Best Suburb

[Parrothead]

Just curious what you all think and why. Please feel free to specify neighborhoods/communities.

[jmancuso]

probably cinco ranch or the woodlands.

[WesternGulf]

I'll just say the Woodlads. Galveston, not really a suburb, is the most interesting area in the entire metro.

Why does this say I made a reply around 8 o' clock when I click view new post?

Edited January 30, 2006 by WesternGulf

[DJ V Lawrence]

Just curious what you all think and why. Please feel free to specify neighborhoods/communities.

Parrothead, when you ask for the best suburb, are you asking about the best to live in, best to visit, or best redevelopment?

[Gary]

I'll just say the Woodlads. Galveston, not really a suburb, is the most interesting area in the entire metro.

Why does this say I made a reply around 8 o' clock when I click view new post?

Yeah, if you were talking Galveston it wins hands down.

[Parrothead]

I adore Galveston too!

DJ, I mean to live. Sorry, I wasn't thinking very clearly when I posted that...LOL!

[DJ V Lawrence]

I adore Galveston too!

DJ, I mean to live. Sorry, I wasn't thinking very clearly when I posted that...LOL!

Thanx, yo

[The Great Hizzy!]

Galveston has a great collection of historically significant structures along with a port, coast line, natural amusement areas (like Moody Gardens) and all the infrastructure of a fully sustainable city. These factors alone make it the most interesting.

That said, The Woodlands, Sugar Land and League City are all doing some very interesting things within their core. The Waterway in The Woodlands has come along in such a manner as to receive some compliments from even the most strict of urban critics. The Town Center at Sugar Land is coming along, although it's still plauged by the surrounding traffic. Whaddya do, though? Sugar land's hot, and if its annexation patterns play out as planned, it'll have about 100,000 residents by the next decade.

So if I had to rate them all in terms of livability, intrigue and smart planning, I'd say:

The Woodlands

Galveston

Sugar Land

League City

Katy (for all our jokes, they do have some interesting projects planned for Old Town Katy)

Cinco Ranch / Grand Lakes

Pearland

Missouri City

Champions/Willowbrook

The rest...

[Gary]

I didn't vote Galveston because I don't consider it a subburb. That being said, Galveston is a historical treasure that is unmatched in the state of Texas imo.

I went to the neighborhood by the port (between 18th to the seawall) last weekend and I have to say that the architectural detail and the historical value of these places was absolutely fascinating. It's almost like being in Boston.

Galveston is teaming with life right now with surf shops galore, great restaurants, residential highrises, the Truman show like Beachtown Galveston, the fantastic Moody Gardens complex, The Strand, The Seawall, Bishops Palace and very cool nightlife.

So I think if Galveston is considered a legitimate subburb of Houston there no contest. Sugarland or the Wooodlands are an afterthought in comparison. To a degree I like spending time in Galveston more than in Houston. Maybe I'm overblowing it but I really love the Island.

Edited January 31, 2006 by Gary

[Dallasite]

I voted the Woodlands based on economics, but if I were moving to Houston with a family I'd choose Sugarland or Kingwood.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Galveston has a great collection of historically significant structures along with a port, coast line, natural amusement areas (like Moody Gardens) and all the infrastructure of a fully sustainable city. These factors alone make it the most interesting.

That said, The Woodlands, Sugar Land and League City are all doing some very interesting things within their core. The Waterway in The Woodlands has come along in such a manner as to receive some compliments from even the most strict of urban critics. The Town Center at Sugar Land is coming along, although it's still plauged by the surrounding traffic. Whaddya do, though? Sugar land's hot, and if its annexation patterns play out as planned, it'll have about 100,000 residents by the next decade.

So if I had to rate them all in terms of livability, intrigue and smart planning, I'd say:

The Woodlands

Galveston

Sugar Land

League City

Katy (for all our jokes, they do have some interesting projects planned for Old Town Katy)

Cinco Ranch / Grand Lakes

Pearland

Missouri City

Champions/Willowbrook

The rest...

Respect

Here's my list...

Sugarland

Woodlands (#1 in terms of smart planning, but I say two on livibility and intrigue)

Cinco Ranch/Grand Lakes

Katy

League City/Clear Lake

Kingwood

Galveston

Missouri City

Champions/Willowbrook

Pearland

other

Edited February 3, 2006 by DJ V Lawrence

[Kingwood]

Kingwood rocks. Lots of new development coming up.

[mrfootball]

Write-in Candidate....CYPRESS!

[Jeebus]

I wanna give a special Lifetime Achievement award to Sharpstown.

[DJ V Lawrence]

I wanna give a special Lifetime Achievement award to Sharpstown.

(insert orchestra music here. Or Oscar winners 3-6 Mafia. Whichever you prefer)

[desirous]

I voted Kingwood, for the relative dearth of traffic on Eastex.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Write-in vote for Pasadena!

A truly underappreciated suburb of Houston. It's got everything you could need, from upscale commercial centers to blue-collar industry. Housing runs the gamut from trailer parks to middle- and upper-class single-family neighborhoods to lakefront condos. Landscapes include refinery skylines and the pristine natural surroundings of Armand Bayou. You've got the urban side towards 610, and the undeveloped Galveston Bay side. Pasadena is home to refinery workers and astronauts. Education is not bad...wasn't Dobie the National Academic Decathlon winner for several years in a row?

[bachanon]

you're joking about pasadena, right? it's a cesspool of crime and drug dealers. the best thing anyone could do is to move their family from pasadena. kids who leave the pasadena school system are practically SOL if they move to a different school district. add la porte, deer park, channelview and baytown to that mix. high crime, high juvenile deliquency, schools that are the suck, pollution, stinky horrible water, bad roads and more. i know this because i have family there, we used to live there and i've spent the better part of the last 4 years trying to rescue people from there.

pasadena is THE SUCK!

[stolitx]

you're joking about pasadena, right? it's a cesspool of crime and drug dealers. the best thing anyone could do is to move their family from pasadena. kids who leave the pasadena school system are practically SOL if they move to a different school district. add la porte, deer park, channelview and baytown to that mix. high crime, high juvenile deliquency, schools that are the suck, pollution, stinky horrible water, bad roads and more. i know this because i have family there, we used to live there and i've spent the better part of the last 4 years trying to rescue people from there.

pasadena is THE SUCK!

Where on earth in Pasadena are your people in? My mom lives there (has for 30+ years) and hasn't experienced any of the above issues.

[TheNiche]

you're joking about pasadena, right? it's a cesspool of crime and drug dealers. the best thing anyone could do is to move their family from pasadena. kids who leave the pasadena school system are practically SOL if they move to a different school district. add la porte, deer park, channelview and baytown to that mix. high crime, high juvenile deliquency, schools that are the suck, pollution, stinky horrible water, bad roads and more. i know this because i have family there, we used to live there and i've spent the better part of the last 4 years trying to rescue people from there.

pasadena is THE SUCK!

I've got family there, too, and it just isn't that bad as long as you're not in earshot of SH 225. Also bear in mind that Pasadena is a BIG city. It extends from the Ship Channel to Galveston Bay to the shores of Clear Lake. The older parts are like the East End, but even less expensive and the demographics are slowly improving. The parts south of Spencer Highway are mostly new suburbs with actual wealth. Now, it's getting a condo highrise. It has everything...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Besides, I like the refineries.

Write-in vote for Pasadena!

A truly underappreciated suburb of Houston.

Right on!

[VicMan]

Education is not bad...wasn't Dobie the National Academic Decathlon winner for several years in a row?

Dobie, while a part of Pasadena ISD, is in the city of Houston and only serves Houston residents.

In fact, I think Dobie should be placed in Houston ISD.

[Guest danax]

I'm not voting for this city as best suburb, but we have a definite western bias in Houston. No one yet has mentioned the 3rd largest city in Harris Co., a true suburb with a very diverse population, in terms of both ethnicity and income, along with having a shoreline of sorts along Galveston Bay and proximity to Houston's 2nd largest park (I think), Hermann Brown Park (named after George R.'s brother), at 750 acres. And from what I've seen online, the residential architecture covers the 20th century too.

Baytown.

I work with a couple of Baytowners. They say the place is quietly booming. Lots of new homes going up. One day we'll all turn around and see the the current 70K population is 150K. If the oil business ever goes green or just goes away, the population will suffer possibly but being near the bay will become an asset, not a liability.

Strangely, I've never been there except in passing on I-10.

[WesternGulf]

Is Texas City a suburb? Some of the parts directly outside Galveston seem like an interesting lifestlye. The dense beach communites that line those canals.

[Lowbrow]

I voted Pearland because easy access to downtown Houston has always been the most important factor to me.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Returning to the discussion of Pasadena, the city has a really undeserved reputation that people use to generalize the entire area when, in fact, Pasadena is quite diversified. Pasadena, as far as crime goes, is pretty low relative to other municipalities across the country with 100,000 or more persons. There's some poverty in the north half of the city but the southern half is growing like weeds with new construction, and given the progress of the Clear Crossing development in the COH near Clear Lake, to which Pasadena is directly adjacent, you have to think that the southern third of Pasadena in particular will continue to prosper.

If anything, Pasadena could stand to improve its roads, as many of the streets north of Spencer Highway and on to SH 225 are in poor shape. Nevertheless, there are a handful of quality older subdivisions within it. And the stench of the refineries doesn't really travel south of the Pasadena Town Square so there's that, too.

As for Baytown, it's best asset, IMO, is its unique access to Galveston Bay. Quite a few interesting parks and islands are in the vicinity of Baytown.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

The best suburb is an annexed suburb :):):)

[bachanon]

Pasadena Crime Statistics

It's not as horrible as I thought statistically, but it's still not good. however, from personal experiences and the people I've come across over the last twenty years in Pasadena, Deer Park and La Porte, I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. There are at least two generations of "good ole boy" networks in these areas which include among others the pasadena police and fire departments. Many crimes go unreported and unsolved. There is a rough neck atmosphere along Spencer, Red Bluff, Pasadena Blvd, etc. These environments bleed over to Fairmont Parkway and the nicer areas. Go get gas on a Friday or Saturday night after 10PM and tell me you feel safe.

Pasadena Census Data

Also, notice near the end of the list that almost 44% of Pasadena households are renters. That can't be a good thing, especially if the average household income in Pasadena is significantly lower than average.

Pasadena Income Breakdown 2000 Census

Notice the lower per capita income in the second set of numbers. The average income per capita makes 75% of what similar others make nationally.

This far east, IMO, is one of the last places anyone should look for housing.

There's more:

Education Level of Populace

It seems that Pasadena has nearly 50% lower than average number of degreed individuals compared to the rest of Texas or the country. This cannot be good on any level. More desirable/safe/less stinky areas have more educated individuals.

Oh, and what's the smell du jour?

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Pasadena Crime Statistics

It's not as horrible as I thought statistically, but it's still not good. however, from personal experiences and the people I've come across over the last twenty years in Pasadena, Deer Park and La Porte, I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. There are at least two generations of "good ole boy" networks in these areas which include among others the pasadena police and fire departments. Many crimes go unreported and unsolved. There is a rough neck atmosphere along Spencer, Red Bluff, Pasadena Blvd, etc. These environments bleed over to Fairmont Parkway and the nicer areas. Go get gas on a Friday or Saturday night after 10PM and tell me you feel safe.

Pasadena Census Data

Also, notice near the end of the list that almost 44% of Pasadena households are renters. That can't be a good thing, especially if the average household income in Pasadena is significantly lower than average.

Pasadena Income Breakdown 2000 Census

Notice the lower per capita income in the second set of numbers. The average income per capita makes 75% of what similar others make nationally.

This far east, IMO, is one of the last places anyone should look for housing.

There's more:

Education Level of Populace

It seems that Pasadena has nearly 50% lower than average number of degreed individuals compared to the rest of Texas or the country. This cannot be good on any level. More desirable/safe/less stinky areas have more educated individuals.

Oh, and what's the smell du jour?

Well, should we all get out of Houston too? I know this thread is about suburbs, but we're talking about a pretty big city here (Pasadena's 2004 population was over 144,000, the 15th largest city in Texas...just behind Amarillo, and bigger than places like Brownsville, Waco, Beaumont, Midland, Odessa, Grand Prairie).

Pasadena has a higher median income than Houston, and a lower percentage of renters than Houston.

Houston does beat Pasadena in the education department...but as borne out by the numbers, the better education numbers don't equal up to higher income and higher level of home-ownership.

Just like Houston, there are good parts and not-so-good parts of Pasadena. I've never felt unsafe there...the violent crime rate in Pasadena is less than half of the violent crime rate in Houston.

Maybe you've had some bad experiences in Pasadena that I haven't. Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced because that's my hometown (and I'm probably prejudiced in more ways than one, but that's a different topic .) All in all, though, Pasadena seems to be heading in the right direction. I think it's a better place than it was 10 years ago, and certainly it's a more diverse and wealthier place than it was 20 years ago. It's not all paradise, but it's a REAL CITY full of REAL PEOPLE.

[bachanon]

i will agree that, overall, it is better than it was 10 years ago.

[VicMan]

Pasadena has a higher median income than Houston,

And it also has a lower per capita income.

$20,101 Houston to $16,301 Pasadena. (Got both from Wikipedia's 2000 census stuff)