Galveston Since The Hurricane? (Dallas, Tomball: insurance, hotel, new home)

[ErikU19]

We'll be down next week interviewing to finalize the underwriting on our home in Tomball...we were thinking about going down to Galveston but werent sure if we could/was anything to do since the area was hit so hard by the hurricane...

Kinda wished we saw it before Ike came through...what do you think? where to go what to see?

[westres1]

Moody Gardens is open again as well as most restaruants on the Seawall. However, The Strand is a ghost town. Not one shop open. Even the Tremont hotel is boarded up. The beaches in front of the San Louis still look ok and the Rainforest Pyramid is open. Go to Gaidos or Caseys for lunch. They are on the Seawall. The West end beaches are pretty beat up and the dunes are gone. Really sad to see all the destruction down that way.
We go every weekend so I have seen some progress but it will be a while to get back to 100% if ever.

[Poltracker]

In addition to what westres1 said...their are some access roads open to the beaches on the west end just a little difficult to locate them. Easiest one to find is along the western boundary of the state park. Also been down there every weekend. Progress is being made, if a bit slowly.

BTW. The Bolivar Ferry is also open at this point but not all the ferryes are in the water, so it might be slow. I saw two of the Ferries at the Newpark Shipyards being repaired earlier this week. I believe they were the Greer and the Dedman. I was told the Lanier had already been repaired and sent back.

[desertsun41]

Just yesterday they had the ribbin cutting ceremony for the opening of the new bridge going into the island. Once on the island allmost all the streets are still littered with piles of materials from the first floor of the homes. It is all carefully piled at curbside for pickup but no one is picking up. The far west end where all the fishermen go has never been cleaned up. There is mountians of materials from homes that the tide just pushed to waters edge. The far east end where I think it turns into Jamaca Beach is worse. They barely even cleaned their roads.

You will see more out of state license plates then you can shake a stick at. People (storm chasers) have come here from all over looking for work. I seen vehicles with big signs saying "I want work" just driving back and forth. They are finding little work because the insurance companies are refusing to pay out on claims. Oh yea FEMA is also refusing to pay claims. Some of the newer homes have rebuilding work going on and the older ones are not.

There are several free food camps still set up with long lines. A big trucking company on Broadway has dozens of tents in their parking lot. I wonder if they are employees who lost homes or the company lets them stay there in return for free security. The west end swimming beach has dozens of tents with familys living there.

The good news is the young people are out surfing again. Nearly all the restaurants overlooking the Bay are open and busy. The fishermen, walkers, joggers are all back. All the new construction that was going on before the storm has already recontinued and are going full speed ahead.

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

The far east end where I think it turns into Jamaca Beach is worse. They barely even cleaned their roads.

Jamaica Beach is about 12 miles out to the west end just west of the state park and Pirates Beach.

[case44]

We'll have to be patient for now. Galveston will be back. Some portions of the area might not be the same again, but there will be some rebuilding. And I'm sure that The Strand will be back, too.

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by case44

We'll have to be patient for now. Galveston will be back. Some portions of the area might not be the same again, but there will be some rebuilding. And I'm sure that The Strand will be back, too.

Yes it will be back. But before it does, we hope the city adopts some new building codes. If you look at all the trash in the streets you will see nothing but sticks and giant wood splinters. We need to use more steel framing, poured concrete or cinder block structures. No more stick built.

Make no mistake, many Galveston homes were old and didn't stand a chance to IKE. Many of these homes sat in some slummy crummy areas. By adopting new building codes, all new homes will be not only be more hurricane resistant but will be new and beautiful.

A new Galveston will indeed be back. But one thing is for sure. With the insurance companies and FEMA just sitting there doing nothing but laughing at the people, it will be up to businesses and local residents to do it.

[case44]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

Yes it will be back. But before it does, we hope the city adopts some new building codes. If you look at all the trash in the streets you will see nothing but sticks and giant wood splinters. We need to use more steel framing, poured concrete or cinder block structures. No more stick built.

Make no mistake, many Galveston homes were old and didn't stand a chance to IKE. Many of these homes sat in some slummy crummy areas. By adopting new building codes, all new homes will be not only be more hurricane resistant but will be new and beautiful.

A new Galveston will indeed be back. But one thing is for sure. With the insurance companies and FEMA just sitting there doing nothing but laughing at the people, it will be up to businesses and local residents to do it.

It's called taking ownership of your community. That's what must happen.

[mmcanada]

maybe I should post somewhere else but you all seem to know Galveston and area. My family and I are looking at moving to Galveston. We are from Canada but my dad lives in Mexia. We were down in Surfside in May for a week and went to galveston before driving to corpus christi, san antonio and back out of Dallas and we loved it. the weather, the landscape, the people. I'm so saddened to hear about the towns that have been destroyed. I've been looking a RE in Galveston and I'm shocked at what you can get for so cheap. I'm hoping we could sell up here and buy down there and look for work.
My husband is a contractor, mostly in commercial property but also residential with a whole shop full of tools and I am a graphic designer. Can we reasonaly expect the insurance companies to begin paying out in the spring? They have to rebuild right? How bad is it? is there work for people or is the economy as bad as the news reports?
If we can secure him work then I'm absolutly sold on moving there. I'd love to help the community any way I can. Also i've been looking at the old craftsman houses in the east end and silk stocking district - so beautiful! how is that area? how are the schools? are there young families? much of an artist community? Thank you for all your comments.

[texas7]

Public schools are generally bad in Galveston, most people who have the means to do so, send their kids to private schools.