Is Galveston Finished? (Houston, Victoria, Port Arthur: assessor, mortgage, new home)

[patrickahla]

Galveston need to be with the fishy. This is said by one of there red headed step children. Galveston can go to hell, and stay there.

[patrickahla]

Originally Posted by Xcaped NOLA

It will recover, but unless your wealthy, why would you keep rebuilding property that will get washed away every 5 years or so. I mean its their choice to live there, but its a traumatic experience to lose everything and then rebuild and face those same circumstances everytime hurricane season approaches.

The last storm that really damaged Galveston and Bolivar was hurrican Carla. That happened in 1961. Moderator cut: see comment that is not five years. Its more like 50 + years. Moderator cut: see comment

[patrickahla]

Originally Posted by texas7

Galveston will be back because despite the risks, people will always desire to live on the waterfront. The homes that survived were the newer homes with the newer building codes and codes will most likely become even more strict. Those older homes, some in good shape and others dilapidated on stilts were swept away. But, I think they'll come back as NOLA is (for the wealthy). Those older homes were in some families for years. Even if the price inflates - Galveston was (and will be again) booming because it will still be some of the cheapest waterfront real estate available for people. Does anyone know for sure how some of the new luxury hi-rises near east beach did?

My house was built in 1955. It did survive, had some water damage. Alot of the newer homes no longer exist. So I guess, my house is better than the new so called hurrican proof houses, that are gone with the wind. Plus my house wasn't 14 feet in the air. It is only 18 inches off the ground.

[buffy888]

Originally Posted by N. Buck

Wait wait wait, I want to get back on track here . . . Is Galveston ready to be toured yet? I'm talkin about the Strand mostly. I know Moody Gardens was ready to go about a month after Ike. As for the shops on the seawall, yeah I was a little choked up when I visited in December. I remember certain gift shops my parents used to take us to. All I could see were stilts in the water. It still shakes me up a little to this day.

So uh, is it pretty much business as usual ON GALVESTON?

The island is not at 100%, but is getting closer. Tourists seem to be back in full force (we usually go to visit family there about every month or two - were back 2 times in May, once for a funeral right after Memorial Day weekend - Seawall was PACKED). There are plenty of events going on (the main page of the Galveston CVB site has many of the events in the immediate future listed, plus you can check the events calendar). Not all restaurants, shops, etc. are back open, but many are. There are still some houses that haven't even been touched since Ike, but there are many which have already been rebuilt or are being fixed up now.

[N. Buck]

SWEET! Thanks Buffy.

[misselmaja]

The island is not back enough for me. I guess I'm speaking more as a resident and not as a tourist, so maybe it's not fair, but I have to say my piece......I lived in the west end around 103rd St, and lots of damage incurred (thankfully not in my actual unit). Virtually no repairs done in hardly any of the 75% of the apartments that had damage when I finally moved off the island in April (name of the apartment was Newport at Campeche Cove). The schools are a hot mess. GISD is already a mess so we had our kids in a private school. This school has lost half of it's population since the storm and is seriously struggling. The news said last month that there are very high concentrations of mercury and lead in the soil & sand that can cause long-term health effects. The schools are bad, the ground is bad, most apartments have done horrible patch-up jobs to the apartments (painting over mold, etc.) and not truly repairing them. Virtually all of the parks aren't safe except for maybe one that's somewhere on 29th & Seawall, and another one off of 81st & Airport Blvd. When I first moved to Galveston a decade ago, I asked a police officer one day what would be a safe playground to play in and he replied, 'good luck, try to make sure your baby doesn't trip on any hyperdermic needles'. The island costs far more to live on than its worth for bad schools, mostly bad neighborhoods, high crime for such a small town, and no places to work on the island to make a decent living wage unless you work at American National as I did (which pays kinds low anyway) or UTMB (which has constant layoffs). I have been visiting Galveston since I was a child to visit step-family since I was 4 yrs old, and moved there ten years ago. And after seeing way too slow of an improvement after 7 months, and in many instances no improvement, I moved to Friendswood....and my only regret is why did I not move off the island years ago?? Great schools, phenominal neighborhood, lots of real shopping, low crime. I have not visited Galveston since moving and have no urge to. Now you may say, 'Then why did u live there for so long if u hate it so much?' Well the answer is the water...I loved living by the water. But I finally woke up and decided that I'd rather have a better quality of life, more job opportunities around me, more restaurant variety besides the same old bbq & seafood, and more activities available for my child besides Schlitterbahn & Moody Gardens. If I have the urge to visit a beach, I will visit a real beach....sorry but Galveston is just downright g-h-e-t-t-o. I don't see how people pay all this money to visit there, but I get it if you do. I highly recommend not living there though, not worth paying all the money just for easy access to the Gulf (and you do have to pay quite a lot of money if you want to live in a decent neighborhood).

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by misselmaja

The island is not back enough for me. I guess I'm speaking more as a resident and not as a tourist, so maybe it's not fair, but I have to say my piece......I lived in the west end around 103rd St, and lots of damage incurred (thankfully not in my actual unit). Virtually no repairs done in hardly any of the 75% of the apartments that had damage when I finally moved off the island in April (name of the apartment was Newport at Campeche Cove). The schools are a hot mess. GISD is already a mess so we had our kids in a private school. This school has lost half of it's population since the storm and is seriously struggling. The news said last month that there are very high concentrations of mercury and lead in the soil & sand that can cause long-term health effects. The schools are bad, the ground is bad, most apartments have done horrible patch-up jobs to the apartments (painting over mold, etc.) and not truly repairing them. Virtually all of the parks aren't safe except for maybe one that's somewhere on 29th & Seawall, and another one off of 81st & Airport Blvd. When I first moved to Galveston a decade ago, I asked a police officer one day what would be a safe playground to play in and he replied, 'good luck, try to make sure your baby doesn't trip on any hyperdermic needles'. The island costs far more to live on than its worth for bad schools, mostly bad neighborhoods, high crime for such a small town, and no places to work on the island to make a decent living wage unless you work at American National as I did (which pays kinds low anyway) or UTMB (which has constant layoffs). I have been visiting Galveston since I was a child to visit step-family since I was 4 yrs old, and moved there ten years ago. And after seeing way too slow of an improvement after 7 months, and in many instances no improvement, I moved to Friendswood....and my only regret is why did I not move off the island years ago?? Great schools, phenominal neighborhood, lots of real shopping, low crime. I have not visited Galveston since moving and have no urge to. Now you may say, 'Then why did u live there for so long if u hate it so much?' Well the answer is the water...I loved living by the water. But I finally woke up and decided that I'd rather have a better quality of life, more job opportunities around me, more restaurant variety besides the same old bbq & seafood, and more activities available for my child besides Schlitterbahn & Moody Gardens. If I have the urge to visit a beach, I will visit a real beach....sorry but Galveston is just downright g-h-e-t-t-o. I don't see how people pay all this money to visit there, but I get it if you do. I highly recommend not living there though, not worth paying all the money just for easy access to the Gulf (and you do have to pay quite a lot of money if you want to live in a decent neighborhood).

Geez how does one answer you. You speak a lot of truth but colored it some doncha think? The apartment complex you speak of has the 2nd lowest rating on the island. The plain truth is that your complex is a slum with most all welfare people. This alone can affect your feelings about everything else not related to the roof over your head. Why would you choose to live there? Why would anyone want to live at the bottom of an airport runway? I suspect by the price of that joint you chose it for financial reasons.

I dont know about schools but I do know if your child goes through the Galveston school system then the county will pay for your college education 100% in any one of 2 local colleges. Free college? Where ya gona find that deal anywhere else? Yes there is higher crime in those schools, rape is among the highest in the nation. These are dumb kids doing this, not horny old men grabbing women and tying them up behind the building. Most all big inner city poor schools have a 50% pregnancy rate. Nothing new here.

No one is denying much of the island is not getto. Urban decay starts when home sellers cant sell their home, then they rent them out. Soon there are more renters then homeowners. Now you have more people who do not care about their town then who do. Soon you get the decay from lack of maintanence on the homes because no one cares anymore. What kind of comforts do you expect from a $390/m apartment buiding? Those places attract welfare tenents and uneducated mimumim wage workers.

I wish you luck in Friendswood. Let us also know what a real beach is up there as you said. I dont know of any. Neither do the half million people who flock down to Galveston beaches every weekend and pay a whopping $8 just to stick their feet in the water and lay on the sand. Then after...eat in one of the many many top rate restaurant choices before returning home.

[AngeKeck]

Ok, so I am sitting in a hotel room right now in New Orleans and I now have hope for Galveston. New Orleans made it back after Yellow Fever and Katrina so Galveston should be fine if the ploiticians do the right thing. The city of Galveston needs to bring in gambling soon though. The economy is suffering real bad on a local level.Galveston has too much historical significance to be forgotten.

[patrickahla]

Galveston will never come back. It was no where before Ike, and it will always be a nothing town.
Yeah there is alot of history there. Slaving, red light distric, and over priced food. I don't know one decent place to eat in Galveston. I have lived in Galveston County for over 60 years.
The only thing that has changed in Galveston since the 1900 storm is the price's. Everything else is the same. Idiots running it.

[Keith_Lee]

There is a lot of negativity towards Galveston on this thread. I am not sure why. I love Galveston, Galveston will be back and will be better than ever. Maybe it hasn't always lived up to its potential in the past, but it is a great asset to Houston.

How many cities in Texas have access to both a vibrant downtown and a beach front comunity so close. Galveston is a great getaway to engage in any number of outdoor water activities. Galveston has opportunities for great sailing, fishing, or when the weather is right surfing.
There is historical significance such as the tall ship Elissa, which is maintained by local volenteers and still can be seen sailing in the gulf every spring. The strand still has wonderful shops and new restuarants opening every day. The beach may not be Cancun, but there has been a lot of work done and they are better than I have ever seen them. And they don't cost a small fortune.