Where would you rather live-Sugar Land,Katy,CY-Fair or Pearland? (Houston: fit in, rental)
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LOL There are no more or fewer snakes here than any other southern city.
Again, living in a Southern city will be a major change for you from living in the NE. If you do plan on coming here, don't stock up on your winter clothing this year unless you plan on spending a lot of time back East visiting.
tdhg566: In reply to your question, I will be renting.I will also visit before relocating.
The rental market is very fluid, of course. Your strategy needs to be to visit, with some idea of where you might work or go to school (YOUR school options will be fewer than your work options). If you'll be going to school in the Med Center area, then you'll probably want to look for work there, and then find rental accommodations accordingly. There are a LOT of rental opportunities close in to the med center area. Nice apartments along Braeswood and other directions. It won't be hard to find a place to live. After you're here a year, and maybe after your schooling isn't an issue and you scope out the job market more carefully, you may want something more permanent. Purchased housing in the med center area is very expensive, compared to the suburbs. You'll have a better idea of the commute times and distances then. Be SURE to query people closely on DOOR TO DOOR times, not just "freeway time". Some suburb subdivisions can take 15-20 minutes just to get to/from the freeway. And then there's parking. A great strategy might be to find an apartment with bus service nearby. Houston has token rail service, but it's an option too.
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scarface713
Honestly, Sugar Land does not look much different than South Katy, where all of the developers have pretty much have zoning without having zoning (Cinco Ranch, Seven Meadows, Green Trails, Kelliwood, etc.). Pearland is the oddball. It looks and feels different.
Correct... the master-planned communities all have a form of zoning. And it's the same development company (Newland) who did both Cinco Ranch in Katy and Telfair in Sugar Land.
Correct... the master-planned communities all have a form of zoning. And it's the same development company (Newland) who did both Cinco Ranch in Katy and Telfair in Sugar Land.
The thing is when I drive out of my "MPC", I'd still like to see some zoning.....you don't get that outside of Sugarland.
Basically - any of the "good" areas suggested are great to live in -- it comes down to you checking them out, seeing which one best suits your needs and has the best feel to you. The vast majority of people here who live in a good area will recommend theirs as the best by far. That's why people live where they do - they like the area better than others. My suggestion would be to take a look at all the areas suggested as good areas in which to live and check them out and find the one that is you.
Hi. I've been lurking her awhile, but I decided to register so I could reply to your thread. My DH is an NP now, but when we moved to the Houston area five years ago from San Antonio, he had just received his BSN. If you are looking to get a job here fresh out of school, then you need to go ahead and start applying to hospitals. We found that most hospitals here (especially the large ones in the med center), only hire a select number of GN's (those who have just graduated from school, but there RN status is still pending), and they hire them in cohorts. Once the cohort is full, they have no more GN jobs. I can't remember when DH started looking (maybe in May '05?), but MANY of the cohorts were full. Luckily, he found someone willing to hire him b/c he'd been an LVN before he'd gotten his BSN. Anyhow, we were shocked by the cohort thing, since they didn't hire that way in San Antonio. If you wait until you've taken the NCLEX and gotten your RN, then the situation might be different. If you've got even a little experience as an RN, I'm sure that there are a TON of jobs available.
Also, the RN jobs in the med center tend to pay better than those in the burbs, but you will also have to pay for parking each month (from $30-100+, depending on how close you want to park to work). The whole rush hour thing isn't that big of a deal for an RN, b/c you're usually working a 7am-3pm or 7a-7p shift, so you'll misss most of the traffic. It is a short, straight shot up 288 to the Med center, so living in the Pearland area is a good idea. The school district on the east side of 288 in Pearland is Pearland ISD-- they have a pretty good reputation. The school district on the west side of 288 in Pearland is Alvin ISD-- their reputation is getting better, especially with the new schools in Pearland. IMO, both districts are about the same. The BEST districts on the south side of town are Friendswood ISD, and Clear Creek ISD, but the cost of living is a bit higher in both those districts, and your commute will be longer.
Anyhow, my vote is for the Pearland area. Good luck with everything. Oh, also wanted to let you know that my DH got his MSN through Texas A&M Corpus Christi while living here-- the entire program can be done with distance learning (except your clinical hours, which you will have to arrange with someone here in town, and the professor will come an obeserve you there). Something to think about. --Katie
I really appreciate your very informative reply.I have a few questions if you do't mind.Regarding the NP program,how long did it take,also can you give me an idea of the salary range for a new grad and also an NP? I was thinking of night shifts because of my kids and me been a single parent,I don't know if I will have that option as a new grad but I will look around.
How far is Pearland,Clear Creek and Friendswood from the center? I also heard about Houston Heighhts,do you know anything about that area?
The Houston Heights is in the Inner Loop of Houston. If you're looking for a more urban setting, then that is it. From the information ekatiel posted, you should try looking at some of the newer hospitals, like the ones I named earlier.
I really appreciate your very informative reply.I have a few questions if you do't mind.Regarding the NP program,how long did it take,also can you give me an idea of the salary range for a new grad and also an NP? I was thinking of night shifts because of my kids and me been a single parent,I don't know if I will have that option as a new grad but I will look around.
How far is Pearland,Clear Creek and Friendswood from the center? I also heard about Houston Heighhts,do you know anything about that area?
Thanks a lot
It took my DH almost three years to complete the NP program (August of '05 to May of '08). As far as salary, he started in the low 80's when he graduated. He worked full-time nights while he was in school. It was hard, but we made it . The hardest part of his schooling was the clinical hours the last year or so. You need a TON of clinical hours, so he would work 3 12 hour night-shifts, come home and sleep a bit the next day, then the following day, he would do 2 or 3 8 hour DAYS of clinical hours, have one day to switch back to nights, and do the whole thing all over again . It was really tough on him, and vicariously on me (since I was a SAHM of an infant and a toddler at the time!), but it was worth it. His pay did increase a bit when he became an NP, but not a ton-- the big bonus for us was him getting a 9-5 job, with weekends and holidays off. We are all SO much happier with his "normal" schedule now!! It is a HUGE pay increase over working days as an RN, but when you work nights/weekends as an RN, you get all kinds of shift differentials that can make the pay almost as good as a daytime NP job. HTH. --Katie
Thanks a lot.Seem like I have my work cut out for me.Hopefully,I will have some help from family so I can accomplish this task. My kids are still very young.Please if you do come back to this thread just tell me the commute time from Pearland and Friendswood to the medical center.
Many thanks
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. The hardest part of his schooling was the clinical hours the last year or so. You need a TON of clinical hours, so he would work 3 12 hour night-shifts, come home and sleep a bit the next day, then the following day, he would do 2 or 3 8 hour DAYS of clinical hours, have one day to switch back to nights, and do the whole thing all over again 
. It was really tough on him, and vicariously on me (since I was a SAHM of an infant and a toddler at the time!), but it was worth it. His pay did increase a bit when he became an NP, but not a ton-- the big bonus for us was him getting a 9-5 job, with weekends and holidays off. We are all SO much happier with his "normal" schedule now!! It is a HUGE pay increase over working days as an RN, but when you work nights/weekends as an RN, you get all kinds of shift differentials that can make the pay almost as good as a daytime NP job. HTH. --Katie
