Houston or SA--Need 2 make a decision quick, fast & in a hurry =) (San Antonio: real estate, leases)

[Anlyle87]

Hello im an African-American female from Detroit. I just recently got 2 job offers as a Sleep Tech but the only problem is one is in Houston and the other is in San Antonio. Sooo im trying to get advice on which city would be better for me to move to. I love culture, diversity, and going out to eat (im addicted to chinese food), im 22 and a nightowl so i gotta have the night life and a good variety of other things to do, im also a photographer and into art. I dont know which place favors majority of these things..i love always having the option to do something...sooo basically (im totally not excluding any other race by my next question) Which place would be best for me as a Young, mellow, African-american, who gets bored easily and hates to stay still for to long?? Which place is more affordable? and finally, Does anyone know of any places that have Month-To-Month leases, unfurnished or furnished?

[moving2warmTexas]

I've done a lot of research on those places myself and can't make a decision.
However, if you want nightlife, lots of diversity, and tons of things to do as a single person, I'd say Houston. San Antonio is more of a family oriented place. Houston has tons of arts also, whereas I'm not sure about San Antonio.

I'm sure there are plenty of affordable places to live in Houston but I think SA is generally cheaper. Be careful where you rent in either places. Both Houston and SA have some shady neighborhoods (like all big cities I guess). Houston also has a lot of factories which results in pollution. I've heard some areas the air is so bad that if you step outside at a certain time of the day for a few minutes, your clothes will smell like chemicals.
Just be careful where you rent.

I vote Houston though. Good luck!

[travelguy_73]

I'm from SA, and go back to visit during holidays and such. Compared to Houston, well, there isn't any comparison for young people. San Antonio is very much a "sleepy" city, geared towards the suburban life. The city has a strong culture (primarily hispanic) and has a more southwestern feel (more arid climate, they have serious water problems). It is aesthetically more pleasing than Houston, but IMO those are the where the positives end.

I don't think the cost of housing is materially different between the two cities, and the job market in SA will generally be much more limited than in Houston (function of the types of jobs SA has as well as the market size).

Much to my family's chagrin, I couldn't imagine moving back.

[MIASLTX]

based on ur criteria, houston. sa seems to be a manufacturing/college city (growth - #8 largest city in US 08). our oldest attends utsa. we're native houstonians. hth. check har.com for living options & houston.org for business etc stuffs. hth.

[rude_monk]

Having lived in SA for 2 yrs, and now Houston for the past 18 months, I can tell you definitely for all the reasons you care about: HOUSTON.
SA is great if you were born there, have a family that you hang with, or want a quiet life in the suburbs. From my experience SA is very conservative politically, with lots of retired military people. Also not a great place if you're single.

Houston has some really bad, unsafe parts of town, from what I've seen, avoid north of 1-10 up to 1960 on the north side. Avoid the SE side. Your best bet for nightlife is the Westside near the galleria, montrose (just west of downtown) and the heights(near-north side). For cheaper rents or real estate, far nw side has a lot of good deals east of willowbrook mall, north of 1960. Lots more diversity in Houston compared to SA in terms of single people, politics is more balanced here, lots more immigrants from all over incl. Vietnam, India, etc. Many good Chinese and Thai restaurants. My kind of place.

[zhugeliang1]

I live in San Antonio but go to Houston several times a month for training. rude_monk is right on target. San Antonio is terrible for singles like me. San Antonio, everyone here is married with a family and they can really circle their wagons. Go to Houston.

[texx]

As a AA female, I think your choice is very simple for all reasons stated above. HOUSTON!! My wife (also AA) is a San Antonio native and hates everything about the city. She claims the city is historically racist towards blacks and complains about the lack of diversity of the city. She claims the city is for Mexicans and is very BORING!! Sometimes I think the only reason she married me (and moved to Houston) was to get the HELL away from San Antonio lol. Me personally, I like San Antonio - for a weekend; but as a AA black professional, I couldn't LIVE there!

[HookTheBrotherUp]

HOUSTON. I have family in SA, including my mother, but she moved there to be with her brother and sisters, so the posts about circling the wagons, family, etc. ring true. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I like it personally, but it's not for a single person new to the area.

SA is a great place to visit, lot of things to do when visiting, but for everyday live, Houston has more to offer, especially for single people. Not to mention the best medical centers in Texas, if not the world, a true international HUB airport, and cruise origin.

Lastly, as one who travels frequently, and internationally, I've been to and dined in the great cities, and I have to say, Houston has probably one of the best, diverse restaurant scenes of any city I've been to, including domestically. Just my option.

[N. Buck]

I think you have your answer. But for what it's worth: Houston.

[Invictis]

Houston. I lived in San Antonio for over 2 years, it's not a bad city but Houston has a lot more to do in general, and people are friendlier.