Safe Locations Near the Galleria Area for a New College Grad (Houston: apartment, leases)
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Safe Locations Near the Galleria Area for a New College Grad
Help! Making a trip next Friday to Houston to apt hunt with our son who graduates next month. He has already accepted a job and would like to stay close to his work location on Post Oak Blvd near the Galleria. After looking at the crime stats for the immediate Houston area it is pretty frightening. After what we've been through this past week with the shootings on his Va Tech campus we really don't want to be worrying daily about his safety. Any info and direction would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
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Stay north of Westheimer, and he should be fine. Some areas south of Richmond Blvd are not good, so just stay north of that. Around Memorial Park and also 610 and San Felipe are some really nice areas. Houston's crime is not everywhere, but mostly limited to specific bad areas. Hope that helps!
There was a recent crime that happened over at Post Oak that was covered on the news, but it's NOT typical for that region, and that's why it got coverage. That part of town has lots of things going, many young people, restaurants, lots to do. I would recommend you check out the Houston Architecture Info Forum (HAIF) also, before we moved here we learned lots about the different neighborhoods from that forum. There is a posting at HAIF about the Westchase area that goes over some of the less desirable/more desirable areas. I think you would want to look here: http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_20.htm (broken link)
We know a recent college graduate who lived in that Galleria area for more than a year and absolutely loved it. I would see if he can get an apartment on one of the lower floors, if he goes with a high rise. That's to save on electricity bills, since heat rises.
I would also check ApartmentRatings.com.
Another thing is to try and pick an apartment in a part that's not too dense with other complexes. If it's an apartment on the edge of an area with lots of homeowners, the neighbors are generally going to be more invested in the long term community. I don't know if it's still good, but a few years ago Briarmeadow was recommended to me as a good neighborhood.
Have fun while you visit. There are lots of restaurants to go out to - a great resource is the B4-u-eat.com page, where people can post reviews.
Wahine, thanks for all the info. I did find some helpful info on the different neighborhoods on the HAIF site. I'm waiting for validation so I can post a question and hopefully I'll get a response by this evening. Thanks again.
In addition to JJP's recommendations which I agree with, there is a large, but nice Gables apt. complex on Newcastle near good residential neighborhood, about 1/4 mile south of Westpark that friends of mine used to live in a year ago. They really enjoyed it and thought of it as a safe area, and it's minutes from where your son will work. Also, lots of nice apts. along 59 southwest fwy North of 610/galleria on either side of the fwy in the areas between Newcastle and Shepard. That area on both sides of 59, with very few exceptions, is nice, mostly surrounded by nice residential housing, and very close to your son's workplace. Good luck
When I read your message it could have been as if I was writing it! My son will be a senior at the U. of Texas at Austin, but we live in St. Louis, MO and he has a summer internship in Houston. We know absolutely nothing about Houston. I want him to be in a safe area. His internship is in the Galleria - he has a car, so he can drive 10 or 15 minutes each way if he has to. It is not a paid internship, so we didn't want to pay a lot in rent, but if we have to for his safety, we will! (Anyway, we're finding that we have to pay a lot for the 3 month lease).
I read the comments from the people who responded to you, but I wonder if anyone can tell me about the Montrose area (zip code 77098) and Rice University, Texas 77025, and their safety. It is extremely hard to find an apartment that will lease for 3 months, so it's extra hard to have to worry about the safety also!
Good luck with your son. If someone can comment on my issues, I would appreciate it! Thank you.
I lived in Rice University area for 5 years, and it's one of the safest places he could live in Houston. The Galleria area would probably be more expensive, but also safe. He could walk to anything in Rice Village...resturaunts, stores, clubs, etc...There is so much to do in that area. Rice university is very closeby too. Lots of trees and quieter vibe than the Galleria area. He would also be closer to downtown and wouldn't have to drive the freeway, or at least not very much. Montrose area is also fine. A little more crime though, but nothing very bad. Keep your door locked at night, don't leave bicycles outside without a lock. That sort of stuff. There has been a ton of redevelopment in that area since I left, though so probably lots better as far as crime goes. Either area would keep him close into town and he wouldn't have to do much driving.
We spent 4 days in Houston and thanks to the feed back I received here it really helped narrow down our search area. My son ended up finding an apt directly across from the Galleria and he can literally walk to work (one block) and to shopping and restaurants. He is paying more than he had planned, but for the square footage and location it was a good trade off. He signed a six month lease and didn't have to pay extra for this short term, another benefit. It will also be a huge savings in gas expenses and should help reduce his car insurance somewhat.
Everyone was correct regarding the areas they suggested. Definitely stay north of Westheimer and the areas around San Felipe and Memorial Drive are all nice. I don't know anything about the Montrose or Rice University areas, but I'm sure someone here can give you some guidance.
We had done a lot of apt searching on line before we left and had a list of the places we wanted to visit and plotted it out on the map. This made it so much more easy to search this way. We also picked up the local Apt Guide booklet when we arrived, but didn't find it too helpful. We noticed that there were also Apt Locator companies in the area. There's no fee to you they receive a commission from the apt complex. They could probably do a lot of the research for you like narrowing down complexes that do 3 month leases in the area that you are interested in.
Just a final note: The Galleria/Uptown/Memorial Park areas were so much more green than I would have imagined. Beautiful landscaping at many apts, huge mature shade trees. It was a nice surprise. I wonder if it will remain that way through the hot summer?
Good luck! I hope you are able to find what you are looking for.
Thank you for your help! It sounds like the Rice area is very safe. We have one more possibility that is closer to his work that came up today, and I would love someone to comment on its safety. It is in Westchase - called Boca Springs. We had been told ahead that Westchase was one of the places near the galleria, but of course the safety issue was not addressed! This apartment is a lot closer, but if someone can comment on the area, I would really appreciate it.
My son is leaving on May 13th, so we don't have a lot of time. It has been so hard to find the 3-month lease apartment!
Thanks!
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