lalo247grr Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 HelloI see all the great advice you have given other movers, so I am hoping for some guidance. my husband is taking a job in Houston near GWB airport. I am hoping to go to law school at U of Houston. We would like to rent a nice apartment for a year to get used to Houston and know where we want to buy. We have an 18 month old child. We would love a walkable neighborhood, with restaurants, parks, libraries, i.e. family friendly. but we would also like to be somewhere neat. But another criteria is that we be near to roads that take my husband to work easily and me to school. Are there any neighborhoods that would fit the bill? We are looking for an apartment building with low-maintenance. No more shoveling snow and cutting grass for us for a while:) THanks!our income will be decreasing for a while, so keeping the rent lower would be good, but what kind of place could you get for 1000 - 1200? i used to live in boston and compared to GR prices are crazy. Is Houston similar or is it more affordable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 budget?...and welcome to haif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeats Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Welcome, lalo! My first thought would be that the Heights would be a terrific neighborhood for y'all. It's walkable, child-friendly, pretty, green, close to everything and full of personality. Your husband can hop on I-45 in the mornings and head north to get to Bush IAH; it's a pretty straight shot up I-45 and over to Beltway 8. However...you haven't told us what your price range is! That's the most important piece of the puzzle... In the meantime, I suggest poking around on HAR.com. It's a fantastic resource for home-buyers in Houston. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lalo247grr Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 Welcome, lalo!My first thought would be that the Heights would be a terrific neighborhood for y'all. It's walkable, child-friendly, pretty, green, close to everything and full of personality. Your husband can hop on I-45 in the mornings and head north to get to Bush IAH; it's a pretty straight shot up I-45 and over to Beltway 8. However...you haven't told us what your price range is! That's the most important piece of the puzzle... In the meantime, I suggest poking around on HAR.com. It's a fantastic resource for home-buyers in Houston. Good luck! ah, yes. right now we pay 1025, but i would say we'd pay between 8-1200 for something with 2-3 bedrooms, ideally two baths:) but you can't have everything:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deut28Thirteen Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I live by the big airport and there is many places close to IAH where you can live. I dont know your budget, but places like summerwood and fall creek are master planed communites with apartments. There right on belt way 8 so like 15-25 min drive to downtown and UH depending on traffic. Kingwood is very nice and can just take 59 to UH. Humble/Atascocita/Kingwood are real nice areas walkable depending on where you buy. There plenty of daycare centers many are new because the area is growing. These places are close to the airport but not UH. Houston is happy to have you and your family. Edit: Did not see your budget post. Hope this is helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VelvetJ Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I instantly thought of Kingwood. I would check some apartments out near there if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeats Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 ah, yes. right now we pay 1025, but i would say we'd pay between 8-1200 for something with 2-3 bedrooms, ideally two baths:) but you can't have everything:) Here's something to start with: 1022 21st Street. It's actually a 2br/2ba house for rent in the Heights, as opposed to an apartment. A friend of mine lives right around the corner and it's a lovely little area. Not immensely walkable, but neither is the rest of Houston. I'd suggest checking Craigslist for apartment or for lease/rent listings, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 You're not going to find anything walkable near the Bush airport, nor anything very interesting in my opinion. But try Montrose or the Museum District if you want to walk. The problem is it's nowhere near the airport. Heights might be a good compromise, but you'll find less things you can walk to than the other two neighborhoods I mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeats Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 You're not going to find anything walkable near the Bush airport, nor anything very interesting in my opinion. But try Montrose or the Museum District if you want to walk. The problem is it's nowhere near the airport. Heights might be a good compromise, but you'll find less things you can walk to than the other two neighborhoods I mentioned. Yeah, those were my thoughts exactly. That's why the Heights sprang to mind so quickly: easy enough access to IAH through the North Freeway (and UH Law if that pans out) while still being interesting, green and walkable. Though it's definitely not as walkable as either Montrose or the Museum District, I still think it's both more affordable and more family-friendly. lalo, I would recommend staying far, far away from anything up near IAH. But that's more of a personal preference. Your hubby might have a slightly shorter commute and you'd spend a little bit less on rent, but the cons of being so far away from town and in such a cultural void/black hole with zero walkability, libraries, character, etc., far outweigh any pros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 It really depends on what you value in a neighborhood...you don't want to throw away your first year (and rent) somewhere that you end up hating and may be able to avoid from the beginning. I agree with some that areas around IAH are completely unappealing, but I'd recommend craigslist to shop around a little This claims it is near IAH, but it looks more in the middle of nowhere: http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/751151478.html These are in Montrose/Museum: http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/763639061.html http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/762907340.html and this one in the Heights (although it reads "up and coming" part of the Heights, which really means you'll be dealing with more of the folks that don't care much about their home, impact on the neighborhood, etc). http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/763825182.html Or you could just give in and go on the cheap up north: http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/764121959.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deut28Thirteen Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Try Apartment Wiz. Depends on what you want from Houston area. My mom wanted tall pine trees so we moved to Northeast Houston. Its where the Piney woods of Texas, Lake Houston, and San Jac river meet. I think its nice but its the suburbs. The area is more for home buyers though. Houston has many suburbs so just have to do research and if you want an urben feel we have plenty to offer inside the loop(610). Good luck with you search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lalo247grr Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 Thanks for all the great responses and places to start looking. I think one of the comments was right-on: we don't want to live in a culture-less back water near an airport, just for a shorter commute. but i am willing to compromise for driving - b/c frankly we drive here everywhere too - but it is nice to have trees and green spaces around for family walks. So we can surely find something that will meet our basic needs. Thanks for all the ideas, my husband is there as I type with a list of places to visit:) We are so excited to be leaving michigan - i think our unemployment is worst in the nation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunsets Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 We moved from Ann Arbor to the Heights. It was an easy transition. You will love your first winter here, trust me . Heights between Studewood and Heights, Woodland Heights, and Norhill (Proctor Plaza) are all very nice, have some stuff within walking distance, and have lots of families out and about in the evenings. You'll probably have to rent at the high end of your budget, but it's worth it. Also, if your husband wants to splurge and take the Hardy Toll Road that will get him to work even faster. Another more transitional area to consider might be Lindale Park. Easy access to the Hardy and downtown, and becoming increasingly popular with families, as I understand it. However, that's a little more of an "urban pioneering" environment, and you'll have to drive farther for decent shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toadfroggy Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I live in the Heights and commute to UH; can't complain about it. It's also an easy trip to IAH, and a reverse commute, so I agree it would make a good location for both of you. Another good compromise location (north of town, but not too far out) is the Garden Oaks area. Zip 77018. One thing to realize: Houston is sparse with townhomes in some areas, so you might have to resolve yourself to doing yard work if location is paramount. Then again, if you're willing to go with apartment life for a while, or at least until you get to know the city a little better, you'll find all kinds of choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I live in the Heights and commute to UH; can't complain about it. It's also an easy trip to IAH, and a reverse commute, so I agree it would make a good location for both of you. Another good compromise location (north of town, but not too far out) is the Garden Oaks area. Zip 77018. One thing to realize: Houston is sparse with townhomes in some areas, so you might have to resolve yourself to doing yard work if location is paramount. Then again, if you're willing to go with apartment life for a while, or at least until you get to know the city a little better, you'll find all kinds of choices.I'd have to agree between Heights, midtown and Montrose (which I usually recommend them anyway), the reverse commute for NEAR IAH won't be that bad if he's in on the west side of the Hard Toll Road. If he's on the EAST side of HTR, then he'll have to go up 59 north.The commute to UH won't be bad from these areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunsets Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 One thing to realize: Houston is sparse with townhomes in some areas, so you might have to resolve yourself to doing yard work if location is paramountDepends on the house. Our little bungalow has stone pavers/tropical plantings in the backyard and a tiny little front yard that takes all of 8 minutes to mow. Easy. But we do pay a price in terms of how close we are to the neighbors.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Just to echo what most have said, check out the Heights (77008, 77009), Montrose area (77006, 77019) and the Museum District (77005, 77004). Any of these, especially the Museum + Montrose areas, will give you an easy commute to the UH Law Center. Go Coogs!However, if you do choose these areas, tell your husband to take US 59 to the big airport. It is a much faster and pleasant drive than I-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 HelloI see all the great advice you have given other movers, so I am hoping for some guidance. my husband is taking a job in Houston near GWB airport. I am hoping to go to law school at U of Houston. We would like to rent a nice apartment for a year to get used to Houston and know where we want to buy. We have an 18 month old child. We would love a walkable neighborhood, with restaurants, parks, libraries, i.e. family friendly. but we would also like to be somewhere neat. But another criteria is that we be near to roads that take my husband to work easily and me to school. Are there any neighborhoods that would fit the bill? We are looking for an apartment building with low-maintenance. No more shoveling snow and cutting grass for us for a while:) THanks!our income will be decreasing for a while, so keeping the rent lower would be good, but what kind of place could you get for 1000 - 1200? i used to live in boston and compared to GR prices are crazy. Is Houston similar or is it more affordable?I don't typically consider Montrose to be as kid-friendly as some other in-town neighborhoods because the crime rate is higher, and finding a nice reasonably-priced two- or three-bedroom apartment unit could be a challenge. I think that of the in-town neighborhoods, you ought to look for houses for rent in the Heights and especially Oak Forest. These areas don't tend to get as much of the barhopping riff-raff or as many vagrants.Having said that, a master planned community like Summerwood, Fall Creek, or Kingwood could be right up your alley. Close to the airport without being next door, mostly built up with plenty of community amenities (parks, playgrounds, pools, trails, etc.), nearby shopping centers, a very wide and uncongested freeway that'll get you to UH quickly, and a much higher number of other children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 HelloI see all the great advice you have given other movers, so I am hoping for some guidance. my husband is taking a job in Houston near GWB airport. I am hoping to go to law school at U of Houston. We would like to rent a nice apartment for a year to get used to Houston and know where we want to buy. We have an 18 month old child. We would love a walkable neighborhood, with restaurants, parks, libraries, i.e. family friendly. but we would also like to be somewhere neat. But another criteria is that we be near to roads that take my husband to work easily and me to school. Are there any neighborhoods that would fit the bill? We are looking for an apartment building with low-maintenance. No more shoveling snow and cutting grass for us for a while:) THanks!our income will be decreasing for a while, so keeping the rent lower would be good, but what kind of place could you get for 1000 - 1200? i used to live in boston and compared to GR prices are crazy. Is Houston similar or is it more affordable?You would love my neighborhood... the Heights (77008)... very clean, walkable, kid friendly... I can walk to the library, restaurants, the park, etc. I live near 10th and Yale. Plus you have easy access to the freeways (10, 610, 45) so you can get to GWB Airport and U of Houston.NOTE... not all of the Heights is exactly like this... some areas are better than others... but the area I live in right off Heights Boulevard is really nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 You would love my neighborhood... the Heights (77008)... very clean, walkable, kid friendly... I can walk to the library, restaurants, the park, etc. I live near 10th and Yale. Plus you have easy access to the freeways (10, 610, 45) so you can get to GWB Airport and U of Houston.NOTE... not all of the Heights is exactly like this... some areas are better than others... but the area I live in right off Heights Boulevard is really nice. Some of us consider 10th and Yale to be the slums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie92 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I'd have to agree between Heights, midtown and Montrose (which I usually recommend them anyway), the reverse commute for NEAR IAH won't be that bad if he's in on the west side of the Hard Toll Road. If he's on the EAST side of HTR, then he'll have to go up 59 north.The commute to UH won't be bad from these areas.I commute to just south of IAH from Woodland Heights (when I go to the office) and 20 minutes is a normal day taking the Hardy Toll Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Some of us consider 10th and Yale to be the slums. You're the slums. he he Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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