What do you like about living or visiting Houston? (Austin: condo, homes)

[SteveArmy]

The city is alright. I do have the right niche in the Houston IT job market to be worth a lot more than when I was in NYC

[Chickrae]

Originally Posted by Thaskateguy

,
QUOTE]
Houston is a good place to work, and to support My family. and not much more. I don't do bars, and care little for fancy food. I have simple needs. I have seen all the Museums, more times than I can count. (they have AC).

I agree, very great place to work. The museums are amazing though arent' they?
I also forgot to mention the Johnson Space Center is one of my all time favorite places to go.

[quote=tstone;11365746]Affordable space to call my own.

Culture that encourages reasonable & necessary defense of said space.

Ditto to that!

Good food options found in just about every established & reasonably diverse area in the entire metro.

Yes for sure. Some of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at, have been in Houston

AC, t-shirts & shorts in the winter... on some days, anyway

A very big plus. Saves a lot of money on winter clothing for sure.

[Visitor2007]

Originally Posted by Chickrae

I think it would be fun to list some positive things about Houston. I think sometimes Houston gets a bad "rap" so..................
I would like to know what you like about living in Houston? Or if you don't live there what do you like about visiting this great city?

Since I don't live in Houston, but I do visit family there, I would have to say I like the friendly people. True southern hospitality is evident.

Thank you! I think I have alot to do with that and its reputation.

[zhugeliang1]

Friendly people, lush tropical vegetation (palm trees, bougainvilla, hibiscus), dramatic skyline, energy, diversity, dining options, close to the Gulf, mild winters, affordable; no zoning means all services within a 5 minute drive from my house (no zoning: you love it or hate it).

Malvie summed it up so well that I copied that into my calendar where I keep quotations that I read back from time to time. I go to Houston a lot for those reasons.

[Thaskateguy]

"I agree, very great place to work. The museums are amazing though arent' they?
I also forgot to mention the Johnson Space Center is one of my all time favorite places to go." ------------

they are nice, but after a few decades they get stale. the Zoo was better when the city ran it, and it was free. ---Good Friends, are Houston's greatest asset in my book.

[hynes57]

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

big hair!!!

I can not believe you said that! That's one of the things I love, people with such a great sense of humor. And, ditto to big hair.

[zhugeliang1]

There is a coffee shop called Agora on Westheimer that I really like. The coffee is pretty mediocre, but the atmosphere is fantastic and gives off a really cool vibe.

Oh, I didn't know about Agora, maybe I'll try it. Does it have wireless internet?

[hynes57]

OP - great question; I’ve wanted to ask this same thing, what DO people like about Houston? I appreciate that you don’t live here and yet recognize that it IS a great city, and that “true southern hospitality is evident”. I agree and it’s one of the things I love about it. Some others (including some that may sound disparaging, but they aren’t):

I don’t live “here” (in H) either, am trying to move there partly because it’s HOME. Much of what I loved is gone, or things have changed so much they aren’t safe anymore, or they aren’t cool, they’re so yesterday, or they’ve just transitioned into something else. That is part of what I love about H – it’s always changing, growing, it’s so dynamic. It actually embraces growth with exuberance like no other city I know of.

I too love the tropical vegetation as well as the southern magnolias, azaleas, wisteria and live oaks. I love how Houstonians are, or at least we were so proud of our city. I bragged to my Memphis and FL cousins about Dad working in “the tallest building west of the MS river” (that didn't last long, it was the now short, old Exxon building. Just look at the impressive skyline now. I like it.) When they’d visit we were so proud to take them to the Astrodome, the planetarium, Galveston, the museums, the zoo, the Galleria, our beautiful parks including Memorial and Hermann. I still love those things, the ones that survived, and a lot of what has replaced them.

It changes so fast, nothing is new in H for long. I kinda' like that, even though it aggravates the heck out of me too. H has such an attitude, it’s like a small town in a huge city package. It’s southern and country, humble and a little stuck up, international and modern and wildcats and like a naïve, boastful kid all at the same time and that’s great. It’s rowdy but not too rough, it’s the wild wild west, with a tiny bit of a slow southern accent, or Texas twang left.

I love the grand old houses built in the twenties and thirties (those that have managed to survive the developers), proof that H didn’t wither away like some cities did during the (first) “great” depression; some folks flourished. Houston digs out of every hurricane and flood instead of whining (too much) about it. It embraces newcomers in a very generous way, even while knowing the additional cars are going to make the commute a little longer. In general people in H are helpful and friendly.

I like the fall, spring and most of the winter. I like the restaurants. I love Rice University and Village, and many of the other older neighborhoods, including those that have old houses a block from gigantic, sleek condos. I like that most of it inside the loop doesn’t look “planned”, contrived and homogenous. I like the bayous and parks, the entertainment and downtown. I like Bush more than most other big city airports. I like the music. I like TMC. I like that you can buy cowboy boots and a saddle, as well as the most expensive designer “stuff” in the world (not that I would).

I like that so many people who worked for the world’s largest oil company still travel back to H (those who have left) for their annual retirees reunion. I like it that there are people from all over the world, and so many who’ve been there their whole lives, all grumbling about the weather and bugs and traffic and politics and zoning and loving it together, and somehow adapting so well to the changes, ‘cause one thing that’s more certain than Houston’s weather changing soon is that the skyline and the freeways will change again soon too.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Thaskateguy

they are nice, but after a few decades they get stale. the Zoo was better when the city ran it, and it was free. ---Good Friends, are Houston's greatest asset in my book.

Yeah I agree, the zoo seems pretty weak for a city of this size.

[sbhubbell]

Originally Posted by tstone

Yeah I agree, the zoo seems pretty weak for a city of this size.

Are you kidding, I LOVE the zoo!!! And I have been to a LOT of zoos. Maybe it isn't the biggest, but it has more than enough to keep me and my kids entertained for half a day again and again. I am a member and I love the reading materials they put out, the events they hold, and the new Houston Zoo iPhone app is pretty cool! They are super active on Twitter and Facebook too. I think the Houston Zoo rocks.

As for the museums getting stale after a decade or two...that would happen no matter WHERE you live or WHAT your city has to offer. When I hear people complain about things getting stale or boring it usually says more about the person than it does the city or place.