Do you consider Houston to be world class? (Dallas, Austin: universities, shop)
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An interesting discussion was started in the Austin forums asking about the allure of Austin over cities like Dallas and Houston. One person responded with this.
Houston, Dallas and Austin are all important cities. But they are important for their own parts. None of them will ever (at least in our life times) be truly relevant world class cities like London. So saying one is irrelevant or unimportant while boosting the other as such is silly.
And yes Houston and Dallas are just regional cities. The US has a good handful of cities that have far more to offer and are more culturally and economically important than either of them. NYC, Boston, Chicago, Philly, SF, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington just to name a few.
They are fantastic cities with tons to offer. But they aren't world class. No Dallas or Houston boosters have any place trashing another city for not being world class when it is not itself even close to being a world class city.
I responded with this:
Quote:
How is Houston NOT a world class city? The population is massive. The Port of Houston is the largest for international tonnage in the United States. It is the energy capitol of the world. Lots of high end shopping and dining everywhere. High quality education is offered in every grade level including one of the best universities in the country. The Texas Medical Center offers the best healthcare in the WORLD bar none. Every ethnicity is represented in some shape of form as well.
IDK, when I think of "world class", I think an all around upper echelon type experience. Houston while being "world class" in some industries, is not an overall "world class" city IMO. Moreover, I would also link a "world class" city to some place that offers something that maybe can't be seen elsewhere. What does Houston offer tourist wise that isn't offered in other large US cities? Everyone here keeps saying how Houston is rich with culture, but what culture is that? It seems as though it borrows from all the other cultures of the ppl who move here.
And please tell me you are not saying that HISD provides a world class education??
I think it's world class in industry and other business areas. But perhaps not world class in society (snob factor).
And let's be perfectly clear on a thing or two, "world class" society stuff is greatly over rated. This whole argument is about as meaningful as watching synthetic grass grow.
Glad to see you brought this over to the Houston forum. Going by what I've seen posted here so far, most Houstonians don't really care whether they are world-class or not. It's just a label invented by status-happy people to establish some kind of tier system that only seems to matter to C-D nerds.
That being said, if any label must be attached to Houston, I would call it a "global" city, rather than "world-class". The only real difference being that Houston is recognized worldwide for it's economic importance, but not really as a major tourist destination the way cities like New York, San Francisco, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Paris, or Hong Kong are.
All that really matters though, is do you like Houston for what it is? Would you like to see it "move up" to the status of those other cities?
when i think of "world class" i think of international business, international travel from and to (not tourism), infrastructure, diversity, arts, foods. in my judgement Houston is a world class city. how does Boston and Seattle offer more worldly experience than Houston? when was the last time the person in the Austin forum visited those two towns?
why London is the definition of a "world class" city above all others (in US or overseas) is also strange to me.
when i think of "world class" i think of international business, international travel from and to (not tourism), infrastructure, diversity, arts, foods. in my judgement Houston is a world class city. how does Boston and Seattle offer more worldly experience than Houston? when was the last time the person in the Austin forum visited those two towns?
why London is the definition of a "world class" city above all others (in US or overseas) is also strange to me.
tour·ism (trzm) n.1. The practice of traveling for pleasure. 2. The business of providing tours and services for tourists.
Yes. Many people travel to Houston for business from all corners of the globe. A much smaller number travel there for pleasure or vacations. Sorry, but part of what constitutes a "world-class" city includes BOTH of these factors, not just one or the other. That's why cities like Las Vegas and Orlando are not considered world-class. It is what it is. It doesn't really bother me that Houston isn't the true definition of world-class. I like Houston just fine, and I do believe that some day soon it could become what is generally considered "world-class" by the public at large, but it's just not there yet.
Not sure who classified Seattle and Boston as world-class cities. That is false. They're both great cities with a lot to offer on many levels, but not world-class.
Now, if you have to question why London is considered a world-class city, then all I have to say is: Have you ever been to London?
I kinda agree with the original answer, No, none of Tx cities are world class. But I thought some of the ones he/she listed as world class was being too generous, ie, Atlanta, Philly, SF, etc.
I would never think of visiting Houston/Dallas/Austin on my summer break if I was from another country, unless it was for a short stop over. If I was a foreign company, I would also never want to host an oversea conference in Houston for the appeal of the city unless Houston was directly relevant to my industry, like Oil/gas. If choosing for the city itself, I would like to vacation or do a conference in Pars, Hawaii, Rome, NYC, Kyoto, Amsterdam, etc.
tour·ism (trzm) n.1. The practice of traveling for pleasure. 2. The business of providing tours and services for tourists.
Yes. Many people travel to Houston for business. A much smaller number travel there for pleasure or vacations. Sorry, but part of what constitutes a "world-class" city includes BOTH of these factors, not just one or the other. That's why cities like Las Vegas and Orlando are not considered world-class. It is what it is. It doesn't really bother me that Houston isn't the true definition of world-class. I like Houston just fine, and I do believe that some day soon it could become what is generally considered "world-class" by the public at large, but it's just not there yet.
Not sure who classified Seattle and Boston as world-class cities. That is false. They're both great cities with a lot to offer on many levels, but not world-class. "world class" i believe is a subjective definition. therefore it isnt like there is a definitive list
Now, if you have to question why London is considered a world-class city, then all I have to say is: Have you ever been to London?
i didnt say London wasnt a world class city. but is it the most world class city of any? the person who inspired this thread kind of held it out to be. id put a few others above london.
there are tourist hot spots that are tourist hot spots. tourism does not define, in my mind, what a world class city is.
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