may move to Houston and work near Spring. gay 40's guy; like to buy <$125K. where should I focus my search in Houston? (Kirby: foreclosed, renters)

[whadu]

Hi all. I'm the guy next door; not flashy nor do I do much in the gay community, but I'm thinking I'd like to find something in a gay friendly part of Houston that might offer an interesting assortment of things to get out and see and do. I could certainly focus my search on areas close to Spring - but I'm wondering if there are other areas I might focus on. It is not absolute that I'd work in Spring. Am I right to think about a small condo in Montrose or other inner areas - or would the drive be to Spring be too wicked? I know the price limits me (I'd be buying this second home in Houston, so need to keep the price reasonable). Another point is that I would probably buy now (to take advantage of lower interest rates and prices), rent it out for a while, then make the move down later. I'd appreciate tips on areas I might focus in. I am reading the posts and will continue to - and yet also appreciate your inputs directly. Have a great day!

[modster]

A reverse commute would not be that bad. It would be better if you were a little north, like Heights or Lindale Park. There are not as many condo set ups like that, though, in places like the Heights.

You could buy a small single family home in Oak Forest for $125,000, but at that price point there would be heavy emphasis on small, and it would not be in the better parts of Oak Forest and/or in need of work.

$125,000 will not get you a lot in the city, condo or otherwise, so whatever it is it will probably be something that needs clean up or updating, etc.

[Big Dirty]

If you are gay, Mantrose is the place to be. Noboby is gonna care if you are very openly or flamboyantly gay. Driving to the burbs from the city is super easy. I do it everyday. It is worth it to live in Montrose.

[joy2thaworld]

Big Dirty is right. Montrose Blvd and surrounding area are def the only place to be if you would like to be surrounded by all types of gay and gay friendly people of all ethnicities. It also is near many parks, museums and lots of downtown attractions. Downtown Houston is not a very busy place after business hours but there are lots of things to do and during the day there is the Underground Mall. Commuting [by driving] is an undeniable part of Houston life. The Spring area has nice residents, but if you are younger you may want to be closer in to the city. Even in Houston you are not going to find a new place in downtown for less than $125K, but if you get a foreclosed place you can get great stuff.

This link will help you find out stuff going on in downtown: Houston Downtown - Home

Hope this was helpful :-)

[modster]

I am going to have to disagree with the above posts. Montrose is a far cry from the gayborhood it once was. In fact, other than renters a lot of Gays were priced out of there a long time ago. It is where the community goes out, but it is not really where most Gays live anywhere. There is a huge chunk of the congregation in Heights, Garden Oaks, Eastwood and Westbury, among other places. Montrose is a far from the only choice for Gay folk.

[usc619]

I don't know about that modster, everytime I'm driving through Montrose I seem to see plenty of them walking down the street holding hands.

[travelguy_73]

I know we have been through this in other threads, but it is worth repeating for the search engines, LOL: You can be comfortably gay in many, many parts of Houston. This isn't Little Rock, after all (no offense to Little Rock). I have been here since 96, have never lived in Montrose (Upper Kirby was the closest I got), and I have no interest in living there. There are far nicer areas that, while not as walkable, are just as gay-friendly. In fact, I only know a few people who even live there. Montrose is where we go to be entertained, not to live. Maybe it's a generational thing, as many of the older gays I know are very attached to Montrose and would never live anywhere else. The younger see it as a bar and restaurant scene.

As for your price range, you are unfortunately locked out of the prime areas inside and along the loop. However, there are plenty of more transitional areas with fixer-uppers you can get into (whether you have the liquidity to improve, or just maintain, is another question you need to think about).

[joy2thaworld]

Travel Guy is right. Houston is very accepting of all types of people. You can move anywhere in the Houston area and enjoy yourself. However, the only place I have seen large numbers of gay people in Houston is Montrose. Who cares though, you can find a better area to live in. Its like the equivalent of being Vietnamese and moving to the "Vietnamese" side of town, or being Mexican and moving to the "Mexican" side of town or being black or whatever. The point is that in Houston, you can live anywhere if you are any of the above or someone else. The suburbs of Houston are good as well.

[DotLib]

If you are going to work in Spring, come to our side of the world! We live in the Imperial Oaks area of Spring/Woodlands. I have several customers that are gay and live in the areas near by. You can find some deals pretty close to what you are wanting to pay, or you can rent or lease until you decide what part of town you want to be in. I wouldnt jump into buying anything until I knew a little more about any area...Dot

[modster]

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

Montrose is where we go to be entertained, not to live. Maybe it's a generational thing, as many of the older gays I know are very attached to Montrose and would never live anywhere else. The younger see it as a bar and restaurant scene.

This is why you see a lot of gay people there.