Is Houston always a super friendly city or just surface friendly?

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by Mescalero

He's probably just pulling our leg but it's an interesting question about Houstonians, native and transplant.

Houston's not the world's friendliest place, it's not Manila, but it can be a whole heck of a lot worse. I find Houstonians to generally not be fake or surface nice.

I find San Antonio a lot friendlier

[Pilsn3r]

Originally Posted by xtcclem

I grew up in the South, moved to California, then moved to greater Houston several years ago. I have also lived abroad.

Houston's not any kind of friendly, generally speaking.

Greater Houston is merely a place where you live to make money, and enjoy the restaurants. For many reasons, at least in my opinion, this is the worst place I've lived. In large part, it's because I "gel" with Houstonians less than I have with people in other places I've lived. The people here can honestly be rather hostile. The metropolitan area also has less-than-aesthetically-pleasing scales of human development, even in nicer, affluent suburbs. Unexpected life factors related to the pandemic have kept me living here longer than I ever originally cared to do.

A side note: I work in small towns sometimes. It's amazing the difference in personalities on either side of a magic line (for example, the periphery of the western suburbs). Even Sealy and East Bernard are in Houston's sphere of influence, and have way more laid-back, courteous people than just a few miles east in Brookshire, Weston Lakes, or Rosenberg. Even so, small town Texans still aren't any friendlier than small town folks in many states; and, sadly, the Sealys and East Bernards of the world will become part of hostile Houston with time, given the practically unmitigated sprawl.

Anyway, I've spent much of the last three months traveling along the US East Coast, and in Europe and Canada. With each return to Houston (and Texas in general), I was veritably irritable and withdrawn for 7-10 days. This was especially so after I came back from Canada; Canadian politeness has always trumped Southern hospitality, in my opinion (again, I grew up in the South).

By contrast, whenever I lived in California or places abroad, I was always happy to come home. Gorgeous scenery and more amenable weather matter.

I find Houston generally normal like most of the US. I used to travel a lot for work, and would engage people for directions or advice on where to eat and such. In Houston, like most places, if I didn't engage them, they would not engage me. If I did engage them, they were friendly and helped with places to eat, directions, or any other question I may have. So I consider that friendly - and I think this is most of the US - at least the 35+ states I traveled to for work. The only exception was Minneapolis - super friendly. If I didn't engage them, some would still engage with me out of the blue. If I engaged them, like I said, super friendly and engaging - taking the time not to just answer any questions I had, but ask me questions.

Now Canada, the one time I was in Toronto, I was honked at - the horror!. No, Canada was friendly like Minneapolis (but I was really honked at in Toronto because I was going the speed limit and being careful driving in a new area). Canadians must be horrible because they honked - glad they didn't pull a gun on me!! :P (just a joke considering the thread and the horrors of honking!)

[Eastworth]

Is Atlanta a friendly city? How is it compared to Houston?

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by Eastworth

Is Atlanta a friendly city? How is it compared to Houston?

I note it to be a bit less friendly than Texas cities as a whole. Not terrible though. Usually, you just have to find the right groups to be around.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

I note it to be a bit less friendly than Texas cities as a whole. Not terrible though. Usually, you just have to find the right groups to be around.

From my experience in living in both, I found Atlanta to be a little more friendlier from my experiences than Houston. That's just my personal experience.

I don't think Houston is non-friendly. I think it's pretty much what Pilsn3r said which is it's just actually pretty normal.

Houston outside of TRAFFIC is friendly enough. But Atlanta to me felt like people were more likely to start a conversation with you whereas Houston seem more introverted.

Now I don't know if I just came on a good day but I felt like San Antonio had the friendliest people I've met in a social setting out of all the major Texas cities.

I've had pretty good experiences and normal experiences in most cities in America. Like people swear up and down NYC is rude yet I never experienced the rudeness. I think people mistake not making eye contact or acknowledging you as being rude but I totally get it in the Northeast. It's way too many people walking in comparison to sunbelt cities to just stop and greet every one.

The only city I can say that completely turned me off was Miami.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

I find Miami friendlier than all of these, but I speak Spanish and my nationality is very abundant in South Florida so my experience is probably very different from someone who doesn’t have my background. I could easily see a non-Spanish-speaking African-American would have a worse experience

[Mescalero]

DC is the rudest American city I've been to off the top of my head. I met lots of cool people while barhopping in Georgetown but they were all from out of town. Most locals I encountered seemed a bit off to me. Then again I've never been to Philly.

Austin was always a bit too hipster for its own good when I went.

Dallas seems to think its skit don't stink. Fort Worth I found better, almost like a mini Houston in North Texas in terms of people's vibe.

San Antonio is outgoing and nice enough. The only jerks I've ever encountered there were from out of town.

I hear El Paso is rude?

[Eastworth]

Originally Posted by Mescalero

DC is the rudest American city I've been to off the top of my head. I met lots of cool people while barhopping in Georgetown but they were all from out of town. Most locals I encountered seemed a bit off to me. Then again I've never been to Philly.

Austin was always a bit too hipster for its own good when I went.

Dallas seems to think its skit don't stink. Fort Worth I found better, almost like a mini Houston in North Texas in terms of people's vibe.

San Antonio is outgoing and nice enough. The only jerks I've ever encountered there were from out of town.

I hear El Paso is rude?

Yes, El Paso is a very rude city. Self-reserved locals, really rude customer service, cliquish, and don't even get me started on the worst drivers in the country. It was so hard to make friends there. Everybody had their social circle since high school. Worst city to date with women being taken and married very early on in life. I knew two people who married their high school sweet hearts in El Paso and now have at least two kids. It's more common than in other cities, as the culture is different. Many local El Pasoans never leave, and if they do, the return because they couldn't stand being away from family. Not me, I'll never ever go back there.

I'd rather stay in the Phoenix area than go back to El Paso. At least people in Phoenix are more open minded than El Paso people to new friends. I'd even take Tucson or even Shreveport over El Paso any day.

[Eastworth]

Hello, and thank you all for your thoughtful responses. After thinking long and hard about this, I decided to permanently stay in Phoenix, AZ. Everywhere you go, people are the same. We live in a post COVID era. I love Phoenix and it always was my dream city. My good friend talked me through my problems yesterday. I realized how I actually have good friends in Arizona.

So no more Houston and no more Texas. Phoenix and Arizona for me.

Houston has weather problems, high humidity, and bad traffic.

I apologize and I hope that things go well.