Houston-Dwellers, I need advice!

[randomoutburst]

My husband is applying to grad schools for the Fall 2012 school year. Happy times, and Rice is his first pick. Two other schools he applied to are also in Houston, so we're anticipating a relocation to Houston come next summer. (He's modest but I think Rice will accept him; he's not so sure.)

Anyway, can some Houston members give me advice about picking housing? We're looking at both apartments and houses for rent, in areas about as far away as 30 miles from downtown Houston. We are willing to go as far as Spring, as far west as Katy, as south as Pearland, and as east as Baytown.

What I really want to know is this: where are the best and worst areas to live in terms of safety in the Houston area, within the boundaries specified above? We don't care about having entertainment venues, as we tend to stay home. We don't care about much besides the safety aspect, really.

Thanks in advance!

[jtran987]

i live in the pearland area, and feel it it really safe and secure, i like the area a lot, to be specific its the new area of pearland off of 288.

i have also heard great things about the cypress area in terms of being very safe

[glbedd53]

Friendswood. I would move there if we were not so rooted in Alvin.

[Medic624]

I'm also in Pearland.. It is very safe still mostly has a small town feel and has MANY amenities ... Either Pearland or Friendswood would be a great option. AND, I work at the Medical Center right NEXT to Rice... it's less than 20 miles and not a bad commute at all. Pearland/Friendswood is close enough to not be an inconvenience but far enough away to still have the "small town" feel...especially Friendswood.

The housing market is pretty reasonable... 2 bedroom Apts run between 800-1000. 3 bedrooms run 1000-1500 (including town homes)...

Hope this helps!

[Thomas]

You can see what kind of crime happens where (on a map) here: http://mycity.houstontx.gov/crime/

[USA1]

Avoid anything east of downtown if you can.

[terryg]

I live in Alvin an like it alot - it's 30 miles to the Rice/Med Center area. If you pick the Alvin/Pearland/Friendswood area - you have quick access to one of the best ranges in the greater Houston area - PSC shooting club.

If he is accepted at Rice - just know that they are very anti-gun.

[Skiprr]

If I were moving to Houston and anticipated working or studying in or near downtown, I don't think I'd peg my commute radius at 30 miles.

When I bought my house 10 years ago, I selected the location partially based on my office location on the west beltway, on the drive to downtown, and to Bush Airport. I ended up not far from 290 and less than 20 miles from any of those locations...almost exactly 19 miles from each, in fact.

In 2001, I could leave my house at 6:20 and be at work before 7:00. Each year, it took a little longer. When I left the job in 2009, I had to be out the door by 5:50 to make sure I was at work by 7:00. My average commute at that time, one-way, was 48 minutes; sometimes less, sometimes significantly more if there was a wreck taking up lanes. And the average drive-time has continued to get slightly worse each year.

Only New York is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters than Houston, and we never experienced the real estate bubble that landlocked cities did. That's helped our economy remain relatively stable in the crush that other cities have faced. It's also been a magnet for people moving to Houston. And while the road system isn't bad, it certainly wasn't built to handle the volume of automobiles driving over it today. We're constantly trying to revamp and expand the infrastructure, but the plans don't keep pace with the expansion, and many surface-road repairs go unfunded; older streets continue to degrade.

There are some decent--but not good enough--park-and-ride options, but that often adds its own delays to the commute...and removes only the stress of driving while introducing issues of getting to and from the bus, comfort on the bus itself, and getting to your final destination from the bus drop-off, including weather.

Have I dissuaded you yet? Seriously, I lived in Houston in the early '60s; I've left three times over the years, and have come back three times, this time for good. It's home. But I really hate giving up 90 minutes of my life each day simply getting to and from work. That costs you over 30 hours of lost time each and every month...despite what you think you can do with those hours like books-on-CD or catching up on iTunes podcasts. Tried everything; but you can't focus on driving and concentrate on anything else at the same time. And for goodness sake, don't be one of those who catches up on email and texting while driving.

If I were moving to Houston and not planning to buy a home I expected to be in for at least 10 years, I would definitely look to find a good, safe location as close as possible to my commute destination, be that work or school. Use those 300+ hours per year for family and career, not battling freeway traffic.

[RHenriksen]

If I were moving to Houston and not planning to buy a home I expected to be in for at least 10 years, I would definitely look to find a good, safe location as close as possible to my commute destination, be that work or school. Use those 300+ hours per year for family and career, not battling freeway traffic.

Amen!! I live inside the Loop (the 610 Loop), 3 miles from my office. NO rush hour, NO 300 hours a year spent in the car. Quality of life...

[bnc]

I agree with Skiprr and RHenriksen, be as close to work as possible unless you are ready to settle down for good. My commute is about a mile door to door and takes the same amount of time whether I drive or bicycle. Less money on gas and driving doesn't become a part time job.

Being close to PSC is a great thing, but sadly most of us go to work more frequently than we go to the range.

[terryg]

Being close to PSC is a great thing, but sadly most of us go to work more frequently than we go to the range.

Yes, true - sad but true. But I meant that to be a plus in favor of heading south if she was going to commute in some direction anyway. I didn't mean it as a reason to commute in the first place.

Skiprr, you make some very good points - and I do kill a lot of time on the road. When we first moved to Alvin 15 years ago, the drive was *much* different. And there are times it gets really really old. But I wouldn't have changed a thing. We were renting an apartment in Houston at the time and there was no way we could even touch a house in a area we felt safe anywhere in Harris county. We scraped penny's together to buy a 1200 sqft home in 1996 in Alvin that would have cost 2 to 3 times as much anywhere inside the loop.

We have since sold it and bought another home in Alvin. But my point is that even with the extra gas - there was no way we could have bought our first home without looking beyond the beltway.

[RHenriksen]

Oh, and I *hate* to be a downer, BUT... as far as 'safe' neighborhoods go, I am a little jaded about that whole concept.

Pearland has seen a distinct increase in bank robberies, carjackings, parking lot muggings, etc as its population has jumped dramatically and demographics shift.

Inside the loop, in River Oaks (the Beverly Hills of Houston) a woman out for a morning walk in the neighborhood was grabbed, stuffed into the trunk of a car, and driven off with.

It can happen any time, anywhere :-(

[terryg]

It can happen any time, anywhere :-(

Oh yes, of course. The safety of any area in a matter of individual perception. And as we all know, there is no completely safe neighborhood. That doesn't mean, however, that we should buy a home in the third ward.

[gigag04]

Atascocita. W/ the new beltway stretch it is super easy to get into h town.

[Bart]

Another vote for living close. If he will be in a real graduate program, he will be busy enough without a long commute to the suburbs.

Like a lot of cities, you can have a sketchy neighborhood next to an expensive neighborhood in Houston. There's also a large variation in comfort levels and what people consider sketchy. Look at the discussion about Fry's Electronics out by Sugar Land for a great example.

If he gets into Rice, you should at least look at apartments close to the rail line, assuming you don't want to live in the university's graduate student housing for various reasons. (guns)