moving to Houston
Nov 1st 2010 | 9:59 am
#31
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 92,279
From: MA, USA
Re: moving to Houston
Hi,
I am in the UK - does anyone know if their company is hiring?
My partner and I sold our house this summer and have been saving hard as we want to move to the USA. We are looking for work and need an employer that would be willing to do the visa thing. I have a few contacts which I'm delving into now, but the more I can find the better.
We have money to pay for our own visa/expenses and we are not looking for a Expat package, simply employment.
If anyone knows if their company is hiring can you let me know please.
The company I'm with are not based in the USA so no hope of a transfer.
Please email if you know of anything; <snip>
Thank you,
Em
I am in the UK - does anyone know if their company is hiring?
My partner and I sold our house this summer and have been saving hard as we want to move to the USA. We are looking for work and need an employer that would be willing to do the visa thing. I have a few contacts which I'm delving into now, but the more I can find the better.
We have money to pay for our own visa/expenses and we are not looking for a Expat package, simply employment.
If anyone knows if their company is hiring can you let me know please.
The company I'm with are not based in the USA so no hope of a transfer.
Please email if you know of anything; <snip>
Thank you,
Em
Nov 2nd 2010 | 9:02 am
#32
Welsh and proud in Texas
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 152
From: Houston, TX
Re: moving to Houston
1. Avoid gunspoint mall. It really is that bad. (It has it's own police station).
2. You might want to try 'living' in an area before you decide. Renting is relatively easy and you can try before you buy. The Woodlands is very nice and there are some REALLY nice people there but it is a bit 'clique'. If that floats your boat, have at it. The schools are all A grade but watch our for the Woodlands High School - some of the better off students have a perchance for doing wrong. Other areas to consider have been mentioned - Kingswood, Spring (look east of old town spring Spring Trails, Benders, Lockeridge, Legends), Tomball, Humble (maybe a bit of a trek). I wouldn't bother looking west or south as ther commute will destroy your husbands will to live! There is nothing east to look for so don't bother.
3. Roads. Imagine the worst drive around the M25 and think that will probably happen to you every day! I drive from Spring to 610North nearly every day. The toll road works well as a relief road or for those 'express' journeys (i.e. above the speed limit) except between 8 - 9am and 5 - 6pm. I-45 is bad inbound in the mornings and outbound. Greenspoint to Spring could take you 20 minutes and it has taken 2 hours!
4. Expats. Your husband will bump into them. You'll bump into them. Your kids will bump into them. Reality is, they are all over Houston but you may not like what you find. They can go from 'I miss Eastenders' and 'I hate my husbands company for sending us here..' to 'I love it here' and 'We're never going back'. That's probably true of any city in the world where you meet expats. Houston is not a backwards city (shut it Tonrob!). There is something for everyone and if it's not here, you can go find it somewhere where else i.e. Dallas, San Antonio or Austin. Seek and you will find.......
5. Probably the MOST important thing I can relate to you:
There is no handbook. Your husbands HR Department will help and they may have some other scheme to give advice. You will get LOTS of advice - some of it good and some if it bad. You'll make mistakes and have good fortune. BUT, just because you look native, people will assume you know everything. Getting a cell phone, buying a car, getting insurance, getting a mortgage, ordering TV service....... the list goes on. You'll understand what I'm getting at once you've tried it.
The folks on here are mostly helpful (OK... a lot!). Ask questions and treat the answers with a pinch of salt.
I've been here 6 years. My company is very small so we've pretty much made our own way. I keep saying we should write a book and my wife smiles and pats me on my head.
Good luck in Houston!
(rant over - go about your business......)
2. You might want to try 'living' in an area before you decide. Renting is relatively easy and you can try before you buy. The Woodlands is very nice and there are some REALLY nice people there but it is a bit 'clique'. If that floats your boat, have at it. The schools are all A grade but watch our for the Woodlands High School - some of the better off students have a perchance for doing wrong. Other areas to consider have been mentioned - Kingswood, Spring (look east of old town spring Spring Trails, Benders, Lockeridge, Legends), Tomball, Humble (maybe a bit of a trek). I wouldn't bother looking west or south as ther commute will destroy your husbands will to live! There is nothing east to look for so don't bother.
3. Roads. Imagine the worst drive around the M25 and think that will probably happen to you every day! I drive from Spring to 610North nearly every day. The toll road works well as a relief road or for those 'express' journeys (i.e. above the speed limit) except between 8 - 9am and 5 - 6pm. I-45 is bad inbound in the mornings and outbound. Greenspoint to Spring could take you 20 minutes and it has taken 2 hours!
4. Expats. Your husband will bump into them. You'll bump into them. Your kids will bump into them. Reality is, they are all over Houston but you may not like what you find. They can go from 'I miss Eastenders' and 'I hate my husbands company for sending us here..' to 'I love it here' and 'We're never going back'. That's probably true of any city in the world where you meet expats. Houston is not a backwards city (shut it Tonrob!). There is something for everyone and if it's not here, you can go find it somewhere where else i.e. Dallas, San Antonio or Austin. Seek and you will find.......
5. Probably the MOST important thing I can relate to you:
There is no handbook. Your husbands HR Department will help and they may have some other scheme to give advice. You will get LOTS of advice - some of it good and some if it bad. You'll make mistakes and have good fortune. BUT, just because you look native, people will assume you know everything. Getting a cell phone, buying a car, getting insurance, getting a mortgage, ordering TV service....... the list goes on. You'll understand what I'm getting at once you've tried it.
The folks on here are mostly helpful (OK... a lot!). Ask questions and treat the answers with a pinch of salt.
I've been here 6 years. My company is very small so we've pretty much made our own way. I keep saying we should write a book and my wife smiles and pats me on my head.
Good luck in Houston!
(rant over - go about your business......)
Nov 2nd 2010 | 9:42 am
#33
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: moving to Houston
1. Avoid gunspoint mall. It really is that bad. (It has it's own police station).
2. You might want to try 'living' in an area before you decide. Renting is relatively easy and you can try before you buy. The Woodlands is very nice and there are some REALLY nice people there but it is a bit 'clique'. If that floats your boat, have at it. The schools are all A grade but watch our for the Woodlands High School - some of the better off students have a perchance for doing wrong. Other areas to consider have been mentioned - Kingswood, Spring (look east of old town spring Spring Trails, Benders, Lockeridge, Legends), Tomball, Humble (maybe a bit of a trek). I wouldn't bother looking west or south as ther commute will destroy your husbands will to live! There is nothing east to look for so don't bother.
3. Roads. Imagine the worst drive around the M25 and think that will probably happen to you every day! I drive from Spring to 610North nearly every day. The toll road works well as a relief road or for those 'express' journeys (i.e. above the speed limit) except between 8 - 9am and 5 - 6pm. I-45 is bad inbound in the mornings and outbound. Greenspoint to Spring could take you 20 minutes and it has taken 2 hours!
4. Expats. Your husband will bump into them. You'll bump into them. Your kids will bump into them. Reality is, they are all over Houston but you may not like what you find. They can go from 'I miss Eastenders' and 'I hate my husbands company for sending us here..' to 'I love it here' and 'We're never going back'. That's probably true of any city in the world where you meet expats. Houston is not a backwards city (shut it Tonrob!). There is something for everyone and if it's not here, you can go find it somewhere where else i.e. Dallas, San Antonio or Austin. Seek and you will find.......
5. Probably the MOST important thing I can relate to you:
There is no handbook. Your husbands HR Department will help and they may have some other scheme to give advice. You will get LOTS of advice - some of it good and some if it bad. You'll make mistakes and have good fortune. BUT, just because you look native, people will assume you know everything. Getting a cell phone, buying a car, getting insurance, getting a mortgage, ordering TV service....... the list goes on. You'll understand what I'm getting at once you've tried it.
The folks on here are mostly helpful (OK... a lot!). Ask questions and treat the answers with a pinch of salt.
I've been here 6 years. My company is very small so we've pretty much made our own way. I keep saying we should write a book and my wife smiles and pats me on my head.
Good luck in Houston!
(rant over - go about your business......)
2. You might want to try 'living' in an area before you decide. Renting is relatively easy and you can try before you buy. The Woodlands is very nice and there are some REALLY nice people there but it is a bit 'clique'. If that floats your boat, have at it. The schools are all A grade but watch our for the Woodlands High School - some of the better off students have a perchance for doing wrong. Other areas to consider have been mentioned - Kingswood, Spring (look east of old town spring Spring Trails, Benders, Lockeridge, Legends), Tomball, Humble (maybe a bit of a trek). I wouldn't bother looking west or south as ther commute will destroy your husbands will to live! There is nothing east to look for so don't bother.
3. Roads. Imagine the worst drive around the M25 and think that will probably happen to you every day! I drive from Spring to 610North nearly every day. The toll road works well as a relief road or for those 'express' journeys (i.e. above the speed limit) except between 8 - 9am and 5 - 6pm. I-45 is bad inbound in the mornings and outbound. Greenspoint to Spring could take you 20 minutes and it has taken 2 hours!
4. Expats. Your husband will bump into them. You'll bump into them. Your kids will bump into them. Reality is, they are all over Houston but you may not like what you find. They can go from 'I miss Eastenders' and 'I hate my husbands company for sending us here..' to 'I love it here' and 'We're never going back'. That's probably true of any city in the world where you meet expats. Houston is not a backwards city (shut it Tonrob!). There is something for everyone and if it's not here, you can go find it somewhere where else i.e. Dallas, San Antonio or Austin. Seek and you will find.......
5. Probably the MOST important thing I can relate to you:
There is no handbook. Your husbands HR Department will help and they may have some other scheme to give advice. You will get LOTS of advice - some of it good and some if it bad. You'll make mistakes and have good fortune. BUT, just because you look native, people will assume you know everything. Getting a cell phone, buying a car, getting insurance, getting a mortgage, ordering TV service....... the list goes on. You'll understand what I'm getting at once you've tried it.
The folks on here are mostly helpful (OK... a lot!). Ask questions and treat the answers with a pinch of salt.
I've been here 6 years. My company is very small so we've pretty much made our own way. I keep saying we should write a book and my wife smiles and pats me on my head.
Good luck in Houston!
(rant over - go about your business......)
The commute from the south (Pearland)288 to the Medical Center area is not a bad commute.
South Brazoria County is still very much a "countryside" area and still close enough to Houston to commute easily and has plenty of local ammenities.
Edit....oops so many new people to the Houston area I thought the OP was looking to be near Main/medical center. Duh..........
Last edited by scrubbedexpat097; Nov 2nd 2010 at 9:46 am. Reason: Blonde day!
