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Both Miami and Dallas-Fort Worth are younger and larger metropolitan areas than Houston, yet they are both more popular, so that couldn't be the reason.
whuttt? Miami's average age was almost FOURTY YEARS OLD. Dallas did however come in half a year younger than Houston (31.8 years old vs 32.3 years old respectively). btw, I'm pretty sure Miami is smaller than Houston, by over a million people...
He does have a point though; being founded in an entirely independent nation, and even being the capital of said nation leaves Houston with the element of an entire new and foreign society to the US. Such influence runs in the veins of the city, and is reflected through many aspects, from history, to architecture, to even the cultural vibe and identity of the city.
Only New Orleans and Miami can an argument be made for in terms of feeling more foreign than Houston in reality. Seattle does not even come close to feeling as foreign as Houston.
Houston people brag about that capital thing but face it, Houston was a backwoods swamp when it was capital. The majority of Houstons growth came in the 1900s which is a century after Houston became an American City. Houston as a capital had what? 5000 people? It was capital for what? 3 days?
Most of Houston is anywheresville USA. Miami feels different and New Orleans and Seattle looks and feels different. Houston is typical suburban USA.
Only difference between Houston and the older cities is that the boom never occurred in the core. It boomed in the era of the automobile so its growth didn't happen when proximity to work was an issue
(my take on the OPs point..) in the sense that Houston is the number 4 city in the country, chugging along towards the number 3 spot, and yet people still continue to lump Houston with cities like Miami, Atlanta, and Dallas, which aren't even in the top 5.
Well I can see that.
Houston is top 5 for metropolitan population and backs it up by being number 4 for GDP.
Dallas-Ft Worth is top 5 for population but nothing else.
Atlanta and Miami are not top 5 for anything.
So it is maybe a slight on Houston to be lumped with other underachieving Cities.
whuttt? Miami's average age was almost FOURTY YEARS OLD. Dallas did however come in half a year younger than Houston (31.8 years old vs 32.3 years old respectively). btw, I'm pretty sure Miami is smaller than Houston, by over a million people...
I'm referring to the age of the cities themselves, not the average age of the residents.
The City of Houston is larger than the City of Miami, but the Miami-Fort Lauderdale urban area and metropolitan area are both larger than Houston's.
OP is right in my opinion. For the 4th biggest US City in population it does not get a whole lot of national love, I think its because its more of a corporate city than a tourist destination. Compared to NYC, Chicago and LA Houston does not get a lot of love I agree.
Houston people brag about that capital thing but face it, Houston was a backwoods swamp when it was capital. The majority of Houstons growth came in the 1900s which is a century after Houston became an American City. Houston as a capital had what? 5000 people? It was capital for what? 3 days?
Most of Houston is anywheresville USA. Miami feels different and New Orleans and Seattle looks and feels different. Houston is typical suburban USA.
Only difference between Houston and the older cities is that the boom never occurred in the core. It boomed in the era of the automobile so its growth didn't happen when proximity to work was an issue
I'm not from Houston, nor was there any bragging about it being a capital of an entire independent nation for some time; that's just a statement of historical truth. The fact that you mistake that as bragging is proof of your poor reading ability. Yes, the major growth of Houston came when it was a US city, but the existence of the city during the time of independent Texas still ensures an element of foreign ideals, influences, and vibe that can still be seen today in the city.
Your case for Houston not feeling foreign compared to New Orleans, Miami, or Seattle just boils down to the tired, weak argument of Houston being a "generic, sprawling city." Houston feels just as different as Miami, New Orleans; the corporate presence the city has may divert the attention away from such a cultural identity, fooling some people, but once you get to the street level, this foreign ideal just exists in spades. Seattle doesn't even belong in a discussion about cities feeling foreign from the rest of the US.
Honestly, until I started reading this forum I literally never heard anyone ever mention Houston or Dallas unless they were flying there to visit family, etc... I had no clue it had such a huge job market and was experiencing so much growth. Maybe because I'm on the east coast but it's odd how completely overlooked in general Texas is.
I'm not from Houston, nor was there any bragging about it being a capital of an entire independent nation for some time; that's just a statement of historical truth. The fact that you mistake that as bragging is proof of your poor reading ability. Yes, the major growth of Houston came when it was a US city, but the existence of the city during the time of independent Texas still ensures an element of foreign ideals, influences, and vibe that can still be seen today in the city.
Your case for Houston not feeling foreign compared to New Orleans, Miami, or Seattle just boils down to the tired, weak argument of Houston being a "generic, sprawling city." Houston feels just as different as Miami, New Orleans; the corporate presence the city has may divert the attention away from such a cultural identity, fooling some people, but once you get to the street level, this foreign ideal just exists in spades. Seattle doesn't even belong in a discussion about cities feeling foreign from the rest of the US.
Well said.
I'll give Miami the edge in foreign feel, due simply to its place in the Caribbean and larger foreign born population. Still, unlike Houston, it was born as a US City.
New Orleans wasn't always a US city, but I'd still say it doesn't feel as foreign as Houston does today. Definitely unique and exceptional, but not foreign.
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