shaHn78

MODS: i know this is being posted in the wrong section but not all ppl go to the rambling so this way they can follow the trail :P


Anyhow.......
I'll prob be moving from austin to houston very soon (even thought i HATE houston)... but in anycase, i'll be in search of an apartment soon so need some help from the houston folks!

I dont wanna live in a some ghetto-ass place (even tho most of houston i think is like that) so where are some good places to live?? I was thinking an apt near SUGARLAND wouldnt be too shabby, but i was considering penthouse/tower type living. i've always wanted to live in a NY style tall building apts so which are some good towers in houston??
The reason i'm asking here is cos u cant find places like those in Apt Guide books and the other option, it seems, is to go to an apt broker of some sort which involves all that salemanship and other bs like car buying.

But anyway, do any of u guys know any fairly nice apt buildings around central/southwest/galleria area? Nothing too fancy dancy like riveroaks or anything but a nice, quiet place nonetheless (and of course where i dont have to worry about my headlights being stolen :P
Any input is welcome from the houstonians!

Tight-S

There are several loft apartments going into the downtown area. Don't know any specific names or exact locations, but downtown is becoming a cool place to live. With the new baseball stadium, the new basketball/hockey arena all going downtown. There are several new projects to make it better for people that live downtown.

I think HEB is building a grocery store near downtown. Landry's is building an entertainment complex downtown on the bayou. Quote, "The $21 million project will transform the abandoned firehouse and surrounding areas into a five-acre Downtown Aquarium entertainment complex with a four-story Aquarium restaurant, modeled after the one on the Kemah Boardwalk".

Sorry not too many specifics on where these lofts are in downtown but maybe it will give you an idea of what to look for.

WebToker

Check out some of the apartments on Being between Westhimer and San Felipe. They are walking distance to the Gallera. I lived in the Phoenician apartments on Bering and they were nice. Only reason I moved was because I bought a house.

bl^5

Hey I just made the exact same move! I live on the west side (I-10 and Highway Six). There are some real nice apartments on Eldridge Pkwy and there is a trick to getting a good price. The management company Sentinel has a program that is real nice. If you work for a company on their list they let you move in for $75, give you the first month free, let you move out whenever you want to without paying any fees, and they knock $25-$50 a month off of rent. I think several companies have programs like this but theirs is the only one I have a list for. The nice thing about these packages is that once you find a house, you don't have to wait until your lease is up to move out! Hint: find a house asap, they are building like crazy here!

Also go to cities4rent.com and register with them before looking at any apartment. Follow their process and you will get a $125 when you move in. If you want more info hit me at 210/316-1911

shaHn78

Thanks u guys...
I'm not really hung up on moving in the downtown or galleria area and esp not so i can be with the "hip, trend setters" or anything like that .... but mainly cos galleria is so cherished in houston that the city would never let it "rot", so to speak. They'll always try to keep that area in better overall condition and maybe even safer with more police patroling then other less desirable part of houston. I dunno, thats my dopey philosophy concerning that anyway

I was thinking having a nice house near sugarland wouldnt be too bad but i dont wanna deal with the maintanence and such.
And since i'm 23 and single, a pad in downtown/galleria would be awesome but i cant imagine having to deal with the congestion and the downtown traffic EVERYTIME i wanna get outta my apt!

> > TIGHT-S : I didnt know they were renovating that much around the new staduim and all but its certainly good news!

> > WEDTOKER : i'll check out the apt u lived in and the area u mentioned. I'm pretty paranoid about ppl messing with my car, esp the headlights, so hopefully they offer garage parkings and such.

> > BL 5 : Congrats on ur move! Did u move from austin or sa (cos of ur SA areacode). If u moved from austin then i'm sure it was a huge difference in everyday living and all...hopefully u got use to it! But about that sentinel program, it would never apply to me cos i'm running a family business and i'm sure they offer those to only corporation employees. But i'll check out cities4rent.com
And heaps thanks for offering the extra help by giving me ur phone # !!

Thanks again all u guys!... as always ppl on here always put in more effort and pull through more then whats really expected from u guys... u guys totally

JSuppi

You didn't mention anything about price ranges, or exactly what room/space you were looking for.

I used to live in the 'Creekstone Apartments' right off of Beltway 8 and Briar Forrest (most everything and everyplace is accesible from the Beltway in no time at all). Now you didn't mention where you might be working as well, if you are going to work downtown, congestion is going to be bad, but if you live in Sugarland the commute into downtown is really awful. Also I would avoid anything that would have you commuting into town on I10 (or out for that matter, because its just as bad).

Basically these are the places I would look into;
-Anyplace along the Beltway (Sam Houston toll road), especially between Briar Forest/Memorial. Like someone else mentioned there are quite a few apartments on Eldridge between I10 and Westheimer which are still pretty good (upscale, but don't demand the price tag of the locations on Memorial and the Beltway, or the Galleria, River Oaks, etc.). Commute from those locations are a bitch if you work downtown though

dbox

i live off westhiemer and woodland park dr. very close to beltway8. my apartments are called gramercy park, i think they are very nice. if you like basketball we have an indoor court

WebToker

I think the main thing about living in the Galleria area is the fact you are pretty much in the middle of the city. So basically you can get anywhere quick. Now when you talk about going to live in Sugarland you talking about at least 30 min drive anywhere you go.

shaHn78

Yea i realize i didnt mention the price range and all. I guess anything under $13-1400 for a nice loft in the city with easy access to daily things like market, restaurants, gym and other things would be nice. And i know that comparing a loft with an apt in sugarland is really quite different and commute from sugarland is gonna be a pain but i'm use to and prefer living right outside the city so i was considering sugarland - otherwise if i'm gonna live in the city then a loft would be awesome!

Anyway, i'll check out the places u guys mentioned but eventually i'll have get off my arse and make a trip down there to take a firsthand look at some places.

Thanks u guys

INDIOKATS

check out loftsatthepark.com, they look really nice, which are right by Minute Maid field, previously known as enron field. If you are looking for some apts in Sugarland there are some really nice apts called "the reserve" which are i believe on settlers way, or williams trace but those are really nice

another nice apt complex is on lexington past the mall, on the right hand side

Ill tell you this though, the commute to the city if youre leaving at rush hr times sux, especially with the reduced speed limits

pyssdogg

-i also live on the west side 5 minutes away from Hwy 6/West Oaks mall

-but man u sound like a snob:P

-i also think that spending $1300/mo. on an apartment is rediculous, you might ass well buy yerself a house

shaHn78

i sound like a SNOB?.. hahahah.. cmon, there's nothing i've said which would prove that i am...and i've never even mentioned what part of austin i'm in except once when someone asked - buts its cool, ur entitled to ur opinion :P

And about paying around 1300/month for a loft, i know many wouldnt do that and its almost STUPID to pay that much for something that ur not even going to end up owning. But its the experience of living in a nice loft which i'm going for and the amenities that come with... not to even mention the safety faction. But i do plan on buying a loft -vs- just renting one and i would be wiser to just get a house in sugarland or other "decent" place in houston (which i think are very rare there) but i'm young so i think highrise living would be more exciting...

But listen there are plenty of ppl out there who'll drive around in a USED s-class or other highend automobile, adding rims and system to them while living in the ghettos. Now THATS ridiculous to me and i'm totally opposite... i'll sacrifice showing off/driving a really nice car for a place which i feel comfy, safe and at HOME with.

BTW - i'm not pisst or going off on a rant but just clarifying myself

sgriffin

Houston is putting up lots of residential in the downtown area. None are safe by my standards - only in the last couple years have people been making the move into "downtown". And the support services like laundry, gas stations, and grocery stores are just now catching up.

Houston is big. Traffic is terrible. Figure out where you work and hang out and then start your search.

Don't assume Galleria is safe. Far from it. And it is a block from the infamous Richmond Strip - noise, drunks, dope, prostitutes - all my favorite things.

BW 8 / Westheimer and Hwy 6 / Westheimer and all points between are the best balance of good access to freeways and apartment value.