Austin, Houston or San Antonio?

Question

Im relocating from Puerto Rico so Im used to the heat and humidity (its no big deal for me) not used to the cold weather you barely have to use a jacket here maybe once or twice during January. I want to live in a place that has lots of things to do, is safe for my 8 year old daughter and is not to expensive. I dont mind living in a sub city like Katy or Round Rock to be in a nicer area.

Answer 1

I live in Katy. I love it out here. We are in Katy ISD, which is a wonderful school district. http://www.katyisd.org
It has been wonderful here for us.
There is so much to do in the Houston metro area......even in the surrounding counties that would be fun for both you and your daughter.
Katy
The "Katy area" is made up of large sections of unincorporated Harris and Fort Bend counties and for the most part sits east and southeast of the city limits of Katy. This area is within the Katy Independent School District and nearly everyone in this area has a Katy postal address. The Katy area includes newer developments such as Cinco Ranch and Grand Lakes, while also encompassing developments from the 1970s and 1980s such as Memorial Parkway and Nottingham Country. All of the "Katy area" lies in the city of Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), not Katy's ETJ. This means that the areas of "Katy area" are controlled by the city of Houston and the city has the ability to annex it in the future. The city of Katy cannot annex this area unless the city of Houston releases the area's ETJ to Katy, which has occurred in several small chunks in recent years. The most recent instance of this was in 2001 when Houston ceded about 400 acres of ETJ to the City of Katy to allow the Katy Mills Mall and surrounding parking lot to be built entirely within the City of Katy.
The Greater Katy area, which encompasses both the actual City of Katy along with the unincorporated suburban areas around the City, has approximately 175,000 residents total. The Houston suburb's prime attraction is the Katy Mills Mall. A secondary attraction is an unusual outdoor museum of Chinese culture and history called the Forbidden Gardens.

The Houston Museum District is an area of Houston where many of the city's museums are located. The district is centered on the Hotel Zaza (currently being renovated) and the adjacent Mecom Fountain. The Museum District also houses Rice University, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research and Hermann Park which includes the Houston Zoo and the Miller Outdoor Theatre. The Museum District is also near the University of Saint Thomas.
Some of the museums and institutions include:
Holocaust Museum Houston
Children's Museum of Houston
John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Museum of Natural Science
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Photography
John C. Freeman Weather Museum

In Midtown there are theatres, art galleries, and museums, which include:
The Ensemble Theater (a theater that focuses on African-American themed plays)
The Community Artists' Collective
Houston Fire Museum
Houston Center for Contemporary Arts
Lawndale Art Center
Midtown Art Center

Galveston
Galveston is known for its historic neighborhoods and a ten-mile long seawall designed to protect the city from floods. It is also home to the infamous Balinese Room, a historic nightclub and former illegal gambling hall located on a 600-foot pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico.
The city houses many tourist attractions. The attractions include the Galveston Schlitterbahn waterpark, Moody Gardens, the Lone Star Flight Museum, a downtown neighborhood of historic buildings known as "The Strand," many historical museums and mansions, and miles of beach front. The Strand plays host to a yearly Mardi Gras festival, Galveston Island Jazz & Blues Festival, Texas Beach Fest, Lone Star Bike Rally, and a Victorian-themed Christmas festival called "Dickens on the Strand" (honoring the works of novelist Charles Dickens, especially A Christmas Carol) in early December.
Galveston's historic downtown and abundant beaches are major tourist destinations. Other attractions in Galveston include Moody Gardens, the Galveston Island Railroad Museum, Schlitterbahn, the Strand and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Galveston is also home to several historic ships: the tall ship Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum and USS Cavalla and USS Stewart, both berthed at Seawolf Park on nearby Pelican Island. Galveston is also home to a symphony orchestra and a small ballet company.

Clear Lake
The community is adjacent to NASA's Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston, as well as other major aerospace companies including Boeing and Lockheed-Martin.

Washington County (Brenham, Chappell HIll)
Brenham is the home of and headquarters for Blue Bell Creameries, an ice cream brand that is especially popular in the state of Texas and the Southeastern United States. Blue Bell is the third best-selling ice cream brand in the United States, despite being sold in only sixteen states.
Chappell Hill Sausage Company
David Cone
4255 Sausage Lane
Chappell Hill, TX 77426
979 836-5830
Fax [phone]
email: [e-mail]
www.chsausage.com

There is a HUGH Bluebonnet Bonnet festival every year in the spring.

Just remember to stay out of these school districts: Houston, Alief, Fort Bend, Cy-Fair, Spring Branch, Goose Creek, Galena Park, and North Forest!!!!!

Answer 2

Katy is a very beautiful area, my sister had lived there for 3 years. I know that it is growing rapidly and there is a lot of opportunity for work in the Houston area and also in the San Antonio area. I would prefer to live in Austin due to it being the capital of Texas. It is also very widespread and very laid back. There is some opportunity for work, but it is more expensive to live there that the other two. Katy is very fast paced and there is less crime in that area than the other two. Just more crazy drivers. The schools in that area are also good too so you might want to take that into consideration. The childcare is also better and there are also a lot of great places to go to for children. San Antonio is also like this and it is cheaper that the other two. If you want baseball, football, and basketball, then Houston is it. San Antonio has a lot of history for the children to learn and there is greater hispanic population there than the other two places. Overall, for your family, I would probably say Katy, but don't rule out San Antonio. They have a lot to offer as well. Hope this helped and Good Luck to you.

Answer 3

I've lived in San Antonio most of my life, but I also lived in Austin for a couple of years. I have a lot of family in Austin now, so I'm up there at least once a month. Austin is a great town, but everything I like about it, I can take the 1 hour drive and do, without having to live there. Rent is absolutely obscene in Austin. I had a 550 square foot apartment that I was paying almost $700 a month for. Traffic is extremely heavy and almost constant. This is due primarily to the fact that Austin wasn't designed to have as many people living there as it does. Its population has outgrown its infrastructure. With all it has to offer, it would be a great place to live, but the high rent and traffic make it more sensible to live elsewhere (like S.A.) and just visit.

Having said that, San Antonio is a fantastic city in its own right. A spectacular mix of cultures, and easily the friendliest Texas city you'll ever see. We like to celebrate at the drop of a hat, and Fiesta (a two-week long citywide party) makes Mardi Gras look like a frat party. No less than four parades, including the nation's only night parade, food everywhere you turn, and music of all kinds. You can be listening to a hard rock band on one stage, and walk literally a block down the street and take in a jazz group. Another block, and you'll find Tejano, country, bluegrass, literally whatever kind of music you can think of.

Houston is just an expanse of concrete, and tall steel buildings. Very impersonal.

I may be biased, but I think San Antonio is the place to be.

Answer 4

I live in Austin, been here almost 2 years, moved here from Southern Calif. We ruled out San Antonio and Houston due to the crime there.I don't much care for cold weather either, but the few days of really cold weather here is tolerable, we got some ice last year but no snow. North west Austin is really nice and Round rock you can get more home for your money, I don't know where you plan to work but if you work downtown you will have to deal with the commute and traffic if you live north. Check out the links on my website to research schools, crime, jobs and the city itself. Good luck and if you need assistance let me know, I'd be happy to help.

Answer 5

It is all about the capital of the south, none other than H-Town. Everything is here, it is a one stop shop for whatever you want to do. Plenty of jobs, a growing infrastructure, good bars and nightlife, plenty of suburbs like Katy as you mentioned (that is where I live). San Antonio is way too dirty and Austin is way too Hippie like, I mean fun but hippieish (that also mean dirty). I hope you make the right decision and move to tha town and you be known as a 3rd coast player (like the way that sounds?).

Answer 6

Austin can get pretty cold sometimes, they occasionally have snow. So then you are left with houston or San Antonio. San Antonio has lots to do, but it also has lots of tourists. Houston, where I live, is ok as well. Katy can be nice, but the people can be kind of rude.

Answer 7

depends on what you like to do. If you like a varied nightlife with lots of things to do, try dallas has a slightly better quality than Houston, and San antonio just sucks unless you like tejano. Austin is more eclectic and laid-back out of all three cities, with lots of out-door activities, like hiking, biking, and camping. austin also has better quality of education, I think, without all the metropolitan drama (crime, drugs, poor public schools). I live in Houston, and as far as metropolitan cities go, it sucks. the people suck, are rude, and ignorant. Dallas is a bit uppity, filled with corporations, and "new money". I've lived in san antonio for almost 2 years, and I didn't like it there either. everything's spread out, and there's not really anything there that you can't find in austin. My vote is austin

Answer 8

I live in Dallas but my favorite Texas city is San Antonio. Great people, lots to do for both you and your child and all that history. Don't even think you would have to do the suburbs there. I understand they have a great school system and I know with a child that is important.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

I live in Katy and love it. There is good service and prices in resteraunts and shops, a great education system for your son, and friendly people.