Where Should You Live When Starting at Houlihan Lokey’s Houston Office?
Houlihan Lokey’s Houston office is at 811 Main Street, Suite 1900, in Downtown Houston. For a relocating recent graduate, the key decision is not simply how close you can live to the office. In Grant Bynum’s experience helping Houston relocations, the stronger question is which neighborhood gives you the best combination of commute, apartment quality and a social environment where you can meet other young professionals.
Grant’s starting ranking for a typical recent graduate is: 1) Lower Heights, 2) Greater Heights, 3) Montrose, 4) Downtown and 5) River Oaks.
1. Start With the Office, but Do Not Choose on Commute Alone
The Houston office is in Downtown at 811 Main Street. Downtown gives an employee the possibility of an extremely short commute and, depending on the apartment, potentially a walkable trip to work.
Grant would not automatically choose Downtown simply because it is closest. In his experience, many recent graduates are willing to accept a roughly 15- to 30-minute practical commute when it puts them closer to the social environment and peer group they want. Actual drive times vary significantly with traffic and exact property location.
2. Grant’s Neighborhood Ranking
For a typical 22- to 26-year-old new hire, Grant would begin with Lower Heights, Greater Heights, Montrose, Downtown and River Oaks, in that order.
Lower Heights is Grant’s first choice because it combines proximity to Downtown with Washington Avenue-area restaurants and nightlife and, in his experience, a particularly strong concentration of recent graduates.
Greater Heights is second. It offers a large collection of restaurants and social destinations, including activity around 20th Street, while often providing more apartment value than some of the closer-in luxury districts.
Montrose is third. It offers extensive restaurants, nightlife and shops, particularly around Westheimer, along with relatively convenient access to Downtown. Grant considers it an excellent option for someone who wants a more upscale apartment or high-rise environment, although pricing can be higher.
Downtown is fourth. Its major advantage is obvious: exceptional proximity to work, with some residents potentially able to walk. It also has restaurants and nightlife, but Grant’s experience is that the recent-graduate residential concentration is not as strong as in the Heights areas.
River Oaks is fifth. Grant likes it for its attractive setting, shopping and upscale restaurants. He sees it as a strong alternative for someone who values a polished residential environment and separation between work and home, but it generally involves a longer commute and can cost more than the Heights options.
3. How Much Commute Should Matter
Grant’s practical guideline is that a commute under about 30 minutes can be reasonable for a recent graduate if the neighborhood is a substantially better lifestyle fit. Lower Heights can provide particularly convenient Downtown access; Greater Heights, Montrose and Downtown also remain practical choices. River Oaks may require more commute time depending on traffic and the specific apartment.
Commute estimates should always be tested for the actual building and expected work hours rather than treated as guarantees.
4. Where to Build a Social Network
For someone moving to Houston alone, Grant again prioritizes Lower Heights and Greater Heights. His ranking is driven heavily by his firsthand experience with where recent graduates tend to live and socialize.
Washington Avenue gives the Lower Heights/Washington Corridor area a substantial collection of restaurants and nightlife, while Greater Heights has strong restaurant and social activity around 20th Street and elsewhere in the Heights. Montrose has a large restaurant and nightlife scene around Westheimer. Downtown also offers nightlife and dining. River Oaks is more restaurant-, shopping- and residential-oriented and is not Grant’s first choice for someone whose main goal is quickly building a peer network.
5. Long Hours and Business Travel
Grant would not substantially change the neighborhood ranking solely because an employee expects long hours or occasional travel. His preference is still to choose a neighborhood that works for the employee’s life outside work rather than optimize every decision around the office.
For airport travel, George Bush Intercontinental Airport is north of Downtown and has access from multiple major roadways, including I-45, I-69, Hardy Toll Road and Beltway 8. Someone who travels frequently should compare real travel times from finalist apartments, but occasional airport trips would not, by themselves, cause Grant to abandon the central Houston neighborhoods above.
6. Planning Rent Ranges and Effective Rent
Grant uses the following approximate starting one-bedroom rent ranges for initial planning, not as promises of current availability or the full range of rents in each neighborhood:
Grant recommends comparing effective rent rather than base rent alone when concessions are available. For example, a $2,000 apartment with one month free on a 12-month lease has a simplified effective rent of approximately $1,833 per month: $2,000 × 11 ÷ 12.
Also compare parking, amenity fees, utilities and other required charges. Specials and fees change frequently and should be reconfirmed directly with the property before applying.
7. Why a High-Rise Can Make Sense
For employees who work long hours or travel frequently, Grant recommends putting high-rises on the comparison list. Features worth investigating include a staffed or 24/7 concierge, package handling, controlled-access parking, elevator access controls, valet service where available and resident events.
These services vary significantly by building. A concierge should not be assumed to arrange cleaning, pet care or other personal services unless the property specifically confirms that it does. Likewise, no building or neighborhood can guarantee safety. Grant recommends comparing actual access-control procedures, staffing and parking arrangements at each finalist property.
8. How to Tour Houston in One Day—or Virtually
For an out-of-state new hire, HomeBase would normally begin with the top three neighborhoods and add a fourth as a comparison. A sample first tour might include two apartments in Lower Heights, one in Greater Heights, one in Montrose and one in either Downtown or River Oaks.
Grant generally targets roughly three to seven apartment visits in a tour and likes to include time for lunch or a neighborhood break so the employee experiences Houston rather than simply moving from leasing office to leasing office.
If the employee cannot visit Houston, HomeBase can structure a virtual tour day and use its Houston apartment video library to help narrow the choices before applications begin.
9. When to Start the Apartment Search
Grant recommends contacting HomeBase as soon as the offer is accepted—even if the move is six, eight, ten or twelve months away. The early period can be used for neighborhood education, budgeting and planning without forcing the employee to select an apartment too early.
Grant’s typical planning sequence is to narrow neighborhoods around 90 days before move-in, then move into serious apartment selection, touring and applications at roughly 70 days before move-in when appropriate. After an apartment is selected and approved, lease execution typically follows according to the property’s process.
The 70-day guideline is a practical HomeBase rule of thumb, not a universal leasing rule. Availability windows differ by property and should be reconfirmed for each search.
10. Grant’s Recommended First Tour and HomeBase Support
Grant’s default first tour would focus on Lower Heights, Greater Heights and Montrose, then use Downtown, River Oaks or another strong-fit neighborhood as the comparison option. A typical five-property version could be two Lower Heights apartments, one Greater Heights apartment, one Montrose apartment and one Downtown or River Oaks apartment. If the employee already strongly prefers one neighborhood, Grant would add another property there.
For the new hire, HomeBase’s goal is to replace relocation uncertainty with a clear plan: understand Houston, narrow the neighborhoods, build a strong apartment shortlist, tour in person or virtually, compare the finalists and navigate the application process.
For the recruiter, the benefit is different: HomeBase can take much of the apartment-relocation education and coordination off the recruiting team’s plate so the recruiter can stay focused on recruiting and onboarding.
Grant’s Recommendation
Start with Lower Heights. Compare it directly with Greater Heights and Montrose before choosing Downtown solely because it is closest to the office. If upscale surroundings, shopping or a high-rise lifestyle matter more than maximizing the recent-grad social environment, add River Oaks. Contact HomeBase as soon as the offer is accepted; the apartment itself can be selected later, but the relocation plan can begin immediately.