Whats up there fellow Seahorse? I was actually stationed at Sabine Pass, but spent alot of time in Galveston. It's really not that bad, definitely not Tacoma, get ready for some very humid weather. Obviously very touristy, Galveston is growing. I agree about living on the island, of course that depends if you have a family. Alot of people I knew lived in Texas City (a very industrial area with Oil Refineries everywhere), though if you don't mind the drive Kemah is really nice, just outside of Houston and some people took the ferry and lived in Crystal Beach. It all depends on your needs. During the tourist season and spring break is fun, just a crap load of traffic and people. The beach is okay, a little dirty at times with some brown Gulf of Mexico. Tell Hashmark I said whats up!!!
I was stationed in the Houston/Galveston area for 11 years. I was at Base Galveston for 9 of those years. I lived on the island for 3 yrs and hated it. The remainder of the time we lived in League City (30 miles north) which is a nice area with good schools. As Fenix75 said, get ready for the worst humidity you can possibly tolerate. Other than that, there is much to do in Houston and the surrounding areas. It takes a while for Texas to grow on you but I can definetly say that it is one of the best states in this country! The people are genuinely nice. Go Astros!!
