suggest a place for me to live
- Thread starter boxingguy
- Start date
BiGGieStuFF
Hall of Fame
It's just suburbia located outside the Houston city limits. Clean living community for those who want to live away from the city. Family oriented, not a lot going down there as far as nightlife. I was just impressed by their community center I guess.boxingguy said:Okay, Houston's on the bubble.
What is "New Territory"? Sounds exotic.
Dedans Penthouse
Legend
Then "the glittering jewel of Lake Michigan" (or is that "broken glass?), Gary, Indiana awaits you!boxingguy said:
Don't believe me? Well, their own website hails Gary, Indiana as:
"the perfect location for a weekend getaway, a FAMILY VACATION, a business trip, or a 'night on the town'."
http://www.gary.in.us/visitgary.asp
And now for something completely different: ...... reality
http://www.forbidden-places.be/explo53.php
Geezer Guy
Hall of Fame
Kansas City is not bad, actually. You can't play outdoors year round, but there are a lot of tennis clubs that range from inexpensive and somewhat spartan (but not bad) to plush and high-end. Most of us play indoors during the winter and outdoors during the spring, summer, fall. Traffic isn't bad. (Sometimes WE think it is, but most visitors marvel that we can usually go between 45 and 65 down the interstate DURING our rush hour.) Religion isn't oppressive, but we are in the heart of the bible belt. The good side of that is that it's easy to get court time on Sunday mornings. Housing here is very reasonable!
KC has been a pretty nice place to live. The wife and I have been here almost 30 years. I'm looking forward to retiring and moving away though.
KC has been a pretty nice place to live. The wife and I have been here almost 30 years. I'm looking forward to retiring and moving away though.
atatu
Legend
boxingguy said:
The new courts will be on 7800 Johnny Morris Road, east of town. Not sure when they are supposed to be finished, as always, funds are a consideration. They had the money to expand an existing tennis center, but building an entire new tennis center costs more money. But the mayor and the city council don't care, they just wanted to throw a bone to the tennis community and this was their idea. Anyway, I did not mean to discourage you from central texas. You might think about Georgetown, which is 30 miles North of Austin. Housing is cheaper, they have a good muni tennis center as well as a nice country club, plus lots of good courts at the area schools.
atatu
Legend
boxingguy said:
My wife is in love with Central Austin and she's the boss....The good thing about Georgetown is that you're close enough to drive to Austin to check out the music scene, go to UT football games (or tennis matches) and the other stuff that the city offers. Here's more on Georgetown: http://www.georgetown.org/
armand
Banned
You're considering international? Then don't forget Europe. My real estate acumen isn't what it could be, so if Italy, Spain, France are out of your price range, I am certain you can find something truly spectacular in Eastern Europe where the girls look like this:boxingguy said:
and the beaches look like this
2 things to watch out for: Auto theft and the language barrier(yes most people speak English, but still).
boxingguy
Rookie
atatu said:
I checked out the Georgetown site. The tennis center looks pretty sweet. $130 for a yearly pass? Includes a pool? Sounds too good to be true. I'm now paying $300/year and no pool. I think we have a frontrunner.
The future brand new deserted courts in East Austin sound pretty good too.
Okay, Oklahoma, South Carolina, TN, Kentucky, can you top the Georgetown Tennis Center? http://www.georgetownparks.org/tennis/membership.php
boxingguy
Rookie
I started a new thread for best public tennis facility http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=1188027#post1188027
I would recommend you all the Mediterranean Coast, including, Spain (Valencia, Barcelona, Mallorca..), southern of France (Montpellier, Nice..well, maybe those cities are a bit expensive, yes) and Italy (Geneve..).
In all those cities you can find nice weather almost all the year, great clay courts (if you like them), amazing beaches, not natural disasters,good food, friendly people, an "easy-going" mentality..
In all those cities you can find nice weather almost all the year, great clay courts (if you like them), amazing beaches, not natural disasters,good food, friendly people, an "easy-going" mentality..
tennis-n-sc
Professional
boxingguy said:
Texas is a great state. The people are great. But you better love heat, cold, wind (lots of it) and tornadoes.
chess9
Hall of Fame
tennis-n-sc said:
Texas also has some of the worst air quality in the world. I don't know about Austin, but Houston is the pits, IMHO. I've been in Waco (1984) and there wasn't much there, but the blue bonnets were pretty. Very windy and hot.
I'd vote for the following:
1. Greenville, SC;
2. Myrtle Beach, SC;
3. Winston-Salem, NC;
4. Sea Island, Ga.
5. Orlando, Fl.
6. Charlottesville, Va.
7. Norfolk, Va.
8. Alicante area of Spain
9. Brighton, UK
10. Southern Portugal
-Robert
BiGGieStuFF
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
Hmm..when you say good public tennis facility it looks like you're still paying some sort of fees or dues for these facilities. If that's the case you should come to Houston. They have many facilities and clubs you can join up for tennis. I believe my friend had a membership for all the indoor facilities since they were all conjoined and Im unsure of the startup fees but he was paying 150 a month but he had access to all the different indoor clubs all over houston. I believe there were 4 included in that memberhship.
Plus you have westside tennis club too which is a bit expensive but their facilities are nice. They have grass courts, red clay courts, green clay, rebound ace, amongst many other surfaces.
Courts are a plenty if you're looking for free courts and organized tennis is better overall in Houston than Austin. Even if you're not serious about USTA tennis, there is a more laid back competitive singles league called flextennis you can join to scratch that competitive tennis itch w/o going all out like USTA.
Unfortunately I'm not sure what you are looking for in terms of lving but your options are the ocean in Houston. So much to choose from in this huge city.
WhiteSox05CA
Hall of Fame
Last edited:
boxingguy
Rookie
BiGGieStuFF said:
BiGGie, I'm envious that you like your city so much that you would campaign for it so hard . . . I'm afraid I'm going to rule out major metropolises . . . I need to move to a city smaller than Vegas rather than bigger . . . Big cities tend to have traffic, pollution, and crime issues . . .
As far as "what you are looking for in terms of lving", I have very few needs. Basically, I need to be able to play tennis easily and cheaply (hence the requisite for "public" courts) year round, I need cable or satellite to follow boxing, and I like to sit in a nice cafe or bagel shop and drink coffee.
When will you be in Vegas? Sure you don't want to play? Where are you staying? Maybe I can give you some tips.
BiGGieStuFF
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
Well the great thing about houston is you have the choice of living in surburbia away from the big city life or living IN Houston. Areas of your interest would probably be Sugar Land and New Territory and Pearland. Far away enough from the city to avoid things like traffic but still has all the stores and facilities you need for quiet living.
I don't have the wonderful links to show people but there is an area for everyone in Houston depending on what you like. It's not the most exciting town but for sports such as tennis it's hard to beat. I'd say I play on public courts all the time and there are so many around you really have your choice. But also depends on your job as well too. Are you retired? self-employed?
As for vegas, man I'd love to play but all depends on my cousin since it is his bachelor party. I honestly don't know what to do during the day. I'm not a gambler and I doubt I'll be taking in any shows of the sort.
Friday night is assigned to spearmint rhino and saturday we're headed to Pure. Few of us wanted to check out the Fedor fight but since it lands on Saturday it's a bit tough to attend.
I'll definitely run it by him tonight though when we hit.
tennis-n-sc
Professional
boxingguy said:
Upstate SC does not get hurricanes and the median price home is about$110,000. But you are gonna be hardpressed to find a decent home for $100,000 anywhere so check that out closely.
I had also forgotten about what an extremely beautiful place Charlotesville, Va is but the prices of homes would sink you there, I think. I'm afraid you will have to make some concessions no matter where you go. The coast of Carolina catches a bad hurricane about every 20-30 years. As I recall, Hugo was the last.
HyperHorse
Banned
Just do what Andres the god says and check out Argentina before you consider anything...
Do not go to Texas. It's as hot as hell, and is the reduced air quality really worth the possible reduced lifespan?
Reconsider Maine, if you cant take a bit of snow.. well you're a chicken, full stop. What's wrong with a white christmas?!?!?!? think of the children!!
Northeast Oklahoma
upstate South Carolina
Id go with these 2, and if you're going to go to Sweden, well it's COLD there as well, and im talking turbo freezer cold.
Your bones will never feel the same again!
Do not go to Texas. It's as hot as hell, and is the reduced air quality really worth the possible reduced lifespan?
Reconsider Maine, if you cant take a bit of snow.. well you're a chicken, full stop. What's wrong with a white christmas?!?!?!? think of the children!!
Northeast Oklahoma
upstate South Carolina
Id go with these 2, and if you're going to go to Sweden, well it's COLD there as well, and im talking turbo freezer cold.
Your bones will never feel the same again!
chess9
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
Heavy winds and rains coming up from Florida. Not the 150 mph stuff. Home prices are all over the place, but the other poster is right. A single family home in SC is going to cost you at least $100K. On the other hand, heating costs are low.
Oh, and the cockroaches are big enough to eat...or eat you. -Robert
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
HyperHorse said:Just do what Andres the god says and check out Argentina before you consider anything...
Do not go to Texas. It's as hot as hell, and is the reduced air quality really worth the possible reduced lifespan?
Reconsider Maine, if you cant take a bit of snow.. well you're a chicken, full stop. What's wrong with a white christmas?!?!?!? think of the children!!
Northeast Oklahoma
upstate South Carolina
Id go with these 2, and if you're going to go to Sweden, well it's COLD there as well, and im talking turbo freezer cold.
Your bones will never feel the same again!
A Syndney-sider weighs in on suburban America. Impressive.
tennis-n-sc
Professional
boxingguy said:tennis-in-sc, your persistence has sold me. SC is in the running
Public tennis in the Columbia area is fantastic, primarily in Lexington, where a new public facility has been open about two years. I think they have about 25 courts although I'm not sure about the costs.
Robert is right about the roaches. I think they are called wharf roaches and they are huge. Throw them on the barbie.
Public tennis facilities in the Greenville are not great but private facilites aren't expensive. Also, in the Charleston area, you may have seen the WTA Family Circle tournament facility. Not widely known, but it is a public park facility located on DAniel Island.
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
tennis-n-sc said:
Hahahahh, but, very few of them are aggressive. In my travels to the warm climates, only three or four times has one ever brandished its teeth and/or growled at me.
The wharf roaches of the southeast have gotten together and hired PR people and an image consultant. Lighter, muted hues, subtle racing stripes, more smiling, that sorta thing. Oh, and they would prefer to be called Palmetto bugs or Water bugs henceforth.
On the barbie, they are great. Really any dry cooking method brings out the nutty flavor in a, ahem, Palmetto. Great mouthfeel, too. I'm a purist, but I hear a quick dip in a cheese sauce, a wasabi aioli, a black bean slasa or even a dark chocolate sauce is great.
tennis-n-sc
Professional
slice bh compliment said:
Very good!!!!
BiGGieStuFF
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
Only way to find out is to visit
Phil
Hall of Fame
slice bh compliment said:
Molle sauce? Man, that is too graphic, even for me
Third-world cooking with the slice 'n dice slice b/h dude! But what the heck, we eat lobsters and what are they but giagantic, swim-qualified roaches?I think the SC varient is called Wharf Roaches because they're actually large enough to require docking facilities.
NB: My first trip to the South was N. Florida, and there I saw my first tanker-sized roach, I mentioned the harrowing experience to a friend, who said that what I had probably seen was a "palmetto bug". Being from a landlocked eastern city where the roaches are only about 1/10 the size, I just gave him a look. "Mike, it was a ROACH. A gigantice friggin' roach." So it flew...the damn thing was closer to MOTHRA than it was to being a palmetto bug.
boxingguy
Rookie
BiGGieStuFF said:
Not quite retired yet, but I'm ready to quit my civil servant job. Job market is not a huge concern of mine. I believe that if you find a place to live that you like, things like making a living will take care of themselves. Worked for me so far.
Figured out that "Fedor" is one of the Pride fighters. I don't follow MMA real closely, I'm pretty much an old school boxing snob. But I saw some guys I recognize from boxing on the Pride card. Should be interesting.
Geezer Guy
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
I've checked out both North and South Carolina, and both have a lot going for them. (My wife and I are looking to relocate in the next couple of years.) Our latest visit was to the Asheville, North Carolina area, and I was very pleased with the tennis prospects there. We visited 3 nice facilities that are all very moderately priced: The Asheville Racquet Club, the Brevard Athletic Club, and the Cheshire Fitness and Racquet Club. If you don't mind driving half an hour or 45 minutes for tennis, you have a lot of places (and price ranges) to choose from to live.
atatu
Legend
Ok, now you guys have me thinking about NC and SC.....one other thing to think about is water quality and quantity. Not to sound like a doomsayer, but a lot of states are going to be facing a water shortage in the next 50 years. Boxingguy probably already knows about this, living in Vegas. It may not effect us as much as our kids. Higher water bills, etc. Texas and several of the western states are already starting to face this reality. What's the situation in NC and SC ?
For North America, try the quiz at www.findyourspot.com. It's a quiz that will come up with 18 places that meet your criteria. It does only ask one tennis question though.
tennis-n-sc
Professional
atatu said:
In most of the Upstate SC and Western NC, there is an abundance of mountain rivers, lakes, streams and resevoirs. Water quality is excellent and it is cheap.
armand
Banned
Oh mercy that was very funny, thanks.Phil said:Molle sauce? Man, that is too graphic, even for me
I think the SC varient is called Wharf Roaches because they're actually large enough to require docking facilities.
NB: My first trip to the South was N. Florida, and there I saw my first tanker-sized roach, I mentioned the harrowing experience to a friend, who said that what I had probably seen was a "palmetto bug". Being from a landlocked eastern city where the roaches are only about 1/10 the size, I just gave him a look. "Mike, it was a ROACH. A gigantice friggin' roach." So it flew...the damn thing was closer to MOTHRA than it was to being a palmetto bug.
Please compare this insect to the Japanese Giant Hornet. Include any imaginitive Godzilla like shodowns between the creatures and, if possible, please provide illustrations.
boxingguy
Rookie
cak said:
Did it! That was fun, thanks cak. Here's what they came up with:
Brownsville, Texas On the Border, By the Sea
This town at the southern tip of Texas began as Fort Brown, built to support the U.S. claim to the Rio Grande as a southern border…
Population: 139,700 | Average Home Price: $100,000 | Precipitation: 25" | Snow: 0"
Abilene, Texas Key City in the Big Country
This town's beautiful Paramount Theater hosts the West Texas Film Festival each year…
Population: 116,000 | Average Home Price: $120,000 | Precipitation: 24" | Snow: 5"
Jackson, Mississippi Old Capital of the South
This historic Mississippi city is the home of the largest planetarium in the Southeast…
Population: 449,000 | Average Home Price: $132,000 | Precipitation: 49" | Snow: 1"
Enid, Oklahoma Bright Star of the Great Plains
This largest town in northwest Oklahoma grew out of the Great Land Rush of 1893…
Population: 46,400 | Average Home Price: $101,000 | Precipitation: 30" | Snow: 12"
Albany, Georgia The Good Life City
This cultural, industrial and educational hub is the fastest-growing city in Georgia...
Population: 123,300 | Average Home Price: $146,000 | Precipitation: 49" | Snow: 1"
Athens, Georgia The Classic City
The world's only double-barreled cannon rests in this Georgia town; it was "a spectacular failure" in tests in 1864...
Population: 102,500 | Average Home Price: $175,000 | Precipitation: 50" | Snow: 0"
McAllen, Texas City of Palms
This lush spot in Rio Grande country is a birdwatcher's paradise, home each April to the Texas Tropics Nature Festival...
Population: 106,400 | Average Home Price: $120,000 | Precipitation: 26" | Snow: 0"
Killeen, Texas Star of Texas Hill Country
Fort Hood, the nation's largest Army Base, is not far from this Texas town…
Population: 87,000 | Average Home Price: $120,000 | Precipitation: 33" | Snow: 2"
Columbia, South Carolina Hub of the New South
This is the capital of South Carolina, where the State Dance is The Shag…
Population: 96,650 | Average Home Price: $190,000 | Precipitation: 42" | Snow: 2"
Tulsa, Oklahoma A Blend of the Best
This technologically important Oklahoma city hosts a low-tech Blue Grass and Chili Festival each year...
Population: 388,000 | Average Home Price: $135,000 | Precipitation: 43" | Snow: 5"
Clarksville, Tennessee The New South
This Tennessee city calls itself the "Gateway to the New South"…
Population: 103,455 | Average Home Price: $132,000 | Precipitation: 50" | Snow: 8"
Tuscaloosa, Alabama The Big Apple of the South
This important city on Alabama's Black Warrior river is home to Stillman College and the University of Alabama...
Population: 79,300 | Average Home Price: $237,000 | Precipitation: 52" | Snow: 1"
Amarillo, Texas The Crown of Texas
This Texas town's cattle industry was started by Charles Goodnight, inventor of the chuckwagon…
Population: 173,600 | Average Home Price: $125,000 | Precipitation: 20" | Snow: 15"
Lubbock, Texas Home to a Legend
This unpredictable West Texas town has had a symphony orchestra since 1949…
Population: 199,600 | Average Home Price: $133,000 | Precipitation: 18" | Snow: 10"
Birmingham, Alabama America’s Magic City
This city is home to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame…
Population: 237,000 | Average Home Price: $157,000 | Precipitation: 54" | Snow: 1"
Dothan, Alabama A Place in the Heart
This "Peanut Capital of the World" hosts the National Peanut Festival each fall…
Population: 62,700 | Average Home Price: $194,000 | Precipitation: 41" | Snow: 0"
Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hub of South Mississippi
This southeast Mississippi hub has been rated the #1 small city in the nation for health care…
Population: 46,700 | Average Home Price: $130,000 | Precipitation: 58" | Snow: 0"
Greenville, South Carolina The Rising Star of the South
The Peace Center for the Performing Arts presents theater and concerts in this South Carolina city's rejuvenated downtown…
Population: 56,000 | Average Home Price: $190,000 | Precipitation: 51" | Snow: 7"
Bryan-College Station, Texas The Heart of Texas
Home to a major university, this spot claims to have the friendliest residents in the world…
Population: 133,550 | Average Home Price: $145,000 | Precipitation: 33" | Snow: 2"
Tyler, Texas The Rose City
This Rose Capital of the World hosts the Texas Rose Festival each October…
Population: 83,650 | Average Home Price: $150,000 | Precipitation: 45" | Snow: 1"
Savannah, Georgia Georgia’s Historic City
Conde Nast Traveler magazine named this Georgia town one of the top 10 U.S. cities to visit…
Population: 235,300 | Average Home Price: $203,000 | Precipitation: 51" | Snow: 0"
Clearwater, Florida City of Gold Medal Beaches
Once you're done playing in the sun and sand, you can ride the world's largest speedboat in this unique city...
Population: 109,000 | Average Home Price: $214,500 | Precipitation: 51" | Snow: 0"
Daytona Beach, Florida The World’s Most Famous Beach
This traditional spring break location is also a popular destination for nesting sea turtles…
Population: 64,600 | Average Home Price: $198,000 | Precipitation: 51" | Snow: 0"
Louisville, Kentucky Home of the Kentucky Derby
This beautiful river city was home to Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken…
Population: 248,000 | Average Home Price: $186,000 | Precipitation: 43" | Snow: 17"
Greenville and Columbia came up, along with a bunch of TX cities.
Any opinions on any of these towns?
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Savannah is so nice. And you'll get to play on Har-Tru, probably.
BiGGieStuFF
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
I guess that quiz doesn't take into account small counties like Pearland and Sugar Land or Katy. They are counties but they are basically cities all their own. Have every store, market, mall you could need and would never have to enter the city. Crime is low and housing is new in those areas.
Greenville sounds interesting though.
Geezer Guy
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
If the tennis is as good as the shagging, this one has my vote!
I've go family in the McAllen and Brownsville TX area; whenever we go(usually in April) we spend all our time at South Padre Island which is real close, has nice beaches, excellent windsurfing (so I'm told) and good fishing. Both towns are good for forays into Mexico, as both are right on the border. I sure wouldn't want to live there in summer though, plenty of humid 100 days.
BiGGieStuFF
Hall of Fame
boxingguy said:
Got some heavy rain. Parts of Houston got some flooding. NOthing major. I didn't get caught in any of it so I'm kind of oblivious to it. Finally got some tennis in today though. More rain tomorrow and then off to vegas. Doubt we'll be able to catch some tennis in though
. What else is there to do during the day besides gambling and shopping?
lorenza
Semi-Pro
BiGGieStuFF said:Got some heavy rain. Parts of Houston got some flooding. NOthing major. I didn't get caught in any of it so I'm kind of oblivious to it. Finally got some tennis in today though. More rain tomorrow and then off to vegas. Doubt we'll be able to catch some tennis in though
What else is there to do during the day besides gambling and shopping?
psh...houston floods all the time. i am used to it. if my street doesnt flood at least once a year, it is odd...