Moving to Houston (League City, Pearland, Friendswood: 2009, crime, lawyers)

[jperlewitz]

Hello,

My wife and I will be moving to Houston in a couple of months. I will be working a Greenway Plaza and my wife will be downtown. I need some information on where to live. I would like to live in a suburb where I can get a nice house with a yard. It seems I can not get a decent yard in the loop and I do not want to deal with all the petty crime that takes place insude the loop. Can someone please give me some info on the best suburb to live in where the commute will be minimal for both my wife an I. I was looking at Sugarland and Pearland. I would like to stay on the south side of the city if possible since we have some family in League City. Thanks

[jimboburnsy]

If you prefer to stay south you're in luck. Sugarland, Telfair, New Territory, Richmond, Pearland, Friendswood, etc. etc. are that direction. The trend with newer subdivisions is toward smaller lots, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean that you can't find a place with a nice yard. If you are willing to sacrifice some square footage on the house for a bigger lot and a shorter commute, keep in mind that there are several communities just barely outside the loop that offer large lots, watchful neighbors and a 10 minute drive to Greenway that are not much more expensive than what you find in the suburbs. (For example, portions of Meyerland, Westbury, Willow Meadows, Willowbend, etc.)

[icon7]

To give you more help...
How big of a lot are you looking for? 0.25, 0.33, 0.5, 1,2, 3...acre(s) and what is you price range? kids/schools? etc.

[philster001]

If you want to be on that side of town and convenient to those areas, go to Sugarland.

[jperlewitz]

New Update: It looks like we will both be working downtown. So I am looking for a convenient suburb to downtown. I dont need a huge yard, maybe .25 acre. I am also looking for 300K - 400K. Thanks. Sugarland seems to be good, but it seems to be a long commute if you live past First Colony or if you do not live real close to 59. Any more input? Thanks

[EasilyAmused]

You're going to get pretty much the same level of "petty crime" in the burbs too.
Don't leave your stuff out and you can avoid petty crime anywhere in the Metro.

Look into Meyerland, Garden Oaks, Candlelight Estates.

[icon7]

I work downtown too. It takes me about 35 minutes to make it to downtown, and I currently live about 7 miles away from 59. But I carpool via the HOV. I am building further out too (Telfair). Usually if you are on 59 before 7:15, it is about 25-40 minutes from 6 & 59. Other areas that are closer in are Sugar Lakes & Sugar Creek. You may also want to look at Crescent Lakes, which is just off of 59. you should be able to get a 1/4+ yard in all these areas.

hope this helps.

Originally Posted by jperlewitz

New Update: It looks like we will both be working downtown. So I am looking for a convenient suburb to downtown. I dont need a huge yard, maybe .25 acre. I am also looking for 300K - 400K. Thanks. Sugarland seems to be good, but it seems to be a long commute if you live past First Colony or if you do not live real close to 59. Any more input? Thanks

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

You're going to get pretty much the same level of "petty crime" in the burbs too.
Don't leave your stuff out and you can avoid petty crime anywhere in the Metro.

Look into Meyerland, Garden Oaks, Candlelight Estates.

Those are good neighborhoods. I know you want the south side but you might also consider Timbergrove and Lazybrook as well.

[jimboburnsy]

I live in Willowbend, 2100 sq. ft. on .23 acre lot (.25 acres with the utility easement), 10 minute drive to Greenway, 15-20 to downtown depending on traffic. I purchased an unremodeled home for about 200k, put about 50k into a severe remodel. You can skip all that headache and buy a remodeled home in Willow Meadows, Willowbend, Westbury or Meyerland and you shouldn't have any trouble finding a great house within your price range. Garden Oaks and the surrounding communities are also great and will provide very easy access to downtown and about 15 minutes to Greenway. I'm not terribly familiar with the pricing there however. You may want to perform a cursory check in Memorial as well for that price range. I can't guarantee you will find anything suitable, but its worth a look.

[spettye1]

Don't move to League City until the election reshuffle or if you have 20k set aside for lawyers... A false warrant and a failure to hire professional police officers, allowed my grandparents to wake up with guns pointed at their heads. (They are outstanding citizens of League City for about 28 years, my Grandad was an Officer in the Navy, and VP of American National. If it happened to him, no one is safe. My team is working on the election reshuffle to oust all incumbents and get new, decent officials in office.

BUT here is the kicker,

My friend witnessed this whole thing and is scared to come forward. The Mayor of League City, of all people, breaks the law and the victim is arresested.

Published May 21, 2009
LEAGUE CITY — Police arrested a high school student Thursday in connection with an alleged road rage assault of Mayor Toni Randall in Clear Lake Shores on Wednesday.

Denshay Benson, 17, was in jail on $10,000 bond charged with assault causing bodily injury and deadly conduct, both misdemeanors.

Benson is accused of shoving Randall to the ground in the parking lot of Discount Tire, 405 FM 2094, about 2:30 p.m. after trying to force Randall off the road several times while she was on her bright red motor scooter, said Paul Shelley, Clear Lake Shores city administrator and police chief.

The boy’s mother, however, said Randall forced the confrontation by braking abruptly in front of him, following him into the parking lot, shouting racial slurs at him and pouring a drink on him. Benson is African American.

Police said Randall did follow Benson into the parking lot where the two argued, and Benson shoved her and fled, clipping another truck in the parking lot on his way out.

The other car was not damaged, Shelley said. Randall sustained bruises to her ribs. She was back at work Thursday.

Benson, a senior at Clear Creek High School, was arrested at home Thursday after school.

Benson’s mother, Candace Ford, said her son was trying to get away from Randall, who had been braking sharply in front of him, when he pulled into the Discount Tire parking lot in Clear Lake Shores.

Benson was unavailable for an interview because he was in jail.

Randall followed Benson into the parking lot, hopped off her scooter and tried to yank Benson’s car door open, Ford said.

She said her son got out of the car as Randall was taunting him with racial slurs.

He then tried to get back in the car and Randall poured a drink on him, Ford said. Benson pushed the mayor but she never fell, Ford said.

“That’s road rage on her part,” Ford said. “I don’t understand. Is it different because she’s the mayor?”

Ford said Benson fled because Randall was “ranting and raving and acting crazy,” and her son was scared. He hit a truck that was trying to block his exit as he fled, Ford said.

Benson fled to a nearby relative’s house and called his mother, Ford said. He was shaking, wet from the drink poured on him and he couldn’t talk, Ford said.

She took him to the police station where he gave a statement. Randall declined to comment, saying all information should come from the police report.

The police department is not releasing the statements given to officers because the case is under investigation, Shelley said.

Benson had been in trouble before, his mother said, but she said it was years ago and declined to comment more. He is active in church and will be graduating soon, Ford said.

Randall’s bright red scooter is a fixture in League City. She rides it nearly everywhere as she visits homeowners’ association meetings and various neighborhoods.