Might be moving to Houston

[CBlack]

My office is located close to the Beltway 8/290 junction.



I don't mind living in Magnolia, Cypress, etc.



I'd prefer a place with some property.



Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

 

[HBarlow]

Chad,

I'm sorry. I offer my sincere sympathy.

I spent the first 15 years of my life in the foul smelling swamp of Port Arthur on the Gulf coast. I honestly would not live in Port Arthur again if the city council gave me the city.

If someone gave me Houston I might agree to live there long enough to sell it. That part of the state has the hottest, most humid and miserable climate on the planet and Houston also offers millions of people, crowds, traffic, crime, 30 mile commutes in traffic jams, and more.

Do you have any alternatives?

 

[Bill Stockard]

I suggest you send a private message to TDR member RustyJC concerning the area. IIRC, he lives in Cypress.



Bill

 

[RustyJC]

Harvey,



Here's an article by Ken Hoffman that appeared in yesterday's Houston Chronicle. It's a pretty fair assessment of Houston, I daresay.

Houston may have a slight obesity issue. We're fat, all right? It does get a little humid around here in summer. Our beaches don't look like Waikiki. Quite possibly cars are backed up on I-10 between Bingle and Wirt and it's 2 p. m. — why in heaven's name is there traffic? Our sports teams haven't won a championship in forever.



And, especially during rodeo time, our city does look like a Village People convention.



Yeah, we're an easy target. When a major event is held in Houston, and the nation's media pour in, they will crank out stories about what a mess our city is.



Hey, I love Houston, I live here, and I think it's a mess, too.



But when it hits the fan, and somebody you love is wounded or gravely ill, or your city is flooded and there's nowhere to turn …



You come to Houston.



U. S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is coming to Houston from Arizona to continue her miraculous recovery from an assassin's bullet through her brain.



She is coming to Houston because here is where we take the impossible and make it better.



There will be a traffic tie-up of TV satellite trucks and hundreds of reporters around the Med Center. It's going to be a mess down there. You might want to take Richmond instead of Bissonnet. There will be news conferences and thousands of stories reading "Dateline: Houston. "



Please, no fat jokes. When the media reports on Giffords' recovery, try to resist putting an ugly political spin on the shootings in Tucson. Hey, I'm part of the media, and I was repulsed by commentators using murder to gain votes or notoriety or whatever cruel goal they had.



Talk about The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, where Rep. Giffords will fight to walk again and think again and lead again. Where she hopes to help raise her stepdaughters again. Talk about the Texas Medical Center, where world political figures who give the U. S. a hard time send their children to be healed. And we treat them and send them back home healthy. And we don't ask for political favors in exchange.



Write about Texas Children's Hospital, where a little boy who lives down the street from me was cured of cancer. Where my own son had a operation when he was 8 months old, and I had to sign a paper giving the doctor permission to remove his kidney, but he left that hospital fine, with both of his kidneys. In fact, these doctors are so good, I think they might have put a spare kidney in him.



Now 13 years later, if only Texas Children's could perform an operation that would make him put his socks in the hamper.



Giffords may be in Houston for weeks and months. Her rehabilitation will take time. And as the weeks go by, there will be less media attention on Houston. You'll get bored. Maybe your editors will say, "While you're down there, write a color story about Houston. "



Go to the Rodeo - KISS is playing there March 14. Eat some barbecue. The Rockets are playing at Toyota Center. Good seats are available.



OK, you can do a few fat jokes. But remember, there's a congresswoman who will be down on Fannin getting her life back. She is our inspiration.



Giffords is coming to Houston.

Chad,



Sounds like I could throw a rock and hit your office. My office is also in the Beltway 8/290 area in the Port Northwest development at FM529 and Golden Gate.



The farther out you go (Cypress, Tomball, Rosehill, Waller, Magnolia or even Montgomery), the more you can get for your buck, but the longer your commute will be. Ya pays yore money and takes yore choice. I live in the Lakewood Forest area of Cypress and have a 9. 5 mile commute that takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.



Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have.



Rusty

 

[CBlack]

Chad,



I'm sorry. I offer my sincere sympathy.



I spent the first 15 years of my life in the foul smelling swamp of Port Arthur on the Gulf coast. I honestly would not live in Port Arthur again if the city council gave me the city.



If someone gave me Houston I might agree to live there long enough to sell it. That part of the state has the hottest, most humid and miserable climate on the planet and Houston also offers millions of people, crowds, traffic, crime, 30 mile commutes in traffic jams, and more.



Do you have any alternatives?

:-laf



I've been to Port Arthur several times so I know what you mean.



If we have to move, then no alternatives which is why I'm considering NW - Far NW areas. We're hoping with the type of work I'll be doing that we can stay put and I can just travel when needed.

Harvey,



Here's an article by Ken Hoffman that appeared in yesterday's Houston Chronicle. It's a pretty fair assessment of Houston, I daresay.







Chad,



Sounds like I could throw a rock and hit your office. My office is also in the Beltway 8/290 area in the Port Northwest development at FM529 and Golden Gate.



The farther out you go (Cypress, Tomball, Rosehill, Waller, Magnolia or even Montgomery), the more you can get for your buck, but the longer your commute will be. Ya pays yore money and takes yore choice. I live in the Lakewood Forest area of Cypress and have a 9. 5 mile commute that takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.



Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have.



Rusty

Thanks Rusty. I may do that. My office is right on the Beltway but I have a friend who works on 529.



One of our VPs moved to Magnolia about 2 years ago and loves it. It takes him about 45 - 60 minutes to get to the office. He used to live in Cypress but said it was getting too crowded. :-laf

 

[DGamelin]

I leaved houston for 15 years in tomball and spring. Houston is a great place for a singly guy but it is Africa hot there. The state makes owning your owning business a lot easy then MI.

 

[HBarlow]

I know Houston offers great career and economic opportunities as well as some of the world's best healthcare (MD Anderson) but my memories of Port Arthur are still much too vivid to do anything other than pass through quickly.

I've gotten so spoiled living out in a rural county I even hate to drive into Lubbock anymore because of the terrible drivers and heavy traffic. Lubbock has the least skilled and rudest and most aggressive drivers in the US.

 

[RustyJC]

With all respect, Port Arthur (or Baytown, or Texas City) ain't Houston.



There's good and bad associated with just about anywhere one might live - I was born on Galveston island (yeah, I'm a BOI, for you Texas Gulf Coasters) and have lived in League City, Pampa, Truscott, Cisco, Truscott (again), Odessa, Big Lake, Houston, Odessa (again), Mount Vernon, Ohio (22 years) and now back to Houston (actually Cypress is NW of Houston). None of them were perfect, but all were livable. Life's what you make of it.



Rusty

 

[HBarlow]

With all respect, Port Arthur (or Baytown, or Texas City) ain't Houston.

There's good and bad associated with just about anywhere one might live ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . Rusty

That's true. And what feels right to one is not necessarily right for another. In my case, being retired changes my perspective considerably.

 

[RustyJC]

Yep, I don't know that I'll retire here - we own some acreage between Victoria and Cuero where we planned to build a place when we retire, but it's not a bad place to work.



Rusty

 

[CBlack]

What can any of you tell me about the property taxes in various counties around Houston? I know that Harris County likes to stick it to you.

 

[RustyJC]

It's not so much Harris County as it is the individual school districts - Cy-Fair (Cypress Fairbanks) ISD is where the majority of our property tax dollars go, but it's a highly rated school system which helps property values. Of course, we live in an unincorporated area of NW Harris County - if you're in the city of Houston proper, YMMV drastically.



Also, insurance rates may be a little friendlier outside Harris County, but many auto insurers will hit you with the Harris County rate if you commute into Harris County.



Rusty

 

[Okie-Go]

Texas City is not bad but sure would be a long drive to work wher you are talking about.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Chad,



I'm sorry. I offer my sincere sympathy.



I spent the first 15 years of my life in the foul smelling swamp of Port Arthur on the Gulf coast. I honestly would not live in Port Arthur again if the city council gave me the city.



If someone gave me Houston I might agree to live there long enough to sell it. That part of the state has the hottest, most humid and miserable climate on the planet and Houston also offers millions of people, crowds, traffic, crime, 30 mile commutes in traffic jams, and more.



Do you have any alternatives?

Oh it's not that bad Harvey when I was trucking I picked up loads in Port Arthur had to layover a few times. On Tuesday nite at the Wagon Wheel Bar and grill was Ladies nite. After a few beers I asked the bar keep when the ladies were going to get there. One of the ladies that needed a shave and some deodorant said you think that's funny. I said ya pal is yours one of the pretty one's. I was glad that someone stoped her from kicking my butt.