Houston vs Seattle (West: environment, real estate, cheap house)

[jd433]

Hello I am a Seattle Native Living in H-Town. I just thought I would give my opinion here. I liked Seattle because of the outdoors type stuff and nature that was everywhere. I did not like Seattle because it was basically cold and wet all year. It was eventually the cold wet grey weather that drove me out.

I used to love to ride the ferry and walk along Alaskan way, go to Ye Old Curiosity Shop and check out the Pike Place Market. I loved going window shopping along 5th avenue and the westlake area and eating at IVARS fish-n-chips. The music and arts scene was very cultured and you could enjoy all of it while sipping on espresso and walking around all bundled up with your umbrella open while the rain drizzled and the wind blew lowering the temperature so that your ears and cheeks were constantly red and freezing yes that is the way it is in May and June and occasionally July and August. Seeing the Sun is a rarity that you scarcely experience you must also be careful where you step because the Slugs there are enormous slimey and carnivorous.

So if you enjoy the freezing cloudy grey and wet atmosphere there your better off there than here. But if this is a problem then I would definitely recommend Houston over Seattle.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by jd433

So if you enjoy the freezing cloudy grey and wet atmosphere there your better off there than here. But if this is a problem then I would definitely recommend Houston over Seattle.

Seattle's weather was OK and sort of romantic when my family consisted of my husband and me alone. We started to feel much more dissatisfied once we had children because they had so much energy they needed to burn off and they didn't enjoy playing at soggy parks. We carried beach towels in our car and dried off the play equipment as best we could but there was always the risk that one of our children would go down the slide and land in a puddle of water at the end of it.

I never could figure out why some enterprising entrepreneurs didn't create many more indoor play areas in Seattle - it seems like they would make a fortune. On the weekends, most of the play places are dedicated to private parties so entertaining restless children at home is a real chore.

[11thHour]

Having lived in both Seattle and Houston, I'd pick Seattle, but that's largely due to my hobbies/interests. First and foremost, I love mountains, and Seattle is next to some of the most scenic mountain forests in this country. There is some world class backpacking and mountain climbing to be found there. Great skiing. Jaw-dropping beaches and shorelines within a short drive of the city. I never ran out of things to do there and even now still make an occasional trip up there for the trails.

But - it was expensive. The traffic was horrid. And although Houston actually gets more rain than Seattle, it is spread out over more rain days. And the lingering gray skies can affect some. With my job, it wasn't an issue as I was out of town 4 days a week, but it did start to take a toll on my wife after about a year. However, during the good days of summer the weather just cannot be beat, IMO. Also, Seattle is within driving distance of other great areas in the region, IE British Columbia, and Oregon, both of which are filled with things to do and places to explore.

Houston is bigger than Seattle, and more spread out, and the traffic is bad also. But not as bad as Seattle's. Scenery is pathetic compared to Seattle. If you're really into the outdoors like me, you'll go nuts in Houston. The summers are just brutally hot, driving you back indoors. Who wants to spend summer inside? But - Houston is much more affordable than Seattle (if you don't live in a high property tax neighborhood). There is more sunshine down here.

Best of luck in your decision!

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by 11thHour

Jaw-dropping beaches and shorelines within a short drive of the city.

But - it was expensive.

And although Houston actually gets more rain than Seattle, it is spread out over more rain days. And the lingering gray skies can affect some. but it did start to take a toll on my wife after about a year.

There is more sunshine down here.

I agree with everything you say except for jaw-dropping beaches. The beaches on Puget Sound are like beaches on a Norwegian fjord. Simply not usable for swimming. Unless your criteria is the scenic backdrop for the beach such as a stand of hemlock. Maybe the lake beaches are ok, like up at Chelan.

Expensive...yes, read some of my $ figures on the previous page of posts which I just observed. Scaaaarrrrry....absolute GARBAGE in Ballard and Wallingford for $ 500,000. I'm sorry, but for those prices you can live in nicer areas of Calif. if you look hard enough.

Yes, the rain is spread out all through the year, so i'ts gray A LOT.

I moved to the NW from Atlanta. I loved ATL, it's just that my whole family had moved up there from Calif. In retrospect, I would have rather stayed in ATL, taking my periodic trips to the Florida Panhandle for its gorgeous beaches.

Question: where do you think you will be moving next? Your info says Houston, temporarily?

[pwright1]

Anything on the west coast is going to be more expensive than anything in the south but for good reasons. I thought I was moving to Houston a couple of years ago but after an extensive visit I knew I was not moving there. Friends actually laughed when I told them I was thinking about moving there. Houston has its good points but it is simply too hot and oppressively humid with too many bugs and an automobile is a must. Cities too big and spread out where the automobile rules is not my kind of city. Seattle on the other hand is more compact, walkable, bike friendly and dense. Its downtown alone will blow dt Houston away. Seattle's population is 587,000 but yet has at least 10 times as many dt residence as Houston. Weatherwise there really is no comparison. 6 months of unbearable heat and humidity or 365 days of fresh air. Houston real estate is cheap but if thats the only reason to move there, to get a cheap house then no thanks.

[Wysiwyg]

I never even thought of traffic and weather when I (after 4 years of consideration) moved to houston. LIFE itself is SLOW in houston, you'll feel youre not part of the world here Beauty and personality is a rarity here - whats the point if no one is out to stop and look. The ghetto is the ghetto and not exactly Sesame street - and its everywhere and people are casted by where they live. It blows big chunks in Houston if youre still trying to find your spot in life. Married, with kids maybe, a few indoor/outdoor activities and maybe an urge to tour other countries (collect pictures for yourself!) is probably the mindset to have in Houston

[basketcase33]

Unless you feel the need to have beautiful scenery and walk everywhere or take public transportation Houston is cool. I think Houston kicks Seattle's butt aside from that. Weather is a different story because one is rainy and one is hot and humid. So you really have to take your pick on weather. Just much more to do in Houston, though admittedly you have to make the place work for you a little.

[EasilyAmused]

Rainy. Does anyone remember last June/July? I thought I was going to turn into a duck.

I don't think I could take that everyday, day in and day out. The heat is only really bad mid June-Second week of Septmeber. We get that first little mini cool front that takes us from the high 90's to the low 90's, people are soooo happy. Around October we get a nice second spring untill about mid-December. We then get winter for about 3 days. Then its back to spring again.

[pwright1]

Mid June? Please. More like April-October. And whats funny is the people that live in Houston always seem to complain about how horrible and uncomfortable they are. No wonder no one walks. And a giant mall is the #1 tourist attraction. I rest my case.

Oh yes, it did rain constantly, day in and day out in June and July.

[EasilyAmused]

I was talking about Houston in June and July. Not Seattle. Sometimes I like to talk about Houston on the Houston board even though there's a thread trying to randomly compare it to the great NW.

Anyway, I like Seattle,but for the most part its too gloomy for me personally. I'd rather be in NC/SC/GA mountains. April is too soon for real heat, only 80's to low 90's, which really isn't that bad. The near 100's with 100% humidity is the kicker in mid-June.