NYC to Woodlands? Commuting downtown from Woodlands? (Houston, Sugar Land: rent, how much)

[Roadtrip21]

Hi all,
I know this post is probably one in a million, but I'm just trying to get a sense of how bad a potential commute from The Woodlands to downtown Houston would really be.

I'm a South Texas native working in finance in NYC, but I'm in my 30s and have kids now and could potentially make the same six-figure salary in Houston, where my family could have a much more comfortable lifestyle. But I'm really not familiar with the Houston area at all. I hear nothing but great things about The Woodlands, including claims that there is nowhere else really like it, except for the traffic.

I'd be looking at a daily commute downtown, although my driving time might be a little bit later than peak rush hour (arrive in the office at 9:30, leave after 8).

How much does the Hardy Toll Road make a difference?
Is the Woodlands Express bus actually reliable? Does it have WiFi? Seems like you could work during the commute time?

I'm thinking the commute would be worth it if I could buy a nice house for cheap and ensure that my family would have the epitome of a nice boring suburban life.

Alternatively, are there other spots closer to downtown that are equally "super nice" and as affordable as The Woodlands? Cinco Ranch? Sugar Land?

Really appreciate any opinions!

[jack sparrow]

I'm from Houston and went to college in NYC, so I'm pretty familiar with that area.

That scenario is like taking a train from Greenwich, CT to Downtown Manhattan. Except in Houston, you're surrounded by nothing but extra-wide freeways and strip malls instead of nice scenery. And when you get to sad, ghost-town downtown, there is nothing to eat or do. A trade-down by every measure other than cost-savings.

Good luck.

[swopoe]

Originally Posted by jack sparrow

I'm from Houston and went to college in NYC, so I'm pretty familiar with that area.

That scenario is like taking a train from Greenwich, CT to Downtown Manhattan. Except in Houston, you're surrounded by nothing but extra-wide freeways and strip malls instead of nice scenery. And when you get to sad, ghost-town downtown, there is nothing to eat or do. A trade-down by every measure other than cost-savings.

Good luck.

Really?

Ignore this. The Woodlands is very nice if you do want the suburban life. I am in my 30s with a family too, and that is what I want as well. I can't really help you on commute times, as we are in Sugar Land, but hopefully someone else can. That said, it will be much more affordable than NYC, and it is not a trade down by every other measure. Seriously?

[WRM20]

Commute times from The Woodlands to Downtown can vary from 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on the time of day and which part of the Woodlands you start from. It is 35 miles from the middle of The Woodlands to Downtown. I don't think The Woodlands is especially cheap, and you do have to be careful not to buy in an area with very high property taxes. I know people who drive every day and are very happy, an dI know folks who ride the bus and are very happy. From all accounts, the bus is reliable.

[DSL_PWR]

Originally Posted by jack sparrow

I'm from Houston and went to college in NYC, so I'm pretty familiar with that area.

That scenario is like taking a train from Greenwich, CT to Downtown Manhattan. Except in Houston, you're surrounded by nothing but extra-wide freeways and strip malls instead of nice scenery. And when you get to sad, ghost-town downtown, there is nothing to eat or do. A trade-down by every measure other than cost-savings.

Good luck.

Sad to say but this is spot on.

The commute is horrible and getting worse as more people move to that area and make that same drive.

You'll still face serious traffic to be at your office by 9:30.

The drive in from Cinco Ranch at that time would not be nice either.

[ipuck]

Did the same thing when I was late 30s. Moved from NYC to here.

I make less but lived in a big house and got all the time in the world now with the family.

Stress level went down probably 90%.

Don't have to worry about kids getting in the right school as there are so many good public schools here and their only requirement is you lived in their school zone. Can look into private route also if you apply early enough and want to go through the usual hoops to get in to the better ones.

Amazing what seems important to you in the 20s and 30s changed so much when you hit 40.

Can't help you on the traffic as I lived in Sugar Land.

Personally I found Sugar Land to be a little culturally diversified than the other 2 bug suburbs (Katy and TW).

Or you can look inside the loop for a closer commute and little bit more "city" lifestyle.

[Dopo]

You can use Google Maps to check traffic during rush hour
and it will also tell you how long the drive would be with and without traffic

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by Roadtrip21

Hi all,
I know this post is probably one in a million, but I'm just trying to get a sense of how bad a potential commute from The Woodlands to downtown Houston would really be.

I'm a South Texas native working in finance in NYC, but I'm in my 30s and have kids now and could potentially make the same six-figure salary in Houston, where my family could have a much more comfortable lifestyle. But I'm really not familiar with the Houston area at all. I hear nothing but great things about The Woodlands, including claims that there is nowhere else really like it, except for the traffic.

I'd be looking at a daily commute downtown, although my driving time might be a little bit later than peak rush hour (arrive in the office at 9:30, leave after 8).

How much does the Hardy Toll Road make a difference?
Is the Woodlands Express bus actually reliable? Does it have WiFi? Seems like you could work during the commute time?

I'm thinking the commute would be worth it if I could buy a nice house for cheap and ensure that my family would have the epitome of a nice boring suburban life.

Alternatively, are there other spots closer to downtown that are equally "super nice" and as affordable as The Woodlands? Cinco Ranch? Sugar Land?

Really appreciate any opinions!

I did the reverse of the commute for a while and it's 40 minutes on a good day. Traffic on the reverse route is much lighter than your direction so you'll be looking at 1+ hour each way. The evening drive should be shorter since traffic is post-peak that late and the 45 is almost always faster going north during normal hours but it I imagine would be a nightmare at 9:30 for you. The Hardy Toll Road may help depending where you are coming from but the time you spend getting there has to be taken into account too. The local roads in the Woodlands can be very congested during rush hour.

Neither Cinco Ranch nor Sugar Land offer better commutes downtown. Most people who live that far out come in to work at 6 and leave at 3.

Google Maps is usually pretty accurate in estimating the commute. You just have to run it at the same time as you're planning to do the commute.

[Roadtrip21]

Originally Posted by jack sparrow

I'm from Houston and went to college in NYC, so I'm pretty familiar with that area.

That scenario is like taking a train from Greenwich, CT to Downtown Manhattan. Except in Houston, you're surrounded by nothing but extra-wide freeways and strip malls instead of nice scenery. And when you get to sad, ghost-town downtown, there is nothing to eat or do. A trade-down by every measure other than cost-savings.

Good luck.

Haha, I love this. Thanks. Cost-savings is pretty huge though. I pay an obscene amount in rent in Manhattan for a very small space, so that affects my opinion significantly, I think.

[Roadtrip21]

Thanks for all of the comments. Google Maps showed a commute from the middle of the Woodlands to downtown ranging from 45-70 minutes at various times this morning, which isn't as bad as I expected. I think I could stomach that, especially if I could mix it up with the bus occasionally. (My current commute in Manhattan is about 45 minutes - a mix of walking and chilling on the subway, which is probably more pleasant on average than driving, but might be worse at its worst.)