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I just went to another website that had an ad saying, "Fire Eric Holder!" in a pop-up paid for by the Dewhurst campaign. This is the kind of crap that drives us outsiders crazy. Dewhurst, how about you shut the **** up and try dealing with the problems here in Texas?
Off my soapbox.
We can start with our governor who only comes out of his cave to complain about the federal government or to cut education spending.
Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
3,530 posts, read 5,134,833 times
Reputation: 3145
I moved to Houston when I was 17 (25 years ago) and fresh out of high school, from a small East Texas town. I loved it back then, even though the place seemed mostly deserted. Over time the city grew rapidly and haphazardly, as is the Houston way. I went to UH. Houston is where I learned to love city living.
Besides a year and a half in Dallas, I lived 25 years in The Heights, Montrose, West End, Westchase and finally, Pearland. I moved to Pearland for my wife's work, but we stayed pretty plugged into Houston. We are well traveled and are both "city people" by nature. We found ourselves traveling to urban destinations frequently to sample what life was like in other cities. That was a luxury we enjoyed because we made good money in Houston.
That's the thing with Houston -- the low cost of living and good pay allow you to slip into some bad habits to compensate for her shortcomings. My wife and I had a 3100 square foot house with a pool and two very nice cars for two people. Upkeep on the house and pool was expensive. Landscaping it was expensive. Furnishing it was expensive. Our electric bill was about $450 in summer months. I drove 25 miles each way to work on a tollway. My car alone, with gas, ins., tolls, payment, etc. was about $1000 per month. My wife's was in the $600 range.
We lived very comfortably, putting money aside for retirement, but began to realize we were retiring right before our eyes. Moreover, if we were to eliminate some of the extra expenses that come with compensating for Houston's drawbacks, we could afford a much more exciting lifestyle in another, much more interesting city.
So, I started looking around at NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle, but ended up setting my sights on the place that had called to me all my life -- San Francisco. I knew the City was expensive and often a pain in the ass, but I figured this was my one last chance to change my life forever.
I quit my job and moved to SF, knowing no one. I left my wife behind in Texas with a promise I would find us a place and move her to California as soon as I could. I traded my convertible sports car in for a super compact and scoured the City for two months until I found a job. We put our house up for sale, sold 70% of our furniture, sold my wife's car, found a great apartment in the middle of San Francisco and are now together and enjoying City life that seems like a vacation every day. There is nothing like it -- certainly not in Houston.
I love Houston and my life was very comfortable and fun there, but it was not invigorating. Here, we go up to Wine Country on a whim, or knock around North Beach after work, or hike up mountain trails or run off to Tahoe for the weekend. I ride my bicycle to work and we share a car for occasional trips around the City or getaways.
Yes, I pay a little more in rent for 900 square feet than I did for my mortgage (and taxes) on 3100 square feet. But, my combined utilities are now $25-$35 per month for everything. My car expense has gone down to about $450 all-in (add another $100 or so in bus/train fares for us both) and it starts to balance out.
I'm still funding my retirement, but I am no longer retiring when I should be enjoying my life. It is a great feeling and I highly recommend it. I even lost 27 lbs. in 4 months, just by changing my lifestyle.
I miss the friendships and the people of Houston. I do not miss the heat or frequent damaging storms, though. I don't like its sprawl or lack of a coherent sense of place, either. It's a bit self-consciously unrefined and undereducated for my tastes, too. But it's a good place to earn an honest living. It is very family oriented and is safe, for the most part. It offers a sampling of everything I wanted from a big city, just not enough of anything to give the place lasting character as a city. Its character comes from Houstonians, who I believe are among the best people in America.
I prefer a city with a unique sense of place and character, where urban amenities complement, rather than contradict the natural ones. I like a compact, walkable city and a big-time baseball town, where the ambiance of the game is present 6-7 months of the year. I like a strong creative community. I like sidewalk cafes and great wine and food. I enjoy culture and discussions with people who have vastly differing points of view. I love city parks and ethnic neighborhoods. I like road trips to interesting places and beautiful scenery. I also like places where there is pressure to succeed and ambition is apparent. Like I said, Houston offered a sampling of all these things, but San Francisco truly embodies them.
Live where you're happy. It makes all the difference.
I lived in Houston for about 10 adult years, loved every minute of it. I still miss it. I live in the northeast at the moment - for work. Plan to head south again.
I lived in Houston for about 10 adult years, loved every minute of it. I still miss it. I live in the northeast at the moment - for work. Plan to head south again.
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
5,429 posts, read 14,840,335 times
Reputation: 3672
The only thing I've had enough of are the complainers and the fact that Houston seems to get no respect, is unfairly trash-talked, etc. Maybe it's just that my attitude is more positive... but I find I really like living here, both out in the suburbs and when I lived in city limits.
For me, the determinants of where I live and will be happy have a lot to do with where my family and friends are. That is primarily Austin and Houston, with a few others scattered out all along the East Coast and Gulf Coast. Perhaps if my family/friends were all in Detroit or some other downtrodden, depressed area I wouldn't feel the same way, but that's not the case. Everyone is somewhere I'd generally consider good places.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OducksFTW!
From the responses to this thread it seems that people.. If they had money they would move in a heartbeat. So basically Houston is the cheap alternative to have a great life.
Not really... well, maybe in this thread and the internet in general, as that's where all of the complainers seem to flock. But in real life, Houston has WAY too many millionaires and wealthy people to support that thesis. Yes, a lot of people really like it here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv
Houston is an evolving city.
That's for sure. As are all of the major Texas cities, with how fast they've been growing. I cringe when I see what's happened to Austin, but the crowding, traffic, etc. in Houston and now Austin is the price I suppose you have to pay for being a place that a lot of people are going.
I think Houston is a great city and has a lot to offer. I sure if someone from Houston moved to L.A. they would miss Houston eventually. Its just that you get to a point in life when u think....I have the house, I have the job, but Im 1500 miles from where I would like to be.
we are mid 30's no children, and it doesn't seem like children will be part of the equation. No need for the big house and quiet life in suburbia. making a decision like this is exciting and scary at the same time so many what if's
The only thing I've had enough of are the complainers and the fact that Houston seems to get no respect, is unfairly trash-talked, etc. Maybe it's just that my attitude is more positive... but I find I really like living here, both out in the suburbs and when I lived in city limits.
For me, the determinants of where I live and will be happy have a lot to do with where my family and friends are. That is primarily Austin and Houston, with a few others scattered out all along the East Coast and Gulf Coast. Perhaps if my family/friends were all in Detroit or some other downtrodden, depressed area I wouldn't feel the same way, but that's not the case. Everyone is somewhere I'd generally consider good places.
Not really... well, maybe in this thread and the internet in general, as that's where all of the complainers seem to flock. But in real life, Houston has WAY too many millionaires and wealthy people to support that thesis. Yes, a lot of people really like it here.
That's for sure. As are all of the major Texas cities, with how fast they've been growing. I cringe when I see what's happened to Austin, but the crowding, traffic, etc. in Houston and now Austin is the price I suppose you have to pay for being a place that a lot of people are going.
Well dont you think there are so many complainers and disrespectful is due to a various reasons that have to do with the city and not themselves. Im sure there are people who speak negatively about other cities but Houston seems to have the most vocal and opinionated of them all. Perhaps there are some serious reasons for that?
And yes there are a plethora of millionaires who live here. But perhaps the reason why they do so is because the local economy affords them the job or business that made them so wealthy and not because they made their money elsewhere and moved here??
Another argument to counter your point, perhaps alot of the millionaire's realize that they can live like kings here in Houston with unnecessarily large homes in great neighborhoods that is also within city limits (Post Oak, Bellaire, Rice etc.) And if they were to move to New York or Los Angeles then they wouldn't seem so profound, but rather seem a bit lost and a little more average.
Well dont you think there are so many complainers and disrespectful is due to a various reasons that have to do with the city and not themselves. Im sure there are people who speak negatively about other cities but Houston seems to have the most vocal and opinionated of them all. Perhaps there are some serious reasons for that?
And yes there are a plethora of millionaires who live here. But perhaps the reason why they do so is because the local economy affords them the job or business that made them so wealthy and not because they made their money elsewhere and moved here??
Another argument to counter your point, perhaps alot of the millionaire's realize that they can live like kings here in Houston with unnecessarily large homes in great neighborhoods that is also within city limits (Post Oak, Bellaire, Rice etc.) And if they were to move to New York or Los Angeles then they wouldn't seem so profound, but rather seem a bit lost and a little more average.
I have to disagree with this. Once you become a millionaire, you pretty much can live anywhere. The fact that there are so many millionaires that choose to "stay" in Houston says something. Hell, the lure of living by the ocean would be a big one for most people. To be honest with you, I'm not sure why they do stay. I mean FL has no state income taxes and you can get a nice place there for the same amount of money.
What I find interesting is how many millionaires are actually leaving CA and NY. Not saying they are moving to Houston, which I doubt, but obviously they can afford the coastal lifestyle and yet still move. Just something to ponder.
I have to disagree with this. Once you become a millionaire, you pretty much can live anywhere. The fact that there are so many millionaires that choose to "stay" in Houston says something. Hell, the lure of living by the ocean would be a big one for most people. To be honest with you, I'm not sure why they do stay. I mean FL has no state income taxes and you can get a nice place there for the same amount of money.
What I find interesting is how many millionaires are actually leaving CA and NY. Not saying they are moving to Houston, which I doubt, but obviously they can afford the coastal lifestyle and yet still move. Just something to ponder.
Probably these millionaires are millionaires because they worked for it. I would assume the majority still work in the field that made them rich. That is why they still live here. I doubt many millionaires come to Houston to live. Although, there is a lifestly here for the elite as Houston has one of the largest income disparites in the country. That is one of my main main problems with Houston: the small middle class.
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