Texas - Houston Living and Riding?

If you're still keen on taking a trip to check out Houston, there is a Greyhound bus that runs about 4-5 trips between Austin and Houston every day. The early morning and evening buses will get you there in about 3 hrs, whereas the mid-day buses make a few more stops and take 3.5 hrs. I used to take this bus every week when I was living in Austin and working in Houston. The bus company that operates the Houston-Austin route is Kerrville Bus Company (Greyhound contracts out to them). Here is a link (http://iridekbc.com/schedule.asp) to the KBC schedule.

The Greyhound bus station in Austin is right next to Highland Mall (north side of the city, near 183 and I-35). There are several Capitol Metro bus routes that you can take from downtown Austin to Highland Mall.

Once you get to Houston, the Greyhound bus station is just a a few blocks south of the Metro Downtown Transit Center. From the Transit Center you can take the Red Line light rail to the Museum District, the Houston Zoo, and Hermann Park. The light rail is just $1, but Metro rarely enforces the fares so 99% of the people just ride for free.

The Galleria shopping/dining/entertainment district can be reached via the 81 and 82 Westheimer bus routes. The 81 and 82 both make stops in downtown Houston - here are links (http://ridemetro.org/SchedulesMaps/BusSched.aspx) to their schedules and pickup/dropoff locations.

If your family wants to bring their bikes on Greyhound, that should be fine (just call ahead and ask to be sure). All Metro buses in Houston have bike racks, but bikes aren't allowed on the light rail during peak rush hour and at other times it may be really packed (probably because everyone rides for free). I read somewhere that the Red Line carries the highest number of passengers per mile of rail length of any light rail in the world.

I do a lot of cycling to and from downtown Houston (just returned from the downtown Central library, in fact). So if you're curious about routes to get in and out of downtown feel free to ask.

I am not sure if we are going to go to Houston or not, but it is more likely that we won't. We know that Austin is the place we are moving, because it just suits our needs so well.

But we may have a free day to go explore...so I'll keep it in mind. There are a lot of nice restaurants near Zilker Park huh...I am trying to get a stage at one or two of them while I am there...

Once you get to Houston, the Greyhound bus station is just a a few blocks south of the Metro Downtown Transit Center. From the Transit Center you can take the Red Line light rail to the Museum District, the Houston Zoo, and Hermann Park. The light rail is just $1, but Metro rarely enforces the fares so 99% of the people just ride for free.
That's irresponsible. I ride the rail every day. Most people pay the box or swipe a Q card. The fine for not paying is $75, and I have seen people get caught by the enforcers on several occasions.

Not that it matters to metalchef, but still, bad suggestion.

Where did I suggest that he skip out on the Red Line fare? I was simply stating 2 facts - that the vast majority of light rail riders do not pay the fare and that Metro rarely enforces the policy. Every regular rail rider I've spoken to (including the ones who live downtown) is in the first category because of the 2nd fact. And one of the reasons it's so packed is because the fares are rarely enforced.

Personally, I think Metro does it intentionally. Kind of like how magazines don't care how many people pay for their magazine, just so long as they can get their subscription numbers up to sell to advertisers. I have industry mags that keep sending me that stuff to me every month even though I don't pay for it and tell them to cancel my subscription. Metro needs high ridership on the Red Line to justify expanding to 4 more lines in a few more years, so this strategy has worked well for them.

If you pay every single time, good for you. I pay every single I take the rail as well. And I thought the fine was $250, not $75. When I bring up the subject of fines to my friends, they just say - "Oh well, I've ridden it more than 250 times so it doesn't bother me if I get fined." :(

Anyways, with the Q card setup nowadays - it really makes no sense to not pay. Just have enough on your card and swipe. No need to waste time at the ticket machine. I really hope they have some kind of turnstile / fare-enforcement system when they build the Uptown, University, North, and East lines.

Where did I suggest that he skip out on the Red Line fare? I was simply stating 2 facts - that the vast majority of light rail riders do not pay the fare and that Metro rarely enforces the policy. Every regular rail rider I've spoken to (including the ones who live downtown) is in the first category because of the 2nd fact. And one of the reasons it's so packed is because the fares are rarely enforced.
And I'm telling you you're dead wrong when you say that 99% don't pay. Its more like 90% do pay, and the ones who don't pay are transient-looking sorts. Yes, enforcement is infrequent. I will also admit that before I had my Q card I would sometimes hop on the train without paying only when I was in a hurry and the train was already there. Most of these times I'd put in a dollar when I got off. Karmic investment. :)


Personally, I think Metro does it intentionally. Kind of like how magazines don't care how many people pay for their magazine, just so long as they can get their subscription numbers up to sell to advertisers. I have industry mags that keep sending me that stuff to me every month even though I don't pay for it and tell them to cancel my subscription. Metro needs high ridership on the Red Line to justify expanding to 4 more lines in a few more years, so this strategy has worked well for them.
No, doesn't work like that. They get their ridership numbers from paid fares.

I seriously think that most of the casual riders (Texans games, out-of-town visitors) aren't even aware that fare is required on the rail. There is no turnstile, no gate that requires a ticket, nothing except for the ticket machines to remind you to pay. On the rare occasion I've seen Metro police check for fares, all of the freeloaders just quickly get off at the next stop.

It's basically an honor system, and common sense says that if you depend on the public's honesty then expect to be disappointed most of the time. If you get on the bus, the driver requires full fare otherwise they make you get off. At every other light rail system I've ridden on, you can't even get into the boarding area until you swipe a card or pay.

I used to ride the 33 Post Oak from the NW Transit Center to the Galleria every day for work. Very frequently the bus fare box wasn't working, so the driver would just let everyone get on for free. I was shocked when the Red Line first was unveiled and there was no real fare enforcement system; I thought they were just letting everyone ride free (wink wink) for a short trial period and then they would actually put something in. It seems like Metro simply does not care if people pay for their services. And I think about this every time I hear Frank Wilson complain about budget shortfalls.

Well regardless I would pay the fee...but I can understand where both of you are coming from. I know that there are people in Lexington, ky who are supposed to renew their membership for the local transit bus and they dont, but still ride it daily...as a matter of fact one of my professors in Culinary School did that

Metalchef87,

Either way I would wait to make a final decision about moving until you actually get here and see what Austin or Houston is really like. I work in the real estate industry in Houston and I have would STRONGLY recommend seeing as many areas of town in both Austin and Houston before making the jump.

Enterprise will rent you a car and I would strongly recommend using one. As mentioned previously, both cities are large and you definitely won't get the full picture without 1.) a car or 2.) more time in Texas.

Let's look at the bigger picture: you are not only making a decision for yourself, but your entire family. I believe you mentioned you have 2 kids (lots of work for someone under the age of 25 :)). I wouldn't rush into moving/relocating your entire family with only a few days to visit.

Also, I haven't seen any mention of using a real estate agent either. I'm not trying to promote someone from my own industry, but the information you could have at your finger tips is invaluable and it's a free service to you. An agent will be able to give you more personal/detailed information about your key areas of interest. They can also set up showings and appointments for you ahead of time, recommend restaurants, hotels, parks, etc. Oh yeah, most real estate agents will do all of this for you in THEIR VEHICLE...so no worries about getting around town.

-Chase

Forgot to mention one other thing:

If you are looking into the food service industry in Austin you should look up Le Cordon Bleu academy. I have several close friends that have graduated from there and they have nothing but good things to say about it. One of my friends graduated from there 2 years ago and is a chef at the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston and my other 2 friends and already opened up there own bistro/restaurant this past April.

You can look them up at http://www.tca.edu/lecordonbleu-general.asp. Even though you will not enroll in the school someone in the school can point you in the right direction about finding a job in Austin.

If you have any questions send me a PM.

I live around 30 miles north of Houston in Spring. I do not find the drivers or roads to be biker friendly at all. One solution to riding in the heat to work. Some of the nicer electric bikes would do the job with much less sweat.

I live around 30 miles north of Houston in Spring. I do not find the drivers or roads to be biker friendly at all. One solution to riding in the heat to work. Some of the nicer electric bikes would do the job with much less sweat.

isn't pedaling your bike kind of the point of riding?

maybe I'm crazy.

isn't pedaling your bike kind of the point of riding?

maybe I'm crazy.
Why is that the point? Not everyone feels that way.

Uh I believe that is kinda the point of riding...other than to enjoy a form of transportation that does absolutely no harm to the environment, does ten thousand times more things for your body than driving a car, and gives you the ability to see things from a different view. Not to mention that I just love riding...but if you don't have to pedal to move then you technically aren't riding a bicycle...at least not in my opinion.

Uh I believe that is kinda the point of riding...other than to enjoy a form of transportation that does absolutely no harm to the environment, does ten thousand times more things for your body than driving a car, and gives you the ability to see things from a different view. Not to mention that I just love riding...but if you don't have to pedal to move then you technically aren't riding a bicycle...at least not in my opinion.
For some, bicycles are recreation. For others, they are transportation (like about a billion Chinese, among others). For others, they are utility vehicles. I see no reason to impugn other people for the way they choose to use their bicycle.

MetalChef,

I have lived in the Austin area for the last 11 years and love it. The busses are convenient and all have bike racks. I live in Round Rock and commute to a park-and-ride which takes me directly to the University (where I work). If you are planning to live downtown (or close to it), you should have no problems living car free. I would if I could talk my wife into it.

Not sure what type of biking you do, so I'll make a few suggestions.

1. The Barton Creek Greenbelt. Excellent trails for all kinds of biking (especially mountain biking)

2. Town Lake. Much more crowded than #1, but a nice trail going around the lake that doesn't require a mountain bike

3. I hear Loop 360 is a nice ride. It's best suited for a road bike

There are some excellent restaurants downtown. Which ones have you contacted? Also, if you're here on a Saturday, you should check out the Farmer's Market in Republic Square park: http://www.austinfarmersmarket.org/

MetalChef,

I have lived in the Austin area for the last 11 years and love it. The busses are convenient and all have bike racks. I live in Round Rock and commute to a park-and-ride which takes me directly to the University (where I work). If you are planning to live downtown (or close to it), you should have no problems living car free. I would if I could talk my wife into it.

Not sure what type of biking you do, so I'll make a few suggestions.

1. The Barton Creek Greenbelt. Excellent trails for all kinds of biking (especially mountain biking)

2. Town Lake. Much more crowded than #1, but a nice trail going around the lake that doesn't require a mountain bike

3. I hear Loop 360 is a nice ride. It's best suited for a road bike

There are some excellent restaurants downtown. Which ones have you contacted? Also, if you're here on a Saturday, you should check out the Farmer's Market in Republic Square park: http://www.austinfarmersmarket.org/

I don't think I'll be there on a saturday unfortunately...but I would love to go to the market. I have contacted one called Uchi, another called zoot, one called market restaurant, and a few others I can't remember.

I would like to live in south Austin, but Round Rock has some nice places to live and if you can commute to and fro then I might check into living there. I can not wait to get down there...KY is killing me. What's the cost of living like in Round Rock?

Cost of living in Round Rock is just a little more reasonable than Austin. However, I have an 8-5 m-f job, so I can ride the express busses to downtown. The express busses don't run on weekends, so that may not jive with a restaurant-style work schedule.

The Farmer's Market also operates on Wednesday afternoons according to their website, so you may want to try and make that too, but they probably won't have as many booths set up. South Austin has an even larger farmer's market located in Sunset Valley, but I'm not sure if it can be reached without a car.

Sounds like you're doing a lot of research, so I'm sure you'll find some place that suits you. Good luck in the job search!

Off topic, do you frequent discusscooking.com? Your screen name is quite similar to one I've seen over there.

No never been over there...I'll check that out though..

I lived in Dallas for 3 years and Houston for 2....which leads me to recommend Austin.

Quoted for truth.

I live in Houston now. It's alright - for instance, it's winter and today I went for a 40 mile ride across entirely flat terrain with minimal traffic, and I have easy access (20 miles) to farm country, where there are no cars. Here in far north east houston (Humble) we have nice traffic, etc.

On the other hand, Austin has more culture and better cycling than any other place in Texas, by far. Nice rolling hills, an extremely cycling-friendly atmosphere (Lance lives and practices there, and so it has become very profitable for them) and generally a cool vibe. The downside is that everyone else wants to live in Austin, so it is harder to find a lot of jobs there. I've been trying for a while.

Houston is okay, but if you live downtown don't expect to commute on bike. Unless you live directly downtown, there isn't much for it. Downtown is surrounded by a high-crime area (between 610 and the downtown square) and even if the traffic wasn't a nightmare, you'd most likely be worried about robbery. Driving is also a pain in the ass - if you can live and work in a suburb (pick a cardinal direction, they're all about the same) then you can commute and be fine. But if you plan on living in a suburb and driving downtown like me, a bike won't cut it.

I live around 30 miles north of Houston in Spring. I do not find the drivers or roads to be biker friendly at all. One solution to riding in the heat to work. Some of the nicer electric bikes would do the job with much less sweat.

Spring is exactly like Humble, where I live.. and I have to agree. The only time I ride (and I ride a lot) is in a loop, in full gear, because there's no where I could walk into without disgusting everyone after 5 minutes on the bike. It's usually in the 90's around here.

So.. just saying, transportation has never been a reason I ride a bike, and I still ride constantly. I get up every morning and bike 15 miles, then get in my car and drive 15 miles (takes 4x longer, but there's no way to ride it) downtown to work.

Sorry - I hear this sentiment being uttered all the time, and it's just not true.

Houston is a big place, and inside of the 610 loop is a big place. I don't think it's entirely accurate to say that downtown Houston is entirely surrounded by high crime. Southeast (Third Ward) and northeast of downtown (Fifth Ward) are a bit sketchy, I will admit. But somehow I seriously doubt that the hipsters in Montrose, the yuppies in Midtown and the Museum District, or the millionaires in River Oaks (all areas immediately surrounding downtown) live in constant fear of crime and robbery. I've been living in Upper Kirby / Montrose for about 6 months and I walk and bike everywhere (including downtown) with almost no issues. Yes - there are portions of downtown that are deserted at night, but that's a common scenario in many large cities (not just Houston). In Montrose, every time I leave the house I see cyclists on the surrounding neighborhood streets, which is really refreshing. I got a flat a few months ago and while I was walking my bike back home (did not have a spare tube with me), on 2 separate occasions cyclists saw me on their morning commutes and stopped to offer help.

I'm also going to point out that the areas surrounding downtown Austin also have their own crime issues. On my last day in Austin our car battery died in the middle of downtown. We bummed a ride to the nearest AutoZone right outside of downtown (East Austin), but AutoZone refused to install the battery for us because of safety reasons (it was getting dark and that area was notorious for gang activity). And if you want high incidences of robbery and petty crime, just hang out near the UT Austin campus. When I was attending school there, I had my bike stolen in north campus, had another bike almost stolen in west campus, and my roommate had his car stereo ripped out while parked in north campus.

Does this mean that all UT students live in constant fear? Of course not. It's just further proof that densely populated areas (colleges, downtowns) are going to have more incidents of petty crime and theft, largely because there are so many more individuals living in a given square mile than, say - Humble or Sugar Land. In fact, you could argue that the most dangerous parts of Houston are way out in the suburbs, far away from downtown (Greenspoint, Sharpstown, Alief).

I live in small Berea and we have crime issues here...maybe not on the scale of a huge city, but we most definitely experience crime. Theft is huge here, bikes get stolen all the time, but the town is mostly a college...so there are a lot of people living in one area...it happens.

I got a job offer in Austin, I applied, I am hoping to get it. It has a relocation package and good contract...we shall see.

Hope you get the job, Metalchef!!

Cool! Good luck with the job!

I want to add a bit about cycling in Houston. I live in Westbury, which is just south of Meyerland for those of you in Houston. I live 1 mile from a MUP (Braes Bayou) that is about 15 miles in each direction. There are always cyclists on it. Every time I ride or drive along this area, there are bikes everywhere. I also commute 12.5 miles each way to downtown a few days a week. I take the Bayou from my neighborhood to the Museum District, and then take Caroline or San Jacinto to the heart of downtown. I always see other bike commuters on this path. I also ride with a group of over 600+ every weekend from late-January until mid-April getting ready for the MS150. There are over 10,000 cyclists that ride the Houston/Austin MS150 every year.

Is Houston as cycling friendly as Austin or Portland? No way.
Are there hills? Not unless you want to drive an hour north.
But, are there a lot of cyclists and some amazing resturants here? Absolutely!

I live 1 mile from a MUP (Braes Bayou) that is about 15 miles in each direction. There are always cyclists on it.
Today that would be me! Rode 40 miles on the Braes Bayou path.



I also ride with a group of over 600+ every weekend from late-January until mid-April getting ready for the MS150.
Just curious who you ride with and where you ride? Are you on a team for the MS150?

Today that would be me! Rode 40 miles on the Braes Bayou path.



Just curious who you ride with and where you ride? Are you on a team for the MS150?

I ride with Conoco-Phillips. Here's our MS150 training ride website: http://www.conocophillipsbikeclub.org/train.html

Note that there are maps for every ride. I save all these away and do them throughout the year on my own if I need a good Sat or Sun ride.

Metalchef,

Good luck with the job! If you get it, I'm sure you'll really enjoy Austin.

Regarding the discussion on crime, I think we can agree that crime is almost everywhere. You just have to know how to protect yourself and your property so you can prevent it as much as possible. I work on campus and much of the crime happens to students who leave their stuff unsecured or poorly secured.

Dallas is pretty much nothing but malls, strip malls, churches and restaurants. In fact we may have one of the highest percentages of restaurants to people in the country.

That said if I could live in any major city in Texas I'd pick Fort Worth.

Chris

+1, do some research on Fort Worth. Close enough to Dallas, Houston, and everywhere else. Excellent place to live, great downtown, growing restaurant industry (especially taking off in the last 5-10 years, many concepts). Also one of the best Downtown areas in the state. Cost of living is about 10-15% less than Dallas also.

www.fortworth.com (http://www.fortworth.com)
http://www.fwfoodie.com/home/fort_worth_foodie/
http://westandclear.com/ (lots of new development, miles of bike trails)
http://fortworthology.com/

http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,97299&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL (Dallas Fort Worth Restaurants)

+1, do some research on Fort Worth. Close enough to Dallas, Houston, and everywhere else. Excellent place to live, great downtown, growing restaurant industry (especially taking off in the last 5-10 years, many concepts). Also one of the best Downtown areas in the state. Cost of living is about 10-15% less than Dallas also.

www.fortworth.com (http://www.fortworth.com)
http://www.fwfoodie.com/home/fort_worth_foodie/
http://westandclear.com/ (lots of new development, miles of bike trails)
http://fortworthology.com/

http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,97299&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL (Dallas Fort Worth Restaurants)

Thanks for the links! I have applied for a couple jobs in FW too. I am really just applying anywhere and everywhere in Texas...but mostly in Austin, FW, and Houston.

Good luck with the job search!

I just wanted to add my $.02

I live in Houston Heights, work at the Med Center, and really don't use the car at all on the weekdays. I either bike or bus to work. As long as you're not scared of traffic, commuting inside the Loop really isn't that bad. I ride early morning, mid-morning, after dark, and I've never been messed with on the bike. On the bus is another story....

The Heights is great, though it's getting a bit pricey - lots of young families and we're getting our new MUP installed as I type.

And Houston is a GREAT restaurant town. It's easily comparable to any other major US city. My husband and I are kind of foodies, and we just love eating out here. And if you like to cook, you can get pretty much any ingredient at one of the ethnic markets. And finally, if your wife would like to continue with theater stuff as a hobby, lots of that here as well. Our theater district is wonderful, and pretty reasonably priced.

The weather can be miserable, though you do get used to it. Unlike Dallas/Ft. Worth we usually don't get ice storms. However, you trade that for the occassional hurricane.

so, where did you end up?

I just finished reading this thread, and found it informative and friendly. Thanks to all the posters for all this great stuff.

I and my wife are thinking of retiring to Houston from the north east. I have been to Houston once, and liked what I saw (montrose/museum district). I have a daughter who lives in Austin, so we visit there often. We conclude Austin is a city for youthful people.

We plan a trip to Houston this month to introduce the area to my wife.

I have lived here in Houston, up in Chicago and out in Virginia. I have been to Dallas, Ft. Worth, Temple, Austin, San Antonio (and tons of other places here in Texas). I have also been to several other states here in the US, and several countries outside of it.

If I couldn't live here in Houston, there are only a limited amount of places I would live.

1. Austin, TX
- Great food, great views, very pretty place, bike friendly (HILLS!!!) and just better weather than Houston.
2. Seattle, WA
- Yes it rains, but it is an awesome place. I love it up there. Good for bikes too (northern WA for mountain bikes)
3. Dublin, Ireland
- Went there with my wife and never wanted to leave. Good motorcycle roads, nice areas to bike.
4. Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Great place, very nice, I'd live there (ok, maybe Calgary too...)
5. London, England
- Yeah it is crowded and expensive, but you don't need a car at all. No car, more money in your pocket. Stick with the tube, your feet and a bicycle and you are set. I walked everywhere.

That is all. :)