Clear Lake, Houston, TX

Once an area that attracted predominantly engineer types for NASA, Clear Lake has now expanded its appeal and therefore expanded its community.  Because of its growing aerspace technology facilities and biotechnology companies more and more families have come to settle here.  A large area for recreational boating has equally contributed to Clear Lake's broadening. 

The Clear Lake area is quite culturally diverse, with a large Asian-American population.

There is no shortage of bars and restaurants in this area.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Ike recently hit Kemah Boardwalk, a celebrated action packed area filled with fabulous restaurants and bars.  This area is under reconstruction and will soon reign again as a guaranteed favorite for lunch and dinner outings.  For fine dining on the Boardwalk try Red Sushi, or a savory steak at Chart House.  Typical yet delish seafood fair can be found all around as well as casual cocktailing and a romantic boardwalk feel.

Amazingly, you can find apartment rentals in some of Clear Lake's older complexes for $450 dollars!  There is a vast economic range in Clear Lake with a lot of incredibly affordable areas.  When looking at these prices please be aware of pockets of high crime.  Although Clear Lake is not a high crime area, some of the older parts a bit on the downside. 

There are no original looking little duplexes or 4-plexes in this area, but instead a lot of gated communities, condos, houses, and apartment complexes that have a lot of space for your buck.  Good luck!

In all honesty, Houston is not a city that is solid in its public transportation options/resources.  This I feel, is due in part to the actual design of the city being so spread out and not terribly centralized rendering it's community reliant on individual vehicles if they work outside of their nieghborhoods. 

With that being said, Clear Lake or the Bay Area has their own public transit system in the works called BayTran.  BayTran offers tram transport for its residents and workers along Clear Lake's NASA 1 Road, as well as Highway 146.  The Bay Area Partnership is working closely with the Houston Transportation System on this to better traffic management, and better homeland security and hurricane evacuation.

METRO buses are available with routes in these areas of Clear Lake:

• Central Business District
• NASA
• Eastwood Transit Center

Because this area is South Houston and is on a lot of water, consider your location in terms of potential hurricanes and tropical storms.  The Kemah Boardwalk is one of many central locations of this area that suffered significant damage from Hurricane Ike recently.  Avoid lower, marshy pockets of Clear Lake due to flooding.

A lot of apartments in this area do not accept dogs over 25 lbs.  There are a lot of available low rent houses in this area that are doggie friendly.

Although there is no existing dog park, a large one is the works for the summer of 2009!  This future pooch haven will have a 10 acre area fenced off in two sections for small and large dogs to run about.  It will also include a tree lined walking trail, multiple fountains, and bathing area for your pups.  In the meantime, the closest dog park is Independence Dog Park located in Pearland, TX.  Hang in there dog lovers and enjoy leashed walks through Clear Lake neighborhoods. 

For pet conveniences, you will find excellent dog sitters and groomers in the area like Happy Pets Inn, and Clear Lake Pet Sitting.  The Mutt hut in Kemahm Texas isn't very far.

There is plenty to do in this area for kiddos and adults.  If you are a watersports and/or boat enthusiast this is the area for you.  Not only is it "down the road" from Galveston Island, but there are also 19 marinas and over 7,000 boat slips in Clear Lake, one of the largest concentration areas of pleasure boats in the US. 

Bay Area Park is a focal point of Clear Lake and at its heart, with a plethora of activities as well as a beautiful view.  There are baseball and softball fields, picnic areas, boardwalks in the parks marshy areas, and fishing piers.  Kayaking, fishing, and bird watching are a few popular activities here. 

One of the most popular venues for entertainment is the Houston Space Center.  Families will surely appreciate a fun and educational experience at this 180,000 square foot, Disney-designed center that includes educational rides and exhibits.

The two main highways in this area are Interstate 45 going North/South and NASA Road 1 going East/West.  NASA Road 1, or NASA Parkway is a direct route to the Space Center as well as the beautiful and shopper friendly Kemah boardwalk.  Most shopping can be found along Bay Area Boulevard and I-45.  Baybrook Mall is also located on this street.

Kroger grocery store dominates this area with several locations.  Although Kroger is one of the leading grocers in Texas a bit of variety is nice.  You will surely find everything you need at this grocer, however as they offer an organic section as well as a moderate wine and beer section.  There are a few Randall's locations in this area as well with the same dilemma.  DO NOT expect to find organic grocers and markets.

In this area you will find atleast three convenient Wells Fargo Bank locations, a few Bank of America's, and the JSC Federal Credit Union.  If your operative bank is not one of these, nearby neighborhoods are moments away.

Acrosports Gymnastics, Bally's, 24 Hour Fitness, as well as Curves are all centrally located in Clear Lake for your fitness needs.

Students in Clear Lake attend schools in Clear Creek Independent School District.  Although parts of the Clear Lake area are posited in the surrounding Houston and Pasadena areas the Clear Lake community is excluded from these school districts.  In the realm of academia students of Clear Lake will not be short changed however, with over 35 fully functioning public schools.  There are also a range of private schools and alternative learning centers in the area such as St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal School, Taylor Lake Montessori School, and Tullis Farm School to name a few.

The University of Houston-Clear Lake branch sits on the outskirts of the neighborhood on over 500 acres of campus.  With a variety of graduate and undergraduate programs, Clear Lake residents can attend University of Houston without the commute.

For the musically inclined you will find the Bay Area Youth Symphony offering an extensive program for kids of varying ages to expand upon their interests in music, perform with other likeminded kids, and develop a formal music education.