Living in Houston as SA- Please Help! Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be a SA in Houston this summer and I've never lived there before. Where would be a good place to get an apartment for the summer? I've been looking around Midtown, Montrose and Memorial Park-they all seem to only be about a 15/20 minute bus ride to downtown. Also, are these areas kind of by the "nightlife" in Houston? I just want to make sure I'm not living on the complete opposite side of town from where people will be hanging out mostly.

Thanks a bunch!

[BigZuck]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be a SA in Houston this summer and I've never lived there before. Where would be a good place to get an apartment for the summer? I've been looking around Midtown, Montrose and Memorial Park-they all seem to only be about a 15/20 minute bus ride to downtown. Also, are these areas kind of by the "nightlife" in Houston? I just want to make sure I'm not living on the complete opposite side of town from where people will be hanging out mostly.

Thanks a bunch!

Yeah those places are all bumpin', you'd be fine at any. Keep in mind that it's Houston during the summer so if you ride the bus you might be a puddle by the time you get to work every morning, depending on how much you sweat.

[Anonymous User]

Will most SA's have a car? I won't, but I'm hoping I'll be fine cause it's just less than a 5 minute walk to the bus station. The buses have AC right?

[nealric]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be a SA in Houston this summer and I've never lived there before. Where would be a good place to get an apartment for the summer? I've been looking around Midtown, Montrose and Memorial Park-they all seem to only be about a 15/20 minute bus ride to downtown. Also, are these areas kind of by the "nightlife" in Houston? I just want to make sure I'm not living on the complete opposite side of town from where people will be hanging out mostly.

Thanks a bunch!

I would recommend trying to live downtown if you won't have a car. If that won't work, I would look for something on the light rail. Buses can kind of suck in Houston. They do have AC, but you may be waiting a bit, and they can certainly get sweaty.

[BigZuck]

I think all but 1 did in my summer class. Having a car is kind of essential in Houston but you might be able to make public transit work, it's supposedly getting better and better.

PM me, OP

[Devlin]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be a SA in Houston this summer and I've never lived there before. Where would be a good place to get an apartment for the summer? I've been looking around Midtown, Montrose and Memorial Park-they all seem to only be about a 15/20 minute bus ride to downtown. Also, are these areas kind of by the "nightlife" in Houston? I just want to make sure I'm not living on the complete opposite side of town from where people will be hanging out mostly.

Thanks a bunch!

I would recommend trying to live downtown if you won't have a car. If that won't work, I would look for something on the light rail. Buses can kind of suck in Houston. They do have AC, but you may be waiting a bit, and they can certainly get sweaty.

Credited. Don't rely on the bus. Live in Midtown or the Museum District/Medical Center so that you are close to the rail. Also you may want to rely on Uber if you don't have car.

Midtown, Rice Village (near Museum District/Med Center) and Heights all have good late night offerings.

[Anonymous User]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be a SA in Houston this summer and I've never lived there before. Where would be a good place to get an apartment for the summer? I've been looking around Midtown, Montrose and Memorial Park-they all seem to only be about a 15/20 minute bus ride to downtown. Also, are these areas kind of by the "nightlife" in Houston? I just want to make sure I'm not living on the complete opposite side of town from where people will be hanging out mostly.

Thanks a bunch!

I would recommend trying to live downtown if you won't have a car. If that won't work, I would look for something on the light rail. Buses can kind of suck in Houston. They do have AC, but you may be waiting a bit, and they can certainly get sweaty.

Credited. Don't rely on the bus. Live in Midtown or the Museum District/Medical Center so that you are close to the rail. Also you may want to rely on Uber if you don't have car.

Midtown, Rice Village (near Museum District/Med Center) and Heights all have good late night offerings.

Yeah I might look into just Ubering everyday. Do firms pay for your parking? (also thinking about renting a car while I'm there but that might be way too expensive.)

Also, why is the light rail better than the bus? Does the bus just get too packed/stuffy? Are the times infrequent or what?

[nealric]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be a SA in Houston this summer and I've never lived there before. Where would be a good place to get an apartment for the summer? I've been looking around Midtown, Montrose and Memorial Park-they all seem to only be about a 15/20 minute bus ride to downtown. Also, are these areas kind of by the "nightlife" in Houston? I just want to make sure I'm not living on the complete opposite side of town from where people will be hanging out mostly.

Thanks a bunch!

I would recommend trying to live downtown if you won't have a car. If that won't work, I would look for something on the light rail. Buses can kind of suck in Houston. They do have AC, but you may be waiting a bit, and they can certainly get sweaty.

Credited. Don't rely on the bus. Live in Midtown or the Museum District/Medical Center so that you are close to the rail. Also you may want to rely on Uber if you don't have car.

Midtown, Rice Village (near Museum District/Med Center) and Heights all have good late night offerings.

Yeah I might look into just Ubering everyday. Do firms pay for your parking? (also thinking about renting a car while I'm there but that might be way too expensive.)

Also, why is the light rail better than the bus? Does the bus just get too packed/stuffy? Are the times infrequent or what?

More reliable, different crowd, less crowded.

[Anonymous User]

The problem is you will be going to events/dinners every night. Most firms have "cab vouchers" or will reimburse uber for the events/dinner (because drinking is almost always involved). You could probably get away with ubering to work - but that will add up doing that every day. The firms I was at over the summer paid for parking - a luxury that will likely go away when you become an associate. I would probably live in midtown if you wont have a car - super short commute and often times you will end the night there drinking anyways.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks so much everyone. What is the best way to find something? Airbnb?

[downinDtown]

Summered in Houston a couple years back and am associate at a firm here. Rental market has probably shifted a bit since more apts have been built in and around downtown/midtown and there are lots of apartments offering specials for apartments, not to mention recent shifts in demand due to the energy industry being in flux.

The problem I ran into for short-term leases, was the rates can be pretty exorbitant (but again, the market may have changed somewhat). Back then, I heard quotes between 1800 (which I was okay with, but unfurnished) up to 3700 per month for a 2-3 month lease. Also looked into corporate housing, but that runs between 70-100 a day, so comparable or more expensive than apartments, but it may get you a furnished place.

I will tell you this, Midtown is a hot spot for younger professionals, and has lots of bars, etc., but ask around about noise, parking (whether street or gated-- some break-ins around that area, and I've heard some horror stories about homeless people in that area breaking into/sleeping in people's cars, so I'd recommended gated if you're in the area). I know some folks, especially some female co-workers, who do not like being alone in/around midtown or will not take the rail late at night because it can be a bit sketchy. Won't likely be the case much that you have to work late as a summer, but depends on the firm/deal/etc.

A couple co-summers also ended up using airbnb, which saved them money, but some had mixed experiences, but ymmv. Depending on if you're married/single, some other options are finding a roommate who's summering from out-of-town and has to get a place, or checking to sublease from any UH Law students who may be summering/working out of town during the summer.

I ended up living along the rail (south of downtown) and had no problem with it, and the place I got was furnished. Since your schedule likely won't be too demanding, the rail can be pretty convenient, and save you money on parking, and with events, a lot of summers would just carpool over and and then get rides home with uber (as other posters mentioned).

PM if you'd like more info. I had to do the apartment hunt again when I started working at my firm, so I know a lot of the places around town.

[XxSpyKEx]

You really need a car in Houston, especially in the summer. In the summer, it's seriously like 95 degrees and extremely humid each and every day. In dress clothes, you're going to be sweating through your clothes by the time you get to work on public transportation. You really can't even walk more than a couple blocks in the summer without sweating (in dress clothes). Most people just jump in their cars in the morning, crank the AC, park about a block or block and a half away from their office, and walk over to the office. If you live in downtown, there's the underground network, which might help if you're set on living in Houston without a car. Uber might work, too, but I honestly can't imagine you'll really be saving a ton of money by living in midtown/montrose/memorial park but ubering to and from work every day.

[BigZuck]

Midtown to downtown in an Uber is like $6 each way, so $12 a day. Few dollars more in Montrose/Memorial or if surge pricing.

If your firm doesn't pay for parking that's anywhere between $200 to $300 a month if you're in a downtown garage. So, $10-15 a day to park.

This might just be me but I'd pay a premium not to have to deal with downtown Houston drivers. But at a similar cost Uber is a no brainer to me, IMO.