First time visitor from LA impressions of Houston (Beaumont, Spring: how much, homes)

[2Easy]

Before last week I had visited pretty much every major and even mid-major city in the US save a few, and Houston was one of the few. I went enthusiastically, but with some trepidation considering how much the opinions of Houston vary on this forum. I was expecting to either hate it or love it, or maybe somewhere in between. After visiting I can say that from the little that I saw (only there for 30 hours) I love it!

Many around here have said that Houston is a lot like LA, but many others have said that it's a lot like Atlanta. My impression is that both are correct, but it's probably more like LA in built form than it is like Atlanta. If you combined Atlanta and LA, you'd get Houston. I wasn't there long enough to know what it was like culturally. The people that I met were mostly from other parts of Texas and the south, so I'm guessing that it's at least somewhat culturally southern. But with an international flare. It really is an international city.

It really reminds me of Long Beach more than it does LA. Long Beach is another city without zoning and has those odd juxtapositions of multi-unit housing next to single family homes. It's not as densely populated as LA or Long Beach, but it's urban. I could easily see myself living there if it weren't for the heat. I'm sure that I could get used to the heat, but why should I?

Oh and the tunnels downtown were cool too! I probably walked 3 miles exploring them. But tunnels aside there's nowhere close to as much going on in downtown Houston as there is in LA. I loved the tunnels, but in the long term I see them more as a hindrance to revitalization than as a positive.

I can't wait to go back to see more. The company that I work for has a significant presence in Houston, so hopefully I'll get back there regularly.

[cheryjohns]

Hope you get down more. 30 hours is not near enough time to get a feel for Houston. It reminds me LA in freeway/residential/etc. built form, but I like the people better - more easy going. A lot of people here from all over, and not just the US. The tunnels Downtown are OK, but I would not have spent 3 hours on them, if I was limited on time. Lots of better things.

[radiolibre99]

Great you loved Houston. I'm in LA too but am a Houston native. I love LA and consider it my fav city with Houston being a very close 2nd. I just Htown and everything about it. I do wish the city would lighten up and start developing its public land to make for some cool discovery green type parks.

[Weatherguy]

Glad you enjoyed the city. Hope you'll keep in mind, though, that a slight majority of the months are mild to cool (most of October through most of April) with a few cold waves that might be more than you would like (although they're short lived). I realize the heat from May through September can make one forget that there are long periods of very nice weather.

[3shipguy]

Sorry. Gotta disagree. Houston does not have "long periods of very nice weather." It's humid from as early as March to all the way to as late as November . Slight majority of the year is not mild to cool. It may not be hot temperature-wise, but it will still feel steamy. If you can handle the humidity and the mosquitoes, then Houston will be tolerable. Just like in LA, if you can handle the traffic, then LA would be tolerable. 2 cents please.

[radiolibre99]

Are you kidding? Springtime and Fall in Houston are pretty nice. I love the 70 degree weather, clear blue sky days in Houston. It's perfect.

[3shipguy]

Far from perfect. Springtime is still humid....except for this year. It is fall right now. It's not 70 degrees. It's 84 right now and it's still morning. Clear blue skies? Overcast right now and sauna-like. Still not as bad as Miami but far from perfect. I'm surprised. Don't you live in LA? Now that's what I call perfect weather.

[Nugget_Brain]

It's almost like people have different opinions and preferences : O

[dirtydeedsdundee]

Houston is no where near the likes of Los Angeles nor Atlanta. It has no character whatsoever not lets long culture . Atlanta and Los Angeles are cities with impecible ambiences such as music , entertainment , tourism , and great public transportation. Houston is rather a country bumkin backwater , republican infestated, bible thumping hicktown. It's like a large Beaumont , the neighbor to the east . It also wants nothing to do with decent mass transit because Houston is and never will be a top echelon city with the type on mentality it carries.

[txdemo]

Originally Posted by dirtydeedsdundee

Houston is no where near the likes of Los Angeles nor Atlanta. It has no character whatsoever not lets long culture . Atlanta and Los Angeles are cities with impecible ambiences such as music , entertainment , tourism , and great public transportation. Houston is rather a country bumkin backwater , republican infestated, bible thumping hicktown. It's like a large Beaumont , the neighbor to the east . It also wants nothing to do with decent mass transit because Houston is and never will be a top echelon city with the type on mentality it carries.

Spell check and grammar check alert!