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Old 01-17-2010, 01:41 PM
 
9 posts, read 33,187 times
Reputation: 11

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Hi, yet another moving thread. I'm going to be moving to Houston from Las Vegas at the beginning of next month, and I'm still looking for a place to live. I'll be working about 3 miles south of the Sam Houston Toll Way/Northwest Freeway (or 290- I don't know what you guys call your highways yet!)
I'm a single, 29 year old female. At this time, I'm not looking to buy, so I'm looking for a neighborhood that won't be too scary for around $750 or less a month. I was thinking southeast Katy (although I cringe at living in a city that I share a name with) but does anyone know of any other areas that would be worth checking out? I'd rather not have to drive longer than 45 minutes in traffic.
Also, can you buy an annual tollpass for the toll roads? I've never lived in a place that had them, so I know nothing about them.
Thanks!
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Old 01-17-2010, 01:46 PM
 
9 posts, read 33,187 times
Reputation: 11
Also- I don't have kids, and there's no chance of them in the future, so I really don't care about schools or parks (well, not kiddie parks. A park to just walk in would be nice, but not necessary because I don't have a dog, and my cat does not like the kitty harness)
Oh, and, speaking of, do you have mosquitos, fleas and ticks out there? We don't have them in Vegas, but I know Houston is a MUCH wetter area.
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Old 01-18-2010, 06:59 AM
 
6,345 posts, read 8,116,258 times
Reputation: 8784
290 is a mess and would be a longer commute due to the traffic. They'll eventually start construction on it in a year or two.

Home

Katy would be your best bet, if you want a place that's decent safe place that's close to your work for $750.

You should definitely look into getting an apartment locator to help you out though. The apartment complex will pay the locator a fee, but the agents will not charge you anything. You will usually be given $100 bonus by the agent, if they get paid. They will also know the latest specials, which can change daily. They will know more about the neighborhood and pricing and can steer you away from the more dangerous areas or areas that flood often. Some apartment complexes and neighborhoods will flood easily after a mild thunderstorm due to poor drainage. You may have not had that experience in Nevada.

www.apartmentguide.com (do your own search, but prices are outdated, there are usually direct links to the mgmt company's website, don't have to register)
www.moveforfree.com (do your own search, prices are outdated, you have to register to use, and then a locator will call you anyway.)
Houston Apartments For Rent - Houston Texas Apartment Locator (I haven't used them but I love their live blog that includes reviews of some apartments)
www.apartmentwiz.com (I love their blog for candid apartment reviews, and I am using them for my current search. My agent is ok, but he took a few days to respond.)


You can just drive on the feeder(service road to out-of-towners) and avoid the toll.

The EZ-TAG is a toll road pass. I highly reccommend it. The exact change and cashier lines are ridiculously long. I would definitely get it, even if you don't ride the toll daily. It's great for those occasions, when you are running late. It's a prepaid pass instead of a monthly or annual charge. When you go below a reserve amount like $10, your credit card will be charged to bring the balance back up.

Harris County Toll Road Authority-Check for locations for EZ-tag Store.
https://www.hctra.org/

We have mosquitos, ants, and roaches everywhere.
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Old 01-18-2010, 07:22 AM
 
Location: A little suburb of Houston
3,702 posts, read 18,210,718 times
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Cypress area would probably be your best bet, it is just straight up 290.
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Old 01-18-2010, 07:37 AM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,410,939 times
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If your cat is an outdoor cat, flea meds and heartworm meds will be a must. Your statement of Houston being much wetter is an understatement! Your skin will not know what to do with all the moisture (humidity) it is going to soak up! Think the exact opposite of Vegas.
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Old 01-18-2010, 08:04 AM
 
1,290 posts, read 5,436,539 times
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Katy, Cypress, or the Klein/Champions area all form an arc of suburbs about equidistant from where you'll be working where you could easily find a place to rent in those areas. All would be nice, all about the same drive, etc.

You just need to visit them all and to see which one you like the best.
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Old 01-19-2010, 05:42 AM
 
6,345 posts, read 8,116,258 times
Reputation: 8784
If you need a better idea of traffic patterns, you can check out transtar.
Click on the freeway segments, then live speed chart to view a graph for the day.

Houston TranStar Real-Time Traffic Map
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Old 01-19-2010, 11:47 PM
 
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
2,072 posts, read 5,061,537 times
Reputation: 886
Your so lucky you get to move to Houston, wish I could go and leave the frozen igloo aka minnesota
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Old 01-21-2010, 01:19 AM
 
Location: TX
867 posts, read 2,976,831 times
Reputation: 547
Default Tolls

Also, let me add that if you hold a military ID, tolls are free on HCTRA toll-roads.
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Old 01-21-2010, 09:22 PM
 
105 posts, read 265,316 times
Reputation: 42
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphalogica View Post
Also, let me add that if you hold a military ID, tolls are free on HCTRA toll-roads.
Who is eligible for the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program? Per Texas Transportation Code § 372.053, eligibility is limited to vehicles which are:
1. registered with the State of Texas and
2. displaying the qualifying specialty license plate for any of the following:
  • Disabled Veterans
  • Purple Heart Medal recipients
  • Medal of Honor recipients
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