Considering Moving to Houston-Need to know the Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Please (Galveston: apartment complexes, crime rate)

[itsajourney]

Next week I am heading to Texas to spend a month exploring your state with relocation in mind.

I would appreciate any information on what I should do and where I should go to get a feel for your city as a resident. This is not a tourist trip at all. I am going with my eyes wide open as to seeing what your culture and people are like.

I've lived in Florida for 8 years now--I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. I know that I want short, mild winters. Texas is my last unexplored territory as far as southern states that I will consider. Because I am not familiar with Texas, I need some good advice which will help me focus on what to do and where to go--I would imagine that I will be overwhelmed so insider info will be a goldmine.

I will be traveling alone--so I would especially like to know areas that I should avoid. I know every city has its bad areas, so that isn't really one of the criteria I will be looking at.

Suggestions on shopping, parks, lakes, outdoor living, booming areas, bust areas, suburbs to look at, etc. are all welcome bits of information.

Would you recommend Houston as a place to live to your friends?

Thanks for taking time to help me out on this one.

[Texas Mack]

The good: COL rates well versus most of Florida
The bad: summer heat can be tough--even tougher than in Florida at times.
The ugly: I-45 north between the North Loop and West Road.

In all seriousness, the first thing you'll want to do is what you're already doing: come on out and see it for yourself, get a feel for the lay, and go from there.

Shopping:

The western side of the city has most of the best shopping (in town), although if you're looking for mall shopping, well, there's plenty of that in the 'burbs as well.

- Highland Village is a shopping district on Westheimer Road, about four miles west of downtown and about a mile east of Uptown (Galleria area). Z Gallerie, Pottery Barn and those types of folks.

- River Oaks Shopping Center on W. Gray @ Shepherd Drive, about 2.5 miles west of downtown. Similar to Highland Village but a little older.

- Rice Village / Arcade near Rice University on Kirby Drive. Several blocks of shopping, although not as upscale as what you'll see at Highland Village, River Oaks or the Galleria area.

- The Heights - Lots of specialty stores and antique shops on W. 19th Street in the Houston Heights area in northwest Houston, roughly 3-3.5 miles northwest of downtown Houston.

- Uptown / Galleria area - Have at it. It's the best known area for shopping in the city, from the Galleria Mall area and on up Post Oak Blvd to Uptown Park.

Other Recreation:

It obviously depends on your tastes. If you want a hint of Florida, you'll have the coastal communities around Clear Lake and on down to Galveston. You can take boat tours of the Clear Lake Area, hang around the Kemah Boardwalk area (yes, it's become a tourist trap) and so forth.

The Museum District features several of the city's best museums including the Contemporary Arts Museum and the Museum of Natural Science. It's located generally along Main Street to the south of downtown Houston and just north of the massive Texas Medical Center district. Next to the Museum District is Hermann Park, which is a multi-use urban park that includes the Houston Zoo.

San Jacinto Monument and the USS Texas (Battleground State Park) - if you're in to monuments, the San Jacinto Monument is worth the trouble. It basically commemorates Texas' battle for independence from Mexico. The monument stands over 400-feet high and overlooks the USS Texas, which is docked in the Houston Ship Channel.

Discovery Green is the city's newest attraction. Located downtown, near the convention center, it's another multi-use park with a couple of restaurants, some live entertainment on certain days/nights, outside art exhibits, reflecting pools, fountains and so forth.

Hope this is at least a decent start. I'm sure there are others posters with more info to offer.

[EasilyAmused]

Personally, I think quality of life here is determined on how much you have to spend on a home and where you work. Commuting in this town makes quality of life points go down. Not to mention the HEAT from Mid-May to October.

I love Houston. I'm native. But it's growing and sprawling so fast......

Rule of thumb- Westside of Houston is the most expensive and desired. Best public schools and most of the private ones. North to NW side of town equals and horrendous commute time if you work inside the Beltway. SW side of town is not so great, until you put on some miles to get out to Sugarland. South side is nice once you get to Clear Lake. East side, well no body goes there except when trying to get to Louisiana.

Perk for some I guess: If you don't mind spending close to 2+ hours in a car everyday you can get a Mini Mansion for 350,000.

[Texas Mack]

Oh, and you wanted to know which areas to avoid? Well, some of that is subjective but crime stats tell the best story. Someone else may be able to post the map for you (which I don't have at my disposal) but by feel:

Crime: the far southwest part of the city, generally along the Beltway south from about Bellaire down to US 90-A and east from the Beltway to roughly Fondren, plus some shaky areas along Bissonnet from about the Beltway north to roughly Chimney Rock. This is tricky, visually, because much of it looks as normal as normal gets. In fact, much of the crime is concentrated in apartment complexes. There are many good residential communities surrounding these complexes, so it might serve as an optical illusion.

Also, the Greenspoint area, to the far north along I-45 at the north beltway, still has issues with carjackings and assaults. Not an area to hang out in at night in particular.

Some rough and tough inner-Loop communities include Fifth Ward to the northeast of downtown and the South Park and South Union areas to the south along the I-610 South Loop.

[vamplita]

I've noticed an increase in criminal activity in the SW Houston area, towards Missouri City. The commute on I-10 west of downtown is particularly yucky, as is the commute on Hwy. 290 in the Jersey Village area.

If you're looking for life on a lake, there's Clear Lake (SE of Houston), Lake Conroe (N of Houston), and Lake Houston (NE of Houston). A small town on the NE of Houston is a little place called Huffman, on FM 1960 heading east. It's on Lake Houston, and has good schools.

Overall, I like living in the Houston area. True, there are parts of town that aren't the best, but sadly, you find that just about everywhere these days.

[elcin69]

Houston is a great place live whether you are single or married. There are nice neighborhoods, good school districts, great restaurants, a lot of different cultural activities and plenty of outdoor options. Overall it is a safe city. You can have it all here whether you want an ultra modern urban living, an urban living with a twist or the safe cushion of newly built master planned communities. I am a relo specialist, let me know if you have more specific questions.

[jfre81]

While you're exploring, maybe look for job prospects. We have enough unemployed people from elsewhere as it is, and they're looking for work, and you don't want to join them unless you have some serious cash reserves. Feel free to search and browse the forum because a lot of what can be said here has been said before, but anything regarding the economy or job market posted prior to September should probably be considered out of date.

[allycat-lima419]

Im considering moving to houston texas with my boy friend. I want to live closer to my aunt. Ive lived in lima ohio my whole life and want to get out!!!! My boy friend and I are going down in may to look around. Whats some nice cheap neighborhoods? Im looking for a 1 bed room house perferibly but the apartments are more in are price range ($300/$450) a month also whats the prices of things like utilitys range from? Were looking online but id like to have some options on the neighborhoods somewhere crime rate isn't bad what are the commutes and traffic like I want alot of information the more the better

[NTT]

The good: lizards, bats (not as many as I wish), frogs. **
The bad: mosquitoes
The ugly: traffic

** they eat mosquitoes

Also,

The good: weather/climate
The bad: weather/climate
The ugly: weather/climate

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by allycat-lima419

Whats some nice cheap neighborhoods? Im looking for a 1 bed room house perferibly but the apartments are more in are price range ($300/$450) a month

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news here, but what you're looking for doesn't exist in Houston. It's not Lima. We were just now talking about this in another thread (entitled "is this ad real?"). I'm in Dayton. That would put you in a very sketchy area even here. I'd think of the price point in Houston as being closer to Columbus, except even a little higher these days.

Can you live with your aunt or anywhere else so you can look around, maybe find work first?

Specifically, what area does your aunt live?