Need Input on Good Neighborhoods in Houston TX

Vanity

[brytlea]

Can anyone recommend good neighborhoods in Houston Texas that are not a nightmare commute to downtown?

[weegee]

Are you looking to buy/rent? Family, couple, single?

Schools in the area a concern or just home and commute?

Is there any telecommuting option at your job?

[weegee]

Houston PING

[grapeape]

Good for what?

[brytlea]

Buy, schools don’t matter, commute is an issue and no telecomuting.
In addition, does anyone know anything about the Woodlands Express?

[brytlea]

Thank you!

[shield]

If you have kids you're not going to want to live in the city. We've got metro buses to ride on to downtown Houston. Katy, TX is safe, excellent schools. Not Katy proper but in the burbs of West Harris County. You'll want to buy south of 1-10. You'll have a number of locations to park and ride.

If you're single...then live in a high rise in Downtown Houston...or close to it. There are a number of apartments you can rent...close to River Oaks...however, I do not consider any of those areas too safe.

[1riot1ranger]

"...good neighborhoods in Houston Texas that are not a nightmare commute to downtown."

hahahahahahahahaha..pause to catch my breath..hahahahahahaha..pause to wipe my eyes I'm laughing so hard..hahahahahahahahahahah

umm, No. there is no such thing as a good neighborhood that is not a nightmare commute to downtown. If you think you found one, just wait a while, it will change.

Commutes aside, Welcome to Houston! Where the sun always shines unless it's cloudy, rainy, or night. And there are no traffic jams, except on days that end in Y.

[txjeep]

Take a look at the Sugar Land area. It has a lot to offer. They are almost finished expanding the freeway (59SW) past the Grand Pkwy, so the traffic situation has improved substantially. That said, if you leave during rush hour, you will still have to sit in some traffic to get downtown. Only way to avoid traffic is to work around rush hour. Even then, you still get caught behind a wreck from time to time.

[anymouse]

There are Metro commuter buses that run to certain locations in downtown. If you work near the Metro hub, then check for locations near the park-and-ride Metro bus lots. There is one on Bay Area Blvd. in Clear Lake. Check local police websites for crime statistics. Looks can be deceiving. Crime is mobile in Houston like most other large cities, so assume the worst and keep your eyes open.

[esarlls3]

For traffic information, look at Transtar:
http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/routebuilder/ You can try different freeway routes and compare mainlane vs. HOV.

HOV is also the route taken by Park & Ride busses.
http://www.ridemetro.org/Schedules_and_Maps/park_and_ride_locations.asp

Your company or building may also have park & ride vans they operate.

If you have to park downtown, check out the cost of parking.

I’ll second the nomination for the Katy area South of I-10. But I only go as far in as beltway 8 & I have 4 kids in school.

Best wishes.

[shield]

It's been this way for many years. If you're going to work downtown...and are single live downtown. That's the only easy commute...I can see. Otherwise, ride metro.

Where to live...I'd suggest one rent for at least 6 months if not longer that will give a newcomer enough time to know where you definitely DO NOT WON'T TO LIVE...the other part is easy.

[1riot1ranger]

Yep. Sorry, I meant to reply to brytlea. Lots of good advice so far, as long as you don’t intend to drive. I’ve commuted from Clear Lake for over 20 years. It is better than it used to be and park and ride is good if you are going downtown and can work Metro’s hours.

[netmilsmom]

How about if one of you fine people find my hubby an IT job?.

We would take a loss on our house to move to TX

[brytlea]

Apartment won’t work, and kids are grown and gone. But I still want a safe place. Houston is not a favorite place of mine, but life is what it is. The commute is first and foremost, otherwise I’d live FAR AWAY!

[brytlea]

Yeah, I’ve been to Houston, used to have family there and am from TX. Never thought I would live there, and we still may not. My kids are in Dallas and Austin, so it’s much closer than we are now.
susie

[brytlea]

It’s not me that will be commuting. If we move to Houston, I will find a teaching job nearby or I will find something else nearby. But my husband will have to commute and so that’s a huge issue to us. Right now, both of us drive less than 15 minutes to work.
susie

[brytlea]

I know, that’s what I think of when I think of Houston, Big/Congested/Crime. If our kids didn’t live in TX we would pass, I think.
susie

[brytlea]

Thank you for the info!
susie

[brytlea]

I’m concerned about the change in Houston, I’m sure this is totally unPC, but regarding the Katrina refugees. Has crime increased? I was told to avoid the south and especially the southeast. Are you better off going north/northeast?
susie