Help - Moving to Houston & need advice (Arlington, Sugar Land: houses, neighborhoods) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

chrisd · 12-29-2006, 11:11 AM

My wife, daughter (2) and I are moving from Mass to Houston TX early in 2007. I'll be working right downtown (near Toyota Center). Any thoughts on the safest, nicest neighborhoods that will keep my commute downtown to a reasonable duration? I've heard Woodlands, Katy, Sugarland, Kingswood all mentioned...however I'm just not sure which is best commuting into downtown. Any advice would be really appreciated...thank you in advance.

Guerilla · 12-29-2006, 12:50 PM

Since your daughter is young and not yet in school, I would suggest areas closer intown. You should try out Humble or many of the new communities going up around Beltway 8 and US 59. The area is real nice (some slopes here and there, one of the most wooded parts in all of Texas). It is a quick and easy commute to Downtown because US 59 is very wide (five to six lanes in each direction), so you would get to Downtown quick.

You should check out Pearland, too, though Humble school district is better.

If schooling is your main concern, try Katy I.S.D. They have the best school district in the Houston area, and is the largest district in Texas to earn a recognized status. Try and look into an older home in Nottingham Country in Katy. The homes have back alleys (where the garages are), and it is very forested. The oak trees there are at least twenty years old. The area has a very high value.

And those are your two best bets. I hope I was help.

AK123 · 12-29-2006, 12:59 PM

The Woodlands and Katy would be a bad commute into downtown...

Guerilla · 12-29-2006, 01:08 PM

Depends on where you are in Katy. Nottingham Country (and even Green Trails) are mature communities (that look like the Memorial area). They are located between Fry Road and Barker Cypress and are just along IH-10. The Katy Freeway is completed out in Katy, and the intersection with I-610 is done, so traffic flows a lot better in the area. The Woodlands would be out of the question (too much traffic), and Sugar Land as well (U.S. 59 is the busiest freeway in Texas, 371,000 cars a day).

AK123 · 12-29-2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guerilla

Depends on where you are in Katy. Nottingham Country (and even Green Trails) are mature communities (that look like the Memorial area). They are located between Fry Road and Barker Cypress and are just along IH-10. The Katy Freeway is completed out in Katy, and the intersection with I-610 is done, so traffic flows a lot better in the area. The Woodlands would be out of the question (too much traffic), and Sugar Land as well (U.S. 59 is the busiest freeway in Texas, 371,000 cars a day).

I-10 is a horror.

You're in Arlington? How often do you travel I-10 in rush hours? Or 59?

The Woodlands is just plain too far out there.

I know plenty of people who travel rush hour on 59 and say I-10, 290 etc are much worse. I use Hwy 90 to get into the Med Center from Sugar Land, but friends who use 59 instead say it's not too bad.

modster · 12-29-2006, 05:00 PM

What price range? That makes all the difference.

All of the master planned communities are long commutes. The closer in areas with good/better schools are usually around West University Place, Southside Place & Bellaire, Ayrshire, Braeswood Place, Meyerland, or due west in the Tanglewood, Briargrove, Memorial Drive areas. These are all very upscale and cost considerably more on a per square foot basis than Woodlands, Kingwood, Sugarland, Katy, etc.

Guerilla · 12-29-2006, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJP

I-10 is a horror.

You're in Arlington? How often do you travel I-10 in rush hours? Or 59?

The Woodlands is just plain too far out there.

I know plenty of people who travel rush hour on 59 and say I-10, 290 etc are much worse. I use Hwy 90 to get into the Med Center from Sugar Land, but friends who use 59 instead say it's not too bad.

Well, my parents had friends who worked in the Galleria area from Katy, and they said IH-10 was not bad, though some days it could give you hell. My dad worked in Downtown, but he rode in Metro. There is also the Westpark Tollway that can get you into town in half the time. 290 is the worse out there. It hasn't been widened for years, and there are so many communities going up there that 290 will explode by the time I come back to Houston.

modster · 12-29-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guerilla

Well, my parents had friends who worked in the Galleria area from Katy, and they said IH-10 was not bad, though some days it could give you hell. My dad worked in Downtown, but he rode in Metro. There is also the Westpark Tollway that can get you into town in half the time. 290 is the worse out there. It hasn't been widened for years, and there are so many communities going up there that 290 will explode by the time I come back to Houston.

No, I-10 is horrid! The Westpark toll road is jammed. Katy commute would be one of the worst.

Guerilla · 12-29-2006, 08:01 PM

Depends on when you leave. My dad left at 6 AM, just before I had to catch the bus. If you leave at 6:30 AM-7 AM, good luck. If you leave after 8:30 AM, you will hit some slows, but not a lot. This is for Katy, obviously.

chrisd · 12-29-2006, 08:10 PM

Thank you so much - this is very helpful. I'm just trying to find a nice house for around $500k and minimize my commute into downtown (and still be in a nice family suburb if possible). What are the more affordable closer in areas - I looked at West University and the houses are too pricey for what you get in my opinion. Are there other neighborhoods a little less ritzy than West University that I should take a look at?