Why do so many people not like Houston? (Dallas, Pasadena: houses, statistics)

[Jimmy1953]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

HAHA Dallas Texas the 10th stinkiest city in the WORLD ! I love it .....life is good.hehehehe

Quoted directly from the GQ article about Dallas. "Cities, like people, have their own smell, their own body odors and perfumes that take on personalities. Dallas is one of the strangest scents I have ever encountered. Highways of strip malls and gas stations and exit signs. Insanely wide streets. It’s very New World-smelling. It almost has a non-scent scent. Like many cities, you get concrete, car exhaust, and dust. If you really focus, you can pick up on the nearly undetectable Texas live oak. It’s best during thunderstorms, though. The crisp smell of lightning and rain and vast flat space pervades and takes on a three-dimensional quality."

Sorry you got so excited over nothing.

[mercerst]

Because it's not a very nice city. What does Houston offer besides being cheap?

People bring up how the city is booming. This place is "booming" (or boomed) because of the strength in the oil industry. Jobs and low cost of living. If Alabama had Houston's natural oil blessings, that place would have been booming too. Not because it's great, because it's practical as most people can not afford to live and raise a family comfortably (own bigger/more stuff in American speak) in places like New York, San Francisco, etc.

If you handed 500 people throughout the world millions, and told them they could live anywhere, I doubt a single one of them would pick Houston. They would pick somewhere great.

[curbur]

Originally Posted by mercerst

Because it's not a very nice city. What does Houston offer besides being cheap?

People bring up how the city is booming. This place is "booming" (or boomed) because of the strength in the oil industry. Jobs and low cost of living. If Alabama had Houston's natural blessings, that place would have been booming too. Not because it's great, because it's practical as most people can not afford to live and raise a family comfortably in places like New York, San Francisco, etc.

If you handed 500 people throughout the world $5mm, and told them they could live anywhere, I doubt a single one of them would pick Houston. They would pick the actual great places.

How do you think those 'great' places got their starts? Sure for some there was some great geography in play, but most of them started out with a single driver economic engine that helped them grow. I'm sure you'd have a lot of similar complains about New York in the early 1800s.

[theone33]

Houston is still growing and maturing, it will be a force to be reckoned with in 30 or 40 years

[mercerst]

Originally Posted by curbur

How do you think those 'great' places got their starts? Sure for some there was some great geography in play, but most of them started out with a single driver economic engine that helped them grow. I'm sure you'd have a lot of similar complains about New York in the early 1800s.

Of course. Places like those were blessed with geography and having their defining booms at a very early periods. If you look at the most popular destination cities (ones with the most prestige and highest real estate values), they're nearly all those old, walkable cities bursting with culture & history. People are amazed at all of those old landmarks, all of those impressive bridges, the vibrant streetscapes, grand architecture, the downtowns where you see life playing out on the streets, bursting with pedestrians and shops.

Unfortunately, we just don't build cities the way we used to and Houston simply has no way to replicate Golden Gate Bridge or Manhattan's collection of architecture. It's impossible and extremely cost prohibitive to do so these days. And too late, since Houston has an established layout. We're in the era of strip malls, and I don't see that changing.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Jimmy1953

Quoted directly from the GQ article about Dallas. "Cities, like people, have their own smell, their own body odors and perfumes that take on personalities. Dallas is one of the strangest scents I have ever encountered. Highways of strip malls and gas stations and exit signs. Insanely wide streets. It’s very New World-smelling. It almost has a non-scent scent. Like many cities, you get concrete, car exhaust, and dust. If you really focus, you can pick up on the nearly undetectable Texas live oak. It’s best during thunderstorms, though. The crisp smell of lightning and rain and vast flat space pervades and takes on a three-dimensional quality."

Sorry you got so excited over nothing.

Jimmy There you are, I was wondering how long it would take for one of you guys to notice something posted on the Houston forum mocking Dallas. Not long huh... Yea, I read the companion tidbit, not exactly a scathing indictment, but the title of the article is still the stinkiest places in the world !

[testmo]

The art and culture scene in houston is very impressive in a national and world wide scale. Ballets around the country are going bankrupt Houston's had the best fundraising year ever. Other cities are studying them to figure out how to save the art.

The massive museum of fine art houston, very well respected, is in the midst of a nearly half billion dollar renovation and addition. Privately raised funds as well

New additions at the menil, again world known, are inb progress

Large symphony and orchestra. Miller outdoor theater free broadway shows in a beautiful setting.

Buffalo bayou park once complete will be amazing

All in texas of all places here in houston

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by mercerst

Of course. Places like those were blessed with geography and having their defining booms at a very early periods. If you look at the most popular destination cities (ones with the most prestige and highest real estate values), they're nearly all those old, walkable cities bursting with culture & history. People are amazed at all of those old landmarks, all of those impressive bridges, the vibrant streetscapes, grand architecture, the downtowns where you see life playing out on the streets, bursting with pedestrians and shops.

Unfortunately, we just don't build cities the way we used to and Houston simply has no way to replicate Golden Gate Bridge or Manhattan's collection of architecture. It's impossible and extremely cost prohibitive to do so these days. And too late, since Houston has an established layout. We're in the era of strip malls, and I don't see that changing.

Yes, Houston does indeed have an established layout... one that can give way to intense, high-density, walkable urban infrastructure. See, Houston was not always built in a sprawling manner; the city was founded in the 1830s, and developed under regimes typical of the time, before suburban auto-oriented sprawl came to exist. This can be seen with the well-designed, mathemetics-friendly street grid Houston has, which covers much of the inner loop. That means Houston has 96 sq miles that can potentially be rejuvenated easily into hardcore pedestrian-friendly urbanity. Such styles of living has seen increase in popularity, and the development will soon follow in response.

Your point would be more true for areas outside the loop, but even then, there are many examples of sheer walkable urbanity being retro-fitted into suburban development.

[MacInTx]

Originally Posted by mercerst

If you handed 500 people throughout the world millions, and told them they could live anywhere, I doubt a single one of them would pick Houston. They would pick somewhere great.

If I was handed millions and told I could live anywhere, I sure wouldn't chose a CITY as my destination.

[statisticsnerd]

Let's see. I'm currently on a vacation in NW Maine where the air is cool and CLEAN. There are beautiful hills and scenic hiking trails everywhere. It was like that when I visited Washington state, as well as Colorado. When I get back home, the very first thing I will experience is a rush of hot, humid air when I walk out of the plane into the jetway going up to the terminal. Then on my drive home, I will get to see and SMELL huge refineries. There will be bumper to bumper traffic, endless construction, and ***holes driving like ***holes in their lifted F-350s. Instead of densely forested hills with waterfalls, I will get to look at pancake-flat land and the smog bubble over Houston.