Just got back from my Weekend in Houston, looks like I am staying put in the North-East............. (Plano: rent, high crime)

[BookerEast]

LOL In Houston, every place is ugly except where one bought his house.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

Exactly. People love to use that word around here; that and "barrio", of which there are none in Houston.

Apparently your definition of barrio is different than most, including wikipedia. But it's more like barrio nuevo, very similar to what you'd find in McAllen with a few less pastel colors but nothing like you'd see in pictures of Nicaragua.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by tstone

Apparently your definition of barrio is different than most, including wikipedia. But it's more like barrio nuevo, very similar to what you'd find in McAllen with a few less pastel colors but nothing like you'd see in pictures of Nicaragua.

Oh, you mean that Wikipedia "definition" that anyone could have typed, and cites no sources?

What I do know is that the term "barrio" is rarely used to describe any neighborhood outside of Spanish-speaking nations, or, less commonly, dirt poor neighborhoods in border towns or South Florida that are solid enclaves of Latino settlement. But here it's applied to virtually any run-down looking neighborhood that just so happens to have some Hispanic residents (many of whom can speak English) who most likely have either overtaken or are directly adjacent to a neighborhood that has historically been African-American.

East End neighborhoods are the only parts that could even be remotely referred to as "barrios".

[irishlover]

Why won't this thread die? I'm so bored reading it.

[k28mas]

Originally Posted by Homer12

I spent the weekend driving around the suburbs of Houston, I had an opportunity that professionally I had a lot of interest in, but had to make sure it was a good fit personally so I went to visit.

If you read my other post you know I have 3 kids, twin 6 year olds and a 2 year old. I currently live in Western Massachusets on a Golf Course with over an acre of land.

Here are my thoughts of Houston-

The Bad (No offense to those that live there, I am hoping I help others)
- Power lines are everywhere, I just could not get over it.
- Billboard after billboard, they should have restrictions on these.
- Flat as can be and outside of communities there is little to see beside Industry and Stores
- I thought the Communities would be similar to Atlanta and Charlotte, my 2 cents is they are not even close to as nice
- So much land everywhere and they choose to give such small lots, I just do not get it. This was a huge negative for me, you have absolutely no privacy. Today I have just over an acre and no neighbor in front or behind me.
- Homes are not built to the standards I expected, I was looking at $600k homes and they had 4 inch faucets in the bathrooms, cheap windows, many had cheap door hardware, and the HUGE surprise was NONE had nice kitchen or bathrooms. They looked nice, but when you pull a drawer or 2 out they have those CHEAP metal drawer glides and they are made of cheap materials, something I would not even put in a garage.


The Good
- Everyone was nice as can be
- Katy to me was the nicest area I found. I thought I would like Cypress, but I did not like it at all.


I am so glad I went down for the weekend, it absolutely gave me a new appreciation for what I currently have.

Thank you all again for your advice

You should of looked in the Woodlands or Kingwood. Also, parts of Clear Lake can be nice.


Yeah Houston is not very scenic at all.

[k28mas]

Originally Posted by Homer12

Cost of living in Boston is much higher in the suburbs than houston. I live in Western MA, not the Suburbs any more. Power lines was certainly not something that tipped my decision, but it is impossible not to notice them. The biggest thing was the lack of privacy (Small lots and Zero tree's that provide privacy) I knew my wife would never go for and the quality of the homes that I looked at.

I notice your in Cinco S/W, that is more than likely where I would have ended up if the choice was not mine. To me it was by far the nicest area.

If you want trees look at the woodland or kingwood.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by irishlover

Why won't this thread die? I'm so bored reading it.

Hopefully that guy holding the gun to your head forcing you to keep reading will lower his weapon......

[Queen Palm]

Originally Posted by usc619

Very sad that you actually took time to look this up, there has to be more to life than sitting around looking up the OP's neighborhood.

I do not find the research to be bad. I think it kind of exposes that even the most desirable places have power lines. So a place as 'picturesque' as an area in the NE, can be embrued by above the ground lines.

I saw recently on HGTV, a couple that moved from Idaho to Santa Monica, CA. They were looking at condos very close to the beach. One of the condos that they looked at, cost over $500K. It was an older property. It wasn't real small, but not really big either, and it needed some updating.

Anyway, From the rear balcony, you couldn't/didn't see the beach, but rather other condos, because it backed up to the rest of the complex (it looked more like an apartment complex). The alleyway that ran behind this condo had...guess what?.....big , ole, fat raggedy, power lines running across.

For the price, the location and an aged condo, $500K+, is an absolutely ABSURD price to pay, imo.

So Houston is not alone in as a city over run with power lines....

[DejaBlue]

Originally Posted by blkgiraffe

People kill me throwing out the term ghetto for everything around here. I'm still laughing over that "ghetto" Galleria thread. It's a substitute and less offensive way of saying "places with minorities".

Some trailer parks are kind of ghetto and in a lot of states it's mostly non pigment people living there aka white people.

Originally Posted by Nairobi

Oh, you mean that Wikipedia "definition" that anyone could have typed, and cites no sources?

What I do know is that the term "barrio" is rarely used to describe any neighborhood outside of Spanish-speaking nations, or, less commonly, dirt poor neighborhoods in border towns or South Florida that are solid enclaves of Latino settlement. But here it's applied to virtually any run-down looking neighborhood that just so happens to have some Hispanic residents (many of whom can speak English) who most likely have either overtaken or are directly adjacent to a neighborhood that has historically been African-American.

East End neighborhoods are the only parts that could even be remotely referred to as "barrios".

When the strip centers you pass driving down a street lose the English and nearly every store/shop is some name in Spanish it's a barrio. A distinct Spanish neighborhood. No English on the building. I swear I went to some Kroger off Chimmey Rock and the outside said Bienvenido a Kroger. At least it was bilingual. English and Spanish.

I think I was driving up Broadway trying to get to 610? Don't quote me on that. But I got a little lost but when I finally found my way, Broadway I think going towards 610 was straight up Spanish speaking only places. I mean even in the Vietnamese strips it's English then the symbols. Down there it was just Spanish on the outside.

A lot of areas in Pasadena could b considered a barrio.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by DejaBlue

When the strip centers you pass driving down a street lose the English and nearly every store/shop is some name in Spanish it's a barrio. A distinct Spanish neighborhood. No English on the building. I swear I went to some Kroger off Chimmey Rock and the outside said Bienvenido a Kroger. At least it was bilingual. English and Spanish.

I think I was driving up Broadway trying to get to 610? Don't quote me on that. But I got a little lost but when I finally found my way, Broadway I think going towards 610 was straight up Spanish speaking only places. I mean even in the Vietnamese strips it's English then the symbols. Down there it was just Spanish on the outside.

A lot of areas in Pasadena could b considered a barrio.

Like I said, people will just throw words around and try to attach a label to anything.