Clear Lake

[citykid09]

When ever some one says Clear Lake I think negative thoughts, although I don't think I have ever been there, and I have never seen pictures of it. When I think of Clear Lake I think of it as a poor area, because I know nothing about it, until I saw these pictures, and it made my mind do a 180 about thoughts of Clear Lake. Here they are:

Pictures from Texasboy.

[citykid09]

Kemah Boardwalk

Why don't more people know about this area. When I come to Houston we only go to the west side, now I want to check out that stuff in Clear Lake. I already Knew about The Kemah BoardWalk though.

[Lowbrow]

Where did you get a negative impression from?

[kzseattle]

Where did you get a negative impression from?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My question exactly! Clear Lake is supposed to be a nice area. After all, it is where NASA is as well as its related industry which supports thousands of professionals in the field. Clear Lake is also where you would one of the largest concentrations of pleasure boats in the country.

[citykid09]

I have always thought of that area as full of refinerys, and polluted, not as a place to visit. I also thought of the are as "country" and swampy, kind of like Louisiana.

[kzseattle]

I have always thought of that area as full of refinerys, and polluted, not as a place to visit. I also thought of the are as "country" and swampy, kind of like Louisiana.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know that Texas City has a lot of refineries.

[111486]

Nice pics. I remember when I use to work at the Boardwalk in Kemah.

citykid09, the refineries you are speaking of are mainly located in Pasadena and Texas city. No kind of relation with Clear Lake.

[UrbaNerd]

MAN, CL would be nice if it had some denser mixed use developments!

[111486]

MAN, CL would be nice if it had some denser mixed use developments!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I prefer it not to. It would look nice, but more and more people are being attracted to these dense urban developments in the suburbs such as Sugar Land Town Square, which creates sprawl and moves people away from the inner city.

[jmancuso]

i have commuted there for graduate school for the past 3 years and i think clear lake is extremely dull.

[skwatra]

i have commuted there for graduate school for the past 3 years and i think clear lake is extremely dull.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

clear lake is pretty dull, centered around NASA so you have a bunch of middle class families, what do you expect?

i would much rather live downtown/midtown but i couldn't handle the commute everyday (many of my coworkers my age feel the same way), plus i have an apartment on the lake for half the price i would pay in town, so i make the trek on the weekend to actually have fun.

but there are no refineries, its pretty nice overall, except for the fact that the lake is connected to the gulf.

i can't wait for them to get NASA Parkway done, that'll make life easier down here.

[Houston19514]

but there are no refineries, its pretty nice overall, except for the fact that the lake is connected to the gulf.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why is it a bad thing that the lake is connected to the gulf?

[111486]

Why is it a bad thing that the lake is connected to the gulf?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Alot of the dirt from Galveston flows into the lake, defeating the purpose of the name.

[skwatra]

Why is it a bad thing that the lake is connected to the gulf?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

its muddy and brown, and the salt water eats away at boats.

[midtown 4.2]

Clear Lake used to be crystal clear. Sea grass used to cover the bottom at one time, and helped keep the sediment down. When small trawlers started working in there, and draging their nets on the bottom, the grass was damaged and have not had a chance to reestablish itself.

[kzseattle]

Clear Lake used to be crystal clear. Sea grass used to cover the bottom at one time, and helped keep the sediment down. When small trawlers started working in there, and draging their nets on the bottom, the grass was damaged and have not had a chance to reestablish itself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isnt the lake really an extension of the Gulf and so has always been connected to the Gulf? If so, how could it be crystal clear given that the water in the Gulf isnt clear. By the way, looking at the pictures, water really doesnt seem brown. It isnt clear, of course, but I thought that it's as brown and muddy as flood water and it surely isnt like that (unless the pictures didnt capture the true colors)

[Lowbrow]

Go look at historical maps and you will see that Clear Lake used to have much less of a connection to Galveston Bay than it has now. Subsidence and sea level rise at work.

I'm sure its always been at least brackish though.

[skwatra]

By the way, looking at the pictures, water really doesnt seem brown. It isnt clear, of course, but I thought that it's as brown and muddy as flood water and it surely isnt like that (unless the pictures didnt capture the true colors)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

depending on the angle of the sun light, it can look ok. its pretty brown in reality. but its actually a healthy lake overall, and we still enjoy it.

here's a bunch of pics, you can see how different it can look from mid-day to sunset...

[MidtownCoog]

Isnt the lake really an extension of the Gulf and so has always been connected to the Gulf?

You have to go through the Bay before you can reach the Gulf.

[musicman]

clear lake is pretty dull, centered around NASA so you have a bunch of middle class families, what do you expect?

i would much rather live downtown/midtown but i couldn't handle the commute everyday (many of my coworkers my age feel the same way), plus i have an apartment on the lake for half the price i would pay in town, so i make the trek on the weekend to actually have fun.

i can't wait for them to get NASA Parkway done, that'll make life easier down here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is extremely boring in clear lake. Traffic is horrible as i commute from Houston daily. Even their Cafe Express has a reduced menu. I will say point blank there are only two restraurants that are good. The rest are basic chains. Try heading down to Kemah on the weekend....you'll NEVER return cause traffic is absolutely horrible. And all you're doing is going to a Joe's crab shack!

[Trophy Property]

clear lake is pretty dull, centered around NASA so you have a bunch of middle class families, what do you expect?

i would much rather live downtown/midtown but i couldn't handle the commute everyday (many of my coworkers my age feel the same way), plus i have an apartment on the lake for half the price i would pay in town, so i make the trek on the weekend to actually have fun.

but there are no refineries, its pretty nice overall, except for the fact that the lake is connected to the gulf.

i can't wait for them to get NASA Parkway done, that'll make life easier down here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Does anyone have a map showing where this new road will go. I am having a hard time visualizing it.

I have some friends that live in Clear Lake. They like it allright, but they work downthere are not into commuting. An old work friend takes the bus in every morning and it takes her an hour. That is too much if you ask me.

[musicman]

Does anyone have a map showing where this new road will go.  I am having a hard time visualizing it.   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Eventually it will go from gulf freeway (south of nasa road one near the fry's), head east towards nasa. go over old galveston and then merge with nasa rd 1 between old galveston and el camino (near the mamacita's restaurant). massive construction is underway.

BUT money has NOT been allotted to create entry/exit ramps to the gulf freeway. therefore southbound 45 traffic will have to go to 518 and u turn. This is phase 2. That's TXDOT for ya.

[Trophy Property]

Eventually it will go from gulf freeway (south of nasa road one near the fry's), head east towards nasa. go over old galveston and then merge with nasa rd 1 between old galveston and el camino (near the mamacita's restaurant).  massive construction is underway.

BUT money has NOT been allotted to create entry/exit ramps to the gulf freeway.  therefore southbound 45 traffic will have to go to 518 and u turn.  This is phase 2.  That's TXDOT for ya.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks. That helps. Is there any talk of building a Tollway similar to the Westpark, Hardy, or Ft Bend.

[pineda]

NASA Parkway Bypass project

(You can learn more by visiting www.cityofwebster.com)

[skwatra]

Eventually it will go from gulf freeway (south of nasa road one near the fry's), head east towards nasa. go over old galveston and then merge with nasa rd 1 between old galveston and el camino (near the mamacita's restaurant).  massive construction is underway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it actually is suppose to merge back with NASA 1 east of Egret Bay, so someplace in between El Camino and Saturn (close to the JSC entrance). The major bottleneck is at El Camino westbound, so i hope this remains the plan.

I live on NASA 1, and if I need to go downtown between 5-7 i just take Space Center all the way to Genoa-Red Bluff (newly extended), to Beltway 8 to 45N. There's basically no traffic this way, though the speed limits are lower.

And I work on that end of Space Center, from there i can get to UH Main in 20 minutes, maybe 25 at 5pm.

[Trophy Property]

it actually is suppose to merge back with NASA 1 east of Egret Bay, so someplace in between El Camino and Saturn (close to the JSC entrance). The major bottleneck is at El Camino westbound, so i hope this remains the plan.

I live on NASA 1, and if I need to go downtown between 5-7 i just take Space Center all the way to Genoa-Red Bluff (newly extended), to Beltway 8 to 45N. There's basically no traffic this way, though the speed limits are lower.

And I work on that end of Space Center, from there i can get to UH Main in 20 minutes, maybe 25 at 5pm.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is going the opposite direction of most people at that time. How long would it take you to get from Downtown to that same spot in Clear Lake at 5pm?

[skwatra]

That is going the opposite direction of most people at that time.  How long would it take you to get from Downtown to that same spot in Clear Lake at 5pm?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i usually make my schedule so i don't have to do that, but when i use to have class in the late afternoon i would take the 5:24 bus from eastwoood transit (just south of downtown on 45 walkable from UH) to the Bay Area park and ride (right in the middle of clear lake) which gets there at 5:56. so 32 minutes, but more like 40-45 if i drive because i can't take the HOV lane. but between not needing a parking permit, gas, and traffic the bus worked out much better that semester.

i'm tempted to move to midtown just to be able to actually live in the city, my commute would always be against traffic. but its still quite a commute, and so much more expensive to live there. i pay $580 for an 800 sq ft apartment on the lake with a hot tub/pool, dock, and courtyard with bbq. don't think i could find that downtown...

[musicman]

it actually is suppose to merge back with NASA 1 east of Egret Bay, so someplace in between El Camino and Saturn (close to the JSC entrance). The major bottleneck is at El Camino westbound, so i hope this remains the plan.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The merge will be between old galveston and el camino according to txdot, right where they are building the elevated section now across from mamacita's. From this point i believe it is at ground level again and then as it approaches el camino another overpass will be constructed so that the el camino light won't be a factor anymore and this last overpass will then merge with the new portion of nasa rd 1 that is completed.

The worst part is....during construction some portions of nasa rd 1 will be down to 1 lane. pack a lunch.

[ncstdc]

I am not a fan of CL... atleast not right now since I'm only 23. It is the epitome of middle-class surbian life. Though I will probably be living there in about 10 years to raise my 2.4 kids. So now, I make the long 30 mile commute there every day, ugh.

[J.A.S.O.N.]

CL & Seabrook are simply beautiful imo. Some of those houses on the water are breathtaking. It would be my first place of choice to reside, as far as Houston suburbs go.