Why Do People Live In Such Expensive Cities?

[nana053]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Stop calling me out.

Sorry about that!

[DanielWayne]

Originally Posted by just4ivaylo

I lived in a house in the Seattle area that's now 56 years old. It's 1,700 sq. ft. Initially bought for $250,000, and is now $400,000.

The house is old, I'll give you that. I could buy a huge new house down here for that much money. However, here is what I will not get.

I will not be close to my work.
There will not be any parks or they will be poorly maintained.
There will be more crime.
There is no public transportation.
The school districts are not as good as those on the east side of Seattle.
It's humid and a lot of people, including myself, really dislike that.
The education level of those around me will be less than that of those in this old house (Seattle's one of the most educated cities in the U.S. and it's suburbs I imagine to be even more so)
There will be no sidewalks where I live, since this is a "car-centric" city. You cannot exist without one.
People drive like crazy here and are much more rude than other places.


Those are just some of the differences. When you buy a house, you don't only buy it. You buy a lifestyle and an experience. That's what justifies the price.

And don't get me wrong, Houston is an OK place to live. It offers value and that's what people from all over the world and all over the country see. That is why this area is growing as a whole.

Aside from the public transportation and the rude drivers (yeah Houston wins easily there), you can find a lot of those other things in Houston. Believe it or not, but there are actually a lot of people who like the summer heat. I am not one of them, but they are not hard to find. I agree Houston is deficient in the lifestyle category, but a lot of people value stable and affordable housing, jobs, and the resulting ability to live really well on a modest salary.

[just4ivaylo]

Originally Posted by DanielWayne

Aside from the public transportation and the rude drivers (yeah Houston wins easily there), you can find a lot of those other things in Houston. Believe it or not, but there are actually a lot of people who like the summer heat. I am not one of them, but they are not hard to find. I agree Houston is deficient in the lifestyle category, but a lot of people value stable and affordable housing, jobs, and the resulting ability to live really well on a modest salary.

I was simply talking as a whole. There is no doubt that most things found throughout America can also be found here. It's a huge city and it's very diverse.

[mistergus75]

When I started this thread, I wasn't talking about the upper-income, artsie types who have the luxury of pondering what city offers the most culturally, scenic-wise, etc.,

I had in mind the regular hourly-type working folks who just manage to keep up with their bills, put food on the table, and go out to eat once or twice a month (maybe).

These people...they could have a much nicer roof over their heads in Houston...if they only knew it.

[BCEagles01]

Originally Posted by mistergus75

When I started this thread, I wasn't talking about the upper-income, artsie types who have the luxury of pondering what city offers the most culturally, scenic-wise, etc.,

I had in mind the regular hourly-type working folks who just manage to keep up with their bills, put food on the table, and go out to eat once or twice a month (maybe).

These people...they could have a much nicer roof over their heads in Houston...if they only knew it.

-------------------------------

I grew up in the city in Boston. And you're right. People in some nicer to upscale areas in Houston probably couldn't have afforded our house,lol

My parents were Blue Collar. Mom worked for Gillette and Dad was chef.

I never knew Boston was expensive un til I moved to Texas. To me The Woodlands is a bargain and very nice.

My mother only knew about Texas because of a woman she worked with had moved here. I finished my last two years of High School here and then returned after college.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by mistergus75

When I started this thread, I wasn't talking about the upper-income, artsie types who have the luxury of pondering what city offers the most culturally, scenic-wise, etc.,

You don't need to be upper-income to do that. People do it on this forum all the time with the lone requirement of an Internet connection and signing up for an account. The barrier of entry isn't too high there.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by mistergus75

When I started this thread, I wasn't talking about the upper-income, artsie types who have the luxury of pondering what city offers the most culturally, scenic-wise, etc.,

I had in mind the regular hourly-type working folks who just manage to keep up with their bills, put food on the table, and go out to eat once or twice a month (maybe).

These people...they could have a much nicer roof over their heads in Houston...if they only knew it.

The average person is pleasantly surprised at the home prices.

The lone exception, for some reason, are Californians. At least in my experience, they hit Houston with the expectation that the homes are free. Have no idea why.

[testmo]

ha cheryjohns so true

i volunteered for a non-profit for quite a while and had soooooooooo many people from rustbelt states or from up north who left EVERYTHING to move to texas because they heard we had jobs and affordable living here. this place is cool but not a utopia. unfortunately, i was helping them with free medical care at a homeless clinic. sad to hear about families spending their last bit of savings on hotel rooms. they are seriously misinformed outside of Texas or just that desperate.

they live there because that is where they are from and somehow got a place to live. they don't or shouldn't give it up because typically its hard to migrate to an area completely on your own and try to figure life out

i am one of those that like the summer here. ever spent a winter in NYC or Chicago? I'll take 365 of 90+degree weather over 2 months of that. i dont mind the humidity. it is comforting somehow. only problem it creates is with my hairdos

[sunkissthegreat1969]

Houston urban denisity is so spread out! sheesh