PA to Houston (Austin, Sugar Land, West: apartment complex, to rent, crime rates)

[wmdude]

Hi Everyone,
We are considering relocating from Pennsylvania to the Houston area. We are a family of 4, with 2 young boys. I work in IT and my wife in Chemical Engineering. We are looking for an area with career opportunities and that would be a good place to raise our family. We will look to rent until we are comfortable and learn more about the areas around Houston. Our budget is $800-$1200/month for 2-3 bedrooms. Our boys currently attend a Catholic school and we would like to continue this or send them to a good public school. I have read good and bad about Houston and am a little concerned with the crime rates. It is understood, though, that every area has ups and downs, and the concern may be more for the unknown than anything else. What recommendations would you have for an initial area to reside in? Any recommendations for schools? Is the job market in Houston good for our occupations? Thank you for your time and assistance!

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by wmdude

Hi Everyone,
We are considering relocating from Pennsylvania to the Houston area. We are a family of 4, with 2 young boys. I work in IT and my wife in Chemical Engineering. We are looking for an area with career opportunities and that would be a good place to raise our family. We will look to rent until we are comfortable and learn more about the areas around Houston. Our budget is $800-$1200/month for 2-3 bedrooms. Our boys currently attend a Catholic school and we would like to continue this or send them to a good public school. I have read good and bad about Houston and am a little concerned with the crime rates. It is understood, though, that every area has ups and downs, and the concern may be more for the unknown than anything else. What recommendations would you have for an initial area to reside in? Any recommendations for schools? Is the job market in Houston good for our occupations? Thank you for your time and assistance!

So you probably both already received job offers from IT and chemical companies and know which side of town is closer to your future work, right? Otherwise it is too early to talk about particular area.
There is no point of talking about Sugar Land or Heights or Oak Forest or West University or Clear Lake unless we know where you will work.
Houston traffic is pretty tough, so for me primary consideration is proximity to work. I don't know about IT, but Houston is pretty good place for a chemical engineer.

[wmdude]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

So you probably both already received job offers from IT and chemical companies and know which side of town is closer to your future work, right? Otherwise it is too early to talk about particular area.
There is no point of talking about Sugar Land or Heights or Oak Forest or West University or Clear Lake unless we know where you will work.
Houston traffic is pretty tough, so for me primary consideration is proximity to work. I don't know about IT, but Houston is pretty good place for a chemical engineer.

Hi Ghost Town,

Right now we are in the beginning stages of deciding on the move. I guess I'm really seeking advice as to whether Houston is an area that would be good for us and our family. We enjoy the outdoors and would like to be near recreation areas and bike trails. We would also like to be able to walk and enjoy our neighborhood. I suppose Houston is much larger than what we are used to in PA, so it probably isn't as easy to just choose an area and commute wherever in town in a reasonable amount of time. Thank you for your help.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by wmdude

Hi Ghost Town,

Right now we are in the beginning stages of deciding on the move. I guess I'm really seeking advice as to whether Houston is an area that would be good for us and our family. We enjoy the outdoors and would like to be near recreation areas and bike trails. We would also like to be able to walk and enjoy our neighborhood. I suppose Houston is much larger than what we are used to in PA, so it probably isn't as easy to just choose an area and commute wherever in town in a reasonable amount of time. Thank you for your help.

Well what I am missing most here is biking.
I used to bike a lot in PA, MD and DE, but here in Houston area there is nothing comparable to that.
In general, roads here are not appropriate for biking (usually no shoulders or very narrow shoulders, much higher speed limits in rural areas).
For me biking is doable only within inner part of the city. But urban biking can be somewhat boring. I tried some roads outside of Houston and it was quite stressful and miserable experience. Right now I am locked in a suburb and don't do biking any more at all, unfortunately. All roads in my area are crazy. Not for biking, absolutely.

I am also a big outdoor enthusiast, and here is also not much to do for me around Houston in terms of hiking/camping. Need to drive pretty far to Austin area or West Texas. I would say, in Southeastern PA there are a lot more opportunities for outdoor activities.

[Jack Lance]

There are all kinds of Bike trails in Houston where have you been looking ?


Houston Trails and Maps | TrailLink

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

There are all kinds of Bike trails in Houston where have you been looking ?


Houston Trails and Maps | TrailLink

This is zero compared to DE/PA/MD biking trails.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

This is zero compared to DE/PA/MD biking trails.

And these are urban biking trails in DE/PA/MD you are comparing them too?

[pnc66]

Hi wmdude - Houston is probably one of the few places where if you ask "where is a good place to live for under $1200/month with good schools and a reasonable commute?" the first question to you would be "where will you be working?" Houston is really, really spread out. So unless one has the option to telecommute, where that person works be one of the most important determining factors in recommending areas to live. Also, we don't have the public transportation that most cities on the East Coast have. Depending on where you live, where you work, and what time you have to be at work, your commute could easily be 60-90 minutes each way (if not longer). That's probably why Ghost Town was asking about which part of town you will be working in. Our traffic can be a real bugaboo. It is not wise to just choose an area to live first and then think about where to work. The commute can have a major impact on your quality of life.

For your other comments about recreation and outdoor activities, here is the website for Harris County Parks - click on each of the shaded areas to get a list of the different parks and what they have to offer for biking and recreation. Here is some information about the state parks near Houston for more outdoor activities.

In my part of Houston (extreme NW side, near Cypress) finding a 2-3 bedroom place for under $1200 is difficult but not impossible. You would be looking at an older house or apartment complex in that price range. Some apartment complexes give discounts for certain employers - for example, my daughter works at one of the major oil and gas companies and gets a slight discount on her apartment, which brings it down to just under $1200/month for a 2-bedroom. Might be something to ask about when/if you decide to move here. My area has some really good schools, but the commute from this area to just about anywhere else in Houston is a nightmare, especially if you are headed towards downtown or anywhere inside loop 610.

Good luck on your search for your new city. I hope you and your family find what you are looking for.

[pnc66]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

Well what I am missing most here is biking.
I used to bike a lot in PA, MD and DE, but here in Houston area there is nothing comparable to that.
In general, roads here are not appropriate for biking (usually no shoulders or very narrow shoulders, much higher speed limits in rural areas).
For me biking is doable only within inner part of the city. But urban biking can be somewhat boring. I tried some roads outside of Houston and it was quite stressful and miserable experience. Right now I am locked in a suburb and don't do biking any more at all, unfortunately. All roads in my area are crazy. Not for biking, absolutely.

I am also a big outdoor enthusiast, and here is also not much to do for me around Houston in terms of hiking/camping. Need to drive pretty far to Austin area or West Texas. I would say, in Southeastern PA there are a lot more opportunities for outdoor activities.

Ghost Town, I do not disagree with what you wrote here. I just wanted to point out that there are some state parks nearby that aren't far from Houston that do offer hiking and camping. Hubby and I try and go at least once a month except in July and August (when most of the rest of the country is able to go camping). I can't speak for PA, MD, or DE, but I totally agree with you about not being able to bike in most areas of Houston. In my area, it's downright dangerous. I wouldn't recommend it. I understand Terry Hershey Park is supposed to be a very nice place to go biking, but I haven't done it yet. Rural Kentucky was much nicer for biking than some of the roads outside Houston just for the reasons you mentioned.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

And these are urban biking trails in DE/PA/MD you are comparing them too?

There is no problem with urban biking trails in DE, PA or MD at all.
Houston is not bad for urban biking too.
But I mean if you want to get out of the city on bike, it is like a nightmare in general. Houston area roads are not for bikes.