north vs south of Houston (Galveston, South Houston: apartments, townhomes, neighborhood)

[dohc9797]

Will be visiting Houston in July for the first time as a possible retirement destination. Which side of Houston is more developed? What are the immediate differences between north and south of Houston?

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by dohc9797

Will be visiting Houston in July for the first time as a possible retirement destination. Which side of Houston is more developed? What are the immediate differences between north and south of Houston?

That's a tough question - north of I-10 is more residential while most of the better commercial and nightlife areas are south of I-10. I wouldn't necessarily say the north side is less developed, just less commercial.

As far as other differences, north side is more wooded and foresty (generally), south side is a bit more tropical. But the further west you go on either side of town the differences start to blend together.

Now, the real question I have is why would you want to retire here?

[dohc9797]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

That's a tough question - north of I-10 is more residential while most of the better commercial and nightlife areas are south of I-10. I wouldn't necessarily say the north side is less developed, just less commercial.

As far as other differences, north side is more wooded and foresty (generally), south side is a bit more tropical. But the further west you go on either side of town the differences start to blend together.

Now, the real question I have is why would you want to retire here?

We currently live in MD. Immediate reasons I can think of is cost of living, friendlier tax for retirees.

[Jtxg]

Originally Posted by dohc9797

We currently live in MD. Immediate reasons I can think of is cost of living, friendlier tax for retirees.

I don't really think of Texas as retirement-friendly for taxes. Sure there's no state income tax as of yet, but our property taxes are high. In a newer development in the suburbs, a $400k house could easily cost you $12k/year in property taxes. My parents are over 65 (and have the over 65 exemption on their house) and their property taxes were still around $14k last year on a $480k house in the 'burbs.

[SugLandDAd]

I don't think the distinctive parts of Houston fall into a North/South alignment. Its much more complicated than that. Inside the 610 loop/outside the loop is probably the biggest, followed by inside Beltway 8, the SE Coastal areas, the North and East Wooded Suburbs, and the Western and North Western treeless plains, the river lands to the South West.... I agree that Texas is not very retirement friendly because of the high property and school taxes. You might find small town Texas more appealing. What do you plan to do a lot of in our retirement? I myself could enjoy somewhere near salt water for fishing a few times a week.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Jtxg

My parents are over 65 (and have the over 65 exemption on their house) and their property taxes were still around $14k last year on a $480k house in the 'burbs.

The tax thing is widely variable. A $400k house in my area is about $9,000 for taxes for <65. As far as I can tell it would drop to about $5,500 for 65 & up. But aside from 1 neighborhood, the area had been fully 20-25 years ago. If you go further out 10 miles, the tax rate is certainly higher.

I lived in PA for a couple of years. And if it's anything like MD, moving to TX would be a big relief for taxes. You're also not dealing with bone-chilling, gloomy weather several months of the year. The cold snap that crippled and broke our infrastructure-- would be considered a pleasant winter day back east.

[airdrawndagger]

Originally Posted by dohc9797

We currently live in MD. Immediate reasons I can think of is cost of living, friendlier tax for retirees.

Have you considered FL? No state income tax, lower property taxes than TX, more consistently warm weather, lots of retirees... Houston is a great place to raise a family and build wealth, but no way would I retire here.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by dohc9797

Will be visiting Houston in July for the first time as a possible retirement destination. Which side of Houston is more developed? What are the immediate differences between north and south of Houston?

Depends on what you will enjoy doing in retirement. North Houston is closer to lakes and has some of the nicer golf course communities. South Houston is closer to Galveston and in general closer to downtown which is beneficial if you like cultural activities/museums or attending sporting events. Both are great for gardening almost year round. Good luck!

Oh, South Houston is also closer to the Texas Medical Center if that is a consideration.

[rdz1979]

Originally Posted by airdrawndagger

Have you considered FL? No state income tax, lower property taxes than TX, more consistently warm weather, lots of retirees... Houston is a great place to raise a family and build wealth, but no way would I retire here.

The Valley has a large population of snowbirds. They are mainly retirees from the Midwest and central Canada.

[AcresHomes44]

Northside vs. Southside

Northside=Older/industrial, more apartments and projects, some townhomes even though you have single family homes. Some areas of the Northside are crime-prone, others are transitioning at best. Primarily Hispanic & Black except for Houston Heights. Many of Houston's strip clubs are located on the Northside of the city. The further North you go in Houston, the more suburban it becomes. Northside is a straight shot into downtown on 45S.

Growth=The majority of Houston's growth has been North, so it would be difficult to find any undeveloped area on the Northside.

Southside is more commercial & residential. Much of the city's nightlife is on this side of the city.