Pasadena Work and Rentals, COL, everything!

[ThaBigCheese]

Originally Posted by texas7

Clear Creek ISD (which includes Clear Lake) schools are highly ranked. Students do well on SATs and your commute wouldn't be bad at all. Clear Lake provides a very enjoyable lifestyle - although part of Houston - they seem apart from it - gives more of a small town vibe.

Thanks again, what cities/towns would I look at to get into that school district? I was looking at some leased properties on HAR.com and I noticed that the Clear Creek ISD ranks highly. What about Friendswood and Pearland schools, how do they rank? Is Clear Lake a city or an area?

[jd433]

O.K. to completely knock Pasadena is not fair. It has a lot of good qualities too. I'll tell you what there must be something going right there. You can hardly find a place to rent in that town because the homes get gobbled up faster than you can offer them. Also the crime rate is fairly low.

Now about racism. I was told that something like 20 or 30 years ago there used to be a billboard in Pasadena that had a picture of a noose hanging from a tree and the sun shining behind it. The billboard said something like "don't let the sun go down on you". Now what could that possibly mean?

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by jd433

Recently in Pasadena a white man shot 2 suspected Black burgulars and I believe killed them both. So far no charges have been filed against the man who killed them.

For the most part you will not encounter problems in Pasadena it is like most other Texas towns where the people are friendly, hard working folks like yourself just trying to get by. Don't be surprised when they give you a big Texas howdy.

There are a few problems with this report. First, the burglars were (illegal) hispanic men of Mexican origin. The reason that the case has not gone to trial has absolutely nothing to do with racism in Pasadena. Pasadena is within the bounds of Harris County and the case will be tried in Downtown Houston and will have nothing to do with Pasadena's first level administration. The situation and circumstances are very difficult and treacherous for a number of reasons, hence the long delay. First, the Harris County District Attorney's office is being turned upside down right now and most of the high profile cases will be placed on the back burner until the new administration has settled. The case is complicated by the implementation of the new Texas Castle Doctrine: The burglars were committing a felony on his property when they were shot but it was definitely what is termed "a bad shooting." The men were shot in the back and it is questionable whether the shooter perceived an imminent threat to himself or his property. Also, this case is dangerous for the DA because regardless of the outcome, half of the population is going to be furious. Don't get turned off due to bizarre and unusual cases like this one. The norm is much more agreeable.

[texas7]

Clear Lake is an area of Houston - towns around it to get into CCISD would include Clear Lake, Webster (not much to live in Webster though), Seabrook, Kemah, League City, El Lago - all really nice places to live with maybe the exception of Webster. Home of NASA Johnson Space Center so many residents are involved with engineering, space center contractors, etc. Seems to be a good area to raise children in.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by jd433

Now about racism. I was told that something like 20 or 30 years ago there used to be a billboard in Pasadena that had a picture of a noose hanging from a tree and the sun shining behind it. The billboard said something like "don't let the sun go down on you". Now what could that possibly mean?

See that is the problem "I was told there used to be" or an earlier post "I was told by a couple of black guys that racism is alive" -- it is all second-hand comments, I was told info from stereotypes of 20-30 years ago which is really in essence a form of prejudice in itself - by making assumptions about the residents based on second-hand, decades old info.

Interestingly enough - I grew up in Pearland - which had major racism when I was a kid but it was more quiet about it than Pasadena - it was unadvertised. When my own kids went to school there - they pointed out that racism existed in the schools but again times are changing and things hopefully improve for the better. I would do a disservice to Pearland if I bashed it based on experiences decades and as recent as 7 years ago.

[firefrost]

Thanks for all the fantastic insight, good neutral and bad. If anyone lives in or around the area, any suggestions on which apartment complexes to check out? Areas to avoid?

[texas7]

How much do you want to spend per month for rent? There are some great apartment communities -- just depends on your budget.

[firefrost]

Depends on the work I can find, I guess. I pay $380 for my small cheap apartment where I live now; not the greatest, neighborhood looks trashy, but I haven't had any huge problems, save for noisy neighbors, but the landlord kicked them to the curb.

I would say $500 max? Single bedroom is enough. I don't know if that is the norm or if it's higher. What is pay like in Houston? I make $9 an hour full time at a call center for a large RSP of Dish Network. If I were to got a call center there, any idea on the pay?

Utility costs too if anyone has that info. I also pay $320 a month on my car and $70 for insurance and of course gas.

Any suggestions of the price range I should stay in? Unsure of my budget until I can find out pay and the like.

[blancspons]

This is where we lived in Pasadena, it's the nicest complex... it's pricey though.

The Broadwater Apartments

[texas7]

Look for a rental at Walnut Hill Condominiums in Pasadena. It is a nice condo complex, well-kept and would fit into your price range. You might have to go to the actual complex and look for postings on their bulletin board because they are individual owned.