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Actually, where I live all the neighbors are quite close. We have get togethers, BBQ's, wine tastings, dinners. We go out lunch and dinner with neighbors and friends.
At town center we have art festivals, Mardi Gras, Car Shows, community picnics, concerts. We are a half hour to downtown. Kingwood is Lakefrant to a large fresh water lake - Lake Houston. Lots of people boat, jet ski etc.
Kingwood is also building a Lake Houston waterfront, pedestrian focused, mixed used development, complete with public plaza, dining, shopping, offices, live-work lofts, and brownstones. (kings-harbor dotcom)
not bad for $180k
We don't have any boats here, but lots of fake lakes, and there seems to be endless bbqs and kid birthday parties, that's why my baby needs to be here now. I think we moved to the suburbs too soon. We are one of the youngest couple here, and almost everyone else is at least 5 years or older than us. I am so sick of going to gatherings without a kid to talk about.
Also, I guess I should have maybe chosen woodlands or kingwood, which seem to have more established walking neigborhoods, but there is a up and coming walkable retail area around in Katy called la cent something. I really look forward to it, but it kind of defends the purpose that I have to drive there in order to have a leisure walk around neighborhood retail.
That is why I am here, the cost, wife likes these master planned communities with their trees and fake lakes. If she isn't the boss of me, we would be Seattle or still in the west coast, but she wanted to own instead of rent, so Houston it is. I really do not like suburbs and sprawl. I was going to convinced her to move into the loop at the very least if we have to move to Houston, but after staying for a while inside Houston, I discovered everything is so not 'dense' enough like a city should be, so what's the point, its not really lively and walkable/connected. And plus, I found the never can be straight wire poles, the monstrous number of criss crossing of hanging wires, the hanging swaying traffic lights on wires instead of proper poles, the numerous empty lots with over grown grass, the abundant empty buildings, the uneven black lines on cracking roads, the unorderlinesses and flatness really very ugly. So here I am in a brand new house, in a nice fake community in the suburbs, which is too damn big for us, and just waiting for hurricane to blow it down.
End Rant.
You know, all of the lakes in Texas (except for one) are fake.
You know, all of the lakes in Texas (except for one) are fake.
The fake ones I am talking about are the ones that don't even try to look like lakes. You should see them here around cinco ranch and grand lakes, they are more like a retaining pool of water with a sprinkler in them.
Person- Considering you have a family/baby on the way I would think that you will "get used" to that environment. I realize that you like most people who move to Texas, do so for the "cost of living and employment opportunities." I've done a lot of research in this area and Houston reigns supreme for cost of living and economic strength. There is A LOT of money in Houston. Whether it's right for me remains to be seen... We're in similar situations, both of us are in a place where we don't feel at "HOME"
I dread humidity as well but would move to Houston if I found that Portland would offer less in "overall weight" w/regard to my needs/interests.
Bear- No problem. I'm glad you found your "HOME." A place where you feel you belong. It sounds like you're living in a community where you fit right in. The landscaping, greenery, wildlife......sound like a Utopia. I AGREE w/you if Seattle had the same cost of living I'd be there in a HEARTBEAT. Further, just to illustrate differences among people, I happen to LOVE fog/overcast weather, light dizzle is ok but I hate "heavy rain." I don't think I'll find EXACTLY what I'm seeking but will find something close.
Portland-Need to get a better feel for the neighborhoods. Pictures present a very beautiful and ordered way of life...which I find to be different in reality, well, at least every city I've been through. No question...Portland has beautiful mountains and colors. Excellent transit. Cost of living is 12-15% more than Houston which is equivalent to Austin.
I would love to hear what makes Portland and Austin liberal in comparison to other cities. A liberal city should have a good ethnic mix, at least you'd figure that. Portland 80% white. Not sure about Austin? I like Houston's ethnic diversity, that's a plus for Houston and I would imagine given the scope of its size, it is loaded with resources. Portland's got the weather and transit.
I would not call Houston an ugly city. Messy? Yes, indeed. Eccentric? Very. It's just different, and for as long as I've lived here, those areas of the city that aren't very fun to look at never really bothered me. That's what makes Houston, in my opinion. It's gritty, without a question. My mother says it's a man's city because it's not very pleasant but rugged and edgy. Countless numbers of adult video stores, stripclubs, and liquor/check cashing places. But if it were perfect and pretty, if there was no smog, no change of weather every five seconds, no crazy drivers, zoning, purple and yellow houses, and sprawl, then it wouldn't be Houston. And I just so happen to love this city. I think you would too, Supernova. If Houston had lightrail zipping all over the city (so that we didn't have to drive all the time), more shopping choices, and more/better looking highrises, Houston would be perfect.
P.S.- You don't necessarily have to "speaking in general" to anyone raise your family in the burbs. I know many people who raise children in the city and put them through local/public schools....Very good cultural experience and they are more connected to what's going on.
Bear- Your house in my community would go from $180k to $790k.....
Also, one thing that Houston has that no city can top, in my opinion, is it's nightclubs. Some of the most fun you can have in your young adult life. Not even New York's or Chicago's clubs were better.
I agree with you that the "messy/eccentric" feel makes the city. It's important to be clear about this as we're not describing Hell's Kitchen NY. We're not talking WATTS in LA. We're talking about a community where people live on small to moderate salaries but have a sense of community. It's important to be around people "that are real" and share in the "casual life."
You can have a big house, fancy cars, pool tables and boats but where does all that get you if you can't enjoy life with others?
I like the simple/cheap life. I like places where you can get little treasures that you can't find anywhere else.
My business partner (who is gay) and his life partner also moved to Kingwood, and LOVE it.
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