2000TLondon

Looks like I may be moving to Houston, Texas for a couple of years.

Anyone know the place well or know any good sites for ex-pats?

Interested in where to live and more importantly where not to live!

letdown

Nip down to Boots in September and clear them out of sunscreen !!

Dracoro

Do they have space there for you? I know Texas is a big place, but the people are bigger which could cause difficulty when you're walking down the pavement and realise that there's no way past the bloaters

The Chief

Housten is a huge sprawling place - absolutley massive, i visited Austin which admittedly is some drive away but Texas as a place is ace, cheap petrol, cheap housing, in Austin you can get a 4-5 bedroom house with a pool for around 150k, although the taxes on this will be around 3000-5000 dollars a year although there is no state income tax unlike other states.

Cant really comment much on Housten but Austin is one of the nicest places i have been and arguably the music capital of the world, Texans love there country music and pick-up trucks, when you get there you simply must give Shiner beer a try, have fun (lucky swine)

The Chief

Sorry i f i coudl not be more specific If it has to be in the Houston area i can find out for you leave it with me!

dpb

lovely climate , lovely place ..............NOT.

Ive heard.

The Chief

Well i'm not sure about Houston but Texas is a great place in general, lovely people low crime rate (yes you heard correct) if i coudl get a job over there i'd move there in a heartbeat.

gets a bit hot in July and August though!

Markus

I'd suggest jumping over to the NASIOC forums, more specifically the Texas Impreza Club section.

Ask them some questions and you'll probably get some answers back.

Low crime rate, hmm, isn't Texas the place where they seriously like to waggle the firearms around, in other words, you'd be mad to mess with them as you're more than likley to eat lead.

The Chief

Hmmm to be honest (in Austin anyway) the crime rate is really low, you murder someone and you go to the chair and not to lay back with a pina colada either

Ok not Houston but an Austin real estate website look at the house you've all got and look at what you coudl by over there!!!!

http://www.jbgoodwin.com/res/

Westlake is really upmarket - but Roundrock offers a good compromise, check out the prices!

Markus

Ah, that was the other thing, they like the leccy chair round those parts

House prices are rather good (similar to Canada). The crazy amount you'd spend on a city based 1 bedroom flat in the UK would probably get you a rather nice 2 - 3 bedroom detached house, with basement and garden.

Take a look at this place for example. 229,500 dollars (128,881 GB pounds). Not bad for 4 bedrooms is it

The Chief

Yep Round Rock is a really nice place to live also, although maybe a bit far from Austin centre if you were going out on the pop! great nightlife too!

I went into a bar in Austin (the BrokenSpoke http://www.brokenspokeaustintx.com/ and i swwear everyone was wearing Stetson hats! and having a right good 'ole time, this band was playing 'Good 'ole boy's! (theme tune to The Dukes Of Hazzard) and the whole place was yee harrghh-ing! i thought this is f**king ace!

Texas is fiercely independant and almost see themselves as their own country in its own right, when you drive along you see on nearly all the pick ups (no one drives car's over there) stickers that say 'DONT MESS WITH TEXAS!'

dpb

Theyre not all as 'thick' 's Bush junior...

The Chief

A high percentage support Bush but you'd be amazed how many hate his guts! and would quite happily lynch him given the opportunity!

Dark Blue Mark

In the oil business by any chance?

MB

dpb

or watercolours .......

DaveMiddleton

I have spent a lot of time in Houston as I have been in the Oil Industry for 25 years and visit regularly. I love the place and it's style of living. EVERYTHING is mega cheap against UK; ie houses, cars, clothes, fuel etc etc.
HUGE sprawling city with great road system (except in morning and evening rush hour. Common to buy a house way out (with good schooling near by) and then commute the 40 -50 miles to work. Great shopping at many malls with the famous Galleria the biggest. Fantastic restaurants with prices that make you wonder how UK can justify being so expensive in equivalent restaurants!!. Hotels of UK 4 star equivalent for about £50 per room per night.
Climate great until June when it starts getting real hot and muggy through September.
Area to live!? Canot relly advise on this but some nice sub division on I59 or 45 going North ( thus near Bush Intercontinental airport.)

2000TLondon

My fiance has got a job with Shell starting in October. Looking forward to it in many ways, but sad to be leaving my friends, family and the Subaru! Have checked out the prices for Sti's new ($28,000 ish).

Thanks for the info, all very much appreciated!

The Chief

You lucky swine! can you get me a job over there i'll work really hard!!!!!!

Yeah so so cheap compared to over here, Never made it to Houston but went to Luckenbach, Shiner, and San Antonio, absolutley brill!

bigJoe

Hey 2000T - Just PM'D you

stevem2k

Where (location) are you going to be working 2000T

have asked a few Houston Residents on another forum....


Cheers
Steve

2000TLondon

My fiance has the job, she's working "outside of the loop" apparently, which I think means suburbia - or at least non central, but I've heard most of Houston is suburbia. Desperate Housewives?!?!? Also, I read yesterday in a guidebook that Houston is the same area size as Israel! Not sure how big Israel is, but sounds pretty daunting!

I can see the Gulf Coast is about 40 miles south-ish of Houston, anyone know if the beaches are good, please?

Thanks guys!

DaveMiddleton

"The Loop" is the 610 Ring Road. Although long and wide, Houston is SO big that living or working outside the 610 means nothing without knowledge of how far as the loop covers a very wide area of Central Houston.
Galveston is about 45 miles away and it is on the Gulf Coast. Only went once and was not impressed with the place.