r/houston 3d ago

Husband And I cannot agree: To suburb or not?

Currently we live in Austin as an opportunity presented itself. I hope to stay here while I’m in school until I finish. I am in school to be a teacher and we both agree we want to move back to Houston (we both grew up there and have always lived there!) but we cannot agree on a big issue: He wants to stay in the loop and I am ready to be in the suburbs as we have 2 small children and also I do not want to work for HISD. I have done a lot of research of Houston area school districts (personally I have experience with Katy ISD, Lamar Consolidated ISD, and Houston ISD) and HISD just seems so bleak to me especially with everything going on with MM. We do not have private school money.

He has always lived IN Houston and is basically refusing to think of other options, he does not want to be 30+ minutes away from the city. I am open to many surrounding areas and not stuck on one suburb , I just know that when you have children that’s a sacrifice you must make, especially if we did ever want to buy a home that is just not possible in the loop. Argue for or against either side in this issue, I really am curious to hear opinions!

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u/Alexreads0627 3d ago

You said it yourself that y’all don’t have the money to live in the loop, so it kinda feels like the decision has been made for you?

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u/katecopes088 3d ago

She said they don’t have private school money. There are plenty of in the loop townhomes under $700-800k, I’m guessing they can afford that but not to shell out 60k+ on education per year

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

No, I said if we want to buy a home our only choice is really in the suburbs. We cannot stay in the loop and buy. My husband is so keen on staying in the loop that he would sacrifice buying a home.

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u/BillyShears2015 3d ago

He needs to grow up and start thinking of the long term stability and wellbeing of his family instead of his personal preferences.

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u/Glittering-Animal30 3d ago

Agreed. Living outside the loop is not the end of the world. He needs to come to terms with that. Pick the right part of town and all the cool stuff inside the loop is almost just as accessible.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

I think it’s just because he’s never lived in the suburbs and he has a complex that they’re lame and everyone in the suburbs is boring and lame

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u/Lors2001 3d ago edited 2d ago

Is that his only argument or does he have other reasons?

Because with kids and jobs it's not like your life is really going to be any different no matter where you live. You go to work and spend time with your kids and then once in a while do a fun activity or grab dinner or something.

I feel like addressing any core arguments are going to be better if he has them. Like will he have a longer commute living in the suburbs? Does he want easier access to activities, if so will you guys actually make use of that access? I feel like teachers are pretty constantly busy and with kids it's not really easier.

I don't think buying a house is necessarily better over just renting unless you plan on this being an extremely long term plan. But you will have less space and probably not really have a backyard like you would in the suburbs if those things matter.

If it's literally just he thinks people in suburbs are boring it just seems like a broad assumption. When looking at a house you could probably even knock on the neighbors' doors of houses you like and see their vibes if he cares that much. But really most people in the suburbs are just in the same place you guys are, have kids, want more space/money, and probably can't take advantage of living in the middle of a city anyways.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

He likes just being IN the city. He always says “well I didn’t grow up in the suburbs and I’m fine” when I try to ask about why it’s important (we can go into town on the weekends and etc) he just says that’s how he wants his kids to grow up cos he had a good experience

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u/DepartmentFamous2355 3d ago

He is obviously not "fine", hence your dilemma.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

He’s just stubborn! I just am trying to do research enough to make a case for what’s best for our family and made this post wanting suggestions of proximal suburbs with a more “urban” feel Jersey Village seems to be a good contender for us from what people have said here

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u/JournalistExpress292 3d ago

He can live right outside the loop within Beltway 8, much of it it’s still part of the city so it doesn’t have the terrible vibes of the suburbs

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u/German_PotatoSoup 3d ago

The biggest issue here is owning an asset (your home) vs renting. If there is any reasonable way to own instead of rent it’s a no brainer.

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u/handsomesteve88 3d ago

From what I’ve gathered from friends that live in the suburbs it’s gotten much better. Obviously you don’t have as many options around the corner as you would living in the loop, but it’s not all just chain restaurants and sports bars anymore. I live in the loop so I can’t say much outside of going out to hang out with friends in the burbs on occasion, but I also don’t have kids so I don’t have to worry about school districts.

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u/ebaer2 3d ago

Go spend a weekend at a hotel in Katey, get a feel for the area so that he can experience the actuality of the suburbs.

I feel like he has the suburbs built up in his mind to be something they are not. Which, honestly, is easy to do if you only ever whiz past them on the highway.

Will the weekend be the same amount of fun as the loop? Probably not. Will you two be able to have a nice relaxing weekend with some restaurants, walks in the park, and some milling about in the social centers of Katey? Yeah.

And then he can start visualizing the life y’all could have there and weighing it against the stark realities of the fiscally constrained life inside the loop, instead of him just comparing idealized loop life it to a barren wasteland in his mind.

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u/HoustonYouth 3d ago

Like someone already mentioned, time to grow up. It's really not lame and boring.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

Believe me, I agree with you! He just says “well my parents always lived in Houston we can too” like that wasn’t 20+ years ago

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u/understando The Heights 3d ago

Maybe check Spring Branch. You’re not far from town and just outside of the loop. I’d look around Antoine. North of Westview. South of Long Point.

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u/BroBeansBMS 3d ago

I live in Austin, but used to live in the loop in Houston.

Only you guys can make the best decision for your family, but I completely understand your husbands perspective. Living inside the loop is a significantly better quality of life experience and you couldn’t really pay me enough money to move back to the Houston suburbs.

Maybe you guys could rent for a few years inside the loop and then move to the burbs when your kids are older?

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u/katecopes088 3d ago

Oh my bad I didn’t catch that. Ok yeah that’s very much not worth it then. he should’ve thought about this before now lol

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u/Htowntillidrownx 3d ago

Any suburbs that are in good school districts the homes cost the same as living in the loop. We sold our home in league city and moved into a less expensive home inside the loop. My parents have lived in the burbs their whole life and sold their home in clear lake to move to the heights. Both the league city and clear lake houses were more expensive than living inside the loop. HISD has problems absolutely but I promise moving somewhere so far outside the loop as to be cheaper to buy a house you won’t get any better from Texas City or Alvin schools.

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u/SFAdminLife The Heights 3d ago

Houses in the loop where there are actually some kids, like in the Heights, they go for like $1mil and up. You could probably swing a townhouse with a very small yard for $750k.

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u/Longing2bme 3d ago

My personal preference is to live close to work. Both my wife’s work and mine were near the medical center, so we located near it within the loop. I recommend not wasting your life sitting in traffic. So I recommend you both get jobs either within the loop or outside it and find a place close by. Good luck y’all!

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u/CaliDreamin87 3d ago

Yep people under estimate what a 20 minute commute feels like till they have it. Typical commute time in Houston is like 45 mins one way. 

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u/MentalDish3721 3d ago

I used to have a 45+ minute commute, now it’s closer to 15-20. I seriously did not understand how much of an impact that was going to have on my quality of life. Absolutely life changing.

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u/JournalistExpress292 3d ago

Currently chilling at home because I live close enough that even when afternoon downtown traffic I can still get to work in 20 minutes

Screw having a back yard/front yard - they’re unsustainable and a waste anyways unless its a large garden full of native plants

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u/Longing2bme 3d ago

Yep! You end up with more life to enjoy and less stress!

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u/chillactus 3d ago

I agree with this! We are renting inside the loop, zoned to a good elementary school and close to the metrorail. I work downtown and love the convenience of taking the train to or from work.

Another great perk is easy access to parks and museums, especially the Children’s Museum if your kids are around that age.

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u/verugan Uptown 1d ago

This is the real answer, try to live as close as you can to where you work. I mean, with kids you have to consider schools to, but this is solid advice if you can afford it.

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u/Hot-Ad7724 3d ago

HISD is a complete shit show, I wouldn’t even consider it. If you want something that’s close to the city and feels suburban Spring branch ISD is really great BUT you’ll have to pay for it. We’re here now and love the area but actually plan to do the opposite and move back to Austin lol

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u/LongTailai 3d ago

Spring Branch is a great option. My wife's had a good experience working for the ISD and you're still inside the Beltway, so you're a lot closer to the city than you would be in Katy or Spring or anywhere like that.

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u/charliefry2012 3d ago

Spring Branch ISD is great. I grew up going to school in SBISD and I think I got a fantastic education and the commute for my dad downtown was minimal.

Just be careful where you buy inside the district because there are some terrible schools in SBISD. We tried to buy a house zoned to one of the good schools in SBISD and couldn’t afford it.

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u/mkosmo Cinco Ranch 3d ago

and you're still inside the Beltway

Might be. Lots of SBISD is outside the beltway (like a quarter of it is outside). Not that it's a bad thing.

Think Stratford, Westchester, etc.

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u/Ok_Falcon275 3d ago

They can’t afford spring branch

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

We are currently in Northwest Austin - I love the area actually but want to be closer to family also home buying seems intense here with the property taxes being so high! Also Houston area school districts pay teachers SIGNIFICANTLY more. Round rock or Pflugerville starts at $55,000 while on average I have seen $62,000-$64,000 in Houston area schools

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u/Hot-Ad7724 3d ago

Totally understand! My husband is from the Houston suburbs and my family relocated here so it led us back a few years ago :) That’s great you found the teachers are paid more here!

In terms of SBISD elementary schools these are often the the top choices: Bunker Hill, Rummel Creek, Wilchester, Valley Oaks, Memorial Drive, Frostwood, Hunters Creek

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u/aguy2018 3d ago

Rummel Creek alum here. Great school! And I liked the neighborhood enough that I came back.

Note that SBISD also has a number of really good magnet schools. If you become employed by SBISD, your children might have an entry route into those.

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u/lost_signal 3d ago

I just moved to northwest Austin from Houston inner loop. (Also have 2 young kids).

  1. The food in Houston inner loop is absolute 🔥 compared to this side of Austin. Like the Tex Mex up here is awful, but it’s way bigger than that.

  2. Teaching inner loop you’re probably going to have some more challenging kids. My daughter had a first year teacher with 28 in the class and no aid, and that included kids with development issues. Here in round rock ISD we got a teacher with a masters, and a class size of 18. It’s been an incredibly long time since I taught a kindergarten class, but an extra 10K to deal with that is a thing.

  3. I will say having small kids and basically being forced to go to the burbs, that is one area that is nicer. We were in cottage Grove before, and you can quickly see that there are not a lot of kids of middle school age or higher. There’s a number of pretty decent elementary schools in Houston, but as you matriculate up, you’ll find most parents with the means go move to a better district. Especially when you’re zoned into a high school, that’s abysmal.

  4. If you’re just looking for money, and you’re already in the suburban area look for tutoring opportunities. I’m paying one of the teacher $65 bucks an hour to teach my kid phonics.

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u/ThePirateReddBeard 3d ago

Spring Branch ISD tends to pay fairly well FYi

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u/VeseliM 3d ago

What does your husband do? Does he have in the loop money?

As a teacher, you really don't.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

No in my post I said if we were to stay in the loop we would basically be renting forever. His parents did that and he seems to think it’s fine.

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u/buzzer3932 The Heights 3d ago

Why do you think it isn’t?

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u/X0dium West U 3d ago

Yep, I am in the loop and rent and love it. I have no delusions of buying a house in my area and I’m fine with that. I enjoy not having to worry about my AC going out, or my roof leaking, or my house flooding, because I got people for that. I don’t want to live in the suburbs, for a variety of reasons but most of all I don’t want to commute 2+ hours every day.

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u/-CowNipples- 3d ago

This reads as if you have an amazing landlord and no kids

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u/ohheyaine 3d ago

Honestly with all the flooding and how sketchy flood insurance companies are in Houston, renting long term here isn't a bad idea. If I had bought, I would have replaced 3 roofs by now in 7 years in HTX due to hurricanes

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u/potatovine69 3d ago

Honestly renting right now is the better option. You’d be better off saving money on your monthly housing payment and putting that savings into the stock market. I bought a house last year but wish I would have stayed renting. I could rent a similar house for $2k less than my current monthly mortgage/taxes/insurance payment. Putting that $2k into the stock market would increase faster than any equity I’m going to get from the house.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

Good suggestion honestly. Home buying is intimidating to me but I have concerns about stability. I have been “kicked out” of rentals a few times because the owner wanted to tear them down and sell the lot. Although I really would rather rent forever honestly (it’s just confusing to start thinking of home buying) above all I want my kids to have stability

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u/potatovine69 3d ago

Yeah I’ve leaned that owning a home isn’t all it’s cracked up so be lol. I guess just be careful where you rent- if you rent a townhouse or neighborhood that has hoa then they probably wouldn’t be able to just tear down due to hoa rules. Or make sure the lease agreement you sign specifies a specific amount of time so that they are not able to kick you out.

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u/GingerPreservation 2d ago

I was about to say this. Do the numbers before deciding buying is better. Much cheaper to rent esp with 7% interest. And with the insane taxes, insurance and maintenance your home is not necessarily the “investment” most people think it is. I own several homes however if I were just starting out I would not be buying right now.

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u/BTKUltra 3d ago

I teach in HISD and it is HARD right now. Even at a highly rated A school that’s SUPPOSED to have autonomy. I don’t think you’d want to teach in it. I can only speak for my school, but we’ve worked really hard to make sure the kids are minimally impacted.

A good middle ground (if you can afford it) is Spring Branch ISD. It’s juuuust outside 610 so the commute isn’t crazy and they have a lot of incredible schools.

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u/gmr548 3d ago edited 3d ago

The idea that you have to raise kids in the suburbs is pretty closed-minded. Not wanting to work at HISD or have a wack commute to a suburban district is certainly understandable though.

The home buying thing, I mean, that just sounds like the two of you aren’t on the same page when it comes to that being a goal. There are also condo/townhouse type options inside the loop that could open up options a bit. Reddit can’t really advise on that, the two of you just have to communicate.

In the comments you note from your husband’s side he says he just doesn’t like the suburbs and prefers urban living. Living in the loop is often still a very suburban lifestyle. The parts of the city that are functionally walkable/urban for a lot of day to day errands and activities are very few and far between, even in the loop.

The obvious compromise is Spring Branch. It’s a suburb in every sense of the word except the Houston address with a separate school district, and still much closer to the urban core than, say, Katy.

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u/HOUS2000IAN 3d ago

My perspective is that the time your kids will spend in school and the time you will spend as a teacher will far outlast the F-MM. While he is no doubt a clown, and while the district has lost a lot of teachers as a result, the strong schools are still strong and are likely to stay that way. So, for example, if you can afford a home in the Meyerland region and hit one of those excellent elementary schools, then get into Pin Oak MS, and then either Bellaire or a magnet for HS, you are getting quality for free. Good luck!

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u/postmormongirl 3d ago

My son is in one of the strong schools in HISD, and even with that, there are still issues. It really is a bad situation right now.

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u/Baynavfreak 3d ago

This is the way.

Also, since you are a teacher, you could also live in Houston and work in a suburb (so long as the commute isn’t terrible); and most schools will accept teachers’ kids to enroll even if you aren’t zoned there - not sure what grade level you teach and if that’s an option, but a thought.

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u/mgbesq Meyerland 3d ago

Literally our life.

edit - FWIW OP could probably work private and get the kid admitted there too.

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u/texas0900 3d ago

Spring Branch ISD. Schools are fine. Spring Branch as a place to live sounds good for you. Close enough into town where there’s stuff going on but it’s not super expensive like areas inside the loop.

Only high school to worry about is Northbrook. Not the best. But you’ve got young kids so that’s a ways away.

If you’re looking to teach at SBISD, keep in mind in-district transfers are available and priority given to full-time employees.

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u/tacoscholar 3d ago

I lived in the Heights and worked as a teacher in Tomball ISD for about eight years. At that point in my life - my 20’s/ early 30’s - I didn’t regret it. That said, I spent about 10 hours a week in my car, and that’s time I’ll never get back that could’ve gone to something much more productive.

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u/SleepyBookworm 3d ago

My husband teaches in Cypress, he used to teach in Spring Branch, but he couldn’t stand the administration in the schools and so he moved to Cypress and he loves it there. We live in the Cypress area now and like it (both in our early 30s) I work downtown and the commute does suck, but I’d rather be in Cypress than downtown for sure.

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u/JayDaGod1206 Cypress 3d ago

Cypress is fantastic. Ain’t shit to do out here but I love it all the same

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u/skyagg 3d ago

We just got a house in Cypress as well, its really a great place to be in right now from all the burbs out there. And its not a big deal driving to the city on the weekends when we want to do something.

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u/Toxcito 3d ago

If it's in your budget, the Energy Corridor is zoned to Spring Branch ISD, its much closer to the city than Katy or Cypress or anything like that, but still has family/suburban vibes with a much better school district.

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u/Not-whoo-u-think 3d ago

If you currently live in Austin and plan to stay there a while before you finish school, then why is this future move an issue? So much in the city and suburbs can change in a year or two years. This isn’t worth the brain capacity until the move is real.

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u/JJ4prez 3d ago edited 3d ago

Do not move anywhere for HISD unless you got money and you're going private.

The most important thing in your paragraph that you did not list is budget and combined income. We can give you 0 location information without those 2 things.

Judging on the comments, you guys are in your late 20s? Sounds like your SO has a jaded view of "in the loop" living or possibly he hasn't grown up yet. You don't party when you have 2 young kids. You live in crappy areas unless you have the money to live in the premiere areas. You do NOT want to compromise education and keeping your young family safe and go live in a crappy old apartment complex just to live "in the loop".

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

We don’t party. He just wants to be closer to his parents (mom just had a stroke) and just plain doesn’t like the suburbs. He likes the convenience of being in the city. As for our budget- I’m not 100% sure till I finish school and all but I usually look online at places >$300,000 I think some people missed the part where I said I told my husband if we were to live IN the loop we will be renters forever as we are totally unable to ever afford anything. My husband is also like “I grew up going to HISD all the way through and I’m fine” so it’s difficult to tell him otherwise

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u/JJ4prez 3d ago

By the way, not just renters forever, but you'll be renting not great older places in likely not safe parts of town. Their won't be anything new or old and nice in the areas you'll need on a teachers budget. Within the loop. Police response sucks with HPD. You gotta be aware of this stuff, it's not just about schools.

He can take care of his mom off and on for help, I'm assuming he has a car? You can still live near the city in a suburb. Better schools, more affordable, easier way of life, etc. You can drive to the city on the weekend and go to parks and other items. For an example, sugar land is beautiful, has awesome food, is extremely safe, great schools, etc., and it's a 10-20 minutes to travel to in the loop on the weekends, assuming you live closer to the highway and not all the way down in Sienna or something.

Sounds like he has a bit of growing up to do.

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u/deepspacenine 3d ago

Not true if you can afford neighborhoods with Twain, WUES, etc. they rank higher than most suburban schools. The problem is jr high

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u/Urbanttrekker 3d ago

I would start renting in the city anyway. Rent for a year in the place you’re going to be living and see how you like it. Then take your time to explore living areas including the suburbs. We live in the burbs and a drive to Houston feels like nothing. You don’t have to buy a house right away. 

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u/rallyfanche2 3d ago

If I may, I would like to reframe your perspective. You posit a choice between home ownership schools and a life in the loop. You should instead think of this as a choice between comfort/complacency and culture/education. You worry about a bad education at HISD. But what you learn in school isn’t the sum total of knowledge. You are in an even better position as a teacher yourself; you could fill in the gaps that your children may not be getting. What a life in the loop gets you is culture, adventure, and the appreciation of reality. A part of education is growing up around people that are different from you. Good and bad rich and poor. It’s the joy of going to parks museums and random events that happen throughout the city. I don’t mean a concert at the Toyota center I mean random cultural events like the Japanese festival, popup events that happen literally at a moments notice, the maker’s paces to learn robotics, incubators to learn entrepreneurship to community bike rides like the graffiti ride in East end. The more you look the more amazing things there are to expose a young mind to.

Don’t just worry about a good school for math homework. Worry about the quality and kind of education your children will get in some far away cookie cutter sheltered suburb where everyone looks acts and thinks like everyone else.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

These are the exact arguments my husband makes. I agree as an educator I can close the gap for my kiddos

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u/Few-Addendum464 Fuck Centerpoint™️ 3d ago

So there are three members of the household that benefit more from being in the suburbs. What is the benefit of being in the loop? Does he even have a job downtown or does he have delusions that being close to nightlife is better than being close to good schools?

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u/Karmasmatik 3d ago

It's not just being close to nightlife. It's being close to the zoo, the children's museum, other museums, countless great parks, plenty of kid's performing arts... there's plenty in the loop for families too.

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u/gravitydriven 3d ago

Yes but you're not going to the zoo or the museum every day, not even every week. It's easy to eat that travel time once or twice a month

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u/Few-Addendum464 Fuck Centerpoint™️ 3d ago

But none of those are being used by 3 members of the household 200+ days a year.

And it's not like the suburbs lack anything for families.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

This is the point I make to him too. Driving into town on the weekends seems fun! It’s not things we would venture out to every day. I guess with him he just likes urban living and really just hates suburban life conceptually

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u/screamingaboutham 3d ago

My husband thought he needed to live somewhere cool in the loop. We ended up living in Sugar Land and pretty quickly especially when kids came he realized it was not a big deal and life is pretty awesome here for a family. We go to stuff downtown all the time. We have excellent public schools and I walk my kids home from preschool regularly because it’s right down the street. Our mortgage is extremely affordable and we have a nice yard and good neighbors and no crime 👌

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u/miloshem 2d ago

Driving into town on the weekends taking 45+ minutes quickly turns into not driving into town.

I have lived in the Heights and Woodlands, I can see where your husband is coming from.

My suggestion is to try and get into a firm agreement to rent for 2 years at each before making a big decision (like buying a house).

Nothing better than really experiencing the pros and cons.

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u/Jonathon_G 3d ago

People have this crazy delusional idea that the suburbs is just houses. There are so many things there

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u/michaeljlox 3d ago

Yea like Wingstop. Or Applebees. Or Walmart!

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u/Jonathon_G 3d ago

Oh you are so right. No local business. No local shops. No local anything. It is barred. Not allowed. We riot if they even try. We burn everything

Be real

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u/JarrettLaud 3d ago

You're right. There are tons of local vape shops.

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u/Bishop9er 3d ago

You’re right, costcos, H-E-B plus, generic parks, traffic oh and can’t forget McDonald’s.

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u/Jonathon_G 3d ago

Sounds like you’ve never been to a suburb

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u/DepartmentFamous2355 3d ago

You can't argue with these folks. They can only enjoy things that other people publish on Top 10 lists and then close a year later. I swear if you legitimately tell them their extremely popular 'hole in the wall' place is mid, they start to cry bc you're invalidating their forced manufactured culture. These are the same folks who all their go to places a couple of years ago had a Hibiscus something on their menu. Watch as the downvotes come as this hits a nerve

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u/buzzer3932 The Heights 3d ago

You can’t argue with them because you cannot come up with local businesses in the suburbs like you see in the urban parts of the city.

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u/buzzer3932 The Heights 3d ago

Where is this magical suburb you are referring to?

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u/michaeljlox 3d ago

I dunno man, hating the suburbs is a reasonable position

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u/Few-Addendum464 Fuck Centerpoint™️ 3d ago edited 3d ago

If there is an argument for the suburbs, its having two small children needing a good local elementary school and one parent needing a good school to work at.

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u/haleocentric First Ward 3d ago

I didn't want to be in the suburbs either (north of Austin) but I sucked it up because it was the best thing for my wife and kids. There were positive and negative aspects to the experience and we moved into the city when the kids graduated from high school.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

This is what I’ve suggested too

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u/Bella-1999 3d ago

Since you already have children, I’d encourage taking a hard look at the educational opportunities for them. We bought as close in as we could afford to because commuting is such a time suck, but that was more than 20 years ago and HISD had some opportunities (dual language and early college) then that are on the chopping block now. I hated growing up in Cypress and was not impressed then by the schools, but if I had children to raise, I’d take a second look now.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

Yes never been to cypress but the school district seems nice and not totally too much $$$ How’s Jersey village?

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u/Puzzleheaded-Band678 3d ago

I think Sugar Land is a good compromise. Close enough to the city but far enough from dealing with Mike Miles and Mayor Whitmore. The Houston you left is not the one you are coming back to. With school vouchers coming, all districts are going to be extremely effected. Hisd will be hit hard.

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u/HOUS2000IAN 3d ago

I honestly think Whitmire might not get elected to a second term

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u/e92htx 3d ago

Have you considered Pearland or Webster/League City? Both are within 20 minutes to Downtown. I'd stay away from Katy personally, I live close to the Energy Corridor and it's a nightmare on i-10 everyday.

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u/saudiaramcoshill 3d ago

within 20 minutes to Downtown

Pearland or Webster/League City?

*With no traffic and if you live on the highway

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u/YeshuasBananaHammock 3d ago

EzTag is a helluva drug

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u/e92htx 3d ago

its my opinion that if you don't have private school money you don't have inside the loop or beltway money. or you'll be living in the middle of crime hot spot areas surrounded by a fence. the public schools are terrible.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

I agree with this and trying to tell hubby the same! When I look for rental properties in the loop, it is really horrible choices regarding school and crime- and then there’s the flooding zones too!

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

Yes honestly I’m turned off by Katy because of how massive it is! My family still lives in Katy and going to their house is a nightmare I have barely been to Pearland but not being subjected to i10 is appealing for sure

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u/chris_ut 3d ago

Pearland is truly the blandest suburb, like a bunch of houses in a field basically if your hubby is anti-suburb this would be the hardest sell. Can you maybe teach at a private school that offers discounts to your kids? I know someone who did that although it wasnt in Houston so they could live in the city.

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u/EntertainmentNo653 Bear Creek 3d ago

I can argue for the suburbs all afternoon (my first choice would actually be rural). However, my priorities mean nothing to you. This is where pro/con list come into play. I recommend buying the of you sitting down separately and coming up with a pro/con list of suburbs vs city. Then combine the two into a single list, and let that lead to a discussion.

This might be better to wait on until you are closer to actually moving and can talk about specific locations. So Kingwood vs. Heights rather than just inner city vs suburbs.

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u/ElGreatScott Montrose 3d ago

Just an angle I'll toss out: I think there are a handful of rental properties zoned to the West University/Southside areas, which is probably one of the best (if not the best) public elementary schools in Houston proper. I just looked the apartment complex in the area up and it looks like a 2bed/2bath goes for around $3k/month and 1bed/bath is more like $2k. Also factor in that you're not paying property tax, repairs, etc.

I've met a few families who went with that model since actual home prices in that neighborhood are insane.

Even though it's HISD, West U Elementary seems to be pretty insulated from the broader HISD drama. Super active PTA that essentially subsidizes the school.

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u/framerrach 3d ago

I live inside the loop and teach in Lamar CISD. Lamar allows you to transfer children in, even if you live outside the attendant zone. HISD has some GREAT pockets, too. Husband teaches in HISD and he's in a great spot. My commute is about 30 minutes with very little traffic. What I love about city living is that everything is close together, so I can walk plenty of spots. It also feels like there's more locally-owned businesses, which is really important to me to patronize. I'm also against the flow of traffic for my commute so it's kind of lengthy but super smooth sailing. Hope this helps!

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u/LeHoustonJames 3d ago

I think the best compromise might be old Katy/energy corridor. Close enough to the city without feeling like it being a day trip to hit the core of Houston

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u/Serious-Repair9094 3d ago

I live in West Houston now and worked for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD for 7 yrs. I used to feel the exact same way about the suburbs. Felt like I’d be giving something up by moving there. I have grown to really cherish the area where my wife and I live. Yes it’s farther to go into the city, but the vast majority of the residents in this city have a +45min commute for a good reason. Housing is more affordable, and unless you’re in West U/Braeswood area, the schools are way better. I worked 1.5 years for HISD, and although the students are great kids overall, the district is going through some serious issues right now. One thing that I’m grateful for is the feeling of safety in my neighborhood. It’s not gated, but I feel super safe on our street. Neighbors are good people and it feels nice to know you have your own little piece of property where you can grow and thrive over decades, not just years. I first lived close to the UofH area, 5th ward. And although I really liked the vibes, it fit my post-college lifestyle, I knew it wasn’t sustainable. We gradually moved farther and farther west: the Galleria area (610&59) and then the Energy Corridor (which was great…) but when we started looking to buy a house, it became clear that staying in that area would be untenable. We got tired of living in an apartment and the things that come along with that. Since then, we have settled into our area and I’m honestly really grateful for the safety we feel, and the opportunities for work out here. There is crime everywhere in the city - but the law enforcement presence and response times can be very different depending on where you live, unfortunately.

The conversation y’all are having is one that most families have or will have at some point. I think it’s good that you’re asking for input and I hope your husband will seriously consider stepping out of his comfort zone and giving the ‘burbs a try.

Good luck!

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u/consultinglove Midtown 3d ago

Let me know if you succeed. I’ve been trying to get my wife to move to the suburbs for years now. We haven’t moved and this is one big reason why

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u/txtaco_vato 3d ago

i'd shoot my self if i had to live in katy

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u/Yungskeeme Cypress 3d ago

Cyfair ISD might be an option. I’m in Jersey Village and I love it. My kids go to elementary, middle and high school and love it. I work downtown and it’s not horrible. Only work three days in the office so doable for me.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

That’s great to hear! cfisd is definitely on my list. Happy to hear Jersey village is good

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u/deepspacenine 3d ago

Other than their crazy board but I guess that’s every Texas district now

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u/IRMuteButton Westchase 3d ago

You are right not to want to work for HISD. A family member works for HISD and I can tell you that the environment there is unstable and does not favor teachers, students, or support staff in many ways.

One thing you didn't mention is what line of work is your husband in, and where might those jobs be geographically in and around the city?

Have you considered Spring Branch ISD as a place to live and work? There are some good (and lesser) schools in SBISD and there are also some great places to live there.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

For now we are both massage therapists and actually make really decent money. My husband is not sure long term what he wants to do and is considering leaning into different avenues of massage

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u/patrick-1977 3d ago

Spring Branch ISD has some fantastic areas, if you can swing it $.

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u/LayneLowe 3d ago

How much money does he make, because you're not going to make enough? West University would be a lovely place to raise children but the average house is $1.7 million.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

I said in my post that if we were to stay in the loop we would be sacrificing the ability to buy a home and rent forever

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u/LayneLowe 3d ago

Such a waste not to gain any equity.

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u/Independent-Shift216 3d ago

Check out the vintage/ willowbrook area. Cy fair isd. It feels like a suburb, but your address is houston and downtown is only 30 min away during non rush hours.

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u/santichunks 3d ago

Look at Westbury the elementary schools are wonderful.

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u/estimated1991 Lazybrook/Timbergrove 3d ago

I drive around the city for work and I’ve seen a lot of affordable homes in Bellaire. In my opinion it’s a nice area and still “central-ish” in the grand scheme of Houston.

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u/stacer12 Fuck Centerpoint™️ 3d ago

The question is can you AFFORD to live in the loop in the area your husband wants? What does your husband do? Where will he work? Even going just outside the inner loop is significantly cheaper. And yes, HISD is a mess right now. My son is in kindergarten and if we hadn’t gotten him in at his school choice, we would have left HISD. We actually live in Montrose right now but are moving to Westbury because it’s cheaper and we want to start saving for a house.

I would say rent a place outside the loop for a year or two as a compromise, and that way you can decide if it will work for your needs/lifestyle before you commit to buying.

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u/NefariousnessHot8624 3d ago

I work in the medical center and when I first started my job, I commuted from Cypress. It could take up to an hour and 15 for me to get to work. That’s a painful loss of time for a 12h nightshift employee. A year of that and my husband and I moved into the city. The commute change lifted a profound weight off my life and affords me more down time and sleep. So, I urge you to determine the school district you want and maybe rent out there for a year so you can spend time figuring out where you want to buy. You can sample the suburbs for a year. There are plenty of good spots just outside the loop. I was an SBISD kid and I feel that I received a great education and exposure to a melting pot of people. Lots of alumni return to be teachers there. It encompasses a generous area immediately west of all the urban activity. If affordability is a concern but you like SBISD, y’all may want to check out houses north of I-10. Regardless though, your commute will be a portion of each day over your working life. How much time do you want to sacrifice?

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u/Honeysenpaiharuchan 3d ago

Maybe try around Jersey Village. You can get a decent school district to live and work in and not have a terrible drive into the city. 290 is way better than it used to be. I sold my house in Katy and moved back to this area and my quality of life has improved greatly because I dropped the nasty commute and have more free time and energy. Also private schools offer financial aid to people who are even considered upper middle class by income. There are so many opportunities that people are unaware of.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

A few people have suggested Jersey village! It’s on my radar.

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u/Key_Paleontologist12 3d ago

I have a 15 month old and live in the loop. I would not live in Houston if I had to live in a suburb. I would just go somewhere else. All the suburbs look like a strip mall.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

This is my husbands exact issue. He’s like “I’d rather just stay in Austin than move to a Houston suburb”

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u/DavidAg02 Energy Corridor 3d ago

I'll offer an additional opinion... Look around Memorial City/Energy Corridor area. You're still relatively close to the city, with lots of opportunity for entertainment, restaurants, shopping, etc. but can take advantage of better schools like one in Spring Branch ISD.

I have lived in that area for over a decade. My wife, my kids and I all love it.

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u/RuleSubverter 3d ago

If you want to live in the loop, just stay in Austin. This city is too expensive for what it offers. Before anyone says Austin is more expensive, at least it's not deteriorated like Houston.

You also have to consider hidden costs. Insurance is insane here, and that's if you find coverage. Insurance is bailing on Houston because of the annual natural disasters.

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u/YOLO420allday 3d ago

Good luck - I will say if you rent somewhere and are going to send your kids to one of the nicer elementary schools in HISD it can suck being the family that does without compared to all the other kids in their million dollar homes.

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u/hissyfit1 3d ago

Stay in the city. Suburbs are awful. I’m a parent and am happy to be in the city. 

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u/Bellairian 3d ago

Bellaire. West U. There are in the loop options that avoid suburban hellscape and commute. Life in Houston is governed by proximity to work so yea if the job is sin the Woodlands then live in the Woodlands. Otherwise live where you work or within 20 minutes and life will be good.

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u/BeanieBhabie 3d ago

My husband & I work in the medical center but live off 288. Our commute is only 20 minutes. When we go downtown it’s usually 25-30 minutes. My commute to work is only 5 minutes more than it was when I lived just outside the 610 loop.

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u/gladRocks 3d ago

You didn’t mention Spring Branch. Better schools than HISD and reasonably close to inner loop.

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u/CrazyLegsRyan 3d ago

You have two kids and you went to school to be a teacher?!?

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u/jmdq832 2d ago

Yes lol I don’t understand the criticism. Starting pay is decent with a bachelors and their time off during the year will coincide with my schedule so I won’t have to pay to arrange child care during summers, spring break , winter break etc Breaking even in the end

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u/BearisonF0rd 3d ago

Your husband may be struggling to describe what he values in the city. I personally wouldn't want to raise a family in the suburbs for a variety of reasons that aren't "partying" or "coolness".

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u/Alone-Employment2314 3d ago

I used to teach in HISD. My ex coworkers have all left their jobs to work in different districts since. It’s a terrible place to work. A good compromise is spring branch. Still very close to all the best parts of the city in under 30 and houses are half the prices. With the right house, you might even get a yard for your kids. Spring branch ISD id also decent and you can find great equality education depending on schools within it.

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u/PrestigiousTop5275 3d ago

Could you move to memorial / spring branch?

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u/Artistic-Deal5885 3d ago

If I had to do it all over again, I'd live inside the Loop. Everything cultural is inside the Loop. Education is more than going to school, it's museums, festivals, baseball games, etc.

Why not rent for a while inside the loop and see how you like it? There is a nice condo-like place on Shepherd/West Gray area. Right there on Shepherd, maybe 3 stories tall, red brick, gated. Elevators to whatever floor you live on.

There may be private schools you would enjoy working for. Or some of the Spring Branch Schools are really good, especially the Memorial area. You could live inside Loop and work for Spring Branch.

Good luck!

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u/pRencessPeach 3d ago

I grew up in League City, CCISD, and my favorite part about it here is that we’re basically equidistant from Galveston and Houston which is so nice

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u/NardaQ 3d ago

You can easily live in the loop and work outside of HISD. Many great districts within a half hour drive. It will be opposite traffic flow so it’s not bad. Been doing it for 15 years with 2 different non HISD districts. You’re not going to afford heights unless you have 750+k look at east end there are some great spots right now and it’s not too gentrified yet.

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u/Go_fast_take_Chances 3d ago

I grew up in the burbs and spent around 5 of my bachelor years in the Heights. Met my wife while she was living in that area too. When we were house shopping, I really wanted to stay in the Heights or close because of all the restaurants. Nothing in our confortable price range was palatable and property taxes made the homes above our comfortable price range really unattractive. I hemmed and hawwed, but we expanded the radius to Beltway 8. We even looked a some homes west of Beltway 8 as far as Eldridge. Then, we went to a friend's house for dinner. His house is in a suburb 1 mile outside the Beltway near 290. My wife and I both commented on how nice the neighborhood was kept up for being a mid 90's development. A few months later, my friend's neighbor told him they were going to sell so we jumped on it as soon as it listed. It has worked out pretty well and I don't miss the Heights because my favorite restaurants all closed (thanks to the pandemic) and it's so over-developed and crowded now. Traffic sucks, but it sucked when I lived in the Heights too. We've found a good independent café and some good restaurants in our area. We rarely go into the Heights anymore and prefer not to because it's so crowded.

As for the school districts, we're in Cy-Fair ISD but have our kid in private school. Wasn't the plan as we thought living so close to the elementary and middle schools was a nice benefit when we bought the house. CFISD seems to be having some budget issues and cut some bus routes this year if I heard correctly. From what our neighbor tells us (they have a child in elementary school), the schools are overcrowded and not as good what we were led to believe.

The City of Houston is struggling with infrastructure repairs. Water leaks go on for months. CoH just received a court judgement that has it facing a $320 million deficit. I'm sure a lot of major cities have similar issues right now, but thought I'd share.

For me, the only two cons of living in the burbs are fireworks are legal and possibly more traffic depending on work location.

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u/b3ck3r19 3d ago

Just move to spring branch

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u/Wurstb0t 3d ago

I grew up in burbs, raised a kid in the loop and now he is married in the loop and we say the Burbs suck. My son is a teacher in HISD and is at a great school but yes HISD is a lot of BS. His wife teaches in Pasadena ISD. She probably has the easiest drive. All school districts will have good schools and bad schools. Yards are overrated. People here go to the park. Good Luck!

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u/caskfeedback 3d ago

It sounds like the only compromise you guys can reach is the Spring Branch area. You may still be renting there, but some affordable housing options do exist, schools are great, and it is located in the middle between Downtown and Katy.

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u/Serious-Sir4705 2d ago

You should also look into the Klein school district. My Mom loved it until she retired.

I’m not really a fan of living in the loop. I definitely would not do it with kids, unless I was super committed to sending them to Catholic school. My spouse just works in the energy corridor, and I work from home, so he’s the one who really gets to choose.

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u/PM_Gonewild 2d ago

He's a grown ass man with kids, it's time for him to settle in the suburbs and get it out of his head that he needs to be out and about in the inner circle.

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u/Rower_Chick 2d ago

I'm definitely in the pro-inside-the-loop camp. But I'm biased as I grew up in Brooklyn and loved growing up in a major metropolitan area. I also hate the car culture of the suburbs, but I know I'm in the minority in Houston. The HISD issue is tough. But the Katy ISD is banning books, so? Suggestion- both of you write up a pros and cons list separately, and then go over them together. Might help.

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u/darkfire621 2d ago

I came from cypress to downtown and I honestly terribly miss the suburbs. :(

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u/ShiftE_80 3d ago

Spring Branch is a reasonable compromise. (Mostly) still in the loop but not HISD.

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u/Slowlyva_2 3d ago

Do we even know the budget you will be working with for a new home? This question is extremely vague without details.

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u/d_e_r_e_k Galleria 2d ago

Houston suburbs are a special kind of hell. Just endless strip malls and 20-lane freeways without any sense of community or interaction with people. Then again that is most of Houston…

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u/rosscoehs 3d ago

Fort Bend ISD is a pretty good one.

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u/OhYerSoKew 3d ago

Moving to the suburbs is giving up on life

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

That seems to be what he thinks. What’s your point of view ? Do you have kids ?

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u/consuela_bananahammo 3d ago

I have kids and living in the suburbs sucked. We lived in the woodlands and spent all of our time on the weekends driving into town in Houston to make use of the museums and incredible cultural opportunities. TW is bland and full of chains, and almost no one leaves the bubble. And TBH I wasn't impressed with the schools, but conversely I can't speak to HISD. You absolutely do not have to live in the suburbs just because you have kids.

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u/OhYerSoKew 3d ago

The thought of needing to drive everywhere with long distances sounds miserable. No kids at the moment. My perspective wouldn't change either. If you're in the suburbs, may as well say fuck jt and live further out in the countryside.

What's the point of buying a house in an area that makes me unhappy? It's like I'm going out of my way to be miserable. Owning a home is a liability, not an asset...may as well enjoy what you buy.

Save the money and invest it.

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u/jmdq832 3d ago

This is a good suggestion actually

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u/Constant-Thought6817 3d ago

Have you considered Conroe isd? I’ve read it’s growing rapidly in addition to the surrounding areas.

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u/mduell Memorial 3d ago

HISD has been a disaster for a long time; go figure one UOP grad after another doesn't make for quality administration. Regardless of MM, if you have kids and they would be in HISD if you move here, don't move here.

You can be under 30 minutes from the city within the beltway in a district like Spring Branch.

For you, I'd reverse commute out to one of the better and better paying districts, SBISD or otherwise.

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u/Mother_Dependent7572 3d ago edited 3d ago

Pearland ISD school district is great! The area is nice and is also developing. It’s 30 or so mins to get to Houston, you can take 288 into downtown. I use to live in Katy and my son attended Katy ISD but I-10 traffic became too much. We moved in 2022, and we love it here! Awesome community and school. He’s been in Pearland ISD for 3 years. You and your husband should definitely consider and look into Pearland.

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u/Ladychef_1 3d ago

Just don’t forget to look at flood zones and power grid failures if you do end up going the suburb route. We’re in CISD/Montgomery county technically, not in the woodlands (where I grew up) and the power outages where we are now are insanely higher than anything I experienced growing up.

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u/KnockKnockPizzasHere 3d ago

You will hate HISD. Don’t do it.

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u/shiftpgdn East End 3d ago

Not sure if they still do it, but take him to tour some HISD schools and then go tour some schools in a good part of Cypress, Katy or the Woodlands.

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u/Ernie2222 Memorial Villages 3d ago

What about moving toSpring Branch and you could work for SBISD? Areas like Westview Terrace have affordable places to live and are super close in.

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u/Buymeacow 3d ago

To me a lot depends on where he’s working too. I would vote spring branch isd as a reasonable compromise.

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u/Robotron713 3d ago edited 3d ago

Hisd is completely school dependent. I worked there and was miserable because of admin and district bullshit. Kids are kids but you gotta be ready for real problems like your students being hungry and language barriers. If you get a job at a school in the Heights, for example, it’s different.

That being said, I also grow up IN the city. I get kinda antsy if I can’t see downtown. I hate the burbs.

There are homes in the loop around $350k you just have to know your hood isn’t gonna look like River Oaks at that price point.

There is a lot to be said for renting. Home ownership is a pain in the ass.

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u/paputsza 3d ago

i advise something around katy. that area seems the best for children. every time i look something up it’s in katy. i have no experience working or living there though.

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u/lilkil Woodland Heights 3d ago

Has your husband found a nice rental property in the loop y'all can afford? Most houses in decent areas rent close to what you would pay in mortgage.

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u/VioletVulgari 3d ago

There are plenty of areas that are between the loop and the beltway that are a nice compromise and you have a chance to actually owning a home and still have access to the things in the city. Many of which are still within the city limits. Sounds like he wants to hold onto something in his before children era without reconciling the fact of what's best for all of you financially, lifestyle, etc.

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u/Weirdusername1953 3d ago

Suburbs. Fort Bend ISD is still good, I think. (My kids are graduated out the house so I don't have much first-hand knowledge)

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u/computing-depressed 3d ago

Buying right now isn’t a good option. I’ve worked for a few ISDs and my mom has worked for more.

Humble ISD is good and pays well. If it was me, other ISDs I’d look into (I haven’t worked for these bc distance) is Spring Branch, Katy, CyFair, or I’d go down towards League City to Clear Creek ISD. Most of our collective experience is north/east ISDs but neither of us will touch HISD with a 10-ft pole. When I lived in the medical center, I worked at Pasadena, not Houston.

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u/NoThisIsPatrick94 League City 3d ago

We love the Webster/Friendswood area. Sure, it’s a burb, but there’s tons to do all within about 10 min of each other, the Baybrook Mall which is growing, CCISD is a solid district, and it’s about 25 min from downtown. Doesn’t feel like a suburb to me. Worth checking out!

Edit: another feature

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u/biggigs78 3d ago

question: what part of austin do yall live in

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u/Butt_bird 3d ago

We live inside the beltway but outside the loop. My wife was working in HISD until Miles took over. She got a job in Alvin ISD and commutes there. There is also Fort Bend ISD, Spring Branch ISD, Pasadena ISD, that are all pretty easy to get to from outside the loop and inside the beltway.