Are Texans embarrassed by their state’s beaches? (Houston, Galveston: homes, neighbourhoods)
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I like the Hill Country, but it, like Austin is incredibly overrated.
I'll still go down there though and enjoy it, but it's really just rolling pleasant countryside. It is not something "incredible" worth travelling outside a few hours for, besides just to say you've seen it. It's countryside, not wilderness.
I think it is one of the 10 ugliest states on average.
Yes, there are some very pretty parts, but overall the majority of the % of the state is below average and about as scenic as North Dakota.
Throw Ten Darts at 10 random spots in Texas and it will be a bottom 10 state.
Most of Texas lacks the dramatic topography of every other western state. Yes, you have small corners of the state that do have it, but they make up a tiny part of the state.
On the other hand, Texas lacks a lot of the features that make eastern states pretty. I like east Texas and find it pretty, but it would be pretty average in another deep south state and don't compare to Appalachia, or the Great Lakes States. It's basically averagely pretty looking, which means it's beautiful relative to most of Texas.
Just because it is a bottom 10 state doesn't mean there aren't plenty of pretty spots. I think all the states I've been to have appealing qualities. Beauty can be found anywhere.
There is a sort of acquired taste that you can appreciate about the brown flatness that makes up a lot of Texas.
I think you are wrong about Houston.
People might initially move to Houston just for work. It's the reason people moved to Chicago in the 1880s when it was a nasty dirty and dangerous city itself. At a certain point when enough people move somewhere for work, it can develop into an interesting place that is enjoyable in its own right. I think Houston is at that point, and I've really come to like Houston and what it offers.
There is nothing desirable about Houston, jobs are abundant in many other places too and cost of living isn’t as cheap as it used to be
Apologies for the mistake. I must have been thinking of someone else, I think a female transplant from California who posts here?
You do understand people are reacting to you because your post put down people who like Texas' beaches and not because you had an unpopular opinion, right? There is a way of saying "I don't like this" without saying "People who do are wrong for these reasons" or "Only people with these negative traits would disagree."
5th generation Texan on one side of mom's family. Never lived in California. And you are correct, Parhe. Some people, including myself, get defensive when someone assumes the only reason why one can appreciate a place is because they've never been anywhere else and don't know any better. As for the original post, no I'm not embarrassed by any *natural state of any of our beaches. Not sargassum. Not the murky water near river deltas, including the Mississippi (which does affect water clarity even in Texas). Not the tides. Not what flora and fauna exist on our very long coastline. Not the variety and color of sand from one beach to another. I'm not embarrassed by washed up Portuguese Man o' War, avoid them.
There is nothing desirable about Houston, jobs are abundant in many other places too and cost of living isn’t as cheap as it used to be
Every place has jobs. What people are really looking for is the quality within their specific field, which may very well be inferior in those other places compared to Houston. And COL is still cheap compared to other major metros.
Though summers are hot, the rest of the year is quite benign and equable relative to the vast majority of the USA. So those looking for the economic qualities while also having those weather preferences are in luck.
You do understand people are reacting to you because your post put down people who like Texas' beaches and not because you had an unpopular opinion, right? There is a way of saying "I don't like this" without saying "People who do are wrong for these reasons" or "Only people with these negative traits would disagree."
You get it, he doesn't. That condescending, derogatory attitude was why I made my remarks and he still didn't get it.
Every place has jobs. What people are really looking for is the quality within their specific field, which may very well be inferior in those other places compared to Houston. And COL is still cheap compared to other major metros.
Though summers are hot, the rest of the year is quite benign and equable relative to the vast majority of the USA. So those looking for the economic qualities while also having those weather preferences are in luck.
Most of the appeal of Houston, in my opinion, comes from the fact that it isn't very appealing on the surface, to begin with, which has forced it to be pro-business and pragmatic.
Immigrants usually consider natural beauty or weather at the very bottom of their list. It results in a pragmatic culture for the most part.
The fact that there is little natural beauty in Houston and most of the initial growth is from dirty industry means the locals and their government are more open to growth. That new subdivision doesn't block any mountain/ beach views.
This paired with all the jobs which really draw their roots from the energy industry and has assured that the city has recognized that growth makes the place better and given them a boomtown mentality.
Houston is undoubtedly a better and more interesting place than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago. Oldtimers make the mistake of comparing one single spot they liked better and miss the bigger picture.
Most of what makes the place appealing are the growth which means you have more places to eat. You can't say the same about cities that are rapidly gentrifying like San Francisco. I'd rather live in SF 20 years ago, but I would rather live in Houston today than 20 years ago when it was less diverse smaller and less interesting in general.
If people actually liked the weather in Houston the whole gulf coast would be full of people moving there to retire, but they don't and that is because, without jobs and a large diverse city, it isn't that appealing to most people.
This always pisses off natives, but all the big Texas cities are way better off with outside migration than they were 20 years ago without it, maybe Austin aside, which I still doubt.
Granted some people actually love the weather, but to most Americans, it's the least appealing thing about Texas.
Most of the appeal of Houston, in my opinion, comes from the fact that it isn't very appealing on the surface, to begin with, which has forced it to be pro-business and pragmatic....[snip]
You're sort of preaching to the choir here, but bold is all that needs to be said about this topic.
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If people actually liked the weather in Houston the whole gulf coast would be full of people moving there to retire, but they don't and that is because, without jobs and a large diverse city, it isn't that appealing to most people.
It's not quite that simple. There are quite a few factors more pertinent in impeding such leisure-based draws to Houston than climate, which is actually quite benign relative to much of the US. The industry, the double-edged sword that it is, being among the most important.
Also, there's high variability both in the preference itself, as well as where it starts to factor in. For instance, if you're looking for large diverse city with plentiful high-quality Energy jobs, and also happen to like mild winter weather, then it's reasonable to say that Houston would be a solid choice. Not too many cities in the US would offer such a combination
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This always pisses off natives, but all the big Texas cities are way better off with outside migration than they were 20 years ago without it, maybe Austin aside, which I still doubt.
Granted some people actually love the weather, but to most Americans, it's the least appealing thing about Texas.
No, this is just your opinion, remember?
Last edited by kemahkami; 04-04-2019 at 03:22 PM..
You're sort of preaching to the choir here, but bold is all that needs to be said about this topic.
It's not quite that simple. There are quite a few factors more pertinent in impeding such leisure-based draws to Houston than climate, which is actually quite benign relative to much of the US. The industry, the double-edged sword that it is, being among the most important.
Also, there's high variability both in the preference itself, as well as where it starts to factor in. For instance, if you're looking for large diverse city with plentiful high-quality Energy jobs, and also happen to like mild winter weather, then it's reasonable to say that Houston would be a solid choice. Not too many cities in the US would offer such a combination
No, this is just your opinion, remember?
I'm honestly not sure what you are trying to say at all.
Most of the appeal of Houston is that it is a big city with lots of good jobs, different types of people and stuff to do while staying cheap. The diversity is a function of it being cheap and having good jobs.
If Houston was the size of Amarillo and didn't have high paying jobs it would not be fast growing at all. People aren't dying to live in the swamp.
The city is cheap because it isn't a lifestyle location. It attracts working people. The city is not that pretty, the neighbourhoods are less urban and attractive than it's competitors. This has allowed it to be interesting and unique.
I think that helps make it more real. I think the neighbourhoods are interesting because they feel less hipster and fake. I'm not hating, but there is a reason Boystown in Chicago costs more than Montrose in Houston, it's just objectively nicer. The proof is in the value of the land.
Houston is interesting because it is cheap and that lets funky things happen there. Usually the nicer part of Houston you are in the more suburban and boring it is.
Houston being interesting is a function of it being affordable. Houston is cheap because it sprawls out because it is pro-business and people care more about money than nature....hence the reason they live in Houston.
Also, this had been beaten to death, but I honestly think people who think Houston weather is a feature are nuts. A small percentage of people love Houston weather, sure. Some people also like Siberia, I'm sure. Most, including people from there who have had the pleasure of living anywhere else realize that it is not. My office has a few Houston Natives and while they all prefer it to Dallas, they say Houston has worse weather.
I have literally never met anyone in real life, even people who live there, who like Houston weather.
Don't confuse a decent number of people preferring it to the upper midwest to it actually being desirable in its own right, most people hate upper midwest weather as well...
There is nothing desirable about Houston, jobs are abundant in many other places too and cost of living isn’t as cheap as it used to be
I disagree. I like Houston a lot, it's getting better all the time, and for what you get it's a good deal.
The only downsides in my book are they didn't pass better parking laws sooner to allow the city to densify, the weather/scenery sucks, and they didn't invest in transit and sidewalks sooner.
I'm honestly not sure what you are trying to say at all.
Then you clearly weren't paying attention. The point is that you've simplified these circumstances way too heavily to fit your opinions, leading to lots of error in your analysis.
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Most of the appeal of Houston is that it is a big city with lots of good jobs, different types of people and stuff to do while staying cheap. The diversity is a function of it being cheap and having good jobs.
If Houston was the size of Amarillo and didn't have high paying jobs it would not be fast growing at all. People aren't dying to live in the swamp.
Of course not.... nowhere would. Hence why you also aren't seeing fast growth along Destin and its godly white sands. Because you are falsely equating fast growth with beautiful natural aesthetics, which is only a minor component at best compared to the true factor, access to success opportunity.
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The city is cheap because it isn't a lifestyle location. It attracts working people. The city is not that pretty, the neighbourhoods are less urban and attractive than it's competitors. This has allowed it to be interesting and unique.
I think that helps make it more real. I think the neighbourhoods are interesting because they feel less hipster and fake. I'm not hating, but there is a reason Boystown in Chicago costs more than Montrose in Houston, it's just objectively nicer. The proof is in the value of the land.
This is all false dichotomy. You're not considering the significant supply-side controls, including space availability, city regulations/ordinances, etc that can influence the cost of those Chicago neighborhoods just as great, if not greater, compared to the perceived desirability. Not to mention rent hikes that may come from transplants with no sense of scale regarding the value of what they are paying for. And there's no such thing as "objectively nicer" when the desirability is subjective to begin with: the only objectivity is the existence of such belief.
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Also, this had been beaten to death, but I honestly think people who think Houston weather is a feature are nuts. A small percentage of people love Houston weather, sure. Some people also like Siberia, I'm sure. Most, including people from there who have had the pleasure of living anywhere else realize that it is not. My office has a few Houston Natives and while they all prefer it to Dallas, they say Houston has worse weather.
I have literally never met anyone in real life, even people who live there, who like Houston weather.
Don't confuse a decent number of people preferring it to the upper midwest to it actually being desirable in its own right, most people hate upper midwest weather as well...
And I can equally say that those that don't understand the preference are quite myopic. And that won't change no matter how many cubicled coworkers you cite in your feeble anecdotes.
At the very least, a preference for Houston's climate would go in hand with the well-known desire for benign subtropical weather. The vast majority of the US does not offer near as benign of weather during winter, fall, and spring. Your comparison with Siberia is a major fail.
Desirability already implies comparison to begin with, so the fact that the people prefer Houston to the Upper Midwest still proves my point.
Desirability already implies comparison to begin with, so the fact that the people prefer Houston to the Upper Midwest still proves my point.
Only some people. Most, I suspect do not. None of my upper midwest relatives want to move to weather like that, even if they think the upper midwest is too cold.
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Never lived in California. And you are correct, Parhe. Some people, including myself, get defensive when someone assumes the only reason why one can appreciate a place is because they've never been anywhere else and don't know any better. As for the original post, no I'm not embarrassed by any *natural state of any of our beaches. Not sargassum. Not the murky water near river deltas, including the Mississippi (which does affect water clarity even in Texas). Not the tides. Not what flora and fauna exist on our very long coastline. Not the variety and color of sand from one beach to another. I'm not embarrassed by washed up Portuguese Man o' War, avoid them.
