Why does nobody walk around in this city? (Houston, Paris: rent, home)

[jfre81]

Thing is, if you want to, you can do the urban downtown living thing, paying about the same as you did for the little dumpy place you were renting in NYC, and have two or three times the space. And you can still have a car if you wanted. You just wouldn't have to use it every time you went out.

I'd like to do at least a year in NYC, just for the experience, but if I was to do it right now I'd be the homeless guy sleeping outside your place.

[TexasTheKid]

Originally Posted by Malvie

Well, having lived in the cities you mention as well as Houston:

My 400 square foot (euphemistically termed) "1 room" apartment in NYC featured 1920's "charm" (meaning plumbing pipes running through the room, which you could hear when someone else flushed; cracked plaster walls, and a "kitchen" that was actually a broom closet) and a view of the airshaft. Now, when you walked out the front door, it was one block to Central Park West and one block to Lincoln Center, so you can see why I paid $1,500 a month for it. You just had to remember to step over the homeless person in the door as you departed. Of course, there are all the fabulous things you mention about NYC, and I agree with them wholeheartedly--but I can get the same fix with a one-week vacation to the City per year.

Meanwhile, for about the same monthly, I live in a secure, 3,000 square foot ranch style home here in Houston, with a yard for my dogs (no more standing on the sidewalk with the baggie). Oh, and my house in Houston features Air Conditioning, which my NYC apt did NOT. I have my own TWO private autos to get around, vs. riding the subway with who-knows-what.

As for San Diego, it was just marvelous. The weather was utterly fantastic. Unfortunately, as a friend of mine from Dallas (originally from San Diego) pointed out: you can jog on the beach on another perfect California day, or you can have a high-rise condo with a skyline view, a BMW, jet vacations to wherever you desire, etc--he was looking at moving back to SD, but couldn't reconcile giving up everything he has in Dallas just so he can jog on the beach on a perfect day.

Buffalo and Chicago: great places if you don't mind winter. I personally can't stand winter; I lived in Minneapolis for 2 years and nearly died. Just plain don't like snow---it's a personal thing, I know, and most of them can't take the heat/humidity here. For me, give me palm trees and heat over shoveling snow any day of the week.

I will say this, however, about your post: You are 100%, absolutely, positively correct about this: it is what you make it. If you move to Boston and say, "I hate all this cold weather! I don't like seafood (me, I can't eat it, I'm allergic to iodine so shellfish are a no-no)! These people talk funny! I'm not a Red Sox fan!", then, you will be 100% miserable in Boston. If, on the other hand, you move there and say, "Wow, what an adventure!", you'll quickly enjoy all the wonders Boston (a great city) has to offer.

So, anybody who moves to Houston and EXPECTS it to be Boston, or Chicago, or San Diego, is going to be sad and disappointed. If, however, they (like you) try to warm up to the city, try to explore and learn and have a good time, they will come to love the place.

BTW, it took me a year; the first year I lived here, I hated it. Now it's my favorite place I've ever lived, and here is my own list of former residences: Dallas, San Antonio, Waco, Corpus Christi, Los Angeles, New York City (Upper West Side), Minneapolis/St. Paul, , Tulsa, Little Rock, Nashville, Atlanta. I've lived in Mega-Cities and small cities; I've come to realize Houston offers the best COMPROMISE between all these choices.

This post gets the award for best post of the year. It's well-reasoned, thoughtful and most importantly, it's fair. And, this is the point I try to communicate on City-Data. Hell, it's the reason I joined City-Data after lurking for a bit. I ran across this site by accident while researching real estate, but now... well... I digress. Anyhow, Houston is what it is. It is not static, but it will never be New York or San Francisco or Chicago. Accepting Houston as Houston is the way to go. Happiness is what it is and such.

And yes, EE, this attitude will make every city you're in just a little bit better (even Sugarland) just like a negative attitude will make every place a little bit worse than it actually is. It's all relative. Einstein had a little theory about relativity, and while I'm a Texan and don't know nuthin' 'bout science, I'm pretty sure we can make his theory stretch to include attitudes about living situations.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by TexasTheKid

but it will never be New York or San Francisco or Chicago.

And they will never be Houston.

[TexasTheKid]

Originally Posted by jfre81

And they will never be Houston.

Precisely.

Try getting a breakfast taco at 2am in Seattle. That's what I'm talkin' about. If I don't see chorizo dripping grease and saturating my tortilla, I'm not a happy drunkard. Houston may not be the only place in the world that can offer that, but it's one of the biggest things that brought me back to this city. Seriously. Breakfast tacos brought me back to Houston. Now that I type it, it looks like an odd reason. Made sense at the time though.

[EasilyAmused]

Love, Peace and Taco Grease.

[txstate]

Plenty of people walking on Westheimer between Hwy 6 and the Galleria, I see them everyday.

[robertobaggio]

Originally Posted by texasthekid

precisely.

Try getting a breakfast taco at 2am in seattle. That's what i'm talkin' about. If i don't see chorizo dripping grease and saturating my tortilla, i'm not a happy drunkard. Houston may not be the only place in the world that can offer that, but it's one of the biggest things that brought me back to this city. Seriously. Breakfast tacos brought me back to houston. Now that i type it, it looks like an odd reason. Made sense at the time though.

qed

[TexasTheKid]

Originally Posted by robertobaggio

qed

Er... ok.

By the way, look what's within walking distance for both you and I:
tacosagogo.com

You ought to walk over to the Continental some night a catch an authentic Texas band then go next door for some excellent tex-mex. Whenever I go to the Continental, I walk. It's not even in my neighborhood, but I manage.

[nikku]

Originally Posted by TexasTheKid

Er... ok.

Q.E.D.

[jfre81]

He doesn't want tacos, dude. He wants muscles.