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Been there once and drove by it another time. So, needless to say I do not know much about it.

The wife and I are heading there for a retreat this weekend and I would like to know what are the areas to avoid and some nice areas to go to in the evening?

Thanks in advance for the help!

I would love to be of some help but could you be more specific as to where you're going to be for the retreat, what types of activities you plan on doing while in town, and the time range that you would be out and about?

Yes what part of Houston are you staying?

I'm heading to SA this wknd myself

good call. sorry for the lack of info its a bit late and Im way tired.

We will be staying over by Nasa in Clear lake. The times we will be out and about will be after 5 and as for activities just whatever floats our boat and that is a wide variety of things so anything you got would help.

Grew up there. Went to college there. Worked there. Left .... never went back, don't plan to. No offense to Houstonians, but my "home town" just wore me down over time. I was last living threre full time in about 1997.

That said, the city is changing rapidly. What was a "no go" area when I was there is being rapidly redeveloped. Would be helpful if you give us some idea of what part of town you'll be in (where is your hotel? Where else are you going etc?)

Generally speaking I'd avoid downtown and immediate surroundings (especially north, east and southeast of DT) after dark, except for select areas like the Ballpark etc.

The area around US59 and Kirby was always a decent place when I was there, good restaurants along this corridor (north to Westheimer, Richmond etc., south to ??? can't remember - basically until you reach southern border of "University Place" or whatever that incorporated area is called. Area down Kirby around "Rice Village" (west of the actual Rice University campus) has some really nice shops, restaurants, bars.

The Galleria area and points nearby are hit and miss. The area west of there on Richmond and Westheimer used to be big restaurant/bar row, but not sure how much of that is still prevalent.

As far as the burbs, Sugarland/Missouri City is nice. Katy is nice. Far north/northwest end - FM1960 area is OK (this is where I grew up).

Avoid much of the northeast section, the east section, and the southeast end until you get down to Clear Lake, Friendswood, Pearland areas, which are nice.

Anyway, that's some general parameters from my memory. I still get back there a few times a year to see the folks, but we don't venture too far away from their house often (except the darn hot stinky humid zoo my wife and daughter just LOVE to drag me to )

XtremeDuty.45 wrote:good call. sorry for the lack of info its a bit late and Im way tired.

We will be staying over by Nasa in Clear lake. The times we will be out and about will be after 5 and as for activities just whatever floats our boat and that is a wide variety of things so anything you got would help.

is Kemah Boardwalk still there?

i have lived in Clear Lake (basically) for 16 years and I find the area pretty nice most of the time.
Don't get me wrong, When I leave the house, I carry my weapon, as there can be crime anywhere.

But as a general thought, you are staying in a 'good" area of Houston.
Kemah is a good area, touristy, so a bit pricey.

By the way, Clear Lake, Nasa, and Kemah, all fall under the same umbrella of "Clear Lake", all pretty good areas.

If you are looking for places to go, restaurants night life, etc, please be specific as to what your questions are, but if you are generally asking about safety, I do not have an issue driving, or walking,around this area at any time, day or night.

Yeah, I was gonna say Kemah Boardwalk. You will be in that area anyway and it is nice if the weather is good.

XtremeDuty.45 wrote:good call. sorry for the lack of info its a bit late and Im way tired.

We will be staying over by Nasa in Clear lake. The times we will be out and about will be after 5 and as for activities just whatever floats our boat and that is a wide variety of things so anything you got would help.

Kemah is nice and that area is decent. You have to watch Clear Lake. Most of that is fine but the closer you are to Hobby airport the worse the area is (which is normal).

I'd avoid areas up closer to loop 610 and I-45, like Gulfgate Mall etc
Lots of cars disappear from Almeda Mall yearly.
I'd stay away from most of the "city of South Houston" not much to see there anyway.

Clear Lake, Friendswood, Pearland areas are good, as well as the surrounding areas
Kemah/Seabrook are good LaPorte is OK


I'd avoid Galleria, way on the other side of town and traffic
I'd avoid much of northeast Houston

I wouldn't go downtown .... besides getting robbed myself on Main Street, I've seen others robbed there.

I get gas before entering Houston, because I'm not getting off the freeway until I'm way outside of Houston. I took my dad to a McDonalds for breakfast right off the freeway there once and that afternoon read about a shooting there after we had left. (Actually several there since ... popular place I guess)

If you hit Galveston AT NIGHT, just be aware of your surroundings so you don't get pushed, I mean accidently fall off the Seawall AT NIGHT.

I pretty much grew up in the small town of Bellaire, way far from Houston, the Houston bus didn't go that far from Houston, (inside loop 610 now, completely engulfed/surrounded by Houston, their city motto was "Biggest CITY IN Houston") and used to see cows nearby since 1957 when we could swim and picnic on the bayous, but the place grew and I moved out in 2007 to come to the hill country where the birds, deer and other smart animals moved to that left there too.

wow thanks for all the replies and help. you all are great!!!

XtremeDuty.45 , Do you have a GPS for you vehicle?
It could be a valuable tool to help get you back to a major road or freeway if you get turned around.

I rely heavily on mine while in unfamiliar territory.

Procedure for finding places to avoid in/near Houston:

Go to Google Maps.
Enter "Houston TX" in the search box and press 'Enter'.
Locate the "A" pin on the map (near downtown).
Draw a 50 mile diameter circle centered over the "A" pin.
Avoid this circled area.

Now, this is mostly in jest, but after living there for a few years (Cypress area) and traveling through most of Houston over that time, I just can't see a reason to ever go back. I miss the culture, museums, and the like, but I can get by on Austin and San Antonio's offerings, instead. Good recommendations from the other responses, though. Follow their leads, and you'll be good to go.

UpTheIrons wrote:Procedure for finding places to avoid in/near Houston:

Go to Google Maps.
Enter "Houston TX" in the search box and press 'Enter'.
Locate the "A" pin on the map (near downtown).
Draw a 50 mile diameter circle centered over the "A" pin.
Avoid this circled area.

You've been gone for a while. The circle is now 60 miles.

I can tease because it's my hometown.

Sure. Don't come anywhere near Houston or Galveston. I rarely get through the night without mowing down hordes of zombies.

San Antonio and Austin are crime-free zones similar to Antarctica or the moon.

- Jim