Where should I live? (Houston, Austin: apartments, for rent, crime rate)
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In May or June I am planning on moving to Houston (or maybe Austin, still trying to decide). If I do move to Houston, what areas should I look to live in?
Here's my situation:
--I'll be a recent college grad, 22y/o single male
--Looking to work just a job, not start a career
--Looking for a major city that is different from where I am now (Edmond, OK) in atmosphere and that is warmer in the winter (I have no problem with nasty heat)
Are there any areas that are nice where I can rent a 1bd place for under $500 (I would prefer <$425) and can I get a decent job and earn around $12-13k fairly easily? I'm not very picky at this point!
(When I say "nice" area, I don't necessarily mean some place right downtown...any surrounding area would be ok for now, as long as it's not too long of a drive on weekends or at night when I might want to go into downtown)
In May or June I am planning on moving to Houston (or maybe Austin, still trying to decide). If I do move to Houston, what areas should I look to live in?
Here's my situation:
--I'll be a recent college grad, 22y/o single male
--Looking to work just a job, not start a career
--Looking for a major city that is different from where I am now (Edmond, OK) in atmosphere and that is warmer in the winter (I have no problem with nasty heat)
Are there any areas that are nice where I can rent a 1bd place for under $500 (I would prefer <$425) and can I get a decent job and earn around $12-13k fairly easily? I'm not very picky at this point!
I'm kind of in the same boat as you are. I am almost 22, single, male, will graduate with my Bachelor's degree in May, and am currently seeking a move to Houston. Atlanta and Fort Worth are my secondary choices. I'm planning on visiting the city of Houston in April and, if I like it, moving down there by year's end. Of course, the catch is finding a job and decent place to stay first. Where I am, Kentucky, is much like Oklahoma in that there are not a lot of jobs for young college grads or true urban experiences to be had.
This much I can assure you: you will be hard pressed to find a nice, respectable place to rent in a nice neighorhood for <$575/mo. If you want to go below that, you can try Greenspoint, Sharpstown, or the Third Ward, but you might be taking your life into your hands. My goal is to find something for under $700/mo., preferably under $650/mo., and still in a nice, safe neighborhood inside the 610 loop.
Because I really have no idea what kind of work I will be doing, I have no idea of what my income would be. I currently pay $385 a month for rent, but Edmond, OK is a paradise for rich, old white families and I think crime rate is around...well, there's really none.
So I don't think I have reasonable expectations about prices. I am willing to change those if I need to, which seems inevitable.
I am planning on coming down and staying in a hotel or something for about a week right before I move down (if I choose Houston that is) to find a job and then an apartment. But I'm really not looking for a career--which reminds me, what is an average wage for just a retail job or something like that? Minimum wage and what I might be able to find above it...
Inside the loop would be hard to do for that price but you might find something nice in the Clear Lake or Seabrook area. There are a lot of younger folks in that area due to the UHCL campus and the nightlife is nice on the Boardwalk. Also not a bad drive to town in the "off" hours. With a college degree, you should be able to earn more than what you listed but that just depends on how much you want to look around and find the good job for yourself and then put into the job when you get it.
With a college degree, you should be able to earn more than what you listed but that just depends on how much you want to look around and find the good job for yourself and then put into the job when you get it.
Well I've busted hump for the past four years trying to get ready for life after college and now I'm ready for a little break. I've been put on the wait list at the University of Houston Law School and there is a chance I get in for this fall, but I really think Fall of 09 is more likely. In other words, for the next year, I am looking for a low-key job that will provide enough money to live on and still put about 10% back a month.
My degree isn't all that lucrative (English), so I don't really have a career path waiting for me. I'm just looking for a relaxed year in Houston before I go on to law school so that I can kind of meet some people and establish residency. Plus I just hate Oklahoma winters.
Well then Clear Lake/Seabrook area is probably even better for you definitely can get a more laid back setting along the water. Plenty of retail, service jobs or even part-time/temp positions for NASA contractors (all those manuals you know).
Well then Clear Lake/Seabrook area is probably even better for you definitely can get a more laid back setting along the water. Plenty of retail, service jobs or even part-time/temp positions for NASA contractors (all those manuals you know).
Good point about the possibility of NASA work. I'll look into that for sure. What is the Clear Lake area like? I am a pretty quiet person but I would like to meet people my age or in their mid twenties. Is there any nightlife there and if not, how far to anything closer to downtown Houston?
Clear Lake is an area I'm interested in because I want to learn how to sail. Does anyone know if there are sailing lessons down there? Thanks.
What kind of work are you getting into? That might be the first thing to know as far as where you need to be.
Contrary to what you hear....I know of some small but cheap (under $500) apartments inside the loop - in Montrose. This is a ridiculously cheap rent market, for the most part.
There are several other Houston/Austin threads going around here. All of a sudden it sounds like Austin and Houston are the two most popular places in Texas for young single guys...
You don't have a problem with nasty heat? We've got it in spades.
What kind of work are you getting into? That might be the first thing to know as far as where you need to be.
Contrary to what you hear....I know of some small but cheap (under $500) apartments inside the loop - in Montrose. This is a ridiculously cheap rent market, for the most part.
There are several other Houston/Austin threads going around here. All of a sudden it sounds like Austin and Houston are the two most popular places in Texas for young single guys...
You don't have a problem with nasty heat? We've got it in spades.
I don't really care what kind of work I do. I'm not going to have any type of career-type job lined up when I leave, so I'm planning on making a week-long trip down the week before I actually move in order to find a decent job and an apartment.
I was looking at the Clear Lake area last night and I think that is actually right up my alley. I've been wanting to get into sailing for a while, and it seems as if that's the place to do it. I've pretty well decided on Houston now.
And the heat? I'm from Oklahoma; I know heat. I remember two summers ago we had a stretch of 105 degree temps for a week and in that week the air conditioner at my place went out. Uh...yeah. I also rode my bike to work all that week. It was a crazy week.
Clear Lake is a pretty typical suburb with an element of the atypical in that it is next to Seabrook/Kemah and thr boardwalk. U of H Clear Lake Campus is there which caters to a lot of younger folk and the nightlife at the boardwalk and along the lake is a good scene for folks your age. Probably the best area outside the loop for younger, single people. I am sure at one of the marinas along the lake or Galveston Bay you can find someone to teach sailing. I just learned through absorbtion.
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Where should I live?
