Are there any cities in Houston with a Los Angeles vibe? (Austin: transplants, low crime)

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by Htown2013

I would need at least double the salary to accept a position in LA. I think I would be paid about the same there plus taxes are terrible so no deal.

What surprised me about LA is how the wages were not as high as I expected them to be. Honestly they weren't that much higher than Houston and the COL is off the charts here and growing.

[Meyerland]

If you want LA, you will not be happy here in Texas. It's Texas. The really great urban parts of Houston are very expensive. Property taxes are really high too. If you don't mind the burbs, you can get more for your money, but it won't be anything like California.

Visit and see what you think.

[shortel]

my suggestion. stay where you are. don't come here expecting LA. And don't expect people to bow down to your LA viewpoints.

[honeyinhouston]

If you hate traffic, then you will hate Houston. Most of the nice areas are full of people and traffic now. You would definitely get a nice home in the suburbs for $350,00 plus but I just don't think you'll be happy here...it's not LA. Our beaches are about 45 min to an hour from Houston and they look nothing like the beaches in LA...trust me. You might want to stay put.

[curbur]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

KingLamar, I'm in Valley village so I know what you're talking about. I'm a Houston native and I know how it feels to really love LA but am getting tired of the increasing costs. I'm thinking about heading back to Texas too. But you have to keep in mind that California offers a quality of life that's unmatched by any other state. Texas is an awesome state, a close second but it's still Spanish wine to French, if ya know what I mean. It's all about quantity mostly. You would be able to live the American Dream as far as extra income in a city that's comparable to LA as far as amenities. If you took away the mountains, the hills and the palm trees you'd pretty much get Houston, city wise. It's not a huge Grand Canyon of a difference. It's just a smaller LA.
No real beach towns like SM, South Bay or LBC. It's Galveston, clear Lake and Kima. The rest are all really small rural towns next to the beach.

Your best bet would be to find a place inside the loop. You have places like Meyerland and Memorial that kinda look like Toluca Lake in a way. West University while expensive is gorgeous. Bellaire is nice.

Agreed; I don't think you'll find anything close to what you're describing, but Montrose, West u or the heights sound like they'd be the closest to what you're looking for if I had to pick. You'd probably want to put your kids in private for all of those scenarios.

[Gunion Powder]

I feel like most of the posters in this thread just don't want another Californian in their city LOL.

[Meyerland]

Originally Posted by Gunion Powder

I feel like most of the posters in this thread just don't want another Californian in their city LOL.

I'm okay with anyone that wants to come to Houston. It's great here, but it's nothing like California, Colorado, or any other state. You have to love it for what it is and not lament what it isn't.

I deal with many expats and others moving here and some settle in nicely and some regret it. If I had a nickel for every time a new person tried to make Houston like where they left, I would be rich. There are pros and cons for every city/country. You just have to focus on the pros and minimize the cons.

Pros: diversity, lots of housing choices, no state income tax, every district has good schools, restaurants, theater, zoo, lots of sunny nice weather October-April, shopping, you can live close to work unless you are downtown.

Cons: lots of suburbs, sprawl, expensive homes close in, high property taxes, hot unbearable humid weather May-September, little natural beauty of mountains or hills, flat, rotten roads in older areas, every district has terrible schools too.

[3shipguy]

Originally Posted by Gunion Powder

I feel like most of the posters in this thread just don't want another Californian in their city LOL.

That's because they make everything so political, even when it's not. Statements like: "...don't expect people to bow down to your LA viewpoint" are not only off-putting, but ignorant. What is this LA viewpoint? Not everyone from LA is liberal or conservative. OP didn't even mention politics. Some people just want to move.

[shanv3]

Originally Posted by KingLAmar

My family and I are considering leaving Los Angeles for a more affordable city. Someone turned me onto Houston but I have never been there. There are 2 things I absolutely hate about L.A. 1. the traffic (it took 1 hour and 45 min to go less than 10 miles the other day) and 2. the cost of living $500,000 for a basic house 2 bedroom house in a decent neighborhood.

I never thought we would ever consider leaving L.A. because we absolutely love so many things about it but if we can find the right city we will leave in a heart beat. We currently live in Toluca Lake. Its not very diverse which is its only down fall. We rarely see another family that looks like ours. Even one or two Black families would be great and a nice mix of everyone else.

Ideal Houston Neighborhood:

All of our favorite cities in Los Angeles offers this type of lifestyle. I know the list is a lot so we don't expect to check off everyone.

1. Walkability – Quiet streets and family friendly with local shops, restaurants and bars all withing a few blocks.

2. Safe with good schools

3. Diverse family friendly neighborhood

4. Parks nearby

5. Not more than 45 min from DT Houston (I would most likely work in the city. We are also not opposed to living in the city if it meets my family needs.)

6. Close to the ocean or house on the lake

7. Looking for a home in the $350,000 - $550,000 range

8. City vibe not to “suburby”

Lastly are there any beach communities similar to Santa Monica?

You will be better off at New Orleans than Houston .

[Svensk08]

Originally Posted by curbur

Agreed; I don't think you'll find anything close to what you're describing, but Montrose, West u or the heights sound like they'd be the closest to what you're looking for if I had to pick. You'd probably want to put your kids in private for all of those scenarios.

According to listings on HAR.com, the OP's price range for a house won't get him into these neighborhoods. He really needs to spend a week or so exploring the Houston area to see what it's like.