Are there any cities in Houston with a Los Angeles vibe?

[naadarien]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I'd say Sugar Land and the Woodlands remind me more of the SoCal burbs too.

Sugar Land is like Irvine or Agoura Hills. Both of which have some walkable spaces but are generally suburbs where you need a car. Schools are good though.

Woodlands would be more like Ventura County.

[naadarien]

Originally Posted by KingLAmar

One thing that is a bit confusing is how do you know you are in a bad neighborhood when the cost of housing is so low across the board? I'm sure there are visual signs but hard to tell online.

I was also surprised to see houses well into the millions of dollars in Houston!! It never crossed my mind that property can get so high there when you can get so much for $500,000! It must be all about location, location, location.

The schools. If the schools are good, the neighborhood is good. In general, that is the rule here.

The more schools that are good, the better the neighborhood.

Like you can get a lower cost house if the elementary school is crap, but the JH and HS are good. If all 3 are good, your likely paying a premium for a home.

There are exceptions of course...some older neighborhoods that have small parts zoned to a decent school, but for the most part, schools make or break your property value...

[AlfredB1979]

Originally Posted by naadarien

Having been born and raised in LA County (SM/LBC) the traffic here in Houston is over-rated. It isn't even close to being stuck on the 405 to 101 interchange...or the 90 to Corona...or the 605 to the 5 or...or..or. Not even close.

That's all relative, though. I don't plan on any visits to LA ever, unless strictly at gunpoint. That being said, what used to be a 15-minute jaunt back into the city down 225 isn't quite so smooth these days. I look outside the window at work along 225 and traffic is backed up passed Independence/Battleground towards La Porte around 5:00p now.

The only tie-up usually never showed itself until you got close to 610 where the Ship Channel Bridge comes into view.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by naadarien

Sugar Land is like Irvine or Agoura Hills. Both of which have some walkable spaces but are generally suburbs where you need a car. Schools are good though.

Woodlands would be more like Ventura County.

But that's the thing about Houston, no matter how much it's developed its nicest areas outside or inside the loop still only remind me of the outskirts of LA, mostly Orange County. Whenever I'm in the OC I'm always like wow this reminds me of Memorial, Sugar Land, Woodlands, Kingwood and even Midtown.

Highland Village, the fanciest street outside of maybe West Gray reminds more of Irvine than Beverly Hills. The type of town center mixed use development with all the trendy chain stores doesn't really convey real glamour to me as would Rodeo Drive or Robertson Blvd in West Hollywood.

That's why I think the OP will be disappointed if he's looking for LA in Houston. Houston is a really nice, awesome city but overall it's still a practical business town with very small pockets (Galleria, Museum, Downtown) of real burgeoning world class enclaves. At most it's an upper middle class city for working professionals. If he's ok with that and doesn't mind not having the type of attractions like the amazing Getty Center or Getty Villa then he should be fine.

[3shipguy]

Originally Posted by AlfredB1979

That's all relative, though. I don't plan on any visits to LA ever, unless strictly at gunpoint.

As a former resident and on behalf of all Angelenos, we thank you.