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Old 06-10-2007, 03:23 PM
 
6 posts, read 17,659 times
Reputation: 14

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Hello,

My wife and I are considering moving to Houston in 2008. I have never been to Houston, but the climate and low cost of living have me very intrigued about this city. I have lived in Texas before (Dallas), and loved it!

I am curious to know from any of you who have relocated to Houston from the Northeast, what life is like there and whether you feel you made the right decision to move.

Don't get me wrong, I love living in the NYC Metro area (Westchester County) and would love to live here forever...but it's not going to happen. My wife and I want to own a home and plan for a family, so quality of life is very important to us. The high cost of living here makes it impossible for us to buy a home.

Any opinions and/or thoughts on our situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Old 06-11-2007, 09:35 PM
 
35 posts, read 165,631 times
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No thoughts except to keep in mind the climate in Houston is very different from the climate in Dallas.
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Old 06-11-2007, 09:59 PM
 
69 posts, read 217,373 times
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Hi Steelers Fan, We are moving to Houston in 2 months from Dutchess County NY. Same concerns apply to us as well. An additional concern is the poor public transportation there that we are used to. Traffic is bad, so think about your commute. My new job is in downtown Houston so we would like to be inside the 610 loop. We are finding it difficult to find a place in a good area at less than $500k. The neighborhoods in Houston are not at all like Westchester county - few sidewalks and the areas are tough or very close to bad areas. I hear the schools are terrible. That's the bad news. On the good side, overall, the area is booming and there are some great developments and cheaper new construction further out. We will likely rent for 6 - 12 months buying, just to see if we like it and to locate the right neighborhood/house.

I'm from Pgh originally / Steelers fanatic. I hear there are lots of us down there. If you decide to hitch up the conestoga wagon, drop me a line, maybe keep in touch. giddyup.
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Old 06-11-2007, 11:21 PM
 
Location: Houston
657 posts, read 2,544,700 times
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jpgiordano, with the Katy Freeway expanding you might think of looking west of the 610 loop, near Memorial. Academically, Memorial High School is one of the best in the state.
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Old 06-11-2007, 11:24 PM
 
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
2,028 posts, read 8,119,865 times
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I've been in houston for 4 months and I must say its quite tough to give you a picture of whats its going to be like knowing that NYC metro areas' got a lot of different living situations . Houston has a few different living situations as well so the right feedback youre looking for depends where youre coming from and where youre heading
I've frequented Westchester, right around CrossCountyPlaza (something like that) a while back. I have a feeling Houston's west Westheimer areas (various neighborhoods) would be a good place to start looking if you want a comparable lifestyle, or even a better one.
Traffic isnt all that bad, unless your hearing it from the families who chose to own houses up north. I live by Westpark dr/tollway and its a good road to downtown. traffic is flowing most of the time, plenty of alternate routes so my wife and i use the HOV lane less often and even drive separate cars now. after 610 you'll be in downtown streets in less than 10mins. you will miss the nap to work tho if you used mass transit in NYC metro
so far so good on the decision to move here. its hot and a lot of biting insects. HOA rules is good and bad and is part of living in houston. car clubs are tighter over there in the NE so I'm dwindling with my car hobbies and moving on to gardening and stuff. i'm in IT for the energy sector and this is a good city for that. I didnt have the right set of priorities to chose a better county to live in but life is good in Alief, having no kids yet. my sisters advised I live in an apartment first before buying but I believe a brand spanking new home will definitely be more fulfilling and will keep us entertained eveyone in your new neighborhood will have the same positive energy, many people are trying to build good communities and a city rather than just living near a great one, lots of people starting anew that it makes you think you belong here.
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Old 06-12-2007, 06:43 AM
 
6 posts, read 17,659 times
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Thanks for all the replies, it's greatly appreciated.

Right now the area that we are most intrigued about is The Woodlands. From what I can tell, it is a very beautiful area and quite affordable. I'm not sure what the commute would be to downtown Houston, but I'll take it if that area truly is what I think it is.

Also, are any of the beaches near Houston worth talking about? I keep on hearing different opinions about Galveston and was wondering if there are any other beaches worth talking about in the area.

As for being a die-hard Steelers fan, my family is originally from Pittsburgh and I was lucky enough to attend college there. I actually lived in Mt. Lebanon for 6 years and enjoyed it very much.

A friend of mine that visits Houston often, told me there are a lot of Steelers' fans and Pittsburgh transplants. And if we move down there, It would be great to correspond with some of the New York and Pittsburgh natives. That way the whole relocation to Houston wouldn't seem so foreign to us.

Anyway, thanks again for all of your comments. I look forward to more chat. Thanks!
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Old 06-12-2007, 07:10 AM
 
26 posts, read 115,554 times
Reputation: 27
Not much help here for your question, but we are in the Northeast too (NJ) and are waiting to move to Houston. Our house has been on the market since mid-Feb and we feel stuck right now. We can't move until our house sells.
We like the Kingwood area. I am cuirous about the beaches also.
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Old 06-12-2007, 12:11 PM
 
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
2,028 posts, read 8,119,865 times
Reputation: 451
well we just visited Galveston this weekend. I suggest you visit each mile of the jersey shores and sniff everything you can from there before you move down here. Galveston looks like it had a golden era and now left to die but i must say it has great potential but the whole layout is going to be an issue. the water reminds me of the back waters of west atlantic city - a lot of weeds and and murky waters, dark sands, about 50ft from the street. This is usually a perfect spot for wind watersports :\ maybe if they start charging people money they could get this place going by creating tunnels to the other side of the street, blocking debris and weeds, total clean up and providing more attractions. it doesnt have the seaside town and culture that would keep the place a tranquil countryside tho
the areas around clearlake/NASA reminds me of towns/docking areas around the Raritan river in NJ. I might head down to Kemah boardwalk soon to check it out
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Old 12-18-2008, 01:47 PM
 
756 posts, read 1,882,182 times
Reputation: 276
Quote:
Originally Posted by jpgiordano View Post
Hi Steelers Fan, We are moving to Houston in 2 months from Dutchess County NY. Same concerns apply to us as well. An additional concern is the poor public transportation there that we are used to. Traffic is bad, so think about your commute. My new job is in downtown Houston so we would like to be inside the 610 loop. We are finding it difficult to find a place in a good area at less than $500k. The neighborhoods in Houston are not at all like Westchester county - few sidewalks and the areas are tough or very close to bad areas. I hear the schools are terrible. That's the bad news. On the good side, overall, the area is booming and there are some great developments and cheaper new construction further out. We will likely rent for 6 - 12 months buying, just to see if we like it and to locate the right neighborhood/house.

I'm from Pgh originally / Steelers fanatic. I hear there are lots of us down there. If you decide to hitch up the conestoga wagon, drop me a line, maybe keep in touch. giddyup.
You're delusional if you cannot find a nice place in a good neighborhood inside the loop for $500K. you're certainly not going to be living in River Oaks, but you could easily get something in Montrose or the Heights for right at $500K with a yard, garage and everything. Crime is much worse in the northeast than Houston. As long as you stay away from Southwest Houston between 610 and the beltway and East downtown, you have no worries. The main problem with the sidewalks in many of these neighborhoods is that very old oak trees have roots that have wrecked havoc on the sidewalks. But if those prevent you from walking, consider a retirement home.
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Old 12-18-2008, 02:18 PM
 
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
2,028 posts, read 8,119,865 times
Reputation: 451
dude youre so obviously searching old posts, then stupidly responding to them with your inside-the-loop superiority complex NOLA boy
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