Is Houston For Me? (important life decision -- please help!) (Dallas: appliances, neighborhoods)

[cebu077]

Thank you to EVERYONE who responded with encouragement about San Diego! Honestly, I think I already knew in my heart that I would always wonder "what if" if I moved to a different city now. It's just that my family is so adamently against it (again, it's drastically different from the direction in which they have all have chosen to take their own lives, and I think that scares them), I experienced a moment of panic and insecurity in my own ability.

But my gut instinct tells me, has told me for years, that I need to live there (for a little while at least, if not for the rest of my life) while I'm young and free (as you said). I'm perfectly content living in an apartment; in fact, I have NO desire to buy a house anytime soon. So it's not like I'd need to worry about the cost of buying a home in San Diego.

San Diego is the right decision for me; I already knew that, but then I lost faith in my own powers of perception. But it was definitely nice to hear from some of the VERY FRIENDLY folk of Houston!

[HTownNearNative]

I agree with everyone else. You gotta get San Diego out of your system. Other cities will not be San Diego and it would not be fair if you moved somewhere expecting it to be something it isn't. There are lots of good places to live in the U.S. and it all depends on what a person is looking for at that time.

One plus that someone mentioned about Houston when it comes to saving money for nice vacations, you can easily catch a non-stop 3 hour flight to San Diego or a non-stop to Ohio (less than 3 hrs) should you wish to take a vacation or visit family. Houston is centrally located and is very easy to visit cities within the U.S. without it becoming a cross-country trip.

If you have not visited San Diego before, I suggest you find a way to visit first. Good luck in your decision! Hope your plans (for San Diego, I'm guessing) go smoothly!!

[worldlyman]

cebu,

(Are you of Filipino decent also? I am.)

I'm a person of left-leaning persuasion, who'd lived in San Diego for four years. San Diego is not really for people who are "deep thinking" or "eccentric." But for people whose sense of life perception is just sunshine, sunshine in "Sun Diego" and not much else, SD is perfect for them.

My wife and I left in Houston to go to San Diego in 2002 in order for her to gain her nursing reciprocity in California. We were of course excited. But for me, I saw how colonialist, repressive and socially divided San Diego is. I also saw what a bland place it is once the tourist packaging gets old in a month. I started to miss Houston and its wacky "do it yourself" appeal only after a few months.

I don't believe ultimately that down the road, SoCal is all that livable. I felt uneasy in 2006, left early (to Florida first) before coming back to Houston. I encouraged my wife to get the heck out of Dodge and she finally came back in 2007.

Houston's wide open spectrum of people, food and culture...San Diego just doesn't compare. Houston's a true big city in comparison...and it's a sense of place that is evolving ever so often, and that is its appeal to me. Chicago and such other fully-evolved cities cannot say that. They are finished fine products for the "urban" anally retentive but I prefer the tremendous laboratory or work-in-progress that is called Houston. San Diego is also a finished product, by the way.

San Diego's entertainment areas from Gas Lamp to Pacific Beach to La Jolla are repositories of basically white folks (tourists to military frat boys) congregating. Downtown Houston is at least a mix where throngs of Latinos, African-Americans and whites congregate even if they don't always go to the same establishments. Downtown Houston, an entertainment area of cultural Theater District sophistication juxtaposed with hip-hop culture and ale culture. What other Sun Belt city offers that?

Certain posters here that belittle Houston don't get out much. Last week I took a break from my late night work here in the Texas Med Center, took the rail to downtown on a Saturday night...and voila, there's a big city nightlife scene that looked just liked that of Chicago or L.A....but more integrated! Sidewalks full of people, bars and clubs in every corner...and some good slices of Frank's Pizza.

Of course, there are other vibrant nightlife areas spread out like Midtown, Washington Ave, Montrose, Rice Village...not to mention the well-laced corners down the Richmond and Westheimer corridors...

There's a New Chinatown area that rivals that of L.A.'s San Gabriel area already.

Houston's young and imperfect, yes, but don't let the Houston Haters deceive saying that it's not comparable to "other big cities." Especially when ex-denizens of "other big cities" have made their way en masse to Houston over the past decades.

Don't let the Houston Haters that seem to want the fun to come to them or have post card environments placed in front of their faces ruin what really is a great treasure in the Greater Houston area.

Houston's access to the large expanse of water is fairly good if not perfect...this coming from an ex-Florida guy. Galveston does not have the prettiest beach...but the MIXED Victorian funk, Gulf mystique and overall entertainment factor is more endearing than a lot of California and Florida beach towns that I've lived in or visited! Fishing at Sea Wolf park, eating awesome Italian food at Luigi's, soaking in the ghostly vibe of the nocturnal Strand, walking along the Sea Wall (it's a format that not many beach towns have) while people-watching in the summer or reflecting in the winter...it's hard to find an eccentric beach town like that (and while Venice in L.A. has the eccentrics not so much the genuine eccentric mystique of Galveston).

Apart from a beach environment, there's the touristy kitsch of Kemah, bifurcated into the cheesy but fun Kemah Boardwalk and the bawdier, mom-n-pop of the Kemah Lighthouse District.

The Gulf Coast access, Houston has it in a mere 24 to 50 minutes, depending on your location and destination. Other cities such as Las Vegas, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, St. Louis and so on...do not have this type of access. So it's all relative.

Oh yes, Houston also has a burgeoning forest-oriented entertainment district in its northern region...as a nice contrast to the Gulf attractions.

Weather here in Houston is actually pleasant 7 months out of the year. Many places around the world are hot year round. We get San Diego type variety weather for about 7 months, not bad. Plus the humidity balance has been better for my skin since returning to the Gulf Coast...my skin got chalky from San Diego's relative dryness. There's a price to pay for wanting no humidity at all.

Believe me, when you get a few miles away from the Pacific, it can get hot in San Diego come August and September...consider the urban heat factors, the indoor appliances and NOT MUCH a/c in those dwellings unless you live in the more expensive ones. I had to find ways to cool down living in Paradise Valley after a day at work! The weather down in Imperial Beach was great...but the neighborhood wasn't.

Segregation? San Diego has more so than Houston. Latino, African-American and even Asian-American cultural expression seems more vibrant here. In San Diego, they ignore the cultural and historic significance of something like Chicano Park. Here in Houston, something like Project Row evokes much greater pride in the information sheets.

Say you're from South Bay (western Chula Vista, National City, San Ysidro, Imperial Beach...) and your buddies from around Rancho Bernardo and such will mentally pin you as someone not as materially blessed. There's definitely not that kind of societal mindset here in checkerboard Houston where there aren't really the insular ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago. People mix better here in the Space City.

There are many mosques here in Houston. Not so much in whitebread, militarist San Diego. It's great to have access to halal food here in H-town. There are Chinese and Vietnamese street signs in sectors of SW Houston and Midtown Houston, respectively...not so anywhere that I know of in San Diego.

You have greater access to wonderful things like Pakistani, Colombian and El Salvadoran food in Houston. In San Diego? Go to Los Angeles (and you're hard put to find Pakistani style food there). Only Filipino food and traditional Mexican food have greater variety in San Diego...but the rest of the gastronomic world is in Houston relatively.

Houston regularly has "Best Vietnamese" cafe in local rags, paying notice to its largest Asian group. When has San Diego ever had "Best Filipino" cafe in The Reader or any of those local mags, ignoring its largest Asian group? (Houston Press even had a category for "Best Filipino" cafe once.) NY food critic John Mariani said back in 1993 or so along the lines,that Houston "put Vietnamese food on the US culinary map."

Houston has had an independent, liberal-type female mayor, black mayor and black police chiefs in recent times. Not so in "Sun Diego." San Diego has typically been mayored by vehement white conservatives. (Roger Hedgecock was one right wing mayor and became a more vicious reactionary San Diego talk show host!)

But perhaps give San Diego a try. Maybe it is for you but always have your driver's license on hand when you drive. The various police agencies out there practice Soviet era roadblocks out there and check your papers even if there's no probable cause on your vehicle. And I'm not speaking of the usual Border Patrol stations. We're talking city police that check your papers Soviet-style...everybody lined up like its a foreign country or something.

California in general is not in good sorts...with its budget black holes and all...

[Sampaguita]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

But give San Diego a try. Maybe it is for you but always have your driver's license on hand when you drive. The various police agencies out there practice Soviet era roadblocks out there and check your papers even if there's no probable cause on your vehicle. And I'm not speaking of the usual Border Patrol stations. We're talking city police that check your papers Soviet-style...everybody lined up like its a foreign country or something.

What????

Why would you be driving without your driver's license in the first place?

I lived in San Diego for 7 yrs and was never stopped to have my "papers" checked. I lived in City Heights, El Cerrito/College & finally Carlsbad. Where in SD did you live that you saw this kind of policing?

(BTW - I do wish there was a Red Ribbon Bakery here.)

[worldlyman]

Originally Posted by Sampaguita

What????

Why would you be driving without your driver's license in the first place?

I lived in San Diego for 7 yrs and was never stopped to have my "papers" checked. I lived in City Heights, El Cerrito/College & finally Carlsbad. Where in SD did you live that you saw this kind of policing?

(BTW - I do wish there was a Red Ribbon Bakery here.)

Sometimes we honestly forget it. I had a valid drivers license while in CA. And I once drove through a damn National City Police checkpoint in 2006 near Sweetwater as they were setting it up. I got really scared because I forgot my wallet on my desk that night! I got lucky because they were setting up the cones, blocking off access to that 7-11 (and that shortcut away).

In 2002, along Palm heading east past I-5 away from Imperial Beach...San Diego Police stopped EVERY VEHICLE, allowing whites to pass, and pulling over colored folks (including myself) when there was NO reason for them to do so. Nothing wrong with my vehicle, nothing wrong with my driving...THEY STOPPED ALL CARS LIKE like we were in a third world country. They asked me for my license and registration and THEY DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG. They let me go of course.

If you pay attention, roadblocks and checkpoints are routine if not always publicized from Escondido down to Imperial Beach. From San Diego PD to the other local police to San Diego Sheriffs doing them.

Not the way "free" America is supposed to behave.

[Sampaguita]

I've been guilty of forgetting my license in another purse a time or two. I totally understand that. I just found your reason for not having your DL on hand because of "Soviet-style" policing odd as I had never experienced it nor do I recall anyone I know ever coming across this.

Since they were publicized, what was the reason given for these road blocks? Searching for illegals?

The only road blocks I recall were DUI check points during certain holidays and border patrol checkpoints in the southlands and I-5 at Camp Pendleton - perhaps it was only in certain areas of the county (IB/Otay Mesa/Escondido) where there has been known to be a high concentration of illegals.

[worldlyman]

Anytime we regularly get stopped en masse such as those police checkpoints and asked for our papers (driver's license, insurance and registration) when there is no probable cause...that's Soviet style conditions. And the white folks in nice cars seemed to be let through while the others, with no probable cause, got pulled over?

These are not DUI checkpoints anymore as they happen in the daytime frequently now. The most notorious nowadays are in Escondido. They are nothing more than the opportunity for invasion of privacy and enriching city revenues. "Driver license checks" as they're called when no probable cause is involved...seems like Soviet era checking of papers to me.

That time in 2002 was in broad daylight. That incident still leaves a scar on me as far as my feelings toward San Diego governance and society. The fact that I was pulled over pretty much because of my skin color...no probable cause...while the white woman in front was allowed to roll on...

City police does not have the function to check for illegals as such. That is typically a Border Patrol function. And being close to the border, I can see at least see that. But at least they don't ask for your papers.

Here in Houston, and in Texas, those police checkpoints are still illegal. The cops here use scanners to get individual cars with issues as is the proper way...not stopping everyone, Soviet style.

[dper11]

If you are looking for a more cosmopolitan city try Dallas. If you want a younger and hip scene try Austin.

[vicket]

Having moved from Cleveland I can tell you that the heat/humidity here is very similar to Cleveland's hot July and August days...it's just that the hot period stretches for 3 to 4 months, instead of a few weeks.
On the flip side, 5 to 6 months of gloomy winter, bare trees, ice storms, and grey slush in Ohio is easily traded for 8 months of beautiful weather here.
If the OP can line up a job first...moving here will probably be an improvement over what she has now...(but it won't be San Diego).

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

Houston's wide open spectrum of people, food and culture...San Diego just doesn't compare.

Great post, worldlyman!

It was many years ago when I lived in Southern California but I will never forget the time I drove from Los Angeles to San Diego for the weekend and I stopped at a cafe that supposedly served coffee drinks and when I asked for a cappuccino, none of the wait staff knew what it was. My friend and I laughed all the way back to LA.