Where Is Southwest Houston

[mikelee33]

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.

[Guest danax]

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.

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.

[mikelee33]

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!

[TheNiche]

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.

I presently live in a condo at El Paseo and Almeda, very near where you seem to be looking. Most crimes in that area are related in some way to vehicles. It happens a lot because many Texas Medical Center workers parallel park along city streets during the day and take a neighborhood shuttle to work.

Violent crime in that area is rare. It gets patroled by both HPD and by the University of Texas police; both have jurisdiction.

[Trae]

Southwest of Downtown.

[jm1fd]

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.

I'd define it as, loosely, the areas both north and south of US-59, beginning at about Hillcroft-ish, and extending out beyond the beltway.

[westguy]

On the local news any area south of I-10 and west of DT is referred to as Southwest Houston. It is the most densely-populated area.

The aging apartment complexes just west of 610 have the biggest reputation in SW Houston for crime.

[The Great Hizzy!]

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.

Edited September 29, 2006 by The Great Hizzy!

[Pumapayam]

If you use HAR, you can see a map of what they consider to be Southwest Houston

Looks like Upper Kirby, Med Center, Intown and Neartown.

[mikelee33]

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.

[houstonmacbro]

not all parts of sw are hideous though. royal oaks area (out westheimer or is that considered west now?) is relatively decent. lots of shops, stores, gyms, etc. along westheimer all the way out to highway 6.