Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Which city along I-10 do you like better between Phoenix or Houston and why? Also which city has better restaurants, nightlife, things to do, lower crime, less traffic, shopping, etc?
As someone that has lived in both places, here are my thoughts,
Better Restaurants: Definitely Houston. Phoenix doesn't come close to offering the diversity of cuisine offered in Houston.
Nightlife: I'd probably give that one to Houston also.
Things to do: For me, this one would be Houston. Phoenix is great if you like hiking, sunbathing, and golf, but it lacks culture compared to other cities. Houston has better museums, theatre, and events.
Lower Crime: Probably Phoenix, although I have not looked at the statistics.
Shopping: Probably a tie. Galleria and Scottsdale Fashion Square are quite comparable. If you are going by city proper and not metro, than Phoenix loses out because most of the good shopping is in Scottsdale or other suburbs (with the exception of Biltmore Fashion Park). Both metros have the new town square type of shopping centers (like Scottsdale Quarter or CityCentre in Houston).
Scenery: Phoenix is great if you like the desert, but not everyone does. I prefer trees and greenery, which we have plenty of, here in Houston.
Weather: I couldn't stand the summers in Phoenix, and I grew up in Houston. Those Phoenix summers were downright painful. They made our very moist summers in Houston seem like a cakewalk by comparison. The winters are comparable, although maybe warmer in Houston as our nights don't get as cold.
Overall, Houston is the winner to me, which is why I chose to relocate here from Phoenix (Scottsdale).
Houston a bigger and more interesting city overall. In terms of urban criteria and diversity it easily beats out Phoenix quite handily. But Houston is not a very scenic area, having good scenery and outdoor activity is a deal breaker for me. Arizona has it all over East Texas in terms of outdoor activity, weekends away from the city, and roadtrips.
Houston a bigger and more interesting city overall. In terms of urban criteria and diversity it easily beats out Phoenix quite handily. But Houston is not a very scenic area, having good scenery and outdoor activity is a deal breaker for me. Arizona has it all over East Texas in terms of outdoor activity, weekends away from the city, and roadtrips.
Like most people I've met with this thought process, you probably are saying this just because Houston and East Texas are flat compared to Arizona.
Phoenix by a mile. The only thing Houston has going for it over Phoenix is it's robust economy and unprecedented job growth but with crashing oil prices I fear H-towns economy will be going down the tubes very soon. I have family members in the Houston area who are employed by the big energy players so of course my fingers are crossed that oil skyrockets back to around $100 per barrel. My family members in Houston have told me that if oil remains below $70 a barrel over the next six months they will be let go.
Phoenix by a mile. The only thing Houston has going for it over Phoenix is it's robust economy and unprecedented job growth but with crashing oil prices I fear H-towns economy will be going down the tubes very soon. I have family members in the Houston area who are employed by the big energy players so of course my fingers are crossed that oil skyrockets back to around $100 per barrel. My family members in Houston have told me that if oil remains below $70 a barrel over the next six months they will be let go.
lol, haven't u noticed the price of oil is on it's way back up? Even gas prices have gone up and the trend is that oil will continue it's upward trajectory.
You're certainly no expert on the Houston economy, obviously.
Houston by a huge margin. The outdoors argument is even subjective IMHO. Phoenix has hiking and mountains, while Houston has the Gulf coast and lakes in the metro. I'm an avid fisherman, pretty safe to say Houston is much better than Phoenix regarding this topic. Houston's cultural offerings, diversity, food, skyline, and economy blows Phoenix out of the water. Scenery is about the only thing I will give Phoenix over Houston. Not bashing Phoenix but I do think that Houston is clearly a tier above it.
What dramatics in this thread (umm...no surprise). While I like Phoenix more, I will say that Houston's metro offers more simply due to the size difference between it and Phoenix, but it certainly doesn't blow Phoenix out of the water. Some of you really need to step away from your computers and TRULY start getting to know other cities if you are going to pretend to be experts (a visit here or there or "sister-in-law's cousin told me" doesn't count) instead of spending wasted time speculating based on the limited opinions of others. Also, I really wish everyone who mentions "cultural offerings and diversity" would back it up with what they are implying by that and then explain how they can possibly know whatever it is they think they know about these things in other cities that they do not even live in. Those words are probably the most overused/misused here on CD...well, besides "(insert city) blows (insert city) out of the water".
What dramatics in this thread (umm...no surprise). While I like Phoenix more, I will say that Houston's metro offers more simply due to the size difference between it and Phoenix, but it certainly doesn't blow Phoenix out of the water. Some of you really need to step away from your computers and TRULY start getting to know other cities if you are going to pretend to be experts (a visit here or there or "sister-in-law's cousin told me" doesn't count) instead of spending wasted time speculating based on the limited opinions of others. Also, I really wish everyone who mentions "cultural offerings and diversity" would back it up with what they are implying by that and then explain how they can possibly know whatever it is they think they know about these things in other cities that they do not even live in. Those words are probably the most overused/misused here on CD...well, besides "(insert city) blows (insert city) out of the water".
This post seems to be directed at me. By cultural offerings I'm speaking of museums, arts, opera, festivals, nightlife etc. Houston has all of this at a higher level than Phoenix, and if you don't believe me go see for yourself. By diversity, Houston has more ethnic groups from around the world, more languages spoken more cosmopolitan, and a more diverse food scene than Phoenix. Again if you don't believe me go see for yourself. I will retract from the blow out the water statement since you're offended and just say that Houston offers more. For the record I've spent plenty of time in Phoenix, and actually like it, but see Houston as the superior city on almost every level.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
