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We got job offers from Atlanta and Houston and dont really know anything about both cities
which city is better ?
we are asian american couple with kids. hot weather is not an issue
since we are from LA.
we want safe neighborhood, family oriented environment and activities, good school system for kids, multiculture with less racism, and so on... everything a family with children needs
i love beach and my husband loves mountain biking which CA has been great for both... but cost of living here is getting crazy every year
please help
Hot weather is not an issue because you're from LA?? You realize that the weather in Houston and Atlanta is nothing like LA, right?
That said, Houston's humidity is far more oppressive than Atlanta's. You'll find closer beach opportunities in Houston, and closer mountain biking opportunities in Atlanta- you'll travel 6 hours +/- to hit the beach from Atlanta, and have quite a haul from Houston to find anything that resembles a mountain.
I'm sure you can find areas in both cities that offer the good schools and multi-culturism you're looking for, so that's probably not much of a decider one what or the other.
While Houston doesn't have mountains, it does have trails which is what mountain biking is about.
Atlanta is not bike friendly although the Silver Comet trail is a step in the right direction. I just hope it remains safe. A woman cyclist was murdered on the trail in 2006.
Ultimately, both cities share some traits with Los Angeles. Both are sprawled out (I would say Houston maybe somewhat more than Atlanta, but not by much), both have traffic issues (again, less compared to Los Angeles, but both cities still have some major traffic jams). In my opinion, Atlanta wins on the natural beauty aspect. Beaches like Bob said are going to be 6+ hours away (doable for a long weekend), but you can be in the North Georgia Mountains in about 2 hours from downtown. I think the closest mountains to Houston might be in New Mexico, probably at least a 12+ hour drive. Cost of living I believe might be slightly less in Houston compared to Atlanta. Also, Texas does not have a state income tax, BUT property taxes are much higher in Texas compared to GA. All in all, both cities have anything you can pretty much ever want. I would recommend visiting both if you can for a weekend to get a feel for how you like them. I personally really like Atlanta and have been here for 19 years so Atlanta would win in my book.
Atlanta and Houston have been compared on this board before.
Personally, I say Atlanta wins hands down, but it's a personal choice. Here are some differences that I have noticed, though I will admit I'm no expert on Houston. I lived there briefly, but it was almost 30 years ago.
Atlanta has more interesting day trips. Blue Ridge mountains, Nashville, Florida, Chattanooga, Alabama, plus you can fly anywhere on the east coast directly in less than 2 hours.
Houston seems more international and has more ethnic culture, but much of it is centered around Hispanic and Latin culture. Atlanta's ethnic culture seems more diverse. I know nothing about Asians in Texas, but Atlanta has a huge and thriving Asian population (mostly Korean).
Tons of outdoor recreation in Atlanta. Silver Comet is just one, but there are a plethora of scenic greenways (Big Creek, Suwanee, the list goes on.) The park system around Atlanta is wonderful, particularly in Gwinnett county.
I recall a significant drug problem in public schools in Houston, even in the very nice areas. This may have been cleaned up by now, but I just really wouldn't feel comfortable with kids in Houston schools. My experience my have been unique, but it left a bad taste in my mouth about the state of education in Houston.
Houston seems closer to water...but I remember it taking many hours to get to any kind of decent beach. We would go to South Padre Island, which was pretty far. Galveston was disgusting (maybe better now?) Beaches are 5-6 hours away from Atlanta, but when you get there, they are world class.
Atlanta has more interesting greenery. There's a hint of seasons here, so you get flowers in the spring and leaves changing colors in the fall. I don't remember that in Houston. Though I will say that Atlanta winters can actually get really cold. I don't remember Houston ever getting very cold. I don't think there is any danger of ice or snowstorms there, Atlanta gets them every 3 or 4 years.
Houston probably has a bigger city feel and a more mature nightlife, restaurant, etc. scene. It's probably a better sports town, too. Though when I was there, they had the Oilers, so who knows what it's like now.
I agree that you need to visit both places. The "vibes" are very different, and you'll figure out very quickly which place you feel more comfortable. Report back when you've decided and let us know why you made whatever decision you make!
Atlanta is not bike friendly although the Silver Comet trail is a step in the right direction. I just hope it remains safe. A woman cyclist was murdered on the trail in 2006.
The City of Atlanta's not particularly bike-friendly, but then we are supposedly talking about suburbs, and Roswell is one of only two towns in Georgia designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. It also has probably the most extensive network of walking/biking/hiking/mountain-biking trails in the metro area. Big Creek Park in Roswell is focused on mountain biking with over 6 miles of trails, and RAMBO (the Roswell Alpharetta Mountain Bike Organization) is extremely active in working with the city to promote, develop, and maintain the biking trails. Big Creek also connects to the Alpharetta Big Creek Greenway, which is a mostly paved (partly soft-surfaced) mixed-use pathway along Big Creek from Big Creek Park north through the North Point Mall area all the way up into Forsyth County -- 8 miles and still growing.
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood and the city's director of transportation Steve Acenbrak are both avid cyclists and actively support efforts to make the city as bike- and trail-friendly as possible. It's almost possible now (and someday will be) to walk on sidewalks and trails from the Chattahoochee River (the eastern/southern city limit) on the east all the way to the western city limit at the Cobb County line -- as it currently stands, there are continuous sidewalks/trails from Horseshoe Bend in East Roswell through East Roswell Park, down Eves Road to Riverside Drive, and along Riverside and Azalea Drive all the way to Willeo Road. And right in the middle of that is the Vickery Creek unit of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, which connects the city's Riverside Park to the old mill district and downtown Roswell with several miles of hiking trails.
Roswell has also received national press as being among the safest cities in the country, has outstanding Fulton County schools, and one of the best parks and recreation departments for a city of its size in the country -- the are literally hundreds of sports, recreation, cultural, historical, and artistic program offerings for every age. The city currently has nearly double the national standard of approximately 9 acres of parkland per capita.
As everyone else has pointed out, however, you're 4+ hours away from the nearest ocean beaches. There's lots of water-based recreation within a two hour drive on Lake Lanier, Lake Burton, Lake Allatoona, etc., and you can be in the North Georgia mountains (Dahlonega, Helen, Blairsville, Clayton, etc.) in under two hours as well.
Despite the perception of the northern suburbs of Atlanta as being homogenously white, there's actually quite a bit of diversity. The demographics of Roswell are not that far from mirroring those of the country as a whole:
US White Population: 63.7%
US Black Population: 12.6%
US Hispanic Population: 16.3%
US Asian Population: 4.8%
Roswell White Population: 68.5%
Roswell Black Population: 7.8%
Roswell Hispanic Population: 17.9%
Roswell Asian Population: 4.1%
A walk around any of the public schools in the area will also quickly dispel the idea that everyone in this part of metro Atlanta is white, wealthy, and Protestant. There are two synagogues, a couple of Catholic high schools, a large concentration of Hispanics between downtown and GA 400, etc. Roswell does not have the Korean/Chinese concentration of the Duluth/Suwanee area of Gwinnett County, or the South Asian concentration of John's Creek/eastern Alpharetta, but all of these groups are well represented in Roswell.
I haven't spent extended amounts of time in the Houston suburbs -- mostly visits to family in the area or a week or two at a time for work -- but it definitely seems hotter and more humid than Atlanta, both of which are generally more oppressively hot at times than the LA area. Houston's probably ahead in overall sophistication (cultural institutions, etc.). Atlanta's closer to a wider range of places (within a day's drive of everyplace from Washington D.C. down through Virginia and the Carolinas and down into Florida, plus Cincinnati, Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville, Chattanooga, Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Biloxi, New Orleans, and Memphis). Atlanta wins going away in terms of scenery and landscape, and actually has four seasons (though fall and winter are relatively brief and mild).
Houston seems more international and has more ethnic culture, but much of it is centered around Hispanic and Latin culture. Atlanta's ethnic culture seems more diverse. I know nothing about Asians in Texas, but Atlanta has a huge and thriving Asian population (mostly Korean).
Both have fast growing and thriving Asian communities. Houston's community is larger. In fact, the largest in the South (unless you want to count DC). Most of it, though, is Vietnamese and other Southeastern Asian nationalities. But there is a growing Chinese community in Houston which was honestly just a matter of time. Asia-Society just recently completed a center in Houston's museum district. One of only five in this country (DC, NYC, LA, and SF have the others).
I've lived in both, and I love both. Based on what you've requested, I don't see how you can go wrong with either.
As it's been stated, Atlanta is close to the southern Appalachians and about a 6 hour drive to some lovely beaches. Houston area beaches are nothing great, but there's still plenty of great seafood and marine recreation in the area. The closest mountains would be the Ouachitas of Arkansas (~7 hrs), which aren't as dramatic as the Apps, but are beautiful nonetheless, especially in autumn.
Houston will be the more diverse out of the two, with large white, black, and Hispanic populations, and a very sizeable Asian community. Atlanta has a superior rail system, serving the core of the city, where it's easier to live without a car. Both cities are very lush with plenty of trees, but Atlanta has more, with a very hilly terrain. Houston is dead flat to slightly rolling, in some pockets.
I prefer Atlanta's aesthetics and more distinct seasons. Houston has the edge on culture and restaurants. Houston's economy is also doing better, currently. I don't know enough about the schools to comment. I'd recommend doing tons of research and visiting both to see which fits you best.
Hot weather is not an issue because you're from LA?? You realize that the weather in Houston and Atlanta is nothing like LA, right?
That said, Houston's humidity is far more oppressive than Atlanta's. You'll find closer beach opportunities in Houston, and closer mountain biking opportunities in Atlanta- you'll travel 6 hours +/- to hit the beach from Atlanta, and have quite a haul from Houston to find anything that resembles a mountain.
I'm sure you can find areas in both cities that offer the good schools and multi-culturism you're looking for, so that's probably not much of a decider one what or the other.
Savannah, GA is only 4 hours away from Atlanta. There are beaches near Savannah (Tybee Island). I see the +/- as well but just correcting your post.
Both cities are very lush with plenty of trees, but Atlanta has more, with a very hilly terrain. Houston is dead flat to slightly rolling, in some pockets.
As I stated before, it's relative, but to me Atlanta is not VERY hilly. Not even hilly. I've seen hilly and to me Atlanta is a break from that. You have further up north Georgia for hilly.
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I've seen hilly and to me Atlanta is a break from that. You have further up north Georgia for hilly.
