Looking for a rental along light rail

[Jedidiyah]

I am a single guy moving to Houston from Chicago this August to work at the University of Houston-Downtown. For now I am looking for a 1-year lease with monthly rate under $1000, say a studio. I can't drive so I would like to live no more than three blocks from a light rail stop and take it to work.

Ideally, I am looking for a neighborhood with restaurants and stores nearby and not too dangerous to walk at night. Also, I am sensitive to noise so it would be nice to get a building with thick walls, windows not facing a major road and perhaps central air. Not sure if this is realistic.

I tried searching on apartment websites but found surprisingly few close to the light rail, and it is hard to figure out what the building or the neighborhood are like. Online reviews for them are very contradictory, many people complain about management, break-ins, water shortages and hurricane damage. Also, some condominiums like 2016 Main came up in my search, but I am not clear if one can actually rent in them or just buy.

Please help if you can.

[TheNiche]

I am a single guy moving to Houston from Chicago this August to work at the University of Houston-Downtown. For now I am looking for a 1-year lease with monthly rate under $1000, say a studio. I can't drive so I would like to live no more than three blocks from a light rail stop and take it to work.

Ideally, I am looking for a neighborhood with restaurants and stores nearby and not too dangerous to walk at night. Also, I am sensitive to noise so it would be nice to get a building with thick walls, windows not facing a major road and perhaps central air. Not sure if this is realistic.

I tried searching on apartment websites but found surprisingly few close to the light rail, and it is hard to figure out what the building or the neighborhood are like. Online reviews for them are very contradictory, many people complain about management, break-ins, water shortages and hurricane damage. Also, some condominiums like 2016 Main came up in my search, but I am not clear if one can actually rent in them or just buy.

Please help if you can.

It shouldn't be too difficult to find something meeting your criteria and at your price point. As for the apartment review sites, don't take them too seriously. They're mostly just disgruntled tenants or property management posing as happy tenants.

All of the following apartment complexes are within walking distance of light rail and have units priced at $1000 or less. That doesn't necessarily mean that they have any availability of smaller units right now, but they're all worth checking.

*Humble Tower

*The Lanesborough

*The Maroneal

*Post Midtown Square

*Post Rice Lofts

*Ventana at Midtown

I would advise against Houston House, no matter how tempting the price may make it seem.

I recommend using http://www.har.com/ to search among leased condominiums.

[Mr. Chenevert]

Use har.com and use zipcode 77004.

Choose a max rental price of a few hundred more than your willing to spend and look through the choices.

There are a lot of townhome owners that rent their places out. I am moving out of a nice 2 bedroom, 2 bedroom, with study townhome that I have rented for 3+ years for $1100/month.

Its within walking distance of the rail.

[editor]

What about 77006? As a Chicagoan his idea of "walking distance" is a little longer than the average Houstonian's.

[Highway6]

What about 77006? As a Chicagoan his idea of "walking distance" is a little longer than the average Houstonian's.

He mentioned less than 3 blocks... He plans to adapt quickly.

.. from housingmaps.com http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/1100151832.html

... 2 blocks from rail station... 3 blocks from Specs... sounds perfect.

[editor]

He mentioned less than 3 blocks... He plans to adapt quickly.

.. from housingmaps.com http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/1100151832.html

... 2 blocks from rail station... 3 blocks from Specs... sounds perfect.

Anything that's three blocks from the Midtown Spec's can't be bad.

[rsb320]

What about 77006? As a Chicagoan his idea of "walking distance" is a little longer than the average Houstonian's.

That's what I was going to say. There are lots of plexes on the Montrose side of the Spur. There's also a pedestrian cut-thru at the end of Hawthorne, there at the Calais. HCC/Ensemble station is only 3 or so blocks.

[Jedidiyah]

Thank you for your input. Downtown and Midtown areas look particularly attractive. Unfortunately, most of the apartments won't have availability information until June. I have some general questions though.

I noticed that prices in Midtown are generally not much less than in Downtown, at least along Main. If that's the case is it better to live Downtown?

Where exactly are stores/restaurants concentrated? Midtown for example looks rather residential on google photos, is the area around Spec's liquor store sort of like its business center?

[Mr. Chenevert]

Thank you for your input. Downtown and Midtown areas look particularly attractive. Unfortunately, most of the apartments won't have availability information until June. I have some general questions though.

I noticed that prices in Midtown are generally not much less than in Downtown, at least along Main. If that's the case is it better to live Downtown?

Where exactly are stores/restaurants concentrated? Midtown for example looks rather residential on google photos, is the area around Spec's liquor store sort of like its business center?

The area around specs is very walkable, with restaurants, bars, and other retail all in the immediate area. There is far more social activity in midtown on weeknights and weekends than there is downtown.

I would stay close to specs vs. going downtown.

[TheNiche]

Thank you for your input. Downtown and Midtown areas look particularly attractive. Unfortunately, most of the apartments won't have availability information until June. I have some general questions though.

I noticed that prices in Midtown are generally not much less than in Downtown, at least along Main. If that's the case is it better to live Downtown?

Where exactly are stores/restaurants concentrated? Midtown for example looks rather residential on google photos, is the area around Spec's liquor store sort of like its business center?

I'd suggest you use Google's Streetview feature to check out the two neighborhoods visually. And it goes without saying, don't lease something sight unseen.

There are two grocery stores in Midtown, a Randall's (only three blocks out of downtown) and a Fiesta. Spec's is a liquor store, but also qualifies as a specialty grocer; I don't think you could live off of Spec's offerings by themselves, but you could get really close. There are also two ugly suburban-style CVS Pharmacy locations in Midtown. Midtown doesn't really have a commercial core to speak of, but the upshot is that most of it is within walking distance of one source of food items or another. Historically speaking, it was just an extension of the original plat of Houston, more or less a lower-density extension of downtown until freeways were carved through the area during the mid-20th century. Downtown has no grocery stores and only one CVS Pharmacy, but it does have some concentrations of destination retail at Houston Pavilions, the Shops at Houston Center, and Bayou Place. And during daylight hours, there is a vast underground network of tunnels with lots of shops in them. Downtown also has superior pedestrian infrastructure, better parks, and basically a monopoly over Midtown on high culture and sports (theater, opera, symphony, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc.).

The choice between downtown and Midtown is entirely personal. Myself, I would vastly prefer living downtown as opposed to Midtown. But then, I don't do the bar scene very often, and when I am at a bar, I prefer one that is more low-key. It would appeal to me to live in a highrise. It would appeal to me to have a view, especially east towards the refineries. It would appeal to me to be able to hit the tunnels or the street, or to be within walking distance of the trails along Buffalo Bayou. It would appeal more to my oversized ego (for some inexplicable reason); which is to say, there's a coolness factor. My very earliest memories of Houston were probably around 4 or 5 (1989-ish), passing by downtown in a car on the way towards relatives in Galveston County, and exclaiming to my mother, "who lives there!," pointing to the Wells Fargo Bank Plaza building, followed up by "I want to live there some day," even though it had just been explained to me that that was where people worked.

[Jedidiyah]

Thank you, Niche. I understand the coolness factor and I prefer urban environment as well. My impression of Houston (and I visited only very briefly this winter) was that it looks pretty rural and/or industrial except for Downtown and Uptown. When driving from the airport the contrast was very stark: it looked like going through countryside all the way to the skyscrapers. In Chicago the density (and height) of neighborhoods increases more gradually towards the Loop and there are lots of urban places far away from it.

I do not really care for bar scene or destination retail, but it is unfortunate that Downtown has no grocery stores. I want to live without a car so I guess the area around Randall's is my best option. A highrise condominium would be perfect if I could find one there.

[TheNiche]

Thank you, Niche. I understand the coolness factor and I prefer urban environment as well. My impression of Houston (and I visited only very briefly this winter) was that it looks pretty rural and/or industrial except for Downtown and Uptown. When driving from the airport the contrast was very stark: it looked like going through countryside all the way to the skyscrapers. In Chicago the density (and height) of neighborhoods increases more gradually towards the Loop and there are lots of urban places far away from it.

I do not really care for bar scene or destination retail, but it is unfortunate that Downtown has no grocery stores. I want to live without a car so I guess the area around Randall's is my best option. A highrise condominium would be perfect if I could find one there.

You'd have plenty of options for highrise condos, and the prices aren't at all unreasonable compared to a city like Chicago. This link takes you to the search form for highrise condos. Downtown has two zip codes: 77002 and 77010. For reference, Midtown encompasses parts of 77002, 77004, and 77006.

Be aware that--aside from 2% of the 8.25% sales tax--most local taxes are property taxes. In the City of Houston, expect to pay slightly under 2.7% of the value of your property in property taxes per year. Also be aware that condo maintenance fees can comprise a significant portion of your housing costs, especially in older buildings. Just be congnizant of these items when developing your budget. Also, in Texas, the seller pays for the buyer's Realtor; unless you've handled property acquisitions before, you probably ought to go that route. Your insurance requirements will vary by building as well, so be sure to ask your Realtor about that.

Personally, though, I'd strongly recommend renting at least for a while. Get to know your options more intimately before plunging headlong into a big financial commitment.

Also, I'd suggest that you plan your budget on the assumption that you'll have a car. If you find that you can make due without one, great. It's not impossible. But the overwhelmingly vast majority of Houstonians find that they can't pull that off, even if they'd very much like to.

[RustyB]

....I would advise against Houston House, no matter how tempting the price may make it seem.....

I being paroled from the Houston House in a couple of weeks...after a 4-year sentence...and moving to Chinatown/East End.

Houston House was tolerable for the introductory price they gave me when I moved in ($699/free electric/parking), but they have raised my rent $600/year, to a point where it's WAY not worth it. The Houston House is downtown's roach infested trailer park in the sky. And while I've met a lot of really nice people here, I think it's their super-cheap "specials" that bring in the real low-life tenants, who always leave after they're hit with the 1st rent increase. Between the domestic disturbances and party people yelling in the hallways, the pot-heads who admitted bringing roaches with them from another unit, which caused a increased infestation in all the surrounging apartments on the floor, the party kids that blasted music at full volume until 5:00am, and the gang members which come to visit one single unit daily, I'm just sick of this place. People also let their dogs crap and pee all over the hallways, and in the parking garage, and the elevators always have dog pee in them.

I'd be surprised if I could even pass a drug test living here. Not to mention, I've had a couple of really bad/strange respiratory infections since living here...which I've never had before...I assume is caused by all of the black mold on the AC vents, the lower kitchen cabinets, and in the carpets.

That being said, Houston House IS only a block from a rail stop, which is nice. Any furthere than that from the rail, like the places in Midtown,Chinatown and I probably wouldn't use the rail at all...and probably wouldn't walk downtown at all. The parking garage downstairs is very convenient, at least when the elevators are working, and there's easy freeway access in all directions...great for my home-based business. Plus, I've got a pretty great view of downtown...which is cool since I'm stuck inside working all day.

I can't wait to get out of here. My new place is only $50 a month more (plus I'll have to pay electricity), but is 1000X nicer than the HH! I'll be broke, but at least I won't be here. However, it's nowhere near the rail, so my days of riding it are over I guess. I'm getting a bicycle.

Houston House needs to be cratered along with the Savoy and Central Bank.

If I needed to live on the rail, I'd check out the Humble Tower. I LOVE the location there, and the apartments look really nice. I personally just wanted more of a "loft" style apartment, so I didn't inquire about their current availability, which I'm guessing might be very limited. Grocery shopping would also be a pain living there, without a car.

2016 Main might also be a low-cost alternative on the rail, but I don't know if I could stand living next to the nasty bus station and a McDonald's. But if Jedidiyah wants to live without a car, I guess he'd probably want to be close to Randalls. Personally, I wouldn't shop at a grocery store if they built one downtown...I can't possibly imagine carrying 50 pounds of groceries down the street...even in my collapsible grocery cart. I drive to Kroger on Gray, and will continue to after I move to Chinatown.

Good luck, Jedidiyah!

[kylejack]

There are three studio apartments in 2016 Main for under $1000 currently ($800, $850, $850, one of the $850s might be taken already...) and that includes all utilities (electricity, gas, basic cable, wifi). Its on light rail on the edge of downtown.

http://search.har.com/engine/doSearch.cfm?...&FOR_SALE=0