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Where in TX has cheap rent and good kayaking options?
I'm looking into moving to Texas from the Pittsburgh, PA, metro area, and have spent hours researching different cities and states. I will be forming an online-only internet business, and have heard good things about the ease of doing business in TX. That is one of my draws to the state- that and being able to enjoy the great outdoors year round without freezing my butt off. I know that the summers are HOT and humid, but that's something I can get used to I think, especially since I spend a lot of time indoors. I am a 23 year old single male so I have a LOT of places to choose from. Here's a list of things I'm looking for:
- Various outdoor activities for when I'm not sitting in front of a computer. One activity I would like to take advantage of multiple times per week is kayaking. Nothing too intense, I like calm rivers and am particularly interested in kayaking on the bayou. I've never tried it but the thought of kayaking with gators, turtles, herons, etc, sounds very appealing to me. I would like to be able to kayak year round, something I can't do here in PA.
- Cheap cost of living. This is one of the #1 factors, as I want to pour as much money into my business as possible. Most importantly of course is RENT. In my area of PA I can rent a small 1BR apartment for as low as about $400/month. I'm hoping to find something comparable. Hopefully $450 or less including utilities. In this range I may need to rent out a room in someone's house, but I'd rather have a small private apartment.
- Some nightlife options / things for a guy in his 20s to do to meet people (I don't do a lot of partying but would like to have some good entertainment options within, say, 30 mins)
I was looking at Austin, but rent seems to be a little much. I've heard it's a good area to enjoy the outdoors.
Houston sounds like it might have some nice kayaking options, particularly east and southeast of the city. I believe it is also more affordable than Austin, and its close proximity to the beach is a plus (and before anyone says anything, yes I am aware that Galveston beaches aren't near as nice as in, say, FL, but that's fine, at least I wouldn't be driving hours to get there).
Ideally I would like an area that is, say, 5-20 mins from kayaking opportunities. Can anyone recommend some areas in TX for me to check out? Or maybe I should be looking elsewhere? Low costs and ease of business is a must...
I'm looking into moving to Texas from the Pittsburgh, PA, metro area, and have spent hours researching different cities and states. I will be forming an online-only internet business, and have heard good things about the ease of doing business in TX. That is one of my draws to the state- that and being able to enjoy the great outdoors year round without freezing my butt off. I know that the summers are HOT and humid, but that's something I can get used to I think, especially since I spend a lot of time indoors. I am a 23 year old single male so I have a LOT of places to choose from. Here's a list of things I'm looking for:
- Various outdoor activities for when I'm not sitting in front of a computer. One activity I would like to take advantage of multiple times per week is kayaking. Nothing too intense, I like calm rivers and am particularly interested in kayaking on the bayou. I've never tried it but the thought of kayaking with gators, turtles, herons, etc, sounds very appealing to me. I would like to be able to kayak year round, something I can't do here in PA.
- Cheap cost of living. This is one of the #1 factors, as I want to pour as much money into my business as possible. Most importantly of course is RENT. In my area of PA I can rent a small 1BR apartment for as low as about $400/month. I'm hoping to find something comparable. Hopefully $450 or less including utilities. In this range I may need to rent out a room in someone's house, but I'd rather have a small private apartment.
- Some nightlife options / things for a guy in his 20s to do to meet people (I don't do a lot of partying but would like to have some good entertainment options within, say, 30 mins)
I was looking at Austin, but rent seems to be a little much. I've heard it's a good area to enjoy the outdoors.
Houston sounds like it might have some nice kayaking options, particularly east and southeast of the city. I believe it is also more affordable than Austin, and its close proximity to the beach is a plus (and before anyone says anything, yes I am aware that Galveston beaches aren't near as nice as in, say, FL, but that's fine, at least I wouldn't be driving hours to get there).
Ideally I would like an area that is, say, 5-20 mins from kayaking opportunities. Can anyone recommend some areas in TX for me to check out? Or maybe I should be looking elsewhere? Low costs and ease of business is a must...
I am planning on taking a trip to Texas soon.
Thanks for any insight!
Any of the numerous small towns along the Texas Rivers in Central Texas would be good. Check out Seguin, San Marcos, Luling, Marble Falls, Belton, Waco, Victoria. East Texas probably has some nice small towns along some of its rivers also, and it is very green, but I don't know it as well.
For more coastal areas check out Rockport-Fulton, Ingleside, SeaDrift, Port Lavaca, Port O'Conner, Palacios, Matagorda
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Location: East Texas, with the Clan of the Cave Bear
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I know it gets knocked around on C-D but the Beaumont area has ten times the outdoors opportunities that Houston has. Especially estuaries, bayous, rivers, cypress lined water ways. Not a lot to do for a single guy as far as night life. I could write a multiple page listing on waterway opportunities in Southeast Texas. I'm cool to talk on the phone and get you started.
I work with a girl that kayaks off the beach on calm days out to what we call the short rigs ... near shore oil rigs. 5-10 miles out.
I do the outdoors thing and have since I could barely walk. And much of it in the area I refer to. I now live 50 miles north of Beaumont in the woods (Google :Big Thicket National Preserve) . With your job / business you can settle almost anywhere.
Maybe San Marcos? It's a college town about 30 minutes south of downtown Austin and 45 minutes north of downtown San Antonio (which both have good nightlife). Rent is cheap there, but you'll be surrounded by partying college kids if that's a negative for you. However, it has good water activities with the nearby rivers (San Marcos running through town, Blanco, Guadalupe, Colorado), along with decent mountain biking and rock climbing.
The Brazos River is awesome for kayaking and fishing. There is a great stretch of water below Lake Whitney Dam all the way to Waco that I love. Plus Waco has Baylor University with a ton of hot chicks. Well, it's Texas- there's hot chicks everywhere.
Maybe San Marcos? It's a college town about 30 minutes south of downtown Austin and 45 minutes north of downtown San Antonio (which both have good nightlife). Rent is cheap there, but you'll be surrounded by partying college kids if that's a negative for you. However, it has good water activities with the nearby rivers (San Marcos running through town, Blanco, Guadalupe, Colorado), along with decent mountain biking and rock climbing.
This. They also have the annual Texas Water Safari.
Texas’ largest canoe and kayak race: The Buffalo Bayou Regatta.
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