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Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:38 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous because I'd out myself if people knew what school I attend.

I have the option of going to work in Houston this summer at a top Texas firm, but I sold my car before moving to law school (where I don't need one).

What are possible solutions for this? My family lives 4 hours outside Houston, and my family doesn't have enough cars to let me borrow one.

Any ideas?

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:41 pm
by Old Gregg
Live downtown or in Post Oak and take the bus.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:42 pm
by Anonymous User
Fresh Prince wrote:Live downtown or in Post Oak and take the bus.

Good idea. How weird will it be if I'm in a suit, though? Would people even care?

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:45 pm
by MrPapagiorgio
Anonymous User wrote:
Fresh Prince wrote:Live downtown or in Post Oak and take the bus.

Good idea. How weird will it be if I'm in a suit, though? Would people even care?
Why would you care?

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:47 pm
by Anonymous User
MrPapagiorgio wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Fresh Prince wrote:Live downtown or in Post Oak and take the bus.

Good idea. How weird will it be if I'm in a suit, though? Would people even care?
Why would you care?
Don't want to get harassed or followed to my apartment.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:47 pm
by Old Gregg
Anonymous User wrote:
Fresh Prince wrote:Live downtown or in Post Oak and take the bus.

Good idea. How weird will it be if I'm in a suit, though? Would people even care?
You are a dime a dozen in that area. Downtown Houston is nothing like it was in the 80s and early 90s. You'll be fine. If you want to live in a house and still commute, try West University; I think the light rail goes between downtown and there. If you're looking for quirky, live in Montrose. Still close enough for a bus commute, I think.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:49 pm
by Old Gregg
Yeah, you can live near Rice and take the light-rail downtown. Rent won't be nearly as cheap as living in the actual suburbs, but I'm sure not paying for gas and a car will make up the difference. Also sitting in traffic during rush hour ain't the bee's knees.

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Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:51 pm
by Anonymous User
Fresh Prince wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Fresh Prince wrote:Live downtown or in Post Oak and take the bus.

Good idea. How weird will it be if I'm in a suit, though? Would people even care?
You are a dime a dozen in that area. Downtown Houston is nothing like it was in the 80s and early 90s. You'll be fine. If you want to live in a house and still commute, try West University; I think the light rail goes between downtown and there. If you're looking for quirky, live in Montrose. Still close enough for a bus commute, I think.

Yeah this type of advice is exactly what I was looking for.

The bolded part is what I was concerned about. I grew up near Houston and all of my visions of it are from the late 90s/early 00s. I visited downtown Houston briefly during interviews, but I've never really explored it that much recently, and I didn't know much about living conditions.

It's good to know that other people who work in downtown feel comfortable riding the bus.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:52 pm
by Old Gregg
Anonymous User wrote:
Fresh Prince wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Fresh Prince wrote:Live downtown or in Post Oak and take the bus.

Good idea. How weird will it be if I'm in a suit, though? Would people even care?
You are a dime a dozen in that area. Downtown Houston is nothing like it was in the 80s and early 90s. You'll be fine. If you want to live in a house and still commute, try West University; I think the light rail goes between downtown and there. If you're looking for quirky, live in Montrose. Still close enough for a bus commute, I think.

Yeah this type of advice is exactly what I was looking for.

The bolded part is what I was concerned about. I grew up near Houston and all of my visions of it are from the late 90s/early 00s. I visited downtown Houston briefly during interviews, but I've never really explored it that much recently, and I didn't know much about living conditions.

It's good to know that other people who work in downtown feel comfortable riding the bus.
See the above map for light rail possibilities.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:55 pm
by Anonymous User
Fresh Prince wrote:
See the above map for light rail possibilities.
Even better! Thanks!!! I completely agree about the Rice idea. I think that may be the option I go for.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:55 pm
by Anonymous User
Yeah riding the bus or whatever public transportation is way less weird there now than I remember it being before. Same thing in Dallas, though Dallas was always on the public transportation for normal people thing to some extent, but it's more noticeable now.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:05 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Yeah riding the bus or whatever public transportation is way less weird there now than I remember it being before. Same thing in Dallas, though Dallas was always on the public transportation for normal people thing to some extent, but it's more noticeable now.
Dallas's DART is serious business. That thing can get you from the burbs to downtown in a heartbeat!

Houston's rail system is nice, but I've never ridden it during the day for worker's commute. It was always to party in midtown, lol.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:18 pm
by Anonymous User
Just chiming in to echo the other posters. Lots of folks ride the public transit in Houston. I don't know much about the bus system, but the medical center has tons of nurses, and presumably some doctors, commuting by rail... Maybe pocket the diamond cufflinks and big-faced Rollies, to be safe. Jokes aside, I think that riding the rail system doesn't expose you to enough danger to warrant serious concern, and I doubt the bus system is a whole lot worse.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:29 am
by squ1rtle
I hope you are ready to sweat this summer!

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:08 pm
by Anonymous User
Buy a car with a good ac and leave it at your parents' house during the school year if you don't want it with you. I'm a Texan and I am not kidding.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:15 pm
by Anonymous User
squ1rtle wrote:I hope you are ready to sweat this summer!
Ha! I've worked in NYC for a summer and Houston for several summers, and let me tell you, NYC is WAY worse.

Just as humid and close to as hot, and no place has A/C--especially the fucking metro/cabs/apartment!

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:15 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Buy a car with a good ac and leave it at your parents' house during the school year if you don't want it with you. I'm a Texan and I am not kidding.
OP here.

I don't have the financial resources to do that (pre-firm). Even if I could though, isn't it really bad for a car to be left unused for a whole year? It's kind of an imposition on my parents to ask them to take care of another car for a year.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:24 pm
by MrAnon
rent one

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:36 pm
by Anonymous User
MrAnon wrote:rent one
Isn't that like $4-6k for a summer?

That would be crazy.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:40 pm
by wildcat2324
You will want a car.

I've lived in Houston for pretty much all my life. If you have any walking to do (even during the pre-dawn hours), you will be a sweaty mess, especially if you are business formal. Hell, even taking 20 steps from doorstep to car will cause one to sweat.

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:41 pm
by de5igual
i've personally never tried this before, but for a short term car use, you can take over someone's lease: http://www.leasetrader.com

Re: Transportation in Texas?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:43 pm
by byronmullens
wildcat2324 wrote:You will want a car.

I've lived in Houston for pretty much all my life. If you have any walking to do (even during the pre-dawn hours), you will be a sweaty mess, especially if you are business formal. Hell, even taking 20 steps from doorstep to car will cause one to sweat.
Ah nothing like 85 degree mornings, while MetroRail does have a Rice stop its mainly located near a bunch of mansions, most of the housing options are farther off the line. Rice Village is nice walkable neighborhood, as you have to consider you want to get to other things than work w/o having to use public transit. When I worked in Greenway, it was not uncommon for suits to use buses to commute. I would highly suggest the Village and look into the bus schedules to make sure it works with where you need to be.