What can you tell me about Tomball, TX? (Houston, The Woodlands: crime, house)

[JBower]

I'm considering a position in Tomball, TX. I live in another state.

Questions:

1) Is Tomball too far from Houston to be able to realistically enjoy the benefits of urban living? (I'm not into long commutes every day).

2) Does Tomball have anything going for it, or is it a hick town? (No really).

3) Are there any decent apt. complex's/nice areas on the north side of Houston in case I was willing to accept the commute?

[Houston321]

If you are looking for "Urban", then Tomball is definitely not your speed. It is a nice suburb of Houston, and a good place to raise a family. There are many great complexes and places to live, restaurants, stores..etc, but it's suburbia.

But if you are living in Tomball, and work in Tomball...your work commute will be nothing. Also, if you are going into Houston for a ballgame or dining...etc, you won't be going at the height of traffic since you don't work in downtown.

I guess it just depends. If you need to be close to the action, I wouldn't move there. If not, it's a nice place.

[booker_one]

Take a look at The Woodlands. It isn't too far from Tomball.

[westres1]

Originally Posted by booker_one

Take a look at The Woodlands. It isn't too far from Tomball.

But the Woodlands isnt Urban either. The woodlands is Suburban but Tomball is really rural. Tomball is very far from Houston and it is a looong way to any nightlife,ballgames etc

[booker_one]

Originally Posted by westres1

But the Woodlands isnt Urban either. The woodlands is Suburban but Tomball is really rural. Tomball is very far from Houston and it is a looong way to any nightlife,ballgames etc

tomball is getting less and less rural. i just have a hard time pointing someone in the direction of places that are really close to nightlife, ballgames...etc....because those are usually higher crime areas.

[Oildog]

I live downtown, its a 45 minute drive to my friends house in Tomball w/o traffic. He likes it out there because he can have some "space". I think he may be buying a couple horses in the future if you get my drift. Although the city is expanding, it may become more 'suburban' in the future.

[TexasTheKid]

Tomball doesn't have the freeway access that makes other suburbs attractive. To get anywhere from Tomball, you'll either be forced to pay a toll or drive a long time and contend with a boatload of traffic lights. The two free freeways even remotely close to Tomball are the two worst clogged during rush hour traffic in Houston. If you don't live there but commute there, you can expect to spend an inordinate amount of time on the road. If you live there, your nightlife will probably consist of hangin' at the DQ or the massive 28-plex (or however many ridiculous number of screens it has).

It's not all bad though. There's a pretty solid little Italian restaurant in the old town's downtown. Other than that though... It's not my cup o' tea, and it doesn't sound like yours either.

[SpendWiselyTexas]

Tomball is at most 45 minutes from Downtown and the Museum District. If you take 249 the traffic before the Beltway is good in either direction and the highway is rarely congested. Tomball is more surburban than rural. There's not a lot of nightlife though so if that's what you like you won't find it there. There are enough good restaurants in the area. Also these towns aren't in bubbles, Cypress is nearby and so is FM 1960.

[TexasTheKid]

Originally Posted by SpendWiselyTexas

Tomball is at most 45 minutes from Downtown and the Museum District.

Tomballonians like to say their fair city is only 45 minutes away from Downtown, but that's only true if you're willing to pay money to get anywhere. Plus, throw in some rush hour traffic, and that 45 minutes quickly turns into an hour and 15 minutes... each way. Since the first question asked was whether or not Tomball was too far away to realistically enjoy urban living, the only decent response is yes.

I suppose I still haven't been able to understand the mentality that 45 minutes of commute time in each direction is acceptable. Even with that generous time estimate, a person would spend roughly 6.25% of their day in their car. Not working, not with their family, not doing anything productive at all. That time is spent solely getting from home to work and then work to home, every day for years upon untold years. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. That's soul crushing.

[Supermac34]

Tomball, about 15 years ago, was pretty rural. Now its being totally enveloped by suburbs and is pretty much like any other suburb around, except it still has some "space" around it. There are MANY people that live in Tomball and beyond that make a commute into Houston to work, however, that's a pretty tough one. 249 is a "highway to nowhere" except it goes straight to Tomball.

That whole area of town from Cypress, to Klein, up to Tomball and the 1488 area are all great for nice neigborhoods and raising a family. It all depends on where you work and what your tolerance is for a drive to get places.

If you go into town once or twice a month to catch a ballgame or something, then you probably won't mind the drive. If you have to commute downtown for work, its pretty long.