33y/o, single, from Phoenix to Houston...HELP PLSE!!! (Austin: spring break, real estate)

[taapple]

I need advice. I have lived in Phoenix for 3 years too long!! Cant wait to get back to Texas. I want to stay away from Houston proper after living in Phoenix I'm tired of the big sprawled out city life. I have been researching areas like the Woodlands all the way to cute little charming towns like Brenham and Bellville. I love old houses and that small town feel while still being in close proximity to Houston. But I will be starting over completely trying to make new friends and I would like to eventually settle here, get married etc... I'm worried that all of these areas outside the city are going to be so family oriented that meeting people my age in similar scenarios will be difficult. Job-wise I'm a nurse and from what I can tell, I will have NO problem getting job and luckily there seems to be a hospital near all of these towns with Memorial hermann having many locations. Also, I'm a runner and would be happy with a green belt or even a country road without all the traffic. So, with all that being said does a city or town outside of Houston exist where I could settle in and not feel like an outcast I checked out the woodlands which looks great as far as outdoor recreation goes but it looks so suburban and geared for families! Help PLEASE!! Thank you all in advance.....

[jfre81]

Brenham was on my radar, if only because I enjoy the town and the people, before deciding to move into the city. 290 traffic is no longer the sheer horror it once was, but still congested at rush hour. It's manageable. I've made it from Brenham to Alvin in one hour flat, no speeding, in the nigh traffic-free dead of the night. It's everyone else on the road that makes you weary of the distance and the sprawl.

You might also check out Central Texas, and don't dismiss Austin. It's exploding in population, but if you live near the center of town everything you need is nearby, and it somehow still retains a bit of small-town feel with a slower pace of life than probably any other city its size in the nation. The Hill Country of course is just a short trek away and it's still gorgeous, and the city itself is still very green with places to run everywhere and mostly safe. Freeway traffic isn't very fun though, but depending on where you end up you might not need the freeways that much. I know of several people who pull off living and working in Austin without a car at all. Getting around on weekends in town and for trips into the Hill Country is still very manageable - auto and pedestrian traffic will be heavier for Spring Break, music festivals etc.

There is going to be a better singles scene in and around Austin than some of the smaller towns like Brenham or Bellville which are relatively insular and family oriented - not that nothing good can happen there. Houston's also good for single people, but really only inside the loop and along Richmond for the most part. The families are seeking the suburbs and the HOAs and the sky-high properties while the single professionals are looking at the inner city. But it's still not really the relief you seem to seek from the fast-paced day-to-day city life. If you change your mind, the closest thing to a small town inside the loop is the Heights - look there.

Hope this helps you weigh some options.

[gmh1013]

We moved from the Woodlands to Phoenix in 94 and just bought a house in Katy and move in 2 weeks.
When I lived in the Woodlands It was very Famlily oriented but I loved to Jog
on the trails they have.
I have a friend that is divorced and says its not that way anymore....
With all the condo's lots of single's.
But none of the home are that old...I would look at Conroe and Bryan/CS
lots of older homes and very good price's compared to AZ

[jaysonIT]

I've got a friend in the NW side of Houston (Grant/Jones Rd) and it's a really nice area plus you can be on the outside of town in about 5 minutes. I keep my Harley at his house and we ride out from there so we can get on the back roads easily w/o having to deal with traffic.

[gzsowers]

Originally Posted by taapple

I need advice. I have lived in Phoenix for 3 years too long!! Cant wait to get back to Texas. I want to stay away from Houston proper after living in Phoenix I'm tired of the big sprawled out city life. I have been researching areas like the Woodlands all the way to cute little charming towns like Brenham and Bellville. I love old houses and that small town feel while still being in close proximity to Houston. But I will be starting over completely trying to make new friends and I would like to eventually settle here, get married etc... I'm worried that all of these areas outside the city are going to be so family oriented that meeting people my age in similar scenarios will be difficult. Job-wise I'm a nurse and from what I can tell, I will have NO problem getting job and luckily there seems to be a hospital near all of these towns with Memorial hermann having many locations. Also, I'm a runner and would be happy with a green belt or even a country road without all the traffic. So, with all that being said does a city or town outside of Houston exist where I could settle in and not feel like an outcast I checked out the woodlands which looks great as far as outdoor recreation goes but it looks so suburban and geared for families! Help PLEASE!! Thank you all in advance.....

Hi TAApple,

I'm a brand new member and you may have already made a relocation decision. I am a brand new member and just posted a classified ad in the forums section. Moderator cut: no soliciting/advertising allowed

[matt g]

Stay out of Brenham, it's a suburban, white, cookie-cutter, complacent Hell full of families

[EasilyAmused]

The Woodlands is not a great place to be single. I lived there. Its quiet, very quiet and mostly families or the "working divorced" with kids. If you have to be in a burb, try Katy. Its closer to West Houston....where you will find other singles.It seems to have more life than NW Houston.

Brenham and Bellville are full of singles......the 65+ widow and widower crowd.

You might want to try Austin.

[skipperoni]

As a real estate professional with 2 single kids, I recommend you look in the Galleria area or inside the loop in Houston. Memorial Park is nearby and it is a very popular place for runners and bicyclists. There is a high concentration of singles in these two areas and you are not far from the med center. It is a city atmosphere, but Houston looks quite suburban in general. Inside the loop is more neighborhood- like, and also more expensive, but the Galleria area is where a lot of relocation professionals settle as well. Hope this helps...WELCOME!