Houston compared to Raleigh (Cary, Chapel Hill: real estate, insurance, apartments)

[Claire_F]

Another clarification - we're not in a mass subdivision, where a lot of trees were sacrificed to build our house. We're in the country, in the middle of the woods. I work in downtown Raleigh because that's where the job is. My husband moved to Wendell when he was a child, and has lived in this part of Wake County for about 30 years. He also works in Wendell. This is his home, and it's now mine as well. He's not a transplant from out of state, or even from Raleigh.

jfre81, you seem to describe Raleigh in terms of it being like Houston was 30 years ago. You may be right - and it's precisely why I prefer it. I prefer Houston 30 years ago to Houston of today.

[jfre81]

It's a good way of looking at it. Try not to get defensive. I'm not trying to get offensive. Remember, this is ultimately not about what you or I prefer but about what the OP prefers. He/she is the one who posted this.

Sharpstown is indeed a hellhole today. It has potential though as it is near the western terminus of the next rail line. Other parts of the city are just as bad. So are parts of the Triangle that I do not hear talked about much on here. You'll find me walking on Bissonnet at night about as soon as you'll see me walking around that grimy part of southeast Raleigh south of WakeMed.

The Triangle attitude is a bit more like Dallas-Fort Worth - suburbanite, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses. If that's your bag, once again, go to Raleigh. The Joneses moved to the outer burbs after the oil bust. Houston's Inner Loop is becoming more dense and urban. This is something you are not going to see in the Triangle at least in the next 20-30 years.

Remember - you're talking about a relocation, not a vacation. That's why I don't get why few people give any thought to the future on here. Great places to see and visit do not always equate great places to live. I don't live in Austin for ultimately the same reasons I don't live in Raleigh - limited job market, overwhelmed infrastructure. Houston has traffic because it is a large, auto-dependent metropolis - something the Triangle inches closer towards every day. With expanded light and commuter rail there is hope. TBH, I am more big on Houston's future than its present. Right now I could write an entire book on everything that's wrong in Houston. It's where things are headed that I am big on. They either materialize or I decide to go see the world again. Two years ago we had the Katrina invasion and I left this place for dead. Now I'm back. Life is weird.

[observer]

I guess since this topic has really taken off on this forum I will mostly post here. I plan to relocate within the next 2-3 years once my kids are out of high school, so schools are not a big issue. However, usually living in a good school district means living in a good area.

No, I don't need a big house since it'll be just me and my wife. Unless, my kids opt out of going out of town for college and move with me and go to school wherever I move; I doubt that though.

I have visited both areas a few times and like them both. From an outsiders point of view this is what I feel are the pros and cons of both areas. Keeping in mind nightlife, bars, clubs, etc. is not a priority at this stage of my life. It is nice to have them accessible to visit them once in a while especially when friends or family visit. But being within 30-45minutes from all the excitement is good enough for me, don't really want it to close from wherever I live.
Below I will post the subject, and next to it the city which I feel has the advantage or is better in that particular area.

* Cost of homes- Houston; Homes are definitely overall cheaper in the
Houston area.
* Property taxes- Raleigh; The property tax rate is really cheap in Raleigh
compared to Houston.
* State income tax- Houston; Because Texas doesn't have one, while NC
does. So depending how much one makes it can add up.
*Salaries- Houston; From what I've seen overall, Houston salaries in general
are considerably higher than Raleigh.
*Traffic/congestion- Raleigh! not even close. Traffic in the Raleigh area is
what I call "manageable" compared to Houston or Miami
where I currently live. Sure, there is traffic during rush hour.
But, it will be hard to see bumper to bumper traffic past
7:00pm. in the Raleigh area or during non peak hours.
*Scenerary/natural beauty- Raleigh; Beautiful trees, lots of nature compared
to Houston. Sure, the Houston area has the Woodlands
and other communities that have tree lined streets,
but overall, Raleigh.

As far as the type of neighborhood I am looking for: Suburban/semi-rural but definitely not out in the boonies. I like to have stores, shopping, and some restaurants nearby.

HOUSTON- After visiting the Houston area, these are the areas of consideration if I moved there in no particular order:
*Katy- Close to just about everything that one needs, and a straight shot
to downtown down I-10. The downfall though is that is growing to fast, not many trees in many of the subdivision unless you are in some of the older neighborhoods, and high property tax rate.

*Woodlands- Beautiful, everything you need near by. Downfall, nearby I-45 is very congested.
*Lake Conroe/Walden area- Nice pace, very peaceful, laid back, and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Yet, only about an hour away from downtown Houston. The area has lower property tax rate than the other 2. The downfall though is that more than likely one may have to commute longer for work.

RALEIGH- I will keep it short; I like Wake Forest the most. This area is beautiful, peaceful, have nearby shopping and restaurants, and only about 30 minutes from downtown Raleigh. I also like the area around Falls of Neuse road and Wakefield, but the homes are more expensive. I also like certain pockets near Crabtree mall. Overall, I like the north part of Wake County better.

[jfre81]

Have you been to Hermann or Memorial Park in Houston?

I have the benefit of knowing Houston extensively so I know how to avoid the traffic....there is no such thing as avoiding traffic in the Triangle when it's the peak of rush hour.

Based on what you've put I'd have to say you need to go to the Triangle. Good luck.

[observer]

No I haven't been to either one of those parks. What part of town are they located in.

One thing I noticed when I first went to Houston is that even though the metro area is HUGE, they have a very efficient highway system, at least compared to Miami where I live.

[MrsSteel]

Originally Posted by jfre81

I have the benefit of knowing Houston extensively so I know how to avoid the traffic....there is no such thing as avoiding traffic in the Triangle when it's the peak of rush hour.

Actually, that's not true. The rush hour traffic can be avoided.

How much traffic you get in the Triangle depends heavily upon where you live and where you work. If you're working in RTP & trying to get to it from Cary or Clayton, for instance, you will have a harder time of it. In my experience (and in the experience of many friends of mine) traffic is lighter on the western half of the Triangle.

[jfre81]

Hermann Park, located near the Museum District and Texas Medical Center. Hermann Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Memorial Park. Located near I-10 and I-610/West Loop. Memorial Park, Houston, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Houston is very sprawled out, but there is plenty of green to be found if you know where it is. You did not even come close to seeing everything here. You didn't even mention the inner city which is why, out of hand, I said you are probably more suited for the Triangle. There you can do the suburban thing and be near the heart of the city (Raleigh). It's a young city though and you will not find as much as what you would find in a larger city like Houston. There are still museums, restaurants and nightlife spots in Raleigh. You just won't have as many to choose from.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by MrsSteel

Actually, that's not true. The rush hour traffic can be avoided.

How much traffic you get in the Triangle depends heavily upon where you live and where you work. If you're working in RTP & trying to get to it from Cary or Clayton, for instance, you will have a harder time of it. In my experience (and in the experience of many friends of mine) traffic is lighter on the western half of the Triangle.

It depends on where you live. Out in the holler of Johnston County, when the main routes are locked up, you're going to be sitting for awhile.

I notice a lot of people who are refuting my accounts of traffic do not get out to Southeast Raleigh or Johnston County much. They are two very different places.

[observer]

Actually, I did see alot of the Houston area including the inner loop area. I can't really remember the exact names of the areas or neighborhoods. I went to the Galleria area, some nice sections near downtown, one area which had somewhat of a park with bike paths, nice condos beautiful homes; but living in that part of town is not cheap, actually its expensive, more than what I am willing to pay, and closer to the action than I would want.

Obviously, not being a native or one that lives there, I haven't seen it all and still places for me to see. But the few times that I've been there I got to see lots of the metro area in general- the good, the bad, and the ugly.
No offense to anyone, but there are certain area east of downtown that I have visited but have no desire to visit again.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by observer

Actually, I did see alot of the Houston area including the inner loop area. I can't really remember the exact names of the areas or neighborhoods. I went to the Galleria area, some nice sections near downtown, one area which had somewhat of a park with bike paths, nice condos beautiful homes; but living in that part of town is not cheap, actually its expensive, more than what I am willing to pay, and closer to the action than I would want.

Obviously, not being a native or one that lives there, I haven't seen it all and still places for me to see. But the few times that I've been there I got to see lots of the metro area in general- the good, the bad, and the ugly.
No offense to anyone, but there are certain area east of downtown that I have visited but have no desire to visit again.

I'm thinking Fifth Ward....it's tha hood. Parts of downtown itself are rather sketchy. Uptown/Galleria is hardly Inner Loop. It's a suburb-pseudo edge city with a skyscraper. The park you saw may have been Memorial Park. Did you see the Heights? Montrose? These are the older urban neighborhoods with history that Raleigh doesn't have as much. This isn't a draw for everyone, but then again, neither are the suburbs. I'm not much of a suburban guy, at least not at this side of 40 years old. I want some big-city excitement. Not everyone's looking for what I'm looking for, though.

Remember that this city is just like Raleigh and changing quickly - come back five years from now and you may find it entirely different. 15-20 years ago I wouldn't have been telling anyone to come to Houston unless it was for work. The place sucked. A city needs to hit a bust before it can truly boom.

Regarding highway infrastructure - we had an accident on one of our major freeways the other day that closed off both sides of the freeway. It did not cause gridlock across the whole metro. I really cannot think of a place in Houston where there could be an accident and it would cause delays on the far other side of town. It's because there are many alternates. There are few in the Triangle when things go wrong.