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Old 08-26-2014, 01:42 PM
 
3 posts, read 3,679 times
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Hi all,

I may be moving to Houston in the next month or so for a job at the Johnson Space Center. I currently live in Milwaukee, WI in a fairly walkable trendy neighborhood, near bars and restaurants, and only 2 blocks from Lake Michigan so there are a lot of walking/biking trails and the lake/beaches nearby. I really love the neighborhood I'm in now, but from what I understand, Houston is generally not like this. Any advice about where a good place to live might be? I'm looking to spend less then $1200/mo and I have a car, but I don't think I would like a daily commute of more than 30 min or so.
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Old 08-26-2014, 02:22 PM
 
Location: Westchase
785 posts, read 1,228,953 times
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If you stick to central locations like Midtown, Downtown, or East Downtown, then the commute might not be so bad (plus it's a reverse commute so you'll be going against the flow of rush hour). Of the three, only Downtown has access to walking/bike trails (Buffalo Bayou Park to the west, or the Heights Bike Trail/White Oak Park) to the north.

The Museum District or Rice Village might also work. That should give you access to Hermann Park and the running/walking trails at the Rice Loop.
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Old 08-26-2014, 02:49 PM
 
Location: Non Extradition Country
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I don't do walkable or trendy so I can't suggest anything there.

If you don't want a long commute then I suggest Seabrook or Clear Lake area. There are bars and restaurants everywhere.
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Old 08-26-2014, 02:58 PM
 
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Clear Lake is a great area. You can go into Houston to go out occasionally. There are bars closer to Clear Lake though.

Bars - All in Clear Lake TX

Armand Bayou has some nice trails. It's close by Clear Lake.
Hidden gem - Review of Armand Bayou Nature Center, Pasadena, TX - TripAdvisor
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Old 08-26-2014, 05:24 PM
 
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Thank you for the advice. I know there aren't really any good beaches on the gulf, but are there any places to swim, boat and/or are there beaches along the inland water anywhere?
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Old 08-26-2014, 05:38 PM
 
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Plenty of places to boat in Clear Lake. When I lived down there my roommate and I lived in a townhouse right on the lake (and biking distance to JSC) and we had a slip. Used to drive a boat over to Boondoggles (local hangout for many JSC people). Used to Kayak a lot in the bayous too, except for May-September when it was really too hot for that. Really aren't any beaches or swimming, though.

Clear Lake doesn't have the walkable neighborhood thing at all, but it is a really nice suburb and well connected to JSC (just about any sort of housing situation from apartment to large single family home to mansion on the lake is less than 10 minutes from work).

I'd recommend you start living in Clear Lake - you may eventually feel the urge to move into town but it's hard to find a place in town if you don't live here and understand the areas and traffic patterns. I work at JSC and started in Clear Lake but later moved to Montrose, which is probably closer to what you are looking for (but 35-40 minutes away). I never would have figured out how to find a good place in Montrose (I moved into an unlisted duplex by word of mouth) nor understood the commute if I moved directly when I came down here. You also probably want to spend 6 months figuring out your job first. Also, Clear Lake is actually quite nice, I just was looking for a change and to not see everyone I worked with everywhere I went in town in Clear Lake!
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Old 08-26-2014, 05:41 PM
 
6,720 posts, read 8,341,904 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aero100 View Post
Plenty of places to boat in Clear Lake. When I lived down there my roommate and I lived in a townhouse right on the lake (and biking distance to JSC) and we had a slip. Used to drive a boat over to Boondoggles (local hangout for many JSC people). Used to Kayak a lot in the bayous too, except for May-September when it was really too hot for that. Really aren't any beaches or swimming, though.

Clear Lake doesn't have the walkable neighborhood thing at all, but it is a really nice suburb and well connected to JSC (just about any sort of housing situation from apartment to large single family home to mansion on the lake is less than 10 minutes from work).

I'd recommend you start living in Clear Lake - you may eventually feel the urge to move into town but it's hard to find a place in town if you don't live here and understand the areas and traffic patterns. I work at JSC and started in Clear Lake but later moved to Montrose, which is probably closer to what you are looking for (but 35-40 minutes away). I never would have figured out how to find a good place in Montrose (I moved into an unlisted duplex by word of mouth) nor understood the commute if I moved directly when I came down here. You also probably want to spend 6 months figuring out your job first. Also, Clear Lake is actually quite nice, I just was looking for a change and to not see everyone I worked with everywhere I went in town in Clear Lake!
This is excellent advice.
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Old 08-26-2014, 06:45 PM
 
Location: Breckenridge
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Clear Lake is incredibly lame for a single professional. The bars kind of suck. The food is not that good. There are a few good places to eat. It is just another suburb. The only good things about the area are the price and the commute for you. The problem is doing 1200 a month in the midtown is not doable. The commute from midtown would be about 40min? I would spend an extra 300 on rent to live in a fun area where there are lots of young professionals. Midtown is a blast. It is very walkable. You never have to worry about drunk driving. There are gorgeous parks nearby that the city has spent over one million dollars on. I am sure many people will say I am crazy and that it is great. I am one of the few partiers here who actually hits bars and does the single social life. I have also partied in Clear Lake a bit as I had a friend who lived down there. I hated going down there, but I felt bad about him always coming up here to have fun. Good luck in whatever you choose.
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Old 08-26-2014, 09:11 PM
 
Location: Clear Lake, Houston TX
8,376 posts, read 30,593,269 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Schumacher713 View Post
I would spend an extra 300 on rent to live in a fun area where there are lots of young professionals. Midtown is a blast. It is very walkable. You never have to worry about drunk driving.
Depends on who you are. If getting intoxicated is one of your life's main priorities, then by all means live in a walkable area. It's much cheaper overall than getting a DWI ($10k for the first offense).

Otherwise OP, it seems like Clear Lake is a good starting point to get acquainted with the area like aero1000 said above. The area is mixed with all ages, and the 20-something crowd has a sizable blue collar element mixed in, which makes some people uncomfortable. People here are generally less uptight about most things vs in the city. If you don't like it, moving at the end of a short lease once you're more familiar is a good suggestion.

BTW I've lived in different burbs and in the city, and Clear Lake doesn't seem like just another burb due to the coastal access and the fact the area has slowly & organically grown over the past 50+ years (among other reasons). Even my neighborhood was built over 9 years. Much different than these huge MPC's that get finished out in a couple of years.
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Old 08-27-2014, 12:00 AM
 
Location: Houston, TX
17,029 posts, read 30,799,700 times
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Clear Lake area.
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