Maybe relocating to Houston, Tx, advice

[armomof3lvsdisney]

My DH's boss talked to him today about possibly relocating to Houston, Tx. It would be a promotion, there would be a salary increase just not sure how much yet. What is it like there? We would like to live on the outside of Houston. Any information and advice would be great. The first place I have turned is to the Dis. It is me, DH, DS (jr), DD (9th grade), and DD (6th grade). I hate to uproot them, and nothing is decided yet, but in this economy I hate not too. Pray for us, that whatever is God's will, will be done. TIA

 

[EMom]

Traffic in Houston is beyond horrible. Some of the worst in the country. It is vital to plan your home buying carefully so the commute to work will not be a killer. You cannot depend on looking at a map and thinking, "Oh it should take this long." It all depends on traffic patterns.

If you'd post WHERE your DH will be working, it would help. Many people here are familiar enough with the Houston area that they could help you. But Houston is MASSIVE. It is HUGE. Add the suburbs and most people cannot begin to fathom the size. A person might know everything about one side of Houston and virtually never visit the other side. The trip is just too much of a hassle. So you'll need to zero in on an area.

 

[TOTALLYGOOFY]

Two expressway encircle Houston, the 610 and Sam Houston Beltway. Like any large metropolitan area the traffic can be horrendous during rush hour. Live close to work. Don't forget there will be many other commuters driving to work. Expressway at their feeder route can become mobile parking lots. Just wait when it rain. At 610 , 225 at the river I remember it was what industrial.

We spent sometimes around Clearlake and Kemah. Kemah has numerous restaurants and attractions. This area was nice.

 

[descovy]

I recommend checking out the Houston forum on city-data.com

Houston is huge... as in sprawling. And very little in the way of public transportation. It is a car-centric city! You can find a nice suburb (if that's your thing) in any direction (N-S-E-W) so it would be wise to stick with the "quadrant" you work in. For instance, The Woodlands is a nice suburb 30 miles N of town... but it would be a hour commute if you worked in the Medical Center (South of town).

Currently we live in Katy (Cinco Ranch) and enjoy it very much. Great schools, family oriented community.

We lived for 7 years in "Cy-Fair" along Hwy 290, which was also nice, but the Hwy 290 commute is *the WORST* one into town. The highway is too small for all the traffic and can sometimes take more than an hour to get downtown. But if you work near there, the schools and neighborhoods are nice.

 

[DizBelle]

I recommend checking out the Houston forum on city-data.com

Houston is huge... as in sprawling. And very little in the way of public transportation. It is a car-centric city! You can find a nice suburb (if that's your thing) in any direction (N-S-E-W) so it would be wise to stick with the "quadrant" you work in. For instance, The Woodlands is a nice suburb 30 miles N of town... but it would be a hour commute if you worked in the Medical Center (South of town).

Currently we live in Katy (Cinco Ranch) and enjoy it very much. Great schools, family oriented community.

We lived for 7 years in "Cy-Fair" along Hwy 290, which was also nice, but the Hwy 290 commute is *the WORST* one into town. The highway is too small for all the traffic and can sometimes take more than an hour to get downtown. But if you work near there, the schools and neighborhoods are nice.

I would say that the 290 commute is a contender for the worst on the planet...

 

[brerrabbit]

Don't get to hung up in the idea that we have the worst traffic in the nation. In fact the truth is far from it, as our commute times are not that high on the list at all. Saturday I turn 50 and have lived all but one of those years in Houston or the Houston area. I currently live in Pearland a suberb of Houston. Once you have more information on your move post that and we (Houston area folks) can help you make an informed decision about where you would like to live. I work in Downtown Houston and my commute from door to door is about 35 minutes. Now what I didn't say was I carpool with a friend and we take the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane. A dedicated lane that reverses from inbound in the morning to outbound in the afternoon that is used only by buses and multi passenger vehicles. These little gems allow you to live far out but get to work much faster. What you need to know though is not all HOV's are created equally. Some are bad (IH45 North) some are good (IH45 South, mine) and some are different (290 NW you have to have three people in a car to take it at most time instead of just two).

Once you know where he will be working, what type of area you would like to live in, and what amneities you want then we can certainly point you in the right direction. Also hidden costs like property taxes, property insurance, and potential extra taxes for living in a MUD (municiple utilities district) can increase your cost of living significantly. Live in Brazoria county where I do (Houston is in Harris county) and you will pay a lot more for homeowners insurance. Thats because no commercial company will sell it to me because Brazoria is a coastal county and my only choice for wind and hail coverage (industry code words for hurricane insurance) is from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Pool. This is a government backed and operated insurer of last resort for coastal counties. That last resort thing makes you feel really good, doesn't it.

Anyway keep us up to speed on the move and we will take care of you promise. Despite what others may say or think, I am very happy to live where I do and am very proud of my area and my state. Probably has something to do with being a sixth generation Texan and a proud member of The Sons of the Republic of Texas.

 

[Planogirl]

Traffic is bad because Houston is so big. We live in the Dallas area now and some roads here aren't any better.

If you can, post what area the job will be in. There are great smaller communities with good schools but you might as well look on a convenient side of town. We're from Houston and always lived in the Clear Lake/Friendswood/Webster/Pearland area and really liked it there.

 

[littleteapot]

We live in North East Harris county, near Lake Houston. IF you have questions about an area north of I10 or East of 59, I'm your girl

Yes, traffic can be bad, but Houston is a great city. I've been here 21years (DH is a native) and I love most everything but the mosquitos and the summer humidity.

 

[gm]

We live close to the Woodlands in Spring in the North part of Houston. Try to look up "the woodlands" and one of the best in the country. It is a great family oriented community with great schools including Spring which has the Klein School District.

Commute to downtown is not as bad as everyone says. We have hov lane and the woodlands express that takes you to downtown if that is where your dh will be working.

Let me know if I can be of further help.

 

[novajeanjellybean]

I've lived in the SW area of Houston for 13 years. (Sugarland/Stafford area) and the traffic is not horrible, although it does matter the time of your commute. A 30 minute difference can totally change traffic. The traffic to the north parts of town is far, far worse than my side of town. I can get from Sugarland to downtown in about a half hour. I work on the Katy Freeway and I had to change my work hours b/c the traffic was just that bad. Hope this helps

 

[AustinTink]

We live close to the Woodlands in Spring in the North part of Houston. Try to look up "the woodlands" and one of the best in the country. It is a great family oriented community with great schools including Spring which has the Klein School District.

Commute to downtown is not as bad as everyone says. We have hov lane and the woodlands express that takes you to downtown if that is where your dh will be working.

Let me know if I can be of further help.

Most of my family lives in the Woodlands and I can second this recommendation. My sister has two daughters in 9th and 6th grade. If you PM me I can give you more information about the schools, neighborhoods, etc. Heck, my MIL is a realtor if you need a referral!

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I've lived in the SW area of Houston for 13 years. (Sugarland/Stafford area) and the traffic is not horrible, although it does matter the time of your commute. A 30 minute difference can totally change traffic. The traffic to the north parts of town is far, far worse than my side of town. I can get from Sugarland to downtown in about a half hour. I work on the Katy Freeway and I had to change my work hours b/c the traffic was just that bad. Hope this helps

Sugar Land is flowing thanks to Tom DeLay.

We really need to know where DH will work to help you...

 

[amyup]

I would recommed visiting there before you take the offer. My Dh has had the possibility of relocating there a couple of times and we both went at seperate times to check it out (my bf lives in Spring). We both agreed its somewhere we would not like to live. Not saying its bad, there's a lot that is good there, we just couldn't take the flat terrain and humidity.

 

[gm]

if coming from Southern California or states with mountains, yes, Houston will look flat because it is flat but it is has suburbs. We dont have hills, or roads like San Fransisco and we are not as busy as New York but it is easy to find work, great schools,great home prices(you get a lot for your money), cheap grocery prices and tons and tons of stores. And most important, you cannot go anywhere without a car and it is extremely hot during the summer months. Houston is known for big suvs and suburbans. Everything in Texas is big lol

 

[Sailorwife]

We also live up in the Woodlands. Well, our address is Spring but we are very close the Woodlands. My kids go to Conroe ISD which includes our small part of Spring, most of the Woodlands (but not all), and Conroe. It is a great school district. Cy-Fair is also very good. There is alot of building going on every where around here! I also have to say that we loved Katy and the Cinco Ranch area but it was too far for my husband to drive for work.

Let us know if we can be of any help!!!

 

[ckmommy]

Cypress, TX checking in. I live in the dreaded 290 area (NW Houston). My husband commutes to the Greenway area. If he leaves early--before 6 am he arrives in 30 mins. Any later than 6 am it is about double that.
We love the schools here (Cy-Fair district) and there are plenty of great neighborhoods here as well. There are many great areas of Houston. You need to come down here and look around!!

 

[Duchie]

Some very good friends of mine moved to Katy several years back, which is in the Western part of the area (out by a HUGE outlet mall). The husband worked somewhere downtown-ish and the wife worked at a school that was between downtown and Katy. They picked their house specifically for the school district as it was supposed to be one of the best. Now that their kids have graduated, they are moving closer to the wife's school because they don't need to be in that same area any more.

We don't live there, but I've visited Houston several times and I have to say I like it much better than I expected. There are so many fantastic museums, art galleries, shows, kid-friendly places, etc.

 

[joyjoy]

League City here. And to all the 290ers that chimed in, I feel your pain but O.M.G. I want to kill myself on the Gulf Freeway twice a day. Uggggghhhhh. (I work in the Galleria area)

Okay, sorry. Houston ranks right up there with LA and Chicago as far as museums, theater, symphony, etc goes. It is a cultural hot spot. The weather is hot and humid, but the good news is - we're sitting out on the patio at Taco Milagro in January and February. Winters are VERY mild. Home prices are very good, comparatively speaking. HISD is getting better, but the school districts in the 'burbs are considerably better. If your husband is working downtown, there is a park 'n' ride metro service (buses) that is cheap and efficient. Another good thing about H-town is that it's not too far to drive to other points of interest. Corpus Christi (my hometown), San Antonio, Dallas, even New Orleans are perfect weekend getaways.

I probably wouldn't choose Houston over Northern California, but Arkansas? Welllllllll............