We're currently in the burbs but both want to move inside the loop. Her new job is downtown (near the Chase tower). We looked at a really nice mid rise next to Minute Maid that's only a 5 min walk from her new office. She loves everything about the spot and the commute, but my experiences with downtown Houston has me very iffy.

I'm a native Houstonian, and as much as I like hanging out in downtown the thought of living there is not super enticing due to wild evenings, homeless, traffic, no grocery stores, awful freeway access, etc. To clarify, obv a lot of that stuff applies to different parts of Houston but imo DT embodies all of it.

In contrast to her, I'm inclined to midtown/montrose as a 7-10 minute drive (or rail) to her work is considered a great commute for Houston, and there are plenty of apartments/condos that fit the vibe we're looking for. She's lived here before and knows the town but I think she's overemphasizing a great commute and nice building at the expense of dealing with downtown on a daily basis. However, if my perception is off/outdated please educate me!

For reference, I work remotely but am on the go frequently. Also, she would only have the walking advantage for a year or 2 as we hope to by a house by then.