Suburbs west of Houston, too good to be true? (Sugar Land: real estate, crime)
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We are considering moving our family to the suburbs west of Houston (my husband has interviewed with a company in Sugar Land) from a small town in Minnesota (my hometown). We are sick of the Minnesota weather and have researched Houston extensively. The climate is warm (one of our priorities), schools are great, real estate is amazingly affordable, and there are many career opportunities for an electrical engineer. So, is this area just too good to be true? Any problems?
Well, I'm sure the suburb haters on the Board will be happy to tell you how boring Sugar Land is, but we have been living here for a little over a month and so far, we love it, for many of the same reasons you listed.
There are strict zoning and signage rules so the aesthetic of Sugar Land, while somewhat uniform, is attractive. The Denny's and the McDonald's are brick if that tells you anything.
There is a new Whole Foods Market and if you have small children, they can play in a supervised play area while you shop. Lifetime Fitness is huge and awesome...we go there several times per week and I'm always impressed with the place.
There are a lot of parks and to my surprise (we moved from the Pacific Northwest), there are trees in many of the nice neighborhoods.
Some people on the Forum have mentioned crime in Sugar Land but the vibe feels safe and the FBI statistics are reassuring.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions I can answer for you.
I live in Katy which is due west of Houston. I moved here recently from Phoenix and love it. I will say though that the heat and humidity together
makes it real hot at times but no where near as bad as phoenix.
I will tell you that I was impressed at how alive this place is. There is a lot of greenery, wildlife, lakes, bayous etc. Infact I have been watching a couple of alligators at the Buffalo bayou in George Bush Park for a couple of weeks now.
I couldn't believe it either before I came here. I always thought that there would be a catch. I thought that maybe it was a dirty, run down place and nobody would like to live here or something like that. I certainly have not seen any of that here.
I am recommending the Houston area to everyone now. Believe me if you come here you won't be dissapointed. We have lots to do here all the time there is fishing, beaches, museums, lots of live entertainment. never is there a reason to be bored.
jd,
where exactly in katy are you? we're hoping to move soon but some of the stuff on here is making me think maybe katy isnt all its made out to be
Some people are just envy and try to find all reasons to slam Katy, then you have some who are Realtors who would rather steer you towards an area they specialize in.
jd,
where exactly in katy are you? we're hoping to move soon but some of the stuff on here is making me think maybe katy isnt all its made out to be
You know what, all the xburbs that surround Houston are ALL clean, nice and have safe schools with a clean,safe education and involve a commute. They b**ch back and forth about which one is better, but honestly they're very much the same except for location. And location in proximity to employment is what you should be thinking about.
What I like about Katy is that is blends into West Houston, a very upscale and expensive portion of the city. Therefore, that burb is very close to being able to get to ammenities the city can offer. Ie, More original restaurants, shops, organic grocery etc. Also, everything along I-10 all the way to downtown has high property value, therefore the only continious stretch of nice in Houston.
45 and 59 have stretches that are dangerous, dirty and you wouldn't want to exit anywhere untill you get past them. There's a little less of it on the way to Sugarland. I like Sugarland too.
I think Bridgeland will be good one day too, but right now its too new and too much land around it has yet to be determined as what it will be.
At the end of they day they all achieve what the burber wants: Cheap house, safe schools, clean neighborhoods and daily needs shopping.
45 and 59 have stretches that are dangerous, dirty and you wouldn't want to exit anywhere untill you get past them. There's a little less of it on the way to Sugarland. I like Sugarland too.
I have to disagree with you on that statement about Sugarland. Sugarland is very nice but it borders one of the most(if not the most) dangerous parts of Houston(southwest Houston aka; little Baghdad) and you have to go past SW Houston on the 59 to get to sugarland.
Funny thing everyone says sugarland is very safe. last year my wife and i were considering moving out there and I would ALWAYS read chron.com/khou.com EVERYDAY to get a feel of what's going on in Houston, I would always read about some home invasion or driveway assault in sugarland just about every week That's the only Reason we did not move to sugarland and decided to take the next best thing close to my wife's job(located in sugarland) Katy.
BTW: I don't here about to much crime going on in Sugarland these days but SW Houston is mess.
We are considering moving our family to the suburbs west of Houston (my husband has interviewed with a company in Sugar Land) from a small town in Minnesota (my hometown). So, is this area just too good to be true? Any problems?
Houston has a lot of things going for it. There are some intrinsic flaws: the heat and humidity are oppressive compared to most other parts of the U.S.; the traffic is brutal; there is an abundance of mosquitoes and roaches; the city is lacking in natural beauty features (it's flat as a pancake, no hills/mountains, no major body of water). These flaws have been debated ad nauseum in this forum
Most important, however, is the personal "fit" that one has with Houston. For some people it's a great fit, but for other not at all.
Take the heat, for example. Those who hate cold, snow, etc. find the hot weather to be perfect for them--no shoveling driveways, no dangerous icy roads to navigate in the winter. Others like the four seasons, to see the leaves turn in the fall and play in the snow in winter, and find it hard to get in the holiday spirit in December when they're doing their holiday shopping in shorts and a T-shirt.
Another Example: Houston has an abundance of affordable, nice housing in the 'burbs. For someone looking for a lot of bang for the buck in terms of housing size, amenities, etc., Houston is tough to beat. On the other hand, if you're less interested in size and glitz and more keen on appreciation in value, Houston will likely be disappointing for you since the ever increasing supply of housing means that many homeowners in the 'burbs (where much of the nice, affordable housing is located) often see little appreciation in their investment beyond the rate of inflation and they can have a hard time selling their home. Plus, living in the 'burbs can mean long drives to attractions in the city.
Another example: if you are the kind of person who like (expects?) to drive everywhere and don't mind driving long distances or spending time in traffic, you'll find Houston to be just fine. OTOH, if you're the kind of person who likes to take public transportation and/or walk as much as possible, then Houston will likely be your worst nightmare.
One more example: Houston is a city driven by entrepreneurialism, it has a very pro-business attitude, and its flashy when it comes to wealth, etc. If this is your style, Houston will be great for you. But if you're more low key and/or are skeptical about the power and affect of business, then Houston's not for you.
Bottom line: some people really like Houston, and some people really dislike the place.
It's not all "nice" in West Houston unless the world somehow ends South of Buffalo Bayou and North of I-10 and west of Hwy 6.
Katy does not "blend" into the West Houston EA speaks of. It is separated by the Addicks/Barker reservoir and looks very different physically (and culturally, IMO). The idyllic West Houston EA speaks of is Memorial which has forests of trees and expensive real estate. Katy doesn't. To speak in generalities about these two areas being similar is rather misleading.
Last edited by Mr. Football; 04-26-2008 at 10:02 AM..
It's not all "nice" in West Houston unless the world somehow ends South of Buffalo Bayou and North of I-10 and west of Hwy 6.
Katy does not "blend" into the West Houston EA speaks of. It is separated by the Addicks/Barker reservoir and looks very different physically (and culturally, IMO). The idyllic West Houston EA speaks of is Memorial which has forests of trees and expensive real estate. Katy doesn't. To speak in generalities about these two areas being similar is rather misleading.
Mr. Football is very correct here
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I live in Katy
That's the only Reason we did not move to sugarland and decided to take the next best thing close to my wife's job(located in sugarland) Katy.
