# Has the Katy area gone ghetto ???



## Bluewaterbound (Aug 3, 2006)

I had no idea how bad it's gotten over there. I haven't been in and around the Katy metroplex for over 5 years with the exception of going to Bass Pro. I have a site work job taking place at Barker Cypress and I-10 and started ground work on it this week.

I took Fry road over from 290 every day so got to take in allot of scenery along the way. Graffitti everywhere !!!!! Looks like the city paint crews can't keep up with painting over it. Abandoned commercial buildings on Fry road everywhere with landscaping growing out of control. Abandoned cars with the tires off and windows broken out. 

Felt real uneasy even getting lunch at a restaraunt on Fry or Mason road. People coming up to me and panhandling.

The best one was when I went to the Hartz chicken buffet on Friday and a lady out of the blue asked me if I wanted to adopt her three dogs because she has no money to feed them. 

I had no idea the recession was hitting places like this that hard. Guess I've had my blinders on living out here in the sticks.

What a shame. Katy always seemed upscale to me. Are the rest of Houston's suburbs starting to go down hill as well ???


----------



## roundman (May 21, 2004)

yup getting bad everywhere, thanks gubment! might have to move to romayor, lol


----------



## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

roundman said:


> yup getting bad everywhere, thanks gubment! _*might have to move to romayor*_, lol


you might want to rethink that. they put something in the water in romayor that makes the people go mental.


----------



## reelthreat (Jul 11, 2006)

Ha ha, just go south of I-10 and everything will look like you remember. We are growing and building $500,000 homes like they are apartments. North of I-10 has looked the same to me for the last 10 years or more. Also, the HUD housing took in a lot of Katrina "victims", not saying that is the cause of what you saw but it might have contributed.


----------



## H2 (Jan 11, 2005)

reelthreat said:


> Ha ha, just go south of I-10 and everything will look like you remember. We are growing and building $500,000 homes like they are apartments. North of I-10 has looked the same to me for the last 10 years or more. Also, the HUD housing took in a lot of Katrina "victims", not saying that is the cause of what you saw but it might have contributed.


You know very well what your saying.


----------



## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

I think that the area went ghetto when they broke ground for the first house between Katy-ft. bend rd. and highway six. I grew up in old katy, but just had to get out of there...


----------



## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

without working in Katy, why would you buy a 500k home in katy and drive over an hour back and forth to work in the big city or fight traffic on the highway... when you can buy 500k in the city, drive 10 minutes to work, see your home appreciate even in this down economy, and not miss all the crowd as they leave for the evening to their suburb home?


----------



## Gas Monkey Fishing (May 20, 2010)

We call that Shady Katy!! Good old master planned and deed restricted Cinco Ranch is still perfect suburbia!


----------



## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

InfamousJ said:


> without working in Katy, why would you buy a 500k home in katy and drive over an hour back and forth to work in the big city or fight traffic on the highway... when you can buy 500k in the city, drive 10 minutes to work, see your home appreciate even in this down economy, and not miss all the crowd as they leave for the evening to their suburb home?


HISD.

Beyond that, just a matter of taste, I would guess. I'm way out in the country, but if I had to I could live in Katy again.. On the other hand, I've got a sister and a SIL living in the heights: you couldn't pay me enough to live there..


----------



## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

depends which part of hisd I guess.. the good areas 500k is just about the lowest price for any house, and that would need a lot of work. you can buy a 10k house right next to downtown and walk to work if you wanted, then hisd probably is pretty horrible there too.. LOL


----------



## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

You can thank metro for you findings. Anywhere these maps go, "the ghetto will grow" consider metro "ghetto cancer"! (IMHO) http://www.ridemetro.org/SchedulesMaps/HOV/i10.aspx


----------



## Bluewaterbound (Aug 3, 2006)

Knot Kidding said:


> You can thank metro for you findings. Anywhere these maps go, "the ghetto will grow" consider metro "ghetto cancer"! (IMHO) http://www.ridemetro.org/SchedulesMaps/HOV/i10.aspx


There may be some truth to that. Your not the first person who has told me that.

I know the north side of I-10 has always been the lower income side of Katy, but still, I have never ever seen it so run down as it is now.

The graffitti is what got me the most. It was even painted on the roofs of some of the fast food restaraunts that were still in business !!!!


----------



## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

I think the morale deterioration after Pearland beat Katy in the playoffs may have attributed to this. :biggrin:


----------



## reelthreat (Jul 11, 2006)

InfamousJ said:


> depends which part of hisd I guess.. the good areas 500k is just about the lowest price for any house, and that would need a lot of work. you can buy a 10k house right next to downtown and walk to work if you wanted, then hisd probably is pretty horrible there too.. LOL


There are *NO* schools in HISD that can compare with KISD in the Cinco/Seven Meadows/Grand Lakes area. I lived close to downtown in 77019 for many years and would not send my kid to any of the schools in the area. All the kids that live in those downtown $500,000 homes go to private school.


----------



## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

Blk Jck 224 said:


> I think the morale deterioration after Pearland beat Katy in the playoffs may have attributed to this. :biggrin:


That's not in the KHS "zone". You'd have to blame them beating Taylor or Mayde Creek if I'm not mistaken. Did they play them this year?


----------



## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

I bought my house in the early 70's and paid $28,950 for it. It took me 30 years to pay it off. When I bought it I was a machine operator making $5.25 per hour, working 67-1/2 hours a week and chitin in high cotton. People buy cars that cost more than that these days and pay them off in 3 to 5 years. What would the payments on a $500,000 house be? I can't imagine why I'd want to saddle myself with that kind of debt. Crazy I'm telling you. 
Oh Yea sorry about the hijack.


----------



## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

TomCat said:


> I bought my house in the early 70's and paid $28,950 for it. It took me 30 years to pay it off. When I bought it I was a machine operator making $5.25 per hour, working 67-1/2 hours a week and chitin in high cotton. People buy cars that cost more than that these days and pay them off in 3 to 5 years. What would the payments on a $500,000 house be? I can't imagine why I'd want to saddle myself with that kind of debt. Crazy I'm telling you.
> Oh Yea sorry about the hijack.


Along with that question, you've just about got to ask how many of them are planning on getting it paid off before they sell ? It's just complicated renting for a lot of people..


----------



## FishinFoolFaron (Feb 11, 2009)

Just goes to show you that those who wish to move up and better themselves, refuse to leave their past behind in the slum or a third world country.


----------



## Bily Lovec (Sep 26, 2005)

I work at barker cypress and I10, I eat lunch in Katy a few days a week, I have no idea what the OP is talking about.


----------



## Bily Lovec (Sep 26, 2005)

reelthreat said:


> There are *NO* schools in HISD that can compare with KISD in the Cinco/Seven Meadows/Grand Lakes area. I lived close to downtown in 77019 for many years and would not send my kid to any of the schools in the area. All the kids that live in those downtown $500,000 homes go to private school.


considering the rate the apartment complexes are springing up in Katy, this wont last much longer


----------



## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

FishinFoolFaron said:


> Just goes to show you that those who wish to move up and better themselves, refuse to leave their past behind in the slum or a third world country.


I had to read that a few times before I fully understood what you're saying and have to agree with you on that. And their ways are passed from generation to generation with pride.


----------



## Fishiola (Apr 30, 2009)

Parts of Katy are absolutely destined to be slums. And soon.

Poorly made houses an hour from downtown ( in am traffic). The coming energy pinch will make these far-flung suburbs far less attractive to continued settlement. Forclosures, unfinished developments and reconcentration of poulation toward the city-center are going to leave portions of places like Katy and Pearland fragmented and rundown. Rentals and multifamily homes are going to make less desirable/more dangerous neighborhoods. 


The last time this happened (20th century), the city centers that were left behind to turn into slums were at least really well-built and those structures could be split into multifamily homes and be ok to live in. In fact many of those former "slums" are the most desirable parts of downtowns today. I'd like to see a Perry home after 40 years as a rental.


----------



## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

TomCat said:


> I bought my house in the early 70's and paid $28,950 for it. It took me 30 years to pay it off. When I bought it I was a machine operator making $5.25 per hour, working 67-1/2 hours a week and chitin in high cotton. People buy cars that cost more than that these days and pay them off in 3 to 5 years. What would the payments on a $500,000 house be? I can't imagine why I'd want to saddle myself with that kind of debt. Crazy I'm telling you.
> Oh Yea sorry about the hijack.


with today's rates, about $2k a month payment (not counting taxes or insurance)



dwilliams35 said:


> Along with that question, you've just about got to ask how many of them are planning on getting it paid off before they sell ? It's just complicated renting for a lot of people..


how about this.. buy a $500k home today in the right area of town, in 5-6 years sell it for $700k.. that is how it works. you own nothing and invest in nothing with rent.


----------



## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

InfamousJ said:


> with today's rates, about $2k a month payment (not counting taxes or insurance)
> 
> how about this.. buy a $500k home today in the right area of town, in 5-6 years sell it for $700k.. that is how it works. you own nothing and invest in nothing with rent.


 Ah yes: the ol' "easy money" mantra of every housing bubble that's ever popped....


----------



## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

no bubble in the right places...


----------



## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

InfamousJ said:


> no bubble in the right places...


You go with that. Hope it works out for ya.


----------



## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

it already has...


----------



## Bily Lovec (Sep 26, 2005)

I wanna see it. including when you sold it.


----------



## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

just look at places like West University and prices of homes bought in 2005 and sold in 2009 and 2010 (during the housing crash). you should be able to find that info on the interweb. $200k increases are not uncommon.


----------



## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

Bubbles move around. There's no place that's immune. There's a heck of a lot of people lost a lot of money over the years thinking "it can't happen here"..


----------



## excop95 (Jan 16, 2010)

Money (the dollar) is linked to petroleum. When the cheap, plentiful petroleum starts to go away, as it has now, your fiat currency will become worthless. As will your overpriced, upscale homes. World oil production peaked in 2005 and we have been on a plateau, till this year, 2011. According to the last Dept of Energy Report (reviewed by the Pentagon, and they concurred), in 2011 we go over the cliff and by 2015 world oil production will be down 10 Mbpd-that is half of what the US uses daily.
Those in denial, concerning energy use and the laws of thermodynamics are in for a real shock in a few short years. The world as you have known it is about to change, radically.


----------



## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

InfamousJ said:


> it already has...


Time to sell. the reminding property's will be sold to investors and turned into multi dwelling units:idea:


----------



## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

Blk Jck 224 said:


> I think the morale deterioration after Pearland beat Katy in the playoffs may have attributed to this. :biggrin:


LOL! Maybe so, but there are parts of Pearland (518 and 288) that are headed in the same direction.


----------



## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estat...lvbgRzbGsDdGhlbW9zdGV4cGVu?mod=realestate-buy

out of my league


----------



## essayons75 (May 15, 2006)

I'm going to "break bad" before I read this whole depressng thread to say Kingwood is a very nicely normal place to live.


----------



## spuds (Jan 2, 2005)

*Anybody that says you can't get a good education in HISD doesn't know all the facts. We raised two kids that went through HISD schools (Lamar) and both graduated with honors at outstanding Texas colleges like Southwestern and TCU. *
*Our kids used to always laugh at the BS they saw going on in suburban schools, like the prevalence of white kids trying to act ghetto. Said they'd get their azzes kicked and handed to them by the real homies, for being posers and trying to act like thugs. *
*When we were visiting colleges, the admissions people would always get very interested when the kids said they went to Lamar. One admissions staff person explained it this way: Too many kids living in suburban and outstate schools had lived a sheltered life, while kids who went to well respected inner city schools like Lamar and Bellaire and did well, had more experience living in the real world. They know first hand where the lifestyle glorified by MTV will get you. The college admissions said they found that urban kids often ended up as exemplar students and were less likely to go off the deep end when they got away from Mommy and Daddy and living on their own. *
*Traditionally the wealthy has lived in the cities. The suburbs are a fairly recent phenomena which began in the 50's but began in earnest in the 60's. But it seems people are starting to wisen up and figuring out life sux commuting 20 plus hours of your life every week. *
*As a result, currently in the inner city, we are seeing a huge influx of kids, 20-somethings, well educated, moving in town, many were raised in the burbs. If the young continue to eschew the suburban lifestyle in mass, can those areas sustain their property values, let alone appreciate in value? *
*In 32 years, neither inner city property of mine has ever lost value, even in the down times. And I love the variety and the multitude of Mom and Pop stores and restaurants in the inner city. You couldn't pay me to live in the burbs.*


----------



## wisslbritches (May 27, 2004)

Bily Lovec said:


> I work at barker cypress and I10, I eat lunch in Katy a few days a week, I have no idea what the OP is talking about.


He must've searched the graffiti, etc. out. Sure they're out here but sheesh, it's not a third world country. I can find the same thing anywhere if I look for it. It is not AS bad as OP portrays.

Might have something to do with the zip code along Fry Rd, 77449, being the zip code with the most forclosures in Texas in 2007 thanks to sub $100K homes and bad loans.


----------



## Nathan C (Oct 27, 2010)

East of mason and north of i-10=ghetto west of mason everything is good


----------



## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

Nathan C said:


> East of mason and north of i-10=ghetto west of mason everything is good


Like i said, Anywhere these maps go, "the ghetto will grow" consider metro "ghetto cancer"! (IMHO) http://www.ridemetro.org/SchedulesMaps/HOV/i10.aspx


----------



## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

Knot Kidding said:


> LOL! Maybe so, but there are parts of Pearland (518 and 288) that are headed in the same direction.


As soon as my boys, 21 & 18, are finished with school, I'm outta here. Headed South to the country! :walkingsm


----------



## atcNick (Apr 7, 2005)

Well, this isn't encouraging. Katy is ghetto now? Seemed like a decent suburb when my cousins lived there 20 years ago. Is any part of Houston immune to eventual ghettofication?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

atcNick said:


> Katy is ghetto now?


Yes, I live norf of I-10 and it seems my neighbors are more concerned with how loud their car stereos are or how big their rims are vs. keeping their yard mowed and house maintained


----------



## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

Some area's probably so. Old town Katy, or Katy "proper" not as much. It has changed w/ the times. For instance, at Katy High around 1981 or so a student wore an earring to school. It was ripped out of his ear and he left in an ambulance during lunch. The pendulum has definitely swung in the other direction since, but I would not call Katy "ghetto" by any means.


----------



## DANO (May 23, 2005)

Houston's ever growing tentacles strangle the life out of everything they come in contact with,...


----------



## saltup83 (Jul 15, 2010)

reelthreat said:


> Ha ha, just go south of I-10 and everything will look like you remember. We are growing and building $500,000 homes like they are apartments. North of I-10 has looked the same to me for the last 10 years or more. Also, the HUD housing took in a lot of Katrina "victims", not saying that is the cause of what you saw but it might have contributed.


 X2000000


----------



## saltup83 (Jul 15, 2010)

reelthreat said:


> There are *NO* schools in HISD that can compare with KISD in the Cinco/Seven Meadows/Grand Lakes area. I lived close to downtown in 77019 for many years and would not send my kid to any of the schools in the area. All the kids that live in those downtown $500,000 homes go to private school.


This is true as well. Dang RT, you really know your stuff! My uncle coaches at one of the private schools. Looks rough(around bingle/I-10 area) at first until you see all the big houses and flashy cars.


----------



## Bull Red (Mar 17, 2010)

Knot Kidding said:


> LOL! Maybe so, but there are parts of Pearland (518 and 288) that are headed in the same direction.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the metro service goes through there.


----------



## rab ag (May 19, 2005)

Well I live south of I-10 on Mason & my next door neighbor is avoiding creditors as the bank tries to foreclose on him (hides inside & only comes out on Sundays) & today a wrecker driver pulled up & asked me if I ever saw my cross the street neighbor park his white camry in the drive way or did he keep it in the garage? Thought it was a nice neighborhood until the housing boom & a bunch of yahoos that shouldn't have been given loans got them - now I'm the one that's gonna pay for it with foreclosures & rentals around me.


----------



## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

Bull Red said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the metro service goes through there.


http://www.khou.com/news/neighborho...n-of-new-Pearland-Park-and-Ride-98146844.html


----------



## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Bull Red said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the metro service goes through there.


The dilapidated '78 Caddies with $4K in rims go thru there... often.


----------



## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

InfamousJ said:


> how about this.. buy a $500k home today in the right area of town, in 5-6 years sell it for $700k.. that is how it works.





InfamousJ said:


> it already has...


Things change, especially in real estate... You may think that you're sitting good now, but things change relatively quickly. When your neighbors are overextended (and trust me, they are) and they start dropping like flies, you and your 'real estate fortunes' will follow them down if you don't recognize the signs & bail while the getting-is-good. Just sayin...

I've actually seen idiots with $1M homes in the early 80s that had cheap folding aluminum chairs in their front rooms... It's all about B.S. appearances. Cinco is no different today. :headknock


----------



## peeker1966 (Jun 22, 2008)

depending on who you ask fry road is not katy. come on in the city limits and ride and see how much graffiti there is them thugs wont get away with that S____ in the city


----------



## roundman (May 21, 2004)

they must all be on the island now, acting like dogs up on the seawall, one thug in a car yells to me to get my fat *** outta the way as i was crossing the road and he had a red light, i must be getting dumb in my old age, i stopped and went over to his car and he locked the door an rolled up the window, lmfao


----------



## goldie (Nov 17, 2008)

Originally Posted by *Knot Kidding*  
_LOL! Maybe so, but there are parts of Pearland (518 and 288) that are headed in the same direction._

_that part of Pearland went to $h1t really fast_


----------



## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

http://www.click2houston.com/news/28250695/detail.html


----------



## Slightly Dangerous (May 21, 2004)

Seems to be no end to the construction in the Grand Parkway area south of I-10. Even out towards Fulshear it is just crazy the number of new expensive homes still being built. What gets me is that there is only the narrow 2-lane road to carry all those folks to town. Urban flight will never end. We'll probably be annexing Victoria in a few years.


----------



## KellyJoe (Apr 3, 2011)

Slightly Dangerous said:


> We'll probably be annexing Victoria in a few years.


God I hope not!!!:smile:


----------



## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

You do have your CHL, right?


----------



## gp2394 (Jul 1, 2008)

For those that live out this way, I believe the FM1093 & SH99 intersection will become the worst intersection in the world once TXDOT completes the new SH99 ramps off IH10.


----------



## Corky (May 22, 2004)

InfamousJ said:


> without working in Katy, why would you buy a 500k home in katy and drive over an hour back and forth to work in the big city or fight traffic on the highway... when you can buy 500k in the city, drive 10 minutes to work, see your home appreciate even in this down economy, and not miss all the crowd as they leave for the evening to their suburb home?


because for the same $$, you can get twice as much square footage, twice as big of a yard, and good school system....avg drive is 35 min to downtown in morning and 45 min in evening...


----------



## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

I'm with peeker66....Fry isn't Katy proper, it's still in Houston City limits. We can still smoke when we are having a beer here!! LOL AND in quite a few restaurants.

Later
R3F


----------



## Johnny9 (Sep 7, 2005)

Slightly Dangerous said:


> Seems to be no end to the construction in the Grand Parkway area south of I-10. Even out towards Fulshear it is just crazy the number of new expensive homes still being built. What gets me is that there is only the narrow 2-lane road to carry all those folks to town. Urban flight will never end. We'll probably be annexing Victoria in a few years.


Met with Commissionier Myers on another matter recently and after Flyover is finished at 99 at I-10 they will move to 99 at Westpark/Westheimer and start flyovers there. Metro has given South 50 foot right of 100 old railway of way thru Fulshear. Enviromental Studies seem to be the holdup according to Ft Bend Commissioners and they are ****** AT STATE for dragging their feet. Project will be very expensive to widen and 6-7 overpasses will be required as Highlines and Subdivisions are very close to proposed 2 lane feeder lanes on south. County is acquiring 25-50 feet Right of way south of Metro. We might see dirt moving in 2013 maybe.


----------



## Stringer (May 22, 2004)

Not nearly as bad as the poster implies. Geez. I grew up in Alief from the early 80's to the mid 90's. A lot of the old timers there blamed metro and all the apartments for Alief's decline. I work in the school system and the school i work at has had their UIL districts aligned with Katy ISD, Spring Branch ISD, and Aldine ISD over the last 12 years. I won't even begin to talk about Aldine! I'm sure i'd offend someone from that area! All these areas have pros and cons. For the most part all of the katy schools have great support at UIL events. All the schools have community involvement at football games etc.... We used to live in Cinco, bought a big house, lived around a bunch of engineers, lawyers, small business owners, etc...Like i said, each school has a since of community, but in all the years around these schools and there was something different about Katy H.S. Much more pride in their community. Small town feel. 2 years ago we moved to Old katy, off of Ave. D. It's a different world. Kind of like stepping back in time. Two city of katy police officers live on my street, the old sackers at the Brookshire Bros. know everyone by name, the hardware store reminds of when i was just a small kid.....So, glad i made the move out here.


----------

