, better learn it . Texas is now called little mexico. Houston is full of crime . Especially since the Katrina refugees moved in . Just the messenger , I didn't invent the facts .

[texas7]

GA Peach -- Really - native Houstonian here and I have never heard Texas called "Little Mexico" here in town, must be by those who live elsewhere. Yes we do have a lot of crime (and spread all over town with some areas more of a hub than others) and it did increase with Katrina but there are also other crimes going on not associated with that influx of residents - interestingly enough, news reports just reported that Dallas had a bigger increase in crime last year than we did. Many visitors to this forum often report that for a major city - Houston's crime isn't bad compared to many major cities on the East Coast.

[sunny57]

Qstar1000...

No matter how you look at it, you will have a horrible commute. With that in mind check out "Coles Crossing " off 290 & Barker Cypress. I realize it is much further out than "Jersey Village" but it is a planned community with Sampson Elementary School in the neighborhood and close to shopping. Sampson was rated "exemplary". Good luck...

[texas7]

qstarr - are you looking for a private school for your child or are you wanting a very good public school? If so, you tend to have to move out a bit to get the good schools.

[qstar1000]

texas7, we are looking for a good public school. What other area that I should be looking at?

Thanks.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by texas7

GA Peach -- Really - native Houstonian here and I have never heard Texas called "Little Mexico" here in town, must be by those who live elsewhere.

That's a fairly true statement, but it sounds like something a xenophobic non-Texan would say. Draw a line from El Paso to Austin to the Houston metro and you basically have NE Mexico. Growing up I lived in Georgia for a little while, and from what I do remember, I'd much rather my future children grow up in Texas any day over GA. NE Mexico or not!