Spitballing ideas of where to live if I came to TX (Houston: fit in, for sale) - Texas - City-Data Forum

jm21 · 12-15-2014, 09:58 PM

So maybe 8 years ago or so I was thinking of moving to TX, went there, checked out the piney woods and went down the coast, but ultimately decided it was not for me at that time. I moved to WA to be closer to my family among other things. Didn't really work out as planned and after a really really bad year (dad died, had a cancer scare, got divorced, lost my business, etc.), I found myself pyrsuing one of my dreams: teaching in China.

I'm enjoying teaching and looking at ways to get a teaching license stateside. Turns out Texas has possibly the best program for those living out of state. I would do all the coursework and testing online then teach in TX for a year (fully paid). I'm already signed up for another year here but maybe 2016. The licensure would boost my wage here significantly and let me teach more interesting subjects.

I'm not sure I want to move back permanently but I'd like to work someplace where I could at least see a possibility of settling down. That way if I decide to stay I'm already there.

I'm a 30 something white guy. Professional on the surface but I grew up in a small town and can be a bit of a redneck. Pretty well-travelled I guess.

Most important things for me:
Good food (no problem most places in TX if memory serves)
Relatively coastal
Cheap housing, especially waterfront, waterview, or acreage

Access to a major Asian supermarket would be a plus. Access to fresh local produce (e.g. farmer's markets) is a big plus.

If I move there it will probably be after my girlfriend and I get married. A Chinese population and decent public transportation would be good for her. Or at least someplace she can bike places. She thinks driving is really dangerous (you probably would too if you grew up in China).

I saw some cheap (less than $200k) canal front homes in Corpus Christi that looked pretty amazing (being able to moor a boat is huge for me). Didn't really spend time in the actual city when I was there so I don't know much about it.

Galveston seems nice and I had a very good impression of it when I was there. Maybe hard to get a job as a teacher there? Is it a desirable place to live?

It seemed like there were a lot of places for sale in SE TX that had a few acres for pretty cheap but not really seeing much anymore?

Brownsville seems a little beat up but maybe a possibility.

Maybe someplace near Houston?

Got a long time to think.

DanielWayne · 12-15-2014, 10:18 PM

Houston has more than one'Chinatown' and one is in an area that is becoming more conducive to biking. Public transportation isn't very good however. I live in Galveston county a half hour north of the island. There are great things on the island, but there are a lot of run down areas and I've heard the public schools aren't the best. The latest trend is for people with higher paying jobs in Galveston to move off the island and commute. The Clear Lake area is the prime destination for that.

There are a lot of pleasant places to live all around the Houston area. I think you would find most of what you want somewhere around Houston.

Pink90 · 12-15-2014, 10:29 PM

Houston area for sure

jm21 · 12-15-2014, 11:32 PM

Hm. Houston does have a decent Asian population which is a plus, but that aspect isn't that high on our list. My gf is from more the northeast part of China so pretty much all the special ingredients she needs are dried or preserved so easy to ship...or just unavailable in the US. She speaks near fluent English too. Being able to get around without a car is more important for her.

Quality of the schools doesn't concern us too much. Maybe more job security if the schools are lousy? Who knows. If we have children and they are anything like us they will just sleep through it anyways.

Jack Lance · 12-15-2014, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm21

Hm. Houston does have a decent Asian population which is a plus, but that aspect isn't that high on our list. My gf is from more the northeast part of China so pretty much all the special ingredients she needs are dried or preserved so easy to ship...or just unavailable in the US. She speaks near fluent English too. Being able to get around without a car is more important for her.

Quality of the schools doesn't concern us too much. Maybe more job security if the schools are lousy? Who knows. If we have children and they are anything like us they will just sleep through it anyways.

What does "relatively coastal" mean to you. Houston is the only city in Texas within 200 miles of the coast with any kind of Asian population. If public transportation is important I guess you could live in Midtown and use Metros Red Line. Galveston has a pretty good bus system as I remember but I'm not so sure there are any Asian Markets on the Island...

You may want to request this thread be moved onto the Houston forum...

jm21 · 12-16-2014, 03:53 AM

Like I said..the larger Asian population would be a plus but it's not a huge thing for us. Actually thinking about it more I'm not as sure it's much of a plus at all. Lots of Asians have prejudices against mainland Chinese and no way my gf would get along with those Chinese-American tiger moms.

Galveston is very interesting. Lots of places nearby where you could buy a house on a canal with a place for a boat...not too expensive. Go out crabbing or fishing for the day...sounds real nice.

I'm guessing there's shrimping in galveston bay? I heard there were rock crab...yum. One of my favorite foods.

hellpaso · 12-16-2014, 08:23 AM

Definitely Houston area. Or even down a bit between Houston & Corpus. There are some smaller places like Port Lavaca or Rockport y'all might like. There actually are quite a few Asians along the Texas coast. Primarily Vietnamese (a lot of the shrimpers), but there are also Chinese areas. I'd rule out the Brownsville/RGV area for certain--neither of you would fit in around there

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Jack Lance · 12-16-2014, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm21

Like I said..the larger Asian population would be a plus but it's not a huge thing for us. Actually thinking about it more I'm not as sure it's much of a plus at all. Lots of Asians have prejudices against mainland Chinese and no way my gf would get along with those Chinese-American tiger moms.

Galveston is very interesting. Lots of places nearby where you could buy a house on a canal with a place for a boat...not too expensive. Go out crabbing or fishing for the day...sounds real nice.

I'm guessing there's shrimping in galveston bay? I heard there were rock crab...yum. One of my favorite foods.

Now it sounds like Bayou Vista is what you are describing ....

"The City of Bayou Vista is a single-family, residential waterfront community developed along a series of twelve (12) dredged canals which provide access to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Our residents can fish or crab from their docks or fish from their boat in Galveston Bay."

City of Bayou Vista

Or maybe Tiki Island

http://www.villageoftikiisland.org/

jm21 · 12-16-2014, 07:31 PM

Yeah. I was roving around Galveston on Zillow and saw those. Seem pretty sweet. I've never seen anything like that. Are there problems living there? Some of the houses seem way too cheap for waterfront. 150-170k asking for a 3bdrm place. Makes me wonder if there's some hidden problem with living in those places.

Jack Lance · 12-16-2014, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm21

Yeah. I was roving around Galveston on Zillow and saw those. Seem pretty sweet. I've never seen anything like that. Are there problems living there? Some of the houses seem way too cheap for waterfront. 150-170k asking for a 3bdrm place. Makes me wonder if there's some hidden problem with living in those places.

Your insurance rates are going to be really high, but anybody I've ever known who has lived in either place loves it. One point to consider is Bayou Vista has a problem with a rail road bridge that makes it hard for some boats to get under especially during high tides...