Texas Vs. WA State... (Houston, San Antonio: transplants, crime, neighborhood)

[aluckyducky]

Hello there!

I'm moving to Texas from Washington State... and I wanted to know what differences there are between the two states culturally, financially, etc... any way, really... I'd like to hear any comparisons at all. I have an A.S. and am going to start a nursing program in Texas, studying along side my business major boyfriend as well as be near some family I have down there. It might be just a temporary move until we're out of school, but if I like it, it very well could be permanent.

I just wanted to know the differences... any comparisons at all to WA state, the NW.

I've spent my life in the same 30-mile radius, amongst plenty of large, lush everygreens and... just GREEN, everywhere. That, I will miss dearly... and crabfishing in the chilly Hood Canal.

What I will not miss? My shady neighborhood... the grey sky. I enjoy the rain, but the grey depresses me. The people are pretty fast-paced... and we're all pretty paranoid. Lol. You don't talk to strangers here.

Anyway, please share any and all thoughts. I'd love to hear them.

[KewGee]

To what part of Texas are you moving?

I have a friend that lives in Woodland, Washington and she doesn't care for much of Texas in comparison to Washington. She said, "The Hill Country and East Texas are okay for being kind of pretty, but it's way too hot and humid." Most of the time, she'll just comment about Texas as such, "I don't like flat and butt ugly landscape." I know that's not nice, but that is what she said.

[Aquajox]

We moved to San Antonio from Lynnwood, WA 18 months ago. Texas is a lot more diverse than I though it would be. The Northwest part of Texas is the panhandle. It's very flat and IMHO ugly. Central Texas is the Hill country: rolling hills, oak-like tree's, and limestone. Austin and San Antonio sit on the Eastern edge of the Hill country. I've never been to the northeast part of Texas, but I hear that there are thick pine forests past Houston.

Before moving here, I had lived in Snohomish county my entire life (32 years at the time), so I feel for you. My wife has family in Austin, so we go there often to visit, but my entire family is in Snohomish county. If you are moving to San Antonio or Austin, I could give you more information, otherwise I don't know much about the rest of Texas.

[FarNorthDallas]

Texas has big sky. It's hot. You sweat a lot. Friendly people. Huge Hispanic population. Not a lot of rain, usually. Flat. You can see where you are going before you get there and you can see where you've been for awhile.

[aluckyducky]

Thanks for the posts. I'll be moving to the Houston area... and I'm from Olympia, Washington. I have family in Sugar Land and Austin... but lots more in Washington State.

[FarNorthDallas]

Houston? I'll add humid. Your hair frizzes up. Oil and gas industry is evident. Sprawling suburbs. Residual Katrina issues. Nice museums.

[KewGee]

One more for Houston......bad air quality. IMHO, Houson may never be how it once was due to Katrina people flocking there and other parts of Texas as well. Crime has risen.

[noplacelikeWA]

Originally Posted by KewGee

To what part of Texas are you moving?

I have a friend that lives in Woodland, Washington and she doesn't care for much of Texas in comparison to Washington. She said, "The Hill Country and East Texas are okay for being kind of pretty, but it's way too hot and humid." Most of the time, she'll just comment about Texas as such, "I don't like flat and butt ugly landscape." I know that's not nice, but that is what she said.

I second that... it is VERY ugly when compared to the NW. If you can erase from your memory the amazing landscape of the NW you might be able to see something good in the TX scenery. Houston is coastal so I would focus on the beaches, warm waters and BLUE skies as a good change. Be ready for a serious culture shock and landscape shock, I'm still struggling with both after 18months.

[TexasNick]

In 2005 I drove from Seattle to Banff (BC) to eastern Montana, through Idaho into Tacoma (WA) and back to Seattle. Loved it, Absolutely loved it. If only I could have been with Lewis and Clark I think I would have died and gone to heaven. Yes, it is definitely more beautiful than most anything that Texas can throw in ways of scenery, but there's something about Texas that I just prefer over the NW.

[Willys]

aluckyducky, just view it as karma. If you've ever had a bad thought, moving to Houston will be your karma. The closest you're going to get to anything that remotely relates to the west half of Washington State will be the north of Houston into east and north east Texas. There are pine trees... yes, there are. But there are no mountains, no hills, excepting ant hills. Texas will remind you more of the eastern half of Washington. I did spend a year around the Seattle/Issaquah area.

You don't have to like it but enjoy it for what it has to offer.

The Texas state motto for transplants is, "I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could."

And the Colorado state motto is, "If God had meant Texans to ski, he'd have made bulls**t white."