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Mostly the weather, after that I'm not a huge fan of the materialistic lifestyle and the dependency on cars. Also the second you cross the 610 loop, you are in a completely different world. Inside the loop is very urban and liberal, outside of it is conservative, soccer mom territory.
Let me try to focus answers based only on Houston instead of the usual city bashing.
In terms of running Houston has parks and trails. Memorial Park and Hermann Park ate two popular ones. They are highly utilized, occasionally patrolled by cops and ladies often run there solo. There are also many trails and smaller parks that people use for running. Using common sense ( dont run alone after dark, etc) you shoukd be fine.
In terms of shopping The Galleria Mall is the most popular and has everything from the higher end stores to the basics like American Eagle. There are many other shopping areas including three or four Outlet Malls.
The nightlife here is great, but spread out. People change their moods here quickly, so the it spot today will be old news tomorrow. We do cater to a variety of different waljs of life so there is plenty for everyone.
For Sports we have Football, basketball, baseball and Soccer. The Football teams in all three cities have been doing well. Houstons made the playoffs in the last two seasons. Our basketball team is so so. Our baseball team suck and the soccer team is quite excellent.
We do have quite a few dog parks but how they are run depends on where you live. Some will be very clean and orderly others are just a fenced area of grass.
In terms of good food i would personally rank Houston and Chicago in the top five in the country. ATL is no slouch either it would rank at least top 15 in my book.
For Museums, Chicago would be the best. Houston does very well in the art department. The museum of fine art gets all the big travelling exhibits, the museum of natural science is one of the most visited nat sci museums in the us. The museum district as a whole is very popular, so is the theater district.
In terms of safety dont look at city stats, pull up the zip code stats for your area. I have had no run ins in the 15 years i have been here, knock on wood, but i have heard a lot of crap. Be aware of where you live. If your apartment costs $400 bucks I would reccomend you get a big dog. Cheap rent means tougher neighborhoods.
On terms of attractions, you are duscussing three of the top 12 biggest cities in the US. All of them are packed full of.attractions. Houston has a ton of water parks which do well on the summer. I enjoy plays and the Opera.
Hi, yall! I just been told that when I finish college that I can get a job in either Houston, Chicago, or Atlanta. I was just wondering if anybody has been to any of these cities if they could tell me which one they like the best or what they like about that city. I plan on visiting Houston and Chicago this summer just to get a fill for the city life; since I was raised in a very small town in Missouri and the tallest thing I've seen is the water tower in my town and some of the skyscrappers in Kansas City, MO... When I move I'll be 22 but i'vs noticed that all these cities have a good young professional population so I'm not worried about that. I don't need to know what area I need to live in since I'm just asking which city do you think is that best to live? I know things I would like to have in the city are
Parks to go running
Shopping
Good nightlife
PROFESSIONAL sports teams (I love basketball and football)
I plan on buying a puppy (So dog parks)
Good food
Museums
Safeness because I don't have any family in Houston or Chicago and I'm a female.. I'm of mixed race if that matters but I don't think it does (Chicago's about 4hr and 30min from where I'm from and I have family in Atlanta. In Houston I'd be by myself but I'm not to worried)
ANY TYPE OF ATTRACTIONS!.. Like there's nothing to see where I'm from except deer and cows
Oh yeah is Chicago winters as bad as I hear? I really don't like the cold that's why I was pretty excited to see Houston on the list but I grew up in the Mid-West so I can handle the cold. Do people just over exaggerate Chicago winters?
Thanks Yall!
Congrats!! On graduating, on getting a job, and on having three great cities to choose from.
Parks for running - They all will have this, but in Chicago you probably wouldn't want to run outdoors from Dec - April. Maybe longer depending on your tolerance. On the other hand, running along the lakefront is awesome so it evens out. Shopping - Doubt you'll be missing anything at any of these cities, but the Mag Mile is a major tourist attraction and might offer up a different kind of experience than what ATL and HOU offer. Good nightlife - again, all three will have this in abundance. Will depend more on your particular neighborhood. PROFESSIONAL sports teams (I love basketball and football) - They all have NBA, NFL and MLB teams. Chicago has MLS, NHL and a second MLB team. I plan on buying a puppy (So dog parks) - shouldnt be a problem. Good food - probably will depend more on the type of foods you enjoy. Straight up foodie scene goes to Chicago though, it can compete with any culinary scene in the country. Museums - this goes to Chicago too but HOU and ATL are nothing to sneeze at. Really can't go wrong with all three. Safety - I think Houston is probably the safest, although again I wouldn't worry too much with all three. ATTRACTIONS! one last time...they're all awesome.
It gets very cold in Chicago...no exaggeration at all. If you really don't like the cold, then I'd advise you to really think strongly about Chicago. I think it's positives outweigh the weather, especially if you're not thinking about spending the rest of your life there...but still the winter is no joke.
Hi, yall! I just been told that when I finish college that I can get a job in either Houston, Chicago, or Atlanta. I was just wondering if anybody has been to any of these cities if they could tell me which one they like the best or what they like about that city. I plan on visiting Houston and Chicago this summer just to get a fill for the city life; since I was raised in a very small town in Missouri and the tallest thing I've seen is the water tower in my town and some of the skyscrappers in Kansas City, MO... When I move I'll be 22 but i'vs noticed that all these cities have a good young professional population so I'm not worried about that. I don't need to know what area I need to live in since I'm just asking which city do you think is that best to live? I know things I would like to have in the city are
Parks to go running
Shopping
Good nightlife
PROFESSIONAL sports teams (I love basketball and football)
I plan on buying a puppy (So dog parks)
Good food
Museums
Safeness because I don't have any family in Houston or Chicago and I'm a female.. I'm of mixed race if that matters but I don't think it does (Chicago's about 4hr and 30min from where I'm from and I have family in Atlanta. In Houston I'd be by myself but I'm not to worried)
ANY TYPE OF ATTRACTIONS!.. Like there's nothing to see where I'm from except deer and cows
Oh yeah is Chicago winters as bad as I hear? I really don't like the cold that's why I was pretty excited to see Houston on the list but I grew up in the Mid-West so I can handle the cold. Do people just over exaggerate Chicago winters?
Thanks Yall!
All 3 cities are great. I'm from Atlanta and my wife from Chicago, so I can help a little.
Parks: Atlanta is great for parks and trails to go running. Chicago not so much (At least from my knowledge). Don't know about Houston. Some links for you to read about parks in Chicago and Atlanta:
Shopping: All 3 should be equal. Nightlife: All 3 have an abundance of options. Atlanta's nightlife is open longer than Chicago's, though. From my wife's mouth, things tend to close earlier in Chicago. Here in Atlanta you can easily find things to do well after midnight.
Professional Sports Teams: Again, its a wash. Dog Parks: They all have an abundance. Houston's seem to be more equally distributed.
Chicago's are all on the northside. All but two of Atlanta's are above I-20.
Good Food: Chicago. Hands Down. Travel & Leisure ranks it #5. Houston #24 & Atlanta #27. I believe you would probably concur, because that seems accurate in my book. Chicago has distinct neighborhood with authentic cuisine coming out of each of those neighborhoods.
Museums: Again, Chicago gets the nod. In Houston's favor, there is so much within driving distance; the San Antonio are, Austin, New Orleans, Dallas, etc and you'd easily be able to visit their attractions as well. Atlanta is getting better, gotta few opening in the next few years, but still falls short, in my opinion.
Safety: I think it depends on what neighborhood you move to. My brother lives in Houston and complains about home invasions. Chicago has a huge number of murders each year. In fairness, though, most of that is attributed to gang violence. I don't think you're in a gang. Of course, Atlanta has its problems as well.
I can't tell you which neighborhoods to live in in Chicago or Houston.
In Atlanta, I think the best area for you would be the Vinings area. If you look at google maps, you'll see its not far from downtown, is close to dog parks and walking trails, great food and shopping (Cumberland Mall, Lenox Square Mall, Atlantic Station). If its too expensive, look to the nearby community of Smyrna (origin of Silver Comet Trail). Its a decent city. Or even Try Neighboring Marietta.
On the east side of the city, I would look at neighborhoods like Kirkwood & Inman Park (nice transitional areas with diverse populations) or Decatur proper (not unincorporated), which has a wonderful downtown city square with shopping and dining. The International Farmer's Market is located there.
Oh, also, as a generalization, I would avoid the southside, below I-20. I live in Fayetteville know, which is a nice area in Fayette County, where a lot of people on the southside want to live, but I grew in the southwest neighborhoods of College Park, East Point, & Union City. Now if you like Ludacris, TI, Outkast, etc., then come on down. Otherwise, it may not be your cup of tea. If it is not, then definitely avoid the Southeast side; places like Pittsburgh, Riverdale, Forest Park, Jonesboro, Morrow, Ellenwood (Some of Ellenwood parts are okay if its in DeKalb County). Basically Avoid Clayton County like the plague.
Just want to commend all the posters that have posted so far for keeping the tone of this thread positive.
OP you picked my favorite cities. Like i said, earlier I like all three for different reasons, and I sure that you will find aspects in each that you will love too.
Tell you this though, June to August in Houston is no joke. January to March in Chicago is no joke either.
The humidity in Houston does not bother me because I was raised in a humid climate. The cold in Chicago does not bother me, but the wind does. I really love Chicago for the rest of the year.
Atlantas weather doesnt bother me no matter what month it is.
All 3 cities are great. I'm from Atlanta and my wife from Chicago, so I can help a little.
Parks: Atlanta is great for parks and trails to go running. Chicago not so much (At least from my knowledge). Don't know about Houston. Some links for you to read about parks in Chicago and Atlanta:
Shopping: All 3 should be equal. Nightlife: All 3 have an abundance of options. Atlanta's nightlife is open longer than Chicago's, though. From my wife's mouth, things tend to close earlier in Chicago. Here in Atlanta you can easily find things to do well after midnight.
Professional Sports Teams: Again, its a wash. Dog Parks: They all have an abundance. Houston's seem to be more equally distributed.
Chicago's are all on the northside. All but two of Atlanta's are above I-20.
Good Food: Chicago. Hands Down. Travel & Leisure ranks it #5. Houston #24 & Atlanta #27. I believe you would probably concur, because that seems accurate in my book. Chicago has distinct neighborhood with authentic cuisine coming out of each of those neighborhoods.
Museums: Again, Chicago gets the nod. In Houston's favor, there is so much within driving distance; the San Antonio are, Austin, New Orleans, Dallas, etc and you'd easily be able to visit their attractions as well. Atlanta is getting better, gotta few opening in the next few years, but still falls short, in my opinion.
Safety: I think it depends on what neighborhood you move to. My brother lives in Houston and complains about home invasions. Chicago has a huge number of murders each year. In fairness, though, most of that is attributed to gang violence. I don't think you're in a gang. Of course, Atlanta has its problems as well.
I can't tell you which neighborhoods to live in in Chicago or Houston.
In Atlanta, I think the best area for you would be the Vinings area. If you look at google maps, you'll see its not far from downtown, is close to dog parks and walking trails, great food and shopping (Cumberland Mall, Lenox Square Mall, Atlantic Station). If its too expensive, look to the nearby community of Smyrna (origin of Silver Comet Trail). Its a decent city. Or even Try Neighboring Marietta.
On the east side of the city, I would look at neighborhoods like Kirkwood & Inman Park (nice transitional areas with diverse populations) or Decatur proper (not unincorporated), which has a wonderful downtown city square with shopping and dining. The International Farmer's Market is located there.
I hope some of this helps!
Sorry but your wife doesn't know much.
Chicago has TONS of parks and a 7 mile long park that is along the lakefront!
Chicago's bars close at 4am or 5am some at 3am.
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