My impressions of Houston since I moved here in 08 (Dallas: amusement park, crime)

[MobileDave]

Originally Posted by David Dollar

Dave, I am not being a dick here. Can you help me understand this? This article says that the average annual wage is $59,838. However, the information from Wiki says this: Males had a median income of $32,084 versus $27,371 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,101.

The first thing I notice is that Forbes is talking about means while Wiki is talking about medians. This can make a big difference because larger (or smaller) salaries have a tendency to pull on averages. The next thing I see is that Wiki is discussing the city while Forbes is discussing the metropolitan area.

Also, be careful when using Wiki because they do tend to have older numbers and some numbers are just off. I see the numbers they used were from the 2000 census.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by unsure soul

Redlionjr I really really liked your post. Wanted to drive to Houston after I read it. I never been to any part of Texas but planning on moving to Houston this August from Chicago. Can you recommend any areas to live it. I was thinking about the woodlands area what do you think? I'm in my early thirties single black female with no kids. A lot of ppl on this forum always say don't move to Texas without a job. I think since I'm a nurse it would'nt be to hard to find a job. I am move concern with housing. Any suggestions? any editional info you can give would be great far as the dating scenes....

Thank you and no problem Unsure Soul. I don't see how I didn't see this post. Remember Chicago and Houston are 2 totally different monsters in every way. The only reason why I say that is because some people from more dense older cities expect there hometowns to be exactly like Houston. With that said, I know alot of people from Chicago and I mean alot of people and they love it in Houston. Now again maybe this has something to do with them being black and right now Houston is a top spot for African Americans. While Chicago has sort of been on the decline when it comes to a black experience. I have family that live in South Chicago and use to visit so I've seen the change of lifestyle over the decades. The Woodlands is actually nice and has alot to offer as for as outdoor recreational activities and overall a nice looking area. It really lives up to it's name the way the city is built and it continues to grow. I'm also seeing alot more high end retail shops being put up in The Woodlands. Even though I like The Woodlands it's a good 35-40 mins from Inner Loop Houston where most of the action is in the Houston MSA. I live in North Houston in the Cypress Station area on 45 North and 1960. That's about 20 mins from the Inner Loop. It's pretty affordable, close to more activity and shops all on 1960. If I had my way I would choose to stay somewhere in the Inner loop. I have to know specifically what you are looking for as far as price range of housing and what you are interested in. Also the dating scene to me is pretty damn good. Lots of places for young people to meet. Alot going on in the social scene down here.

[SouthernBoy205]

Your experience seems promising to me ESPECIALLY since I'm black. It answers my questions that I've been nervous to ask.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by SouthernBoy205

Your experience seems promising to me ESPECIALLY since I'm black. It answers my questions that I've been nervous to ask.

LOL, Man you aint gotta be nervous ask away. If you too nervous to ask on here jus inbox me questions you have.

[Cathy4017]

Additionally, the state of Texas has HIGHER property taxes, sales taxes, and utility fees (water, electricity, etc. ) comparaitively speaking. Also, we have a weak public transportation system so personal transportation costs are typicall more expensive.

In my case (from WT to northern NM), I have found this to be very true. People who have never lived outside of TX don't realize how much higher these items are relative to some other places.

Don't forget higher homeowner's insurance--my policy (similar house but bigger than what I had in TX, and the same company) is roughly half of what I paid in Midland.

The overall costs for these items are cheaper, and even having a state income tax doesn't make it as expensive as Texas.

I'm struggling with all of this, as I'm really, really homesick....will it be worth it to move back..?

[madrone2k]

I was just in The Woodlands yesterday for a meeting and hung around for awhile afterwards. The waterway area there is a fun place to hang out and it continues to get better. But, I guess some people would consider it kinda plastic. And extremely white, if that's an issue for anyone. In any case, I imagine that most young single people would get bored there. I knew a young woman from another country who worked there, but was so bored, she moved to Montrose ... but also moved back later after getting married and having a kid.

I don't know much about the nursing profession, but my guess is that the TMC (Texas Medical Center) would offer a lot more to the OP as far as providing more options to grow one's career in different directions. So, if that is important, living inside the loop would make life easier. Also, as others have pointed out, living inside the loop would make it more convenient to visit places for socializing and meeting people.

I'm not really qualified to give advice on how to mesh those general practical needs with how also to maintain a feeling of connection to black community, if that is a priority. I guess the only useful information I can give is that the Galleria area -- in which I live and is a popular area -- would seem to be very white, but also has many out-of-town visitors, many of whom are wealthy latin americans. OTOH, I see quite a few restaurants that are extremely popular with youngish (30s-40s) professional african-americans and their families.

[jilliannie]

Originally Posted by madrone2k

I was just in The Woodlands yesterday for a meeting and hung around for awhile afterwards. The waterway area there is a fun place to hang out and it continues to get better. But, I guess some people would consider it kinda plastic. And extremely white, if that's an issue for anyone. In any case, I imagine that most young single people would get bored there. I knew a young woman from another country who worked there, but was so bored, she moved to Montrose ... but also moved back later after getting married and having a kid.

Well, Montrose is also extremely white.

[Johnhw2]

If cost of living wasnt lower in Houston we wouldnt be getting jobs from California etc moving from there. We didnt screw up our housing market like most states did so houses didnt go under water to the same degree as most states. Look at the ratio of home prices to avg wages , and this is a key stat, you can afford a home in Tx/Houston. This is huge which is why Barney/Chris and Geo tried to fix this for the rest of the country but screwed up big time with implementation.

A city with engineers is always better off than one without them.... they can add and think.....

[unsure soul]

Hey, Redlionjr I inbox you hope u got it...thanks for all your info...keep it coming.

[SouthernBoy205]

I DMed you, Redlionjr.