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Old 02-20-2017, 03:26 PM
 
21 posts, read 16,788 times
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I just got employed by NASA in clearlake area, and am excited to move to houston. I am an immigrant (indian) liberal, single straight guy in memphis at present and am not really digging it.
Where should i live, i plan to buy a house or a condo, which may end up for rentals if i move again or move to the suburbs in some time. how far is downtown or midtown area ? I heard pearland is good too.
Thanks for the help !!
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Old 02-20-2017, 04:03 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,840 posts, read 6,112,944 times
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I live in the Clear Lake area, as do several other regular posters here. First thing I will point out is that the entirety of the Clear Lake area (as well as Pearland and nearby Friendswood) is very suburban and family oriented. Clear Lake itself has not seen new construction in a very long time (save one development very recently, the name of which escapes me), so your house options will be primarily older ranches. Most of the new home construction has been south of the lake in League City, which appeals to a lot of professionals who work at NASA (and, for that matter, Galveston Island). Be advised that the commute from League City, despite its close proximity as the crow flies, can be 25+ minutes or so to NASA because you have to go around the lake and traffic backs up.

I'm sure there are condo options, but again, these are going to be primarily older properties. There is one high rise called Endeavor Tower, believe it or not. My understanding is that the building has structural issues (though I could be wrong on that, it's just what I've heard). Many areas near NASA like Seabrook and Clear Lake Shores will get you on or near the water, which can be fun. Definitely a coastal living vibe there, though it tends to attract primarily retirees and empty nesters, and again, older properties.

Proximity to Midtown and downtown depends a lot on how close you are to I-45. It takes me about 40-45 minutes to get there in the middle of the day with little to any traffic, but I spend 15 minutes of that just getting to the Interstate. Traffic during the weekday commute can be pretty bad. For your demographic, though, I can see how living and/or spending most of your time inside the Loop is going to appeal most to you.
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Old 02-20-2017, 04:10 PM
 
12 posts, read 15,620 times
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If you're young, I'd look in the city for now until you know the areas a little better. Honestly, I'd probably rent for the first year to make sure it's an area you like. But the rental market isn't bad so if you choose to go that route you'd be fine.

There's a lot of good places to live. I'd suggest you look at EaDo (east downtown) and Midtown for the sake of traffic. These allow you to get on I45 quickly but still be in the city. Other fun neighborhoods are great (Washington/Heights/Montrose), but traffic increase since you have to go further. Downtown is up and coming, but there aren't many places you can buy. Here's some good info on neighborhoods (and moving in general) https://themovein.com/houston-neighborhoods/

Traffic will suck, but it's probably worth it for the first year. Time on the road will vary greatly depending on conditions, weather, accidents, etc. Good luck!
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Old 02-20-2017, 04:21 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,840 posts, read 6,112,944 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wi-to-tx3 View Post
If you're young, I'd look in the city for now until you know the areas a little better. Honestly, I'd probably rent for the first year to make sure it's an area you like.

There's a lot of good places to live. I'd suggest you look at EaDo (east downtown) and Midtown for the sake of traffic. These allow you to get on I45 quickly but still be in the city.
This is what I'd probably suggest as well.
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Old 02-20-2017, 05:50 PM
 
270 posts, read 402,739 times
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Another vote for renting in midtown, Montrose, or Eado. Commute is about 35 minutes in the morning, 40 at night (evenings may get a few minutes better when the I-45 widening in Clear Lake is finished, which is imminent). This is assuming you are near the freeway on both ends. If you are working on site at JSC, it's literally freeway via NASA road 1 right up to the gate. If you are at a contractor farther into Clear Lake (like Boeing out on Bay Area) that can be another 10 minutes.

Many NASA new hires (the young ones) rent in those areas. I would not buy condo or townhouse in the city until you have lived here a year, you likely will not understand the areas, pricing, market to rent it out if you want, or traffic patterns well enough. I work in Clear Lake, own in the city, but the traffic patterns were critical to where I purchased so I ended up with a reasonable commute and wouldn't have been able to figure it out without renting first. The real estate market (and interest rates) aren't rising fast enough to take the risk of getting stuck with an unsuitable house.
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Old 02-20-2017, 06:46 PM
 
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I work near NASA (a one mile drive) and live in Seabrook, off NASA Pkwy. There are a lot of good condos and townhomes off NASA PKWY you can pick up for insane prices. I moved here from SoCal, so I am somewhat biased, but the value for the dollar is insane for the property you get for the money. Additionally, I am single like you, and looked into Midtown, Montrose and other cool areas, but it is so much cheaper in Clear Lake that I opted for down here (with a water view). Also, something to consider, Clear Creek ISD (our local school district) is SOLID, and will help your resell value of your home.

My commute is 7-9 minutes one way depending on traffic, even at rush hour, and I'm off NASA near Repsdorph.

Regarding Texas Ag 93's comment regarding Seabrook: "Definitely a coastal living vibe there, though it tends to attract primarily retirees and empty nesters, and again, older properties." This holds true in my condo complex. Old condo with mostly old people, I'm pushing 40 and I'm the baby of the complex. But it is very safe, quiet and very friendly neighbors. They'll call you and let you know a package is at your door. If you are looking for hot, young ladies roaming the premises, sadly, this isn't it.

PS- a good local place to get a beer is Nobi Pub (which Astronaut Scott Kelly is known to go to), has 50+ beers on tap, and one of Houston's top 10 places for beer.

Welcome to Houston my friend!

Last edited by eddie_haskell; 02-20-2017 at 07:00 PM..
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Old 02-22-2017, 10:55 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX
8,891 posts, read 19,886,798 times
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What do you like to do in your off time? If you enjoy nightlife, look downtown, midtown, heights. If you're a homebody who enjoys suburban life, coastal activities then live close to work in clear lake.
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Old 02-23-2017, 12:14 AM
 
Location: League City
3,842 posts, read 8,221,191 times
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Yeah it depends on your lifestyle preferences. I used to work for JSC, and I lived in Clear Lake and League City. There is something to be said for rolling out of bed 20 minutes before a meeting... and making it with time to spare. Even had time to shower, snack, etc...

A lot of people I worked with lived nearby like Clear Lake, League City, Pasadena, Pearland, Friendswood. Quite a few took a commuter van pool to Sugar Land. That sounded stressful because you had a short window of time in the morning or evening before traffic gets rough. I had a younger co-worker who loved nightlife and eventually moved to midtown. Even though it was a bit of a drive, it fit his personality perfectly. It just depends on what you value most.

But I am all about less stress, so the short commute times made my decision easy.
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Old 02-23-2017, 12:04 PM
 
5,462 posts, read 3,005,450 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jinhou View Post
I just got employed by NASA in clearlake area, and am excited to move to houston. I am an immigrant (indian) liberal, single straight guy in memphis at present and am not really digging it.
Where should i live, i plan to buy a house or a condo, which may end up for rentals if i move again or move to the suburbs in some time. how far is downtown or midtown area ? I heard pearland is good too.
Thanks for the help !!
Downtown , mid town is around 20 miles. If you live downtown or midtown, morning traffic on I45 will be a breeze since its against teh traffic . Evening will be horrible. I endure that everyday. There is a lot of construction around Clearlake - Bay area blvd, Nasa pkwy and it will take a while to reach I45 . Prepare to spend at least an hour in the evening.
Even if you are in the midtown or uptown, I hope no one spends every night at the bar after work.

Close to Nasa, Clearlake is quiet and peaceful with some beautiful homes. It has some diversity also with Asian, Indo-Pak population and restaurants around the clearlake medical center.
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Old 02-26-2017, 07:40 PM
 
21 posts, read 16,788 times
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so i am single and like to go to bars, theater , concerts etc.. i will also want a circle of new diverse friends..
so eado or mid town looks good for a condo, just the evening drive back scares me. when will the clearlake construction on i45 finish, and how much will it cut down the travel? thanks y'all!!
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