Where to Live in Houston

[casingpoint]

It must be extremely frustrating to UH officials that the main campus is surrounded on all sides by low income/no income crack neighborhoods. Highly unfortunate for the Law School, which is gaining in academic prominence. It must be costing them some students. My son took one look and opted for Tulane Law School in New Orleans, if you can believe that. Not knowing the current environs of Houston, the problem of where he was going to live seemed intractable at the time. Besides, the scholarship offer didn't equate. These days, I would look to the Humble/Kingwood area and the viability of the Park and Ride bus system and just pull the commute. Your kid will sleep better at night the first semester. There are several downtown extended lodging hotels that may be a viable alternative in the interim period. He and his cohorts will solve the problem on their own with something closer in as they get familiarized with Houston. Or father out.

[03Lightningrocks]

It must be extremely frustrating to UH officials that the main campus is surrounded on all sides by low income/no income crack neighborhoods. Highly unfortunate for the Law School, which is gaining in academic prominence. It must be costing them some students. My son took one look and opted for Tulane Law School in New Orleans, if you can believe that. Not knowing the current environs of Houston, the problem of where he was going to live seemed intractable at the time. Besides, the scholarship offer didn't equate. These days, I would look to the Humble/Kingwood area and the viability of the Park and Ride bus system and just pull the commute. Your kid will sleep better at night the first semester. There are several downtown extended lodging hotels that may be a viable alternative in the interim period. He and his cohorts will solve the problem on their own with something closer in as they get familiarized with Houston. Or father out.

Thanks for the advance warning on the ghetto surrounding the school. Knowing to expect slums around the school may keep us from taking our leave before giving it all a good look. They offered him 10K a year to help with expenses. Maybe its because they are aware that kids don't like the surroundings there. It makes me sick to see the Rapper wannabees destroying this country. At some point we are going to realize that tolerance for this culture of destruction is not the right course of action. A fellow I have raced with here and there around the country lives in one of the outer suburbs of Houston. He said the New Orleans "immigrants" have been responsible for a pretty significant crime increase in Houston.

We shall see. I was hoping he would end up at SMU but the cost is almost twice what Houston costs. Our trip down there is going to be for 3 days after the memorial day weekend. I suppose we can make a decision then. LOL...I say we...but since he is 23 I guess in the end it is more of a he will make a decision.

[Rugrash]

I moved to the inner loop from Galveston when I started UH in 1990. I was lucky enough to be able to live in a beautiful garage apt across the street from Rice U. There are plenty of nice places for students inside the loop (duplexes and houses). I was never a fan of apartment complexes and always managed to find really nice places to live by simply driving up and down every street armed w/my clipboard and legal pad to write down potential addresses. Look for places North of 59 between Midtown (Bagby) and say Greenway Plaza-ish (Weslayn) to South of Memorial Drive/Allen Pkwy. Its a pretty big area and there's plenty of housing.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29.7 ... 07803&z=14

There are a lot of other students in the area since the University of St. Thomas and Rice are both nearby. What you don't want to happen is to have to commute long distances nor do you want to live near school (like others have mentioned). UH is a commuter school and people really don't just hang out there. The dorms are pretty crappy and it's just not a great area. Now I know alot of people on this site probably live in the burbs and don't like the city, but to me I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Everything is a 10 minute drive and if I didn't work all the way in Tomball (which only take me :30 mins), I'd never leave the loop or get on freeways. I know that you want your son to study, but he needs to live a little too. There's nothing worse than moving somewhere and settling down and then realizing that to do anything you have to drive 45 minutes to an hour. I did this when I moved out of state and got stuck in an area that was so completely boring I could hardly stand it.

Yeh I know I sound like an inner-loop snob, but hey someone's gotta do it.

Rug

ps. Top Gun is a little more than 10 minutes, but not much more!! Also, PM me if you want me to write down any addresses and phone numbers for places in my area that are for rent. Good luck!!

[BigD_htl]

just stay away from the south west side unless its sugarland or pretty far out there .. that place is a hell hole i don't even go there at night (without carrying of course).. pearland is nice Friendswood .. i'd say anywhere near the belt

[iratollah]

A single guy in law school doesn't need to live in suburbia like Woodlands or Friendswood. He should look only at inside Loop 610, Museum District, Montrose, Heights, Uptown or Galleria ($$). And west of I-45 like another poster suggested.

My godson just graduated UH Law school, he says he's in a great apt complex near the museums.

You can get mugged in any neighborhood and sometimes in the very affluent neighborhoods there are ongoing problems, 'cause like Willie Sutton said, that's where the money is. Situational awareness is the key.

[03Lightningrocks]

A single guy in law school doesn't need to live in suburbia like Woodlands or Friendswood. He should look only at inside Loop 610, Museum District, Montrose, Heights, Uptown or Galleria ($$). And west of I-45 like another poster suggested.

My godson just graduated UH Law school, he says he's in a great apt complex near the museums.

I can't really see him wanting to live far away from the school. But at the same time, he won't want to live where he has to join the bloods either.

You can get mugged in any neighborhood and sometimes in the very affluent neighborhoods there are ongoing problems, 'cause like Willie Sutton said, that's where the money is. Situational awareness is the key.

This is true...to a point. Yes, you could be the victim of crime anywhere. But that doesn't mean you want to live in neighborhoods that require sleeping in the bath tub to avoid getting shot in your sleep.