Should I buy house near city center ?

Hey fellow houston residents, I recently moved here from Virginia to be with my family. Thinking of settling down here. I checked out new construction on Brittmore just across city center. I did my research and offff those prices are really high but I also believe this is the new normal atleast for new construction.

Do you recommend buying a brand new construction in that area ?

My priorities are:

1) If I pay a lot better to just get a brand new home than older home.

2) I do plan to go travel for a year once pandemic is over over, so close proximity to city center means potential for rent.

3) No kids. Schools are not really a concern.

4) Gated community. Will feel safe if my dad ends up taking my dog for a walk.

Help me see something I cant see before I make a grave mistake. Also, I am sure a lot of us outsiders are not welcomed here, but for me I came back to my family after realizing what loneliness is in last few months, so please guide me, not troll me.

Going to be paying close to 500k for 3bd 2.5ba for a David Weekly brand new construction.