mikelee33

I am pretty set on what to look for in houston, as for sugarland what areas should I be focusing at? I hear new territory but which else? are there areas in sugarland that I should cancel right off the bat?

Thanks guys, I am gonna look at both areas, I am visiting in early Dec and will visit Houston one day and Sugarland the next.

Another factor that really had me leaning toward sugarland is the crime factor. I mean I was really close to buying a condo in downtown houston for 250k or so but I looked at the neighborhood crime data and was blown away. And then I started to look Midtown, Montrose, Medical Center, and all of those areas seems to be pretty bad. I also thought about highrises since the break ins would be lot difficult but the ones I was interested were asking for main fees of 700 and above.

I will visit Sugarland soon to see what the town is like. I will def check out the condos and any other areas that were suggested by the posters. Thanks for the feedback. I have been on Har consistently since 3 months ago, but there is nothing like flying in for couple of days and checking out the area both day and night.

I also heard that sugarland is the place for younger professionals who do not want the bad of the loop and are willing to take the brunt of the commute to live safely. Again it's an assumption.

People advised me to move toward midtown but I can't stand being in an area that has a high crime rate. I am from the OC in So Cal and looking for that type of vibe. Suburbs with some things going on and within driving distance to the action on the weekends. Commute to work is not a factor since I can telecommute.

The things that attracted me to Sugarland are the following.

* I sense Orange County of Houston vibe.

* High Asian population.

* Low crime rate?

* Quiet neighborhood?

I am looking at 200k for a house. Again, size of the house does not matter since again I am a single guy, actually I prefer the smaller the house the better. So.

What area of Sugar land should I be looking at? If you can provide the zip codes that would help.

I am visiting soon and would like to know if there are anything I should check out at Sugar Land, it will be during the weekend. Maybe the mall?

Are there any condos in sugarland?

How much should I plan for electricity bills, let's say for a 2000 sq ft house? Are there certain things I should look for in a house? Like energy efficient or maybe flooding wise?

Thanks for you help. I worked in the entertainment industry while in LA but really want a quiet neighborhood where I can sleep forever if need be. Inside the loop of Houston does not seem to fit that description.

Unless I am mistaken, somebody said earlier in this discussion that LA's Downtown was even more empty after business hours than downtown Houston. I can see that this is not the case.

I currently live in LA and found this topic since I was thinking about purchasing a condo in downtown houston. Let me tell you right off the bat that downtown LA had some buzz going on few years ago but it is all but dead now. As for the the crowded streets, it is crowded during the day since people have to actually work in downtown but once it hits past 5 pm, the streets are desolate. I mean you can't find a soul with the exception of the homeless walking around. I been living in LA all my life and never have I ever said, "Damn let's hit downtown for some fun" There are few clubs with in the beginning phase of downtown that people frequent but that's pretty much it. Once night time hits, and the further you get into downtown and away from Koreatown, it gets downright scary. People talk about thugs or whatnot but in downtown LA, it will look like a "Thriller" video with druggies and god knows what walking around. When the staple center was built the downtown had a lot of buzz and the small lofts were being sold somewhere between 700k - 900k, those same lofts can now be purchased for low as 400k. To give you an idea of what 400k gets you in decent area of socal, think of a closet with a bathroom attached. Whoever posted those pictures did so because downtown has real deals in shopping that people can't really get anywhere else in LA. However, those shops tend to close early too. I should do you guys a favor and drive around downtown at night and take some pictures but I will probably get shot at or attacked, and that's no joke.

Hi you guys and gals, I have been planning to move to Houston for a long time and was thinking about purchasing a condo on this particular address. I only visited Houston one time and it was mostly in the Galleria area so I would appreciate any input.

2425 HOLLY HALL are where the condos are located at. The question that I have are the following.

1. How is the safety in that particular area? People have told me that it's near the astrodome and that the places have changed since the evacuation of Katrina were placed there. Also lot of condos from that particular address seems to be up for sale.

2. Proximity to nightlife (Midtown were constant suggestion but too rich for my taste)

3. Quietness and closeness to shopping (groceries, gym, and etc..)

I guess more than anything I am wondering about question #1. Thanks.

Southwest Houston is, geographically, a very large area, but the problem areas are more finite within that area. The problem areas are small in continguous makeup but numerous in their scattered locations. Generally, most apartment complexes and their nearest next door neighboors south of U.S. 59 but west of Hillcroft. However, these pockets run in and out in terms of their level of crime and nuisance.

Some of the bigger offenders are along Gessner from about Bellaire to about West Bellfort, and then Fondren from just south of Braeswood (Willowbend/Creekbend) to West Airport. There are some especially bad complexes on West Airport from about Fondren to Bob White Drive.

Anyway, I'm becoming too specific in my descriptions. Danax did the best job of giving you a general idea. Think the San Fernando Valley, particularly parts of Reseda, except with more trees and bigger homes. Southwest Houston townhomes located east of Hillcroft, and especially inside the Loop, are in far less volatile areas of the city.

thank you, I actually looked up the exact street you were refering to using mapquest. It was a tremendous help, very specific. Thanks.

Welcome to HAIF and to Houston. Where you're looking is pretty far from what is known as Southwest, which is outside the West Loop 610 by a mile or two then proceeds west past Beltway 8, I suppose.

It's not a well defined area and it's not someplace where you'd be driving along and unknowningly enter it and suddenly exclaim, "My God, lock the doors!". It's really just a bunch of aging apartments with a generic, semi-trashy appearance.

It'll probably remind you of parts of Santa Ana.

Bad parts of Santa Ana? Gotcha, perfect example for an OC transplant. thanks!

I have been reading up on crime being a problem in the southwest part of Houston. I am relocating to Houston and was looking at couple of townhouses availble (1 at Old Spanish Trail and 1 at Holly Hall) across from Reliant park inside the 610 loop. Are those townhouses in southwest area of Houston, the problem areas? I am totally guessing by my wicked logic of using mapquest and looking at the southwest part of the Houston loop from the actual center of the loop. I hope I am wrong. If not where exactly is the southwest part of houston so I can avoid my Orange County wimpy butt from stepping foot in it? thanks.

Absolutely Midtown!!!!!

If I knew where in SoCal you were coming from I could compare a bit better for you. Basically, Houston will suck period...but At least in Midtown you have the opportunity to live and walk to nightlife and groceries. Most Post rice Lofts, AMLI Midtown, 2222 Smith are all very well located..2222 Smith probably the best.

I am coming from the OC, Irvine to be exact.

Cough *uptown* Cough

Uptown is great, and plenty of townhomes that are affordable, or rentals too.

Lots of old building with personality around.

And you have so many choices for grocery stores and pharmacies

Hands down, I have lived there for years and love it.

No crime, unless you count beggers on the intersections of high profile streets a crime.

That's good news to hear. Thanks.

Midtown: Pros are that it is convenient to many parts of town, good nightlife, restaurants, active residence life. Cons, IMO, are relatively lame housing stock (Post is urban-esque but very basic inside, and I feel the rest to be basically just suburban complexes in the city) and prices are pretty high due to location.

Downtown: Pros are urban feel, cool housing stock (Rice, Herman, Hogg, Bayou, Franklin, Commerce, Dakota). Cons are lack of weekend amenities, pain in the a** for friends to find a place to park, and you still have to drive to get to a grocery store.

Montrose: Pros are that it still has a bohemian feel (though disappearing fast) and housing stock is unique (mostly duplexes and the like from the 30-40's, garage apts), close to everything including Memorial park, Allen Parkway, awesome restaurants, etc. Cons are unique housing stock might not be your cup of tea.

Sugarland, Woodlands, Katy: Pros are new, clean, etc. Cons are lame commute to get to the cool urban places (that's a long drive home after a few drinks!) and rental prices at the nice places aren't much cheaper than what you find in the city.

You mentioned telecommuting: Keep in mind that many (most?) complexes have a deal with SBC/AT&T for service, and you are locked into DSL only and no HDTV. If you want a cable modem service, make sure to ask if it is even available (even in my resident-owned building we only get DSL!).

One of my favorite rental complexes is Sabine Street Lofts, which is near everything and is along the newly refurbished Buffalo Bayou trail. Others of interest are Hogg Palace and Rice downtown. Depending on what your style is and what you have to spend, these might be good to look at.

Thanks! I had no idea about the locking into SBC/AT&T, and no HDTV???? You are kidding me, wow once you watched a sporting even in HDTV you can't ever go back. I guess the safety crime issue is pretty much the same across the board? I been reading some reviews and posts and it seems like lots of mention of robberies in Houston esp after victims of Katrina have seek refuge.

I prefer the loft/studio/open space look rather than the carpeted tradional look.

Hi, I was wondering if Midtown is the best place to rent for a young professional? I am moving from So Cal and it seems like I need to do it unseen. Basically, travel or traffic is not too much of an issue for me since I telecommute to work but safety and crime rate however is very important. I also do not want to be too far away from the action or the nightlife but don't have to live next to it either. I would appreciate any input you guys might have since it seems like I might have to move pretty soon. What are the pros and cons of these areas?

Midtown

Downtown

Montrose

Sugarland

Woodland

Katy

I would appreciate any help. Thanks alot guys.