Is Houston a very international city to non-Americans? (place to live, stores)
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Houston?!?
That trashy city is totally ignored by europeans and - yes, Chicago and San Francisco are more international.
Haha.
Houston isn't on the lips of Europeans as a destination. However, many people find themselves living there. They said that a huge equity-rich Vietnamese exodus from Los Angeles landed in Houston. What is interesting is that the major RE website (har dot com) has the provision to locate realtors who speak all of the world's major languages. Correct, when driving around, it does not feel very cosmopolitan like America's established cities, but it is now America's 4th largest, topping 2 million people.
Also, did you know there is a beautiful mansion downtown that houses the Italian Cultural Center? Apparently, a big batch of Sicilians landed there when they were also getting off the boat in New Orleans. I am sure that the kids of those initial people are very "diluted" today and just think it's "cool" to be Italian, but it's not devoid of culture. You just have to look for it.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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No, Houston is not really on the radar to Australians. Most people only associate it with NASA and perhaps the petroleum/energy industry, i.e. the famous phrase that has already been mentioned. It's struck me as a representation of everything that America was criticized for: auto-centric, gas-guzzling, characterless sprawl. I've only skirted the suburbs of Houston, but I can really think of no reason why the city itself sticks out. Dallas has the Western/Cowboy image, but I don't think either city is on the level of SF, Miami, DC.etc.
As someone who lives in Europe, I should say that Houston doesn't really register on the radar. It's not a city we really consider at all.
That's bad, I grant, but there is worse news:
We do actually think about Dallas. Perhaps it's the legacy of J.R. Ewing, or the Dallas Cowboys whom seem to get far more talk on movies than Houston. Regardless, Dallas is more visible than Houston.
Fairly accurate to the condition, TempusFugitive. Being from Houston, checking into hotels in Paris or London, they'll have my home address as Houston, look at me... I can see it in their eyes... and they'll say 'Dallas?' It's just a matter of local perspective.
What is the criteria you guys are even using for measuring "international?" You need to establish this before I can even consider any input. Are we talking about international business, international visitors, foreign residents? Let's establish some kind of criteria to measure how we can answer this question! Otherwise, "international" will just led to a very subjective, endless debate.
Not really. Seattle and Honolulu are much more well known and familiar to the Japanese.
Frankly, I know nothing about what's in Houston. It feels like just another city in the US South-Central region for me.
I think that says more about the Houston brand than anything else. As a brand, Houston has not done a very good job of promoting itself as an international city. As someone from another country, when I think of Houston I think of cowboy hats, oil and sprawl. It needs to do a better job of making other things come to my mind, because that kind of branding makes it seem like a regional centre and not much more (and I know it is more).
You're right about the PR, BIMBAM. I've lived in Houston since the sleepy beer and blues town days, watched the NASA growth, the petro growth, the medical growth, the port growth. And population explosion. While Houston and it's business practices recognize it's international relations, Houston doesn't bank itself on those relations. Yes, Houston does accommodate international trade and development but does so as an extension of its business atmosphere. Houston has situated itself as that regional centre to which you refer. That region is both the southern and central U.S. and Gulf of Mexico.
While other great U.S. cities (NYC the obvious exception) promote themselves as an international destination, Houston just 'does international'.
Not really. Seattle and Honolulu are much more well known and familiar to the Japanese.
Frankly, I know nothing about what's in Houston. It feels like just another city in the US South-Central region for me.
I love what the Japanese call Seattle: "Shee-a-tohr" A Japanese-American from Seattle told me that.
Like Los Angeles, I think Houston would have done a better job of "brand recognition" if it had instituted a metro system earlier on and created more identifiable nodes in the city/metro area. There are a few nice ones, but not as many as there should be for its size.
I love what the Japanese call Seattle: "Shee-a-tohr" A Japanese-American from Seattle told me that.
Like Los Angeles, I think Houston would have done a better job of "brand recognition" if it had instituted a metro system earlier on and created more identifiable nodes in the city/metro area. There are a few nice ones, but not as many as there should be for its size.
How come Houston does not have a subway system? I am aware that it is at sea level. Amsterdam is at sea level but it has a subway system. In addition Hong Kong has a subway system even though it can be subject to Typhoons and I am aware that Houston can be subject to hurricanes. Hong Kong and Amsterdam are far more world known and much more popular destinations for tourists compared to Houston.
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and - yes, Chicago and San Francisco are more international.
A Japanese-American from Seattle told me that.
