qzseattle

I am planning to go to Houston for a couple of days for the first time. A couple of people have suggested to vist the nicer areas right away or else it could "freak me out".

If I am driving around, which areas should I visit to get a positive impression of the city? I am particularly interested in seeing residential areas such as suburbs or master-planned communities.

Also, what are the popular gathering spots on a weekend evening for people watching/shopping (for a family).

Binthair

Hermann Park and the Museum District for family things to do. Closer to the area you are most interested in possibly living: Galleria, Memorial City Mall, West Oaks Mall and Sugarland Malls for major shopping. Movies, Jillian's, etc. try Katy Mills or entertainment complex at I-10 and 610 loop. Terry Hershey park for jogging, rollerblading, bicycling. Memorial Park for more of the same although slightly farther away. Others have suggested some neighborhoods/communities in the area. Agree with Katy area. Suggest also looking at communities in the Memorial/Frostwood area, although homes will be older in your price range. Also look at Sugarland area although a bit farther away. For natural beauty hiking, hiking and a picnic just outside Houston, I like Brazos Bend State Park. Galveston is a good day trip for some history and food. Kemah on Galveston bay for touristy family-fun. When you live here, weekend trips to Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and the Hill country are easily done. FYI the Pacific NW is a favorite summer spot for us. Houston is a good everyday place to live. Convenient and inexpensive.

tl91

A very fancy, and very romantic restaurant in Houston is Vargo's.

Statia

Sounds like the Clear Lake area would fit what you are looking for, as well.

cb

Where are you planning on staying when you get here? Do you have reservations yet? As mentioned in previous posts, Houston is very large & somewhat overwhelming when trying to narrow down a place to live. I have lived in the Katy area for 10 years, and have been pretty happy with it. Cinco Ranch (I don't live there), has been a very successful planned community, with lots of pools, parks, even a beach. It's close to the Katy Mills Mall and there really are a lot of things to do here. It's probably 20 minutes from where you'll be working (when there's no traffic! Which doesn't happen much...). I live in a sub division near Cinco Ranch, which is a little less expensive, but it's been okay for us. The schools are all good, as they seem to be building a new one every few months! Please feel free to e-mail me, I'll give you as much info as I can. Good luck!!

rkkwan

The "ugly" and "scary" areas of Houston are in the Eastern side of town, including Northeast and Southeast, inside Loop 610 and just outside of it. This unfortunately includes the U of Houston area and Hobby Airport, both SE of Downtown.

I think one poster mentioned he/she was "freaked out" after flying into Hobby. My guess is that he/she was taking Broadway north from Hobby Airport. That's a slow and poor way. Instead, if go east on Aiport Blvd, then make a left on Monroe. You'll be on I-45 in no-time, and bypass the ugly areas.

If you want to see the masterplanned communities, the 2 largests are Woodlands on I-45N, past IAH; and First Colony, on US59S, in the SW part of town. But there are other areas as well like Friendswood on US59N, or Cinco Ranch that cb mentioned. Most of these communities are about 15-20 miles from Downtown, some a little further.

Statia

rkkwan, isn't Friendswood off I-45 south? Or, has it built up so much that it now runs out to US59 north?

qzseattle

Thanks for the tips. I am sure that, as in big city, there are nice parts and ugly parts. I wonder, though, why does the city has a bad reputation as being an "ugly" city. When someone says it is "ugly", what does that mean? Is it rundown and shabby or is it just featureless? I will find out when I get there.

I also heard bad things about LA and Miami, but they turned out to be ok enough for me (at least the parts that I saw). On the other hand, I had heard only nice things about San Francisco but for some reason I was disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were too high. In the end, I think it all depends on personal experiences.

LDLee

You know, I have never understood the attitude about Houston. It's a good place to live, rather than good place to be from.

Is it a great city? No. There are few cities in the world you can call great.

Is it hot in the summer? Yes, but I would rather sweat through a summer here than freeze in a winter in Chicago.

Is it humid? Yes, but it does wonders for your skin.

One thing you will be surprised about when you visit is how green the city is. It is at the transition zone between the southern tip of the Piney Woods, one of the largest contiguous forests in the US, and the Gulf Coast.

There is a new, unsanctioned campaign to promote the city developed by the ad agency that helped elect our current Mayor. Unlike other campaigns that tried to hide our flaws, it admits to them and touts our strengths. You might find it interesting, http://www.houstonitsworthit.com/

Based on your comments about Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco, I think you will like it here. I share your views about each city, although I am not a big fan of Los Angeles. I especially agree with you bout San Francisco. I am always disappointed when I visit, and I don't know why. It should be a city I love.

Enjoy your visit.

rkkwan

statia - Sorry, yes, Friendswood is I45S. I was thinking about something else.

Anyways, if you want to talk about "unsafe" areas, in contrast to "ugly" areas, then there are much worse in the country. A good example is Washington, DC. I used to live there in the mid-90's, and there are large areas of the city that I don't feel safe driving into. I am sure there are such places in LA and Miami too. But there's no area in Houston where I feel unsafe driving into.

missypie

Houston is the only major city in the US with no zoning. That means that you see pawn shops next to restaurants next to apartment complexes next to department stores next to auto repair shops. I also assume that the city can't force businesses to plant trees or otherwise beautify their property as a condition to getting building permits, COs, etc.

Because of this, you will encounter some of the most powerful property owners' associations in the country...they essentially function as cities (which works fine if they are large enough and well funded enough to have professional staffs; less well if they are staffed by volunteers).

Binthair

The "bad" things people refer to include urban sprawl. Strip malls as far as the eye can see. Each has a dry cleaner and nail place. We must have more of those than any other city. Strip clubs. Too many billboards. Architectural incongruity. On the positive side, a lack of zoning makes life very convenient. Most any of your day-to-day needs are right around the corner. The geography is flat. Mount Rainier doesn't loom over the city, but if it did you wouldn't see it anyway. I still like living here.

mikemo

Avoid!
M

Binthair

Understand that Dallas has this rivalry with Houston. Not to open a can of worms.

qzseattle

I havnt seen a strip mall that does not have a dry cleaner, a nail place, a barber shop, a chinese restuarant, a teryiaki place, a pawn shop and a few other standard items. In that sense, Houston may not be that different from any other cities.

About zoning, let's see. Within three blocks radius around the place I live now , there are auto workshops, a pawn shop, luxury apartments, rundown apartments, condos, office buildings, hotels, motels, resturants, houses, a mall, a cinema, grocery stores, a park, parking lots and I can go on and on. Hmmm, whatever happened to zoning!
So I guess lack of zoning may not come to me as a shock.

Seattle is a beautiful city, no doubt. It does have its own share of problems though. It was rated second, behind LA, as a city with worst traffic. Like Houston, it doesnt have a fast, mass transit system such an underground or elevated train system. Weather is wonderful in summer. Rest of the year, it is either constantly raining or cloudy. Shopping and nightlife are quite limited when compared to other major cities. However, housing is probably the worst apect of the city. The prices are simply ridiculous and over-blown.

So, I think that no city is therefore perfect. It is all a matter of one's personal preferences and what you are willing to compromise on.