Your best advice to New Yorker moving to Houston?

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I'm from the northeastern US also, so I know what you're going through. The first thing I want to say is don't be surprised at the difference between Texas and New York. You might experience a bit of culture shock. At first, I resented the entire Houston area because they were "behind" in environmental issues (recycling is archaic compared to up north and there are a lot of unnecessary large trucks on the road). But, once I decided to accept it the way it was, yet still do my part, I was able to make peace with it. The people in Texas are great--much more hospitable than the people up north. Texans are willing to do anything for you, so you'll feel welcomed right away --well, once you change your NY plates to Texas plates anyway. :)

The weather in Houston is great once you get used to it. I used to live for the snow up north, and now I can't stand it because I'm used to the heat. I won't lie--your first summer might be rough. It gets downright hot. But, it's not terribly unbearable. You just have to get used to spending most of the midday hours indoors during the summer. Summer evenings are nice though. And winters are just beautiful. There are plenty of parks in the area, so when the weather is nice, there's plenty to do...from going to the beach, to bike riding. And once you experience the heat, you'll get accustomed to it. Like I said, I can't stand the cold now, and wait for days to get over 80 degrees.

As far as adjusting to a place that's too quiet, you'll just have to find new ways to entertain yourselves. No, you won't have nonstop nightlife in Sugar Land, nor will you have the opportunity to go to a broadway show every night. But, downtown Houston has plenty to offer when you want the big city feel. I think you'll like Houston. But, like I said, don't be too shocked at how different it is when you first get here. Just stick it out, and you'll end up loving it like all us other yankees who've stayed down here!

zoey1176

We don't have harsh weather like up north, the coldest it has been this year is 28 degrees and that was at night. All the places you are looking to live are all beautiful and good schools and are safe. There are plenty of parks, not everyone stays inside, you will get use to the humidity, but you may have a problem when the temps get to be 102 degrees in the summer. Look on the bright side you will not have to shovel snow. Good Luck!

Marc Angel

First of all, it's Hughston, not Howston. :)

Seriously, Houston and New York are not much different. We are spread out over a large area and our downtown isn't as dense as New York.

Weather is pretty much as reported, scorching hot summers(peak in August and September), generally mild winters (peak in February and March).

Katy, The Woodlands, West U, Sugarland, Bellaire, Kingwood are noted for having good schools. Many surrounding areas as well (Spring, Deer Park, Humble) have good schools.

Don't be afraid of seclusion in Sugarland, that part of town is growing right now. Just south of there is Pearland and Alvin. With the Westpark Tollway, access into the city is much improved.

We are air condition city USA. All of downtown is accessable by interconnecting underground air conditioned tunnels. Everyone drives or uses public transportation to get around. Bycyclers and walkers are rare.

City parks are low in number and widely spread throughout the area. There is a lot of open land on the outskirts and the Galveston Bay area is nearby. There's plenty to do and see for a young family.

DCDARLING

Hmm, Sugarland is nice, and you will get more bang for your buck--OMG an actual YARD!!! --but it is QUIET-- i lived there, and it is alll soccer moms and PTA meetings.... I personally would check out the galleria. DO NOT do katy, the commute to get anywhere is an absolute nightmare--1-10 is CONSTANTLY in construction, and probably will be until your 3 year old turns 25. The galleria has nightlife, shopping, and you feel like you are living in a CITY. Sugarland isnt too bad, but it sounds like you are a city couple and want some culture and surroundings. har.com is a great site, I would suggest a trip down to Houston to start really looking around and feeling out the city. Best of Luck!

~Ra~

First off...if your going to live in the SW area do your best to live close by. The commute through downtown from about 6:30 to about 9 is horrific especially with all the freeway consructions. Sugarland is a good area to live or even Katy and you could cross over from I-10 to 59. There are lots of stuff to do in both areas and close enough to drive to downtown for some weekend activities. DO NOT try to live in Humble Kingwood or the Woodlands. The galleria area would be nice since you would be driving outbound to work. Not so much traffic. Now to the weather, as im sure you have heard if you dont like the weather in Houston wait 5 min! LOL. One day it can be Freezing which to me is like 53degrees then the next a nice sunny 75! The summers are somewhat unbearable but as long as you have the AC going and some place to go to cool off you will be fine. But most importantly you wont have to ever shovel another sidewalk or driveway again! Remax is a good website i like to house browse on. Good luck on your house hunt and welcome to Houston!

northern_muse

another yankee transplant here... people above gave pretty good advice. however, you should really look at ballaire and meyerland neighborhoods as well. they are right on the cusp of houston proper, on the SW side. you're not going to like sugarland. it's not too quiet but everything is very manufactured/planned.

i live in the heights. we are just north of downtown, but a sort commute to the sw side b/c of the close proximity to the city center. it's an amazing neighborhood- probably the friendliest in the city. it's like a small town a mile from downtown. i don't have enough good things to say. it's a community of families, artists, old hippies, yuppies, everything.

here is a good forum to check out. there are neighborhood forums for you to ask questions about the different parts of town. the people on this forum are typically a little older and tend to be well educated. they are a good mix of transplants and lifers (i am giving you a good in here. ha! i don't share this forum often b/c i don't want it to get overwhelmed with junk. luckily, the houston board on answers isn't that busy. lol)

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/index.php?act=idx

mamarivers

If you are working SW then you will want to stay SW! Sugarland is a great community and not that bad of a commute to the more urban areas of the city. As far as weather, don't ever pack your shorts because Texas has weather with multiple personality disorder and you never know when it will be warm. We get 70 degree weather in the middle of winter! Just yesterday it was in the 80's and 90's in Texas! It is humid, but that doesn't stop people from being outside. I hope you have a wonderful experience here in Texas and good luck with the house hunt! Peace!

ywshaikh

I live in Richmond, which at least where I am is kinda in between Katy and Sugar Land. Katy and Sugar Land are very nice areas, but both are heavily suburban...especially Katy. Sugar Land is growing very fast and is becoming a city in it's own right. But since getting to the city center from either place is kind of a hassle, I would suggest getting a place closer to the center. There are areas that have a neighborhood feel but are still convenient to the central area. Though I must say, I have lived in the Katy area for a long time, and sure it may be quiet, but it is a nice area. Also, The Woodlands is a negative....it is just FAR (though very nice). You'd probably be saving money anywhere you go...as the cost of living in Houston is far less than in New York.

As for the weather...yea the summers can get kinda brutal. Expect most of the summer (which pretty much starts in May and ends in September, though high temperatures extend into October) to have 90 degrees plus, with very high humidity, so that it feels around 100. Summer evenings are very pleasant. It rains a good amount, so sometimes that will cool a summer day for you. The winters are usually very nice, with highs in the 50's and 60's (sometimes in the 70's, in fact it was 80 here a few days ago), and lows in the 30's and 40's. Snow is very rare...and in 2004 snow fell in Houston for the first time in 12 or 13 years. In all, the weather is great. Oh, and there are a lot of parks in Houston, city parks etc. But if you go to other areas around Houston in East Texas there are some big state parks.

SUNNY

TRY LOOKING INTO MIDTOWN...UPTOWN..OR THE LOFTS DOWNTOWN. THERE ALL LOCATED WITHIN THE "LOOP" ULL LEARN THAT NAME. OUR FREEWAYS HAVE 2 OR 3 NAME APIECE. THE WOODLANDS IS A NO NO...ITS A WONDERFUL PART OF TOWN AND GROWING FAST....ONLY THING IS IT WOULD TAKE YOU LITTERALLY 2 HOURS TO GET TO WORK! LIKE THE GUY ABOVE.....HOPE YOU LOVE YOUR CAR CAUSE YOU WILL BE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN IT. OUR TRAFFIC IS HORRIBLE!!!!! BUT YOU ACTUALLY ADJUST AND ACCEPT IT AS A PART OF LIFE. WISH YOU THE BEST AND WE GLADLY WELCOME YOU!!!!

Heather

Well you might be called a yankee for a while but cypress is a good idea even but it is nw . It has great school and black horses is a wonderful place to live with Warner elementary very close. The summers are humid and hot like upper 90's into the 100's. In the winter do not want to see snow.

johnny knoxville

If money isnt a huge issue try West U, By the medical center or museum district really nice areas. Good Luck ! You'll love it here.

Sweet Honey

Try The Medical Center, Rice Village or Greenway plaza areas. These are nice neighborhoods close to your job.

chocolatebee

for a new yorker you pretty much have the city dead on. you were right about just about everything. but if you are going to be working in the south/southwest part of houston and you find sugarland too quiet i would suggest you try a suburb off highway 6 or the mission bend areas. the commute shouldnt be too far. these areas are relatively close to the sugarland areas but highway 6 is long and there are many options.not really sure what type of hustle and bustle you had mind. but you have did your homework on our fair city. good job. as for the weather the only season that is extreme and distinct is the summer. they are treacherous. the are long (from about april to november) and humid, sticky, and uncomfortable. december to march is like spring,winter, fall all wrapped into one.

H.R.

Try Pearland.. Search for zip codes 77584 and 77581. It's a great place to live.

jugghayd

Prepare to start loving your car. You'll be spending more time with it than with your family.

Paul N

Lots of people will respond. My one piece of advice. When you get ready to come save your money and don't buy a round trip ticket. You won't need it. We are glad to have you and your family.

Maverick

Howdy....just lean to speak like a Texan =)

William K

Why would you be scared of living in Sugar Land? Because it is too quiet? As the caveman said, "What???" You'd think a family would want "quiet." I'm sure someone can arrange a drive-by or something. Too quiet... pfah!

As for the weather, we have nice winters and hot, humid summers. This past weekend was one of the most beautiful I've experienced in my 47 years. Our average temperature is probably ten degrees warmer during the day, and fifteen degrees at night due to our humidity. You get used to it pretty quickly. I was born in Brooklyn, grew up across the river in NJ, and moved to here in the spring of '77. I had easily adapted to the climate by summer and I'm very cold-blooded (I wear shorts and a t-shirt at home, and set the temp to 68Â° in summer; my wife wears flannel). As for parks, most neighborhoods have a neighborhood pool/club where the kids and the mom's hang out. We have many large parks here, too.

Oh, yesterday's high was 80 (the norm is 68). Today, however, it is 62Â° at 2:10PM. It'll be in the 30s tonight.

EDIT: Downchecks for a little humor and a lot of truth? Pfah on y'all, too.

dorios

I live in sugar land but what you say is true. You will be totally alienated (culturally and socially). I would not make this move if I were you. Houston is all blocks of concrete, has no charm, hardly a place for even a promenade. we moved here from Australia as my son wanted to go to an american Uni and the work opportunity offered itself but , if you ever visited Australia) you can imagine my regret.

Maria [?] Houston & Music

You'll have bunches of FUN in Houston. You'll never get bored. Trust me i know.

mizzhollywood26

Stay in NY where it's fun. Houston is a wannabe NY but will never truly be.

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