What is the best place for DINKS to live besides inside the Loop? (Houston: new home, buy)

[gold dust]

DINKS = Dual income, no kids.

For a working couple without kids, it's probably best to live in the in the Loop. Is there a suburb outside of the Loop and/or Beltway 8 that gives a similar Loop vibe? If not, what is the 2nd best place to live for DINKS that love the city but want to live in the suburbs but who don't have the need to be in a "family friendly" suburb?

Hope this makes sense.

Also wanted to add ... we are in our mid 30's....

[tstone]

Clear Lake has worked fine for us, as well as others in our situation around here. Plenty of Dinks & single homeowners here, as well as families. I wouldn't call it a 'loop vibe,' though. It's its own non-obnoxious thing away from there, not nearly as crowded, and caters more to the 30 or 40 somethings. There is a nightlife here, as well as on the waterfront (Seabrook/Kemah). Great unique eateries all over the place, but some of them are in the generic suburban strip malls so they don't really stick out. The large U of H branch (upperclassman school) has lots of 20-somethings mixed in here. Just stay on the Houston city limit side and you'll be fine. Zips 77062, 77058, 77059. You can buy a nice, 15 yr old suburban type of house w/ a yard for about $100 a square foot. There are a lot of older homes here too with big old trees. The main streets have jogging trails all up & down. Works well for us... we wanted to find a mix somewhere down the middle.

[Bike4Life]

You might want to try Willowbend, Willow Meadows, Post Oak Manor, Parkwest, Glenbrook Valley, Woodland Heights, Braeburn Valley, Meyerland, etc. They all have some great homes built in the 1950s which has a lot of characters that you won't see in new homes and it's fun to talk about why your house is different.

[modster]

So what is it about the inner-loop that is making you not look there?

[icon7]

Austin... a bit too far outside the loop?
have you seen the area in sweetwater called crescent on the Green? It is on the sweetwater golf course.
there are a few listing for the area. here is one:
46 Foxhall Crescent Dr, Sugar Land, TX 77479

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by modster

So what is it about the inner-loop that is making you not look there?

Too expensive!! We want a 3-4 BR and 2-3 car garage, under $220K. Yeah, it's only the 2 of us, but we have lots of stuff.

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by icon7

Austin... a bit too far outside the loop?
have you seen the area in sweetwater called crescent on the Green? It is on the sweetwater golf course.
there are a few listing for the area. here is one:
46 Foxhall Crescent Dr, Sugar Land, TX 77479

wow, that is gorgeous but a bit out of my price range!

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by tstone

Clear Lake has worked fine for us, as well as others in our situation around here. Plenty of Dinks & single homeowners here, as well as families. I wouldn't call it a 'loop vibe,' though. It's its own non-obnoxious thing away from there, not nearly as crowded, and caters more to the 30 or 40 somethings. There is a nightlife here, as well as on the waterfront (Seabrook/Kemah). Great unique eateries all over the place, but some of them are in the generic suburban strip malls so they don't really stick out. The large U of H branch (upperclassman school) has lots of 20-somethings mixed in here. Just stay on the Houston city limit side and you'll be fine. Zips 77062, 77058, 77059. You can buy a nice, 15 yr old suburban type of house w/ a yard for about $100 a square foot. There are a lot of older homes here too with big old trees. The main streets have jogging trails all up & down. Works well for us... we wanted to find a mix somewhere down the middle.

Thank you! I was looking just now at some of the homes there on har.com. Is that considered a flood prone zone?

[modster]

This is one reason more people are taking a second look at my neck of the woods. You can still be basically "in town" and get a lot of house for $220,000 or so. Often times less. I have a lot of great neighbors too. You do have to have a tolerance for the urban block-by-block adventure. The nabe is good, but some of the stuff around it is definitely sketchy. It doesn't bother me, but I moved from off of Washington Ave, so I am used to it I guess. As far as a similar inner loop vibe....The battle of Glenbrook | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

8230 Colgate St, Houston, TX 77061


8119 Stony Dell, Houston, TX 77061

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by modster

This is one reason more people are taking a second look at my neck of the woods. You can still be basically "in town" and get a lot of house for $220,000 or so. Often times less. I have a lot of great neighbors too. You do have to have a tolerance for the urban block-by-block adventure. The nabe is good, but some of the stuff around it is definitely sketchy. It doesn't bother me, but I moved from off of Washington Ave, so I am used to it I guess. As far as a similar inner loop vibe....The battle of Glenbrook | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

8230 Colgate St, Houston, TX 77061


8119 Stony Dell, Houston, TX 77061

These are nice ... need some updating, though. As I guess can be expected for that price. I think I am done with cleaning up hubby's renovating project, though. Plus I don't think there is anything I could do to convince him to live in the south area of Houston. BUT, I am going to suggest we look further into this. So many thanks for giving me these great ideas!