5 Pros and Cons about living in Houston (San Diego, Winters: rent, insurance)

[spikeboy25]

I'm graduating college next year and looking at several cities to relocate to when I get my degree. Houston is in my list of possible choices. Can anybody give me 5 pros and 5 cons about living in Houston (strictly the city, not the suburbs).

[kixette]

5 pros
lots to do
pretty diverse community
more jobs than other places, technical pay scale OK (that's two for one)
housing is cheap
i find houston easy to get around IN A CAR
5 cons
heat in the summer and cold in the winter (yes, it does get cold, and yes, it does snow sometimes)
high humidity most of the time which makes it seem hotter or colder
more conservative than liberal (could be a pro for you)
hurricanes and tropical storms
public transportation is not great

[HoustonRonnie]

Originally Posted by kixette

5 pros
lots to do
pretty diverse community
more jobs than other places, technical pay scale OK (that's two for one)
housing is cheap
i find houston easy to get around IN A CAR
5 cons
heat in the summer and cold in the winter (yes, it does get cold, and yes, it does snow sometimes)
high humidity most of the time which makes it seem hotter or colder
more conservative than liberal (could be a pro for you)
hurricanes and tropical storms
public transportation is not great

PROS:

1. Wonderful and diverse restaurants.
2. In general, folks are warm, polite and outgoing.
3. No state income tax.
4. Affordable housing, in comparison to like-sized cities.
5. More than enough to do within driving distance for fun.

CONS:

1. Infrastructure absolutely $ucks.
2. Diaper rash weather from June to mid-October.
3. No basements (basically) allowed in your home.
4. Folks drive as if on a tractor with a grazing permit.
5. Not a good pizza in the whole town, but makes up for it with BBQ.

Just sayin'...

Ronnie

[SteveArmy]

Dating's got to suck over here. You cant really let it lose, get drunk and get laid if you have to drive. Do you guys follow your date home than leave one car somewhere. does the *walking her home* technique even work here?

[alphajet]

PROS:

Economy is better here than the majority of the U.S.

Cost of living in Houston is very good - Compared to L.A. - NYC - SF - & D.C. it's very cheap to buy a new home or rent in a good area.

Winters are decent compared to the majority of the U.S.

Childcare & K-12 Education options are much better in Houston MSA than the majority of California, Florida, AZ, and Southern areas.

Did I mention it was cheap to live here..



CONS:


Steamy - Sweltering - Nasty Heat & Humidity from May - Oct.

Traffic - Sprawl - Lousy roads - Poor public transportation & infrastructure, No Zoning = Ugly for many areas outside the 610 loop

Beaches compared to Florida, California & North Carolina are absolutely the pits.

Property taxes, wind/flood insurance, and overall utility costs are some of the highest in the nation.

While the city is diverse it doesn't feel hip, progressive, or Hi-Tech in any way like Denver, Raleigh, NYC, NoVA, Bay Area or San Diego - Very Industrial and still feels 10 years behind.

Overall quality of life index and infrastructure for Houston MSA is pretty low on the food chain compared to many of the cities in the Mountain West, East & West Coast areas.

[girlzilla]

My two-cents about 5 pros and cons (on the basis of living in Houston for about three years 2007 to 2010)

Pros:
1. No state income tax. Huge business and career opportunities.
2. Low cost of living in terms of rent money & utilities
3. Great restaurants (I've lived near the Galleria, so I mean the ones around there, not sure about elsewhere)
4. Mild winters and beautiful spring/fall months
5. Happy people, at least from what I've seen. Sense of optimisim in this economy.

CONS:
1. Traffic, traffic, traffic. I would never try to live outside the inner loop.
2. Crime (OK, it's everywhere, but it was just hard to adjust to listening to the local news crime stories. I grew up in a town that never locked their doors).
3. Hurricane threats
4. Flatness. Bummer for mountain biking enthusiasts. The off-road trails at Memorial Park are OK, but they aren't awesome.
5. The humidity

[BoraTerra]

Pros:
1. Lost cost of living
2. Great restaurants!
3. Diverse city
4. Lots to do here
5. Mild winters

Cons:
1. Humidity and the heat (you'll suffocate in your car during the summer lol)
2. Traffic / crappy roads / potholes
3. Sub-par public school system
4. Want to get somewhere? You better have a car...
5. And did I ever mention the heat?

[Black Jack22]

Originally Posted by alphajet

PROS:

Economy is better here than the majority of the U.S.

Cost of living in Houston is very good - Compared to L.A. - NYC - SF - & D.C. it's very cheap to buy a new home or rent in a good area.

Winters are decent compared to the majority of the U.S.

Childcare & K-12 Education options are much better in Houston MSA than the majority of California, Florida, AZ, and Southern areas.

Did I mention it was cheap to live here..



CONS:


Steamy - Sweltering - Nasty Heat & Humidity from May - Oct.

Traffic - Sprawl - Lousy roads - Poor public transportation & infrastructure, No Zoning = Ugly for many areas outside the 610 loop

Beaches compared to Florida, California & North Carolina are absolutely the pits.

Property taxes, wind/flood insurance, and overall utility costs are some of the highest in the nation.

While the city is diverse it doesn't feel hip, progressive, or Hi-Tech in any way like Denver, Raleigh, NYC, NoVA, Bay Area or San Diego - Very Industrial and still feels 10 years behind.

Overall quality of life index and infrastructure for Houston MSA is pretty low on the food chain compared to many of the cities in the Mountain West, East & West Coast areas.

Houston does not have much vibrant, entertainment energy.

[jfre81]

Raleigh is hip and progressive? Are we trying to be funny?

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Raleigh is hip and progressive? Are we trying to be funny?

Yeah, he had me until he said Raleigh.