Jedidiyah

Don't know about the special glass. Maybe laminated? You could just use insulated glass, that would help with the noise. On the north side of 2016 Main (high rise) there is a lot of noise off the Pierce elevated and some residents have installed a second set of sliders inside the original ones. Some angle the new doors slightly (into a vee, with the center stile further away from the old doors) to create even better soundproofing performance.

Thanks. But I can not do such installation myself, and the only company I could find (Sun and Sound) told me after about two months that their supplier couldn't deliver. What other companies do it in Houston?

I live in a condo with a large glass sliding door to the balcony. There is a lot of street noise, so I'd like to soundproof it. I was told that another door with a special glass has to be installed in front of it to create an air gap. The problem is that the installation company couldn't find a supplier for the special glass, so they had to cancel. Does anybody know other companies in Houston that do this sort of thing and have a good record?

Wall Street Journal yesterday had an article on youth magnets.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124242099361525009.html

According to their data between 2005 and 2007 only seven metropolitan areas added more college-educated migrants of any age than did Houston (with Austin and Dallas ahead). During the recession, between July 2007 and July 2008, Houston was one of only four places to still draw people along with Portland, Seattle and Denver. They explain it by high oil prices, so perhaps the same will happen again soon seeing that the prices started to rise again.

However, they admit that traditional youth magnets are losing their appeal as job markets. Some of the cities are successful at keeping up their appeal despite this. The main factors are apparently climate, natural beauty, universities, culture, nightlife and 'reputation as a cool place to live', whatever that is. I don't know about beauty and 'coolness', but the rest seems to apply to Houston.

As far as jobs right now Houston does not make the top ten

http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/ten...ates-jobs-rated

New York is at the top and Washington, D.C. second, it is also high up in terms of affordability. The rest of top ten are also dense metropolitan areas, absence of Texas cities is noticeable. Things may change however when the recession is over. Even now economic factors are disregarded by many, see the WSJ article: "A lot of people figure there aren't jobs anywhere, so they might as well be where they want to be."

I flew in from Chicago this February for a job interview. My hosts recommended SuperShuttle which costs $50 roundtrip and I only learned about Aiport Direct later by accident. Even if I did know and wasn't reimbursed, I would still have taken SuperShuttle. They have a pick-up at each terminal, not just C, with about 20min waiting time and take you right to your hotel.

With Aiport Direct I would have to wait potentially longer and then have to transfer to light rail at DTC. At the time I did not know about the light rail's existence or the fact that Club Quarters was near a stop. And what if it was not? 5:3 is simply too small a ratio to justify the hassle. In Chicago you can take either a train or a bus from O'Hare for just $2, while a cab to Evanston (the suburb where I live) is about $40. Now that's a ratio!

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.

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 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.