What is it like to live in Houston - do you stay in your immediate community? Crime? (Sugar Land: best cities, apartment complexes)

[BerryHappy]

Hello all. I posted some questions the other day and hope to see some responses to those, but in the meantime I wanted to get some thoughts on what life is like in such a large city. For the most part, do you find that you stay in your immediate communities for everyday normal activities (not including going to/from work) - groceries, shopping, doctors, entertainment, etc.? I realize you would venture off to certain events and such, but I am curious if you do not worry about the "big city crime" as much if you tend to stay in your own, safe, communities for the most part.

I have some concerns about raising a family in such a large city, but my husband feels as if I should "forget" about my fears of "living in such a large city" and focus on the fact that we would choose a smaller/suburb community to live in, and that we would pretty much "not really be living in such a large city".

Would you agree with that? I would appreciate your comments! Thank you!

[Cypress Boy]

Well I just moved into the Northwest suburbs of Houston. But I did live inside the city. In the Mid Town area. Houston is pretty nice but there are places that you may wont to avoid like the Southwest side of the city wich has had a rise in crime lately. But then there are nice places inside of the inner parts of the city also like River Oaks wich is the richest neighborhood in Texas and believe it or not it's richer than Beverly Hills.The best areas are the North/west suburbs (Katy,Cypress,Spring,Tomball,Humble,Kingwood,ect.. .) Southwest Suburbs (Sugarland, New Territory, Pearland, Mission Bend, ect...).

[BerryHappy]

Originally Posted by Cypress Boy

Well I just moved into the Northwest suburbs of Houston.

Thanks for the response CP. Can you offer any information on the schools in your area. Specifically, I am looking for what Middle Schools are good, and which ones to stay away from. Where we live now there are four Middle Schools, and it is just common knowledge that a couple of them are not where you'd want your kids going. I'm just looking for that type of input. That will also help us look in the right areas for homes.

TIA!

[beankounter]

WE've lived in Sugar Land for 10 years and just love it. Everything you really need is within 10 miles: large mall with Macy's and Penny's, lots of restaurants, Home Depot, Lowes, banks, etc. Sugar Land was voted one of the best cities to live in. It use to be a little town way out from Houston that had a sugar mill to produce sugar from all the sugar cane that was grown around here. Fort Bend ISD is a top rated school. We have crime but not like in some parts of Houston. We live in New Territory subdivision which has many family friendly amenities, sports complex, country club, parks and fish stocked lakes. You would love it here.

[AK123]

For the most part, do you find that you stay in your immediate communities for everyday normal activities (not including going to/from work) - groceries, shopping, doctors, entertainment, etc.?

Yes, with the exception of going to work and certain activities that aren't available out here (museums, night-life, performing arts... basically the big-city stuff Houston has). As far as regular shopping, restaurants, leisure... we can do all that in Sugar Land.

I realize you would venture off to certain events and such, but I am curious if you do not worry about the "big city crime" as much if you tend to stay in your own, safe, communities for the most part.

In general, we don't worry about crime. We know the specific areas of town to avoid and have never had a problem.

[Mr. Football]

Ft. Bend county and Sugar Land seem to turn up every other night on Houston's TV news with regular home invasions, robberies or dead bodies turning up in nice neighborhoods. A popular part of town for Houston's Professional Athletes (as well as many famous retired pro athletes who played elsewhere). It's more ethnically mixed than the suburbs you'll find in the North and West sides of Houston. Overall, it's a nice area, somewhat lacking in trees for my tastes but nicely landscaped. Its proximity to the Southwest side ghetto apartment complexes has made it more dangerous especially since the arrival of tens of thousands of Katrina refugees who've packed into the these complexes. Its somewhat shocking to see these kinds of crimes occuring in/near nice neighborhoods.

Parts of town I would avoid:

Southwest Houston
East Houston
Southeast Houston
Anything called a "Ward" (except for the Midtown area)
Aldine/Greenspoint area
Alief

Nicer Suburbs:

The Woodlands
Cypress
Champions/Klein
Cinco Ranch/Katy
Friendswood/Clear Lake
Kingwood/Atascocita
Sugar Land (First Colony)

[AK123]

Ft. Bend county and Sugar Land seem to turn up every other night on Houston's TV news with regular home invasions, robberies or dead bodies turning up in nice neighborhoods.



We've lived out here several years and there have only been a few incidents, mainly in one specific area of far northeast Sugar Land that borders a not-so-great area of Houston. Occasionally murders that happen in Houston, the bodies will be driven out to the Brazos River area and dumped. Other than that, Sugar Land and most of Fort Bend have very low crime, check out crime stats available and you'll see. Those things make the news because they are such an oddity in Sugar Land, as compared to Houston.

[BobTex]

I recommend buying and learning to use a handgun efficiently. With this tool you have the ability to protect yourself AND your family in the rare instance that someone might make a mistake and pick the wrong person to accost. Houston is relatively safe although I just travel into the city occasionally (once a month). I carry a small (ultra-compact) large caliber (.45 acp) semi- auto pistol. Try Kimber Arms website! No one knows I have my weapon on me, I've never had to draw it (thankfully), but I am responsible for my family's well being.....and I don't take that lightly. I am also studying martial arts (newly). I love people and am a warm and friendly person (I think) but I'm also very open to the possibility of trouble.

Be prepared at all times or consider yourself a fool!

Houston is relatively safe.....look at the statistics!

[Need_affordable_home]

If you need a gun and learn martial arts, I would not want to live in that area! Crime scares me and ill only consider areas I feel safe(no murders or serious crime)

[littlerose]

I am also not generally a lover of big cities, so I understand your concerns, as I share them. However, if you live in the nicer suburban areas here, you won't have as much to worry about.

We live in Sugar Land, and moved here specifically so we could have a nice, affordable place to start a family. People I talk to about the schools here always say that the Fort Bend Independent School District has the best schools. I don't know which middle schools have the best reputation though.

As far as crime goes, the particular area I live in doesn't see a lot of crime, as far as I have seen. No more than one would expect see in any other middle to upper-middle class neighborhood. My neighbors are very friendly, and we look out for each other.

I find that I usually don't need to go more than ten miles from my home to get what I need. Groceries, post offices, doctors, banks, home improvement stores, malls, etc. are all pretty close to where I live. I rarely drive east of the be Beltway 8, unless I have specific business that must conduct inside the main parts of Houston.

We are about a 30 minute drive from downtown Houston, traffic permitting, which is far enough that we can easily avoid it if we like, but close enough that we can go to museums, plays, the zoo, etc. with minimal inconvenience. We also have easy access to rural areas with parks, antique shops, and even an observatory.