I'll be transferring to the University of Houston next semester (Fall 2014). But, I'll be moving with my girlfriend. So, we will be looking at apartments this weekend. Any advise on which neighborhood to look at or which ones to avoid? My main concerns are safety of the neighborhood and proximity to the college (15 minutes or less). P.S. Any apartment advise will be appreciated.
Would you be interesting in renting a house? You'd be surprised how comparable the prices are to luxury apartments.
Where are you moving from? I currently stay in the Memorial side but have lived in the Woodlands and Bellaire. Bellaire. Expensive. Very nice though. Apartments wise, can be smaller for price but safer neighborhood. Woodlands. I should say south of Woodlands because the Woodlands is a bit expensive, almost like Bellaire where I was kinda ghetto. It was Wells Fargo street, I remember that place. I do not recommend anything in that area, lol. Plus is just far from main area Htown. I stay in Memorial district now, I love it. While it is not as pretty as the Bellaire apartments it is so much 'spacier'. We had one problem where the roofs leaked every time a rained but they moved us to another room. My wife will also be going to UH (downtown) this semester.
I've given it a thought. It won't be my first choice but I'm open to the idea. Any suggestions Reeko?
I suggest driving around when you get here. There are a lot of houses and small condos available that you won't see online. Seems that you can find gems that way. The Montrose area is buzzing lately and the East end is picking up steam with the hipsters. If you are a scared hermit crab by all means go live in another city like Bellaire, the Woodlands or Sugarland.
Goodluck next semester! I'm moving from a city an hour away from Houston. Our price range is between $500 to $800. So I don't think we can afford the first two areas you've described. I'll look at Memorial though. *Using Walk Score to look at the neighborhood and apartments. Thanks!
Look at houses in the heights. I live in Midtown (the closest area to UH without being in the third ward) but the pricing is outrageous here, you may be able to find a 1BR for about $1200 and split it with your girlfriend.
Safe is a loaded word around here. Most folks here were raised in the suburbs 20 minutes from the city.
There are some apartments near Almeda and Old Spanish Trail that are a 10 minute drive to the campus according to Google Maps. I lived there for a couple years with a roommate who went to UH. He said the drive wasn't too bad, but there is a black preacher (or something) who stands at an intersection somewhere on that route, always in a huge heavy suit no matter how hot it is, giving out flyers for his fringe religion/church. So there's your safety concern, because anybody who does that must be insane. Apartments aren't too high priced there. Get a 3rd story apartment and you won't have to worry about break-ins.
Medical Center area is probably within your budget. It's around $800 for a 1/1. The older apartments are around $700 for a 1/1, newer luxury ones are around $900-$1000. The luxury ones should be safe, but if it's out of your budget, just make sure to get an apartment with a gate, preferably 24/7 guard, and don't live on the 1st floor or on the outskirts of your complex. Try looking into owners leasing a condo. They usually provide a gated community with a guard and are affordable.
