The other thread about moving to Houston inspired me to go ahead and start my own. My wife and I moved from The Heights to Austin a few years ago, but with the birth of our first just a few months away we are looking to move back to the Houston area to be close to family. We grew up and my family lives in Deer Park, but I have a deep dislike for that town so I'd really prefer not to live or raise my kid there. We've pretty much decided on Clear Lake, as it's close to Deer Park but not nearly as depressing. We also lived there for a couple years in our early 20's and enjoyed the area. So on that note, we're now house hunting and having a really difficult time finding a place. We're looking to keep our budget around $250k. Just looking to get opinions from anyone familiar with the area on what the best subdivisions are to focus on. A couple that we've been looking at are Northfork, Bay Pointe, and Oakbrook. Looking to stay in 77059 or 77062. We're both in our early 30's, so would like to be in a neighborhood with other young families if possible. Thanks.
InB4SugarlandorKaty Edit: On a serious note I think Clearlake is dying as a city with no Space program. How about moving a little farther south? League City Parkway.
lol, not moving to Sugarland or Katy. If I'm going to live that far away from family we might as well stay in Austin.
I like Nassau Bay, because it is an older neighborhood with lots of big Live Oaks and shade. It's where most of the Astronauts liked, back in the glory days of NASA.
May I ask WHY? If a SwoLy is the problem, I guarantee you won't have it... I might be moving into town soon with the SwoLy family. But, SRSLY, why not? You can be inside Highway 6 or just on it in Friendswood or West Side, can't you? The Energy Corridor (Eldridge, etc.) is inviting.
I think there are some decent houses by clear lake city blvd/Bay Area blvd just a bit past hwy 3. The only negative (or positive) is mr miyagi. What was his username. Can't remember. After the whole Obama thing, dude went nuts.
I haven't been that way in a few years, but the whole area seemed to be in decline. A good way to judge would be checking out bay area mall. Once a mall starts getting kind of seedy, the surrounding area is probably also getting bad. You say your family lives in Deer Park? That's right off beltway 8. You could live in Pearland and not be more than half an hour from your family. Something else, Clear Lake will be on heightened alert during every Hurricane scare. Why put yourself through that every Summer? Hope that helps.
Yeah, I think the area still looks pretty nice. I was just down there over the weekend, and went to Baybrook Mall last month. Looks about the same as it did when I lived there 10 years ago. Pearland might be an option, but I'm really not familiar with the area at all. Would prefer Clear Lake since it allows me to get to Deer Park without having to get on a freeway.
I can't exactly remember the neighborhood we looked at a few years back, but it was more of the League City area, off of I-45 to the right, private gated community with a boat ramp and access to the canals, private trails though the forest, their own park and everything. I seriously LOVED the neighborhood but traffic would have been miserable every day, and I loathe driving. I believe the homes started around $360,000.00 though. Great help, I know. :/ Keep in mind you will most likely be paying for wind insurance along with flood insurance due to Ike. Wind insurance is insanely expensive too.
Bay Colony in League City/Dickinson is nice as well as Centerpointe, Victory Lakes. In Clear Lake you got Bay Oaks.
Pretty much any area off Space Center Blvd is nice. I wouldn't go past Bay Area Blvd. I live off El Dorado and Highway 3. My hood is pretty decent but it's an older part of Clear Lake/Webster. If you are looking to stay close to Deer Park, Space Center Blvd runs right next to it. Just go up till you hit Genoa Red Bluff and your there.
My parents live in Clear Lake, I grew up there, it's not bad or ghetto now, can't be farther from the truth. Check out the neighborhoods along Clear Lake City Blvd. Bay Knoll is my parents neighborhood and the homeowners association has kept super nice, nicer then when I was a kid in the early 90's. CCISD is pretty good also. MUD taxes suck. I would suggest driving down there yourself, and scoping it out. Good choice, i enjoyed growing up around there immensely.
City Data (Houston) is a good board to ask these types of questions if you'd like additional feedback. http://www.city-data.com/forum/houston/
Try this link I found some of the better home areas right here. My grandparents raised my mom in Clear Lake. He worked for NASA until he retired.
I don't think that's true at all. The people I have spoke to at NASA say there is a lot of excitement going on. Sure there is change but it's not dying. I grew up in clear lake (oakbrook) but haven't lived there in 20 years. I still visit seabrook every now and then and clear lake still looks good. Actually looks better in recent years. What about seabrook or somewhere off 146? Insurance will be worse
I really recommend staying in Austin. If you hate deer park that much you will hate clear lake too because it isn't much different. I lived there for many years. I think the best area is off clear lake city blvd east of 45. That area is nice, quiet, fairly safe and far enough away from all the chain restaurants and chain department stores where all the zombie suburbians spend their free time "shopping". You are also far enough north there to hop on 45 and get to a real city like Houston in 15-20 min depending on traffic. I'd recommend moving to upper kirby if you are coming back to houston. Maybe midtown or downtown would be an option but to come back from Austin and go into suburbia land in clear lake is probably not going to make you happy. Especially since you hate deer park. I hate deer park as well. And Laporte.
