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Hello everyone on CD. A quick question... I am looking to start a new life for myself and plan on planting roots in a brand new place. I'll be honest here - I'm from Milwaukee, WI and my first choice is honestly Cleveland, Ohio simply because A) I love it there and B) The Cost of Living is ridiculously cheap!!! I have however thought of moving somewhere completely different. Like Houston* for instance. Please note: I have started this exact thread for other cities I am looking at as well. I am simply trying to cover all of my bases so I know I am making the correct choice financially as well as emotionally. So here is my situation (and this may very well sound stupid), I am single, 34 years old, and don't have a college degree. I do not have a vehicle, nor do I plan to get one as that will save me a lot of money. I will be moving with a total of $13,000 which is my total "Life's Savings". I will be coming with no job (unless I get one when I take vacation at work in April) and am willing to work ANYWHERE as long as it provides income. I work in a factory setting now and I make $11.92/hr and would like to match that (if not) exceed that. Also please note that I have very little debt. My range as far as rent goes is NO HIGHER than $600/month (insert laugh here). That's all I feel comfortable paying anyway. I am willing to go higher if needed (up to say $750), but I better have a job that can support the cost. I am open to living in a rooming house (Room For Rent) of sorts to begin my new life if need be. But I DO NOT want to do a Roommate situation. Now if this sounds completely insane and downright undo-able, than please let me know so I can scratch Houston off of my list. Also note: I need to stay within the city limits so all suburbs are completely OUT of the question. I need a "safe" neighborhood with a low amount of drug/violent crime activity. To give an overall idea of my "comfort level", I have lived in Chicago's Uptown as well as (where I now stay) Avenues West in Milwaukee.
So the bottom line questions are...
1) Is $13,000 enough? I would like to get a place right when I get to town, so I will probably pay 6-12 months of rent right off the bat. That will take a large chunk ($6k or so) of the $13k, but will give me up to a year to recoup that money.
2) How "transplant friendly" would you say Houston is?
3) Is Houston actually doable without a car, or is it simply better to have one? How reliable is the public transit? Especially late at night if I go out to a club or something?
4) City Life/Urban Decay: Does Houston feel like a real city? Yes, I know it's the 4th largest US city, but it's also extremely spread out which makes for a very low Population Density Statistic. Now I'm not saying it has to be New York, but it has to have a “hustle & bustle” feel to it. High pedestrian/vehicle traffic, a nightlife, and overall feel of urban living is what I’m after. Also, I find Urban Decay/Ghettos to be beautiful (in a weird way), but I don't want to be engulfed by it (think Detroit). Are there a good amount of these areas to see in Houston?
5) Weather: I like it warm, but I don't like extreme heat with high humidity. How is the weather in Houston compared to the Midwest?
I don't know if this is coming across as a crazy idea or just simply a good plan. I will say one thing though... I NEVER want to return to Wisconsin again!!! That's ultimately the plan. I need to grow up, and start a life for myself somewhere completely new.
*Please Note: I have no family or friends in Houston as I have never actually been there before. Although not that big of an issue for me, this may play a small part in responses as I won't have any direct "support system". Please try not to factor this in too heavily.
1) You don't like extreme heat and humidity - that knocks Houston totally out
2) Public transportation here is not the best - and you don't have and don't want a car. Could you live in the Montrose area and walk to work (you didn't say what you do, so I have no idea if this is even possible)? Most likely. Late at night - you have to look at taxis and they aren't cheap here. Some say it can be done, it's just not an easy city in which to do it.
On the other hand, Houston 's population % of transplants is very high - so you be comfortable in that regard.
Weather is unbearable if your not used to it, also PT pretty much sucks, however, the Metro bus system is the best I've seen. I get a big city feel from Houston but from it's expansive freeways, multiple skylines, skyscrapers, and sheer area.
Weather is unbearable if your not used to it, also PT pretty much sucks, however, the Metro bus system is the best I've seen. I get a big city feel from Houston but from it's expansive freeways, multiple skylines, skyscrapers, and sheer area.
Just curious. Why do you say the metro bus system is the best you've ever seen? That comment caught me of guard.
Hello everyone on CD. A quick question... I am looking to start a new life for myself and plan on planting roots in a brand new place. I'll be honest here - I'm from Milwaukee, WI and my first choice is honestly Cleveland, Ohio simply because A) I love it there and B) The Cost of Living is ridiculously cheap!!! I have however thought of moving somewhere completely different. Like Houston* for instance. Please note: I have started this exact thread for other cities I am looking at as well. I am simply trying to cover all of my bases so I know I am making the correct choice financially as well as emotionally. So here is my situation (and this may very well sound stupid), I am single, 34 years old, and don't have a college degree. I do not have a vehicle, nor do I plan to get one as that will save me a lot of money. I will be moving with a total of $13,000 which is my total "Life's Savings". I will be coming with no job (unless I get one when I take vacation at work in April) and am willing to work ANYWHERE as long as it provides income. I work in a factory setting now and I make $11.92/hr and would like to match that (if not) exceed that. Also please note that I have very little debt. My range as far as rent goes is NO HIGHER than $600/month (insert laugh here). That's all I feel comfortable paying anyway. I am willing to go higher if needed (up to say $750), but I better have a job that can support the cost. I am open to living in a rooming house (Room For Rent) of sorts to begin my new life if need be. But I DO NOT want to do a Roommate situation. Now if this sounds completely insane and downright undo-able, than please let me know so I can scratch Houston off of my list. Also note: I need to stay within the city limits so all suburbs are completely OUT of the question. I need a "safe" neighborhood with a low amount of drug/violent crime activity. To give an overall idea of my "comfort level", I have lived in Chicago's Uptown as well as (where I now stay) Avenues West in Milwaukee.
So the bottom line questions are...
1) Is $13,000 enough? I would like to get a place right when I get to town, so I will probably pay 6-12 months of rent right off the bat. That will take a large chunk ($6k or so) of the $13k, but will give me up to a year to recoup that money.
2) How "transplant friendly" would you say Houston is?
3) Is Houston actually doable without a car, or is it simply better to have one? How reliable is the public transit? Especially late at night if I go out to a club or something?
4) City Life/Urban Decay: Does Houston feel like a real city? Yes, I know it's the 4th largest US city, but it's also extremely spread out which makes for a very low Population Density Statistic. Now I'm not saying it has to be New York, but it has to have a “hustle & bustle” feel to it. High pedestrian/vehicle traffic, a nightlife, and overall feel of urban living is what I’m after. Also, I find Urban Decay/Ghettos to be beautiful (in a weird way), but I don't want to be engulfed by it (think Detroit). Are there a good amount of these areas to see in Houston? 5) Weather: I like it warm, but I don't like extreme heat with high humidity. How is the weather in Houston compared to the Midwest?
I don't know if this is coming across as a crazy idea or just simply a good plan. I will say one thing though... I NEVER want to return to Wisconsin again!!! That's ultimately the plan. I need to grow up, and start a life for myself somewhere completely new.
*Please Note: I have no family or friends in Houston as I have never actually been there before. Although not that big of an issue for me, this may play a small part in responses as I won't have any direct "support system". Please try not to factor this in too heavily.
As for weather: That may very well eliminate almost all of the South and Southeast, anywhere east of Dallas. If you want to live in this part of the USA you MUST deal with the heat/humidity. A/C is your FRIEND. No exceptions.
Neighborhoods: Houston is very segregated as far as neighborhoods from ethnic/racial and economic standpoints as far as I have noticed in my two years living here. Most middle class college educated professionals live in the suburbs for the school districts, or if they're younger and haven't had kids yet, they stay in "trendy" expensive areas closer to downtown. That leaves much of the rest of the city as "blue-collar" and those areas tend to have more of the drug/gang violence. The perception (right or wrong) is that Houston is a somewhat "dangerous" city in general, and more so than its peer cities around the country - even the expensive areas see bank robberies and home invasions. There was an article in the local paper recently about how crime has increased lately in the area.
Take a good look at Phoenix and Las Vegas. It's the desert so it's hot (and a dry heat most of the year), mild winters compared to the Midwest and relatively cheap cost of living. Lots of "blue collar" service industry jobs, but both cities were pummeled by the housing market crash and only now starting to sorta-kinda bounce back.
Weather is unbearable if your not used to it, also PT pretty much sucks, however, the Metro bus system is the best I've seen. I get a big city feel from Houston but from it's expansive freeways, multiple skylines, skyscrapers, and sheer area.
If METRO is the best bus system you've seen, you really need to get out and see more of this country. San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC bus systems run circles around METRO even on a bad day.
As for weather: That may very well eliminate almost all of the South and Southeast, anywhere east of Dallas. If you want to live in this part of the USA you MUST deal with the heat/humidity. A/C is your FRIEND. No exceptions.
Neighborhoods: Houston is very segregated as far as neighborhoods from ethnic/racial and economic standpoints as far as I have noticed in my two years living here. Most middle class college educated professionals live in the suburbs for the school districts, or if they're younger and haven't had kids yet, they stay in "trendy" expensive areas closer to downtown. That leaves much of the rest of the city as "blue-collar" and those areas tend to have more of the drug/gang violence. The perception (right or wrong) is that Houston is a somewhat "dangerous" city in general, and more so than its peer cities around the country - even the expensive areas see bank robberies and home invasions. There was an article in the local paper recently about how crime has increased lately in the area.
Take a good look at Phoenix and Las Vegas. It's the desert so it's hot (and a dry heat most of the year), mild winters compared to the Midwest and relatively cheap cost of living. Lots of "blue collar" service industry jobs, but both cities were pummeled by the housing market crash and only now starting to sorta-kinda bounce back.
I agree with most of the posters here. But the bold is off base. Houston doesn't have zoning, so it is one of the least segregated cities in the country from an economic standpoint. Its pretty mixed ethnically as well compared to other cities. Plenty of middle class professionals in the city as there are a number of good elementary schools, but obviously many (but not all) do move to the burbs when they get kids in middle school. Houston is pretty safe for a city its size (now don't compare it to a city like Tulsa). Gang violence is not particularly bad and is mostly confined to certain areas. Crime can happen anywhere, but that's true of any big city. And Houston is the 5th largest metro area in the country.
But if you don't like heat and humidity, Houston, New Orleans and Miami are probably the 3 cities you most want to avoid. If you want to avoid having a car, Houston's doable, but not easily, especially since you don't know where you will be working. And many factory jobs are in the eastern suburbs which have no bus system.
Just curious. Why do you say the metro bus system is the best you've ever seen? That comment caught me of guard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by micmac99
If METRO is the best bus system you've seen, you really need to get out and see more of this country. San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC bus systems run circles around METRO even on a bad day.
I came from a city that virtually had no bus system, let alone public transit. For a city like Houston, METRO is fantastic.
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Please note: I have started this exact thread for other cities I am looking at as well. I am simply trying to cover all of my bases so I know I am making the correct choice financially as well as emotionally. So here is my situation (and this may very well sound stupid), I am single, 34 years old, and don't have a college degree. I do not have a vehicle, nor do I plan to get one as that will save me a lot of money. I will be moving with a total of $13,000 which is my total "Life's Savings". I will be coming with no job (unless I get one when I take vacation at work in April) and am willing to work ANYWHERE as long as it provides income. I work in a factory setting now and I make $11.92/hr and would like to match that (if not) exceed that. Also please note that I have very little debt. My range as far as rent goes is NO HIGHER than $600/month (insert laugh here). That's all I feel comfortable paying anyway. I am willing to go higher if needed (up to say $750), but I better have a job that can support the cost. I am open to living in a rooming house (Room For Rent) of sorts to begin my new life if need be. But I DO NOT want to do a Roommate situation. Now if this sounds completely insane and downright undo-able, than please let me know so I can scratch Houston off of my list. Also note: I need to stay within the city limits so all suburbs are completely OUT of the question. I need a "safe" neighborhood with a low amount of drug/violent crime activity. To give an overall idea of my "comfort level", I have lived in Chicago's Uptown as well as (where I now stay) Avenues West in Milwaukee.
How is your credit?
