Bayou Vista (Galveston, Texas City, La Marque: city hall, homes, to buy)

[PixieB]

For about the last year, my DH and I have enjoyed living in the Clear Lake area. Where we are now is temporary, and we are looking to buy a home. We really enjoy the area around Clear Lake, but recently saw the canal homes of Bayou Vista. Knowing it's just across the bridge to Galveston, what restaurants, grocery stores, and other "ammenities" contribute to the quality of life there? We'd really rather be somewhere with sailboat access to the Gulf, but, really intersted in a canal home...and, this seems to be the best waterfront we could afford ($250K budget). Any thoughts on living in Bayou Vista? Thanks!

[jfre81]

Once you pull off Highway 6 into Bayou Vista, do not speed. Not even a little bit. For that matter you have to go through at least part of Hitchcock city limits to get into there. Hitchcock cops are awful.

You've got a little convenience store there off Highway 6, and a small office/retail strip. As far as an actual grocery store you're driving into La Marque, Texas City or Hitchcock if not across the causeway into Galveston.

Oh yeah....hurricanes can happen, and when they do, it's not pretty down there.

[PixieB]

I remembered this post and your answer during this last week. So sorry for what ever these people have had to deal with, and still, so grateful that we did not buy down there. All I'm hearing about is Galveston...any news on Bayou Vista or Omega Bay and how they faired with Ike?

[HookTheBrotherUp]

My wife's aunt lives in Bayou Vista, near the City Hall. Those homes may have rooms/garages downstairs, but people are prohibited from living down there, unless grandfathered in....

Anyway, her rooms/garage downstairs were flooded. This is remarkable since on that level, there is a slope several feet high before one is at the canal level. This means anyone who had a car there now has to deal with a totaled car that was flooded.

I would not live there; you might have to evacuate a few times per year, depending on how many hurricanes we get. Also, even when no storms are present, that place is a mosquito haven. If you hate mosquitos, you will be miserable, literally hundreds around you at night, you have to spray yourself every night, they cannot be controlled in the wild without pesticides.

Lastly, my wife's aunt has yet to be able to get to her place, but mainly due to nosey people who clog up the freeways.