DeveronD

Hi Everyone,

I'm considering transferring from Aberdeen to Houston for 1-2 years, probably on an L-1 visa.

I have been a regular visitor to the city for 20 years and my wife has also visited for short periods. We both enjoy the city during our visits, but we're aware that living there permanently might be a little different. Anything major we should be aware of?

Reading through the other posts it seems that having kids is a great way to integrate, but ours are grown up and will be staying in Scotland. Hooray....I don't mean that, really!! They're great, will probably be reading this and visiting!

Can anyone recommend activities, classes, clubs, events etc suitable for a couple of reasonably fit early 50s. Hobbies include golf, rebuilding classic cars (me), crafts, knitting, sewing, Nintendo DS (Not me)

We'll be based in the NW of the city, out 290. Cy-Fair / Cypress area.

Any advice on rental accomodation in that area is also welcome.

thanks

Bob

Apart from past threads on the place, city-data.com is a good place to get info.

As for what to do to meet folks, well what are your hobbies? Chances are there will be groups for those things and you'll meet people through them, or through work.

The crafty shit, chances are there will be stuff in the local libraries about that and also plenty of stuff on meetup.com but also check out any local guilds for crafting as there are often a lot of meet ups and fairs etc.

grumpy39

Hey I live in Cypress.

Plenty to do in the area, you'll not be stuck for golf, the other hobbies i can't help with as we have 3 young boys who are into Ice hockey and Football (Soccer).

For accomodation you can try www.har.com it has every house in Houston for sale or rent.

I moved from Fife to cypress in 2008 and we love our life out here.

Cheers

DeveronD

Hi,

thanks for the reply.

we've been through all the kids sports with our two daughters, ice skating, swimming, Te Kwan Do, Netball. Great fun, but now it's our time to try a few new things for ourselves.

I had a look on HAR. Plenty of choice! We'll probably rent as we're only planning on staying a couple of years and have no intention of selling house in Scotland. took us a long time to get the house of our dreams, not going to give it up now.

We have some friends in Katy and in Copperfield, Cy-Fair, so maybe have a look there. I'm coming across this weekend for a two week business trip, so maybe have some time to have a wee look round.

Thanks again for info

DeveronD

Well we finally made the move over to Houston last month and now that the initial hassles with Social Security numbers, credit history, housing, transport etc are taken care of, we can begin to enjoy life in the US.

Both of us are keen to get our Texas Driving Licences and have looked up the DPS website for info. Seems straightforward enough apart from the waiting around. We've heard that there are 1-2 day courses run which will take you through the written test and allow you to sit the driving part at the same time. Has anybody attended one of these courses or could point us in the right direction?

Any help appreciated.

Emmas

Glad to hear you made it over! Congrats

I move over end of April. I can't answer your question about the test though I'm afraid....

What area of Houston are you in?

Em

Bink

I don't think a course is required if you're worried about the written side of things (Learn the penalties and the the basic rules of the road and I'm positive you'll be just fine) but I have no personal experience of a course for it I'm afraid. Get to the DMV early (before it opens) to get in the queue to book your test. Mine took me two days of waiting around but I think I was just a bit unlucky with timing.

Whereabouts in Houston are you? I've recently moved in the general direction of cypress. Lots to do out here, golf especially and there are some nice courses here too (Longwood and Blackhorse are both decent and public courses)

Weeze

Don't take the test in Houston. You can be waiting in line for hours in the baking heat. If you go to one of the smaller country offices, it's much quicker. We went to Hempstead. Arrived at 7.45am, about 10 people in the queue in front of us. We took the theory test that day and did the eye site test.we were only there about an hour and a half. Then they gave us an appointment a couple of weeks later for the driving part.
The theory test you need to read the handbook for as it's all about under 21s and fines. In the Hempstead office, they don't even have omputers so you sit at a school desk with a huge flower pen. Then for the theory, you parallel park in their car park, reverse in a straight line, go onto the main road, turn left 4 times, turn right 4 times and come back. You have to turn your head at an over exajurated angle as you drive along the little side streets with drive ways to make sure no one is reversing.

DeveronD

Thanks for the quick replies.

We had heard it was better to go out of town to a country office. good advice!

We're staying in the Eldridge / energy corridor area and I work out 290 towards Cypress. We have a 6 month lease and will probably move closer to office when it runs out. How is the rental lease market out there?

I played the Longwood course 3 times last year. It was a bit baked by the time I got there, but hopefully it will recover with all this rain. I've also played Houston National and Cinco Ranch in better weather. I've also heard Blackhorse is good, but a bit pricy!

Bink

Yeah, Blachorse is not the cheapest. I'd forgotten that Longwood had dried up last year - to be fair it was a brutal summer.
The rental lease market is fairly reasonable. There's normally a variety of fairly decent options available (I've leased twice and have now bought out here). If you're looking at residential areas with houses (as opposed to apartments) there's quite a lot of options between barker cypress and highway 6 centered around the west road intersection. It just depends what you're looking for.

DeveronD

Hi All,

One of the guys in the office mentioned a Texas Drivers Ed course you can do online. It's a 9 module, 6 hour course with a multiple choice exam at the end. Pass it and they waive the DPS written test. Cost is around $55, but no waiting around a DPS office all day! Will investigate further.

As for housing we're looking for a lease on a 3 bed house with pool out 290 from the Beltway as far out as fairfield. Quite a few work colleagues stay around Copperfield, Stone gate, Coles Crossing areas. Will start looking seriously in a couple of months.

Emma, One of our IT people stays in the city centre development at Town And country. Beltway / I-10. It seems to attract young professionals, but is expensive. We got a two bed apartment on Eldridge with integrated double garage for same price as one bed place in the city centre. We liked energy corridor as they still have pavements (sorry, sidewalks!) and there are plenty people walking around the area. Terry Hershey park is on our doorstep. great for walking, running, cycling. Having said that, we reckon we'll get a house lease for same price out southwest 290.

If you have any questions re the move feel free to PM me. I had to find out most stuff myself as my company hadn't moved too many brits before.

Weeze

IMO 6 hours of course is way overboard for the written test. The one you take in the office is multi choice anyway. I was in the office 1 1/2 hours for written test/paperwork/eyesore/waiting time. your time and money though so entirely your choice.

texasjan

Can anyone recommend activities, classes, clubs, events etc suitable for a couple of reasonably fit early 50s

NNGH.org is a great organisation, lots of activities with friendly people. If you want any more info let me know