sarahiki

Yes, and I suppose that those same people can feel like, instead of just shopping, they are actually engaging in some sort of social, community-based activity, because they are going to the town center. But doesn't anyone want to be idealistic? What would you put in the "town center?"

I kind of hate this trend of building "town centers" that are really just malls. Okay, full disclosure: I've only been to one, once, briefly. So, am I wrong? Do these include anything other than restaurants and retail? Even if they include some residential, I don't think that makes it a town center. Here's my list of what anything claiming to be a "town center" should be required to include. PLease feel free to add to the wish list: 1. Public library 2. a nice park/green space with benches, a pond, and ducks 3. Bicycle racks 4. Sidewalks 5. Trees

I agree. On a reasonably nice day, you have to arrive pretty early to park. And those traffic cops do not help things at all, IMHO they make it worse.

I find all of this hilarious (I guess because I don't live out that way, it can be funny to me). The comments at the Chron site are great... all these people going, "we were duped! we were duped! we should have put light rail in instead!!." Anytime the masses in Houston start screaming for light rail instead of freeways, you know things are wacky.

Impressive. That's better than my so-called energy-efficient townhome.

Nice map... but it was the little Starbucks logo, not the Luby's, that caught my eye!! (first and perhaps only use of an emotican. I can't fight that latte feeling)

just curious, how are your energy bills so low?

I recommend you check out St. Catherine's Montessori (south loop and Main). It's a wonderful school. I'm not sure about the price; it varies depending on the length of day, etc. They have a website.

So, it sounds like there would be an advantage to buying in the Fort Bend part of SCR, in terms of insurance coverage? I am looking at houses in the Pearland area and I appreciate all these posts; it's helpful to have some of this information in advance. One other question... some of the houses I'm looking at were built around 1997... am I likely to run into difficulties getting coverage because they weren't built according to current codes? Thanks-

We found the same thing when we lived in one--huge electric bills. Not all the houses have been kept up very well, so there are lots of gaps around windows and doors, letting air out and critters in. All that aside, though, lots of charm and lovely neighbors. Not to mention the best neighborhood in Houston for walking.

Can you not call? It's possible there's a reasonable person in charge there. Unlikely, but possible.

I recently had a package go missing for 6 weeks. I filled out a USPS lost/stolen report online, expecting it to disappear into the cyber-circular file. Well a couple of days later, the package mysteriously showed up. No explanation for where it had been...

I agree with that.

This thread is spinning off topic a little bit, but whether one is talking about what car you choose or what house you choose, it's a personal choice. I'd love for everyone to drive a small, fuel-efficient car, and some posters here clearly think people should choose a small house. But sometimes people have a good reason for the choices they make. Sometimes they don't, but I'm pretty sure that's none of my business.

But that's not an Inner Loop median, obviously. I think the question is how can so many people afford ITL houses...

Or maybe it just makes us feel better to think so?

I too wonder the same thing. There are so, so many houses, especially ITL, that seem to cost far beyond what people with a "normal" income could afford each month. Even with 20% down, as a previous poster mentioned, coming up with $3,000 / month for a mortgage would stretch the budget of anyone making 100K or less. And if there are any other major costs, like daycare, or private school, it would seem impossible. Perhaps a lot of people make a lot more money than I think they do...

I agree. Some of their stuff is cheap and flimsy, but a lot of it is very nice. We've had Ikea stuff for years that still looks brand-new. I'll take Ikea any day over that stuff I see in the furniture store ads in the paper. Until I can afford Crate and Barrel or Design Out of Reach, Ikea is fine with me!

I agree with you. Nobody NEEDS that. I'm watching Oprah right now about a little girl in Kenya living in a single room with the six other members of her family. But some people might CHOOSE to have more space, and that's fine. You are also right that quality of life means different things for different people. As I wrote above, we don't NEED a bigger house than the 2/1 we could afford in the Heights. But to me, the Heights doesn't give me the better quality of life. For me, I'm choosing a bigger house, lower mortgage, better schools, cleaner parks & playgrounds, and safety. To someone else, being in the "pulse" of the city, and in a quaint, friendly, historic neighborhood, is more important. I get that. I respect that. What bugs me a little is that more people can't accept, as you do, that people define quality of life differently. It's like to justify the choices we make, we have to cut others down. If someone wants to live in a little bungalow in the Heights, let them! Don't try to convince them that a big house in the suburbs is better. And if you live in a big house in the suburbs, don't proslethize to your ITL friends about why they should move out, too. (obviously I don't mean you, this is a general plea).

Of course, not impossible. I actually really like the idea of my kids sharing a room. They don't happen to do so very well, as it turns out. And I don't want to share a bathroom with my boys. And our family lives out of town, so I'd like a space for guests.... But my point was really that I can't justify choosing the Heights when a house in which we won't feel crowded is available for less money in Pearland. With good schools. So for me, that's the decision I'm making. And when we visit friends in the Heights I will always feel a pang of regret, but I know we're making the right decision for us. For someone else, the factors would likely be weighed differently, and the Heights could be a great choice.

Well, it depends on your perspective. We're looking for a house now. I love the Heights, bu I have two kids & a budget around 200K. So to me, ALL of the Heights is legitimately "too expensive." I'm not going to buy a 2/1, 1000 sqare foot bungalow. Maybe I would if it were my only option, but the fact tha I can get a house at least 2x as large for the same price in a suburb not too far away makes the Heights expensive. You could call it opinion, but I call it perspective (based on income, family size, etc.). I wish that the Heights were still affordable for us, but that's the market. It's a close-in, charming neighborhood. It's going to price some people (like us) out.

There was a similar incident last week, nearby. Someone tried to kidnap a woman in the parking lot of Rice Epicurean, on Wesleyan, I think. So I suppose one could speculate that she was inspired by that incident to make it up, but it seems more likely that these are the same perps, and they're determined to kidnap a rich lady. I find it strange that the Chron didn't mention the other incident. I read the comments, too, and found most of them to be even more inane than the usual Chron reader comments.

I find this kind of story particularly scary in light of the home invasion in Connecticut this summer. In that case, two guys scoped out a grocery store, looking for potential victims. They spotted an attractive woman and her attractive teenage daughter, who then got into an expensive car. They followed them home. Later that night, they knocked on the door, then forced their way in. Long story short, they ended up raping the mother and two young daughters, beating the father, abducting the mother, burning the house down and killing everyone except the father, who managed to escape. Horrifying. My mother knows the man; I hate to imagine what he lived through. Anyway, a terrible story, but I think a useful reminder of how serious that type of home invasion can be. As a previous poster said, don't unlock your door to anyone you don't know, and teach your kids that rule too.

Yes, I was told those were "fake" windows.

I didn't think Baily Road connected to Southfork. Any neighborhoods in particular to the east that you like? I haven't looked further east than Huntington Park (which I like very much). I agree though about Southfork over 518; that's one of the reasons I prefer sections of Silverlake to neighborhoods north of 518. Thanks for the recommendation regarding Southdown.