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Houston freeway grid probably is why some feel it feels larger. DFW freeway grid is one of the Weirdest looking in the country. There isn't a loop that can take you all the way around DFW. Houston does have a loop that does that. Than again some might feel the bi-polarness of DFW makes it feel larger. Its all a matter of opinion.
I wish DFW had one big loop but it's too late. People will not give up their land/houses to build a giant freeway loop. They are already trying to stop the loop 9 project.
When traveling on Interstate 20 in DFW, the only thing that keeps me from thinking that I'm not in some small city is the number of freeway lanes. Otherwise, the area surrounding I-20 especially in Arlington and Grand Prairie looks like a small town of 30,000. I don't get that in Houston that much.
Maybe I am in the minority but to me they do not feel larger than they are. The expanse all feels suburban; I can drive through suburbs for hundreds of miles in the north east and their cores seem small to me and give way to non core very quickly. I guess it is just a different perspective but highways to me always feel like I am in the burbs. I have always felt that the burbs are the areas away from the city that connect to the next city; I guess it is just a differnt perspective. Now LA feels huge and expansive; Houston to me large but not huge like LA and about what I would expect in terms of size for a metro of 6 million.
well, no one is asying Houston feels like LA, if they set up a poll asking if LA feels like an area of 12M or an area of more, betcha anything people will say it feels bigger.
don't compare cities, compare feelings.
most people think Houston feels bigger because you hop on at Katy and you see all these big buildings and two hours later you are still driving and there are still big buildings.
I guess it is the perception from the highways. LA does the same darn thing.
you are thinking of ground level feelings like NE people always do. I don't think anyone who has posted so far are thinking of it like that.
Those 3 metros cover too much darn area to just stand on a street corner in each and say, okay, I think this one feels bigger than that one, and that one feels bigger. nope you have got to hit the roads, and when you have got that much distance to cover you got to hit the highways.
forget about your core nonsense for a while. You are talking about 3 southern sprawling cities so screw the core and your suburban nonsense. Throw those words out of your vocabulary. And start thinking about driving threw these cities along the highways and what you feel along each.
I wish DFW had one big loop but it's too late. People will not give up their land/houses to build a giant freeway loop. They are already trying to stop the loop 9 project.
We don't need that outter loop...I think it only will hurt the core cities of Dallas and Fort Worth
When traveling on Interstate 20 in DFW, the only thing that keeps me from thinking that I'm not in some small city is the number of freeway lanes. Otherwise, the area surrounding I-20 especially in Arlington and Grand Prairie looks like a small town of 30,000. I don't get that in Houston that much.
yeah on 10 you have continuous development from katy all the way passed Channelview. That is about 50 miles of development so you get the feeling that the city never ends.
We don't need that outter loop...I think it only will hurt the core cities of Dallas and Fort Worth
I think it will help Southern Dallas County and Northern Ellis County. The closest east-west freeway is Interstate 20. They said the area is congested with traffic. That part of the area is growing fast. If the loop is built it will connect to the President George Bush Turnpike. It will enclose Dallas in a outer beltway.
well, no one is asying Houston feels like LA, if they set up a poll asking if LA feels like an area of 12M or an area of more, betcha anything people will say it feels bigger.
don't compare cities, compare feelings.
most people think Houston feels bigger because you hop on at Katy and you see all these big buildings and two hours later you are still driving and there are still big buildings.
I guess it is the perception from the highways. LA does the same darn thing.
you are thinking of ground level feelings like NE people always do. I don't think anyone who has posted so far are thinking of it like that.
Those 3 metros cover too much darn area to just stand on a street corner in each and say, okay, I think this one feels bigger than that one, and that one feels bigger. nope you have got to hit the roads, and when you have got that much distance to cover you got to hit the highways.
forget about your core nonsense for a while. You are talking about 3 southern sprawling cities so screw the core and your suburban nonsense. Throw those words out of your vocabulary. And start thinking about driving threw these cities along the highways and what you feel along each.
So then driving the same area i would expect it to feel like 20 plus million people and multiple cities, that is my perspective and from that perspective Houston by feel does not feel as large; what I am describing is the highway perspective; so relative to me it still feels very spread and in relation not as large; I do understand what you are saying but also understand then there is a perspective where you actually expect to see a lot more in that distance. Does Houston feel like a metro that is expansive yes, it always has to me; does it feel larger than 6 million, to me not at all; it honestly feels like you took some other metros of similar size and stretched them out.
And you say you cant stand on the corner to get a feel, well maybe that is true but that is how I personally judge the feel of a city; suburbs are the parts that a car is required to understand in many ways. And that perspective is not any more right or wrong than anyones elses. The question was posed do they feel larger; to me the answer is no, they feel about as large as they are.
Just as LA feels like it is, but it feels much larger and I think that is the point. Metros that feel larger to me would be NYC, Chicago, and LA - the next set to me all feel about the same size; which is basically what they are
When traveling on Interstate 20 in DFW, the only thing that keeps me from thinking that I'm not in some small city is the number of freeway lanes. Otherwise, the area surrounding I-20 especially in Arlington and Grand Prairie looks like a small town of 30,000. I don't get that in Houston that much.
I 20 is my favorite freeway less congestion...Just like I like it... I live off I 30 in Fort Worth but you couldn't pay me to go to Dallas from I 30. I usually hit loop 820 to I 20. If I need to go to North Dallas I hit 121 from the midcities HEB.
Side note: There was a time in Fort Worth MLK freeway 287 in Fort Worth never had traffic but now that freeway is just as congested as the other freeways during rush hour. The new urban village and Wal-mart being built off 287 will only make things worse. The 820, 287, I20 merger is very scarey during rush hour (cars switching lanes).
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nope you have got to hit the roads, and when you have got that much distance to cover you got to hit the highways.