U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > Houston
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Jump to a detailed profile or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Business Search - 14 Million verified businesses
Search for:  near: 
Reply
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 10:34 AM
 
29 posts, read 22,063 times
Reputation: 17
Default Moving to Houston with teenagers

Our family is moving to Houston due to a job relocation. My husband's work is on the west side heading towards Katy (Dairy Ashford Rd.) We have two teenage boys who in the middle of high school. I think any school might be better than the state of CA schools, however, if anyone can steer me towards where to seek out schools with good vocational programs/and music programs (one son does not appear to be college bound, more interest in technical/hands on skills; the other will benefit from academic challenges and loves music). We have lived in various states but I am honestly overwhelmed with the school size/choices in Houston. My husband does not mind a reverse commute, and I am hoping that I can find a place with housing that is less of a 'subdivision' feel and more of a neighborhood/town culture. Housing that is under $500,000 would be workable for us, but we have also considered looking for rental housing before we commit to an area. I am braced for heat and humidity, but I have only heard good things about the people of Texas, so if anyone has kid/school/home search advice I will happily take it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Unread 05-04-2010, 04:16 PM
 
2,161 posts, read 3,429,634 times
Reputation: 905
In this price range I would look for homes zoned to Stratford in SBISD. Wilchester,Yorkshire,Nottingham Forest 77079 look on www.har.com
You will LOVE it!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 04:24 PM
 
221 posts, read 270,678 times
Reputation: 135
with that kind of money you need to look at the energy corridor, dont buy into a suburb
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 05:15 PM
 
Location: Here and there, and over there too
8,088 posts, read 11,162,604 times
Reputation: 3024
Definately buy in Wilchester or Nottingham Forest in the Energy Corridor. Yorkshire tends to be in the high 600's and up if it's not on a fault line. Stratford is a wonderful high school, the kids are great and down to earth. They should slide right in.

Ps, your husband's commute would be 5 minutes.

Also, I would recommend a realtor named Clint Simpson with Greenwood King. He lives in my neighborhood, Yorkshire, and even has kids in Stratford. He specializes in the area and often can place you with a home before it hits the market.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 06:35 PM
 
Location: West Houston
1,076 posts, read 1,110,014 times
Reputation: 1323
kmp, I live in the same general area to which you're being pointed (we're the "poor relations" ;-), as do several other posters on here.

I agree completely with the recommendations you've received. Nottingham, Yorkshire, Wilchester, all great neighborhoods. Stay off of Kimberley Dr. (lots of cross-traffic) and stay off the major thoroughfares: Kirkwood, Wilcrest, Memorial (noise, traffic). You're looking IH-10 on the north, Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Tollway) on the East, Westheimer on the south, Dairy Ashford on the west. In your price point, I'd stay north of Buffalo Bayou (look at a map). ANYWHERE you decide to live in that area is going to be great.

The area is ideal for you, and I think you'll be shocked at what your California dollar will buy you in that area (one of my San Jose colleagues, visiting, saw my house and exclaimed, "How much do they pay you?" She stated that my house there would be over a million dollars.

Also recommend Stratford, but don't be afraid of Westside High (HISD) if you find something you like in that area better.

Your husband will love you to death for letting him have a 5 minute drive to work and even come home for lunch.

There are nice areas north of IH-10 as well, but I don't know as much about them and have always heard "stay south of IH-10, north of Westheimer". And that's what *I* did.

I have really found this little area to be like living in a small town (!). Everything you NEED is right here---immense grocery stores full of delicious things; every fast food restaurant known to man; delicious regular restaurants featuring the cuisine of the world; every kind of store from downscale to upscale. When I first moved back here, my office was in the same "small town" area and there were entire weeks that I didn't even "go into Houston" (this is close to the geographic center of Houston, which is effectively Westheimer at Beltway 8). You can live here for years and never get out into the big city.

Of course, you'll want to take advantage of the pro sports, excellent museums, all of the classical arts--symphony, opera, ballet, theatre--restaurant offerings (I maintain that Houston is second only to New York in the number and variety of restaurant offerings, though my LA and Chicago brethren disagree; this variety of restaurants might explain my ever-expanding waistline). Hopefully you won't need any, but the Texas Medical Center is considered the best in the world. And, Galveston, Surfside, and the Gulf are 45 minutes away. No, it's not California beaches. No, it's not Florida beaches. Those only exist in Cali and Fla, so don't expect that. It is, however, the beach....

Suggest that, when you buy your house, invest in a screened-in porch with a fan and a bug zapper, and enjoy the beautiful trees and tranquility of this area. I honestly feel my patio/back yard are my personal oasis. That's where I am now, as I type this....

(BTW, usually (not last summer), it cools down nicely here at night. As soon as the sun drops, the Sea Breeze comes in and it is very pleasant).

You will find the welcome warm here. People here are very friendly (friendliest big city I've ever seen, anywhere, and I've lived all over--LA, NYC, Mnpls, Atlanta, et al). Honestly, it's my favorite place I've ever lived. I love LA, love it, but the people here are nicer, the prices cheaper, and honestly, this place has all the services LA does---at about half the price.

Poster Cheryjohns is a realtor as well, and a good one. I recommend her.

Go on Houston Real Estate - Houston Homes, Houston Home Value and Houston Relocation and search the neighborhoods mentioned in the posts above. You'll have to decide if you want a pool or not...these terrible choices we have to make....

Welcome to Houston!

Last edited by Malvie; 05-04-2010 at 07:05 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 07:30 PM
 
9,689 posts, read 7,394,312 times
Reputation: 1774
Good luck on your move!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 09:24 PM
 
29 posts, read 22,063 times
Reputation: 17
I just want to say thank you to all of you that have written. This is our 5th move (previous to NY, AK, PA, and CA) Truely, the size of all the other places we lived was much smaller than Houston (currently in a town with less than 30,000) and I appreciate the detail of the steering. I will try to head out around Memorial Day and visit some neighborhoods. Yes, I am looking for down to earth - and you all have made my family's transition a bit less obscure. Thanks again!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 09:33 PM
 
Location: Spring, a suburb of Houston
22 posts, read 23,734 times
Reputation: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by kmpinCA View Post
Our family is moving to Houston due to a job relocation. My husband's work is on the west side heading towards Katy (Dairy Ashford Rd.) We have two teenage boys who in the middle of high school. I think any school might be better than the state of CA schools, however, if anyone can steer me towards where to seek out schools with good vocational programs/and music programs (one son does not appear to be college bound, more interest in technical/hands on skills; the other will benefit from academic challenges and loves music). We have lived in various states but I am honestly overwhelmed with the school size/choices in Houston. My husband does not mind a reverse commute, and I am hoping that I can find a place with housing that is less of a 'subdivision' feel and more of a neighborhood/town culture. Housing that is under $500,000 would be workable for us, but we have also considered looking for rental housing before we commit to an area. I am braced for heat and humidity, but I have only heard good things about the people of Texas, so if anyone has kid/school/home search advice I will happily take it.
Check out Spring Branch. They have some award winning schools and not a bad commute.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 11:00 PM
 
Location: Spring, a suburb of Houston
22 posts, read 23,734 times
Reputation: 24
Default Key Map

Quote:
Originally Posted by cris.christian View Post
Check out Spring Branch. They have some award winning schools and not a bad commute.
Also...go to the closest Office Depot and pick up a Houston Key Map. It will be SO helpful in figuring out our vast city!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Unread 05-04-2010, 11:16 PM
 
Location: Spring, a suburb of Houston
22 posts, read 23,734 times
Reputation: 24
Default Spring Branch/Memorial

I owned a home slightly north of Interstate 10 just off Bunker Hill and I taught in Spring Branch ISD for 2 years. The school district is in both areas (Memorial as well as Spring Branch). This part of Houston is an area of pockets.

Last edited by cris.christian; 05-04-2010 at 11:34 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $53,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Options
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2005-2010 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $47,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > Houston

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:29 PM.

© 2005-2013, Advameg, Inc.

City-Data.com - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 - Top