DC or Houston? Cost of Living (Washington: sales, rent, insurance)

[DC's Finest]

^^^^^^^rotflmfao

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by DC's Finest

^^^^^^^rotflmfao

Thanks man. I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

[14thandYou]

Houston is a fine (if unattractive) city--my wife is from there, after all. But culturally speaking, it doesn't exist on the same plane as places like DC or Boston. And it doesn't have to do with the fact that DC and Boston are older; after all, DC isn't even all that old (the city didn't take off until after the Civil War).

[grindin]

Originally Posted by Frodo2008

Houston is not a cultural wasteland and has more culture than DC.

ROFLMAO




While Houston isn't the cultural wasteland or backwater that some people paint it out to be, to say that it has more cultural amenities than DC is a bit of an exaggeration. Especially since what is culture can be subjective. The truth is somewhere in the middle. But Texans aren't exactly known for their modesty , and get a bit, shall we say hypersensitive even at the slightest criticism of their state, especially on this forum.

That being said, if COL is a concern, I'd say Houston would be a better move for you. Especially when it comes to housing. I'm not even talking about having to get a McMansion, but getting a decent house won't hurt your wallet there like it would in DC. If family is important to you and you don't want to be too far from Philly, than I'd say DC.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by grindin

ROFLMAO




While Houston isn't the cultural wasteland or backwater that some people paint it out to be, to say that it has more cultural amenities than DC is a bit of an exaggeration. Especially since what is culture can be subjective. The truth is somewhere in the middle. But Texans aren't exactly known for their modesty , and get a bit, shall we say hypersensitive even at the slightest criticism of their state, especially on this forum.

No it's not an exaggeration. I've been to DC a couple of times and Houston has more culture. Houston is more diverse than DC thus has more culture. I don't care about people not liking Texas but when they say something that isn't true like DC has more culture then I have to speak up. If you think DC has more culture than Houston then provide some examples. What are the reasons you think DC is more cultural?

[DC's Finest]

Dude seriously! DC has Houston beat by miles. In DC you can trace your ancestors at the National Archives. Sit in on a Supreme Court Hearing. Visit one of DC's 40 musuems (Spy, Holocaust, Newseum, American Indian, Natural History, Air & Space, etc....Go to one of DC's iconic monuments ( Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam etc...). Attend parties and openings at any one of three hundred international embassies. Go look up your local congressman on Capitol Hill. Sit in on a Senate/House vote. Protest or rally in unity for gay marriage, abortion, immigration, minimum wage, etc... on the National Mall. Visit world class art galleries like the Corcoran. Visit charming historic neighborhood like Georgetown & Old Town. Attend international festivals and taste local cuisine. Ride your bike or jog for miles and miles in a thick forest without leaving the city proper. Kayak on the Potomac. Ride on an 18th century barge down the C&O canal. Watch over 100,000 Harleys (Rolling Thunder) ride from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Memorial. Hang with 1 million of your closets friends at an Inauguration.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by DC's Finest

Dude seriously! DC has Houston beat by miles. In DC you can trace your ancestors at the National Archives. Sit in on a Supreme Court Hearing. Visit one of DC's 40 musuems (Spy, Holocaust, Newseum, American Indian, Natural History, Air & Space, etc....Go to one of DC's iconic monuments ( Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam etc...). Attend parties and openings at any one of three hundred international embassies. Go look up your local congressman on Capitol Hill. Sit in on a Senate/House vote. Protest or rally in unity for gay marriage, abortion, immigration, minimum wage, etc... on the National Mall. Visit world class art galleries like the Corcoran. Visit charming historic neighborhood like Georgetown & Old Town. Attend international festivals and taste local cuisine. Ride your bike or jog for miles and miles in a thick forest without leaving the city proper. Kayak on the Potomac. Ride on an 18th century barge down the C&O canal. Watch over 100,000 Harleys (Rolling Thunder) ride from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Memorial. Hang with 1 million of your closets friends at an Inauguration.

A lot of the stuff you listed off is government and historical stuff not cultural stuff. Since DC is the capital yeah it has a lot of this type of stuff but when I say culture I'm talking about the different types of people in town. Houston is more diverse than Washington so to me Houston has more culture. Houston has more Chinese, Vietnamese people, etc. This is the type of stuff I'm talking about. It sounds like you live in DC. I've been to DC a couple of times. How many times have you been to Houston? Have you ever been to Houston? No man Houston has DC beat by miles!!!

[grindin]

Sheesh, can one Texan in these forums at least try and be fair when it comes to debating about cities or do they have to turn everything into a damn hyperbole and pissing contest? And what part of DC were you in to make such a judgment of things? Too many people that tour DC don't go beyond the Monuments/National Mall area to see the various neighborhoods and surrounding areas and make a judgment call on a very small part of the area, which is about as stupid as people who see the petrochemical plants in Baytown and determine that represents all of the Houston area.

The DC area is pretty diverse, about neck and neck with Houston. I'd think that being the Nation's Capital, it would and should be. I have family in the DC area, so I'm up there quite a bit, and have gotten to know the area (and hopefully I can move up there soon) very well. The area is about 8.4% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 26% Black I've also spent a lot of time in Houston as well.

The economy is a magnet for people not just for government, but for the biotechnolgy, technology, not to mention the Non-Profits, Think Tanks, Law Firms, and Defense/Civilian contractors that attract educated people from all over the world. The DC/MD/VA area has large populations/communities of Koreans, Ethiopians (as well as other Africans), Salvadorans, Vietnamese and other populations. You can't just look at just the District, you have to include the surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia as well. So, I'd say that it is as diverse as Houston, even if the ethnic mix may be different down there (Houston international population is mainly Mexican, Vietnamese, South Asian, Chinese). Both cities have very large African-American populations which contribute to the diversity of the areas as well.

And yes, I know DC's 67 Sq Miles isn't as big as Houston's 600 sq miles, but for the sake of this, I'm including the entire DC metro area, just as I'm including all of Greater Houston.

Great ethnic dining abounds in the area, and due to the embassies in the area, there are always lots of cultural events reflecting the diversity of the area.

DC is hardly less cultural than Houston. It may be different in its composition, but not 'less than'

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by Frodo2008

when I say culture I'm talking about the different types of people in town.

Wow, what a narrow definition of "culture" that is. And even allowing only for that abbreviated definition, the notion that the Houston area is somehow "miles beyond" DC is false.

The overall percentage of foreign-born residents in Houston's MSA is a little over 19%, versus 13% for DC (source: http://www.metrocouncil.org/census/M...ign%20born.xls) . But those numbers are skewed because of Houston's significant Latino population. DC leads Houston--in many cases, by a considerable margin--in terms of % of residents who come from Europe, Asia and Africa.

But a city's "culture" extends far beyond simply the number of people who live there who come from elsewhere. DC has the best museum system in the world in the Smithsonian, a number of the country's preeminent public and private art museums and galleries, nearly 180 international embassies hosting events and programs throughout the year, innumerable international organizations offering educational conferences, seminars and cultural enrichment programs, governmental institutions and buildings offering programs and opportunities unavailable anywhere else, a diverse array of festivals and celebrations--many among the largest in the country--occuring throughout the year, some of the country's finest performing arts venues and organizations, and the most educated populace of any U.S. city producing an incomparable body of academic and artistic work.

You can't just wish that type of stuff away because it's related to DC being the seat of the nation's government--that is, after all, DC's culture.

And it's no knock against Houston to say that it doesn't compete with that--aside from New York, there really isn't a city that competes with DC at this level. Like I said above, Houston's a fine city. But culturally "miles beyond" DC? I'm afraid not.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by grindin

Sheesh, can one Texan in these forums at least try and be fair when it comes to debating about cities or do they have to turn everything into a damn hyperbole and pissing contest? And what part of DC were you in to make such a judgment of things? Too many people that tour DC don't go beyond the Monuments/National Mall area to see the various neighborhoods and surrounding areas and make a judgment call on a very small part of the area, which is about as stupid as people who see the petrochemical plants in Baytown and determine that represents all of the Houston area.

The DC area is pretty diverse, about neck and neck with Houston. I'd think that being the Nation's Capital, it would and should be. I have family in the DC area, so I'm up there quite a bit, and have gotten to know the area (and hopefully I can move up there soon) very well. The area is about 8.4% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 26% Black I've also spent a lot of time in Houston as well.

The economy is a magnet for people not just for government, but for the biotechnolgy, technology, not to mention the Non-Profits, Think Tanks, Law Firms, and Defense/Civilian contractors that attract educated people from all over the world. The DC/MD/VA area has large populations/communities of Koreans, Ethiopians (as well as other Africans), Salvadorans, Vietnamese and other populations. You can't just look at just the District, you have to include the surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia as well. So, I'd say that it is as diverse as Houston, even if the ethnic mix may be different down there (Houston international population is mainly Mexican, Vietnamese, South Asian, Chinese). Both cities have very large African-American populations which contribute to the diversity of the areas as well.

And yes, I know DC's 67 Sq Miles isn't as big as Houston's 600 sq miles, but for the sake of this, I'm including the entire DC metro area, just as I'm including all of Greater Houston.

Great ethnic dining abounds in the area, and due to the embassies in the area, there are always lots of cultural events reflecting the diversity of the area.

DC is hardly less cultural than Houston. It may be different in its composition, but not 'less than'

I am being fair in this debate. It sounds like you're the one making it a pissing contest. Unlike you I'm not getting mad and I'm not taking this personal. If you don't like hearing dissenting opinions then you shouldn't debate with people. You and a couple of other people in here seem to think that DC is way more cultural than Houston. I disagree with that. I've been to Washington a couple of times and to me it seems about the same as Houston. I don't see much difference in terms of culture. Houston has the 2nd largest amount of theater space behind NYC. So it has more theaters than Washington. Houston has a nice museum district and all that stuff too. As big of a city as Houston is it has to have a lot of culture. Houston is a huge city. It's bigger than Washington. Any city this big is going to have a lot of theaters, museums, etc. It's impossible to be this big and not have quite a bit of culture. I also have relatives in the DC area. That's why I have been to the area. I've pretty much seen all the high points in VA, MD and DC. I go there to see my relatives and the surrounding area at the same time. I'm killing two birds with one plane ticket. That was pretty funny, wasn't it?

Anyways it doesn't matter. They're both good cities.