The new info I’ve been able to gather over the past few weeks is that: memorial drive is the nicest/fanciest/best schools part to live in. Katy is also nice, a bit far from desis, but it seems like every other desi I know has a relative who lives in katy, so there’s gotta be some desi attractions there. Sugarland is awesome if you love Pakistan. Overall, traffic sucks badly so don’t even bother picking a place based on schooling/desi restaurants etc you just gotta be as close as possible to your work place so you are not stuck in traffic for an hour each morning. Also, there is no “lizard-spray” like there is bug-spray or ant-spray so be on high alert at all times.
lol take a drive around River Oaks …you will forget about Memorial. I love the memorial/Spring branch/piney villages area too but i wouldn’t considered it the only best area of houston. River Oaks is the best…its all old money…compare to Memorial where new money can actually try to get in.
what are good neighborhoods near the freeway within reasonable price range to rent a 3 bedroom house?
Best Islamic school in Houston that concentrates both on academics and manners.. I cant emphasize manners enough considering my child will be spending 8-10 hours in school
ok this might be a silly question but is Houston really full of crimes? I was checking houses in Sugarland/Katy/ woodlands and anything less than 2k is in “red” zone with at least 1-5 crimes reported per day such as assault, robbery, theft etc… I feel like grass really is greener on the otehr side.. Houston is probably not what it seems to be!!
Hi Gemnin the Great. We just recently moved to sugarland, but not renting. For best islamic school i have heard great things about everest academy and know two families that have their kids there. The waiting list is really long, but do try it. The other one is ILM Academy. Both of these are located near decent areas/pricey areas as well. Also cosider Harmony, have heard good things about the sugarland one.
hope this information help.
Regarding the crime rate. you are in a decent area, the crime shouldn’t be a problem. But which area are you considering. We use to be in Pearland and just now move to sugarland. Not no issues with either areas AH.
I live in sugar land/stafford as well. I live on the same street as the masjid sabreen which is the everest academy. I have had no issues with the area and I have been living here for the past 5 years and my sister has been living the same area for the past 10 years.
Houston Quran Academy ( Katy MAS) is in katy. My son goes there and alhamdullah loves it. They just completed masjid Ar Rahman in Katy which is huge and beautiful. It’s right off the freeway and in a very good neighborhood
I have been in Houston a year now and the one thing I can say is that houston is huuuuge compared to what I was used to. Also, places differ so much from one neighborhood to the next in terms of safety, convenience, cost, etc. You really can’t choose a school, buy a home nearby, and expect your job to be nearby just because your workplace is in the same city. Some ppl drive an hour one way to get to work, and to me, that’s insane. The plan of action should be
Secure a job
Find home nearby in good area
Locate nearest Islamic schools and see how far you are willing to drive to get to the “best” school.
The good thing is that there is a Mahdi/Islamic schooling in nearly every part of Houston so u will always have something available.
Just saw the tag Gemini. I haven’t been hanging out on GS lately so feel free to send me a pm
Just to vaguely answer some questions. I have lived in Chicago (city) & Denver, Lakewood CO to be specific & just like most major cities in the US, the crime situation can be a little off putting depending on what part of town you are living in. From what I have heard, after Katrina, a lot of folks moved from New Orleans to find work. Some ended up finding work while some just like to “snatch & go” if you know what I mean.
I know quite a lot of people here & except one person. No one has ever been mugged & not a single soul has faced racism. Texas is a red state but Houston itself is a very diverse city. Suburbs like Katy & Sugarland fall in the Fort Bend County which is the most diverse county in US.
In terms of Islamic school, as Rabia said Everest & ILM are good options. I know someone who used to be a teacher in Everest & she says that its not the same anymore since the past two years. A lot of new hires to save money on the salaries. Someone please correct me if this is wrong.
My child goes to ILM (Montessori) & I love it so far. The way they teach is the perfect blend of learning how to be a good Muslim while also being a productive member of the society as an American. A lot of Islamic schools tend to make the mistake of mixing culture with religion & they don’t realize that, until unless they are looking to create some major identity crisis issues later in the life of these kids, these schools are probably causing more harm than good in the long run. Most immigrant parents don’t realize that being Muslim & American is not mutually exclusive.
After living for two years in the city & doing much research, we decided to settle down in Katy. The school district is amazing. So even though my child goes to ILM right now. If down the road we feel like she is missing out on Academics & other important things, we can easily switch her to the school in our neighborhood. So far our plan is to send her to Islamic school till grade school or junior high & then switch her to a public school for high school.
Sugarland is a great suburb as well. Since Houston is spread so far away, most people pick a place to live depending on where they work. Because rush hour commute sucks & I mean really sucks here (mind my language there). That being said, Masajids are literally in every single corner of Houston. You will usually find a Halal/Desi grocery in every part of town as well. Pm me & I will love to answer any other questions you have.
