Recommended Area to Live (Single guy in 30s) (Houston, Dallas: apartment, rental)

[WonderfulAlex]

Hi everyone, I'm thinking of making a move to Houston and was hoping to get some advice from this group. About me: 37, single male, working in the energy/utility industry, and currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am East Asian if that matters.

I was wondering if you could suggest where the best areas to live around Houston are. Some things that are important for me (in no particular order):
1. Cost of Living: Ideally, rent under $2000 a month, but willing to stretch it higher.
2. Dating
3. Proximity to healthy food and grocery stores
4. Gyms nearby
5. Safety
6. Cleanliness
7. Friendly locals
8. A home/apartment with good natural light (and AC of course)

I plan to visit for 3 weeks to get a feel for the city and see if this could be a good place to relocate long term. Unfortunately, I am still working for a company based in California and do not have a job lined up in Houston.
I also will not bring my car and was planning on using Uber for my trip.

I also have money saved for a down payment on a home. Could reasonably afford something in the ballpark of $500k.

Any tips, advice, and info would be much appreciated! Cheers.

[LocalPlanner]

If a one-bedroom apartment is OK for you, you'll have good options in a lot of nice / trendy areas for up to $2K/month.

I would look at the west half of the Loop (Loop 610) and the area to the west from the Loop to the Beltway (Sam Houston Tollway), especially along San Felipe or in the Memorial City / CityCentre area. This latter area will be easier commuting to where many of the energy firms are (oil and gas specifically).

Your home purchase price is not likely high enough for this area though, unless you'd consider an older townhome or something that is a real fixer-upper.

[WonderfulAlex]

Wow, thank you. The San Felipe area looks very nice. I'm really liking the look and feel of this area .

[bloodwings19]

Living in Houston for many years, I would pick inside The Loop (or 610) as close to Westheimer as possible. Houston is so spread out that owning 0 car is nearly impossible especially at your age.

[mkwensky]

Can you share why you're looking into resettling in Houston even though you don't have a job lined up? And coming from the Bay Area at your age why is your budget so tight?

Single professional of any background should follow the advice of the above posters.

For dating it is impossible to offer advice without specifics, but you're of Chinese American descent and want to date in that group I'd say your pickings will be slimmer in Houston than in the Bay Area. The locals tend to marry young compared to CA and the second generation Asian population here tend to be more Vietnamese than Chinese. More of the Chinese American community in Houston is made up of new immigrants from mostly mainland China. A visit to the 'Chinatown' in Bellaire will tell you that. You won't find many Chinatown staples there like bakeries, bookstores and Cantonese seafood restaurants the way you would in cities with more established legacy Chinatowns.

[WonderfulAlex]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

Can you share why you're looking into resettling in Houston even though you don't have a job lined up? And coming from the Bay Area at your age why is your budget so tight?

Single professional of any background should follow the advice of the above posters.

For dating it is impossible to offer advice without specifics, but you're of Chinese American descent and want to date in that group I'd say your pickings will be slimmer in Houston than in the Bay Area. The locals tend to marry young compared to CA and the second generation Asian population here tend to be more Vietnamese than Chinese. More of the Chinese American community in Houston is made up of new immigrants from mostly mainland China. A visit to the 'Chinatown' in Bellaire will tell you that. You won't find many Chinatown staples there like bakeries, bookstores and Cantonese seafood restaurants the way you would in cities with more established legacy Chinatowns.

What would a reasonable budget be for someone coming from the Bay Area? What's a reasonable budget for someone born and raised in Houston?

To comment on a few things - It's been very well established that SF and the Bay Area in general is a nightmare for dating as a man. They don't call it Man Francisco for nothing, i'll leave it at that. Secondly is the cost of housing. Sure, prices in Houston have gone up, but SF is insanity on another level. Those are the two primary reasons, but I'm also thinking long term and having doubts about whether I want to raise a family in the Bay Area. Im Korean not Chinese btw.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by WonderfulAlex

What would a reasonable budget be for someone coming from the Bay Area? What's a reasonable budget for someone born and raised in Houston?

To comment on a few things - It's been very well established that SF and the Bay Area in general is a nightmare for dating as a man. They don't call it Man Francisco for nothing, i'll leave it at that. Secondly is the cost of housing. Sure, prices in Houston have gone up, but SF is insanity on another level. Those are the two primary reasons, but I'm also thinking long term and having doubts about whether I want to raise a family in the Bay Area. Im Korean not Chinese btw.

Dallas has a bigger Korean American community and more Korean amenities in general, and should still be much cheaper than the Bay Area. If you're moving for general QOL issues why not cast your net wider?

For housing 500k will probably not get you something great in a desirable neighborhood in Houston, but the 2000 rental budget should be enough. Based on anecdotal evidence I had gotten from my social circle dating as a hetero male in Houston is indeed easier than the Bay Area but the difference wouldn't be as drastic as say NYC. That's assuming you date in the general population not just a segment.

If you must visit I'd say more older singles could be found in Rice Military and the Heights rather than Midtown or EaDo. The part of Montrose close to Washington Avenue should work. Don't worry about looking for 'friendly locals' as only about 1 in five persons you meet will be from Houston.

[naners1]

If I were you, I would be looking at houses or Townhomes near Spring Branch. Most places there go for what your budget is. That area is sometimes called Koreatown it has lots of Korean locals and lots of Korean restaurants. There is the Korean American Chamber of Commerce located there. I used to frequent for years Kim Soo Karate school in Spring Branch, its the best karate school in the US not exaggerating.

https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/...SAAEgIW_vD_BwE

https://abc13.com/houston-koreatown-...urches%20there.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by WonderfulAlex

Hi everyone, I'm thinking of making a move to Houston and was hoping to get some advice from this group. About me: 37, single male, working in the energy/utility industry, and currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am East Asian if that matters.

I was wondering if you could suggest where the best areas to live around Houston are. Some things that are important for me (in no particular order):
1. Cost of Living: Ideally, rent under $2000 a month, but willing to stretch it higher.
2. Dating
3. Proximity to healthy food and grocery stores
4. Gyms nearby
5. Safety
6. Cleanliness
7. Friendly locals
8. A home/apartment with good natural light (and AC of course)

I plan to visit for 3 weeks to get a feel for the city and see if this could be a good place to relocate long term. Unfortunately, I am still working for a company based in California and do not have a job lined up in Houston.
I also will not bring my car and was planning on using Uber for my trip.

I also have money saved for a down payment on a home. Could reasonably afford something in the ballpark of $500k.

Any tips, advice, and info would be much appreciated! Cheers.

My wife and I moved from Los Angeles. My wife is Thai, I am Arabic. We have found Houston to be an excellent fit for us. Its super diverse, has world class food and culture establishments, doesn't get cold often, and has a great price tag even by Texas standards.

There isnt an Asian culture that doesn't have markets and lots of food establishments of good quality here with the exception of Japanese IMO. I wouldnt worry about being able to find anything in that regard.

Most of the people in Houston I know who have complained about the dating scene are women, not men so perhaps that means the odds would be in your favor.

Healthy food stores and large grocery stores with quality items are easy to find in all the areas you would be interested in. Same with gyms. I wouldnt worry about that.

While not as dirty as the Bay Area, cleanliness isnt really one of Houston's selling points. But most neighborhoods are kept nice enough.

I would highly suggest renting for a year before buying something. $500K will get you a home with little problem but it depends on where. If you want a house with a front and back yard, Willowbend/Westbury are great neighborhoods where you can afford a house for that price. For a condo, you could find something closer in.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

Dallas has a bigger Korean American community and more Korean amenities in general, and should still be much cheaper than the Bay Area. If you're moving for general QOL issues why not cast your net wider?

For housing 500k will probably not get you something great in a desirable neighborhood in Houston, but the 2000 rental budget should be enough. Based on anecdotal evidence I had gotten from my social circle dating as a hetero male in Houston is indeed easier than the Bay Area but the difference wouldn't be as drastic as say NYC. That's assuming you date in the general population not just a segment.

If you must visit I'd say more older singles could be found in Rice Military and the Heights rather than Midtown or EaDo. The part of Montrose close to Washington Avenue should work. Don't worry about looking for 'friendly locals' as only about 1 in five persons you meet will be from Houston.

$500K can absolutely get you something good in a desirable neighborhood in Houston. Just look at Willowbend.

To be perfectly frank, Houston is the best metro area for East/Southeast Asian amenities between the east and the West Coasts US at least on par with Chicago. Atlanta and Dallas may have specifically more Korean based things, but over all they dont touch Houston.